Current Transits for October 97

Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...

Headlines:

The Logjam - 4 direct stations that create a time of stagnation.
Venus, Mars, Pluto Play Tag in Sag - relationships up in the air.
Chiron contacts Uranus and Pluto
Libra New Moon at 8Li33, 10-1
Full Moon at 22Ar49, 10-15
Scorpio New Moon at 8Sc01, 10-31

General Outlook for the Month

It looks like that "stuck in a rut" feeling from September continues into October. This month is that annual affair of recent years that I call "the logjam" -- a time when many planets are standing still. It creates a feeling of stagnation and frustration, as the you-know-what hits the fan and completely buries it. Actually, there is shifting going on below the surface, but it's not likely to be the kind of change we were anticipating, hence we tend to overlook it. We continue to be remade at very deep levels, but it's going to take a lot of overhaul of our day-to-day behavior patterns before this will become visible on the surface. In the meantime, our lives seem out of kilter, because our inner and outer realities don't match up. Watch for the areas of life that seem most chaotic or dysfunctional -- these situations continue to hold the keys to future growth.

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The Logjam

The big news of October is a process I call "the logjam" -- a time when a number of outer planets all hit their direct stations at the same time. Coming at the end of their long retrograde cycles, these stations are the culmination of a time when certain problems or issues have been building to overwhelming proportions. It's like being hit by 3 or 4 Mack trucks all at once. This gives the month (especially the first 2 weeks) a feeling of frustration and stagnation while events build to a climax. Towards the end of the month and into November, this sense of urgency slowly lifts as the planets in question start to move in normal forward motion once again.

Jupiter Direct Station at 12Aq05, 10-7

The first planet to stop in its tracks is Jupiter on the 7th. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and networking, the fellow that makes it worthwhile to be a member of society. When he's backing up, like he's been doing since 6-9, it seems the rewards of our efforts get postponed and that helpful connections in the world start to dry up. It's as though we are being forced to rely on our own resources and cunning for a time instead of leaning on the assistance of others, so we can strengthen our position in the world. Particularly for people who are in business for themselves, this can be a very trying time, as clients and customers seem reluctant to open their wallets for non-essentials. Needless to say, if you can survive this cycle, the coming months should be a breeze.

Neptune Direct Station at 27Cp11, 10-8

The next 2 stations are more subtle. Neptune puts on the brakes on the 8th. Neptune is the dreamer and the romantic of the solar system. Normally, it's relatively easy to envision a goal and work to make it come about. When Neptune is backing up, however, even the most noble of visions has its problems and drawbacks. This is a time to reevaluate your ideals and goals, especially if they seem to produce more problems or false turns than you expected. Eventually, after this difficult practice, turning dreams into reality becomes easier. It's very important to distinguish between ideals and wishful fantasies, since Neptune is also a planet of self-deception. Make sure you're being honest with yourself now.

Uranus Direct Station at 4Aq44, 10-14

Uranus is the next one to stand still. When retrograde Uranus hits your birthchart strongly, you can expect radical changes to overturn some area of your life where things have gotten too staid or cozy. Uranus often hits the mental realm, forcing us to give up cherished ideas or beliefs which just plain don't work anymore. It usually strikes unexpectedly, "out of the blue", upsetting areas that "seemed" to be going well for us, but were out of step at some level with who we really are. Structures (mental or physical) are especially prone to being blown to bits. This station is a time to exhibit great flexibility -- be ready to execute a complete 180 at the drop of a hat. Holding onto frameworks that are being challenged is not a good idea.

Ceres Direct Station at 29Aq45, 10-20

Finally, the asteroid Ceres makes its station on the 20th. Ceres the Great Mother is about unconditional love and nurturance, including self-love. During her cycle in reverse gear, taking care of our "babies" (literally or figuratively) brings out the worst in us. It may be a case of needing to let go of someone or something that we've held onto a long time, when the need for independence overshadows our desire to care for them. It may be that our "caring" has strings attached, that we love to be loved or to get something in return. And perhaps it's simply that we don't care for ourselves enough, remaining dependent on others for things we could cheerfully do for ourselves. Regardless of the details, the situation is coming to a head in October, so pay attention and make the necessary changes. In short, all these themes are unusually active in October ("in your face" may be more to the point), and now is the time to resolve them.

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Venus, Mars and Pluto Play Tag in Sagittarius

Another major story is taking place in Sagittarius this month. There's a 3 way game of tag being played between Venus, Mars and Pluto -- a sure recipe for relationship issues.

Mars contacts Pluto on the 3rd, an influence that emphasizes will-power and action, even though the motivations may be somewhat questionable. It's best to be certain your goals and motives are aligned with higher principles, since anything shady or underhanded will boomerang on us when Pluto is in the picture. This is also a "stay out of dark alleys" contact, although such extreme outcomes are quite rare.

Venus passes over Pluto on the 11th, bringing the deeper side of the emotions to the surface. This can be a time of deep and powerful attractions and antipathies, even to the point of being obsessive. In interactions with partners, issues that have lain dormant for months may suddenly flare up. This could also be a time of great passion, since Pluto inflames the more sexual side of Venus and makes us more likely to be attracted by partners.

The final phase of this game is when Venus and Mars then come together in the sky on the 26th, at 19Sa46. Expect all the "undercover" themes that have been brewing all month to burst out into the open at this time, especially if your birthchart has relationship planets near 19 degrees. In highly simplified terms, Venus is love and Mars is passion and the sex drive, so the flames of romantic love are very bright and warm now. If you work hard all month at clearing up any lingering problems with partners, this could be a very glowing time. Of course, if some of the issues are still hanging over your head, the excitement could be of a different kind. Either way, partnerships are an arena of growth this month, a place where we focus much of our energies. Remain open to the critiques of others, since they can help you see the blindspots that are causing so much trouble these days.

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Chiron Contacts Uranus and Pluto

Also encouraging this influence of Uranus and Pluto this month are a pair of contacts from Chiron. Chiron is exactly 30 degrees away from Pluto (a semisextile) on the 1st. These are both planets of intense transformation, putting us in touch with deep recesses of the psyche that we'd probably rather ignore. In a nutshell, take the part of yourself that you'd most like to hide in the shadows from the rest of the world, and this aspect will try to drag it out into the light. This is not simply an exercise in cosmic masochism, because the healing and transformation of these deep "wounds" is needed to release our full spiritual potential. It's a time of testing and improving for us, perfecting powers that have remained hidden due to fear. Then on the 10th, Chiron is square Uranus, just before the direct station for Uranus. Both planets have a lot of Trickster energy in them, spoofing our presumptiousness so incessantly that we ultimately give in. Anything that is holding us back from a more profound spiritual awareness is in the crosshairs now. My advice: give in to your higher self. Note that both aspects harken back to last February (when Chiron went retrograde during the Grand Finale ), so these issues have probably been brewing a long time. Both contacts also powerfully affect 3-4 degrees of any zodiac sign.

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Libra New Moon at 8Li33, 10-1

There's a T-square in this chart that sounds like a battle of the masculine and feminine, either within the psyche or between partners (or both!). The two ends of the T-square are both feminine asteroids, Ceres and Juno. Ceres is the mother and nurturer, while Juno is the wife and partner -- two very different roles for women. They are focusing their attention on Mars and Pluto, two hardcore masculine planets, which are about to connect on the 3rd. Particularly in relationships where there's much dependency or immaturity, this pattern could be very tricky. Difficult relationships rarely operate in the Juno mold, based on cooperation and equality. Typically, there are power issues at work, even if they are covert or hidden below the surface. Ceres can come through in a very co-dependent fashion, masking manipulation as love and concern. The point is, you can't "mother" your partners, since that destroys the equality that true partnership requires. It also has some unintended effects (especially this month!) of bringing out a feisty, combative response from the partner (Mars and Pluto). False love breeds resentment and anger, not love. With Chiron, Uranus and the new moon feeding into this pattern, it's time to wake up and change this way of relating. It requires a little enlightened discipline to make the shift. Long held beliefs and opinions must be released. It helps to cultivate a sense of detachment from these beliefs, so there's less ego around to make you hold on to them when you are challenged. If you approach disagreements with optimism, levity and cooperation, the disagreements should be easy and painless.

Curiously, in Washington DC, the new moon is close to the midheaven (6Li52) -- both are close to Clinton's 5 Libra ascendent. The month could be a pivotal one for the administration. Keep an eye out here...

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Full Moon at 22Ar49, 10-15

The relationship themes continue with this full moon. There's a need to balance your own identity and integrity against the requirements of being a considerate partner. Curiously, it's the quiet, inward side that needs to withdraw or assert itself gently, perhaps because its delicate sensibilities are shell-shocked by the rough and tumble energies this month. There's also a desire to move beyond mundane problems and concentrate more on spiritual aspirations and how to realize them here and now. That's a tall order, given the pull of friends and partners in conflicting directions. Others may be useful at mirroring your behavior back to you and revealing your blindspots and prejudices, but I suspect many of us may be fed up with all this constant turmoil. Withdraw awhile if you need to -- these outer problems will wait for you (unfortunately). Don't be impatient with yourself. The inner changes you're going through are still a work in progress, involving some very deep healing and growth. Don't be surprised that you aren't done with these shifts (even after 3 or 4 years), that your aren't "perfect" yet, considering the great magnitude of the evolutions we're all experiencing. Either set of challenges, the inner and the outer, would be a major task in normal times. That we're having to handle both at once is a sign of how much we've grown lately. Give yourself credit and take it easy on yourself. If you've made it this far (we're past the worst of the logjam) without freaking out, it should slowly start to improve from here on (with emphasis on "slowly"). Enjoy the ride...

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Scorpio New Moon at 8Sc01, 10-31

It's said on Halloween the veils between this world and the subtle realms are thinner than usual, making it easier to access the world of spirit. In personal terms, the barriers between the inner and the outer experience, between the parts of ourselves we're familiar with and the parts we can only dimly glimpse, are also easier to overcome. We are given a reprieve from the grueling demands of the outer world for a time, if only because spirit is more interested in the inner healing and transformation once again. If you keep a positive, but reasonable attitude towards partners, maintaining clear, precise communication, relationships may actually leave you alone for a time. Open up to the realm of emotion, intuition and mythic realities -- dive deep into mystery! Understand how spirit has been active within you all along and continues even now. See you in November...

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