October 2016 FOrecasts

New Moon in Virgo Oct. 1
The Moon joins the Sun at the center of the sign Virgo for a new month and new Moon. This occurs just after midnight on October 1, in the early morning. It joins Jupiter which is currently in combustion - close to the Sun - in the Moon's own lunar sign, Hasta. Hasta literally means 'hand'. Virgo and Hasta are symbolic of skills and the ability to take control of our lives through skill. The Moon represents the nourishing and nurturing force and expresses these qualities in this lunar sign in a practical manner, through the agency of Mercury, which brings these altruistic endeavors into the business sphere and our everyday lives. An example of this would be a healer offering a service.

This new Moon phase, with the Sun joining Jupiter, begins a period of contemplation of what it is that we need to take control of our lives - with the skills we have at our disposal. It represents the beginning of the nine nights of goddess Durga in the HIndu calendar, and an opportune time to do a clearing in our mind, body and environment, to bring more bounty into our lives. Jupiter's proximity to the Sun creates big ideas and ideals, but can create a false sense of pride in one's abilities, which may not have any bearing on the reality of the skills one has. 

Be mindful of overstepping the mark, claiming you can do more than you can at this time. Take the time to reflect on the skills you do have and can offer to those in need of them, including yourself.  

Mercury re-enters Virgo Oct. 3
Mercury re-enters its sign of exaltation on October 3 and moves past the point at which it began to retrograde by October 9. This brings us into new territory, as we have already gone back and over recent developments enough by now. It's time to move on and develop the skills to communicate what you have learned about in the past few weeks, and share these with others. 

Mercury does well in its own sign and this makes the month of October a great period for communicating effectively and planning efficiently. Be mindful of the possibility of getting too bogged down in the details, taxing your mind and creating stress headaches, as a result. Add some play into your routine, and comedy to lighten the mood. ​Jupiter's proximity to Mercury challenges us to keep perspective, as things can feel like they are not practical enough, or not meaningful enough, at various times throughout Mercury's transit in Virgo. 
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Venus enters Scorpio Oct. 13
Venus moves out of its own sign Libra by October 13 and enters Mars' sign Scorpio, joining Saturn which has been transiting there for the past two years. The sensibilities of Venus are hampered somewhat by being placed in Mars' murky domain, together with Saturn's restrictive influence. As always, there are ways in which we an experience this restriction as a positive outcome. For example, in relationships we may commit to someone even though it feels as though we are robbed of your freedom to be with others, or with a piece of art, we have to stick to certain dimensions and let it be just as it is, without making further alterations. Saturn and Venus' conjunction asks us to step back from it, and view it more objectively. 

This is good news because Venus in Scorpio can lead one to all kinds of risky behaviors! Venus in Scorpio asks us to love all parts of ourselves so we can love those parts in others. And yes,  this includes the dark stuff! The attachments which can be experienced in Scorpio inevitably lead to feelings of possessiveness, jealousy, and betrayal, if someone doesn't match your intensity of feeling. We must learn to love our dark edges and be more objective about these while Venus is joining Saturn in Scorpio. Otherwise, we may act of a place of vulnerability and create difficulty in our relationships.

The exact conjunction is on October 29, offering us the willingness to look at those dark corners in our hearts, and address them so that we can make friends with them. Feeling your jealously fully may allow it to transform into its opposite - safety. This is a challenge for Scorpio, especially as Saturn has been transiting this sign for the past two years, creating feelings of insecurity.

​The best this transit offers us, is the opportunity to transform our petty vindictiveness into devotion and commitment. 
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Full Moon in Pisces Oct. 16
The Moon reaches its fullest at 04.23 UT (add one hour for GMT) on Sunday October 16, at the very end of the sign Pisces, joining Uranus which has backtracked to the very edge of the zodiac. Awareness of endings have been keen in our lives, as a result, as we learn to fully embrace letting go.

The skills we acquire in doing so are highlighted by the Sun, Jupiter and Mercury in the opposite sign Virgo during this full Moon phase, while the actual experience of letting go is experienced for this full Moon phase.

We cannot force a sense of surrender, of course. It comes in its own good time. The new Moon's position in Hasta lunar sign in Virgo, represented by a hand and our ability to control outcomes, is in stark contrast to the lunar sign, Revati in which this full Moon is placed - asking us to balance our need to control things with our ability to simply let them be. 

In Vedic myth, Mercury is seen as the son of the Moon. The Moon represents our subconscious, while Mercury represents our intellect. The intellect can struggle with letting go, trying to grasp the profundity of life and of things we cannot intellectualize, while our hearts often sink into that ever-present knowing and acceptance. 
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Sun enters Libra Oct. 17
Just after the full Moon begins to wane into the beginning of the zodiac, the Sun reaches the halfway point in Libra where it is debilitated - at its weakest point in the yearly cycle. The Sun's position in Venus' sign, representing our interactions, highlights our need to look out for others, while forgoing our own sense of self, and Self-centered needs.  

The symbol for Libra itself is that of the setting Sun, which marks a period of setting the self aside in the interaction. The colour for the sign Libra is black and a reason why the service industries wear black. On the one hand, this represents a need to set appropriate boundaries with those we are serving, while on the other, it represents the neglect of the soul desire, lost in relationship. 
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Mars and Pluto Conjunct Oct. 19
Mars is strong in Sagittarius but has been influenced by the dark impulses of Pluto in Jupiter's sign since it entered in September. Jupiter's combustion has added fuel to its fire. The impulses of Mars and Pluto create a destructive tone to the month, but one which clears the air.

If we didn't know what was blocking us, how on earth would we know how to unblock our way forward?
Sagittarius represents our way forward, out of the murk and depths of Scorpio, and into the light of the autumn, clearing the leaves on the trees and the overgrowth so we can see further afield. 

How this plays out in your life depends on the position of Sagittarius in your horoscope. But regardless, there is a clearing which needs to take place in some area of your life leading up to this conjunction. 
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Mercury enters Libra Oct. 21
Mercury leaves its sign of exaltation as it joins a weakened Sun in Libra by October 21. Mercury is placed in what it finds itself in for a large part of the time; combustion. Combustion occurs when a planet is too close to the Sun to be observed. The inner planets, Mercury and Venus are in this state more often than the outer planets, so they are used to the intensity. 

At its best, Mercury represents a sharp intellect and a clarity in proper discrimination; the ability to tell truth from falsity. Ok, you know where I'm going with this, don't you?!  As the Sun transits its weakest sign Libra, and is joined by the Sun, those born with Leo prominent will feel under par and experience less confidence, as a result. Mercury's proximity to the Sun in late October and early November for the presidential elections in the US, creates a huge scrutiny in what candidates are saying. 

Donald Trump has the sign Leo rising in his birth chart. He will not be feeling as confident going into the elections. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton was born with the Sun in Libra, so she is used to putting others first. This places her at a huge advantage during the elections, as her solar return creates a strength for her, while those who can remain humble win out in the end. 
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New Moon in Libra Oct. 30
We experience a second new Moon in October due to the new Moon which kicked off the month in Virgo. This new Moon is at 16.38 UT on October 30, at the center of the sign Libra and within the lunar sign, Swati. Swati, unlike the previous new Moon on October 1 in Hasta, represents a hand taking up a sword and cutting through competition.  

You may have identified your skills, and now comes the time to set your targets and set your own rules of the game. The deity of Swati is Vayu, the deity of life, the breath and movement, and it represents the wind which can be destructive in the form of storms, or constructive in the form of the life giving breath. When the air element is balanced, there is creativity and one is enthused. When out of balance, there is chaos and fear.

​Fear arises from the darkness, as the Sun transits its place of weakness in Libra. Yet, inspiration also originates from this same darkness, which is but a lack of light, a void. When the lights are dimmed, we can find the true source of our power. In other words, when we experience any sense of lack, we reconnect with our Higher Self, our true Self which is actually a non-self, a void for everything that arises.

​When we can forgo our selfish motivations and connect with others in the space we all share, then we do not have to experience the sense of isolation which often accompanies an increase in the air element, as the autumn's drying winds pick up, contorting our bodies into uncomfortable and contracted positions which further increase a sense of alienation. 

This new Moon in Libra is celebrated in India as Diwali, as well as the Day of the Dead in Mexico, and various other festivals and celebrations the world over. This new Moon phase represents a time of entering the darkness with lights ablaze, so that we can see into our own souls, reflected in those gone before us. 
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OM TAT SAT

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