by Maya del Mar

SUNDAY OCTOBER 1. Moon is VOC in Scorpio until it enters Sagittarius at 6:50 p.m. This is a good day to listen to your deepest self--and the heartfelt depths of others as well. Mercury square Neptune can stir our compassion, and give us a pipeline to the cosmos. Early this morning Juno turns direct in Aquarius. This is a big deal because Juno is sparking the social revolution now underway. Uranus represents the future, change, invention, independence--the ideas of revolution. But it is Juno, who wants civilized intimate relationships, who is the impetus for justice in our everyday affairs. In Aquarius, this urge is amplified, and people will join together in grassroots groups to work for equality. Juno, the Roman goddess of married women, is seen wherever there are issues of abuse. She entered Aquarius in early March, just when Ralph Nader announced he was going to run for President with the Green Party, and gave a rousing speech to the effect that we need to re-empower ourselves.

Juno and Chiron both entered Sagittarius in early January 1999, to join Pluto in that sign. This coincided with the Rocak massacre in Kosovo which set off that round of Balkan carnage. The U.S. bombed Yugoslavia soon afterwards. Juno, Chiron and Pluto hung out together for most of 1999, and there were victims aplenty around the world. Juno's last hurrah in Sagittarius was when she trined Jupiter in Aries at the Battle of Seattle at the end of November.

This year Juno aspects were pinpointed at the IMF demonstrations in Washington in mid-April, as well as the Vermont bill to OK gay marriage. Russia's Duma passed anti-missile treaties in opposition to the U.S. continuation of "Star Wars," Albanians attacked Serbs in Kosovo, and we were winding up the Elian Gonzales situation.

On May 7, when Juno conjoined Uranus in Aquarius, there were mass protests in Thailand at the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting, a teachers' protest in Sacramento asking for more money for education, great killing in Sierra Leone, and the U.S. Navy resuming bomb tests at Vieques. Puerto Rico.

Juno turned retrograde on June 24, along with Mercury's retrograde move in the family sign of Cancer. The following three-week period, then, was prime time to dig out and review family abuse situations--a big step in healing.

So now Juno turns direct as part of a grand air trine. Implications are that all kinds of abuse, victimization and disenfranchisement will be discussed. Also, air can be a medium for abuse--through bombing, through an expanded missile defense program, through storms and hurricanes, or through viruses and pollution which it carries. The energies now are creative and flowing, and our Aquarian trio of Juno, Uranus, and Neptune is apt to pack a lot of political education into this next month.

Juno direct conjoins Uranus in Aquarius on Election Day, and we can be sure that issues of justice and equality will be high on people's priority lists as they vote--or perhaps demonstrate instead.

October will be a very active month for all of us, and it is particularly a month for activists to plead their causes.

Juno's direct turn will trigger intense action during the next week.

MONDAY OCTOBER 2. Moon in Sagittarius today arouses our emotions about all Sagittarian concerns--e.g., travel, politics, religion, law, education, publishing, and sports. At 1:54 p.m. EDT we may feel antsy for action, perhaps aggressive action. We may feel like our buttons are pushed, and we want to respond with anger. Moon squares Mars then to begin three days of super pushy activity. Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto are involved, and there is an opportunity for great, even magical accomplishment--and also major tendencies to overdo, to count mistakenly on power and luck, and to be arrogant and heedless in our self-confidence. These planets are in money/resource houses in the U.S. chart, and it is likely that the stock market is involved. In Seattle powerful Pluto is on the midheaven, blanketing the area with transformation.

Jupiter in an air sign connected with Pluto, who moves masses, and Chiron the wounded healer, both in the expansive sign of Sagittarius, stimulated by Mars in the health sign, Virgo, could well indicate the spread of a virus through the air.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 3. Moon is VOC in Sagittarius for the entire day, and at the same time we have Sun in Libra vitalizing Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto. Sun and Mars are free to do whatever they need to bring this intense new situation into manifestation. This means that we are guided by conscious direction rather than emotional response--as we were yesterday. The spirit of risk and adventure remains strong.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 4. Moon is in serious Capricorn, and we need to bring ourselves to Earth and work with reality. Mars in Virgo likes that, and he may puncture Jupiter's overinflated balloon. Needed adjustments are being made today and tomorrow.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 5. First Quarter Moon at 13 Capricorn occurs at 6:59 a.m. Libra New Moon is working on balance. Now, at First Quarter we aim for building relationships which are useful and constructive. This Moon is on the nadir in Washington DC, and breakthroughs will come from there--as well as in each of our lives. There is a great opportunity for integration of energies now. The planets draw strength from working together and manifestation is successful. Eight of fifteen planetary bodies are from 10-14 degrees, and in Washington the midheaven and ascendant as well. All planets at those degrees will receive a very big energy jolt now. There are many aspects of adjustment, where disparate qualities are forced to work together. One form of those is called Fingers of God, an unusual configuration. There are six of them in the chart set for Washington. They are often "destiny" aspects, where unexpected events simply "happen," oftentimes great shifts which resolve a situation.

In addition, Moon goes VOC after it squares Sun. Expect the unexpected.

Both of last July's Solar Eclipses are stimulated now. Among major changes then were the reuniting of the Koreas after 50 years, and the unseating of the PRI in Mexico after 70 years.

This dynamic chart set for the U.S. West Coast puts our energetic trio--Mars, Pluto, and Jupiter (quartet with Chiron) on expressive angles, where their talents will be openly displayed. The New Moon in Libra which began this cycle also ran through the West Coast.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 6 and SATURDAY OCTOBER 7. With Moon in Aquarius we may tend to focus on society at large, and on social issues. Freedom and personal expression are important. We look to the future and may be very inventive about new possibilities. Group action supporting a common cause is favored.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 8. Moon is VOC in Aquarius for the entire day. Do your thing! Mars in Virgo squares Chiron today to complete the amazing aspects of this last week. What with Pluto's transforming us together with Chiron's putting us in new dimensions, we may feel like we're in a new and different world.

Venus squares Uranus to amp up our vibrational level, along with our appreciation of independence and self-determination. Both honesty and cooperation are goals, and they may need to be fought for today. Again, surprises are in the air.

This chart set for the West Coast is almost identical to the Quarter Moon chart. We know where the action is now.

MONDAY OCTOBER 9 and TUESDAY OCTOBER 10. Moon travels through Pisces, and imagination is strong. Music, videos, the arts, and all spiritual work impress us strongly now. Pisces is the fourth mutable sign, and Moon sails through it to make a moving grand cross, thus activating all the intense energy of this time. What is asked for now is to bring spirituality, compassion, and feeling into our highly mental mix. Tuesday night we can practice that unconditional love.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11. Moon is VOC in Pisces until 3:51 p.m. Let us relax today; we need it. Meditate, take a long lunch, read an inspiring book, watch the birds. At 3:51 p.m. Moon enters vibrant Aries, and we're on the go again. We feel the rising excitement of a super-dynamic Full Moon. We may be up until late tonight.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 12. This Aries fire moon is moving things right along. We feel optimistic and exuberant, perhaps like nothing can stop us. Power is in the air.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 13. Full Moon at 21 Aries occurs at 4:53 a.m. EDT. Libra is always concerned about making the other person happy. Aries steps in to remind Libra to care for self, to be selfish, to assert her needs, and to step forward and take the initiative on her own behalf. Aries Full Moon is about how we create a satisfying balance between self and others.

This is an enterprising and exciting Full Moon. It is in cardinal signs, squaring the Moon's Nodes, also in the cardinal signs of Cancer and Capricorn. Thus we have a grand square in cardinal signs, the go-getters of the zodiac. These signs represent our basic grounding in the world: Aries--self, Cancer--home, Libra--others, and Capricorn--work. Squares challenge us to push for change on all those fronts. Impulsiveness and bad timing can be pitfalls as we try to balance everything at once.

In addition, at the exact time of the Full Moon we have another exact opposition of Jupiter and Pluto (due to Jupiter's retrograde motion), as we did on September 4. Pluto and Jupiter together--at 11 degrees Gemini and Sagittarius--tend towards a huge, forceful expression of energy which will transform our world view, particularly since they are still under the Martian influence which began this month. Both technology and the U.S. are intimately involved in this action. The Full Moon is on the U.S. Chiron and the opposing Sun lights up the U.S. Juno. Are we using technology to be the hero and save people (Chiron in Aries) or to perpetuate abuse by the establishment (Juno in Libra conjunct Saturn)? This issue can now become very clear, illuminated by the light of the moon.

Furthermore, the Jupiter-Pluto opposition lies across the U.S. ascendant-descendant axis--the nation's self-identity and how it connects with others in the world. It is close to the U.S. Uranus--more science and technology (and often connected to warlike aggression in the nation's history). It is close to what Mark Lerner calls "the nuclear axis," degrees involved in much of the nuclear bomb development.

Chiron is still joined with Pluto to add its ability to take us out of everyday worlds, and challenge us to bring out new abilities. Chiron and Jupiter are both teachers.

Mars, associated with Aries--the Moon's sign--has a close quincunx to Uranus, a configuration of sudden and surprising shifts in energy. Many fixed stars conjoin this chart, giving this moment a fated quality, and the potential of wide impact.

All four of the major asteroids are also featured, showing that all aspects of our daily lives will be affected by these energies.

At the same time our subconscious impressionability, and our spiritual impulses, are also magnified. They especially relate to the three outer planets, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Pluto has plenty of pushes towards strong expression, as we've been reading and experiencing. Uranus and Neptune are both moving very slowly, ready to turn direct later in the month. At such a time their impact is more potent.

Remind yourself to remember your dreams tonight. During this night Neptune tunes us into the cosmos, and dreams now will be especially significant.

The degrees of 17-21, and 10-13, in all signs, are particularly activated now.

The Sabian Symbol for this Moon at 22 Aries is very optimistic: "THE GATE TO THE GARDEN OF ALL FULFILLED DESIRES. Abundance made possible by human togetherness and cooperation. In contrast to the crude and cruel road to fame symbolized by the prize fighter, we now see a symbol of apparently wide-open and effortless fulfillment. Alone, a human being can barely survive in nature's great life drama; in organized groups people can in due time fulfill their desires. The abundant life is in theory open to all. At least this is the ideal, the great dream. Religious philosophies, like American New Thought, glorify this social feeling of abundance, glamorizing it into an avid COSMIC OPTIMISM."

The whole world is stirred by this Moon. Shocking Uranus runs along the U.S. West Coast, and stirring Mars through Florida and the Caribbean. Mars also moves through Cuba, and Lima, Peru, as well as through Europe, Africa, and the heartland of Asia. Full Moon itself centers on Japan, the Koreas, Beijing, Australia, the Middle East, Russia, Iceland, and Brazil. The Far East has, in fact, been very impacted by all of the seasonal charts. The Tiger is stirring.

Mercury, which shows where the news comes from, continues to highlight India, and Pakistan as well--and Mexico in the form of Baja California. It also runs through western U.S. and Canada, Japan, and the South Pacific.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 14. Moon is in grounded Taurus, and we can come down to Earth. There are no aspects until tonight, when Mercury stimulates our minds. It's a good day to relax, do routine things, and enjoy nature. You might want to take a nap, for tonight is peppered with active aspects, and sleep may be difficult.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 15. Moon continues in Taurus with solid, pleasant aspects. We may indeed feel "the garden of all desires" opening to us. Especially since Neptune, the Cosmic Channel, turns direct today. Along with the earthiness of Taurus, we have the dreams, ideals, spirituality and imagination of Neptune.

We now begin a five-month period of putting our dreams and visualizations out into the world. Today we have good help in connecting those dreams to manifestation. We are still in the Libra cycle, and relationships will be featured.

Tonight Saturn retrograde is conjoined by Taurus Moon, to pin our new ideals to constructive realization.

MONDAY OCTOBER 16 and TUESDAY OCTOBER 17. Moon is in quicksilver Gemini, and we MOVE. However, we move with thoughtfulness, for Mercury is very slow, ready to turn retrograde on Wednesday. All of our communications during these two days will provide food for mental review during the next three weeks. During Gemini moon we focus on communication, and the main subject will still be those situations expressing our Pluto-Chiron-Jupiter-Mars complex. This situation will have some resolution in early May, when Jupiter opposes Pluto for the final time.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18. Moon is travelling through receptive Cancer, where she sensitizes us to our feelings. At the same time Mercury turns retrograde at 16 Scorpio, another feeling water sign. Mercury in Scorpio probes deeply into everything, including the mysteries of the universe. During the three weeks it is retrograde, it will leave no stone unturned to locate relevant information--a great time for all research.

Specifically, Mercury will have on its mind the world revolution which is occurring now. All Scorpionic concerns, which tend to be deep, of a life or death type, are brought to the fore e.g., secrecy vs. discovering secrets, power over vs. power with, hanging onto one's resources vs. letting them go into the communal pot. Scorpio goes all the way through the darkness to arrive at the light. What does that mean in today's fast-changing context?

Another Scorpio question now is, "How do we combine resources in a way which is nurturing, rather than abusive?" The have-have not world which we're developing will receive a hard look. Money, and resources in general, are part of Scorpio's domain, and will be explored, and perhaps corrections made, now.

Venus, Libra's ruler, is also featured. Just as she is leaving Scorpio she makes an opposition to Saturn in Taurus. Venus in Scorpio likes power, and she is very fond of all of power's accoutrements, such as money, luxury, and sex. Venus has been free-wheeling through Scorpio during all of the Libra cycle, but now Saturn in Taurus puts the brakes on her. "Get real," he says, "Take a look at your values."

Venus is given a needed jolt of reality just before she enters Sagittarius, a high-flying sign, tomorrow.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 19. Moon continues in Cancer, with easy aspects. Work on getting your intimate space and place together.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 20. Last Quarter Moon at 28 Cancer occurs at 3:59 a.m. EDT. Security is an issue now. How do we structure partnerships in such a way that everyone feels secure? Vesta in Capricorn, very business-oriented, dominates the scene as she did at the July 16 Lunar Eclipse. Mars in Virgo and Saturn in Taurus can both be called on now to provide common sense and practical service as we restructure partnerships.

At Last Quarter Moon we begin to release, and so it is time now to let go of old paradigms which do not provide true security. The wheel now is almost identical to the wheel of the Full Moon, showing that we are continuing to deal with the same issues. Jupiter, Pluto, Chiron, and Mars continue to be prominent, and energy continues to be expressed through flexible, versatile mutable signs. Anyone with planets around the midpoints of Sagittarius and Gemini is undergoing enormous transformation during these two months. This is perhaps the climax, as the oppositions now begin to slowly fade out just as we are moving into the end of the Libra moon cycle.

Mars now squares the U.S. Mars, and is moving to conjoin the U.S. Neptune in Virgo. This can be a "policeman of the world" outlook.

Moon enters dramatic Leo at 8:42 a.m., and this day is extraordinarily creative. Use your mind to begin to work your dreams out in detail. Create your own dream story during this next week.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 21. Moon continues in passionate Leo, with exciting aspects. Inner independence is growing; listen to your still small voice.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 22. Moon remains in romantic Leo this morning, beaming with generosity. At 11:12 a.m. EDT Moon squares Saturn, for a big letdown from our exuberance. At 11:52 Moon enters Virgo, and our approach becomes more discriminating. Virgo is a mutable sign, and Moon here sounds reverberations from our big Jupiter-Pluto opposition through Monday.

Tonight enjoy an artistic event--and don't get into criticizing your partner. Analyze the art instead. Late tonight Sun enters Scorpio to propel us into the depths of life.

MONDAY OCTOBER 23. Moon in Virgo continues stirring our mutable pot, particularly stimulating our minds today. Remember that we are in a transition phase--releasing the past and, very soon, moving into the future.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 24 and WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25. Working on those future plans is very much favored now. Make your treasure maps and watch them come true. The Force is with you, and you know what you want.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 26.
Moon is VOC in Libra today, and at the same time Uranus turns direct and Sun squares Neptune. Over these weeks many major planetary configurations have occurred while Moon is VOC. This means that not only might those aspects hold surprises as they occur, but the cycles of which they are a part have unpredictable futures.

This is Uranus' milieu, for he is naturally unpredictable and delights in disrupting the status quo. He is straining at the bit. Here's Libra developing all these ideas of justice and equality during this last month, and Juno, also intent on equal partnerships, nudging him in the ribs as she turns direct right beside him. Finally, as Sun moves into go-for-broke Scorpio, the starting gate opens for that rebel, Uranus. Neptune and Uranus in Aquarius are brimful of ideals for the kind of society where everybody has respect and opportunity, and now that Scorpio is taking charge, they're geared to make it happen.

Truly, we move into a New World with tomorrow's Scorpio New Moon. It's a special opportunity for individualism to shine while Jupiter and Saturn, that conventional pair, are both retrograde for a few months, where they are receptive to new ideas and not pushing forth their agendas.

This is a super-visionary day, and the future may appear luminous before us, filled with new potential.

Uranus is exactly on the nadir, that spot of endings and beginnings, in Seattle. The showing of such great activity in Seattle during these months might indicate the powerful reverberations from the Battle of Seattle last November, where the seeds for revolution took root. It might also indicate such things as the energy focal point which Microsoft is now, and/or Boeing and associated industry revving up for Star Wars.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 27.
New Moon at 5 Scorpio occurs at 3:58 a.m. EDT. In Scorpio we go underground, to the dark caves and recesses where life is conceived and grows, and where it goes after death. Regeneration, which always involves death and rebirth, is Scorpio's path. It's a difficult path, full of intense challenges and crises. Transformation happens now, and it happens on all levels during Scorpio time. The masks and ghosts of Hallowe'en are but echoes of the many lives we've lived, roles we've played, and our spirit friends on the other side, which is not far away at all. Now, during Scorpio, we make our deepest changes of the year. We die, and are reborn, and out of our renewal arise the celebrations of the coming holiday season.

The wheel on the chart set for Washington is identical to the wheel of the Aries Full Moon of two weeks ago--even to the minutes on the house cusps! We are painting in the same picture, but in two weeks the paints have changed much. We are on the move.

Jupiter has moved backward and Pluto forward into new degrees, and they are finally out of orb of exact opposition. Also, in new degrees they express their energies in new ways.

In fact, Venus in Sagittarius is catching up to Pluto, and influencing both Jupiter and Pluto with her love vibes. Venus in Sagittarius likes her pleasures, now in a powerful and expansive way. The harsh Jupiter-Pluto is being softened and charmed by Venus, and we can create beauty with that alchemical energy.

Mars is moving on in Virgo, headed towards creating a grand earth trine with Saturn and Vesta, both very practical. The grounding force now is excellent. Mars also connects with Pallas Athena in Libra, the strategist who knows how to make relationships work. Ceres in Scorpio closely trines the North Node in Cancer. This shows a potential for deep emotional healing, particularly within the family.

Sun and Moon both square freshly-direct Neptune, who shoots his currents of new age possibilities right into them. There is no fighter like Scorpio, and when it is energized by ideals, it is the eagle soaring.

All in all, after an issue-laden autumn, we are indeed ready to leave the cage and try our wings.

The Sabian Symbol for 5 Scorpio is "A MASSIVE ROCKY SHORE RESISTS THE POUNDING OF THE SEA. The inertia of all institutionalized procedures. Slow is the rise of the land from the vast ocean, but once it is formed it develops a formidable resistance to change in spite of storms. Likewise, once a culture has expressed its basic symbols and its particular way of thinking, feeling, and acting in concrete institutions, these change very slowly indeed. The individual who comes to the great city soon finds his life set by the rhythms of city living, which obliterates vaster life processes and the moving tides of evolution. The strength and stability of communal living are necessary factors in the life of humankind--until new horizons beckon. STABILITY."

The locations of the planetary seeds set at this Scorpio New Moon are very similar to the Aries Full Moon locations. To this we can add London and the Balkans as focal points. Reform-minded Uranus, newly direct, is much more dynamic now. It runs again along the U.S. West Coast, now supported by the New Moon and Mercury, all at the nadir there. Uranus also moves through Iceland, Russia, China and India.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 28. Moon is in Scorpio, and people will be very much into creating scary and elaborate costumes, homes, alters, and perhaps parties. The energy is perfect for celebrating Hallowe'en and Day of the Dead. Turn clocks back one hour as you go to bed tonight.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 29. Moon is in optimistic Sagittarius with expansive aspects. In this beneficent milieu we plant our new Mercury seeds to begin a 90-day cycle in our perspective. What are your thoughts and connections today? They begin now to root in the dark, but as the days go on they will blossom into the light. Moon goes by Pluto tonight to give us a power jolt to keep us on our toes.

MONDAY OCTOBER 30. With Moon in adventurous Sagittarius, it's fun, fun, fun. Just try and keep the kids in their desks! People will start celebrating today. Plan for it.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 31. This morning Moon is VOC in Sagittarius, and people will not want to sit still. Go check the Hallowe'en decorations around town. At 1:01 p.m. EST Moon enters Capricorn, and our mood becomes more serious. We are ambitious, active, and willing to run all over to achieve our aims. Venus conjuncts Chiron tonight, and costumes will be far-out. Look especially for space people, technology nerds, cartoon characters, cowboys, American Indians, doctors, nurses, and healers of all kinds.

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Published by Maya del Mar. Copyright © 2000, 2001 Maya del Mar.
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