October 2018 forecast: Tunnels of love, with earthquakes

Big Picture

Let’s start with a quick look back so we can better see where we’re headed.

In September, we welcomed Venus moving into Scorpio, a sign traditionally considered alien to Venus’ nature. Instead of bringing harmony, Venus in Scorpio tests every relationship, challenging us to be more honest about our true needs and wants. Our first response is often resistance using Scorpio’s favored defenses (e.g., betrayal, manipulation, and resentment). But if we’re willing to investigate with deep honesty, this Scorpionic journey offers a depth of emotional understanding that is genuinely transforming. September began this process.

October intensifies this dynamic as Venus starts her 40-day retrograde period. When Venus retrogrades (every 18 months), she seems to disappear, and then is ‘reborn’ from an evening star into a morning star. Every 8 years, she does this in the sign of Scorpio, which intensifies the death/rebirth themes. And this year, we’ve got Uranus in play also, opposite Venus at crucial moments. (Hence the image of entering the tunnel of love only to find an earthquake in one’s values and expectations surprising you!)

 Our guide this month is the Beauty and the Beast myth, reminding us that expectations often prevent us from seeing clearly. This month, we can expect and choose to use sudden shifts in perception to help us see with new eyes. What seems luxuriant one day can look like rags the next, and vice versa. This period is, at the core, about getting unstuck and/or renewed in relationships based on a deeper understanding of how we embody our values. 

Take-aways

·      Venus begins her retrograde adventure at 10 ° Scorpio, travelling back and resting a few days at 25 ° Libra (mid-November) before she takes starts moving forward again. She finally returns to 10 ° Scorpio again in late December. This means that Venus spend almost 4 months travelling through a 15 ° area. If you have personal planets or angles at in the first 10 degrees of fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) or the last five degrees of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), you’ll feel this change personally. If not, keep some Rescue Remedy on hands for friends who do, since most of us don’t initially greet these opportunities with “boy, am I lucky!”

·      The last week is the most intense in the month, so try live it with as much conscious intentionality as possible (hint: avoid thoughtless overscheduling). Sometimes we make a mess in order to make more fundamental changes; that’s a time-honored approach, so don’t beat yourself up over it! This week is the time to ask, “what do I need to leave behind and what do I want to carry into new territory?”

·      The last time Venus did a retro journey through Scorpio was in October 2010; think about that period or check an old journal. You may find hints to what this time is about for you.

Highlights

Oct. 5: Venus begins her 40-day retrograde adventure, stirring up deep passions, emotional tsunamis, and opportunities to re-arrange relationships at the tectonic level. Go for it! [Venus stations retrograde at 10 ° Scorpio.]

Oct. 8: New ventures begun under this new Libran moon need a long time to develop, so support your longer-term projects with some symbolic or initiating action. And give thanks and recognition to the often-undervalued caterpillar and mysterious cocoon periods, both essential on the journey. [New Moon at 15 ° Libra square Pluto; 11:47 PM Eastern time.]

Oct.9-10:  With Mercury and Moon entering Scorpio, this is a great time for innovative emotional insights and/or honest conversations. Unexpected insights about shadow issues can be revelatory. If you’re running on a short fuse, take a step back and ask what is really bothering you, and be careful with your words and driving. [Mercury and Moon enter Scorpio, opposite Uranus]

Oct. 19-20: Who needs caffeine when Mercury is already getting a power shot from Mars? Make good use of this time to focus on your key goals. Mars tends to override our usual braking mechanisms, so take extra care when driving or speaking.  [Mercury square Mars.]

Oct. 23-24 With the Sun’s move into Scorpio, we get some light in the operating room! Good time to take stock of where you are in the Venus retrograde period; what themes and areas are highlighted in your life now? [Sun enters Scorpio and opposes Uranus.] 

Oct. 24: With a normally joyful Taurus moon conjunct disruptive Uranus, stability gets sacrificed for a while in order to support experimentation and change. This full moon acts more like a triggering new Moon, and is a powerful time to make changes based on new insights and honesty. [Full Moon at 1 ° Taurus conjunct Uranus, opposite the Sun and Venus.]

Oct. 26-31: Intense time offering both greater clarity and an expansive imagination.  Remember the lesson that applies to both collage- and sausage-making: the process is messy but leads to new creations. [Venus conjunct the Sun, then opposes Uranus; Mercury conjunct Jupiter.]

Oct. 31:  The tone changes from “James Dean does Greek drama” to a lighter toned period with more opportunity to see the bigger picture. More about that next month! (Mercury enters Sagittarius and Venus enters Libra.)