A NUMINOUS, INTROSPECTIVE & SURPRISING OCTOBER 2014

The astrology of October features a Mercury Retrograde, as well

as Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, plus two eclipses. Mercury is
retrograde nearly all month, beginning on Saturday, October 4th, near the
beginning of Scorpio. As is true of the year of 2014 in general, Mercury begins its
retrograde early in a Water sign, then backs into the preceding Air sign before
straightening and eventually regaining its lost zodiacal longitude. Mercury stations
direct on October 25th and fully escapes its "retrograde shadow" only on the 10th
of November. All during this entire month it is therefore a better time for
introspection, especially in relation to emotional issues, and for journaling your
thoughts, rather than for acting on them. This is so even though there is plenty of
impulse for direct action.

Mercury will have just gone into Scorpio, Pluto's sign, before the October 4th
station. Mercury is a little out of his depth, here, and proceeds with consternation,
before retrograding back into Libra on October 10th. Venus has changed signs
also, and to the sign she rules, namely Libra. All through the month, therefore we
are rethinking our behavior patterns and most especially in regard to the
relationship energy that we have with others. We are reflecting on the very process
of relationship, working this out as we live our lives.

The Lunar Eclipse and Full Moon of Wednesday, October 8th, is very exciting, as
the Moon aligns almost exactly with the trickster energy of Uranus, in trine
with Jupiter in Leo and Mars in Sagittarius, forming a grand trine in Fire signs. This is
an expansive and powerfully intuitive time, when all bets are off and anything
could happen, and when answers will come unbidden to our questing minds. And this
is true for the next two weeks as well.

The Solar Eclipse of Thursday, October 23rd, is also quite dynamic, being in partile
conjunction to Venus, now in the very beginning of Scorpio, and trine
numinous Neptune. There is quite a Neptune factor for the whole of this month, since
the New Moon that preceded the beginning of October also aspected Neptune.
This adds a multi-dimensionality and the potential for confusion along the lines of
the activities of the purely physical plane, as well as a strong sense of imaginative
sensitivity as well as idealism.

The other two outer planets, Uranus and Pluto, are also highlighted in this month's
configurations; with Uranus in particular being emphasized, as indicated above. The
first lunation of the month, at the Quarter Moon of October 1st, coincides with
the Moon in conjunction with Pluto; then the Full Moon eclipse of October 8th
conjuncts Uranus, as already described. This is a busy month for transformational
activity, as Uranus continues his retrograde motion, closing the gap between his
degree in Aries and the perfection of his square with Pluto that gets closer over the
weeks ahead, back for another exact hit by December 15th, in the ending of the
year. This month is therefore bringing us a foretaste of the looming changes still to
come, in symbolic resonance with the Uranus-Pluto square. This aspect refers to
revolutionary and evolutionary changes that continue to be taking place, most
intensely over the three-year period from 2013-2015, for each of us as individuals
and for the surrounding society.

THE CALL OF THE FIRST QUARTER MOON

Wednesday's First Quarter Moon is quite an interesting one, coming as does upon
the heels of last week's Libra New Moon as its first, or testing, phase. The energy of
that lunation highlighted Chiron and Neptune in Pisces, otherworld voices from
beyond, which can be crucial in signaling the call of our own higher selves, urging us
onward. This is in the context of the fall of this crucial year, when we are getting our
act together heading into the last two hits of Uranus-Pluto, in December and in the
spring of 2015. It is true that, in some sense, we already know what it is that we
need to do to transform ourselves, along the lines of our spiritual fruition, and we
only need to step up to the plate and do it.

This phase represents a testing time, when the rubber meets the road, so to speak,
and when we must act on the courage of our convictions. As this phase comes to its
moment of exactitude, on Wednesday, October 1st, the Moon in Capricorn comes
to conjunction with Pluto, in an early triggering of the next installment of this storied
square between Uranus and Pluto that comes to exact just before the end of the
year. The separation to Uranus has narrowed by October to less than four degrees.

Uranus in mid-Aries is also highlighted in this quarter Moon configuration, because
its configuration is accompanied by a grand trine in Fire signs
between Jupiter, Mars and Uranus. This is an exciting development that lasts for the
week leading up to the lunar eclipse and Full Moon one week from now, on
Wednesday the 8th, when Mercury will be retrograde in Scorpio, and when
the Moon will conjunct Uranus. This entire month therefore constitutes a preliminary
timing that leads up to further transformation by the time of year's end. The grand
trine in Fire supports the visionary energy of Uranus in a Fire sign, and represents
the cosmic principle of soul growth.

The Sabian Symbols for this quarter Moon are instructive. They are, for the Sun, in
the ninth degree of Libra: "Three 'Old Masters' hanging on the wall of a special
room in an art gallery" This reminds us of the past and of making use of it in the
present moment by memorializing the best of what it has to offer. For the Moon in
the ninth degree of Capricorn, we have: "An angel carrying a harp." This symbol
seems to speak to something that calls upon us from out of the cosmic energies
floating around and through us, to inhabit our higher selves. We can only do what
we can do. We are however being enjoined or perhaps gently nudged, by the
agency of a loving cosmos to move further along the arc of our necessary
evolutionary development.

CHART FOR FIRST QUARTER MOON ON OCTOBER 01, 2014






SUN SQUARE PLUTO: VITAL REGENERATION

Posted on October 4, 2014
Late tonight, Friday, or in the early hours of Saturday, October 4th, the Sun comes
into an exact square with Pluto (at 1:03 am PDT). The Sun in Libra relates to a sense
of balance, and Pluto, the planet of transformation, in Capricorn, represents
renewal and growth in terms of radical changes to life structure, personal
responsibility, and boundaries. With the Sun square Pluto the light of consciousness
is shining on deeper issues and potential conflicts around renewal and healing. This
is a day that could be filled with power struggles that ultimately lead to personal
empowerment or else devolve into difficulties, all depending on how one chooses to
channel this potent energy. This is also the first day of Mercury
Retrograde in Scorpio, Pluto's own sign (stationing at 10:02am PDT). We may see
an amplification of communication snafu's and wires crossed as these astrological
indications collide. You benefit when you are able to take responsibility for your
portion of any conflict (always avoid pointing the bony finger of blame) and stay
as open as you can to your possibilities for profound renewal. In doing so you may
discover a deeper sense of personal power, ditching any feeling of victim role, and
charge up your powerhouse natural abilities while paying closest attention to the
long and winding path of your life's unfolding.

MERCURY RETROGRADE: PAUSE FOR RECALIBRATION

Posted on October 4, 2014
That notorious time of Mercury Retrograde is upon us once again, for the third and
last instance of 2014. Today, Saturday, Mercury stations to retrograde motion
in Scorpio, and will swing back through Libra come the 10th, to complete its
retrograde motion three weeks later, by Saturday, October 25th. It is said
that Mercury will not fully straighten out until it escapes its retrograde shadow on
November 10th. The Mercury Retrograde period has gotten a bad rap owing to
the various communication breakdowns, technological malfunctioning, and other
glitchy situations that seem to arise with greater frequency during this time. Yet this
is also a prime time for internal reflection, re-organizing, and generally taking a
pause to recaLibrate before moving forward again. This particular retrograde
period begins in the depths of Scorpio, where perhaps you will get a glimpse of
some deeper, transformative currents of your inner landscape that are coming to
the fore for your considered examination. Mercury interacts with numinous and
misty Neptune as it stations, in the sign of Pisces, while Chiron, the Wounded Healer,
hovers nearby in aspect to Mars, Jupiter and Uranus. It is more than possible that,
as you reflect on deeper areas within yourself, you could gain unexpected insight
into your own internal trauma and how you might better accept yourself in these
wounded places and begin to move beyond them.
Mercury will take another week to escape these depths, re-entering Libra on the
10th, where considerations of relationship, balance and clarity are therefore
heightened. In this mid-month timing you might wish to ask yourself where in your
life youve fallen out of balance, or what relationships need extra tending and
timely TLC. Or perhaps this introspective period could present you with the
opportunity to look within your own being, with all its flaws and glories, in order to
ponder how you show up in relationship. Are there aspects of how you relate to
others that are not serving you that could require adjustment' Over the course of
this Mercury Retrograde period, you win when you focus your attention not on what
is going wrong, but rather on how you might adjust your perspective and approach
for greater growth in awareness and balance within yourself.