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!