Aquarium Age - Transformational Astrology

It’s another week of astral intensity and as the routines of daily life reflect and amplify those planetary patterns, the week turns into a bumpy ride. Anticipate the days and nights taking on a sharp edge that turns regular routines irregular and almost everyone’s patience runs thin. Also expect certain activities to run a bit wild—nothing seems standard—and if you can find any normal happening anywhere, consider yourself lucky.

We are ten days from a solar eclipse on Saturday, October 14, and a little over three weeks away from a lunar eclipse on Saturday, October 28. Eclipses disrupt the normal order of things—the day turns to night or the Moon turns dark. During a solar eclipse the Moon overshadows the Sun, and from an astrological perspective, that disruption is interpreted as unconscious themes overshadowing conscious ones. During a lunar eclipse, the opposite occurs and conscious concerns (the Sun) override unconscious ones. Both eclipses represent a shift in focus, but it is not a clearly delineated shift; the eclipse effect can occur six weeks prior to or after the actual event, and so much material tends to emerge during that time that it’s hard sorting out what to focus on—surprising revelations occur as the emphasis shifts from conscious to unconscious concerns. The eclipse effect also creates strange time signatures, merging past, present, and future dimensions. Notice what arises in your life during this period but be aware it is a blending of time signatures.

Venus moves into Virgo on October 8, finally ending her transit through Leo that began on June 5 and lasted throughout the entire summer as she retrograded and then went direct in Leo from July 22 to September 3. Some of those summer romances might cool off a little as Venus leaves the Leonine realm of romance and enters Virgo’s passion for details, but some of those romantic liaisons could linger—Virgo isn’t without romantic inclinations. One thing is certain: shopping sprees take a back seat to Virgo’s more practical approach regarding the accumulation of “stuff.” (Don’t misunderstand, Leo. I’m just suggesting that Virgo is less extravagant.)

Mars is still locked in a square with Pluto, which is exact and separating on October 8 and lingers until October 16. This is a pernicious interaction that often displays its potency by catalyzing power struggles. Pluto is all about control; Mars loves to win; and as these two clash, moods tend toward the irritable and cranky. Under this influence, anything and everything can morph into a skirmish about who’s in charge. I’m not suggesting that you bow out of every conflict, but I am advising you to stay away from power plays. Eventually the friction will recede and normal interactions will return.

On October 10, Pluto goes direct, and that “course correction” has a couple of side effects. First, all week long, we will feel Pluto’s preparations for its turn around, and while to many folks it may have the feel of a Mercury Retrograde, it isn’t. That being said, Pluto Direct contributes to the intensity of all our interactions as we deal with delays and interference. Pluto enters Aquarius again on January20, where it stays until it dips back into Capricorn from September 1, 2024 until November 19, 2024. As Pluto covers these well-trodden final degrees of Capricorn, we are once again revisiting not just our recent past but also the fifteen years of lessons brought to us courtesy of Pluto’s transit through Capricorn—and there’s no cheat sheet in the world to help us through this process; we just have to bring conscious awareness to the task.

And so we enter another week of intensity, caught in several astral currents, all of which demand attention because we are being asked to examine how we want to live through these waves of change. So make patience your constant companion, along with kindness and genuine joy for the success of others. We need to stay mindful so we don’t get seduced by Trump’s siren call to victimhood and the resentment that often accompanies that attitude. If you find yourself devolving into negativity or despair, remember to practice gratitude as a remedy. We may not be in the best shape, but there are far more people interested in a peaceful life than you may realize. It is with the help of those fellow travelers that we will find the support for our own efforts to stay kind and compassionate through the intensity.

Sun Bursts: If you know your Ascendant and/or your Moon Sign, read that too.

Aries March 21-April 19
There could be some challenging relationship issues with significant others, personal and professional, so try to keep a level head. You don’t have to solve every problem or put out every fire—and even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. Stay focused on what you can handle and allow those you care about to solve some of their own problems.

Taurus April 20-May 20
No matter how disconcerting some interactions with others may be, hold your ground and be true to yourself. Yes, there are a lot of moving parts and certain people may not be as reliable as you need them to be, but don’t let that deter you from your goals. If you’re prudent and stay polite, you will eventually form a team that is supportive and one you can trust to deliver.

Gemini May 21-June 21|
You know that big changes await you but you can’t pin down the specifics just yet. While the limbo of waiting can be frustrating, do your best not to let your impatience take over. There are still important details to be decided and that’s a process you can’t hurry, so rather than fret, breathe, knowing that everything will be straightened out eventually and your role will become clear.

Cancer June 22-July 22
Your inclination is to hunker down at home and simply enjoy being there—so have at it and let nothing distract you from having a relaxing week. Every once in a while, it’s okay to take a break—don’t worry; you won’t become a slug. Given that your natural inclination is to work until the job is done, this is a good time to try a new approach.

Leo July 23-August 22
You have a lot of ideas to share but you don’t want to annoy anyone or have them label you a control freak at worst and bossy at best. Just share your ideas without the expectation that everyone will be a winner and bite your tongue if you don’t agree so you don’t become a whiner. The important thing is to avoid getting caught in a volatile exchange that will only drain your reserves.

Virgo August 23-September 22
Allow Venus’ entry into your Sign to stimulate a desire for beauty and then do whatever is necessary to add a bit more beauty to your world. Go to a museum, buy flowers for the kitchen table, or repot some of your plants. This doesn’t have to be an expensive activity; it's all about recognizing the importance of surrounding yourself with beautiful things that nourish your spirit.

Libra September 23-October 22
Put on your thinking cap and contemplate what you would like to change in your day-to-day activities and routines. You probably won’t be able to implement them all, but if you focus on simple improvements you just might be able to incorporate a few new habits that will lift your spirit and excite your curiosity. Be willing to explore new frontiers and you’ll make wonderful discoveries.

Scorpio October 23-November 21
It would be wise to avoid verbal skirmishes—the temptation to use your words as weapons is just too great and you might say things that you later regret but can’t take back even with an apology. You don’ have to stick to the weather to stay on safe subjects; just try to avoid calling your adversary stupid or idiotic—name-calling may feel good but it will not help you achieve the results you desire.

Sagittarius November 22-December 21
You may not think you have the emotional bandwidth to handle the intensities of the week but you are stronger than you think you are—and you can handle the shenanigans and mood swings of those around you. So put on your thinking cap and keep it on for a while; you’ll be surprised at all the ideas you have about how to actually improve your situation and the situation of others.

Capricorn December 22-January 19
Try not to jump the gun—there are still many months of Pluto’s journey through your Sign to endure. While I wouldn’t blame you if you’re jumping for joy as Pluto goes direct, there are still likely to be obstacles to overcome before you can truly celebrate. So take a deep breath, be glad of heart, but don’t do anything extreme until Pluto is firmly planted in Aquarius by late 2024.

Aquarius January 20-February 18
You’re wandering in your own mind trying to decide which way to go—up, down, in, or out—just try not to wander too far. Yes, it has been a long journey and you’re tired; you didn’t realize it would take this long to weave all the threads together—and you’re still not finished. Don’t despair; you have what it takes to complete the journey and find what you’re looking for.

Pisces February 19-March 20
If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll have to admit that it took much longer to arrive at this point than you originally envisioned. You’ve done nothing wrong and you’re not being punished; it’s simply been a long haul while you’ve been missing several pieces of the puzzle, which is one of the reasons it’s been slow going. If you can step back from the immediacy of your situation, you’ll start to see what’s missing and you can fill in the blanks.