Planetary transits for October 2023

Planetary transits for October 2023

Planetary transits for October

Mars combust Oct 1-30
Mercury in Virgo Oct 1
Venus in Leo Oct 1
Mars in Libra Oct 3 conjunct Ketu
Mercury combust Oct 3-30
Pluto stations direct in Capricorn Oct 11
New moon & solar eclipse in Virgo Oct 14
Sun in Libra Oct 17 conjunct Ketu
Mercury in Libra Oct 18 conjunct Ketu
Mercury conjunct sun in Libra Oct 20
Full moon & lunar eclipse in Aries Oct 28

September came with retrogrades and a time for pause and reflection. This month will bring with it the annular eclipse season of this fall, bringing forth big shifts and new cycles beginning. Eclipses can be pivotal events, leading to sudden changes of desires or unexpected turns of events. The eclipses this fall will also be the last before the nodes changes signs in late November, bringing the cycle of eclipses on the Aries/Libra-axis to a close.

Mars combust

As we move into the month of October, Mars has already moved into its state of combustion and will remain close to the sun all the way until the middle of January next year. Combustion happens when a planet transits too close to the light of the sun and therefore gets burnt by its strong rays. Mars entering into combustion combines fire with fire, heightening the inner fire within us as well, which can lead to increased feelings of restlessness or agitation. This is a time when it’s beneficial to channel that inner fire into strengthening our physical body, as well as our mind, through yoga or meditation, and a good time to take care of our energy, vitality and diet. Remember not to burn yourself out, be careful with getting too fired up about things so that you don’t end up burning the candle at both ends!

Mercury in Virgo & Venus in Leo October 1st

Both Mercury and Venus will change signs on October 1st, bringing new shifts right from the get-go. Venus will cross the gandanta point between Cancer/Leo for the third and final time, after its retrograde cycle through the signs. Crossing the gandanta degrees can always feel a bit rocky, but after this final transit into Leo, we can enjoy a fiery, charismatic energy of Venus for the month of October.

Mercury will move into its exaltation sign of Virgo, heightening its qualities of discernment and communication. However, Mercury will almost immediately move into combustion and the further it transits into the sign, the closer it will move to the rays of the sun and will be combust for the rest of the month. This fires up our communication and can make us speak our minds more hastily or speak before thinking.

Venus in Leo October 1st

Venus will make a final crossing over the gandanta point of the Cancer/Leo junction and move into Leo right at the beginning of the month, infusing our relationships and creativity with Leo’s fiery passion, heightening our desire to create and seeking the joys in our existence. Here, Venus takes on the regal fire of Leo, which can also make us more proud or sensitive to criticism, making us more fired up about when we feel offended (either legitimately or imaginably so) or treated unjustly. This transit can both heighten our sense of passion and romance, as well as increase our dramatic flair and make us more prone to pick arguments over real or perceived slights on our characters.

Mars in Libra October 3rd conjunct Ketu

Mars will move into Libra on October 3rd, where it will move into an exact conjunction with Ketu. Mars will be the first in line of planets to pass over Ketu this month, which resides at 0° Libra. Ketu has been sitting in Libra for the past 1,5 years, showing the area of our lives where we’ve either been avoiding facing something, or were we’ve experienced a loss of interest. Ketu has a way of neglecting whatever it deems ‘unimportant’ or ‘superficial’, dedicated more to the pursuit of the ultimate state of truth and the essence of the matter in question.

When Mars and Ketu conjoin, we can experience a surge of fiery (explosive) conviction or dedication to our cause, heightening our sense of righteousness and the strength of our convictions. Both Mars and Ketu bring their fiery influences into Libra, which pertains to how we deal with relationships, compromising and relating to other people in general. This can be a time where we lose interest in compromising, or where we become more prone to argue over our convictions, defending the righteousness of our beliefs.

Sun in Libra October 17th

Sun moves into Libra on October 17th, immediately conjuncting Ketu as well. This can be a time when our sense of personal power, ambition and authority comes into question, adding fuel to the fire regarding our self image and any insecurities that we may currently be working through. Ketu has a way of putting our flaws or imperfections under the microscope, and when joining the sun this can really put our confidence and our sense of purpose to the test. If there are issues around your sense of personal power or abilities that you have neglected to look at, these can surface at this time.

Mercury in Libra October 18th conjunct Ketu

Mercury is the third planet to conjunct Ketu this month, as it transits into the sign of Libra on the 18th of October. Mercury together with Ketu means that our reasoning and communication will be under scrutiny. With the intensity and fiery influence of Ketu, this means that we might speak before considering our words, and then end up feeling self-conscious or embarrassed. Ketu with mercury can make us less secure than usual in our communication, or make us insecure about the way we speak. Consider your words, but remember to not take things too seriously and that it’s all right to make mistakes every now and then.

I wish you the best month of October!
/RoseAnna

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