The Ripple Effect

October might be the calm after September’s cosmic storm. A little crispy chill to the air and pumpkin treats would be most welcome in the wake of last month.  But this month isn’t quite the breath of fresh air that we hoped for.

Yes, the double eclipses are behind us now; our boats were rocked and hard; the ether that was stirred up leaves work for us to tackle. Such work rests upon bringing our life into balance via decisions to be made.  October is Libra season, a time of choices that shape our future.  Libra does not relish choosing between one or more options.  She sees value and downsides in any direction. 

I call Libra “the great fence sitter”, deliberating until the cows come home should I or shouldn’t I?  Yes or no, black, white or grey, to go or to stay.

It is not the act of choosing Libra demurs from; it is the consequences of choosing.  She learns early on that once a selection is made, there is very likely no going back.  It is done and she must move forward from that spot. Libra knows her decisions most likely affect others; the bigger the decision, the greater the impact.  And if anything, Libra is deeply concerned about those around her, what they think and how they will respond, to her act of choosing.

The ripple effect of Libra’s decisions loom in front of her.  What if she comes to regret her choice and it haunts her for all of time?  And so Libra hesitates.  She sits good and long on that fence, facing the abyss of consequences, weighing potential outcomes like a pendulum swinging back and forth, back and forth.

With both Sun and Messenger Mercury in lovely Libra as October begins, we find ourselves walking through torrential selections.  Spicing up our decision making process, Valuable Venus is cycling through Virgo, tied to the lunar south node.  In Virgo, Venus the ruler of Libra, strives for perfection, adheres to the rules and accounts for every last detail.  She shrinks from making a single mistake.

The combination of how her decisions will affect others and worrying about putting a foot wrong can immobilize some of us..  Watch for this.  Do the choices you face feel like bad or worse, choosing between two (or more) evils?  That there is no way out, in, up, but only down?  In such moments we can freeze, petrified of taking a stand, taking a step forward.

It may not be the worst thing to pause momentarily to reflect.  As long as your reflection does not turn into an excuse for a lifetime of stagnation.

We do have help in this pivotal moment.  Rely on this cosmic assistance.

Generous Jupiter in compassionate Cancer the crab now aligns to both the lunar north node and Saturn in Pisces.  Self-care, nurturing and soul nourishment are abundantly flowing.  Where does this energy envelope you?  Dive into its warmth.  Would it hurt you to take a day off or relax over a long weekend?  

Equally helping out is Pluto aligning to Uranus and Neptune.  The outer planetary trio prompts us to change our environment, the groups and individuals we surround ourselves with and how we communicate, all for the better.  Step off of the treadmill of what you know does not work and step out of your comfort zone to try something or someone new.

No better time than the first Monday, October 6^th.  Under the bright spotlight of the Full Moon in Aries, our initiative sparkles. Feeling eager and edgy?  Leap and the net will appear.  Only hours earlier Messenger Mercury turned into Scorpio, joining Mars. Transform your thinking and efforts, the duo prods.  As the saying goes:  Change your thoughts, change your life.  After all, what you think, you become.

The trick might be how.  How do we change our thoughts, our communication patterns?  Rubbing against Powerful Pluto in Aquarius, Mercury might dig its heels in:  make me.  In Scorpio, Messenger Mercury is the ultimate sleuth, comfortable working behind the scenes, diving undercover beneath the surface to reveal what is hidden.

Butting heads with Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, Mercury is reluctant to share what it finds with others.  Not so fast, it says to Pluto.  In Aquarius, Pluto transforms the collective, group consciousness.  In other words, our ideas and how we relate these are changing.  We are entering a new age of enlightenment spearheaded by Pluto, Uranus and Neptune.  This does not come without upheaval as many want to preserve the status quo.

Mercury and Mars in Scorpio are busy dredging through the muck for most of October.  They sift through all of the dirt searching for treasure, conjoined through mid-month, from October 15th-21^st.  The wheat is separated from the chaff now. If you didn’t sufficiently purge what you needed to be rid of last month during the Virgo eclipse season, you will be made to now.  Scorpio deals with life’s heavy hitters, anything deeply transformative:  sex, death, joint finances, shared resources, the metaphysical realm beyond the veil and power. 

Mercury-Mars invite us to step into our power, be it our talents, influence, or finances.  How do you use your power?  Make sure to use it wisely now.  Especially as Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio turns direct motion on Monday, October 13^th.  Trust me, this is one potent stretch and you do not want any karmic blowback going forward.  Mind your Ps and Qs.  In fact, you may have the sense that you are being observed or watched.

And, well, you are.  The cosmic ledger is keeping score.  It keeps track of what you are doing even when you think no one is watching.

If all of this sounds a little too creepy, it is wise to remember how thin the veil is now as we round the bend to the second half of October.  It is no accident that All Hallows Eve (Halloween), All Saints Day and All Souls Day occur within three days of each other, October 31-November 2^nd.

Off-setting and balancing out the weight of this scorpion energy, Valuable Venus enters her own sign of Libra on October 12^th.  Here, Venus comfortably designs her own life, choosing relationships that feel centered and reciprocal.  Aligning helpfully to Pluto and Uranus to form a grand air trine, a holy trinity of ideas, thoughts and words, Venus hands us a Harry Potter magic wand to conduct our lives as we desire. 

Desire is the operative word now.  What we create in the world unfolds from our desires and thus how we express our power.

The power of this mid-month moment cannot be overstated.  Venus aligns precisely to Pluto just as it turns direct motion.  Meanwhile Mercury and Mars (signifying our minds and our actions) are tightly conjoined in Scorpio, Pluto’s home sign.  We hold the power, the keys to the kingdom, in our mind and in our hands.  What will you wield your magic wand?  Where will you point it?  Just make sure you have given due consideration to the direction; for where you point your intentions, you will manifest your desires.

Enter the New Moon.  Occurring on Tuesday, October 21^st in Libra, this New Moon invites us to design our lives as we desire. It is particularly potent.  A planetary grand water trine, or hyper strong intuitive flow, at the exact time of the New Moon, yields results.  The Scorpio Mars-Mercury duo align to the lunar north node and Saturn in Pisces, all of which align to Generous Jupiter in Cancer.  Can you say power?  Use it wisely.  Carefully craft language, hand-writing 3-5 intentions that you seek to manifest over the next month or season.  Plant in the earth or set safely alight.

The Sun turns into Scorpio on Thursday, October 23^rd, challenging Pluto now as Messenger Mercury did earlier in the month.  The more things change, the more we are required to adjust to these changes. How can you transform your will to meet this moment?  This is the question facing each one of us. 

Best to move with the flow of life offered to us now rather than dig your heels in. Remember:  Insistence is resistance.  After all, where did my way or the highway get anyone?

The light dawns with new ideas, connections and solutions when Messenger Mercury shifts into Sagittarius on Wednesday, October 29^th.  Our minds turn toward learning, education, travel and wandering, seeking simply out of curiosity.  October unearthed only more questions for us to answer.  Follow your questions and see where they lead.  For it is only through the quest, the journey to learn and our willingness to be taught that we may begin to understand.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Our community is about to celebrate its first anniversary. Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen through Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com

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