This would wind up to be a year that would teach us all patience. Mars, the planet that helps bring your ideas and business launches into the stratosphere, went retrograde June 26 to August 27. Mars retrograde made it much harder for you to successfully launch new products and services and to bring new ideas to the marketplace. Although Mars went direct August 27, it’s important to know that no planet returns to full energy instantly—they take time to build back up to their former strength. Happily, Mars will be back to full strength and power by October 8.
Within that same period in July and August during Mars’ two-month slumber, his little brother Mercury, a little copycat, went retrograde too, from July 25 to August 18. By the time September arrived, you sighed and hoped this would be the end of these retrogrades that kept setting up roadblocks to progress. Alas, that was not to be the case, dear ♑Capricorn.
All planets retrograde, but the ones that have the strongest effect on us are the three that orbit closest to Earth—Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Mercury retrogrades three times a year; Venus, every 18 months; and Mars, every two years.
Venus will go retrograde this month from October 5 to November 16, and her domain is wide and deep—she covers love, fun, beauty and good looks, art, and money. In your case, ♑Capricorn, Venus rules your solar tenth house of fame, honors, and achievements, so your career will be affected, too. All these areas are about to go into a temporary slow-mo slump. That is why I wrote that 2018 would go down as a year that would teach us all to be patient. Let’s look at each situation in detail, and also the more positive sides of Venus retrograde.
Before I begin, I will confess that the day Venus goes direct and starts the process of normalizing her orbit on November 16, Mercury, acting like the Dennis the Menace mischief-maker he often is, will go retrograde from November 16 to December 6. The saving grace in this situation is that for the first time in years, we will have a fun holiday shopping period, for Mercury won’t be able to mess that up this time.
As an aside, if you recall, Mercury created havoc for shoppers during nearly all of December last year, for Mercury was retrograde December 3-22 last year (2017). It is hard to find the right gift when Mercury is out of phase. Last year brought difficulties for retailers, for after the holidays, there was a torrent of returns. Most people who follow astrology knew their only option to deal with Mercury’s antics was to buy gift certificates and copy each with labels of who was given which one, as a safeguard. This year, thankfully, we won’t have this to contend with, so you can be much more creative with your gift selections and much more confident you will hit the mark.
Retrograde planets do have value, however, because they slow us down long enough for us to think about where we are going and what we want to achieve. Sometimes life is so busy, entire years go by without giving us a moment to think deeply about whether we are following the right path, or if we should turn off to a new direction.
♑Capricorn, you have ♎Libra on the cusp of your solar tenth house of career and ♉Taurus on the cusp of your solar fifth house of love, and Venus rules both ♉Taurus and ♎Libra.
Let’s talk about love first, and then I will address your career. The ancient astrologers advised against starting a new relationship when Venus is retrograde. Venus brings feelings of warmth and loving affection, but when she is retrograde, she is asleep and we don’t have access to her finest qualities. The danger is your new relationship will cool off in affection in a short time.
The fifth house also rules pregnancy and birth, and in vitro procedures are very expensive. If you are going this route, and unless you have unlimited funds, I would like you to take a break from such a procedure during the Venus retrograde, which is October 5 to November 16, and also during the Mercury retrograde, November 16 to December 6. The same advice goes for those women who are freezing their eggs—wait a few weeks.
Venus may rule your fifth house of love, but is currently transiting your eleventh house of friendship this month. Here is where you may enjoy Venus retrograde, because you may meet up with several friends from your past, ones you’ve not seen in a long time. It will be fun to catch up. Venus is currently in ♏Scorpio, the sign of sex, money, and power, so if you had engaged in an indiscriminate affair some time ago or did something of a sexual nature that was considered abusive, Venus retrograde would bring that episode up for discussion again for some reason. I am fairly sure this does not apply to you.
Venus rules good looks, so neither men nor women should schedule a face-lift, Botox, cosmetic dentistry, or an experimental dermatological treatment. I never knew Venus retrograde could cause havoc on your face, but I have two friends who tried treatments and had very bad effects from those treatments later.
Now we come to your career. Venus rules your solar tenth house of honors, awards, and achievements, and as you know, Venus is going retrograde. Here is where things get a little complicated.
The new moon is due October 8, in ♎Libra 15 degrees, and ♎Libra is the sign Venus rules, so the new moon will appear in that same tenth house of prestigious career sector that Venus rules. This new moon has mixed messages. Mars in ♒Aquarius, now newly back to former strength, is in your second house of earned income and sending lovely beams to the Sun and new moon in your tenth house. This suggests that the money being offered will please you and that the job being discussed is not one that is all glamour but skimpy on salary. This job has both prestige and a solid salary. You would hear of it within ten days of the appearance of the new moon, October 8.
However, Pluto, a powerhouse planet, is in hard angle to that new moon. Make sure you don’t try to demand too much (or have the interviewer think that you are demanding too much, even if you never meant to give that impression. In other words, you could be your own worst enemy, so be careful.) The other possibility is that there are some VIPs who aren’t yet sure you are the right one for the position, so you will have to be very organized and present reasons why you are perfect for the job.
Uranus conjuction to the full moon tells me that you have competition for this job, and it could be considerable, another reason you need to stay on your toes. This is not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination.
Here is where the plot thickens: Venus is retrograde, and it rules the very house where the new moon will be lighting. It may be that a sterling position that was once about to be offered to you some time ago went to the wrong person. The company might have by now realized that you should have had that job to begin with, and after sending that other person to a new part of the company, might now offer it to you. Anything that comes from the past will be positive this month.
Venus retrograde is also asking you to decide whether the new job will bring you to where you want to be. It might lead you exactly to the perfect point. But if not, don’t let the good money being offered persuade you to take a job that will derail your progress and lead you off course.
I don’t want to put doubt in your mind, I am simply raising the question. Venus retrograde is asking you to re-address, re-examine, and re-think your career goals, and also to return to former people who always believed in you, and to situations where you did well in past years. Only you can decide what to do, but it does appear you will have a professional opportunity to consider.
Now let’s turn to a troublesome day, October 10, when you should not schedule any important interviews, presentations, or anything related to your personal life that might involve love, pregnancy, or a baby. Mercury and Uranus will oppose each other from your eleventh house of hopes and wishes and your fifth house of love. This would not be the day for a first date. By all means, avoid this day for signing a contract or for giving your verbal yes to any new venture.
Now we come to the full moon of October 24, in ♉Taurus one degree, that will bring crosscurrents too, and for some, this point in the month might be difficult. This full moon is about to light your fifth house of true love.
Uranus will conjunct the full moon, causing heightened emotions concerning a love relationship to become quite unstable. Uranus conjunct the full moon is enough to make you (and everyone else you know) tense, but furthermore, that full moon and Uranus will also directly oppose the Sun and Venus. That’s a lot of heavy planetary energy packed into a tiny full moon period. Allow a minus two days and plus four days: October 22-28 could well become heavy with emotion.
Single or attached, this day has the potential to rock your world. With the Sun involved in this dispute, money may also come up as a major bone of contention. As crazy as this sounds, your career may also be a point of debate, perhaps because your partner feels left out of your life, where work gets the main attention. In that case, you would have to assure your partner that he or she is very important to you.
If you are in the midst of a divorce and in a custody battle for your children, warn your lawyer to expect to see fireworks, even if you have not seen any up to this point. If you want to conceive a baby, but have had difficulty, as said earlier, this would not be the best month to have a procedure like in vitro. Women readers, if you want to freeze your eggs to give you time to meet your one true love (or if you have already met the one for you and feel ready for a baby) wait until late December or January to schedule the procedure.
There is a slight exception to this rule. If your birthday falls on December 21, plus four days, the full moon in ♉Taurus one degree will be in a fine angle to your Sun. The same is true if you have ♑Capricorn rising one degree or your natal moon is in that sign and degree. In these cases, you can outwit the difficulties of this full moon, for the full moon will favor you. You may still feel something, but it won’t be as tough for you as for others.
If right near the full moon you find that someone near to you is hard to talk to because the discussion is so heated, after you’ve heard most of what the other person has had to say, suggest you both think about the answer. Meet again on one of the very best days of the month, October 29. On that day, Mercury and Jupiter will be conjunct in your house of hopes and wishes, in the sign of ♏Scorpio, a sign that blends well with yours. In the meantime, a friend may give you valuable advice, for the place these two planets are meeting also rules friendship. October 29 is a five-star day, rare and special.
Use October 29 for giving a speech, signing a contract, handing in a report or manuscript, buying or selling something expensive, closing on a house, negotiating a deal, or for travel. The glow of this day will give a boost to the weekend of October 27-28, and if you can take Monday, October 29, off too, you will have a glorious three-day weekend.
Your professional life is your number one priority, after the new moon in ♎Libra appears on October 8, but you will need to be patient, as you work on advancing your professional standing. Pluto will be in hard angle to the new moon and Sun, suggesting you may be up for a promotion or new position, but someone at a high level is not yet convinced you are the dominant right person for the spot. Or, it may be perceived that you are demanding too much in terms of salary and benefits (even if you are not), so watch how you approach the negotiation and the words and attitude you display.
The moon rules your competition, and apparently you have more rivals than you might suppose, so your presentation and the materials you present in your interview must be sharp and to the point. Mars’ supportive angle to the Sun suggests you will likely find the salary generous. The position being discussed comes with responsibility and power, and the salary seems to match the role. The Sun also rules your compensation, mostly in the realm of perks and benefits, but with the Sun being so sternly challenged by Pluto, when you hear about the offer, the perks and year-end bonus may not be as generous as you had hoped.
To top this situation off, Venus will retrograde from October 5 to November 16, and this is unfortunate, as Venus rules your prestigious tenth house of career honors, awards, and achievements. When Venus is in rare retrograde, as is the case now, Venus is ineffectual. This suggests that you will encounter a number of obstacles to get the job, and as you get closer to grasping it, you might not want it.
Not all offers are right for you, only you can decide. If you are currently unemployed, then any job is better than no job, for it is easier to find a new job when you already have one. Assuming you do want it, with Venus, although retrograde, touring your eleventh house of friendship, it’s very possible an influential friend would put in a good word for you, which could make all the difference.
There is another possibility that you may get an offer from an executive you used to work with or from a company that once offered you a job (but hired the wrong person). Either one may come back to you again now, sometime after all that happened. In that case, if you want to accept it, you should. Going back to the past is always favored under retrograde positions of planets.
Venus retrograde is asking you what your main goal is in your career, and if this new job offer is a strategic step to your overall plan, that would be perfect. If not, the new job will send you in a different direction, but is that all right with you? Maybe yes, maybe no. Only you can decide. The point of Venus retrograde is to ask you to be strategic and to connect deeply with your own needs, not just to the money being offered.
Love will capture your full attention on the full moon in ♉Taurus on Wednesday, October 24, plus four days, taking you through the weekend. You will be surprised by what occurs—someone you have been dating might propose (or you might impulsively do the proposing). There are endless possibilities here—the point is, surprises will abound. Not all surprises are happy, of course, so you have to see what comes up.
Uranus is the planet of all things that happen out of the blue, and Uranus will arrive aligned with that full moon, so things will crystallize quickly. Mars will be in a beautiful position to bring you a valuable gift, if not diamonds, then perhaps an exciting trip, surprise party, or something else. Alas, guessing what Uranus will do is always futile, as Uranus always cleverly thinks of outcomes you’d never have imagined possible.
Uranus will oppose the Sun, indicating that whatever comes up may require you write a large check, now or later. If you are attached to a partner, money may be the subject of a disagreement that comes up at this time. Venus will be under siege too, and your mind may be distracted by problems arising at the office, so how you handle the mater will reflect on your reputation. It’s also possible your significant other may feel neglected and upset that you spend too much time at the office.
The fifth house, where this full moon falls, also rules children. You may debate the topic of having children with the person you are dating. If you are attached and you are working on a divorce, the subject of custody may come up, and discussions could be fierce and upsetting, so be ready for that, just in case.
On the plus side, Saturn will be in divine angle to this new moon, adding a promise of long-range stability for anything you choose to do. You do have a juggling act at month’s end, but you seem to be good at this, so work in a step-by-step way, and you can triumph.
It might be best to break off talks, agree to think about what was said, and regroup on Monday, October 29, when the emotion of the full moon will have fully calmed down. Monday, October 29, will be a magnificent day, when communicative Mercury will conjoin good-fortune Jupiter. This day will bring you all the right words and help you and your partner express thoughts in a clear yet kind way. October 27-29 would be the perfect time to take a three-day weekend. Travel and communication of all kinds will be purely divine.
This certainly has been a year to scrub clean your life and to delete people or projects that no longer held your fascination, so that you could build a stronger foundation to support your future goals. This year, from the end of June onward, was filled with speed bumps that may have continually slowed you down and forced you to look at your current projects and relationships in a new light and to see if you could go back and polish them to make each project even better.
Mars was retrograde from June 26 to August 27, so trying to get people and projects to perfectly click into place during that time took a lot of effort, as everything was taking longer and exacted more energy from you to complete. Mercury was retrograde during that period too, July 25 to August 18, so that was a double whammy, making people of every sign want to pull their hair out with three steps forward, two steps back. ♊Gemini in particular felt this more than most, as Mercury is your ruler (and ♍Virgo’s ruler, too.)
Yet the universe is about to have another slowdown planned, for Venus will now go retrograde from October 5 to November 16. On the same day as Venus goes direct, Mercury will go retrograde again, from November 16 to December 6. The good news is that once we get to December 6, you will enter into a happy time, with clear blue skies and an open road. You will be done with the obstacles that slowed you down for so many months. This nearly guarantees a joyous December, with plenty of time to enjoy the holidays that year-end brings.
In the meantime, Venus rules good looks, so when she’s retrograde, you should stay with your present looks and not make any changes for now. Keep your hairstyle and color as is, and don’t schedule Botox or a surgical face-lift. Avoid new dermatological treatments, and do not order cosmetic work on your teeth, take any other actions to change your looks, not only on your face but your entire body, or take any actions in love, such as to get engaged. When Venus is sleeping in retrograde, you won’t have access to her greatest powers, so you can do regular grooming, such as hair trims. Without the planet of affection working hard for you, if you begin a relationship, emotions may cool off later, because Venus will have been retrograde when you gave birth to the relationship, which would lower the desire and affect your new relationship for its entire term. Venus also rules the natural fifth house of love for ♊Gemini, so that’s another drawback. It is a good time to reflect on your relationship (if in one) to see if you can improve it, or if very unhappy, make plans to leave it.
Venus is currently in your sixth house of work projects, so you might have a crush on someone you work with, but if so, keep your feelings silent. It’s not the best time to reveal your emotions, and because Venus is in ♏Scorpio, a possessive sign, you may feel you can’t hold back because you fear someone else will steal the heart of the person you are secretly admiring. You must hold back, though, or risk coming off as a little nutty or worse, desperate. If that person is meant for you, waiting is not going to change anything, so relax.
The new moon will arrive on October 8, in ♎Libra 16 degrees, so you may be working collaboratively on a creative project with a partner, such as with a writing partner, or in the way an art director works closely with a writer. ♎Libra is a partnership sign, so working with a person who can add to your effort will be favored. Mars will be beautifully oriented to this new moon, so you should be energized, and working hard together this month will lead you to great results. Indeed, creative projects will produce dazzling results in the ten days following the new moon. Normally this new moon would bring love into your life, but alas, I am not happy with Venus being retrograde, so for now, if you are single, take a rest from dating.
The fifth house, ♎Libra, also rules leisure activities, hobbies, and vacations, so by all means, plan for a little time off to become recharged and relaxed. Drive or fly to the part of the world that has fall foliage and marvel at the beauty nature has designed for you. Even though Venus is retrograde, it does not mean you have to crawl into a straight jacket. The new moon is energizing this area, and Mars is doing all he can to help.
Speaking of Mars, it is such a blessing that Mars is now reaching full power. When any planet turns direct, the planet needs a little time to wake up to be functional. Little Mars had to have time to eat and become stronger, read the newspaper to get caught up on current events, have a cup or two of coffee to become alert, and generally get into the swing of things. Although Mars went retrograde on August 27, it takes time to get to full power, and that will happen from October 8 and beyond. Yes, it takes Mars that long, but each day, action Mars was getting stronger, and now, coincidentally on the date of the new moon, October 8, he will be in tiptop shape. Mars will not be retrograde again until September 9 to November 13, 2020.
As a result of Mars’ swift orbit through space this month, you will start see to see progress in all corners of your life, particularly in international working relationships, import-export of ideas, goods and services, and matters related to immigration, green cards, visas, and passports. Distant travel done for any reason will bring sensational results now, and other areas to benefit by moving swiftly along include publishing and broadcasting projects, legal matters, and actions related to getting a college or graduate degree. If you are about to defend your thesis, you will go through the process more easily, for ♒Aquarius (where Mars is) blends beautifully with your ♊Gemini Sun, and Mars will stay in this sign until November 16.
We have a difficult full moon coming up October 24 in ♉Taurus, one degree, and it will affect everyone of every sign, but each sign will be affected in different ways. This full moon will light your twelfth house of secrets and behind-the-scene matters, including things that go on without your knowledge. This full moon will make sure you get full disclosure about what someone has concealed from you.
It is alternatively possible that you, or a female who is very close to you, may not be feeling well and will need quick attention, such as to go into a hospital, rehab center, or other care facility that, astrologically, we call a place of confinement.
Uranus strikes suddenly and without any warning, and because Uranus is conjunct the moon, this full moon is set up for tension. The moon is the tender repository of your feelings and memories, so this adds up to an emotional full moon that may be jarring and bring news you never expected. Related to this full moon, in ♊Gemini’s chart, the moon also rules your second house of money, so it appears you will need to dip into your bank account to write a check to fix a situation that suddenly comes up.
On top of this, while conjunct the full moon, Uranus will oppose the Sun, possibly giving you problems with communication, such as in regard to a writing or speaking assignment. Be sure to back up your work as you write, or you may be rewriting your work several times if your software crashes. Uranus will also oppose Venus, which could create errors at work that you will have to address. This full moon brings a big show of planetary artillery, so don’t have too much on your calendar at the time. Before you freak out, I do have some good news about this full moon, too.
Saturn will be standing quietly in your eighth house watching all the commotion going on below between Uranus conjunct the moon and opposed to the Sun and Venus. He will want to help, and being in your house of finances, his first order of business will be to stabilize your finances. You may receive good news about money at the same time all these wild events are taking place. Saturn will stabilize the situation the best he can and give you a realistic, practical, and objective view of the situation.
In addition to this full moon, plus or minus four days, there another day this month I want you to avoid doing anything of major importance—October 10. Uranus, planet of unexpected developments, will harshly challenge Mercury, your ruling planet, giving you problems with communication, contracts, commerce (buying or selling things), or with matters related to travel.
October 29 will be a far better day for any of these activities. It is worthy of five stars, for benefic Jupiter will conjoin Mercury, your guardian planet. Both planets are strong and moving direct. What a great day for all the areas mentioned above, including signing an agreement! Shop for electronics or for other valuable items for yourself or as a gift. Travel, and have fun.
The past months have been crazy jumbles of a heavy workload combined with confusing crosscurrents from people you depend upon. You may have been wondering whom to trust, for the picture kept changing. The pressure has been considerable, so in early October you will have a chance to unplug and exhale.
The new moon on October 8 is full of leisure possibilities and bushels of giggles, especially if you spend time with little children. This new moon is coaxing you to find time to play at anything that gives you pleasure—sports, movies, a creative pastime, cooking, even a vacation or short weekend trip to admire fall foliage. You decide. Taking time off might be a good idea, even though you do have plenty of projects. You seem to be thinking about a creative assignment at the top of your list—being away will give you time to daydream a number of fresh ideas you can try out when you return to work.
You have one hard day coming when Mercury, your ruler, receives an opposition from Uranus, planet of unanticipated news, on October 10. This will be a tough aspect, so you may detect underlying tension you can’t quite shake. Don’t plan any interviews, launches, presentations, or talks with anyone important to you in your personal life on October 10. Of course, signing an important paper would be a disaster.
Venus rules your fifth house of true love, and this month Venus will go into a deep sleep, from October 5 to November 16, withholding her sweetest power from us mortals on earth. Venus does not retrograde often and didn’t go out of phase at all last year, but this is one of those times, so we have little choice but to deal with it. Venus rules ♎Libra, the sign of the new moon, so matters of love seem to be moving into limbo for her usual retrograde of 40 days. Don’t rail against delays but go with them, for trying to change matters won’t work.
If you are single, you might become smitten with someone in your office that works on your level, or, if you are self-employed, someone you interact with and who is a supplier or person you hired to advise you in some capacity. Go slowly into a new relationship, for you might regret moving too fast. With Venus retrograde, this is not the time to start a new relationship, so hold back for now.
Venus is currently moving through your day-to-day work sector and receiving beams from Neptune, the planet of creativity. Clearly, VIPs are impressed with your imaginative work and your original approach to problem solving. One project you do will stand out, so much so that the media may come to interview you about all you did to make it a success.
A troublesome full moon is due on October 24, and you will feel its effects within four days of this date. Uranus will conjoin the moon in your twelfth house, your privacy sector. You may hear of a secret that someone held from you, and when you find out, you may be upset. Keep in mind that having truth is always better than being in the dark, as painful as hearing the truth might be. Alternatively (or additionally), you may feel very much in need of privacy and rest. If on or near the full moon you feel you are not well, go home and do not attempt to power through the day. Your resistance may be down, and you could wind up getting the flu. However, you may need to go to the hospital or a rehab center to see a female relative or to give a friend a cheery boost. It’s also possible you may check into a hospital for something that requires attention.
This full moon, under siege, also represents your domestic condition, and you may suddenly need to make a residential move that you had not planned, and so whatever comes up, you will want to be responsive; but the good part is, once you do attend to things, it will be over. Full moons rarely bring drawn out situations.
Uranus will oppose the Sun at the same time, which could bring news that your sister or brother may be in distress. This is such a wild full moon that unease might spread over all concerned. In fact, even your love relationships may be hard to manage. Fortunately, a full moon tends to deliver news and demand a solution within three to four days, allowing you to move on. A communications project involving writing or speaking could also go off the rails.
Saturn, watching the wild events sprouting up and dominating this full moon period, will almost immediately signal the Sun on Saturday, October 27, so that together they can calm things down. Saturn’s specialty is to bring reason and logic, stability, and a sense of structure to all it touches. The transiting moon will help too, by traveling in ♊Gemini bringing favor to you.
Your very best day of the month will be Monday, October 29, when Mercury conjoins Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck. You will feel the coming warmth of this day over the preceding weekend, October 27-28. Allow a plus or minus of two days to this lovely alignment of Mercury and Jupiter.
You will be very fortunate at this time (four days after the full moon), especially with your meetings, presentations, or with creative or business writing or speaking. Communication-oriented projects will now go well, as well as any projects involving telecommunications, apps, contracts, sales, code writing, public relations, advertising, marketing, shipping, the mails, and short, quick travel.
You will also have luck with real estate on October 29 to rent, buy, sell, or improve your space. Financial news should be excellent, bringing on a comfortable feeling of increased security and confidence. It’s your day to use as you please, and you will be thrilled with the results.