Astrological Forecast Overview
We leave September with that crisp, post-storm energy still in the air, as the Cardinal Grand Cross was once again activated. We feel cleansed, especially if we finally took the steps that we were feeling goaded to take, that we couldn’t figure out how to do, or resisted because we didn’t understand why. Even though interdependent on others in our circumstances, we are the source of our own release, especially because we have the power to cultivate our own inner climate of emotional energy—calm or stormy, fertile or fetid.
Through the peculiarities of the planetary rhythms, they happen to be coinciding in effect with the yearly cycle of seasons. Their energy was seeded in our lives in early winter, then mounted and peaked as summer reached its zenith. Now they cascade into fall, a series of releases that occur before the season is over in late December.
October brings the harvest of late fruit, in life as in orchard and field. The energies ripen and bear their lode to us. The first half of the month is colored by the autumnal balancing act of Libra. What do we need to do to prepare for the coming cold of winter? What is it best to let go of? We are dealing in a world of known factors (this year’s rhythms) within the greater universe of unknowns (the long-term planetary cycles, Cardinal Grand Cross). We can see now what the real issues are that we have to deal with (at least for this round), even if we don’t yet know what to do about them.
Slowly, the water of Scorpio seeps in, with its cleansing action gently washing our wounds and healing us from the depths outward. This whole-making of body-mind-spirit prepares us for the energies of Sagittarius in November, when we will cut (further) away from things that no longer serve us. So, October is a month of transition and preparation on a mass level; individual results may vary.
Our processes unfold in our awareness as we make contact with the greater forces of the universe, and in a gentler way than we have been used to recently. Venus and Mercury are close travel companions at the head of the pack all month, providing cross-echoes of thought and heart-feeling to inform our understanding. Then the Sun brings its light, inspiring us to set our course in a particular direction. Mars brings up the flank, giving us the opportunity to take wise action based on the processes of the other personal planets.
There are no stations this month: no planets change direction. Saturn’s new yearly cycle is seeded; Jupiter reaches the culmination, the halfway or “full” point, of its annual rhythm that started on April 6. Like the lights suddenly being thrown on in the theater, this will illuminate our path to building greater expansion and prosperity over the coming six months and hone our focus for the rest of the year. We will know what the best avenues for growth are once the universe talks back to us through Jupiter’s culmination.
This means that we get to regroup. If there are no releases from the playgrounds of consciousness that each planet offers, there are no new surprises either. We get to adjust without being thrown off balance by new factors just as we’re finding our feet.
We get to leave the drama behind for a bit; let October be a respite. Let this be a time of collecting energy for the next set of releases, in November–December. For now, it is good to rest . . . breathe . . . prepare.
(Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC–7).
A “Void Moon” or “Void of Course Moon” (or “VOC moon” for short) makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.
According to William Lilly, the Moon in Cancer (Moon’s rulership), Taurus (Moon’s exaltation), Sagittarius and Pisces (signs ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic) “performeth somewhat.” Lee Lehmann reports that she has tested this, and “you can take it to the bank.” Another way of putting how this works in an astrological forecast is that, when an action is taken during the void period in one of these signs, you get “unanswered success.” That is, the lack of planetary action prevents your action from being denied.
Daily Astrological Forecast, October 2011
The Moon in Sagittarius makes for a day of flowing action, with nothing but harmonious contacts to the action planets: Uranus, Mars, Sun, and Mercury. To use these contacts well, our focus is most beneficial when outwards, whether for play or work. Spontaneity rejuvenates the sparks of life and creativity. Communications go well, as head and heart synch up to generate clear intent.
The Moon continues its winning ways in Sagittarius as it creates resonance with Saturn, Venus, and Neptune. After yesterday’s strong active forces, today’s are more yin, taking us into a more pensive place. It could be a time to relax, reflect, and integrate emotionally, but a strong urge to act comes to the fore as Mars squares Jupiter. We may feel an urgency to do something, but the forces of impatience work against us knowing clearly what that should be. We could push restlessly against an obstacle that refuses to budge, or we could wait until we have more information so we can act effectively. At 10:38 pm, the Moon enters its brief void-of-course period.
At 1:52 am PT, the Moon enters Capricorn, activating the Cardinal planets Uranus and Pluto early in the day. A sextile to Chiron and trine to Jupiter smooth the way and open the doors to healing and enterprise. The First Quarter Moon at 8:15 pm/10°34′ Capricorn captures these energies and puts them in the picture for the coming week. Tensions exist which seem to demand strong action, but the best approach is to let them dissolve away subtly. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t act if action is called for, but it does mean that small actions will take us further than grand, dramatic gestures.
In the chart cast for Washington DC at the time of the lunar event, the emphasis is on danger from the nation’s adversaries. The key issue is fear of change, prompting confrontational behavior. As in our personal lives, American leaders will do best to take small actions that whittle away at the conflict rather than direct opposition.
The Sabian Symbol for 11 Capricorn is, “In a quiet and landscaped portion of a vast private estate, a group of pheasants display their brilliant colors.” (ME Jones version) Sometimes a display of beauty does much to soothe the soul; external beauty is a manifestation of inner harmony. We do well to cultivate our own quiet landscape of exquisite beauty in our mind’s eye as a sanctuary of peace and centering.
The Moon continues through Capricorn, alerting us to a new perspective on the challenges we face, as it squares Mercury, Saturn, and Venus. We have the chance to integrate our emotional reality with mind, heart, and our deepest needs. Although it takes courage to make the changes prompted by our emerging new understanding, this authenticity creates more space for our soul to breathe. At 10:58 pm, the Moon goes void of course, until early tomorrow.
At 8:18 am PT, the Moon enters Aquarius to interject a note of “outside-the-box” thinking into our lives as it harmonizes with Uranus. A late square to Jupiter reminds us to balance risk factors with reality, but the real question is, how much is it possible to get done in an afternoon? The harder you work at it, the longer it takes.
The Moon in Aquarius meets a plethora of planets with a balance of flow and stimulation. With the dominant contacts being Air-to-Air trines, social events and interactions will go well. Mercury also conjoins Saturn today, coloring our conversations both productive and binding. This is the next step in a long-term process of deepening our connections to others who mean a great deal to us.
Dreamy, visionary, and spiritual motivations fill our day, as Moon, Venus, and Neptune interconnect in sublime harmony. Meditate, create, love—these are the essence of life. Don’t expect practicality to be on the menu (and don’t expect to care about it either!). The Moon is void of course as of 3:06 pm, until it enters Pisces at 6:13 pm. This opens the door to healing, as Moon conjoins Chiron in the evening hours.
The Moon floats through early Pisces, making a minor grand trine to juice up the benefits from the ongoing Jupiter-Pluto trine. She goes into the void-of-course zone at 9:51 am, so it’s a good thing that we can still use the Moon’s energy while it is in Pisces, even when void. At 10:52 pm, Venus enters Scorpio, a sign of her detriment. This takes us deep into the unconscious realms to find what’s real and true. As long as we remember to come back out of the depths and shine the light of day on what we discover, we are using this energy well. This repeats and unfolds a deeper layer of our experiences last fall during her retrograde through early Scorpio, lasting through October 18.
This is a day to relax: the Moon is void of course in Pisces (but can be activating if we want to take action). Venus trines Chiron, opening the door of healing in our relationships. Our friends are supportive as we get in touch with tender feelings.
The Moon enters Aries at 5:57 am, re-activating the energies of transformation that we’ve been experiencing since 2008 as it conjoins Uranus and squares Pluto over the day. This is part of the build-up of force that culminates in tomorrow’s Full Moon.
After a trine to Mars to release the pressures of yesterday’s squares, the Full Moon at 18°24′ Aries/7:08 pm PT allows us to expunge our emotions. It’s all about perspective, as the Moon gives us the whole picture (for now) on the relationship saga we began in 2009 or 2010. This presages the Sun-Saturn conjunction that occurs in the coming week, and that’s what this lunar cycle is all about—how to bring authenticity and depth into our relationship life. Our most significant bonds with others must deepen or die, and this is a choice point for which way they will go. The mystery of relationship is the mutuality required to make it work; the challenge is to develop true reciprocity amidst a willing sharing of power.
In the chart cast for Washington DC, the emphasis is on the nation’s creative process, as expressed through play and games, the arts, children, and the Senate. President Obama will be in the news, with his weaknesses on full display—or are those strengths? In his efforts to heal the nation, he makes a sacrifice the true nature of which may go undetected. Congress reacts with divisive rhetoric, betraying their feelings of powerlessness.
The Full Moon degree of 19 Aries carries the Sabian Symbol, “A magic carpet hovers over the depressing reality of everyday life in an industrial area.” As the nation (or indeed the world) begins to realize the power in local productivity with real goods, solutions rise to the surface. Once the people understand a problem, they throw their will behind efforts to solve it. This is how the global economic downturn will be truly overcome—through insight into what needs transforming and an according shift in values.
The Moon in Aries creates another triple contact, with Mercury and Neptune. Mercury trines Neptune, bringing vision and imagination into our thought processes. The Moon glues them together with the perspective of our feelings, suggesting ways we can translate our inspiration into action. At 5:08 pm, the Moon gives us a short break as it goes void of course, entering Taurus at 6:35 pm carrying healing energy from a sextile to Chiron.
Today is chock full of action as the Moon links Pluto, Venus, and Jupiter together in a preview of what’s coming tomorrow (the 14th) through Tuesday (the 18th) and again on the 28th. This starts the culmination of Jupiter’s yearly cycle, showing us how we’re using the fertile soils provided by the Jupiter-Pluto trine. With two months to go, we can now act with a clearer understanding of how best to use this energy of prosperity and expansion. Mercury enters Scorpio at 3:52 am, drawing us more deeply into the emotions that color our thoughts, and affording us the opportunity to heal as it trines Chiron. The new yearly Saturn cycle commences today as the Sun conjoins it at 20°11′ Libra. We have another year to unravel deep-seated emotional knots from the past that keep us from developing abiding loving connections with others. Continue to cultivate the seeds you planted last year, or drop some new ones in the soil. Then prepare to be patient to get the most from your cultivations.
Venus opposes Jupiter today, activating our desire for independence and our need to break through others’ frustrating stubbornness (or is that our own?). A Moon square to Mars augments our impatience. This is the opening salvo in the urge to shift long-term obstacles that we are tired of working around.
The Moon in Taurus is void of course from 3:52 am as it squares Neptune, taking us extra deep into the invisible realms through our dreams. We lighten up when it enters Gemini at 7:15 am when it challenges us to work through an area of weakness but offers the opportunity to use our inner genius through contacts to Chiron and Uranus.
Mercury makes a closing sextile to Pluto today, giving us insight into the past ten months of deep inner work that we’ve been drawn into as we learn to inhabit the transformed world that is now being created. Moon in Gemini harmonizes with Mars to blend feelings and the urge to act through creativity and communication. Authenticity is key.
Mercury reaches the opposition point to Jupiter, granting new insights regarding what we have learned and have yet to integrate into our growth process this year. We may be inspired by new ideas for expansion that build on what we’ve done since early April. The Moon in Gemini makes all the right connections, giving us more clues to what’s coming on the next Saturn cycle and what we want to create. At 3:18 pm, the Moon goes void of course on a dream note as it trines Neptune to complete a grand trine in Air for the day. It’s a wonderful energy for achieving peaceful, fruitful, and long-standing agreements. The Moon enters Cancer at 6:38 pm, opening us to unresolved matters that make us restless as she squares Uranus at bedtime. A trine to Chiron gives us a release valve for stored wounded energies.
Moon in Cancer brings emotional glue to the current processes, ensuring that we have taken our gut feelings into account as we forge ahead. It brings back a review of events over the past few days, offering the opportunity to make harmonious adjustments if needed.
It’s all about commitment today, as the Moon squares Saturn and Sun, activating the Last Quarter theme for the coming week, the integration of a new social landscape into our lives. Although it will take a year for us to fully integrate the ripples it creates for our daily life, we can use wisdom and experience to anticipate the adjustments that might be required. The Moon is void of course after its Last Quarter square to the Sun at 26°24′ Cancer/8:30 pm PT.
In Washington DC, this promises to be a shocking time. President Obama’s actions will be in the news, as he engages in actions that may seem out of character. He will catch others off guard, and may be caught off guard himself. The people themselves are in survival mode and withdrawn into family enclaves. The hurting working people get some support from the Senate, with the promise of more positive attention to come. Public health is a concern as more people fall through the cracks in the healthcare system, increasing the threat from epidemics.
The Sabian Symbol for 27 Cancer is, “A violent storm in a canyon filled with valuable homes.” This is fire season in the dry southwest of the US, and on a symbolic level, the middle-class rung on the economic ladder is under assault from the storms of unemployment and world depression. This reminds us to stay in gratitude for what we have and to lend support to those who have been hit by these tempests.
At 3:06 am, the Moon enters sunny Leo, boosting our intuition and inspiration as it trines Uranus. We’ll feel more resistance as the afternoon approaches and the Moon squares Jupiter. We’ll feel like reducing our risks with an “Oops, what did I get myself into?”
Today there is a mother lode of planetary interaction as the Moon connects with the remaining planets in fixed signs: Mercury, Venus, and Mars. This gives us the full treatment where integrating newness into our awareness is concerned. The Sun trines Neptune today, signaling that Neptune’s station direct is not far off (November 9). We get helpful insights about the value of the sacrifices we’ve been making, the inner reality we’ve been cultivating, and the spiritual growth that has ensued.
The Moon is void of course at 5:35 am, after filling our dreams with essential keys to garnering the full harvest from our spiritual growth and healing process this year. It’s over at 7:41 am, in time for a full day of beneficial industry, as Moon enters Virgo. This recreates the Golden Triangle of September by creating a Grand Trine with Jupiter and Pluto over the day, with a capstone of healing energy from Chiron. Give some attention to how your “inner garden” is growing to get the most from the day.
As the Moon proceeds through Virgo, she connects head, heart, and mouth to generate eloquent communication. It’s a great day to write, or to enjoy the arts and the company of friends. At 11:30 am, the Sun enters Scorpio, taking us into still waters that run deep. The Moon is void of course at 1:47 pm on a harmonious note, and the feeling of camaraderie lingers in the air until the Moon enters Libra tomorrow morning.
At 8:49 am, the Moon goes into Libra, once again giving us a new perspective on the World Transformation we’re experiencing as it connects with Uranus and Pluto. It will take us back to events in September, and before that in July and April. Healing is emphasized as the Sun trines Chiron, reminding us that it’s not long before Chiron returns to forward motion (November 10). Wounds that were opened in winter-spring to be expunged and healed can now be closed and released from consciousness.
The Moon in Libra makes a fly-by to Mars and Saturn, enhancing our productivity and efficiency in fulfilling our agreements and responsibilities to others in balance with our commitment to our self.
Since August 25, we’ve been a bit haunted by an injustice that we noticed at that time. Now it begins to work itself out, as Mars sextiles Saturn. While it might not be completely resolved until next spring, we can take steps now to bring greater harmony to the situation. The Moon goes void of course at 5:19 am in Libra, entering Scorpio at 8:08 am, leading straight into the New Moon at 3°03′ Scorpio/12:56 pm.
With a close-applying square of Venus to Mars, this carries the seeds of discontent with our relationship life and affords us the opportunity to do something about it—but over the coming month, not all today. The Moon anticipates the Sun’s opposition to Jupiter on Friday (the 28th) and gives us a glimpse of that future illumination. All this adds up to a fertile field for furtherance of our goals over the coming month, where clearing hidden issues is emphasized.
For the US, a new policy direction is in the offing, as the Nodal axis aligns with the Midheaven axis. This will provide relief for working people, more than a simple extension of unemployment benefits. The emphasis for the coming month is on the impact of the global economy on America’s financial well-being and how to survive the meltdowns in foreign economies.
“A youth holding a lighted candle in a devotional ritual gains a sense of the great ‘Other World’” is the Sabian Symbol for 4 Scorpio, the location of the New Moon. A world of wonder is veiled just beneath the surface of life’s everyday fabric, waiting to be discovered. This can occur in any moment, the quickening of recognition of one’s own soul and the start of the spiritual journey that all of us are traveling through life. Once recognized, it ramps up our growth process; every soul incarnate today hopes for this quickening to occur as the pressures of intense transformation push us into a corner where ensoulment is the only way out.
The Moon occults (eclipses) Mercury today, mixing thought and feeling in the caldron of the unconscious that leads to a clear channel for the heart to speak to us. First though comes the confusion of the meltdown. We’ll feel prodded to make decisions about relationships in light of what we want. Letting the planets separate from their current interactions will result in wiser action. Now is a time for patience.
The Moon’s transit of Scorpio ends on a dreamy note as it squares Neptune at 4:49 am, opening its void period. This ends at 7:45 am, when Moon makes its way into Sagittarius. The lunar energy supports a smooth flow today but sits in the background behind much larger forces. A Mercury square to Mars brings out unresolved conflicts, but we can make a choice about whether to inflame the situation now, or wait for a calmer moment. Jupiter reaches its second of three trines to Pluto today, giving us a window on the overall process of foundation-laying in our lives. This comes as part of a triple contact, the third of the month, as Sun opposes Jupiter and sextiles Pluto to complete a triangle across the skies. This is an incredibly beneficial contact that will take six months to be fully realized.
The Moon in Sagittarius makes a Minor Grand Trine with Mars in Leo and Saturn in Libra to increase our productivity exponentially today. The key to it all is connecting with others while maintaining our independence, even though we may think we need to go it alone.
Our dreams will inspire us, even if we don’t remember them, as Moon sextiles Neptune as it goes void of course at 6:31 am. This invites us to make it a lazy morning, until Moon enters Capricorn at 9:30 am. The energy heats up then takes us deep as the Moon connects with Uranus and Pluto. A sextile to Chiron and trine to Jupiter soothe us through with a Minor Grand Trine. The day ends on a softer note as the Moon makes its closing sextile to the Sun at bedtime.
We are not who we appear to be, even if we aren’t dressed up for Hallowe’en, as Venus squares Neptune. We may want to hide behind a mask, feeling sensitive to imagined slings and arrows. Don’t wear a chip on your shoulder—give out candy!
For more than 20 years, Terry Lamb (M.A. Linguistics, UC San Diego; C.A. NCGR, EEMCP) has been helping people to understand how cycles and energies work and interact in their lives. She augments her astrological acumen with energy medicine, Yijing (Chinese Book of Change), cosmology, psychology, and a broad range of health and spiritual studies.
Terry is among the nation’s most knowledgeable, insightful, and engaging astrologers. With pragmatic optimism and compassion, Terry’s approach has helped clients and students find their own way to “walk among the stars”. She is dedicated to using astrology as a way to create our future and free ourselves from “fate”. She goes along with Abraham Lincoln, who said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Her unique approach to astrology can be learned through her home study and apprenticeship programs (contact her directly).
I appreciate the subtlety and healing focus your predictions have taken on, Terry.
Your phrase on the upcoming New Moon, about “ensoulment” having become the only option is deeply beautiful.
My bdate is 7-27-1967 what do you see for me these last months of 2011 in health and money?
God BLess
Thank you,Sandy
I’m sorry, Sandy, we don’t do off-the-cuff readings like this. You’re free to connect directly with any of our astrologers, though, at http://daykeeper.wpengine.com/astrological-charts-consultations/.