Current Transits for October 2009 Current Transits for October 2009Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Pallas enters Libra, 10-3
Full Moon at 11Ar09, 10-4
Uranus Semisextile Neptune, 10-4
Ceres enters Scorpio,10-12
Jupiter Direct Station at 17Aq09, 10-12
Mars enters Leo, 10-16
New Moon at 24Li58, 10-18
Saturn enters Libra, 10-29
Chiron Direct Station at 21Aq12, 10-30
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
October is a time of dramatic gear shifting. The Neptune knot that we've been discussing since last spring is coming to a head in coming weeks, as the knot planets all reach their direct stations and resume direct motion. In more familiar terms, this means that situations that have been brewing and becoming more convoluted the last 5 months or so are coming to a climax. Very often, this is experienced as a crisis or turning point of some kind, especially since most people are not very adept at handling outer planet influences. The emotions that are "in the air" will be even more exaggerated than they've been so far. Since emotions like fear, anger and outright paranoia have dominated much of the conversation recently, this may an unpleasant time. Another change is that Saturn is moving out of the knot and passes into Libra on the 29th, approaching a square to Pluto (ouch!) by Nov 15. It will take awhile to explain all the influences packed into that one sentence, but one of the most important implications is that Pluto is back. The Dark Lord has been relatively quiet this summer, overshadowed by the Neptune knot activity. With help from Saturn coming onto the scene, Pluto can give Neptune and friends a run for their money. Now Saturn and Pluto are commonly considered two of the badder dudes in the sky and squares are notorious for causing trouble and conflict, so you should approach this period with caution and concern. The "big aspect" of the month is Uranus semisextile Neptune just after the full moon on the 4th -- even more outer planet activity! Is all this enough for you? Just be aware that normal reality is being challenged and rearranged on a daily basis. In the long term, this is a beneficial thing, but it is certainly an unsettling and disturbing process to go through. Put your panicky feelings aside, take a deep breath, and continue moving. Fear and ignorance are the big enemies these days...
There are quite a number of important events in October. The "big aspect" of the month is the Uranus-Neptune semisextile. Both Jupiter and Chiron reach their direct stations. There are 4 planets changing signs, of which Saturn's entrance in Libra is the most significant.
Pallas enters Libra on the 3rd, where she will stay until moving into Scorpio on Dec 10. Pallas is a complex lady with many sides to her personality. Primarily, she's a very practical intellectual, able to size up a situation in an instant and figure out how to accomplish her goals. This may also be why she has the reputation of being a powerful warrior and tactician in ancient myth. But she's also an artist and crafts person with an eye for beauty. She has an interest in social justice and an order that works for all; a strong Pallas often makes one an activist for the underdogs in society. Libra focuses her interest on relationships with other people, although it can be somewhat uncomfortable for her at times. Pallas is a thinker who is detached from her feelings and Libra (a mental air sign) tends to exaggerate this tendency. The trick for her is to get past thinking of relationships as a project to pursue, something to figure out, and to become truly involved instead. Life and love can be messy, complicated affairs. You can't put them in a neat box and forget about them. They involve the emotions in a powerful way. So come off your olympian peaks and get your hands -- and heart -- dirty. You can't live life from a distance.
The focus of this powerful full moon chart is pretty obvious. Mercury, Mars and Neptune form a tight Yod pattern, with Uranus joining the fun. When I say "tight", I mean the orbs for the connecting aspects are half a degree or less, some incredibly potent contacts. In fact, there are at least 7 significant aspects in this group going off later today, including the Uranus-Neptune semisextile mentioned earlier. As the full moon moves deeper into Aries through the day, the pattern becomes a Koz Alert once again. A number of other bodies (Saturn, the Sun and Moon, Ceres, Chiron, Juno) are also part of the action. We are kicking off a very strange couple of weeks.
Yods are also known as "the Finger of God" for their tendency to trigger fateful or karmic situations in our lives. In effect, the full moon chart is telling us to hitch our words, beliefs and actions to the highest qualities of the Neptune energies. If you don't, the lower qualities (the fears, confusions and misunderstandings) will take over and shape your world. We all are creators of our worlds in ways big and small, positive and negative. Our words and deeds have repercussions, even if we don't realize that we're impacting others. The Aries full moon, with the Sun in Libra, often has overtones of how we interact with the people around us. It's a classic "self vs. other" type of symbolism. You want to strike out on your own, but find that your actions need to take other people into account. Neptune works through the heart chakra, the seat of compassion and connectedness with all beings. As long as you remain aware of the bigger picture, you're unlikely to make a mess of things. But when you drop into your ego and go it alone, even the ripples of your behavior have ripples. It's easy to have misunderstandings with others lately, but that's not a very creative way to live. Take the high road -- it's easier in the long run than cutting corners...
Uranus is semisextile Neptune on the 4th for the second of 3 such contacts. Their first contact was on Jun 10 and their last will be 2010-4-13. This is the second act of perhaps the most intriguing influence in 2009-2010, as we probe the effect of mysterious Neptune on our lives. For starters, the semisextile is the first major development in the 171 year long cycle of these planets since their spectacular conjunction back in 1993. Uranus is the Trickster and the Awakener. He peels the blinders from our eyes and reveals in a blinding instant that our assumptions about life are quite worthless. By stripping away our self-serving stories, we get back in touch with life as it truly is. Neptune is a more slippery fellow. A planet of inspiration as well as deception, he shows us how we create the circumstances in our lives through our beliefs and inner stories. The unconscious mind is very good at attracting people and situations to us that mirror what is going on within us. Whether we are filled with love and wisdom or fear and delusion, Neptune shows us what is there. The outer world reflects back to us our inner world, as though we are wandering through a hall of mirrors. The trick is figuring out what the message is. Depending upon the story you use to interpret Neptune's magick, you can imagine the message to be almost anything. These instances of synchronicity or mirroring can appear to be many things. To one person, they may be the hand of God or of your spirit guides tending your life. Another may see it as the mysterious workings of the psyche and the unconscious, a very bland term for a rich and teaming inner universe. Shift your beliefs, and it looks like the workings of natural law and blind chance. It may be evidence of a spiritual realm beyond mere matter, or we may just be fooling ourselves. Things get murky with Neptune and we are left to sort it all out as best we can. However, whatever you call this powerful transformation, it's hard to ignore the changes it creates within you. This Neptune effect is enhanced due to the fact that Neptune is repeatedly passing over its discovery position (25Aq52) way back in 1846 for the first time since this planet/energy entered our awareness. We need to move beyond our kindergarten understanding (or confusion) about Neptune and its role in our lives, especially the more negative and self-deceptive lessons we learned. Perhaps the biggest lesson with Neptune is that so-called "reality" is always more complicated and convoluted than we can imagine. He's a reminder not to squeeze all the mystery out of life.
Now one curious connection with this aspect involves the situation in Iran. The Jun 10 contact was two days before their disputed presidential elections and the subsequent crackdown on protesters. This mirrors a similar Uranus-Neptune semisextile back in 1979, when the modern Islamic Republic was formed (throw in Pluto as well). I find it intriguing that as we approach the second contact, Iran is back in the news, this time for the revelation of a clandestine nuclear plant they had hidden until now. While the protests have settled down, the air of dissent is still simmering -- this is a long term situation that has yet to be resolved. As I said, this is only act 2.
Anyway, while Uranus and Neptune are active, it's time to take a good look at the beliefs, stories and myths that guide our lives. Many of our inner stories are in need of renovation and a good housecleaning. It's only by clearing up the confusion inside that the outer world will become more sane and reasonable. The world could always use more sanity and only we can make it happen. It's time to take this Inner Magician seriously and be more responsible about what we create. It's a tall spiritual lesson to learn, but we don't have much of a choice. Ignoring the problem is definitely not an option. Spiritual maturity is a good goal these days...
Ceres moves into Scorpio on the 12th. She will remain here until shifting into Sagittarius on Dec 20. Scorpio is probably the most emotionally intense of all the signs, so this is a placement that thrives on feelings. The hard part is remembering the Ceres angle of caring for and supporting each other. Some people like to cause big soap operas in their relationships with others, just because it makes life more exciting. However, towering highs and lows of feelings rarely serve the relation. If anything, the uncertainty and melodrama only drive people apart. Rather than striving for intensity, try looking for a quiet depth instead, something the other person can trust and rely upon. Love doesn't have to be dramatic to be profound. Knowing your partner is there for you, no matter what happens, is a valuable gift. Keep your feelings in proper perspective.
Jupiter reaches his direct station of 17Aq09 on the 12th. This completes his retrograde cycle that started at his retrograde station of 27Aq01 back on Jun 15. Jupiter is about making contact with the outer world for the mutual benefit of everyone involved, finding your place in society so that you can thrive. Unfortunately, it seems when Jupiter is backing up as he's been the last 4 months that all these helpful connections dry up. These times when Jupiter is backing up can be miserable times for business, since customers tend to sit on their wallets (already feeling empty because of the economy) instead of wanting your services. People clam up during these periods, feeling reticent about opening up to each other. We cease working together and each becomes a separate island. The cycle this year has been complicated by Jupiter's involvement in the Neptune knot pattern. Our connections with each other, already under strain, are further confused by the overhaul that is mediated by Neptune and the other outer planets. People are uncertain about how to interact anymore, because the old social rules and roles seem to be breaking down. Jupiter is temporarily on the fringes of the Neptune grouping as he approaches his station -- in fact, he's more closely allied with Pluto than Neptune this month. However, this long dry spell in our social networks is coming to a peak and then starts to dissipate as Jupiter starts moving again. If you get through October in good shape, the worst should be behind you. Start planning for the immediate future and the new directions you want to take.
Mars moves from Cancer into Leo on 16th. Due to an upcoming retrograde cycle in this sign , this long stay will not be done until 2010-6-7 when he enters Virgo. Have I ever said that Mars hates being in Cancer and that moving (finally!) into Leo is such a relief for him? Mars is all about ego expression, letting the world know who you are, what you stand for and what you want. Consequently, he finds Leo, the sign of the emerging of the individual ego, to be a very compatible fit. This is a time to shine, to be yourself in the world. It sounds like a great license to let loose and do your thing. The fly in the ointment is that retrograde cycle coming up. These cycles are always a time to back up and revisit some old problem areas pertaining to the planet in reverse gear. So don't get too carried away about being the center of attention that the world revolves around. As this placement proceeds, you're likely to encounter quite a backlash from the world around you if you're too big for your breeches. On the other hand, if you're not standing up for yourself properly, you may have troubles with that, such as people walking all over you. Keep an eye out over the next 8 months for where your plans and desires are frustrated and where people put up resistance to you. It's a time to refine your approach to being in the world. You'll succeed by creating a healthy, balanced ego, not a bloated one that doesn't respect others. It's much more pleasurable for everyone involved.
First of all, it's interesting that the houses in the new moon chart are almost the same as for the full moon (only a few degrees different), so many of the planets are in the same part of the chart as they were two weeks ago. I always get a feeling of "unfinished business" between lunations when this happens, as if the planets are saying you're not done with certain lessons yet. As before, the planets fall into several groups, namely the ones associated with Uranus-Neptune, another group with Saturn-Pluto and a few miscellaneous stragglers. The Sun-Moon placement seems to favor Neptune this time around.
There are two conflicting trends going on in this chart. The more positive side is based on the Sun, Moon, Uranus and Neptune, with Juno and Chiron in the picture. This is the dreamy, exciting part of the chart, the feeling inside that new and intriguing possibilities are just around the corner. Granted, it's often hard to achieve good results with outer planet energies, but at least it looks good in theory. People have a tendency to unconsciously be their own worst enemy, tripping over their own shadows, so you need to be on the lookout for signs that say you're going down the wrong path. However, the new moon point indicates a point of inner alignment, where the urges of your inner self come through cleanly, so I suspect the Neptune side is as easy as Neptune gets. I'm more concerned with the Pluto crowd. Mars, Saturn, Pluto -- this is a rogue's gallery of the unsavory usual suspects when it comes to negative influences in astrology. In particular, Saturn is approaching a harsh square to Pluto next month, an aspect that would send most astrologers to the bomb shelter for a few months. (Their opposition aspect in 2001-2 was widely credited with triggering the 9-11 attacks and the war on terror.) It may be very difficult to work smoothly with others the coming month. It doesn't help that the beneficial planets like Venus and Jupiter are currently rather weak -- there are no offsetting good influences to balance out Pluto and company. Watch carefully for any unexpected or undesired side-effects to your actions and take corrective moves -- it's all too easy to create a mess. Be vigilant and aware...
Saturn shifts from Virgo into Libra on the 29th. He is dancing back and forth across this border for some time, reentering Virgo on 2010-4-7 and settling into Libra for good on 2010-7-21. He will then stay here until 2012-10-5, when he knocks on Scorpio's door. The last time we saw Saturn in this territory was back in 1980-83, so it's been awhile. Libra is considered to be a beneficial placement for an otherwise difficult friend, as it brings out Saturn's sense of fairness and evenhandedness. Saturn is the flip side of Jupiter when it comes to our social interactions. While Jupiter is the benefits and rewards of working together ("what's in it for me?"), Saturn is more the rules, limitations and responsibilities you need to respect to make living and working together possible. Libra at least helps us see how such "playing by the rules" makes society possible, that cooperation is a sensible alternative to anarchy. This placement makes it more pleasurable to be a good friend and neighbor. Granted, such a description may sound rather bland and uninspiring, but Saturn appreciates the slow and steady, not the flashy and exotic. This is an invitation to be a good and respectful person -- just because. It is its own reward, in a curious way.
Chiron reaches his direct station of 21Aq12 on the 30th, ending 5 months of reverse motion since his retrograde station of 26Aq13 back on May 30. Chiron can be thought of, at one level, as the keeper of your psychic closet, the place where you hide away all the parts of your personality that you don't want the world to see. We all have parts of ourselves that we keep hidden away for various reasons, mostly because we're afraid of any criticism we might receive. People are extremely adverse to being too different or strange in the eyes of others, so we "stuff it" when we stand out. A lifetime of this can literally fill up your psychic closet with all the best parts of your personality, not just the shameful parts. It takes an act of will, fueled by a good mid-life crisis, to open up the closet door and reexamine all the forgotten and neglected parts of your life. When Chiron is backing up like it has been the last 5 months, this can become a pressing issue. After you've suffered enough feelings of dull lifelessness, you're ready to bust out and live a little again. If you haven't reached this breaking point already, the direct station is a good excuse to open up the closet door and take out a few goodies. Especially since Chiron is part of the Neptune knot that is active 2009-2010, this transformation takes on the air of a spiritual crisis. Everyone wants to be an individual, but they're also afraid to stand out. It's time to come down on one side or the other. Stand up for yourself...