October 2023 : Dancing with Destiny
Welcome to October my Friends! I hope that you enjoyed your relatively low-key September, because October is certainly not promising the same type of experience. October is here to shake things up with Eclipses (which happen every 6 months, so we should be pretty good at them by now!).
*** As an update, my Consultation books are NOW opened (briefly, before the onslaught of the Holidays arrive)! And my schedule is filling up quite fast. The FREE Solar Return Consults (for my course) are all filled (sorry if you didn’t make it in time).
This months Newsletter took on its own form, a bit different than the “normal” format… I hope that you enjoy and find meaningful guidance.
Early October
October begins by plunging our minds deep into thought and contemplation (Mercury Opposing Neptune and then Trining Pluto). Our spidey senses will be strong at the beginning of the month, preparing us for the winding October road ahead. Overwhelm and intensity could be notable these first couple of weeks - our to-do list could become unreasonable. And the direction forward could become a bit foggy. Underneath it all, we could sense that there is a substantial storm brewing on the horizon.
Keep an eye on your relationships around this time, a lot of the astrology of October is centered around relationships - and on October 10th we have Venus Opposition to Saturn. What needs to be addressed in your relationships to make them more sustainable? Are there foundations issues within your relationships that need to be addressed? It’s good to mindfully look at this part of your life now, then you could have more of a handle on what you could be working on the rest of the month.
In addition, we have a couple of developments building momentum in the background during the first weeks of October :
First of all, we are in the midst of Eclipse Season. As the days approach October 14th, we will be able to feel gravity loosening up a bit, preparing for fate to place its hands onto the steering wheel of our lives with a bit more force. Collectively, we are currently taking the initial steps into a series of Eclipses along the Aries-Libra axis, the first one was on April 20th, 2023 (29° ARI 50’). It takes about 6 months for the Eclipses’ storyline to unfold. Where does 29° Aries land in your chart (what house in particular)? What came up for you in late April of this year? Has there been some resolution to the changes and / or adjustments that you were presented with? Now we are preparing to receive a new course of changes and / or adjustments. Look at where 21° Libra 34’ lands in your chart - what house is it in? It is likely that these are the topics that you will be working with for the next 6 months. Remember, there is no imminent danger in (most) learning - and learning is our main job as an Earthling.
The next layer of early October’s deep (and possibly brooding) energetic is that Pluto is preparing to Station Direct (which will happen on October 10th). Whenever planets slow down and stop to “turn around”, their energetic has large resonance. It’s as if someone turned the planet’s amp WAY up and the heavy reverberation can be overwhelming. Pluto presents us with a pressure, an invincible force, a ruthless urge to influence. Throughout much of October, we could find that the political stage is overtaken by propaganda, fanatical zeal and plain-old agitation. We could also find ourselves in positions where either we are craving for power or we are around others who are. Pluto has the biggest bullsh*t detector of any planet, and we could find ours going off a lot during this time (approximately October 5th - 15th).
Mid-October
Mid-October is one of the apex points of the month, punctuated by the Libra Solar Eclipse on October 14th, 2023. Let me be frank with you, I may over play this Eclipse because it lands immediately on top of my Ascendent. But… it is the first Libra Eclipse that we have had on the Aries-Libra axis since March 2016, so buckle up for new reveals and realignments (particularly in regards to the house topics where 21° Libra lands in your chart). I suspect that you have already been working to reinforce these parts of your life, so whatever is presented to you shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
So… what is the nitty-gritty on this Libra Solar Eclipse? First of all, it is forming a wide (but applying) Square to Pluto. As I outlined above, Pluto just Stationed Direct and is essentially still stopped and strongly reverberating at the time of this Eclipse. What this means is that we could find ourselves in a moment of inner conflict. However, whatever changed circumstances are born from this conflict can end up leading to a critical phase of development. We may find that we need to surrender something (maybe old patterning, or a long-gone dream) in order to undertake the potential development that is presented to us.
Also, the Sun and the Moon are Conjunct Mercury. On its own, this indicates that communication (inner and outer) is key to this Libra Solar Eclipse. Furthermore, Mercury (Sun and Moon) are also Opposite to Chiron, suggesting that our verbal exploration could be seeped in deep-seated wounds. From a cultural level, there could be a women’s advocacy / awareness movement born out of this time. In addition, the legal system could be highlighted. This could also indicate a new, powerful road for the Writers Guild to walk down. On a personal level, we could be encouraged to write / journal, play an instrument, or maybe just have some good talks with friends as a means of working though tough mental spaces.
This Eclipse could feel a bit extended because the Moon, Sun and Mercury will not perfect their Square to Pluto until October 20th. Meaning that the pressure, intensity and potential conflict of the Eclipse could be experienced throughout the following week. On the other side of these challenges lies empowerment and rich, critical development. While the hard work is, well, hard… it is absolutely worth doing.
At its base level, a Solar Eclipse in Libra indicates potential shifts in all of our relationships. One of Libra’s core functions is to form unions (romantic and otherwise). In addition, Chiron in Aries points towards isolation and unmet self expression. The combined archetypes of the Eclipse in Libra and Chiron in Aries indicate that our relationships and our individuality need reconfiguration and healing. On some level, our individuality could be broken, which affects the relationships that we enter into and vice versa. Both vulnerable sides of the “us-and-them” dynamic are being spotlighted. Identify the pain that you subconsciously operate from within relationships (even your relationship with yourself) and work from there.
As with all Eclipse Seasons, go easy on yourself and don’t push yourself this month - especially the days immediately before and after October 14th (and October 28th). Prepare for emotions to be a bit gnarly - and plan to journal, reach out to a friend, etc. in order to support yourself (and others). Healing is on the agenda. Remember, the only way out is through.
End of October
In contrast to the October 14th Eclipse, the Taurus Lunar Eclipse on October 28th, marks the end of Eclipses on the Taurus-Scorpio axis - that we have been enjoying since November 2021.
The archetypal significance of the Eclipses on the Taurus-Scorpio axis is embedded in a drive for security, through material resources and / or intimacy (of all kinds). We have been working with these sometimes unspoken or taboo parts of ourselves and society at large. Eclipses along this axis (throughout 2022 / 2023) exposed many loopholes and inadequacies within the financial system (particularly crypto-currency) and shook-up women’s rights (abortion rights in particular). Furthermore, as a result of the 2020 debacle and then the 2021 pressure-test, 2022 was a time where many of us had to make very hard decisions around our new financial environment (for a myriad of reasons). Very wide strokes, these are the storylines that we are closing out for the moment (from an Eclipse perspective). Not to say that we will not continue to work with these themes, but the punch lines have been told.
Woven into the October 28th Taurus Lunar Eclipse is a powerful Mars / Mercury Opposition to Jupiter (which is conjunct the Sun/Moon Opposition). Quite simply, this looks like a lot of hot-headed conflict. The astrological symbolism is illustrating aggressive thoughts and words facing-off against an inflated hubris. This could make for some very entertaining stories on the world stage. On a personal level, this is not a great time to get into any heated arguments within anyone. Around this time, words could be incredibly cutting and the they could be exaggerated by whoever receives the criticism.
However, this IS a great time to use your words in a productive way. If you are a writer, this time could feel incredibly productive. You could feel driven with your message and the words could flow with ease. You are likely to have more words than you know what to do with. Your energy and mind will likely be very busy and inspired, use this blast of mental juice to create good things in the world. And if you find yourself “getting into it” with someone, step back (if you can) and use your momentum towards finding a middle ground (if possible).
Halloween
Let’s end this long and arduous month (and Newsletter) on a good note! On Halloween we have a fun and playful Venus Trine Uranus! Venus is creativity, dressing up, socializing, partying, etc. And Uranus is all about playing outside the box. This is a wonderful transit to inspire fun and creative Halloween Costumes as well as GREAT Halloween parties!!! After the intensities of this month, this will be a welcomed energetic to shake off the challenges that we may have faced and have some strange and crazy fun!
Closing
October is going to move some sh*t around for us - as Eclipses do. Eclipses remind me of the ancient Moirai - three sisters (Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos) whose job it is to ensure that every living being live out their destiny. I suspect that we could have some snippets of our destiny revealed to us this month (and the months that follow).
If you are at the end of this Newsletter and feeling a bit nervous… don’t be, it’s not worth it. Just think about how many gnarly Eclipses that you have survived (many unscathed) and you didn’t even know that they were happening. Yes, ignorance can certainly be bliss. However, now that you know, you won’t be blind sided and you can prepare by mindfully setting time aside for self-care, opening-up your schedule where you can, and being prepared for your kids (and others) to be a bit more “off center”. And when you’re “in it” you’ll know that you’re interacting with a divine (yet potentially annoying) cosmic plan. This dance with destiny is for YOU!
If you have any questions about where the Eclipses are landing in your chart and how they will be impacting you, I’m always here for Consultations. I look forward to seeing many of you SOON.
SO much love to each of you!
Lisa
(aka The Dynamic Self)
