Turbulence ahead! The planets form three choppy squares and a polarizing opposition in the leadup to an active New Moon. In Libra, successful navigation depends on seeking balance and considering other viewpoints.
On Thanksgiving Day, Monday, the Moon lolls in the luxury loving and social sign of Leo. Sign of the heart, it favours expressions of gratitude that come from there. Mercury also stations in a friendly sextile to Venus, upping the enjoyment factor. Agreements can occur with amity, but may later have to be revised.
On Tuesday, October 13, Mercury officially begins its retrograde. As always with these times, it is best to make no major decisions or sign important and binding documents. If you must, make sure to get several opinions first and build in an escape clause. Mind you, feisty Mars opposing the Sun on the same day can bring out the warrior or even bully in the most mild-mannered of souls. Mars is at its closest point to Earth, upping the “might makes right” impulse. Others may be acting erratically, and it’s best to keep a distance, anyway.
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio is particularly good for focusing the “review, revise, refine” retrograde period to work on finances or intimacy. In both areas, doing to can build trust—or uncover unpleasant issues that must be dealt with. It’s also not uncommon for exes to get in touch under this one just because they were “oh, thinking of you.”
Tension builds on Wednesday as the Sun inches closer to a square with Pluto. Power struggles can arise and with Mercury retrograde, we may seek in vain to make any sense out of them. Unnecessary crises can result.
The New Moon falls on October 16 at 3:31 pm ET, which is also a Friday which belongs to Venus, Libra’s planet. Usually this one has a rose-coloured filter over it…but then nothing is usual this year! It opposes “me first” and “gimme freedom” Mars in Aries in retrograde motion, suggesting that a new balance in the power structure of our relationships, especially close one. And both planets square off with three heavy-hitting planets in Capricorn. Which means harsh realities, like financial fallout from the pandemic, might be forcing some serious renegotiation.
People in relationships likely are asking serious questions like “Is this the person I want to spend another potential lockdown with?” Or, if single, “how can I remain physically alone but stay connected?” All of the major players in the wind-down to 2020 are linked, suggesting that the next month could be highly significant as we prepare for the major shift coming in December.
The tone for the weekend is set by the Moon in Scorpio, favouring working more with our EQ than IQ. Sunday brings a mixed bag for relationships. A Sun-Saturn square often brings a checkpoint, a time at which we reassess a relationship or our values. But on the same day love goddess Venus opposes Neptune, which can prevent us from seeing the other person clearly or be prone to sacrificing way too much in the name of love.
