Current Transits for October 2001 Current Transits for October 2001Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mercury Retrograde, 10-1 to 10-22
Full Moon at 9Ar26, 10-2
Vesta Retrograde Station at 13Gm29, 10-9
Jupiter semisextile Saturn, 10-10
New Moon at 23Li30, 10-16
Neptune Direct Station at 6Aq00, 10-17
Mars enters Aquarius, 10-27
Uranus Direct Station at 20Aq54, 10-30
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
OK, we made it through September -- take a deep breath. Needless to say, the energies unleashed last month are just starting to unfold. You'll be seeing some crucial manifestations of these planetary patterns in October, as they billow up into powerful storms that dominate most of the month. There is also a feeling of intense stasis going on, as a large number of planets are standing still and changing direction. It's normal to feel stuck or uncertain now, or to sense that long festering situations are coming to a head. With Mercury in reverse gear much of the month, it's not worth the effort to try to "figure things out" because the lower thinking mind that handles our daily activities is not up to the task. Your intuition may offer some better insights, but I doubt even that part of you knows what's going on. Stay calm, even when the world seems nuts. You'll be much more effective if you don't get caught up in the storm. Prepare to ride the wind!
There are a lot of planetary stations this month (5 in all), an astrological scenario that I call a logjam. With so many planets standing still, there's a quality of stasis or being "stuck" that permeates everything. Situations back up for a time and probably won't break free until November at the earliest. In addition, there's one big aspect and one sign change to mention.
Leading the list of planets that are standing still this month is Mercury, the thinking mind. Mercury goes retrograde at 29Li41 on the 1st, backing up to 14Li12 on the 22nd, when it slowly resumes normal motion. In a nutshell, this means the thinking mind is in a tailspin pretty much all month. Situations may not make much sense during this time and any explanations you come up with may fall flat. This is especially the case with circumstances that involve other people. Communications between people are particularly prone to misunderstandings now. What may seem fair and reasonable to one person may be totally infuriating to the other. Attempts to talk it over and settle the problem can only make things worse. Be patient with others and don't assume your point of view is true. We all suffer from the limitations of our own personal perspectives -- that goes double when Mercury is in reverse gear. It's a good idea not to make big commitments now -- you just never know what you're really getting into. Rely on your intuition more than rational thought, although even those levels of the psyche are on the fritz this month. Take it easy with each other.
This is a chart that is simply loaded with squares and oppositions, the aspects that are the most difficult to handle; the planets forming this pattern are mostly "heavy hitters" of one sort or another. In fact, this pattern consists of a Grand Cross and a T-square interlocked. The next two weeks are a challenging time, by any person's definition. Existing "structures" of any kind are being undermined by subtle, unseen forces beyond our control. Even relationships are under the gun, putting affections through the wringer. There's a deep urge to get busy, do things, forge coalitions, flex your muscles (note: the Jupiter end of the Grand Cross has recently crossed over the USA Sun). However, Grand Cross energy has a tendency to "run away" with us if we aren't disciplined about them, which would bring out the overbearing side of this pattern. It's very important that we think carefully and try to anticipate the unforeseen consequences of our decisions. With Mercury in reverse gear, the chances of that are pretty slim. Mars is about to go over the lunar eclipse degree (13Cp38) of July 5 that impacted the USA chart (and President Bush, too) so heavily. Mars aspects to an eclipse are well-known "triggers" of eclipse energy, helping to catalyze those influences into action. Powerful forces are at work, especially at an unconscious level. That may be manageable on a personal scale, but it promises some painful repercussions on the global stage. Get ready for a roller coaster ride! And keep your cool, no matter what...
Vesta also reaches a retrograde station at 13Gm29 on the 9th, about to start a 3 month period of reverse motion. This cycle is closely allied with Saturn's retrograde cycle (14Gm58 to 8Gm02) that began Sep 26. These two bodies are very similar in energy -- in fact, I often think of Vesta as a female version of Saturn in some respects. They share a tendency to withdraw, go within, separate from the outer world. With Vesta, it's a matter of feeling overwhelmed by the world and its demands, leading to a "loss of self" feeling. She needs to withdraw and retreat to her own ground as a way of reconnecting with herself. A feeling of truthfulness and integrity is always important with Vesta -- above all, she needs to remain faithful to herself and her inner nature. Since both of these cycles take place in Gemini (mostly), a sign of communication and being social, there's a need to retreat from people and the pressure to mingle. You may want to go into your cocoon for a time, cutting unnecessary ties to people that aren't really central to who you are. It's important that relationships be supportive, as there's no inclination to "give 'til it hurts" for anyone. It's also vital that there be clear communications and boundaries with others (which isn't easy now, given the other events this month). The reason for Vesta's introversion is that her power lies within. If the world drowns out her "still small voice within", she loses her bearings and her strength. This lack of power produces feelings of fear and insecurity that only retreat can eliminate. Give yourself the space you need; don't let the world drain you. Recognize the warning signs that you're being overwhelmed and act on them. Vesta backs up until 2002-1-14, when she goes direct at 27Ta47, near the Pleiades.
Jupiter is semisextile Saturn on the 10th, the 1st of 3 such contacts. The other connections are on 2002-1-17 and 2002-6-11. This is the 3rd big contact within the Saturn-Jupiter-Pluto grouping over the last 3 months. While Pluto is not directly involved with this aspect, he's lurking in the background nonetheless. This is also the first major turning point in the 20 year cycle of Jupiter and Saturn that began with their conjunction last year (2000-5-28, 22Ta43). These two planets govern broad social themes, often affecting entire countries. Jupiter is how we reach out to others and bring the gifts of cooperative living into our sphere. Saturn is more concerned with the structure and form of these connections, especially the types of rights and obligations we must respect in order to maintain these social contacts. Normally, the semisextile is neutral or slightly positive in its effects, but the lingering influence of Pluto adds a darker note to this time. It's interesting to review how much the world has changed in the last 16 months. We've gone from a long period of prosperity to a contracting economy. The political landscape has been totally rewritten, with a sharp swing to the conservative side of the spectrum in evidence. And now we find ourselves in a "war against terrorism", as radically incompatible visions of humanity turn against each other. The darker, shadowy side of our culture (the Pluto part) is revealing itself through the enemies we cultivate. While it's tempting to stand up for our country and our way of life with great fervor, there are still lingering doubts about how much "freedom" and "justice" we really believe in (especially for other people). At the moment , the issues confronting us are still relatively benign (no matter how dark it seems). The problems may intensify in a year when Jupiter and Saturn are 45 degrees apart and the gap between the ideal vision and the reality widens even further. It's a time now to reach out to others -- the people next door, across the world, even those burning our embassies -- building bridges in a responsible fashion. Obviously, bridge building is a two way street -- you can't make peace with someone who doesn't desire peace. Our options are limited. But we have to try. Hopefully this "war mentality" will give way to something more constructive.
For more background on the international scene, see my World Trade Center Bombing page.
There's a strong urge to get out there and do something, but that urge may quickly backfire on you. I wouldn't rely on brute force to get you through a situation now. It's much more efficient to observe how you wind up sabotaging your activities and just stop doing that. You probably are feeling stuck or held back in some area -- it only needs the right "aha!" to break out of that rut. Don't expect things to shift right away -- you may need to wait until Uranus goes direct on the 30th. We continue with the long process of letting go of old certainties and securities, learning to embrace the current instability. And curiously, a Venus-Neptune trine points to a light-hearted, romantic influence active the next few days. If you can stay away from touchy subjects, this can be a fine time to spend with a loved one.
Neptune reaches its direct station at 6Aq00 on the 17th, about to resume normal motion. Neptune is the planet of dreams and illusions, and how we weave our lives from these stories. It's pure, creative heart energy -- the power of the emotions to reach out and affect the world around us (often unconsciously). Since his retrograde station last May 10 (at 8Aq47), these visions have been severely tested. How have your dreams and goals in life been going? Is your life turning out as you envisioned or have you been sidetracked by detours, false starts and unexpected consequences? Are there hidden intentions, subtle fears and misunderstandings that derail your efforts, despite your best attempts. Neptune is difficult only because it is subtle, unclear and unconscious. It mirrors back to us what we-at-all-levels really believe about the world, not what the ego thinks. As we shape our world, we bring all our hopes and fears, our talents and our traumas, along -- no wonder we get such mixed results! The problems encountered now are a reflection (in Neptune's hall of wavy mirrors) of how impure our hearts still are. That's not a criticism -- in fact, we're already needing to operate at a more refined level than any generation in history (gentle pat on the back here). But the demands are greater than ever and we have no place for the luxury of negative, limited, egotistical behavior patterns anymore. As we raise up our heart energies, our creative skills automatically improve and life becomes easier. Follow your feelings -- negative emotions are the clues about what work remains undone. The pressure on us will slowly diminish for a time, making the work easier.
Mars enters Aquarius on the 27th for a 6 week stay. This is kind of an odd placement for Mars: the Warrior puts on a technician's suit. Aquarius is a mental sign, so our energies are more easily focused on intellectual pursuits or grand ideological causes. Air signs also tend to be more social, making it easier to work with others -- at least the ones that already agree with your point of view. That's one of the pitfalls about Aquarius: it's more interested in causes and ideology than in real people. Given that it's also one of the 4 fixed signs, once it decides on what the "Truth" (always with a capitol T) is, nothing can change its mind. Mars raises this stubbornness to an ornery level, prone to battle the "foes" that disagree with him instead of listening to their point of view. The airy nature of this zodiac sign also means the intellect is untempered by feelings which add depth and compassion to your actions. Thinking that is free from emotions may seem like a virtue to some, but in my experience it produces "pie in the sky" schemes that are divorced from reality and have no room for for real flesh and blood people. If you can avoid these "misguided humanitarian" traits, this placement is an excellent time for intellectual activities -- it brings out the scientist in us. It gives you the stamina to see these ideas through to a conclusion. Just make sure others are allowed to join the ride. Mars slips into Pisces on Dec 8.
Uranus is the next planet to reach a direct station, standing still at 20Aq54 on the 30th. This is a good time to find yourself in a rut of some kind and break out of it. Uranus is a transformer, the mental dynamite stick that overthrows the status quo. Since we're coming to the end of this "logjam" period anyway (only Jupiter's retrograde station on Nov 2 to go yet), we probably need something to jumpstart our lives. Look for the unusual occurences around you, the funny coincidences, the moments of synchronicity, that signal something new is knocking on your door. Be willing to allow these disruptions a minute or two of your attention -- they are often the "solutions" to the ruts you're struggling to escape. If you have those intuitive flashes of "aha!" about some problem that's weighing heavy on you, rearrange your thinking accordingly. It's only by trying a new approach that you will get new results. Let "craziness" work for you for a change. At the very least, it makes life a lot more fun...