Patricia Maher astrology
Incisive Astrological Commentary
Featured Column
October 2 2020
October: two full moons, Mercury retrograde, Mars retrograde, and lots of dramatic dynamics.
Sigh. This is the kind of month that makes me dislike being an astrologer… The pressure! How the hell am I supposed to interpret woman-tearing-hair-out, what is going on?! Let me just say that I am walking a fine line between Sagittarian optimism and Scorpionic doom on a daily basis. So I am going to try to thread the needle here between both of those states. Here goes.
I wrote in my last post that this fall was going to be rough, between Mars retrograde and the last blast of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Over the past couple of weeks we have been feeling increasing angst – the fires, hurricanes, and increasingly despotic and racist behavior from Trump and his cronies. Many of us are on edge – scared of white supremacist violence, scared of unparalleled interference with the elections, scared that Trump won’t leave office. It is all terrifying. This really is the final swipe of the Saturn -Pluto conjunction, which is all about repression and breakdown of systems, and also about revealing the best and the worst of human behavior.
The Mars retrograde effect surfaces a kind of helplessness. I had this the other day: we are all in a river being pulled along by the current. We can all hear the waterfall ahead and can’t do a damn thing but keep heading for it. We don’t know if that waterfall brings liberation or disaster, or perhaps both. I’m banking on liberation.
So—October. Mercury turns retrograde on the 13th . Mercury is in Scorpio, and Scorpio is conducive to the non-linear intuition of Merc retrograde. There is a lot that is usually hidden in Scorpio, so the retrograde is going to reveal a lot of dirt. With Mars also retrograde, the two planets retrograde will bring more, more unexpected events.
Then it gets very interesting – and trigger warning— somewhat scary. On the 14th the Sun in Libra opposes Mars retrograde, which is a pivotal point in the Mars cycle. There is typically a release of energy. Things that have been stuck or just under the surface since the start of Mars retrograde tend to come out. This time, I hate to say it, they will come out explosively – Jupiter and Uranus are in this aspect, as is a planet we use in the Uranian system called Zeus. Zeus has to do with fire and explosions. So not only will we see a how-to-draw-lightning_release of energy but a massive release of fiery explosive energy. Hmm. People who live in the fire zone, pay attention! My other thought is …umm.. you know… white supremacists…Proud Boys… etc —I really hope I am wrong about this. But the other side of this turning point is that people speak truth to power, and quite simply reach a breaking point of No, we are not going to take this anymore.
So whatever happens, there will be massive resistance for the rest of the Mars retrograde. After all, Mars retrograde can bring revolution.
Other Mars retrograde dynamics in play in the body politic:
I mentioned last month that Trump is having a difficult run of Mars retrograde. It is moving through the 8th house of his birth chart, and in traditional astrology that is the house of life and death crises, and, quite amazingly, of taxes. It is about things coming due, legacy, what we inherit. Things are catching up with him.
Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s hearings begin in the Senate on October 15. If we read these planetary angles as a “bombshell” of information rather than an armed insurrection, then it’s very possible that something comes out about her that causes her nomination curveballs to fail (I know, hope springs eternal!). Since she has Mars in Aries in her chart and Mars retrograde in the sky will be exactly on top of her Mars that week, perhaps she will decide to throw in the towel in some Mars retrograde realization that she doesn’t really want this job…. Perhaps she will decide it’s not for her, and she’d rather be a stay at home mom.
In addition, October 16 brings a Libra new moon with Saturn and Pluto influences. It is download-2going to be a tough week in a tough month. Sorry, folks.
Yet— we cannot lose hope. There is so much happening that is so unexpected, and not every reversal is a bad thing. Mars retrograde, Mercury retrograde, Jupiter and Uranus all bring lots of change. So even while we are feeling put through the meat grinder of Saturn and Pluto, as Leonard Cohen wrote in his song Anthem:
Ring the bells (ring the bells) that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything (there is a crack in everything)
That’s how the light gets in…
That is how the light gets in. Saturn and Pluto are showing us exactly how broken we are, and yes, it’s scary and awful—and yet necessary. We need those cracks!! Stay strong, stay calm, pray a lot, don’t mourn but organize, and vote vote vote.
October’s important dates and how to deal with them!
October 1 5:06 pm EDT Full moon @ 9’08 Aries This full moon is exposing arrogance and self-aggrandizing behavior. Mars retrograde is allowing us to be horrified by it. We are not numb!
October 13 9:06 pm EDT Mercury turns retrograde @ 11’40 Scorpio Work your intuition and pay attention to dreams. Expect revelations.
October 14 Sun opposes Mars retrograde @ 21’ Libra Put on your seatbelt and pray for peace with justice!
October 16 3:32 pm New moon @ 23’53 Libra You know what you have to do! Stay calm, make plans to support free and fair elections, vote early if you can, stand up for racial justice!
October 22 7:01 pm Sun enters Scorpio
October 31 10:50 am Full Moon @ 8’38 Taurus Happy Halloween! Make sure to give food to your ancestors. They are working overtime Halloween for us!
Stay healthy, safe, strong and sane!
Change is coming…more on that in my November column See LessEdit
12Tanja Eikenboom, Charlene Taylor and 10 others5 Comments1 ShareLikeCommentShare
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- Shahnaz KhawajaThis resonates on so many levels!
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- Michael Naylor
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- Charlene TaylorIt’s Tower Time! (Cue music to Hammer Time)
- Wow
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- Sylvia HighsmithWonderful, I celebrate it all. Change is the most beautiful thing in human experiences.
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