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October '12
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by Terry Lamb

October brings forward a new energy pattern, like turning a corner to find ourselves in an entirely different landscape. By the end of day on October 6, we will see four planets change sign and one turn retrograde. This is a lot to take in, especially when one of these planets is Saturn, and when its change comes after such a dramatic series of events.

Although our current situation started at least two years ago, its immediate source can be found in events since mid-May, especially those in September.

September was a tumultuous month, with the opportunity for long-awaited and profound change. At this time in general, we have the opportunity to cast off ancestral and personal karma from multiple lifetimes, which were taken on specifically in this lifetime. For many people, these are the most challenging karmic patterns in their soul's evolutionary process, chosen for this life because the planetary energies open doorways in this time (60s through ~2020) for their release.

In October Saturn enters Scorpio along with emissary Mercury, who meets and parts with Saturn in the course of a few days. Venus creates an echo in Virgo, while Mars leaps into Sagittarius—all in four days.

When a planet enters a new sign, it signals a change in priority and perspective. In the case of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, these are rather commonplace (but still worth noting). With Saturn, this change takes place once every 2.5 years on average. Since October 2009, we’ve been working with Saturn in Libra, focusing us on our relationships with others, working on balance of power and responsibility, commitment and purpose. Much of this has been focused externally, through our interactions and agreements with others.

Now the energy goes underground, into our private and intimate circumstances. situations. This is about how to deal with the need for change in the situations where we find ourselves feeling most vulnerable, from the bedroom to the boardroom. The question is, how do we introduce needed change in a situation where a web of complication makes transformation a messy prospect? How do we do it without harming ourselves or others? How can we bear the emotional pain?

In the next 2+ years, we’ll be dealing with the situations that have been super-glued into our lives. Their unpleasant aspects suddenly become unbearable, and we want out. The journey of Saturn through Scorpio will teach us why they got stuck there and what we will have to do if we really want to remove them (and we may not once we realize why they are there). They wouldn’t be there if there weren't some very strong bond—a commitment, promise, sense of guilt or responsibility, and feeling of obligation. There may be issues of betrayal or mistrust, whether or not related to (current-life) events. It will be about breaking down barriers to true bonding with others, replacing ego-attachments, -cravings, and -compulsions with soul-centered ties.

If we have placements in the Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), we will be most affected by Saturn’s entry into this sign. This comes after a long dry spell for these signs, where they were left relatively untouched by the changes swirling around them. This is about to change.

The last time we had an emphasis in the Fixed signs was 2007. Since then, the emphasis has been in Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) and Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) signs. Cardinal signs are about identifying a need and taking action to fulfill it, an initiating role that involves directed focus and movement to start something new. Mutable signs focus us on the energy of integration and completion, creating wholeness—a responsive role that relies on flexibility, “putting out fires”.

The Fixed signs teeter between these two extremes of the cycle (beginning and ending) to stabilize and structure the energy. A Fixed sign is not a “starter”; it is a sustainer. It is about building new structures to meet current and anticipated needs, and removing old structures that stand in the way. The Fixed signs build and decorate the house, then sweep it clear of all its furniture to start again. But not without careful deliberation. Fixed signs are cautious. It takes time to move mountains, and no energy can be wasted in fruitless effort.

In September, Mars gave us a quick run through Scorpio, a preview of Saturn’s sojourn. Mercury will do the same, at a dizzying pace, but the counterbalancing drop of the other shoe is the fact that the Moon’s North Node is also now in Scorpio. This draws the deeper world of ancestral and karmic patterns into play at the same time. It’s a Cosmic Two-Fer, one of those little squeezes that makes the soul giggle as we go through a few extra contortions to get more growth out of our experiences.

This begins an accumulation of force that culminates when Saturn and the North Node conjoin, which happens September 25, 2013 (Mean Node). Since the eclipses occur at the Nodes, this means that several eclipses will make contact with Saturn as well. These eclipses will generate the prism through which events will manifest, as we initiate and respond to play our co-creator role. The first of these contacts comes next April.

Venus and Mars tell their own story, and that reached a turning point around September 27, when they squared each other (Leo-Scorpio). Now they are separating, simultaneously moving toward a more perfect union, a sextile on November 29. All the ghosts have come out of the woodwork and some have been dispersed. It is now easier to clear the rest, a matter of follow-through. With both celestial lovers in Mutable signs, our healing process is emphasized over the month.

The other big event of the month also occurs in October's early days—Jupiter’s retrograde station on October 4 at 16°23' Gemini. This is close enough to the Venus Transit Point and Lunar Eclipse (packaged with the previous Venus-Mars square) on June 4–5, bringing out what remains to be resolved in the deep, deep process of growth through relationships and (self-)love heralded by the Venus event. If there’s something that was going on then that remains unresolved, watch for it to be the groundhog in your life at this date approaches. Jupiter’s retrograde lasts for four months, until January 30. For now, watch for peak events around October 4 and 28.

On October 15, the New Moon carries an activating Mars trine to Uranus and square to Chiron, but it mostly emphasizes finalizing our transition to our new relationship future. On October 18, Mercury enters its retrograde shadow at 18°40' Scorpio (the earliest point it will reach during its retrograde).

The new yearly Sun-Saturn cycle commences on October 25 at 2°20' Scorpio. We’ll feel urged to take on the new directive we received when Saturn entered Scorpio, perhaps making a plan to deal with what we feel and want to accomplish. The quest that is embedded in this moment will take us around the cosmic game board with all the challenges and obstacles we need, the perfect set of experiences so we can grow.

This contributes to the end-of-month culmination that comes on October 25–28, as Mars opposes Jupiter (on the Venus Transit Point), Sun conjoins Saturn, and the Full Moon (October 28, 6°48 Taurus/Scorpio) ties everything together in a wave of illumination.

Pluto has just finished its retrograde, now heading toward the denouement. What can we do to accomplish the changes we now know need to happen before the next Pluto cycle starts on December 30?

Neptune and Chiron approach the end of their retrogrades, standing still in mid-November.

Uranus shocked us awake somehow in late September—we get another 2+ months to take those lessons to heart and make them work.

October finds us fully entered into the new Scorpio directive. If we keep a record of our thoughts, ideas and experiences over the course of its unfolding in this and the months to come, we’ll greatly magnify their benefits for us and all whom we touch. Let this be a month of opening and healing!