Astrological Forecasts

Heads Up!

The Writer’s Astrological Almanac

by Kathy Watts

October 2012

Happy October. We somehow survived that zinger of a full moon that ended last month.  It that didn’t kick-start your independent spirit, troublesome or no, I don’t know what will. Now we get to do a lot of it all over again, only different. Way different.

October 1 is a Monday, the Moon’s day. Remember to make this a month to be good to people, and to appreciate when they’re good to you. There are many reasons for this, to be explained later. The Moon will be moving into Taurus for the evening. This makes it easier to appreciate the good things in life.

Tue Oct 02 the Moon is in Taurus all day. Venus changes signs and enters Virgo at day’s end. Enjoy this last blast of glamour before beauty become more sensible. Venus is now pass through the domain of Mercury. Maybe we can write some extra lovely stuff with this.

Wed Oct 03 the Moon is Taurus all day again. Venus exactly opposes Neptune. Beauty and fantasy may relate in all the usual ways. We have Wednesdays of the Moon in fixed signs, for the first two weeks. The second half of the month, the Moon shifts to mutable signs. Take advantage of these first two Wednesdays to be virtuously stubborn about work that’s important to you.

Thu Oct 04 the Moon moves into Gemini. We have today, Friday, and through Saturday afternoon to focus on mercurial, communicative, expressive efforts. Personally, I rarely get a great word count produced at this time, but often I make connections and make progress on other writerly fronts.  Jupiter goes stationary retrograde early today. Have you noticed it slowing down, getting stronger? Good luck may be a bit more subtle and slow-going for a while.

Fri Oct 05 the Moon is in restless Gemini when Mercury and Saturn form an exact conjunction in the very last degree of Libra. Pay attention, as this is also the very center degree of the Via Combusta. Speak, write, and think with care. The least little thing might come back to bite you big time. Only fifty minutes later, Mercury moves on and enters the sign of Scorpio. Why this should feel like a relief is hard to describe, but in some ways it is. Ten hours later, Saturn changes signs and enters Scorpio. It’s a serious world, inside and out. You don’t have to get grim, but at least respect serious issues. Thirty-five minutes later, the Moon conjuncts Jupiter in Gemini. It’s about time for a break from all this Scorpio stuff. (I say this with affection, since I have a natal Moon in Scorpio.)

Sat Oct 06 the Moon is in its home sign Cancer when Mars changes signs and enters Sagittarius. Mars is riding high these days, with both Mercury and Saturn in Mars-ruled Scorpio, and with Mars getting to hang out in a fire sign. Have an energized but under control kind of weekend. There will no doubt be things to write about after the fact.

Wed Oct 10 the Moon is in glorious Leo all day. Just as the day begins, Mercury forms a sextile to Pluto. This can brighten (and deepen) a Wednesday that otherwise might have been mostly lightweight fun. Or heck, write comedy (so long as you do it seriously, I suppose).

Fri  Oct 12 the Moon  conjuncts Venus in Virgo. Do some serious editing or make corrections with a loving gentle touch. Venus will be in Virgo almost all month, but that’s all right. by the time we get  used to it, it’ll be over.

Sun Oct 14 the Moon is in Libra all day. What’s notable about today, though, is that tomorrow is the New Moon. That makes today an automatic Heads Up, be it the Sun’s day of the week or not. Be wise and cautious, health, travel, and social-wise.

Mon Oct 15 gives us the New Moon at 22 Libra. Start something with social implications. You don’t have to instantly release it out into the cold cruel world. Twelve hours later, the Moon moves into Scorpio. They say that the Moon freezes in Scorpio, and it might be true. Two hours after that, the Moon conjuncts Saturn. It’s hard to imagine the Moon being much colder than this. Write your most unforgiving stuff. You can burn it later (unless the wrong people find it first).

Tue Oct 16 the Moon is in Scorpio when Venus and Jupiter form an exact square. These two planets are considered the lesser and greater benefics, the bringers of good things and good luck. Not agreeing on what is good can be a fantastic plot complication. (For example, I love it when the murderer says ,” but I did it for you.”)  Late in the day, the Moon conjuncts Mercury in Scorpio. Think and feel serious, if only briefly. It was only twelve days ago that Mercury and Saturn were conjunct. Now the Moon needs a full day to travel from one planet to the next. Yes, Mercury is fast and Saturn is slow.

Wed Oct 17 the Moon is in Sagittarius all day. Be generous with your time, although it might eat into your writing schedule. Sagittarius is that special.

Thu Oct 18 the Moon is still in Sagittarius all day and conjuncts Mars early in the day. This can be a generous, lucky Jupiter sort of day, with both the Moon and Mars together in Jupiter’s home sign. Do something good with it.

Sat Oct 20 the Moon conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn. If social obligations prevent you from being serious about your work, you can still respect it and respect the work of others.

Sun Oct 21 the Moon spends most of the day void of course in Capricorn, shifting into Aquarius near end of day. More important, perhaps, is that the Sun is in the last degree of the sign of Libra. That does not mean that today is the last sweet gentle Venus-ruled day before the Sun enters serious no-nonsense Mar-s ruled Scorpio.  No, no, no. We are deep in the heart of the Via Combusta, the Fiery Road.  It’s a good idea to to watch our p’s and q’s, our step, and our manners for a few days. Tread lightly through these highly manipulative, even duplicitous atmospheres. Ulterior motives may abound, some suffering from the illusion of being part of some good work. And who knows but in the end perhaps that’s how it may turn out. Meanwhile, be careful.

Mon Oct 22 the Moon is in cool collected Aquarius when the Sun moves out of Libra and enters Scorpio the Scorpion. We get a month of a Mars-ruled Sun, promising a lot of heat and passion, much of it directed at very bottom-line things. It’s a month to get real, especially about our work.

Wed Oct 24 the Moon enters Pisces and fifty minutes later conjuncts Neptune. Yes, Neptune has retrograded back to 00 Pisces. If you feel as Medea does and think that sometimes too much reality can drive a person crazy, well, today is the day to write gushy surrealistic poetry and blast that romantic French classical music while you write.  Just imagining that is making me smile.

Thu Oct 25 the Moon is in Pisces all day, and this could be lucky as well as touchy since traditional astrologers believe that Jupiter rules Pisces. . The Sun conjuncts Saturn today, so respect and authority will be big all day long. Not only should you be respectful of authority, but don’t be stunned if you are regarded with more authority than you’re used to receiving. Maybe it’s a good day to sell something important.

Fri  Oct 26 the Moon conjuncts Uranus in Aries. This may be a day to loosen the tie, let the hair down, have that extra drink and confess something substantial to someone you care about and who cares about you. You can do this in writing, of course, but it is Friday so it might be fun to actually do it in person.

Sun Oct 28 the Moon is void of course in Aries when Mars exactly opposes Jupiter. This does not mean that you have to work against yourself or your own best interests. Eight minutes later, Venus leaves the sign of Virgo and goes to her nocturnal home sign of Libra. Don’t use this as an excuse to lose your editing momentum. By day’s end, Mercury changes signs and enters Sagittarius. Bigger thoughts may flicker and spring to life.

Mon Oct 29  is the Full Moon at 06 Taurus. Not only is Taurus way different than Aries, but there’s no Uranus conjunction to deal with. Work with the conviction that being practical and being comfortable do not have to compete with one another.

Wed Oct 31 is Halloween. You may not write ghost stories, but we all have stories, experiences, and memories that involve people from the past, some of them from our own recent past. Midday, the Moon enters Gemini. How cool for us writers and artists who network and create to have the month come to an end on Mercury’s day of the week, with the Moon in Mercury’s diurnal home sign. Make the most of it.

In a lot of ways, last month was a lot about Uranus. And this month was all about Mars. Mars can be good. Mars can be passion, energy, self-motivation, strong self-esteem when the world is doing everything in its power to grind our little hearts into dust. We don’t have let that happen. We can fight back. We can do it in a brilliant noble way, too, seeing that Mars is in Sagittarius. Nothing can stop us. Nothing. We can give up, of course, but nothing else can stop us. Hear that, Scorpio? You like it, too, don’t you, Scorpio?

Write on!

Heads Up!