October 29, 2013 – November 3rd – “The Yod Nod”

The name for astrology’s Yod pattern comes from the Hebrew

letter of the same name.  The letter, yod, is one of four characters used in Hebrew tradition to symbolize the name of God – only one of the many reasons astrologers nicknamed those giant isosceles triangles is the sky, “The Finger of God.” Yod aspects form all the time and we can use their particular energy pattern to reach conclusions, or make decisions.  These aspects hold a note of destiny in them and how you choose to use or ignore their energy can determine whether or not you achieve your goals.

Yods are powerful, yet uneasy aspects between three or more basically, incompatible planets.  These planets form a giant stellar triangle. Two sides of the triangle are equal in length and form an aspect of 150 degrees, or quincunx . The planet(s) at the shorter side is at a sixty degrees aspect, or sextile.  While sextile aspects are easy–peasy, quincunx aspects are the geometrical problem children of astrology.  Energies don’t mesh well between planets sharing quincunx aspects. Their energy is unstable.  So what does all this mean for you during the next few days?  Good question.

The yod pattern for October 29th through November 3rd is formed by the Sun conjunct (same place, same time) Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio, quincunx Mars in Virgo with Uranus in Aries at the apex.  The most important part of a yod configuration is the apex, because this is the direction the finger of fate points.  This particular yod pattern is a great build up for November 1st when the Uranus/Pluto square goes direct. (see blogs:"Taking the Sting Out of Mercury Retrograde ; "The House That Passion Built"; "Keeping An Eye on the Prize)

Yods ask us to make decisions that move our lives forward.  It’s important to consider that we all have a tremendous opportunity to review and rework our personal strategies during Mercury Retrograde.  The information we gather should naturally lead us to conclusions that, in turn, help us make informed decisions.  Do your homework this week.  Uranus carries energy for unexpected, sweeping change that challenges the status quo and the authority that maintains formal structure.  Whew! That sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Think of it in tarot terms as The Emperor butting heads with The Tower.  Sure, the whole sweeping change thing can be unsettling, but in terms of personal development, this is exactly what you’ve been striving for this year.   

College graduates labored long and hard so that one day they could step into the workplace and take it by storm.  Artists and scientists alike have break-through moments that change the direction of their lives.  Each of us gets to experience pivotal moments of destiny where we can choose the course of our life.  All we need is the courage to make the decisions that move us forward with honor and distinction.  

LADY ORACLE

The Ten of Wands - “Overwhelmed and Under-Appreciated”

Ten of Wands - taking on just a
tad too much. from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

Burdens – yours, your family’s, your friend’s – even the rooster down the road wants a ride.  You shoulder responsibility as if it’s an olympic event and you’re going for the gold. Perhaps responsibility isn’t your personal kryptonite.  Perhaps you run a marathon of events from the time you wake until the time you sleep. Perhaps you don’t sleep well, because your brain never shuts off enough to allow uninterrupted slumber. In any event, you have become the 10 of Wands.

The Ten of Wands shows up in a reading to make you pause and confront the areas of your life that are over-burdening you.  The ability to deal with multiple activities, emotional responsibilities, or even a hyper-creative mind differs from person to person.  So when the Ten shows up, it doesn’t matter if you’re used to competing in a decathlon of events, at the moment you’re simple taking on too much of the world.

Here’s the thing about Ten of Wands people: They always

And there's the neighbor's rooster bumming a ride!
6 of Clouds from "OSHO Zen Tarot"© by Deva Padma
Not the Ten of Wands, but still a good depiction!

challenge themselves to take on more, to be more and to rise above.  If someone took three or four of the wands from the shoulder of the wand bearer, he’d quickly replace them and still look around for wand number eleven.  What is needed in the wand bearer’s life is balance, not more activity.  The most useful skill to have when you feel overwhelmed is to practice silence.

Go inside into the silence like #9
The Hermit from "Steampunk Tarot"©
by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

In moments of high stress, cut down on noise pollution in your life where ever possible.  Unless you’re disguising outside sounds, turn off background noises in your home – even if it’s ambient music.  Get alone. Sit quietly, meditate or read.  In short, learn to relax in as much silence as you can gain.  If you can’t relax at home (that’s another problem altogether) go somewhere that provides you the opportunity to let go. Try a park or a meditative garden – a massage at a spa. Turn off the radio in your car.  Commercial radio chatter is the devil. Seriously.  The key to unwinding and releasing wands is found in providing yourself with whatever insulation you can in an intrusive world.  In the silence you will hear what your true questions are and in time, you will be given their answers.  Once you have answers, it’s a simple mater to put down a wand or twelve.

LADY ORACLE

Great new radio show!  This is a must listen to for everyone working towards personal growth and goal realization!  "The Moment"


Reading Event and Tarot Trunk Show!  Saturday, October 26th from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at "Word for Word Books and Espresso" Old Town St. Helens, Oregon!

Sun in Scorpio, October 23rd to November 22nd - “The House That Passion Built”

Everyone who likes astrology has favorite and least favorite

#16, The Tower - ruling card for Mars,
one of Scorpio's ruling planets by
Ciro Marchetti - "Legacy of the Divine  Tarot"©

signs.  Scorpio is top of my list of favorites.  Good thing too.  It’s my birth sign.  Being our own fan may very well be a Scorpion trait.  We do nothing in half measures.  We’ve been called a complex, broody sign that turns lethal in an instant. Frankly, it takes longer than an instant.  We are fiercely loyal, highly motivated, but we can hold a grudge like none other.  

Scorpio rules the eighth house of the Zodiac which stores the energy of birth, death, transformation and sex. Busy place.  It’s also the home of shared resources.  Rather a volatile home for the resources of a planet, mind you.  Scorpio is a water sign in the fixed modality.  That means that our emotions run deep, as does our intuition and our spirituality. As a fixed sign, our traits are constant and reliable. We carry yin, or feminine energy as seen by our intuitive and transformative skills.

'Seasons don't fear the reaper' - neither does Scorpio
#13 Death (Transformation) is their ruling card.
By Ciro Marchetti
from "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

The world is black and white to a Scorpion. There is no gray area – fifty shades, or otherwise.  We learned our moral lessons as children and took their simple truths to heart. What often seems like a simple matter of bending a rule, or manipulating a situation to some, poses a huge, moral dilemma for Scorpio.  We talk a glib game, but 

right is right and we prefer a more mystical, or intuitive approach to persuade others.  Think of it as wearing feathery, bedroom mules as opposed to combat boots.

We are intense, highly motivated creatures – determined folk, 

Pluto's ruling card, #20, Judgement
by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell from
"Steampunk Tarot" ©

who are not quitters.  Our love of secrets and the mysterious comes from the primal forces ruled by the eighth house. Scorpio is blessed with two, count ‘em, two, ruling planets:  Mars, the warrior planet, who carries physical energy and courage, and Pluto, who carries the ability to deconstruct, regenerate and transform. (That’s right. One of my ruling planets has the same powers as Dr. Who.)  We are resourceful and independent, loyal and passionate.  Still, with all these marvelous attributes, why are we so often considered the bad kids of the Zodiac?  Perhaps it’s because we can also be jealous, obsessive, unyielding and vindictive.  Okay, so who doesn’t have their faults?

An injured Scorpion is a curious thing.  We will come back from adversity transformed and stronger than ever (Mars, the warrior and Pluto the regenerator).  We are not motivated to seek reprisals by vanity, or by consequence, as other signs can be.  We seek reprisals for moral reasons – even if those morals are personal to us and slightly askew at that.  Scorpio never forgets a kindness, nor do we forget an injustice.  Should you inadvertently hurt our feelings, of course we will overlook it a first, or even a second time, but God help you on the third.  

If you are a child of the Scorpion remember that you carry serious chops and you can’t take them lightly.  We have the uncanny ability to adapt at will, to bloom in the desert as well as in the rain forest.  We can choose to focus our energies on positive life changes and when we do the sky is the limit.

LADY ORACLE

Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio, October 21, to November 10, 2013 “Taking the Sting Out of Retrograde”

#13, Death or Transformation is
Scorpio's tarot card. From
"Wizard's Tarot" © by Corrine Kenner and
John J. Blumen

There’s been lots of online discussion about the ‘shadow periods’ for Mercury Retrograde (two weeks before and two weeks after the actual retrograde period) and some speculation that we’ve been feeling the effects of this Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio since October 1st.  Some experts say we’ll continue to feel these effects all the way through the end of November.  Is this a particularly strong retrograde cycle for Mercury?  Perhaps, but also a great deal of the buzz may come from the fact that both Mercury and the Sun will be in Scorpio for most of this timeframe.

People get a little jumpy around Scorpions. No doubt its that whole stinger thing.  Cross a Scorpion and prepare to be stung to death, or so the story goes. That’s not necessarily true, but if that’s what you perceive as truth, then definitely a retrograde in Scorpio is going to freak you out.  Here’s the reality. We have so much other stuff occurring this October (see blog: Astrological Trends for October 2013 ) that Mercury Retrograde is just a blip on the GPS. Shadow or no shadow, we’re in a major ramp up for the Uranus Pluto Square going direct on November 1st and in my opinion Mercury Retrograde has just become one of our best friends.

Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio (hereafter referred to as MR

#1, The Magician, is Mercury's tarot card.
He controls all the elements of his world.
From "Wizards Tarot"© by Corrine Kenner
and John J. Blumen

or MRS, because typing all those letters is getting annoying) offers us a chance to reexamine motivations – ours and everyone else’s.  Scorpions fly by the seat of their pants and MR is handled best with spontaneity.  Also the effects of MR are caused by a general slow down and reversal of Mercury’s energy.  Mercury controls communications, transportation, as well as intellectual pursuits.  With the energy from this lunar cycle ( see blog : Full Hunter's Moon in Aries  )  and the UP Square (can’t use UPS for obvious reasons) we need a breather and MRS fills the bill as long as we use this time to review, revise, revisit and restructure our plans, our strategies and our lives.

The 8th House of the Zodiac is ruled by Scorpio.  While many would say, ‘enter at your own risk,’ others would tell you that this is where the serious transformation energy is stored. Come on in – the water’s fine.  MRS is about rechecking the trajectory of your goals and retooling what doesn’t work.  You want to be a new and shinier you?  This is where it happens, folks.  You can use MRS to revise and retune the grand plan for your life and Scorpio can help.  Will it be a challenge? Sure.  Saturn is in Scorpio right now, but you can still use that great transformative energy from Scorpio and the downtime you get from Mercury to go over your internal notes and make revisions.  MRS says let go of grudges and projections now and 2014 will come in on a high note.   

Here are links to my past blogs that gives you good information on dealing with the effects of Mercury Retrograde.

Mercury Retrograde, Tarot and You

Mercury in Scorpio September to December 2013

LADY ORACLE  

"Wizard's Tarot"© is available for purchase through Lady Oracle Tarot.

"The Definition of Insanity "

9 of Swords, guilt anxiety
"the dagger of the mind"
from RWCS by US GAMES

The standard meaning of insanity can be located in any of a dozen dictionaries.  I learned the only significant definition for this word in a sales training class.  The definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same unsuccessful group of actions and to expect a successful outcome each time.  A tarot spread will make you face the inevitability that comes from repeating unsuccessful patterns in your life.  How many times do we ask ourselves, “Why do I always get these cards?” Simple - your life, your choices.  Don’t shoot me, I’m just the tarot reader.  Whether your trials come from the pressure you exert upon yourself (swords), emotional quagmires that you persist in wading into (cups), ill-conceived, irrational moves that take you nowhere (wands), or greed and avarice (pentacles), tarot will show you the patterns of your particular dance.  

The Moon - illusion
the crayfish crawling from the water
represents the subconscious
from RWSC by US Games ©

The founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, found this to be true and often recommended tarot journaling for patients.  Where Freud believed the origins of most psychological conditions were sexual in nature, Jung favored the idea that all people held an intrinsic spiritualism and that a healthy psyche had all its parts integrated.  A rather simplistic explanation on my part, I’m afraid.  Jung gave us concepts such as, collective consciousness, synchronicity and my personal favorite, archetypes.  He used dream analysis and believed that symbolism was a huge component of the human mind (true that) and therefore, the key to unlocking the subconscious.

Tarot illuminates your path.  It acts as your guide through

The Hermit, seeker of inner truth
from RWCS by US Games©

your present situation, then takes your actions, if unaltered, to an inescapable conclusion.  If you don’t like the pictures the tarot spread shows you, then make different choices – break your pattern and you change that pesky outcome row.  Tarot’s responsibility is to show you the journey of your soul, yours, particular to you, not the person(s), situation, or event that initially led you to seek answers.  

The next few years promise to be filled with societal and global change.  This is the natural order of things and pretty darned exciting stuff to boot.  Prepare yourself by asserting control over your own actions.  By taking accountability for your life, you free yourself to become who and what you were meant to be. (I know, I know – this is my mantra) Step firmly out into the world and embrace your destiny, but know that it’s you who gives destiny a helping hand.

LADY ORACLE 

Here's a link for further info on Carl Jung

Check out this book on tarot journaling  or, 

this one too.

Take a look at tarot symbolism as well!

Let me know what you think!

www.ladyoracle.net

Full Hunter’s Moon in Aires, October 18, 2013 – “Here’s Blood In Your Eye!”

The Emperor is the ruling tarot card for Aries
from "Wizard's Tarot"© by
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

The Full Hunter’s Moon, a.k.a. the Full Blood Moon, is the name of October’s moon this year.  Traditionally, the first full moon that falls after the Full Harvest Moon is called The Hunter’s Moon.  It sounds a little complicated, but that’s why we have charts.  This year, the name, Blood Moon is more than just a spooky alternate name for October’s Full Moon.  We also have a penumbral eclipse on October 18th complete with special effects that are guaranteed to chill any spectator lucky enough to have a nighttime view of the event.

Penumbral eclipses occur about two, to four times a year

The High Priestess represents our
Lady Moon - from
"Wizard's Tarot"© by
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

when the Moon flits along the outer edges of the Earth’s shadow (also known as the umbra).  Although the Moon appears whole during the eclipse, its light is dimmer to the discerning eye and the blue spectrum disappears as the Earth’s shadow passes by.  This leaves only the red hues visible.  Hence, the fatefully uttered words found in scores of cheesy horror pics (and one particularly good romance movie, “Practical Magic”), “blood on the Moon.”  Unfortunately, although this penumbral eclipse will be visible in the United States, our moonrise will be at 6:22 p.m. PDT and observation will be difficult due to the Sun.

Eclipses reboot the planet and I think we all support that idea right now.  They are also about balancing yin and yang energy.  Full Moons deal with relationships and a Full Moon in Aries wants you to examine the most important relationship you have – your relationship with yourself.  Aries rules the first house of the Zodiac where your self-image lives.  Do not confuse self-image and self-awareness with egocentricity.  A well-balanced sense of self is a crucial component to success.  This month, where Sun in Libra carries a partnership energy, or an energy of unity, Aries carries an energy of autonomy.  

Libra's card, Justice.
Sun in Libra opposes Moon in Aries.
Note the ruffled feathers.
"Wizard's Tarot"©
Kenner and Blumen

During the Full Moon cycle we will all experience some ruffled feathers as we try to balance the needs of the self with the needs of our partner.  Partnerships require negotiation skills and artful compromise.  Autonomy requires confidence and knowing when to put yourself first.  This month the cosmos wants you to understand the difference between brashly forcing your way to the front of a line and gracefully assuming your rightful place there.  If you continue to wait at the back of the line one of two things happens; they run out of food before it’s your turn, or you get the scrapings from the bottom of the pan and you have to sit next to the smelly kid.  The Full Hunter’s Moon is an excellent time to work on deservability, self-esteem and boundary issues.

Full Moons are powerful.  Full Moons during an eclipse are the Death Star of Full Moons.  Use the power waves during the days on either side of the Full Hunter’s Moon to determine who you are and what you want from life.  You will be amazing!

LADY ORACLE

Here's a link to some cool info about penumbral eclipses

 And one more for the kids in the back!

Today's featured deck, "Wizard's Tarot"© is available through www.ladyoracle.net

Mars in Virgo, October 15th to December 7th 2013 – “Keeping an Eye on the Prize”

Mars' card, #16, The Tower
at so much destructive here, as high-energy
from Ciro Marchetti's "Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

This October we receive a burst to both our ambition and our organizational drive known as Mars in Virgo.  Virgos, and those of us with Mars in Virgo in our birth chart, will be cruising at wrap speed from mid October into early December.  The rest of us will also enjoy the benefits, as well as suffer some of the drawbacks this energy provides.

Under Mars in Virgo you can expect an uptick in your aggression.  No, that doesn’t mean that every bouncer in the city is going to know your name.  It means that you will pursue your goals more aggressively.  This is a good thing. You will also stubbornly cling to your methodology as if your life depends on it.  Not necessarily so great. Still, this is terrific energy to focus on last quarter strategies, or new year projections.  You can also use Mars in Virgo to clear out your living space prior to the frenzy of the holiday season.  However, avoid becoming overly critical and dogmatic to those who don’t share your vision.  Mars in Virgo energy puts the “P” in perfectionist.  No one wants to be around people who over-analyze the simple, i.e., nitpick, or judge their every action.

Mars in Virgo accomplishes tasks and problem solves like

Virgo's card, #9, The Hermit
from Barbara Moore and Aly Fell's
beloved, "Steampunk Tarot" ©

none other.  There’s a natural detachment that comes with this energy.  This detachment allows all of us to more easily discount our emotions and analyze the subject as whole before reaching a decision.  Again, this trait is particularly strong in Virgos and birth chart people.  Business people, investors, negotiators and attorneys take note.

There’s nothing very romantic about Mars in Virgo.  That’s why we’re fortunate to have Venus in Sagittarius at the same time (see blog: Venus in Sagittarius ) Mars in Virgo is not a demonstrative creature.  It’s that compartmentalizing, detached energy this configuration carries.  Unfortunately, this energy unchecked can lend itself to playing head games during arguments.  Avoid statements that manipulate people, or situations.  Employ the rules of fair fighting and don’t belittle other people by chipping away at their confidence.  Don’t nitpick.

We all have a chance to prosper and gain ground under the influence of Mars in Virgo.  Just stay active and involved to avoid feeling fidgety and you’ll be able to rest on your laurels in December.  Well, at least you can take a breather.  Enjoy!

LADY ORACLE

October 8, 2013 - "The Six of Cups – Comfort Food For Thought"

10/8/13 = 6 of Cups, Innocence, memory, good will, giving

6 of Cups from the lovely "Fenestra Tarot"©
by Chatriya

and receiving.  The Six of Cups reminds us of a time when we felt safe and cherished, a time when we were provided for and assured of our place in the world.  We were innocence of some of the baser things about life then, and it is to this place we long to return when our lives get too complicated and our path becomes obscured.  

We often wish for a redo in life – the chance to make different decisions.  However, the only way out of shadowy times is through the darkness of the forest.  Memories, when properly used, give us comfort and the security that keeps us moving towards the light.  Improperly used, memories trap us in concepts and beliefs that no longer serve who we’ve become and who we will eventually be.  Our ego, operating in fear, cautions us that taking another step is too risky of a proposition – better to stay put. Soon there is no movement of any kind, because we can't turn back the clock in life.  Once we allow ourselves to become lost in longing for the past, trapped by our own fear of the unknown, we stagnate. 

#8, Strength shows us compassion
"Steampunk Tarot"© by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell

Today is about gathering the warmth of memory around us, much like a blanket, or shield and moving forward in our lives – together.  It's about giving and receiving gifts of the spirit, sharing them with those we encounter, so that the winds of uncertainty can't reach us. Kindness is a gift.  A gentle word, or compliment – humor that bonds us all together in that moment of perfect understanding, are gifts.  When we share gifts like these we become united and the illusions of fear and isolation can’t effect us as gravely as before.  Choose what spiritual gifts you give and receive today.  Choose gifts of comfort that move us all forward.

LADY ORACLE

Venus in Sagittarius, October 7th to November 5th, 2013 - “Room to Bloom”

The Empress in tarot's card for Venus.
I love this depiction from "Steampunk Tarot"©
by Barbara Moore and Ally Fell

It’s nice to find some sparkle and pizzaz amongst all the somber notes of this month’s astrological forecast.  Meet our new best friend, Venus in Sagittarius.  When Venus visits The Archer, she becomes fun-loving, whimsical and seeks out relationships that spur personal growth and enrich her life.  Although it’s not necessarily the best energy for finding love to last a lifetime, Venus in Sagittarius builds hardy friendships that are long-lasting – lots of them. 

Venus loves the spontaneity and sense of freedom she has in Sagittarius.  Although she’s open to adventure and sees nothing wrong with a mild flirtation or five, she makes no false promises.  Sagittarius is known for honesty, after all.   Venus and The Archer produce an expansive energy that makes us want to explore our options and our boundaries.  We’ll flirt a little, or a lot, depending whether or not Venus in Sagittarius is in your birth chart.  However, we’ll do so in a way that expands our experiences and deepens the subtext of our lives.

Temperance is the card for
Sagittarius, The Archer, again from
the marvelous "Steampunk Tarot"©
by Barbara Moore and Ally Fell

Venus in Sagittarius asks, “Why not?”  This is great energy if you’re starting a new project, or revamping an old one.  Venus’ natural sense of style, her vibrancy, loves a new direction.  The next few weeks is a great chance for some out of the box thinking in forming partnerships.  Sagittarius carries lots of philosophical energy and surprisingly, our party girl Venus truly appreciates deep thinkers – even engaging in the practice herself.  Just watch out, as Venus in Sagittarius can become a tad judgmental.  It’s that honesty standard – high minded, but relentless.  

As far as romance goes, Venus in Sagittarius is light-hearted and giddy – the quintessential ‘hopeless romantic.’  Even those of us who are not normally given to romantic gestures may find ourselves purchasing a single rose for a loved one, or surprising our partner with a romantic escapade. That’s the spontaneous influence of Venus in Sagittarius.

Make time during the next three weeks to explore and enjoy the world through the eyes of Venus and The Archer.  The view from behind a pair of rose-colored glasses is both optimistic and heartening.  Enjoy!

LADY ORACLE

New Moon in Libra, October 4, 2013 - "A Roadmap for Change"

Our New Moon in Libra occurred at 5:34 PDT today.  Lots of us

#11, Justice is Libra's tarot card
from "Dreamingway Tarot"© by Rome Choi

felt the energy surges from this New Moon well before it took place and as it turns out, we had good reason.  October's New Moon is considered by some astrologers to not only be the most powerful New Moon of 2013, but also the most important.  Some consider it to be warning shot for the astrological configurations coming up in our winter skies.  Others view it as a rather bumpy, by necessary jolt that forces us to confront issues in our lives and deal with them.  All from this one little New Moon. 

#2, The High Priestess represents
our Lady Moon. from Rome Choi's
"Dreamingway Tarot"©

In previous blogs I've explained the cosmic dynamics of the notorious T-Square and Grand Cross/Square configurations. ( See blogs: September 2013 "The Flying Wedge" and August 2013 "Dynamic, Transformative and a Tad Scary")  These blogs basically describe what we have occurring  on this New Moon.  Astrologer, Bill Herbst, in his paper on this year's astrology, explains that a T- Square (August blog) is actually a four-legged stool with only three legs showing.  Our New Moon in Libra forms the powerful fourth leg.  We have four planets (okay, one satellite, three planets) all in the cardinal modality (first astrological sign for a given season)  form a Grand Square.  Square configurations are extremely challenging – this one in particular.  Don't panic, though.  You simply need to pay attention to the life lessons you are being shown.

Libra rules the seventh house of relationships and partnerships.  Communication is essential to any healthy relationship, both personal and professional.   Where New Moons in Libra are normally easy-going, intellectual and gracious, this one isn't.  The other members of this Grand Square are Jupiter in Cancer, Uranus in Aries and (drum roll please) Pluto in Capricorn.  That's right, the notorious Uranus/Pluto square is alive and well.  It's also on another power build up for November 1st when their square goes direct.  Revolutionary energy and pivotal, societal change.  You read the news, you draw the parallels.  

The Fool from "Dreamingway Tarot"©
by Rome Choi represents Uranus      

This Grand Square gives us the opportunity to lurch forward, granted, a little awkwardly, but forward none the less.  Here's where we can do a diagnostic on our lives and review our decisions to date.  (Mercury Retrograde later this month gives us the opportunity to seal the deal.) In order to move into a successful 2014 it's important to complete and turn it your homework.  Rule #1, do harm to none – especially not to yourself.  Rule #2, if you keep repeating the same pattern in your life, you'll get the same results.  Change the pattern, change your life.  October is all about redesign and New Moons are about new emotional cycles.  It's time to clear away the situations and thoughts that no longer serve you so that you successfully navigate the transitions coming this winter.  Stay grounded,  clear your space and get to work.  You will be brilliant.

LADY ORACLE

Astrological Trends for October 2013 – “Avast Me Hearties”

When weather turns stormy at sea, a good sailor knows what to do:  Close up the vessel so that the waves breaking over the deck don't spilling water below.  He also lessens the ship's sail area so that strong winds don’t push it over.  “Hmmm,” you ask, “what is she trying to tell us with this sailing metaphor?”  Reef your mainsail and batten your hatches.  October has some powerful configurations in it and you need to stay mindful and focus on what’s truly important to you.

On October 2nd, Saturn is trine (the most favorable aspect of

Saturn's card, #21, The World
from Barbara Moore and Aly Fell's
"Steampunk Tarot"©

120 degrees) the asteroid, Chiron.  Chiron is the wounded healer of myth, who, in this case couples with Saturn to provide all of us with an opportunity to do self-healing work. Also, those of us with Saturn quincunx (an aspect of 150 degrees that requires serious adjustments) Uranus in our birth charts will have particular trouble reconciling the conflicting parts of ourselves. Saturn represents rules, discipline and self-respect.  Uranus is a wild child who questions authority and the status quo. We will all experience frustration trying to merge the parts of our lives that simply won’t merge.  That’s a quincunx for you. Don’t attach to outcomes, breath and let go.

The Fool, the card for Uranus
from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

The Moon, Saturn and Mercury are all hanging out in Scorpio during the first part of the month.  Again, we see Saturn’s need to challenge (provide growth opportunities) mixing it up with Mercury in Scorpio.  The result is a deep, intellectual process. There’s lot’s of soul searching during this period.  We gain true insights into our lives – not always pretty, but necessary.  Don’t get trapped inside your own head, though.  Get outside and take in some of that wonderful Fall air to help you maintain balance. Meditate.

Our New Moon in Libra arrives on October 4th and makes all of us ready for a fresh start.  We’ll lay aside old resentments and seek common ground in our partnerships and friendships (Somebody tell Congress) while enjoying a revitalized social scene.

Mid-month we get some help to lighten our moods when Mars enters Virgo on the 15th and Venus enters Sagittarius on the 17th.  Mars and Virgo join up to help us clean house, both physically and metaphorically.  This is problem solving energy – an energy that tidies bothersome corners and tucks away those repetitive thoughts that nag us.  Use Mars in Virgo to clear your decks.  Venus in Sagittarius is a young-at-heart style of energy that solidifies friendships even if it doesn’t offer us a lasting love. Venus will definite helps us regain our dance moves.

On October 18th we have a Full Moon in Aries and a lunar

The Magician is Mercury's card
from "Wizard's Tarot"© by Corinne Kenner and
John J. Blumen

eclipse.  Let’s hear it for planetary reboots.  Great energy here, but I’ll have more on that later this month.  Mercury goes retrograde from October 21st through November 10th.  I’ll re-post appropriate blog links as needed.  Remember: Smudging in an art form.  Lastly, the end of the month picks up momentum as we prepare for another direct Uranus/Pluto square on November 1st.

We have lots of energetic activity this month – lots of whitecaps in the waves as well.   Stay high-minded, meditate and above all, don’t lock yourself away to brood.  Change happens and the best part about change is that you get to be a part of it.

LADY ORACLE

Tarot decks available for sale through www.ladyoracle.net