We’ve moved into the shadow of another Mercury retrograde period, which peaks October 11 through November 1 and extends for a couple of weeks on either side. You already know, I’m sure, that we should be cautious about new enterprises, purchases and other important decisions while Mercury is retrograde. With Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, you should double-check information you’ve received recently to make sure the negatives haven’t been overstated (perhaps underwritten by jealousy), or that you’re not missing the most significant point because there are just too many details.

October seems calmer in many ways than recent months. Most of the daily charts are laden with more blue “easy” aspects than the red “challenging” encounters. Saturn has transited into Virgo, keynoting a far more pragmatic and solution-oriented stance toward ongoing problems and easing the push-pull remnants of its long-lasting opposition to Neptune. I firmly believe there are no hard lines in the universe; the effects of sign changes meld and blend over a period of weeks and months. But the battles between shoulds and oughts and hopes and wishes should be coming to resolution.

Neptune is essentially stationary all month, preparing for its switch to direct motion on October 31. Since May 25, this planet that disguises truth, for better or for worse, has appeared to be moving backward in the zodiac. I’ve personified the outer planets to explain that where, upon discovery, Uranus looked at Saturn’s reality and declared, “There has to be a better way, an inventive approach to overcoming all those boundaries and limits,” Neptune exclaimed, “It should help to make reality look lovelier and sound better, or at least to make it more comfortable after we’ve endured all this... or maybe it’s possible to get away from it altogether”—thereby becoming the patron of the arts and spiritual enterprises, and the bosom buddy of escapists. (Pluto just muttered, “Let me show you what reality really is.”)

During a retrograde period, the energies of any planet can be internalized, moderated, repressed, intensified, subjugated by the powers of another aspecting planet, or, in the long-lasting retrogrades of the outer planets, all of the above. It seems to depend on that planet’s position and aspects in your natal chart as well as the prevailing circumstances. And it is strongly conditioned by the sign the planet occupies at the time. Neptune is now situated in Aquarius, a fixed air sign said to symbolize egalitarian and humanitarian values, ruled jointly by Saturn and Uranus.
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We should be getting rather accustomed to the subtle vagaries that accompany these back-and-forth motions of Neptune in Aquarius by now. Beginning in 1998, each May Neptune has turned retrograde in Aquarius, holding the fort there until it goes direct again in October. This will continue through 2010, when it finally moves on into its home sign, Pisces.

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MONDAY OCTOBER 1. Moon opposing Jupiter today may lead us to feeling a bit self-indulgent, possessive and/or demanding—or you may think that’s true of those around you. She’s also square Uranus, meaning emotional stability is not so strong as it might be, and some pretty zany ideas could be floating around. It mellows out quite a bit late afternoon.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 2. Moon’s Void of Course as we start the day, carry the jarringly inquisitive nosiness spurred by her opposition to Pluto into the morning, well after Moon slides into Cancer at 9:57 am. If you’re into worthwhile research, this is very helpful. If you’re prying around trying to figure out who can be blamed for what, it can make your efforts so obvious you’re apt to get into a whole lot of trouble – especially after Moon’s conjunction to Mars in the early afternoon leaves everyone feeling a bit combative.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3. It’s a Last Quarter Moon at 3:06 am PDT, time to check our progress on the to-do list we set up with the New Moon September 11. How well have you exercised this opportunity to use this potent grouping—the drive of Mars hooked into the almost compulsive persistence of Pluto? Today Moon’s hassling you to go for it, utilizing the new approaches suggested by Uranian inventiveness. You still have a week to use this dynamic lineup.

Only Pluto and Venus, exactly trine to each other today, are in the latter half of the signs, and the lunar lady makes no classic aspect to them; thus Moon goes void for the remainder of the day at 1:41 pm. A Pluto-Venus trine can bring passionate commitment—to or in opposition to a cause, a goal or a partner. It can also bring intense concern about financial matters.

Each of us should place putting our financial affairs in order very high on our list of priority projects now. As individuals, and as a nation, the stability of our economy cannot be taken for granted now.

The need for realistic assessment is especially true for our nation. Little attention was paid by the media to the stunning fact that the U.S. is no longer the big kid in the game who can call the shots without question; we have been outnumbered by the European Union in terms of both population and wealth. The Euro has been gaining strength as the U.S. dollar loses value. Our Neptunian mortgage crisis is not merely causing us a great deal of trouble but is having critical affect on financial institutions elsewhere in the world. And those nations are not taking that lightly. Financial astrologer Raymond Merriman opines, “It’s just a matter of time before business leaders of the world will no longer want to accept payment of the U.S. dollar for their goods. Its days as the standard world currency are slowly fading into the sunset. And a generation after that may be the demise of English as the world’s standard language. One follows the other.”

A chart set for this exact Sun-Moon square in Washington DC has Virgo rising, a setting that calls for analytical attention to problems of all kinds, but the Saturn influence that could make this happen is still “hidden in the closet.” Whatever is happening is going on behind closed doors. The second house of finances and values is occupied by Mercury, Juno and Lilith in Scorpio, all trine to the Moon and Mars. There surely is discussion around this issue, and it surely is heated and impassioned, driven by a lot of yin energy feeling betrayed. The messages don’t seem to be reaching Sun, our leader, connected only by challenging aspects to Moon, symbol of the nations’ people, and Mars, symbol of the military—but supported by an easy aspect to delusional Neptune. Sounds like the news, doesn’t it?

Most troubling is that disruptive Pluto sits almost exactly on the nadir, the point of security. And it’s still opposing Mars at the midheaven (although Mars has moved on into Cancer so it’s and out-of-sign aspects which purportedly weakens its power). Will the White House revert to trumping up terrorist threats to reinforce support for the war? Or is Bin Laden still aiming at us? Will our leaders reassert combative threats toward Iran (or someone else)? Or is it that Americans’ concerns about the security of their families (especially their sons and daughters in Iraq) and their jobs will intensify their opposition to military policies?

As a quarter moon chart, this aspect is less ominous than it would be in a New Moon or seasonal chart. We should be able to assess the happenings since the September 11 New Moon/Eclipse to get a better picture of what this portends. It often seems that Pluto, like The Tower card in tarot, signals healing by major surgery—by the elimination of something that has been detrimental to our well-being.

Moon’s final aspect in Cancer before she goes void is a waxing trine to Uranus, a once-a-month configuration that teams the unfamiliar and unanticipated with Moon’s fluctuating moods and storehouse of habits. It last occurred September 6. Among other newsworthy events, Hurricane Felix ravished Honduras and Nicaragua and a 6.5 earthquake rattled Taiwan; Osama bin Laden resurfaced; U.S. District Court judges struck down parts of the intrusive Patriot Act and ordered Iran to pay $2.6 billion to the families of the 241 victims of the 1983 Hezbollah bombing; Luciano Pavarotti died. What was happening in your life?

The Sabian symbol for Moon at 9:49 Cancer: A large diamond in the first stages of the cutting process; the arduous training for perfection in order to fully manifest an ideal. “It no doubt must be a painful operation for the rough stone,” notes Rudhyar, “but the goal is worth the suffering.”

The symbol for the Libra Sun: Having passed safely through narrow rapids, a canoe reaches calm waters; the self-control and poise necessary to reach a steady state of inner stability.

These seem to portray a clear picture of a time to pick up the reins and reaffirm our conviction to improve our life situations, no matter how much the next steps may hurt.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 4. No classic aspects come exact today, but Moon quincunxes Pluto mid-morning bringing a need to be ready for adjusting our perspectives on issues of control and cooperation. Her trine to Uranus is still in effect (and the influences of Uranus remain especially strong, thanks to the ongoing square from Jupiter), so conflicting aims toward both autonomy and fellowship may hold sway. Mercury is moving into a trine to Uranus, so communication—as so often is the case—is the key to resolution.

Moon moves into Leo at 3:27 pm.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 5. A Leo Moon always seems so much lighter and more self-confident, so we can close out the workweek on a cheerful note. Juno and Lilith have their heads together at 8° Scorpio, using their oft-touted wiles to dig deeply into secret or neglected stuff in search of effective tools for adjusting value systems. Their help can be valuable in identifying outmoded behavior patterns that are no longer working well for you, and perhaps really never were. This should be an upbeat evening, brightened by family and neighbors.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 6. Artistic pursuits are especially favored today, as Moon casts its full light across the chart to Neptune and closes in on Venus by the end of the day. If the creative mode is not your own, you may at the very least be especially moved by beauty, or inspired by the vision and idealism of others. The Venus trine Pluto aspect is still very much in effect, so intensity in relationships is to be expected. Moon goes void with her conjunction to Venus at 10:26 pm.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 7. A mere three minutes after midnight (PDT) Moon moves into Virgo. We may be more discerning in our tastes today, or we may be more swayed by our emotional responses than by what we’ve been taught to think merits praise—the old “I know nothing about art but I know what I like” gambit. This can apply to art and music, fashions and fads—or to people. Moon occults Saturn this morning, overshadowing the cautions and limits he normally represents. So enjoy, but be careful.

Venus also reenters Virgo at 11:53 pm PDT.

MONDAY OCTOBER 8. A t-square has developed today, with Jupiter as the apex fortifying the opposition of Moon and Uranus. At its best, Moon opposing “the rebel” brings about a delightful spontaneity and win-win approaches to problem-solving. At its worst, it can bring emotional upheaval or sudden flight from what seems an uncomfortably restrictive situation. Whichever inclination is indicated in your chart (look at how these planets now relate to Moon and Uranus in your birth chart), Jupiter is going to throw his weight in the same direction to speed the process along. Jupiter is also accenting the forming trine between Sun and Neptune, which makes it all too easy to deceive, or be deceived (even by yourself). Make your choices wisely.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 9. Moon is VOC, from 4:08 to 10:57 am, when she glides into Libra after leaving a square to Pluto. The intensity of that connection carries over to underwrite the square between Jupiter and Uranus, which becomes exact—after having been in effective orb all year—at 11:24 am PDT. The combination of Jupiter and Uranus may be the most unpredictable of all aspects. Uranus seems to aim for what we’d never even thought of, and Jupiter backs him all the way. Sun is quincunx Uranus, suggesting that whatever is going on has a great deal to do with personal freedom. Any out-of-the-ordinary change that has been building in your life should be peaking this month, and the period of consolidation around it will continue through the rest of the year.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10. The day drifts lazily and rather uneventfully toward the New Moon conjunction to the Sun, exact at 10:01 pm PDT at 17°30 Libra. Moon makes only one other aspect all day, a sextile to Jupiter earlier in the evening.

The chart set for Washington DC is quite interesting, nonetheless, and the messages than can be gleaned from it are equally applicable to our nation and to each of us as individuals.

None of the traditional planets occupy the ninth, tenth or eleventh houses, the topmost portion of a chart. The upper half of any chart relates to external interactions, the lower half to internalized behavior. Here we have only Ceres, the goddess who nurtures and empowers, representing interactions with the world at large.

This then is a Moon-month to limit activity insofar as possible and withdraw to contemplate the overall scope of our lives and our futures (Ceres is profoundly dedicated to the future.)

Nature seems to have gone out of her way recently to remind us that seasons change, another year is drawing to a close and there is a time for all things. The Winter Solstice chart that initiated this year likewise ignored the outward-oriented houses at the top, and likewise featured Uranus in the eighth as the most elevated planet—a clue that the path to transformation lay in innovative, extraordinary and creative methodologies (and in Pisces, with a foundation of universal values).

All the other planets are scattered within a not-yet-perfected grand trine with Mars leading and Uranus playing caboose, between the twelfth and eighth houses. This bundle pattern is focused on the conjunction of Mercury, Black Moon Lilith and Juno in the fourth house of home, family, roots and traditions.

Mercury, as we know, represents the use of the mind as well as mobility. Lilith, in the words of astrologer Philip Graves, “is associated with the unveiling of illusions, the illumination of self-defeating behavior patterns, the exorcism of self-centered desires, and the coming into closer contact with Earth wisdom.” Juno, in Roman mythology named Juno Moneta and the derivative of our word “money,” in the fourth house underscores the importance of financial dependability to security and growth. She is also symbolic of issues of commitment and loyalty or betrayal.

This lineup can be projected many ways. Again, it points up the need to tend to our budgets and assess our relationship with the reality of circumstances around us. And such questions as whether we are showing our loyalty to our young people in the military more by sending money for armaments or by getting them out of harm’s way.

Finding the aggressiveness of Mars in “the closet” suggests that, after more than 5000 years of “civilization,” it is time to realize that physical confrontation is not a desirable way to resolve problems.

The “Lights,” the Sun and Moon, sit less than two degrees from the point of security, illuminating the significance of this consideration. They are quincunx Uranus, urging us to modify our typical modes of being and reach for new and exciting paths to the future.

The Sabian symbol for 18° Libra: Two men placed under arrest; a breakdown in the constructive relationship between the individual and society, and the expectable result. “Both a society and a personal ego constitute forms of order,” Rudhyar explains. “Any form of order excludes what it cannot securely and safely hold.” In his footnote, he says, “Negative as the image may seem, one may see in it the power in every individual to assume social risks in order to express his convictions or deepest desires.”

THURSDAY OCTOBER 11. This is the day that Mercury goes retrograde, at 9 pm this evening, the third time this year that it’s appeared to be moving backward. It will retrace its path from 9° Scorpio to 23° Libra, where it again turns to direct motion on November 1, interestingly enough with the Sun sitting on its now-sensitized 9° Scorpio retrograde station. This should make early November a stellar time for moving projects forward again, despite the usual cautions to wait until Mercury has returned to the point at which it changed direction. This time that’s November 17. If you’re at all uncertain, though, wait until then.

Moon goes void on a benign sextile to Pluto at 4:22 pm, lending a helpful ability to intuit others’ concerns and soothe troubled waters. At 11:13 pm Pacific time (which is 2:13 in the wee hours of tomorrow morning on the east coast) the lady eases into Scorpio.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12. Ah, those Scorpio moons! They can add a bit of luster to our lives. She’s pretty well behaved today, starting the morning with helpful sextiles to both Venus and Saturn. A sextile spans one-sixth of the 360° circle that comprises a chart—half of a trine, and is considered to be one of the “easy” aspects although less automatic than a trine. Common interpretations stress cooperation and opportunity, learning and apprenticeship. When we find Moon cooperating with Venus we can expect opportunities involving satisfying our desires; with Saturn the potential relates more to learning things we want to know and developing structures to support our goals.

She trines Mars, boosting our energy level and drive, conjuncts Mercury to help our heads and our hearts work together and closes the day with a trine to Neptune to fortify our dreams.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13. Our own unique take on the situations around us may be expressed rather forcefully, or unexpectedly, today as Moon trines Uranus. Venus has caught up with Saturn, so hopes and wishes that conform with reality and common-sense are most apt to “have legs.” Both planets are within spittin’ distance of the Moon’s South Node, where we find tendencies to fall back on familiar behavior patterns to increase our comfort level. This is not always the best choice in terms of overall growth and achievement of meaningful goals, so think about that.

Moon goes Void of Course at 2:24 pm, squared to Neptune, which means you’ll have to exercise extra care to avoid deluding yourself.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14. The Nodes take center stage today and Mercury and Mars form a helpful grand trine with the North Node in Pisces, signaling a call to heed timeless values. It’s a time for putting some thought into matters of life and death, and the preparations for such momentous events, making plans to insure security and appropriate care for yourself and others. This could relate to a birth announcement of importance to you, planning for retirement, arrangements for taking care of an elder, or making sure your own advanced directive preferences are appropriately prepared and filed.

Moon makes it into Sagittarius just two minutes before midnight in the Pacific time zone.

MONDAY OCTOBER 15. Overall, it’s a relatively quiet and uneventful day, leaving you free to pursue those tasks you’ve been trying to complete. With Moon in Sag, you may feel a bit more adventurous than usual, and willing to consider previously untried methods to accomplish your ends, especially as Moon squares Uranus later in the day. By bedtime, Moon comes upon Jupiter, which could bring about an “Aha! moment.”

TUESDAY OCTOBER 16. As Moon makes her way from her meeting with Jupiter to a meeting with Pluto this evening, you may feel a bit trapped by circumstances, longing for distant greener pastures and beckoning shores. Moon in Sagittarius can find even normal ties and bonds equivalent to being fenced in, and start looking for options. The secret is that the best options are right here, right now, and probably only need that you stretch your understanding.

Once again, Moon carries the influence of Pluto, this time a conjunction, into her Void of Course period, from 5:32 pm to three minutes after midnight PDT. This energy is ideal for digging deeply into acknowledged intelligence and buttressing the insights gained with the keen intuitive perception available now. Spend the evening trolling your own consciousness to recognize innate ingenuity. A bit of meditation could help.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17. A methodical approach focused on practical, usable results can turn in good results today, but we may be a bit down in the mouth while proceeding. Saturn’s still got his controlling clutch on Venus, stifling her acquisitive nature, and with Moon newly into Capricorn, it can be hard to see the bright side. Mercury’s trine to Mars becomes exact this morning, as does Moon’s trine to Saturn, which gives us the drive and discipline to keep going. As Moon opposes Mars and trines Venus later in the day, it finally starts to make sense.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 18. The patterns of the past week hold through today, with only the somber shadows of the Capricorn Moon to guide our way. A Capricorn Moon is not unemotional, as it often seems, but the emotional battles churn away inside, rarely loosed into the light of day. Just scratch this one off as another “keep on keeping on” day.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19. It’s a First Quarter Moon at 1:33 am this morning, and Moon goes void on that contact. At 9:52 am she ambles into Aquarius, but makes no major aspects until a square to Mercury this evening. There’s an unsettled feeling about the day.

An arrow pattern points the energies of Mercury and Mars at Saturn, which today is only minutes away from its exact conjunction to the karmic South Node, a point that indicates behavior patterns we’ve taken for granted all our lives and rely on in times of stress. In Virgo, the South Node can insist on more than the necessary amount of order, routine and precision in one’s life and indulge in an overly critical nature. The arrow extends into a kite pattern when we include the North Node, the truly karmic point that defines the mission the universe has in mind for us, and points the way out of our “stuckness.” Always exactly opposite the South Node, the North Node is in Pisces, where it looks for an all-encompassing, all-embracing faith in the wisdom of the cosmos—a power far greater than that of any recognized religious precept. The cosmos decrees honoring the value of every individual (albeit insisting that none has the right to injure any other) and respects personalized modes of thinking. In the eyes of the cosmos, no human has “the answer” garnered from knowing “the truth”; humans have evolved only enough to know pieces of the truth.

Set in Washington DC, the Quarter Moon chart, with Virgo rising, again shows Mars occupying the tenth house of stature in the world. The war goes on claiming the world’s attention.

The Saturn-Nodes alignment springs from the twelfth and to the sixth, as does a corollary opposition of Venus and Uranus squared to Jupiter that must be included in the picture. Labor unrest may capture headlines again, and more exposés of misdeeds in hospitals, prisons and religious sanctuaries.

The Saturn-Nodes alignment, plus a quincunx between Venus and Chiron, may not be good for markets or efforts to improve the nation’s health care problems.

This aspect repeats every 11 to 12 years; previous occurrences in 1973, 1985 and 1997 accompanied a credit crisis, an escalation of foreclosures. A 1973 book published by U.S. News & World Report confidently predicted “health insurance for every American by 1994”; a year-end headline in the New York Times noted that health care spending in 1985 rose at the lowest rate in two decades; a PBS news hour in 1997 lamented the 10 million children lacking health care insurance, a figure remarkably similar to today’s—despite numerous state measures to improve the situation.

A Saturn-South Node conjunction, which is exact early in the morning Tuesday, is commonly held to signal the death of an elder statesman.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon at 26° Capricorn: A nature spirit dancing in the iridescent mist of a waterfall; the ability to perceive the hidden and creative spirit of natural phenomena. Rudhyar relates this to the element water, which “symbolizes the constant flow of vital energies, the fluidity of a consciousness which finds itself stimulated by change.”

The symbol for the Sun: An eagle and a large white dove change into each other; the interaction of the spiritual Will and of the Love principle when critical needs arise. Rudhyar says this “represents a new, higher approach to the use of polarized forces within the personality which has been ever so little transformed and is operating within a new framework.”

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20. Moon creates a short-lived finger of god outletting in Leo—try for an objective assessment of your ego to spot any imbalances that may interfere with what you’re trying to do. A forming sextile of Venus and Lilith may mean we need to let go of something we’ve been reluctant to give up. Since they’re also connected to Chiron, this is more apt to mean discard rather than sacrifice—as, for instance, insecurity, doubt or subservience. Besides that, these two working together may mean your financial acumen is coming to the fore.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 21. Moon slipped past Neptune last night on a direct path that blocked his rays from reaching Earth for a few days; this fortifies our ability to look at ourselves and our world with unflinching candor. But—don’t let the focus be on the negative. Moon trines Sun, and goes void at 12:36 pm, carrying positive vibes and boosting our outlook. Despite its scarcity in the media, there is good news if you take the time to look for it: in truth, humanity is less violent than it has been throughout history; we are healthier and health care is much improved; gratifying progress is being made in other areas. Admittedly, there is still a long, long way to go. But have heart.

Moon slides into Pisces at 4:02 pm.

MONDAY OCTOBER 22. A loosely knit kite pattern is forming as Moon opposes Saturn, with both aligned with the Nodes, and trines Mercury and Mars. The Nodal axis is often allied with circumstances that are “meant to be,” and it appears here that we are meant to be exercising our self-discipline, recognizing our limits, and putting our energy into identifying our true strengths and the ways we can be of most service to ourselves and all of humanity. Evening may bring a sudden insight.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 23. Sun moves into Scorpio just after noon today, at 12:16 pm PDT. Soon after, Moon goes Void of Course, again carrying strains of Plutonian intensity through the day, beefing up our drive and direction. Moon tiptoes into Aries at 6:24 pm; a bit later, Mercury backs up over Sun and re-enters Libra. We’re nudged to be ardent about what we do and say, while being nice about it.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24. Not a lot going on today, at least astrologically. Moon makes an exact square to Mars this morning, which could leave us a bit testy all day. She started the day with a quincunx to Saturn, suggesting we could moderate any hard-nosed attitudes. By bedtime, Moon is cozying up to Jupiter, which means tomorrow should be better.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 25 and FRIDAY OCTOBER 26. Another bright Full Moon, this one known as the Hunter’s Moon because, like the Harvest Moon, it lights up the evening. Full Moon comes exact at 9:51 pm on the Pacific coast, Friday morning at 12:51 am EDT.

Moon became void on its opposition to Mercury, marking a day for moderating rational mindsets with emotional understanding, at 2:46 this afternoon and moved on into Taurus at 6:07 pm.

Venus opposes Uranus, which could lend poignancy to the old saw “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone,” in regard to love or money or both. In the chart set for Washington DC, this aspect falls across the second-eighth house axis, making economic surprises and upsets a most likely supposition.

Moon sits exactly on the Midheaven, Sun at the bottommost point of the chart. Both our need for acceptance and approval in the world and our need for solid foundations and security are intensely felt. They form a t-square with Jupiter, who—as always—works to amplify and exaggerate whatever those two are trying to do. His influence comes from the fifth house, so we may see another film or theatrical event similar to “Sicko” and “An Inconvenient Truth” escalating public consciousness.

Moon’s trine to Saturn sets up an arrow with Mars in Cancer as its pointed tip—needling us to blend the tenacity of a caring Moon in Taurus with the service-oriented dependability of Saturn in Virgo to get to the heart of what’s urgent in the matters we’re trying to nurture. The pattern pulls in energy from Uranus, to spur consideration of out-of-the-ordinary methods, and Lilith and Juno, to suggest that the time-honored wisdom of crones may come in handy.

The Sabian symbols are:

Moon at 3° Taurus: A man bundled in fur leads a shaggy deer; the need to overcome stagnation and “cold” during a trial of endurance.

Sun at 3° Scorpio: A house-raising party in a small village enlists the neighbors’ cooperation; the feeling of community demonstrated in a basic joint effort. Here we see the desirability of seeking the cooperation of others, both as individuals and in groups, to help us achieve difficult objectives.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 27. Moon goes void at 16 minutes after midnight, carrying the influence of a trine to Venus and a square to Neptune. There’s emotional satisfaction in being especially responsive to others’ needs today, and your optimistic view of the world can offer exactly the right lift to boost to the mood of someone around you. Your energy level and determination are strong now, and your perspicacity is growing. You seem to be able to intuit questions before they are asked. Moon slips into Gemini at 5:11 pm.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 28. An impulse to just drop the whole thing competes all day with a sense of obligation and a sincere desire to makes things better, for yourself and for others. The obvious answer is to make space to allow yourself a bit of time out, which can be done without ignoring or offending anybody else if you’re thoughtful about it. If an unanticipated interruption comes along, enjoy it.

MONDAY OCTOBER 29. Today’s is the busiest chart of the month, so even with moon void from 12:50 to 5:49 pm, there’s probably a lot going on. Moon’s involved in a grand trine with Mercury and Neptune, outletting on Jupiter in a kite pattern; she’s also connecting Venus, Jupiter and Uranus in a grand square. All those keen perceptions you collected over the weekend can be put to good use now. The kicker is that you may not be appraising yourself as accurately as you see others. Double-take time there. It’s a Cancer Moon as of 5:49 this evening.