Remarks should be brief this week, in the wake of my big ol’ Scorpio Season write-up. Some may still be reeling from the effects of last night’s partial solar eclipse in Scorpio – especially those with important placements near 2 degrees Scorpio, who may acutely feel influence being drawn away from that part of their lives. For others, it was just a weird new moon, marking the beginning of a weird new time. And indeed, some of the big-ticket drama of the season begins this week.

Mercury’s movement through the sky this evening touches on a few troubling placements that may have us reflecting on methods and motivations. He’ll first get in touch with Mars, who is standing still in preparation to move backwards for his retrograde period. This would be a good time to make sure your plans to accomplish your goals are sound, and an especially good time to check yourself if you are thinking of making any moves which may be considered angry, aggressive, or of the severing nature – break-ups, leaving a job, moving, what have you. This is not to say you shouldn’t do it, but consider your decision with fresh eyes. Thursday (10/27,) Mercury will square Pluto, challenging our thought processes with what is hidden. Are your motivations your own, or is there some manipulation at play? The root of any corruption in this process may be systemic. Are there things about your world that you’d work around or avoid if you could, and are you certain you cannot?

Then on Friday (10/28,) Jupiter dips backwards into Pisces, followed by Mercury’s entry into Scorpio on Saturday (10/29) and Mars’ retrograde station on Sunday (10/30.) This could make for a very dramatic Halloweekend. Some thoughts on Mars and Jupiter from my Scorpio Season write-up:

On Mars Retrograde:

“Just as Mercury Rx has become short-hand for miscommunications or technological mishaps, and Venus Rx has become known for romantic discord, Mars Rx means that personal power is going through revision. That can feel like all your guns are backfiring, or that you forgot to sharpen your sword, or that someone stole your shield. Mars retrogrades are times when self-destructive behavior is stoked, where frustration and feelings of impotence are at a premium. This is not the time to go on a bender. This is not the time to blow your top. This is the time to step aside, take a deep breath, and think through a different solution. Retrogrades don’t happen to vex us, they happen to show us the faults in our method.

Being that it’s in Gemini, this Mars Rx may feel very similar to a Mercury Rx at times, because this is a Mars that relies on communication and gamesmanship to accomplish its goals. Its tools of combat may be the email, the smartphone, the microphone, the Insta/TikTok feed. This is a time when talking shit can go horribly wrong, so double-check everything before you send a message in anger, before you try to dunk on someone in a Twitter argument, whatever it may be. Gemini may mean that problems or options come in sets of two. Is there a third option? Because it might be that both are unhealthy.

Mars will be retrograde from 10/30/22 – 1/12/22. That’s a long time! Stay frosty, keep up the mental health self check-ins (or, if you are at risk, get someone else to check in on you,) and I can’t reiterate enough: watch the intake of potentially harmful substances. Particularly stimulants; Mars in Gemini craves speed and caffeination.”

And on Jupiter:

“Pisces is one of Jupiter’s two domiciles, a place where he is his strongest. Here, he stirs the waters of the mytho-poetic, of religious devotion, of selflessness, of Bacchanalian revelry. While we normally think of Jupiter as a good thing, he is in a contentious position to retrograde Mars, and may exacerbate already-explosive issues brought up during this time. It is wonderful to let your heart sour and to be swept up by your passions, but stories may be just as intoxicating as any substance. Don’t let your own heart ensnare your. All Mars Rx cautions still apply. There are great gifts to be given by Jupiter, but they’re not likely to be given in Scorpio season. Keep your head in the game, and if blessings occur, all the better. Jupiter CAN simply operate as a soothing balm on irritating situations, but don’t mistake a topical treatment for a surefire cure, let alone the Answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.”

And on top of all that, we’ll have Mercury in Scorpio’s caustic truth-telling. This Mercury gives Mars its marching orders, which means that both planets will be primed to “call bullshit” on everything. Mercury does not necessarily operate badly in Scorpio, but it is often that it views itself as a hammer and all conversations as nails. If possible, avoid arguments.

Then on Halloween proper (10/31,) our planets currently occupying Scorpio line up to pass through the gauntlet of the South Node, a disintegrating force that is sure to suck away all artifice and pretense we may be hanging on a planet, in effect, temporarily annihilating its influence and leaving only its purest expression in the days that follow. While the Sun and Mercury will get their turn at this, it is Venus who goes through the membrane first. If doubts have been stirring around what it is that you want, what you’re craving, how you express your desires, or any internal hang-ups or trauma which may prevent you from having your needs met – this may be a good time to work through it all, or at least to get the ball rolling.

It’s not masks and candy, but it is the stuff of the darkside. Halloween has a special place in my heart, and I hope everyone has a great time this weekend! Be safe! Until next Hump Day!

If anyone is reading this, then sorry for the delay. COVID put me out of commission for a few days. It’s been tough to marshal back my focus, especially since I couldn’t do much besides doom scroll and watch movies during that time. Anyway…Hump Day is done, but it’s still Thursday, so let’s start here.

We’ve got some potent ingredients to start things off this week. True wishes may be coming into clearer focus throughout the end of this week, as well as some potential strategies to realize those desires. It sounds silly, but knowing what we want, what we really want and realistic ways to get there – that can be very tough to envision sometimes. It’s much more common to lust for things we really don’t want, or to generally want in the direction of some basic life areas – love, fortune, security, what have you. But we’re building to a very special conjunction of the Sun and Venus this week, an event known as a cazimi. The Sun has a tendency to block out a planet’s light, swallowing it within its own. But here, Venus’ wishes are very clearly broadcast from the heart of the Sun. What’s more, a departing trine with Mars may show you how to get done what must be done.

There are some flies in the ointment, though. Mars is crawling to a standstill, preparing for his retrograde at the end of the month. And so even if we see how a thing might be accomplished, it may feel like the wrong time, the wrong conditions, or we may simply feel powerless to enact our plans. There may also be heavy, unspoken facts getting in the way of our wishes, or systems of power and corruption that make getting what we want seem extremely challenging. This comes from Pluto’s square to the Sun and Venus. Squares can be daunting, but they can also be motivating – there is no Goliath that cannot be toppled, though Pluto’s tasks may be require less slings and more emotional labor.

Speaking of that, Mercury’s opposition to Chiron opens a channel to tough discussions, even if they are internal. Giving voice to our issues around agency and insecurity may seem too hard, but bridging the gap can yield treasure. Have a care if you’re looking to change around the structure of your life in some ways, however, as some walls may be load-bearing. Mercury’s trine to Saturn opens up such avenues, but Saturn is still in a square to Uranus and the North Node, an explosive duo. The Moon in Virgo may also act as a trigger to this array on Friday (10/21.)

Saturday (10/22) is the big day – Venus cazimi in the 29th degree of Libra. This is a date I’ve been looking at with interest for some months, and only recently found that other astrologers have been, too. Please see a recent episode of The Astrology Podcast with Arielle Guttman, or this article in TMA on her work with Venus Star Points. In a brief tease of summation, it basically marks a century-long shift in the way that Venus operates, moving from a cycle of cazimi through Scorpio (which began in 1926) and now into Libra until around 2130. Whoo! I figured it was a powerful day for Venus work and I was evidently correct, even in spite of the anaretic degree. Anyway, please find a way to make use of this day. Make some art, make some love, do something you just like to do. Enjoy a beautiful Autumn Saturday.

And then get ready for Scorpio season, because Venus holds the Sun’s hand and walks him right into his ingress on Sunday (10/23.) Whereas the Sun took its marching orders from Venus while they were in Libra, they now both take their cues from Mars. And that’s going to be interesting, because he’s not really taking calls right now; he may as well be at a silent retreat. Our senses of self may be thrown into some tumult by the upcoming Mars retrograde, as well as our desires and emotional health. That’s why it’s extra important to find good outlets for the Mars current – yoga, exercise, martial arts, crafts, cooking, constructive projects, working with our hands and bodies. It’s better to channel energy into areas such as these rather than to wallow in impotence or throw oneself headlong into self-destructive behavior. If something feels overwhelming, breathe through it, don’t get swallowed up by it. Mileage may vary depending on where Mars Rx hits in your birthchart. The retrograde begins on 10/30.

Monday (10/24) is a good day for planning and research, with the Moon in Libra briefly creating a Grand Air Trine. She’ll also square Pluto, so things may feel heavy and our personal monsters may try to block our progress. This is a good opportunity to develop strategies to outsmart them.

Tuesday (10/25) is the New Moon in Scorpio, which is also a partial solar eclipse. This is a funny one, as it doesn’t cast a tight aspect to any other planets, nor any antiscia, and it is ruled by the much-mentioned stationing Mars in Gemini. New Moons are said to act as chapter beginnings, and this chapter feels unsure of itself, a non-sequitur, a pair of characters entering a scene in medias res who are unsure how this setting operates. The coming months of Mars retrograde may prove disorienting to many, and this seems emblematic of that condition.

There are two trines to minor celestial bodies cast by this eclipse. I do not work with either often, but it seems like it would do a disservice not to try and parse out their meanings. The tight relationship to asteroid Juno would seem to me to indicate a dramatic (though probably not sudden) transformation for partnerships, relationships and fidelity. You don’t need a romantic partner to be a good equal in a relationship, and the watery connection between these two placements highlights the emotional give-and-take in life. There can be a lot of romance in relationships that do not seem classically, hug-and-kissy “romantic.” A friendship can be a great romance. A professional relationship can be romantic.

Interpretations of Black Moon Lilith seem to offer a bit more variance, but one interpretation would be a dialogue with places we’ve felt ashamed, stilfed, or misunderstood. Other interpretations I’ve read seem to center on it being a place where we refuse to compromise. Either way, the isolation of this eclipse, along with the stillness of its ruler, Mars…this may all just be about taking time alone to get right with our hearts, both within our closest relationships and with ourselves. May any pain which bubbles up leave your heart less poisoned.

Until next Hump Day!

Many are likely still reeling from last weekend’s Full Moon in Aries, a doozy of a lunation that seemed to pack an emotional punch. In its wake, we enter a sort of denouement week which begins with some potentials for volatility, but also for positive systemic change.

This is the strange brew brought to us by the moon’s transit of Uranus and the North Node, the conjunction that has served as an arbiter for sudden material change for some months now. These forces are aligned in direct conflict with Saturn, who is retrograde in Aquarius. This alone would be enough for us to call this a day of dramatic potential. What softens and perhaps redeems this array is the involvement of the Sun-Venus conjunction in Libra, who cast a gently graceful ray onto Saturn, hopefully making sure that any necessary-but-daunting overhauls will run smoothly and with elegance. By evening, the moon will instead make contact with Pluto in Capricorn, direct after months of retrograde, adding gravity to the situation, however amicably. This is the cement drying and setting into place.

There is a fly in the ointment of progress, however. Some may find that their efforts to check things off their to-do lists get stuck in the mud, or lost in a shuffle. Perhaps there is too much to do and you’re feeling overwhelmed? Or the tasks you’ve assigned yourself are not defined clearly enough? A single item to accomplish may actually be 24 items if you really break it down. Any frustration surrounding such matters can likely be pinned on the square between Mars in Gemini and Neptune in Pisces. The goal you seek may be harder to find than imagined – the map is not the territory, and the territory may be low visibility. Not a reason to punch a wall, but probably a reason to unclench your rational mind and ask what intuition has to say about any given matter.

On Thursday (10/13,) the moon enters Gemini, where it will make contact with Mercury, who has newly ingressed into Libra. Mercury is also in opposition to Jupiter, so this may stir up thinking around study and education and around creative solutions. This dovetails into the configuration on Friday (10/14,) a grand air trine triggered by the moon’s conjunction with Mars. A great day for freedom of thought, for conversations that last for hours, for going into a frenzy of cerebral activity.

Saturday (10/15) sees Mercury get his turn at an antiscia with Neptune. An antiscia is a connection not dissimilar to a conjunction, where the planetary pair mixes and it becomes hard to pick apart who is who. As planets have recently traveled through early Libra, we have seen both the Sun and Venus get their turn at antiscia with slow-moving Neptune. Now Mercury makes contact; a good day for navigating fantasy, lucid dreaming, gaming, for getting lost in a rabbit-hole of fandom, for studying the taxonomy of the spiritual.

Sunday (10/16) passes relatively peacefully, no major triggers from fast-moving planets driving the action, though the Sun is beginning to lock into a tough relationship with Pluto, who may be forcing closer examination of public figures, authority figures, or just of the self – all of these people may come under the scrutiny that seeks systemic rot, especially as Pluto has just begun moving forward again. In what ways is power being hoarded or exploited and what allows for that?

The true drama should hit the following day, on Monday (10/17,) as the moon creates a t-square involving both of these planets that terminates into Aries. Without getting into it too deeply, a t-square is a contentious and incomplete pattern which highlights the missing piece as a place for all focus to funnel in. And so, because there is nothing in late Aries, there may be an over-compensatory focus on that section of the sky, giving the day a very Aries feel: headstrong, willful, combative. A day of potential strife in that a lot of people may find themselves drawing lines in the sand or rushing headlong into an unpleasant matter. On Tuesday (10/18,) the moon moves into Leo, striking softer notes in the sky, and we can focus on taping up wounds and replaying fight footage so we can dominate our next outing.

Until next Hump Day!

Wednesday is a day of activity, pressure and potential surprises. Mercury is freshly direct, getting mental energy going in the right direction, but he’s still in a tough relationship to Mars, so there may be some requisite headaches and problem-solving required to get the tires unstuck from the mud. A harmonious-but-intense relationship to Pluto, who is slowing down to come off his retrograde, only ratchets up the stakes. Furthermore, the moon’s contact with Saturn and square to Uranus-North Node may throw up some unexpected barriers or deadlines into the mix. This becomes more likely still when considering the Sun and Venus will be shining a spotlight onto Saturn by trine – maybe there are some sacred cows, some principles that need to be respected on the way to accomplishing your goals? Something like that.

In fact, that spotlight may invite us to give a hairier eyeball to structures and authorities within our lives throughout this week, to see if they need to be redefined, made more user-friendly and elegant. This comes from the Sun-Venus transit to Saturn, who has been retrograde and is preparing to turn direct by the end of the month. Some of this may reopen old wounds, pains and insecurities around capability and agency. This comes from the Sun-Venus opposition to Chiron, an aspect which will coincide with their transit of Saturn. This is all likely to come to a head with Sunday’s full moon, which takes place atop Chiron.

As a reminder, and as I previously wrote, “Venus will be accompanying the Sun through his entire walk through Libra, and there seems to me to be great beauty in this arrangement, like a capable and elegant consort taking the Sun by the hand and guiding them through an unfamiliar setting.” Possibly an image to hold in mind through some of this month’s less gentle terrain.

Wednesday (10/6) and Thursday (10/7) are a bit more relaxed. Late Friday into early Saturday (10/8) will see the moon’s movement through late Pisces, and thus its conjunction to Neptune, opposition to Mercury, and square to Mars. The resulting aspect pattern is called a t-square, and it may drive people into revelry and excess at the expense of their responsibilities. But given that cognition and action will be a step harder today, maybe it’s better to put something off and enjoy yourself if the matter is not urgent.

Sunday (10/9) is the full moon in Aries, as well as Pluto’s direct station in Capricorn. As I wrote in my Libra Season write-up, “Aries Moon is one that thrives on acts of service, both received and performed, a rally cap of emotional courage. Chiron throws a bucket of cold insecurity on all of that, but along with the other planets involved, may open avenues to confront healing that is both necessary and possibly long-overdue. Pluto also goes direct on this day, ceasing its retrograde motion through Capricorn. It is still tightly configured to Mercury here, and may show some wise seekers how to properly navigate power, and/or how to uncover what is hidden. News-wise, one hopes that systemic corruption is called to account – not a prediction, but a hope.” By this time, Mercury’s square to Mars has also waned and will be finished by the following day, and at the same time, Sun-Venus will begin locking into Mars by trine. So frustrations around problem-solving SHOULD also wane. Mileage may vary.

In fact, we round out this week’s discussion with a focus on Mercury. He will be in a strange position on Monday (10/10,) as he is still very strong by sign, but very weak by degree. Mercury does what is usually considered his best work in Virgo, but he will be at 29 degrees, “anaretic,” largely thought of as a weak position for any planet in any sign. A sharp blade in a sluggish hand? The following day, Tuesday (10/11,) he’ll make ingress into Libra, joining the Sun and Venus but never quite catching up with them within this sign.

Though not as precise and exacting as he operates in Virgo, Mercury in Libra is capable of great deliberation, being able to hold and weigh multiple paradigms before making judgement. On the other hand, that means that this is not a Mercury known for its swift decisiveness, though it is often associated with negotiation, mediation, pleasant conversation, and with the arts. Mercury already dipped into Libra recently before retrograding out of the sign, and will thus be retracing what are known as his “shadow degrees,” the area he tread on before moving backwards. As a result, he may be wrapping up any problems or fallout from cognitive misfires that occurred during that time. He’ll also be opposing Jupiter. From my Libra Season write-up: .”..[Jupiter] may show the gaps between what we know and what we want to know. Even in opposition, Jupiter is supportive, and will likely cast an aspirational tone on any such divide.” The moon then makes contact once again with Uranus-North Node, by conjunction this time, creating the possibility of surprises and shake-ups in what should otherwise be a relatively placid day.

Until next Hump Day!