Midlife Transits

Which is better? Inner peace or an outwardly secure situation? Inner peace, of course. But sometimes a little security in your external situation doesn’t hurt either.

In its own way, October of this year can be thought of as Libra security month. Where does security come from for Libra? Often from relationships. This year, October emphasizes the sexual aspect of relationships, with Jupiter in your 8th house of sex and inner planets massing in the sexy sign of Scorpio.

So intimacy is one source of security. The new moon in Scorpio this year is on October 26 and can represent a time of new beginnings in that area for you if you set an intention around that time. If your sex life is not at the top of your priority list, this new moon is also your security-focused new moon in general, a time when you can think about what you need to do to reduce any feelings of vulnerability.

Of course, relationships need not be sexual for you to find security within them; the important thing is closeness. This month, the weekend of the 7th can find relationships intoxicatingly romantic, while the Halloween holiday can see them become quite confusing. The full moon on the 11th also highlights your relationships, perhaps bringing an issue to closure.

Even if you aren’t in a romantic relationship, the time when the sun is in your sign (until the 23rd this year), is always a good time for you to be with other people and replenish your reserves of good feeling and fellowship. Party it up! Going out with friends is especially highlighted during your birthday month this year, because Mars is in your friendship sign of Leo.

Another source of security of course comes from a healthy financial situation. This month, Venus urges you to go inward to examine your own such situation from the 9th on. Mercury in Scorpio from the 13th on urges you to think about how you can preserve what you have.

Structure is another source of security. Saturn in your sign is trying to give you a chance to set up a structure in your life, a set of routines to make your life easier. This includes simple things such a hair and makeup routine, a good set of clothing that lasts and doesn’t require a lot of care. Get the little stuff running on autopilot, so you have energy to burn on the big stuff that your chart wants to tackle.

As for your year ahead, you’ll see why I put an emphasis on shoring up your sense of security this month. Because the next 12 months are not scheduled to be astrologically secure or astrologically peaceful. Pluto and Uranus clash and crash, making a ton of noise in the heavens. The ancient gods are fighting it out over humanity. People born around the 1st and 2nd of October bear the brunt of the fallout from this cosmic battle of wills.

Whatever your birthday, Pluto’s ensconced at the bottom of your solar chart, restructuring family relationships and your home life. Uranus is parked in your relationship sector and will get back to lobbing surprises at you come December, when he goes direct again. Saturn continues in your sign for the next 12 months, concentrating his re-structuring energies on folks born during the last third of the sign.

Mars goes retrograde, which it does periodically, and will spend an inordinate amount of time in Virgo. This is not especially fatal for your sign, but it’s not good for inner peace either. From November to July, Mars will move back and forth in Virgo in your solar 12th house, doing his best to stir up a vague or not so vague sense of unease. In other words, planetary disturbances abound during the next 12 months.

Why all the hubbub for poor Libra, who only wants tranquility and harmony? Ah well, the planets occasionally get it into their heads that boredom and stagnation are death, and they’re trying to take particular care to see that you’re not bored and that your life does not get stagnant. This is a good thing in the long run because you end up going so much further than your modest sign would otherwise aspire to. In the meantime, secure your foundations and stock up on provisions. Get as organized as you can and then see where the shifting cosmic winds take you.

First let’s talk health. If the recent flurry of planetary activity in Virgo brought any health concerns to the fore (it might have), you’ll be glad to know that the sun, Mercury, and Venus go riding into Scorpio this month to save the day. By the 9th, you’ll have planetary support in the sector of your chart that deals with surgery, regeneration and healing. Next month, your ruler Mars will go into Virgo for a really long stay–until the beginning of July.

Depending on your personal chart and circumstances, this could indicate a long stretch of focus on health in the positive sense of getting healthy or in the more stressful sense of dealing with issues. Now that you know that your ruler is going to be scrutinizing your condition for almost 8 months, you can be proactive in October by getting anything on or in your body fixed that needs to be fixed.

Switching gears completely, let’s talk about some lighter stuff. Like clothes shopping. Not only is Jupiter in your shopping sector, but Venus is in Libra until the 9th. Venus in Libra loves clothes! She can help you pick the right outfits to flatter you and make you attractive to your favorite sex. Sweet.

October also ups the ante on something that’s been a bit of a theme in the skies for a couple of months: the battle of the stubborn signs, sometimes known as the fixed signs. Taurus, Leo and Aquarius have been going at it for awhile, but now another heavy hitter of stubbornness enters the line-up–Scorpio. This can be good for you if you choose what to expend stubborn energy on. Get real stubborn about positive improvements in your health, as we mentioned above, and you could really benefit from the fixed energy. The fixed signs can give you the determination and persistence to see  things through that your chart might otherwise have difficulty mustering.

Get all stubborn about something you don’t really care about though and you’ll find yourself at cross purposes with others and even yourself. If you don’t feel the the least bit stubborn, watch out for other folks who may carry the energy and sidestep them if necessary.

The truth is that your sign is known for being highly materialistic. If that’s true for you, you should take advantage of Jupiter in your sign, as Jupiter can bring material benefits to the people whose sign he visits. How can you take advantage of Jupiter? Lots of ways.

For example, there’s a lot of energy in your job sector this month. Is your job paying you as much as you need? Is it set up in way that supports you, supports your harmony and material as well as spiritual growth? If you’re not being paid enough for what you do, you might want to seek a raise or make some changes to correct that situation.

You could engage in other activities, such as feng shui, that support the free flow of material resources and promote a more harmonious environment. You could take inventory of your stuff and clear out anything that might be blocking your energy. With the sun, Mercury, and Venus all moving into Scorpio this month (the energy starts on the 9th), you could also take stock of your resources. And I don’t just mean your tangible resources, I mean your relationship resources. Throughout October, other people are likely to be willing to support you in all kinds of ways.

Consider what that means to you. I’m sure you can think of other ways to focus on  material abundance in your life while balancing that and harmonizing that with relationship abundance. Use your instincts to guide yourself toward a more prosperous and comfortable path.

Love time for Gemini from the beginning of  fall through October 23. Yay! Your love new moon was actually on September 27th. You know what to do with the few days after a love-oriented new moon, don’t you?

Just put your lips together and blow–a kiss at someone you’re attracted to. Flirt, make a romantic wish and then try to make it come true. All kinds of relationships are favored with this month’s Libra energy, so if you are not in the market for a dating relationship, don’t let that deter you from enjoying the affectionate vibes.  Geminis are good at love, so I’ll let you and your imagination take it from there.

Now on to more philosophical stuff. If the sign of Gemini has an Achilles heel, it’s the fear of routine. Gemini, ironically, can get stuck in a rut of avoiding routine. With Jupiter in the sector of your chart that deals with this Achilles heel, see if you can give some mental space to the idea of embracing routine to counteract your dislike of boredom.

Is it possible that a comforting routine could be the opposite of boring? Maybe coasting along in easy mode for awhile without having to break things up could actually be—nice! It could certainly be nice in that love life of yours that is so highlighted. That means letting  go of restlessness for someone or something else  to focus on the moment instead of the near future.  Give it a try.

October is also potentially a great month for your social life. If that Gemini restlessness strikes, get out of the house and hang out with some interesting, lively folks.

The final area that comes into astrological focus for you this month is your job or health. The default Gemini mode when it comes to these matters is to be a little bit paranoid. If you feel like being paranoid on either of these subjects, try looking at the big picture. For this month, the big picture is the paranoia or fear antidote. Your health and job new moon this year is on the 27th of October.

If you need to make a substantial change in ether of these areas of your life, the time to do so is right around this new moon.

One ongoing theme in your Cancer solar chart lately is that of seeking beauty. Have you noticed? Throughout October, thanks to Mars in your shopping sector, it looks as though your chart is ready to spend some money to bring more beauty into your life. The two areas it seems willing to spend money on are your home and on getting or keeping a mate.

As for the emphasis on beautifying your home, October is Libra month. Libra is a sign of beauty and it also represents home in the Cancer solar chart. Even if you’ve been a travel-worshipping Cancer here lately, October is the month when your chart wants to go back home again. The sun will be in Libra until the 23rd.

Saturn is also in Libra this year and for some Cancers, Saturn in the home sector means that it has been or will be necessary to move, perhaps for career reasons or financial reasons. Maintaining a beautiful and soothing home environment is all the more important for the sign of Cancer when it needs to move. It needs the continuity and comfort of a pleasing refuge from the stresses of life. Even if moving is not on the agenda, some sort of structural change in the home life is. Part of Saturn’s job, after all, is to figure out what’s the matter in the area of the chart it visits.

As for the subject of a mate, this could be quite a romantic month for Cancer. I should also mention that the skies are in a pretty sexy mood these days; it would not be a bad idea to play up this element of your nature, too.  For the last 3 weeks of the month Venus in Scorpio will help make you sexily irresistible if you are willing to put a few dollars and a little effort into getting yourself some nice clothes that accentuate your attractiveness. This works best if you have a specific love interest in mind, although others will also notice any effort you put into beautifying yourself.

The new moon in Scorpio occurs on the 26th, and if you want to launch an actual campaign to win someone’s heart, around this time would be an excellent period to put it in motion. You can actually begin plotting around the 14th when Mercury moves into Scorpio.

If this sounds too calculating for you, don’t worry. The love nature of the sign of Cancer in its pure form is both faithful and bent on finding the one and only. It seems entirely reasonable to this love nature to be both conscious and persistent when it finds the one it wants. It’s not planning to do this over and over if possible.

It only makes sense to put real effort into something this important. This is especially true for Cancer these days, because Pluto in your sector of committed relationships is eyeing potential mates and weighing and measuring them against a standard of excellence that few can meet. If you do or have met someone, Pluto will want to stop at nothing to secure for you the long-term relationship it believes you are capable of.

Your ruler the moon becomes full in your career sign of Aries on the 12th. Theoretically, this means that whatever you have sowed this area of your life, you now reap.This full moon is part of Uranus’s continuing mission to push you toward the most success you have ever achieved.

Jupiter, meanwhile, is still in your sector of group consciousness, trying to puzzle out the relationship between the parts of your life and the whole, perhaps trying to figure out where exactly a significant relationship would fit into your life.

October is Libra month, every year. This year, Saturn is in Libra as well as the normal inner planets. Libra is your solar sign of chit chat and pleasant talk. Saturn in this sector is a bit odd because it hates to talk usually, and thinks the less said the better.

This dynamic makes October your listening month instead of your talking month. Listen to others, to your own still small voice, listen to your intuition regarding your career (Saturn is always interested in your career and this year Jupiter is too.) And listen to your family members. As if stern Saturn wasn’t enough to encourage you to keep your own counsel for the most part, inner planets also move quickly into Scorpio this year.

Scorpio in its pure form is the ultimate tight-lipped sign, preferring to see everyone else’s cards before it tips its hand. It’s not that you can’t say anything this month–it’s just that the general atmosphere encourages speaking thoughtfully, discreetly, and tactfully after due consideration. Concentrate on accurate specifics rather than broad generalizations. This month’s planets love that!

October also sees planets in all 4 angles of your chart. Mars is in your own sign, the first house, the sign of you alone. Cosmic Neptune is in the 7th house of your relationships. The already mentioned Scorpio planets are in your 4th house of home and family. Plus, expansive Jupiter is in your 10th house of career. These areas are considered the most important in your chart.

That means that all 4 fixed signs are activated this month, a phenomenon that doesn’t just affect you but everyone on the planet! It would be greatly exaggerating to say that these planets are fighting each other to the death this month, but it would be fair to say there’s little grease in the wheels to help people be flexible and adapt. Your own sign is scheduled to feel aggressive, even combative, but no one else is scheduled to give in or accommodate your demands and desires. Try to look at the big picture and think about the potential effects of your actions on your future.

Normally, this kind of configuration would create stability and resistance to change, which may indeed be the case in October. But planets in cardinal signs are horning in on the action this month, too, so it’s possible that there will be change but that no one will really be  in the mood to accept it right now. It’s kind a of a bummer to have to keep quiet during the one time in two years when you have Mars in your sign–but discretion really is the better part of valor right now.

The inner planet activity this month takes place in your solar second house of finances and your third house of conversations, texting, writing, and other forms of communication. The sign of Virgo normally has a deep respect for the power of words, and this month highlights that characteristic. If you choose to, you can learn at this time, or re-learn, the power of words to support those who need it. You may be on the receiving or giving end of the support this month, or both.

On the financial side, things may be a bit tight, as has been the case for awhile. You may be able to shop, but only on a budget. Be sure to look at the big financial picture, and be mindful of the potential effect of your financial decisions on your future.

Finally, once the sun enters Scorpio on the 23rd, you may be in for a bit of luck with regard to your love life. Jupiter will be in favorable angle to Pluto in your love life sector, and planets in Scorpio will be lobbying Pluto as well. What are the odds you’ll find the one? Hard to say, but if you’re looking to fall in love, it would not hurt to get out and about during the last week of October.

Finally, if you have joint financial interests with someone, including an ex-partner, you may be able to reach some kind of a resolution in an ongoing matter around the time of the full moon in Aries on the 11th.

Scorpio is a fixed sign, obsessed in its own unique way with keeping things the same, not losing anything, having control, and maintaining stability and power. Like its solar opposite, the sign of Taurus, it is excellent at persistently pursuing its ends once it identifies them. In October, the skies are in a fixed sign sort of mood. They seek preservation.

What sort of thing might Scorpio be in the mood to preserve in October? Relationships for one thing. Jupiter is in your relationship sector, parking his butt in a fellow fixed sign. He thinks your life should revolve around relationships right now.

Venus, always a  relationship planet, will start the month in Libra, weighing your relationships on its imaginary scale. Beginning on the 9th, it decides they’re worth keeping and starts wanting to invest in them. That makes the last three weeks of October excellent for doing things with other people.

There’s also a lot of sexual energy in your skies this month. In addition to sexual energy in your own sign and your relationship sector, Mars is in angular house for you this month. Mars is the planet of sexual energy and he’s right at the top of your chart in October.

Personal stability may be another obsession, as inner planets gather in your own sign. The month begins with the sun, Mercury, and Venus in Libra in your solar 12th house, which could make you feel a bit preoccupied or even lost. But once planets start moving into your sign on the 9th, there’s gathering energy in your sign, culminating with a new moon in Scorpio on the 26th (your annual birthday wish new moon).

You could also become obsessed with things like wireless devices, your neighborhood, or short trips. That’s because your obsessive ruler Pluto is in the part of your solar chart that rules these things, and inner planets in your sign will be checking in with him.Even preserving the state of your home could be a focus as Neptune gets ready to station next month.

Preserving your appearance could also dominate your thoughts during the second half of the month. This is sort of normal around the time of your birthday, as planets in your own sign check out your external appearance and seek to minimize the effects of growing older.

But wait there’s more! As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s also a lot of energy in your chart throughout October around the subject of pursuing goals in your career. If there’s anything the matter with your job situation, you have a fighting shot at addressing it this month. In short, you have a lot of different avenues to pursue in October. It’s your choice as to which and how many of them to focus on.

We don’t have happy energy in all three earth signs any more in October but financial stability is still a major theme in the Sagittarius chart. The prime period for concentrating your energies on this goal occurs during the last week to 10 days of the month, when your ruler Jupiter hovers in favorable angle to Pluto. Pluto is in your second house of finances these days (and for a long time to come), and Jupiter is in your job sector. If you’ve been hankering for a stable job, keep trying to get one. The universe is still trying to assist you.

The rest of the month’s energies are fairly mundane, as most of the inner planets are snoozing in your solar 12th house of rest. There is a bit of interpersonal energy at the beginning of the month via planets in Libra, the sign that represents your friendship sector. Neptune in Aquarius in your sector of communication skills makes nice with Venus on the 7th–good for relationships. On Halloween, however, confusion reigns.

A good day for communication occurs on the 12th: this time Mercury and Neptune are teaming up in a near ideal combination. The 21st is just an all-round good day, when the sun and Neptune trine each other. Mars is in your solar 9th house of gathering experiences throughout the month. You’ll probably like that, as yours is the sign of learning by experience.

Overall, your sign has little to complain about this month–let’s hope that holds true for you individually.

When it comes to relationships, one thing Capricorn likes is interpersonal solidness. What that means to Capricorn is a relationship that doesn’t really change under stress. A relationship where things flow along smoothly unless something really extreme is going on. In October, you’ve got a pretty good shot at that solid state you prefer. Pluto in your own sign will be flowing along smoothly with Jupiter in your love life sector for the last 8 days of the month. That’s a nice vibe.

What might not be so solid is your finances. Neptune is slowing way the heck down these days so that he can ooze his way toward stationing next month–and then finally turn direct and leave your financial sector for good next year. Neptune’s influence on your finances can be quite good or just maddening. Neptune morphs all over the place at the slightest provocation and refuses to commit himself to any particular form of action.

Mars, meanwhile, is kicking up his heels in your sector of joint finances. Mars in Leo has virtually the opposite personality from Neptune in Aquarius, so financially speaking your solar chart doesn’t know if it’s coming or going. This too shall pass.

You’ve also got career energy this month. Saturn in Libra has hopefully been helping you build up experience in your chosen career and giving you opportunity to observe how things are done at the top. That experience could pay off in at least a minor way during the first week of the month, when the sun, Mercury and Venus are in your career sector along with Saturn. Beginning on the 9th of the month, emphasis gradually shifts toward your interactions with reliable, trustworthy friends. If you can avoid financial problems, it’s actually a pretty decent month.

The phrase that comes to mind for Aquarius as October begins is experiential reliability. What, you ask, is that? It’s the ability to learn from experience, by trial and error–something your sign tends to instinctively like. There are a few areas in your chart where this concept comes into play.

One is your home life. Jupiter, the patron planet of learning from experience, is currently gliding through your home sector. What have you learned in your life about what you like and don’t like about your domestic life? Take the time to describe your experiences early in the month and you’ll be poised to take advantage of a week of good aspects between powerful Pluto and Jupiter during the time period from the 22nd of the month on. You can bring yourself that much closer to the ideal home if you put some effort into the enterprise.

The month also opens with a number of planets in Libra in your solar sector of learning by experience. This line-up is a bit more philosophical and less practical than outlining your ideal home life. These planets, including Saturn, have more to do with learning about the concept of reliability itself. The sign of Aquarius on its own can veer between extraordinary reliability and complete flakiness. What have you learned about how reliability works in your own life–in yourself and others? Take the time to recall your experiences with this concept; see what you discover.

Apply what you learn to your career starting at mid-month, when Mercury and Venus will enter your career sector. These lessons will be especially valuable if you are self-employed or an entrepreneur. Evaluate your career ambitions as the month continues and the sun enters Scorpio on the 23rd. If you are looking for a new job or career path or angling for a promotion, go big! Study your supervisor or potential supervisor for clues and be ruthlessly honest with yourself about what you will and will not do in pursuit of your aspirations.

Meanwhile, Mars in your relationship sector may  indicate demands that compete with the other items on your to-do list. Neptune in your own sign creates even more need for understanding how you relate to the concept of reliability, because Neptune’s not very reliable at all and he’s getting ready to move his butt off of your sign’s couch for the rest of your life. You may be able to forge a whole new relationship with the concepts of being dependable and not a flake.

The bottom line is that this could be a big, challenging month for you, with lots of planetary weather to contend with. Yet, you will most likely learn a lot and gain valuable perspective.

One of the interesting things happening in October is that Jupiter, the planet of exaggeration, will spend about a week in your communication house aligned with Pluto, the planet of extremes,  in your friendship house. This happens at the end of the month, as we near Halloween, and I somehow envision Pisces sharing its favorite tall tales of experiences past with friends and neighbors. “The hail was so big, it was the size of my head!” and so on. (Jupiter loves to talk about the weather, and Lord knows there’s been a lot of it in 2011!)

Pluto, for its part, loves the ghost stories and spooky stuff. Wonderful for tales of eerie fog and ghastly happenings or dark and stormy nights fraught with mysterious encounters. It’s an almost perfect alignment for a Halloween party.

This is also a time when you could meet new people with whom you will become very close.  If none of those possibilities apply, then you may become intensely involved in conversations, texting, writing or other communication endeavors.

The month also contains a fair amount of energy in your financial houses. Uranus has been in your second house of finances for awhile and will stay there for a number of years. There’s a full moon in this sector on the 11th as well. Full moons are associated with results or consequences of prior actions, so you may be able to reap what you have financially sown around this time of the month.

Your sector of joint finances is also highlighted in October thanks to several planets, including Saturn, in Libra. This is energy that can bring previously hidden information to light or that can bring new people into your life for possible partnership. By the 9th, the energy in Libra slowly starts to wane as planets enter the sign of Scorpio. Scorpio represents your principles, including your innate fidelity and faithfulness in your long-standing relationships. You may well have a chance to display these qualities in October. Alternatively, you may find yourself traveling in October, whether short or long distances.

Last and maybe not least, Mars is traveling through your job sector this month. What this probably means is that job demands will compete for your attention, even though the rest of your chart might prefer to focus on other things.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to post articles on a regular basis. I’ve been writing an astrology book. It’s only taken me 5 years to get around to it, but it’s finally been written! (Thank you, Pluto.)

Now that I have a breather from that, I thought I’d post something in honor of Saturn in Libra, the planet trying to teach us all something about relationships. What follows is a planetary cheat sheet for relationships.

Here’s how to use it. Get out your chart and get out the chart of the person you’re interested in. That could be the chart of a love interest, best friend, spouse, child, boss, co-worker, etc. If you don’t know the birth time of the other person, use noon. You will need the day and date of birth. The place where the person was born is helpful too.

What you’re going to be looking for is the degree numbers in your chart that are close to or the same as the degree numbers in the other person’s chart. For example, I’m looking at my chart and a former boyfriend’s chart. I note that I have sun at 23 degrees of my zodiac sign and he has Neptune at 23 degrees of Libra. He has his sun at 14 degrees of his zodiac sign; I have Uranus at 13 degrees in its sign.

His Venus is at 1 degree; my Pluto is at 3 degrees. His Jupiter is at 12 degrees; my Venus is at 15 degrees. And so on, just looking for the aspects that are close in terms of degrees. Use an orb of maybe 5 degrees for this exercise.

For the moment, we’re not looking to see if the aspects are supposedly favorable (sextile, trine) or unfavorable (square, opposition). We’re not looking for what houses they fall into. We’re just looking for the planets that are activated by these aspects. (Don’t include planets that are one sign away from each other though, such as Aquarius and Pisces).

In my experience, here’s what the planets activated by aspect seem to correlate with in relationships:

Pluto: a powerful attraction or repulsion. Continuing feelings that don’t fade with time. ‘Karmic’ or important relationship with a purpose. Problems with outside circumstances.

Neptune: a romantic attraction. Tendency toward deception or a private inner life. Neptune person idealizing the other person. Infatuation, sometimes followed by disillusionment.

Uranus: instant attraction. On again, off again relationships. Emotional and mental stimulation. A need for space within the relationship.

Saturn: long-lasting relationship. An ability to solve problems in the relationship. Obstacles within the relationship. A practical ability to be able to coordinate the logistics of the relationship and get things done together.

Jupiter: compatibility. A point of easy contact and agreement between the two people. Shared sense of humor. An ability to get along regarding superficial issues.

Mars: sexual attraction. Ability to do things together. A point of friction that keeps the relationship interesting. Willingness to pursue a relationship.

Venus: a love connection. The ability to relax together. The feeling of being cared for. Physical attraction.

Mercury: the ability to communicate. Whether you find each other interesting. Understanding how the other person thinks. The ability to socialize with other people as a couple.

Moon: love. Emotional connection. Strong feelings for one another. Empathy.

Sun: compatibility. Ability to understand each other. Equality within the relationship. Long-lasting relationships.

This is a very superficial analysis and only the beginning of exploring the relationship through astrology (sometimes known as the study of synastry). But especially in the beginning of a relationship, it can be helpful to get a quick idea of what factors in each other’s charts are being activated. And let’s face it–inquiring minds want to know!