Current Transits for October 2014 Current Transits for October 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mercury Retrograde, 10-4 to 10-25
Vesta enters Sagittarius, 10-6
Juno enters Leo, 10-7
Full Moon / Total Lunar Eclipse at 15Ar05, 10-8
Pallas enters Scorpio, 10-19
New Moon / Partial Solar Eclipse at 0Sc24, 10-23
Mars enters Capricorn, 10-26
Ceres enters Sagittarius, 10-27
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
After September, not to mention several months of ho-hum energies, October should be a refreshing change of pace. We get over two weeks of some hefty energies early in the month, the most "oomph!" we've had since mid May. There's a loose, but potent configuration of planets that is active most of the month. The aspects connecting these planets are mostly pleasant, easy-going ones, so on the surface there's little to complain about. On the other hand, in terms of more typical astrological events, October appears rather lackluster. The major stories are that the full and new moon this month are both eclipses, typical harbingers of important changes shortly. The lunar eclipse (full moon) in particular looks like it should shake things up greatly, with the Moon closely conjunct erratic Uranus. Mercury goes through one of its retrograde cycles this month. I know many people jump into their foxholes at the sound of the phrase "Mercury Retrograde", but it's not really as big a boogeyman as you might imagine. It just means you have to slow down and be extra careful with new ideas or when talking with other people. If you make allowances for the thinking mind missing a cylinder or two, this nuisance is no big deal. Otherwise, we just have to surf the energies of a number of Koz Alerts and put them to good use. As Pluto is starting to move finally following his direct station on Sep 22, a lot of the "stuck" feeling that we've been contending with should lessen. Make the most of this time.
In traditional astrological terms, October is a slow news month. Mercury goes through his retrograde cycle. Mars and the 4 asteroids change signs. The Mars change is rather significant, but the asteroid influences are light weights.
Mercury stops at his retrograde station of 2Sc18 on the 4th, starting another 3 week retrograde cycle. This continues until his direct station of 16Li45 on the 25th, after which Mercury returns (slowly) to normal motion. Mercury is the thinking, symbol using part of the psyche, the part that tries to make sense of the world through language and stories. Most of the time, he's pretty good at this task, but during these cycles, Mercury seems to fall flat. The trouble is that the world is so much more complicated than any story can encompass. We need to simplify our stories to make them useful, but invariably the world will surprise us by not making sense. When the world fails to conform to this rational mold, the feeling is that things have become crazy. Further, when two people talk to each other, it's common for them to reach the limits of the ability of language to convey meaning clearly -- misunderstandings are quite common when Mercury is backing up. It's simply a matter of what-I -said and what -you-heard not matching up. You need to be extra careful that your words are interpreted properly and that you are listening intently. This cycle is in the signs of Scorpio and Libra. Notice how emotions are coloring your thoughts and influencing your decisions. What feels good is often not a very smart choice. As Mercury backs up into Libra on the 10th, the scene changes to more social concerns. You have to figure out other people's motivations and how to mesh your actions with theirs. In typical retrograde fashion, you may be misreading these intentions badly, contributing to messed up communication issues. As usually happens during these cycles, the best response is to simply notice where the Mercury mind is falling flat and what aspects of your narrative story are unable to handle the complicated situations you're facing. Partly it means you have to make your story smarter and better able to handle unusual information. It also means you have to develop some humility about how big a role rationality plays in your life. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, rationality has been seen as a virtue of godlike proportions, synonymous with our higher spiritual natures and a sure path to truth. Guess what -- it isn't. Like all human abilities, thinking has its limitations and blind spots that need to be recognized. You get to explore these limits when Mercury is backing up. Wisdom is so much more than simple intelligence. It takes awhile after the direct station on the 25th before Mercury starts moving at a significant clip again. Slowly, the thinking mind regains its sharp edge and becomes reliable once more. Be careful...
Vesta leaves Scorpio and heads into Sagittarius on the 6th. She will be in this new placement until Dec 3, when she goes into Capricorn. This placement could go several ways for you, but like many asteroid influences, it may be too subtle to overtly notice, unless you're a Vesta personality type to begin with. Vesta is an independent and strong willed gal, but she's also introverted and highly sensitive, a curious combination. She needs to operate on her own terms and be true to herself, but when she feels overwhelmed by people and situations around her, she tends to withdraw into her shell to recoup her energies. I suspect she's more in the outgoing phase of her cycle, as fiery Sagittarius isn't very conducive to withdrawal. It does enhance her need for independence and freedom. It's a good time to take on new ideas (but only if they match your inner nature) and clear out old beliefs that are limiting or out of touch with the rest of your life. You may need to experiment with these ideas awhile, to see whether they feel "right" for you or not, before you can accept or reject them. Vesta renews her vitality by tapping into the inner strength deep in her spirit. Of course, we are all our own worst enemy, the stumbling block we never see in our path until it's too late. Since Vesta relies so much on inner support, it's important for her to clear out these inner impediments before they turn against her. It's a search for inner freedom. Keep your attachments to a minimum and avoid getting tied down, so you can range far and wide in coming weeks. Freedom feeds the soul.
Juno moves from Cancer into Leo on the 7th. This starts a long, 9 month stay in this sign until 2015-6-30, due to an upcoming retrograde cycle in Leo. This is a rather odd placement for Juno. I think of her as the Queen of Relationships based on love, mutual respect and a lot of trust. It's a partnership of equals. Leo is usually thought of in terms of "me first!" and an excessive ego, quite the opposite of this ideal of partnership. Indeed, some relationships may be suffering from one or more of the partners being so self-centered, it makes the other person feel mistreated or taken advantage of. Considering how long Juno is hanging out in Leo, it sounds like this kind of lack of respect needs to be looked at thoroughly. On the other hand, the higher form of Leo energy has to do with the heart, the seat of our connections with others. The real lesson is one of moving from a position of power and self-interest into one of being open and caring towards others. This is the true basis of a warm and supportive relationship. It beats the hollow connections based on ego any day. It's a gentle lesson well worth learning.
The Kite pattern is going loud and clear as the full moon enters the Earth's shadow and the total lunar eclipse commences. This could easily be a very disruptive time coming up. Eclipses as a rule stir things up, expose weaknesses and trigger changes. This full moon is conjunct the highly erratic Uranus, making the outcome of coming weeks quite unpredictable. In fact, the Moon is already partially in shadow when it passes Uranus -- doesn't get much closer than this! The other Kite planets, Jupiter, Mars and the Sun, are also closely aspecting the eclipse degree. Lagging just a bit behind these planets, Venus and Pluto are in a tight square aspect. The waveform is almost a Koz Alert (it hits 496 units) with thin, crisp looking peaks.
This is a total lunar eclipse, meaning the full moon becomes totally dark (well, more of a dark, dull rust color) for about an hour as the Moon moves through the Earth's shadow. The partial eclipse phases before and after totality extend the entire eclipse process to a little over 5 hours. If you get up in the middle of the night, you will likely stand a chance at seeing some of this spectacular display anywhere in the US, weather permitting. The best show is on the west coast and out over the Pacific.
Uranus is some crazy energy that refuses to play by "normal" rules. He's full of surprises, a professional anarchist. Since he moved into Aries 4 years ago, this outburst of changes has been in overdrive. It also makes people impatient and prone to losing their tempers all too easily. We're halfway through this placement now, with about 4 more years to go. So why not a good eclipse on top of Uranus to cause a little trouble? Get used to a bit of craziness and unpredictability for a few months. More importantly, this is a time when new ideas and inspirations pop into your mind, if you can handle such novelty. There's nothing like a strange and unusual perspective to shift your outlook on life. Given that Kite patterns are built up of constructive aspects (like sextiles and trines) that promote growth and progress, it's important to be actively looking for these positive outcomes as we head into the eclipse. Jupiter prompts us to see the wider social implications of these new insights, while Mars urges us to get off our butts and do something tangible about them. These planets are all in fire signs. The element Fire doesn't worry much about how practical an idea is, just whether it feels right or not. All too often, practicality becomes an excuse for not doing anything or for talking it to death first. The cliché "putting a fire under someone" is a good description of how constructive change actually happens in the world. It's the crazy people that get things done! It's important to not be overly messianic in your mission, however. An excessively pure ideology can actually harm people if the vision becomes more critical than the people it's meant to serve. Pluto in Capricorn has big plans for how to organize society, but it's that Libra Venus that keeps us human now. These two tendencies are in conflict right now and you need to stay aware of this contradiction. It's easy for situations to backfire if you lose sight of the original goal. All told, this eclipse is a powder keg. It's going to require all the skill and wisdom we can muster to make it work out well.
Pallas shifts from Libra into Scorpio on the 19th. She stays in this sign until Dec 27, when she heads into Sagittarius. Pallas is a mental-intuitive body, the part of the psyche that is good at sizing up situations in an instant and planning how to achieve her goals. She's often considered to be caught up in this mental realm while being cut off from her feelings or what the culture deems to be normal "feminine" behaviors -- she's a bit of a tom boy. During her stay in Scorpio, however, there is no way she can avoid her emotional life. Scorpio is all about the storms and turmoils of the soul as deep emotions well up from the unconscious and assault the ego. You feel challenged by these strange parts of your nature that you normally don't recognize as part of yourself. You can try to come up with a plan for handling all this, as Pallas likes to do, but that rarely turns out well. There is no safe and comfy cruise itinerary when it comes to exploring your spiritual path. You have to simply take Life exactly as it is. For most of us, this influence may pass without much of a stir, but if something deeper comes along, embrace it. It's a powerful lesson.
The waveform breaks out of the doldrums at the new moon, preparing for the mild storm ahead. The eclipse point itself has the Sun, Moon, Venus and Pallas in a tight knot about 2 degrees wide, the energetic center of this chart. Mars is in a wide sextile from this knot. Curiously, Jupiter on one side and Pluto on the other are both quintile the knot, the start of a 5th harmonic fan pattern. Mercury makes miscellaneous contacts to various outer planets. As a footnote, Mars is just past the Galactic Center, once more hinting at a wider meaning.
This eclipse is only a partial one, since the Moon manages to block off only a portion of the Sun's face. The show is visible across most of the US and Canada in the afternoon and early evening. The closer you get to the North Pole, the more the Sun is in shadow. This show is much less spectacular for most of us than the lunar eclipse was.
There's a heavy Scorpio overtone to this chart, with 6 bodies in this sign. The mood is heavy and somewhat dark. Pay attention to your emotions, fantasies and inner imagery during this time, as these are the vehicles to guide you to the deeper significance of this period. Notice where 0 degrees of Scorpio is in you own chart, as this is where the energies are entering your life and disrupting things. I suspect that many of the relationship themes from the full moon are still operating now, so relationships may be upset or distorted by the emotional tides we're experiencing. I'm intrigued by the role of Jupiter and Pluto in this chart. Jupiter draws us into the outer world, making connections with society at large, while Pluto pulls us towards the inner realms. It sounds like a classic conflict at first, but this is a quintile fan. Quintiles are renowned for reframing problems so completely that they cease to be an issue anymore. Perhaps by understanding our deeper natures better, we're able to get along more easily. Pluto is also the ruler of all those Scorpio planets, further emphasizing his role. Something profound is going on in the psyche, something new is emerging. It's just hard to say what that might be ahead of time. Mercury is going direct in a few days. Maybe some clarity will shine through shortly. (The eclipse is close to the point where Mercury went retrograde 3 weeks ago, another connection.) Keep a watch on the inner planes...
Mars moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn on the 26th. He hangs out in this sign until Dec 4, when he switches to Aquarius. This is one of the best placements for our Warrior God, Mars. Mars is about energy, will power, getting things done. The discipline and structure of stodgy old Capricorn actually improves Mars' game, as it tones down his usual impetuous nature and gives him some focus. If you have some work to do or changes to make, this is an excellent time for bearing down on the situation and applying some elbow grease. This is probably good for organizational work as well, though Mars typically makes a lousy bureaucrat. (I like to say he makes a great soldier, but a bad general.) Whatever you do, don't let this influence pass you by without trying to make something of it! This is Mars, a vital part of your being, at his best.
Ceres enters Sagittarius on the 27th. She'll remain here until 2015-1-8, when she moves into Capricorn. Ceres is often envisioned as the Great Mother, the source of life and support for all living beings. An alternative image I frequently use is Ceres as the Great Web of Life, all the connections and support networks that bind all beings together in this world. Normally, the image of some grand maternal influence has a very personal, comforting feeling to it. But Sagittarius is a very broad and impersonal sign, less the family cocoon and more the world at large. This placement can bring an understanding of all the many connections we have with the world around us, how our lives are intertwined with so many others that we may not even know or ever meet face to face. This is the Great Web in our lives. You may feel the influence of society at large upon your own life in ways you weren't previously aware of, that feeling of "we're all in this together!" that binds us. Especially these days, when the impact of humans on each other and on Earth herself and the beings that share this planet with us is reaching inhumane levels, an awareness of how we need each other is more important than ever. Let the vision sink in...