October Horoscopes
I went to a ritual for the Fall Equinox where we danced, drummed and sang as the sun went down, marking the last night where daytime is greater than or equal to nighttime for the next 6 months. As the sky darkened, we stood in a circle and people voiced where they were seeking more balance in their lives. It easy to focus on balance during Libra season - the sign symbolized by the scales and the beginning of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere. As I stood there, I noticed my feet were constantly making micro shifts in my weight to stay upright. It occurred to me that balance is a fleeting moment, requiring constant, often unconscious, adjustment to maintain. To hold balance as a static ideal misses the point. The light in the sky itself is only perfectly balanced 2 days a year. The rest of the time it is either rising or falling. Which led to me realize that…
Balance requires falling. Surrendering to gravity and falling to the ground is the ultimate equilibrium. This kind of fall incites fear, but falling is not always a total loss of control. When we learn to walk, we are actually learning to fall in a controlled fashion, over and over again. This practice of falling is where balance comes from - suspending weight against gravity and also being supported and held by gravity. It is an ebb and flow. This dance with gravity is an attunement, an awareness of subtlety and forces within and without our control. That is also precisely how Libra achieves balance, by being aware of the social forces at play and working with them to achieve harmony.
In astrology, the Sun is in its fall in Libra. This is separate from the Fall season, but a happy coincidence. When a planet is in the sign of its fall, it cannot function at its optimum efficiency. There are all these side quests and unknown ventures to navigate. For the Sun, a star at the center of our solar system, it naturally wants to be centered and focused on self. The Sun is heart of identity and vitality in the chart. Libra is a sign that acknowledges and even requires the presence of an “other” in order to make sense of its surroundings. The Sun cannot just focus on itself in Libra, it must take in other perspectives and weigh and measure those against its own.
This October comes with many planetary shifts that will usher us (sometimes it might feel like a shove) into a new season, leaving behind many of the energetic signatures that marked this summer. Mercury and Venus both leave the signs where they were retrograde (on 10/4 and 10/8 respectively) meaning that whatever lessons those retrogrades brought late from late July into September are being integrated. Venus moving into Virgo goes about cleaning up the dust after it has settled and Mercury entering Libra brings a more nuanced perspective to the events of the summer.
But the major astrological headline for October is Eclipse Season. Eclipses happen twice a year, about 6 months apart, when the Sun, Moon and Earth align such that the light from each of the luminaries is partially or fully obscured during a new moon (solar eclipse) and a full moon (lunar eclipse). The last set of eclipses happened on April 19th and May 5th 2023. This month there will be a solar eclipse on October 14th at 21 degrees Libra and a lunar eclipse on October 28th at 5 degrees Scorpio and Taurus. If you have anything in your chart around 21 degrees of a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) or 5 degrees of a fixed sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), then these eclipses will be especially significant. I think of eclipses as gateways or turning the page to a new chapter. They tend to bring about endings and beginnings, usually both as “every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end” to quote of my fave eclipse season theme songs “Closing Time” by New Sonic. [ Speaking of which, I created a special playlist for you to vibe with the energy of this month, you can listen to it on Spotify here ] Think back to this spring when the last set of eclipses occurred, there may be some resonance or continuation of that story line with this set of eclipses. And a new story line is beginning as the solar eclipse on 10/4 is the first eclipse that we’ve had in the sign of Libra in 9 years, and the first solar eclipse in that sign in 18 years. The part of your chart that contains Aries and Libra is about to get revamped over the next 18 months as the eclipses slough off what isn’t serving you and bring more opportunities to attract what does. As they happen in pairs and 6 months apart, eclipses appear balanced on the surface, but they are the kind of balancing that might knock you down or majorly readjust how you hold your weight. Trust that gravity will catch you, it always does.
Here are your ‘scopes for the month! They were written for your rising sign but you are your own spiritual authority so read whatever you want.
LIBRA
The Solar Eclipse on October 14th kicks off a series of eclipses for the next 1.5 years where your identity, physical vessel and way that you move through the world is going to get a makeover. With the Lunar Eclipse on the 28th, you are wrapping a journey of growth in the part of your chart relating to collaborations and shared resources that came at the expense of letting go of some of your personal resources.Its time to balance the books and assess if it was worth it. Hopefully you got back the same or more as what you contributed.
SCORPIO
The Lunar Eclipse on the 28th is the grand finale in a series of eclipses that have been revamping your identity and close relationships over the last year and a half. Looking back, how have you changed the way that you show up with your loved ones? What old stories about yourself and your body did you release and rewrite? The Solar Eclipse on the 14th starts a new 1.5 year journey that will bring subtle changes under the surface and may be only felt when you are alone. Start paying attention to your daily routines - these will start getting revamped in the spring when eclipse season rolls around again.
SAGITTARIUS
The Solar Eclipse on October 14th starts a new 1.5 year cycle that will revolutionize your social circles and who you associate with. There may be more social invitations than you can realistically entertain and the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) hits hard to a fun loving centaur like yourself. If you’ve been unsure about who to say Yes to, this eclipse can bring clarity. The Lunar Eclipse on the 28th wraps up a whirlwind of change in your work life and daily routines. What have you learned about seeking stability over and at the expense of authenticity?
CAPRICORN
The eclipses in Taurus and Scorpio over the last year and a half have showed you new ways of having fun and letting your desire lead the way and you get one last hurrah with the The Lunar Eclipse on October 28th. Maybe it’s time to let go of some groups or communities that no longer feel in alignment with the new you. The Solar Eclipse on October 14th starts a new cycle of eclipses that will shake up how you’ve been pursuing your calling and what home means to you. Perhaps this exploration in fun and pleasure has made the parts of your life that aren’t fulfilling unbearable. Listen to that uncomfortable itch, it will be your guide for the next year and a half.
AQUARIUS
The last year and a half has been pivotal with the Scorpio and Taurus eclipses bringing about major shifts in the most public and private parts of your life. The Lunar Eclipse on October 28th wraps up this cycle, showing you what it means to value your home as a sanctuary and creative play space for your badass visions. The Solar Eclipse on October 14th starts a new eclipse cycle focused on place and meaning. Whether or not you moved in the last year and half, you will get a more intimate understanding of your surroundings. What beliefs about the world are ready to be released as you encounter folks with different experiences and backgrounds? You are not one to easily change your mind so this may come as a challenge or shock. This is just the beginning of a new cycle so write down your thoughts now so you can see how they do eventually shift over the next 1.5 years.
PISCES
Where you are, the land and its people, shapes what you believe. This connection has become clear to your over the last year and a half. The Lunar Eclipse on October 28th brings one last lesson and moment of clarity for you as you traverse the familiar roads that lead to home. What about your immediate environment is still beckoning you to come closer and get more intimate? The Solar Eclipse on October 14th opens up a new chapter on your shared resources. Pay attention to any investments (time, money, or otherwise) that are not bearing the kind of fruit you had hoped for. The next year and a half will recalibrate your relationship with your own personal resources and ask you to divest from that which your new beliefs are no longer aligned with.
ARIES
The Solar Eclipse on October 14th opens up a new chapter in your close relationships. Pay attention to any dynamics that feel unbalanced. This next year and a half will have you seeking reciprocity in your relationships as you become more confident in what you have to offer. The Lunar Eclipse on October 28th shows you exactly what it is that you have to offer after a year and a half of eclipses that had you reevaluating your resources and releasing yourself from investments that did not align with your values. Trust what you have, it’s more solid now that it’s been in awhile.
TAURUS
As the sign that is probably most averse to change, the last year and a half has been supremely uncomfortable as the eclipses have shaken up your sense of self and your close relationships. Good news is that the Lunar Eclipse on October 28th is the last eclipse in your sign for 9 years. As uneasy as it has been, can you see how these changes have brought you closer to an inner truth? The Solar Eclipse on October 14th initiates a new cycle of change, now focused on your daily habits and work life. If there’s something you’ve been wanting to add to your routine, this is a great time to start!
GEMINI
The Solar Eclipse on October 14th starts a 1.5 year cycle that will shake up the ways you seek joy and pleasure and who joins you in those pleasureful pursuits. A lot has been going on behind the scenes and at work for you in the last year and half during these Taurus and Scorpio eclipses and the ways that are you used to unwinding might not do it for you anymore. Pay attention to invitations to join new interest groups or community supported calls to step into leadership, these are the keys to unlocking a different kind of leisure. The Lunar Eclipse on October 28th will spotlight all the work you’ve been doing for your mental health, like setting boundaries with work, to protect your precious alone time.
CANCER
You are entering into a 1.5 year period where your private and public life will both undergo major transformation. By releasing the expectations and inherited stories from your family of origin, you can make space for yourself to step into what YOU want to do and be in this world. This starts with the Solar Eclipse on October 14th, be prepared to be confronted with an issue from the past masquerading as something new. The Lunar Eclipse on October 28th wraps up a cycle of releasing outdated hobbies in service of finding your new crew. What groups do you find yourself part of now that weren’t in your life at all a year and a half ago?
LEO
You’ve been undergoing a big overhaul in your home and work life for the last year and half, phew! It’s not easy having your foundation rocked and reshaped, especially for a fixed sign that likes consistency, like you. Everything you’ve had to sacrifice has been in service of something bigger than you and that will start to become more apparent around the Lunar Eclipse on October 28th, shining a spotlight on your work in the world. The Solar Eclipse on October 14th initiates a new cycle of change - this time in your neighborhood and how you get around town. The itch to explore and broaden your horizons is coming and that always requires surrendering what you know.
VIRGO
You’ve been studying and expanding your field of knowledge beyond the basics and while there is always more to learn, you will see how far you have come in the last year and half on Lunar Eclipse on October 28th. There also have been major shake ups to your spiritual life and practices that you can now start to integrate more fully into your routine. The Solar Eclipse on October 14th brings a new cycle of change, this one focuses on your resources and investments. Where have you been holding on too tightly to what is yours instead of sharing and pooling resources with others? So much more becomes possible when people share and there are some ideas around “fairness” that you need to sit with first in order to fully participate in any collective process.
