October 2023 Important Dates
AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's October forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and Nicholas Polimenakos. Notice how the charts look different? Today Chris is using AstroGold for Mac OS instead of his usual SolarFire for PC (same developers). Working title for the month is "the wobbly scales."
September recap: the Venus & Mercury stations have corresponded with new celebrity birth data, including an update for Dua Lipa's birth time and a time for Elon Musk. The WGA strike, which began under Mercury retrograde in Gemini, has come to a tentative resolution just as the Mercury rx in Virgo ended.
Jupiter's transit into Taurus has put him in contact with Uranus, and we've seen an explosive change in laws and rules with other organized labor strikes, such as UAW, airline workers, and fast food/service employees. We've got 7 more months of Jupiter in Taurus copresent Uranus, enabling changes in contrast to Saturn's negating influence from Aquarius & Capricorn over the past few years. Think "delayed revolts." Nicholas predicts labor will be an important factor in this year's election, based off configurations of previous labor actions.
The Full Moon in Pisces conjunct Saturn corresponded to flooding at California's Burning Man festival (symbolically negating the fire for which it is named), and disastrous floods in Europe and Libya.
Auspicious Elections for October:
October 1 at 11:25 AM with Sagittarius rising (has passed by time of posting; apologies)
October 2 at 12:20 AM with Cancer rising
Around 12:30AM local time you'll have Cancer rising and the Moon exalted in Taurus in the 11th house (whole signs), just after a conjunction with Jupiter and applying to a square with Venus in the 2nd house of finance. This is a good chart for friends, groups, alliances with the Ascendant ruler Moon in the 11th house with Jupiter, and the ruler of the 11th house in the 2nd tying friend groups and finances together. Saturn in the 9th house makes this chart not recommended for foreign travel, education, and publishing.
October will be pretty intense, with the two eclipses and heavy Pluto involvement. Keywords include power plays, transformation, and concealed movements.
October 4th - Mercury enters Libra
Mercury, Venus, and Mars all change signs before the middle of the month, giving us a theme of major beginnings and major endings. When Venus moves into Virgo in a few days, she'll be in mutual reception with Mercury. Previously the two planets were on separate journeys, both retrograde but not communicating, so we'll have cerebral and social functions in harmony again. (A/N: Venus is fall in Virgo, but this Mercury contact significantly mitigates that lack of dignity.)
October 8th - Venus enters Virgo, Mars square Retrograde Pluto
We've been moving back and forth over the summer, and will now settle into how things are going to be. Early October contains the the tail end of the Venus retrograde, as she finally passes the degree where she stationed & exits her post-rx shadow, as well as the sign overall, where she's spent an inordinate amount of time (she entered Leo on June 5th). We may see events from as far back as 5 months finally reaching a resolution.
Venus also opposes Saturn right after her ingress (Oct. 8th-10th), and in fact both benefics oppose one of the malefics this month (Mars will oppose Jupiter around the time of our 2nd eclipse). Saturn in Pisces has been weighty, highlighting big, sad things we may not be able to change but must bear nonetheless. Virgo Venus, in an awkward but manageable position for practical help, confronts Pisces Saturn's burdens to our souls. Austin compares Venus's recent transits to exothermic reactions in chemistry, which give off heat, but in Virgo she'll be much more endothermic, drawing heat in.
At the same time, Mars reaches 27° of Libra, putting him in a square to Pluto at 27 Capricorn. Mars is conjunct the South Node, and his ruler Venus is opposite Saturn. The solar eclipse a week later will also occur in the third decan of Libra. This may combine to feel like we're trying to juggle too many balls. Even if you're good at spinning plates, you can only keep track of so many. Inner conflicts, intensifying relationships, and a need for caution are all in order. It would do well to put down in one of the plates, as Mars is in no position to power through all of this (detriment in Libra, South Node encouraging release).
If there's an opportunity to use Mars-Pluto constructively, it comes after an honest assessment of the facts. Chris brings the image of not knowing your own strength or needing to exercise restraint, like a gorilla holding a kitten. We need to know the power dynamic--what we can and cannot do--but the square aspect makes it hard to see directly what's going on (A/N: symbolically it's cross-purposes or seeing events in your periphery). We need to know what the scale of conflict is. Austin uses the example of holding a rope around a rampaging elephant: maybe it's best to let go.
With Pluto relating to money and the US (Sibly) chart having Sagittarius rising, our hosts also predict some kind of "market correction" (trouble) in the US economy, and/or a government shutdown over budget. Mars conjunct South Node in Libra has corresponded to economic trouble of varying intensities (every 19 years with some skips), namely the crash in 1987--which was also on this Libra-Aries eclipse axis.
October 10th - Pluto stations Direct
The US Pluto return is still happening since the planet regressed into Capricorn, posing questions of whether a certain impeached ex-president will see some success in the 2024 election. We're also raring for Pluto's (second) ingress into Aquarius in January. Our hosts think the AI story is related to the new Pluto sign, and Google is starting to release hints about a major system to compete with or outclass ChatGPT (text, image, and more).
October 12th - Mars enters Scorpio
This is one of his home signs, and he'll immediately trine Saturn over at the beginning of Pisces. Mars working with Saturn gives us drive and determination, the union of impulse and staying power. More generally, Mars in Scorpio connotes precision strikes and the patient, persistent hunter. We can identify the point of weakness and direct all our force at that exact spot.
There's also a brooding quality to Mars in Scorpio. Things brew under the surface. The intensity cultivated here can easily turn inward rather than outward. Any planet in its own sign has high standards, so be careful not to take them out on yourself. Famous Mars in Scorpio natives include Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, and Taylor Swift--think raw emotions (literally in the vocal style of the former two).
October 14th - Annular Solar Eclipse at 21 Libra
As soon as Moon conjoins the Sun & South Node, her next aspect is a square to Pluto, bringing Plutonic significations into the eclipse. You've only got two hands; are you holding onto something that's past its life cycle?
In general eclipses signify the end of a major chapter, and with it the start of a new thing. When we let things go they don't just disappear--in fact, they may assume a more natural, harmonious state. Instead of holding onto something that takes a lot of energy, let things fall as they may. Whatever we're concerned about, it won't go away, as in 6 months another eclipse will respond to this call. Don't let the sunk-cost fallacy get you: you've put in a lot of time and effort, but it's time to step back and let things assume their natural shape.
October 20th - Sun conjunct Mercury
At 27 Libra, they're also squaring Pluto. Generally Mercury-Pluto contacts correspond to major disclosures. Expect investigative journalists to reveal new evidence around this time, and in light of transits earlier this year Austin says specifically this will be the third part to an ongoing story. Think "deep state," as in, actors behind the scenes or in the foundation of events rather than what we see on the surface.
October 22nd - Mercury enters Scorpio
At this time, Venus also trines Jupiter from 12° of Virgo to 12° of Taurus. Jupiter being in Venus's sign strengthens this helpful aspect even more, and the Moon even goes into Capricorn soon after to give us a grand trine in the earth signs. We'll get a brief reprieve from some of the more intense configurations this month. Enjoy the simple pleasures: a nice stew, a hot bath, some tea from the garden.
October 23rd - Sun enters Scorpio
October 28th - Umbral Lunar Eclipse in Taurus
This is our last eclipse in Taurus for the next couple decades. The Scorpio-Taurus axis eclipses (beginning in 2021) have corresponded to major celebrity scandals, as well as the skyrocketing prices of food worldwide. Bitcoin, FTX, and other finance crashes have occurred to the Taurus eclipses, a sign which indicates money and food. The increase in labor activities during Jupiter in Taurus will likely also see developments from this eclipse. Between the eclipses, Uranus, and Saturn, fixed sign people (suns and angles especially) have been getting a beating the last few years, and Nicholas says "congrats, you've made it!" (Though Saturn will retrograde into Aquarius soon, and then Pluto will transit that sign for the next 20 years or so).
Mars conjoins Mercury and opposes Jupiter during this eclipse, bringing even more tension. Mercury-Mars indicates arguments and destroyed or corrupted roads and communications, or on the positive side, incisive remarks we needed to hear. Mercury in Scorpio also loves investigating a good mystery and cracking the code. We can get major investigative journalism, or obsession and seeing connections that aren't there.
This is a Full Moon and a North Node eclipse, making it easy to lose your head in all the excitement. Austin advises trying to keep your head cool. Don't go with the flow, because the flow is crazy! This eclipse is the end of a year-and-a-half long saga in Taurus and Scorpio, bringing the last installment of that arc in our lives. Chris has an episode called "eclipses as transits in astrology" where he goes through people's charts and talks about the two-year sagas that are enacted with the nodes in a particular pair of signs.
October 29th - Mercury conjunct Mars (exact) (not pictured)
October 31st - Venus trines Uranus (not pictured)
From 21 Virgo to 21 Taurus. Think "I'm here for a good time, not a long time!" for Halloween. We ended September with Venus squaring Uranus, and now they're finally trining. After all this month's tension, we deserve to let loose a little. Nicholas says there are hidden pleasures inside oft-orderly Venus in Virgo, whereas Austin compares it to ordering a different item off the menu at your favorite restaurant. Mars in Scorpio is great for Halloween, scary movie viewings, and seeing beauty in the dark side of things.
