October 2012 – Use the Tension to Your Advantage

Important astrological energies for the month of October 2012:

  • Jupiter in Gemini turns stationary retrograde on October 4, 2012 and remains retrograde until January 30, 2013;
  • Mercury starts the energy of a grand water trine on October 5th when it forms a trine to Neptune retrograde and completes the grand water trine when it forms a trine to Ceres on October 6, 2012;
  • Saturn enters the sign of Scorpio on October 5, 2012 until December 23, 2014 and again between June 15, 2015 and September 18, 2015;
  • Saturn in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces on October 10, 2012;
  • New Moon with Sun and Moon in Libra on October 15, 2012;
  • Watch the days of October 28, 2012 and October 29, 2012 for news regarding a potential scandal that could impact the election; and
  • Full Moon with Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus on October 29, 2012.

Use the Tension to Your Advantage

By Misty Kuceris ©2012

The month of October 2012 is going to be one with a lot of tension as the energy of the world passes quickly and moves through your life. As the personal planets change signs, they will form aspects to Neptune retrograde and Ceres which are in early degrees of their signs. And, once Saturn enters Scorpio later this month, these personal planets will also form aspects to Saturn as they change signs because Saturn will be in an early degree. Neptune retrograde will be at 0 degrees throughout the month giving it a hidden power. So it’s important to understand the difference between living your dreams and letting your dreams control you. Ceres stays around 2 and 3 degrees. This means that you need to understand the feminine within yourself in order to know when to nurture and when to move on with life. And, when Saturn enters Scorpio, it will also be between 0 and 3 degrees throughout the month. This means that you need to make your own decisions and not let other people manipulate you.

Mars starts the month off by forming a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node on October 2nd. With the Moon’s North Node in Scorpio, it’s important to take time and understand what other people are looking for in life. While your values are important, you also need to realize that other people feel the same way about their value systems. Since Mars is forming the conjunction to the Moon’s North Node, this energy can play out in various ways. You may feel that you need to fight with other people in order to maintain your values. Other people may feel that they have to fight for their values. Or, both of you may feel that your value systems are under attack. Since the energy is in Scorpio, many of your thoughts are not being shared. You may have difficulty explaining things to other people. You may feel as if you have to keep secrets. However, be careful of the secrets that you keep. You don’t want them to become toxic and interfere with your personal happiness.

Venus forms a sextile to Saturn later in the day. This helps you understand how important it is to maintain your sense of self worth. While relationships may have been difficult at times, you have the chance to create a better foundation for improving the relationships. You may even feel generous to a fault. This sense of generosity can help you forgive other people.

On October 3rd, Venus enters the sign of Virgo and forms an opposition to Neptune retrograde later in the day. Venus in the sign of Virgo is not necessarily at its most comfortable. Karmically, Virgos need to learn how to simplify their lives so that they can enjoy the results of their actions. They need to understand that minutia (too many little things) can become major stumbling blocks which prevent them from enjoying the simple things in life. When Venus is in Virgo, it’s a time period to slow down and enjoy what life has to offer. Unfortunately, too often people tend to get involved in too many projects when Venus is in Virgo. Therefore, when Venus forms the opposition to Neptune retrograde at this time, it could create tension if the details that stand in your way aren’t taken care of. Take the time for closure today so that you can focus on relaxing tomorrow.

Jupiter will turn stationary retrograde on October 4th, but before it does, Venus forms a sextile to Cancer on the same day. It’s important to take the time to nurture yourself. Find ways to bring joy into your life. Since both planets represent the need to harvest the earth, you can either take this energy literally or figuratively. If you enjoy gardening, spend time outside. If you completed projects the day before, take time to praise the work that you did.

As Jupiter turns stationary retrograde, you’ll feel that long-term goals are more difficult to reach. However, that’s not necessarily the case. What is more important is for you to slow down and re-evaluate your long-term goals. Perhaps you didn’t have everything in place before you took action in the past. Or, perhaps you moved too quickly and now you need to slow down.

For individuals that are thinking about starting a business, it’s best to wait until Jupiter goes direct on January 30, 2013. You could easily forget some important legal matters as you’re starting up the business. Or, you could find that the costs of operating the business are greater than you anticipated. Also, products introduced during this time period are priced higher than they are worth. This includes IPO’s (Initial Public Offerings) that are released at this time. And, any stocks which were overvalued will decline sharply as Jupiter is retrograde.

October 5th is going to be a very important day astrologically. Mercury forms a conjunction to Saturn just before both Mercury and Saturn enter the sign of Scorpio on the same day. And, because Neptune retrograde and Ceres are in the early degrees of their signs, Mercury will create a grand water trine with Neptune retrograde and Ceres.

With Mercury forming a conjunction to Saturn at the start of the day, it’s a good time for you to communicate your needs when it comes to the relationships in your life. It’s easier for you to be clear about your intentions. What you both say is what you both mean.

When Mercury enters the sign of Scorpio, there’s a tendency to keep your thoughts to yourself. You don’t want to give away too much information. Other people may want to confide in you. But be cautious even with their information. Are they really telling you important things? Or, are they raising concerns which could lead to fears later on? Take the time to listen, but also take time to process the information. If you don’t understand it, take time to analyze and research the information to see how accurate it is.

When Saturn enters the sign of Scorpio, there is a new energy shift in how the government is viewed and what foundations you want to create in your life. The Saturn cycle is a 29-year cycle that lasts for about 2.5 years. When it enters the sign of Scorpio, it will remain there until December 23, 2014. It will retrograde briefly into the sign of Libra between December 2014 and June 2015. It will re-enter the sign of Scorpio again from June 15, 2015 to September 18, 2015.

When Saturn is in the sign of Scorpio, society likes to put boundaries on its values. Usually the boundaries are imposed by industry, rather than government, such as in 1984 when the Motion Picture Association of America decided to create the PG-13 film rating. Even though there is a stated desire to keep the internet “free,” you’ll find that various companies controlling social media and search engines increase their control over the content that you try to access. This has already started to happen by search engines deciding what websites to show you based on how you use the search engine. But, that form of control is mild compared to what will occur over the next 2.5 years.

Voting rights always come under scrutiny when Saturn is in Scorpio. Although South Africa adopted a new constitution that gave limited political rights to “Colored” and “Asian” individuals, it did not extend these rights to “Black” South Africans. Currently there are concerns about the various new laws which are being passed in the United States regarding voter IDs. However, these new laws are just the start of changes in legislation. While some have already been struck down by the court systems, other new legislation and gerrymandering laws will be put in place over the next 2.5 years.

Improvements will occur in the field of health and science as the use of wave technology increases. Some of the wave technology will enable radio waves to permeate structures that in the past block the impulses. This will give you better use of your cell phones and other audio and video equipment. It will also increase the ability of doctors to use less invasive technology when scanning your body for illness or other disabling problems. However, this technology will also be used at airports and other areas of public transportation when the government believes screening is necessary to protect the public.

When Saturn is in Scorpio, you need to be careful that you don’t lose your rights because other agencies (whether commercial or governmental) feel that they are the ones that need to protect you. There’s a tendency for the public to feel that it’s all right for government to become invasive when protecting people. One example has already occurred: New York’s law that large cups of sugar drinks can’t be sold because people are obese. Other examples will occur in the areas of sexual activities and surgical procedures.

As the day draws to a close, Mercury begins the energy of a grand water trine by forming a trine to Neptune retrograde. It completes the energy of the grand water trine on October 6th when it forms a trine to Ceres. You may find yourself very emotional as you try to express your beliefs to other people. Or, you may find that you need to take care of some important situations in life, especially with a family member or child. Be careful not to become too fanatical in the expression of your beliefs. This is not the time to hand out ultimatums. This is a time to find ways to compromise and try to come up with a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Because Mars enters the sign of Sagittarius later on October 6th, you may feel that you need to justify your behavior. Or, you may decide that you don’t care about what other people think. Reaching for new goals can be fun, no matter what the cost. It’s good to believe in yourself as long as you don’t step on other people’s toes to try and achieve your goals.

But you need to be careful on October 7th and October 8th. On October 7th, Mars forms a square to Neptune retrograde and Venus forms an opposition to Chiron retrograde. With Mars forming the square to Neptune retrograde, you may feel lethargic, as if you can’t get anything started. No matter what you try, it’s difficult to keep focused on anything. And, with Venus forming an opposition to Chiron retrograde, you may become over critical of your own actions. So, if possible, this is a good day to rest and relax. Perhaps even go to the spa for a massage. If you do have to attend meetings on this day, let ideas flow but don’t make any specific decisions because they’ll all change later. Use this energy to be creative.

On October 8th, Venus forms a quincunx to Uranus retrograde. If you made any decisions the previous day, all the information you based your decisions on will change. And, if you have to let other people know those decisions changed, they may as if you didn’t take any of their input into consideration. So, don’t be surprised if they feel hurt. Try the best you can to go with the flow because too many things will be in flux. Also, don’t take anything personally.

October 9th is another day where you don’t want to take anything personally. Because Mercury forms a trine to Chiron retrograde, you’ll want to make certain that your words aren’t painful to other people. And, with Venus forming a trine to Pluto, you’ll feel very intense about any matters that come up. On one hand, you’ll feel more compassion for other people and want to find solutions to their problems. If you meet a new person at this time, you may feel that you’ve just met the love of your life. But be careful, Mercury will form a quincunx to Uranus retrograde later in the day and suddenly you’ll get new information which changes your perspective. You won’t feel as compassionate. And, you won’t feel as if you’ve just met the love of your life.

Intense feelings will continue on October 10th as Mercury forms a sextile to Pluto and Mars forms a quincunx to Ceres. Whenever Ceres is involved, it’s important to move slowly so that you observe everything around you. Ceres, especially when in aspect to Mars, indicates that accidents can happen when you don’t pay attention to your environment. With Mercury forming the sextile to Pluto, you may be so focused on just one area of your life that you miss other important information. So, as you move forward, you forget to pay attention. This can also be true if you have to be involved in any type of negotiations. You may be so focused on one aspect of the discussion that you miss the most important points and end up agreeing to something that isn’t good for you in the long run.

Later that day, Saturn forms a trine to Neptune retrograde. This is an important new cycle that occurs about every 35 to 37 years. When the aspect occurs, it usually does so in a series of three which mean that its impact lasts almost a full year. In this case, October 10, 2012 is the first time this aspect occurs. It will occur again on June 11, 2013 and July 19, 2013.

Saturn represents the need for society to implement rules of behavior as well as develop administrative structures that improve life or assure the rules will be maintained. Neptune often represents the underclass of society. But it can also represent the fears that society has and how those fears can be used by politicians to get their agendas passed. While trines are seen as beneficial aspects, they can also indicate that it’s easier for negative things to happen. Unfortunately most of the fears generated when Saturn forms a trine to Neptune deal with foreigners, immigrants, and oversea actions. This puts you into a strange situation. On one hand the marketplace has become global, meaning that you need to understand the diversity of other people in order to operate in a global marketplace. On the other hand, diverse people bring in new ideas which could upset the structure of your society. Hopefully, with the energy of the trine, the various world populations will be able to find a balance between accepting diversity in their lives and still maintaining the best of their traditions.

Spiritually, it is this very need to understand how to balance accepting diversity while maintaining the best of your traditions that will drive the main lesson the world’s population needs to learn from this cycle. Understanding that family is important for everyone is one way to bring various diverse populations together. Knowing that people want love is another way to bring diverse populations together.

On October 14th, Mars forms a square to Chiron retrograde. If you got into any arguments on October 10th when Mars formed a quincunx to Ceres, the results of those arguments will be felt today. This can be an unsettling day, whether you’re looking at the stock market or at your own life. It’s important to pay attention to your emotions. If you’re feeling any anger, the anger will well up and take over. And, if you let that anger take over, you won’t resolve anything.

Mars forms a trine to Uranus retrograde just before the new Moon occurs on October 15th. Things will be moving very quickly in your life right now. You may be tempted to take action, especially since the new Moon will be occurring.

The new Moon will occur with both Sun and Moon in Libra indicating that family and friends are very important right now. But try to use this energy as a means of developing a better understanding with people you love. This new Moon is a void-of-course new Moon, meaning the only aspect made is between the Sun and Moon. You need to be careful when you try to start new things under a void-of-course new Moon. Things don’t really work out the way you planned. Instead, use this new Moon energy as a way of meditating on your life. What do you need to do to start new things? How do you let go of fears which prevent you from succeeding? Jot down your ideas so you can act on them later.

October 16th could be a very exciting day with Mercury forming a quincunx to Jupiter retrograde and Venus forming a square to Jupiter retrograde. The energy is flowing fast and furious. You may even feel as if you can’t keep up with yourself. It’s very important to think before you speak. You may make some commitments that you’ll regret later. Also, you may find yourself giving out advice that even you wouldn’t take. Don’t take any legal actions today unless you have no choice. Legal matters will get muddled and also cost you a lot more money than you expected.

As the Sun enters Scorpio on October 22nd, it will form a grand water trine with Neptune retrograde and Ceres and a conjunction to Saturn in the process. The energy of the grand water trine will be in effect from October 22nd until October 26th. Usually when the Sun enters Scorpio it doesn’t really make an impact in the lives of most people. You feel that most people are keeping information to themselves. You also find that you don’t want to discuss too much with others unless you’re in a therapeutic situation. However, this time the energy will be one where you feel compassion for those in need. You feel more focused with circumstances in your life. In some ways, you feel as if you’re going through a new beginning.

Having this feeling of a new beginning is actually a good thing because on October 25th, Mercury forms a conjunction with the Moon’s North Node. When Mercury forms a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node, you can really understand just what direction you want to move in. You can discuss this with other people and even come up with a plan. Since both are in the sign of Scorpio, you’ll need to take time and listen to other people. Their input will be very valuable to you.

October 28th will be another intense day as Mars forms an opposition to Jupiter retrograde and Venus forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde after it enters the sign of Libra. Again you’ll feel the energy rushing all around you. If you’re not careful, you’ll get carried along with the current and lose touch with your own sense of well-being.

Both Mars and Jupiter are planets of action. People who have these planets strong in their charts are impatient. They want everything now. So, even if you don’t have those planets strong in your chart, you’ll feel impatient today. You’ll want everything now. But, it doesn’t happen that way in life. And, with Venus forming a quincunx to Neptune retrograde, any quick decision you make will be filled with regret later. Why? Because you don’t have all the facts. Either people have deceived you or you only heard what you wanted to hear. If you need to use your energy, go for a walk. Do something active in your life. Perhaps even think about starting a new health regime.

Also, watch the news this day. Some sort of scandal has been brewing behind the scenes. With Jupiter retrograde involved, the scandal could deal with an overseas situation, perhaps even the various negotiations involving the Euro. With Neptune retrograde involved the scandal could deal with the pharmaceutical or health industry. However, with both Mars and Venus involved, the scandal could deal with either the financial industry or the military complex. If this doesn’t have an impact on the elections in November 2012, it definitely will have an impact during the next Congressional term.

Before the full Moon occurs on October 29th, Mercury enters the sign of Sagittarius and forms a square to Neptune retrograde. Mercury isn’t happy in the sign of Sagittarius to begin with. It’s in its detriment. Mercury likes to focus on details but Sagittarius likes the big picture. This is almost too much for Mercury because in order to understand the big picture, one needs to do research and find out more than superficial facts. And with Mercury forming the square to Neptune retrograde, matters are more obscure than ever. This is not a good time to make any long-term decisions. Be careful if other people are trying to give you any advice. This is another day where information regarding a scandal can surface. So, be careful and take everything with a grain of salt.

The energy of the Mercury/Neptune retrograde square continues as the full Moon occurs later in the day. The Sun is in Scorpio and the Moon is in Taurus indicating that you need to pay attention to your values and not be swayed by other people. A lot of information which is being released is confusing; it doesn’t pass the litmus test of truth. That applies to both of the major parties. And, while Mars is no longer forming an opposition to Jupiter retrograde, that energy is also being felt in this full Moon chart. People are going to try and push you into decisions before you’re ready. Don’t let it happen. Take your time with any decisions you make.

As the month ends, Venus forms a square to Ceres just before Ceres turns stationary retrograde on October 31st. Both planets represent various archetypes of the feminine. Ceres is the earth mother and protector of children and the environment. Venus is both the lover and the voice of reason when the world gets crazy. When Venus, especially in its ruling sign of Libra, forms a square to Ceres, especially in the sign of Cancer, this means that the role of the feminine in your life is confused. You may feel that you have too many responsibilities. You may feel that you can’t really express the true nature of your feminine. Or, you may feel frustrated that the world isn’t accepting the true feminine principle: The power of love and affection through rational understanding. With Ceres turning stationary retrograde within the hour of this square, it’s important that you pay attention to the feminine within your nature. This applies to both men and women.

As the month winds down it’s important that you balance love with your rational thought process. When you can do that, the tension in the world won’t drive your life. You’ll take that tension and use it as a means of personal growth.