Summary: In Plain English
Jupiter Remains Retrograde until November 23
Mercury Direct in Virgo October 2
Full Moon in Pisces/Revati October 9
Mars Transits Gemini October 15 - November 13
Sun Transits Libra October 17 - November 16
Venus Transits Libra October 18 - November 11
Ketu Changes Nakshatra October 19
Saturn Resumes Direct Motion October 22
New Moon in Libra October 25 (Partial Solar Eclipse)
Mercury Transits Libra October 26 - November 13

Summary: In Plain English

For an in-depth analysis of specific planetary placements, please continue with the full planetary forecast.

Jupiter Remains Retrograde until November 23

Jupiter entered his own water sign of Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac, in April of 2022 and will spend about one year there, moving to Aries in April 2023. While we want to see positive yields from a well placed, auspicious planet like Jupiter in Pisces, it has been difficult to get that good juice. One factor is that since mid-July, Saturn has been aspecting Jupiter and the other factor, which has been compounded by Saturn’s aspect, is Jupiter’s retrograde from July 28 - November 23.

This current state of Jupiter may be depriving many of us of hope, positivity and the ability to see beyond the material and into the spiritual meaning behind what has been happening in our lives. The eclipse pairing of October 25 and November 7 may not help to stabilize our situations, but could be instrumental in revealing what needs to be addressed.

Since we tend to rely on Jupiter’s influence to give us hope and positivity, this retrograde could be stretching us, testing our resilience, and pulling us down to the depths in order to get us to let go of what has passed. As we dive deeper, exploring the remains of shipwrecks of the past, may we find the gold we seek and push ourselves back to the surface with renewed direction.

Mercury Direct in Virgo October 2

Mercury’s voyage through Virgo has been a counterweight to Jupiter’s deep dive. Pisces and Virgo are opposite signs, ruled by Jupiter and Mercury. This opposition of Jupiter and Mercury transiting their own signs could have further aided in exploring those depths mentioned above. With both Jupiter and Mercury retrograde from September 10 - October 2, the level of chaos may have risen markedly.

When Mercury resumes direct motion, both Venus and the Sun will also be transiting through Virgo, with Sun exiting to Libra on October 17 and Venus exiting to Libra on October 18. The first half of October may be instrumental in regaining momentum. Venus is considered debilitated in Virgo, but when Mercury’s direct motion resumes, we can expect that to also cause Venus’ debilitation to rebound. When an exalted planet (Mercury in Virgo) is with a debilitated planet (Venus in Virgo), we can sometimes see the debilitated planet giving great results. Direct Mercury will have a better chance at cheering Venus up.

By mid-month, Sun and Venus move on, but exalted Mercury will keep skipping along happily until October 26, when he joins the fray in Libra. With both Mercury and Saturn direct by October 23, we could begin to find the bottom and also the ability to push off and ascend. Saturn and Mercury from Capricorn and Virgo (both earth signs) are both aspecting Jupiter. This could mean that we are able to find a foothold and begin to push forward again.

Full Moon in Pisces/Revati October 9

The Moon waxes during the first week of October, reaching the full point at 23 degrees Pisces, in the nakshatra Revati, on Sunday, October 9th. Pisces is Jupiter’s water sign, the final sign of the zodiac, which is currently holding a retrograde Jupiter who is aspected by a retrograde Saturn.

All of this compound retrograde influence on the sign of Pisces could be causing some issues that require digging deep for patience, resilience and positive regard. The watery nature of Pisces invites us to dissolve and expand into a universal perspective. The Moon will occupy not only this final sign of the zodiac but also the final nakshatra, Revati, ruled by the planet Mercury. Again, we are seeing the Jupiter-Mercury theme here in the full Moon of October.

The signs Virgo and Pisces are opposite in the zodiac, providing a connection that we all feel between the earth sign ruled by the eternal student and analyst, Mercury, and the water sign ruled by the quintessential teacher and guide, Jupiter. While we may be diligently organizing our thoughts due to the very strong Mercury, Venus, and Sun combination in Virgo, it could also feel like as much as we make effort, nothing is coming together.

The full Moon energy could help us to gain clarity and perspective as we strive to get our trains back on the tracks. The Virgo trio should be instrumental in keeping us grounded, practical and inspired as we do the difficult work of letting go of that which is attaching us to the past.

Mars Transits Gemini October 15 - November 13

This is going to be a busy month for Mars as he switches signs into Gemini on October 15 and takes up an apparent retrograde on October 30 which returns him to Taurus on November 13. For almost a month, we will see Mars zig-zagging through Mercury’s air sign, which could be really good for the work that we are doing that suddenly requires adjustment, in-flight.

Remember, Mars will be spending a good chunk of time in Taurus, both before and mainly after this retrograde cycle begins. Once Mars retreats to the pastoral lands of Taurus in November, he remains retrograde through January 13, 2023. He then retraces his steps once more, moving forward through Taurus and again into Gemini on March 12, 2023.

During this first Gemini stint, we may have the opportunity to gain perspective that leads to diversity of thought. From Gemini, which is Mercury’s air sign, where we fly about in the thought realms, exploring new ideas, Mars will also gain the power to throw his influence into the signs of Virgo, Scorpio and Sagittarius. We may be faced with adjustments at the engineering level. With Mars’ placements and aspects, we have the chance to upgrade our design to a flexible, strong, and scalable one.

Virgo is also ruled by Mercury and helps to take plans from the brain to material planning. Scorpio allows the play of power and intuition which fuels any successful venture. Sagittarius helps us learn from our design errors and turn loss into gain. Take this sudden flight of fancy, and ride into the unseen changes that may be surprising improvements.

Sun Transits Libra October 17 - November 16

Almost as if the push of Mars swooping into Gemini sends a big wind into Virgo, we see Sun and Venus move into Libra on October 17th and 18th. Their exit gives the room to Mercury, who will be the main beneficiary and agent of Mars’ direction in Virgo through October 26th.

The Sun and Venus have been hanging out, which is always an interesting pairing. The Sun as the champion of individual expression has been paired with Venus, the advocate for social fabric, since September, when Venus entered Leo.

The Sun talks about “me” and Venus talks about “we.” This combination often brings with it themes of balance in relationship. While the pair is in Virgo, Sun has the upper hand on a couple of counts. First, Venus is debilitated in Virgo (although helped by exalted Mercury) and second, starting in late September, the faster moving Venus moves into combustion with the Sun. This makes the Sun a bit stronger, so in our relationship balance practice, we may be faced with learning how to be selfish enough, without causing harm to others.>

The tables turn on the Sun once he proceeds to Libra on October 17. Libra is the Sun’s place of debilitation and on top of that, the Sun moves into a partial eclipse the next week. Libra’s symbol is the scales, indicating the delicate balance between the self and other that is required for healthy, vital life and relationship. In addition, Venus rules Libra, so her expression improves there, as well.

With the interesting addition of the eclipse axis to the equation, we may find that through confronting apparently impassable terrain, we gain the ability to tune in and tune up, which aids in finding solutions that benefit all parties.

Venus Transits Libra October 18 - November 11

By early October, Venus gets close to the Sun in Virgo, causing Venus’ combustion, which makes it difficult for us to gain access to the energy of the combust planet. Just after Sun moves into Libra, Venus follows close behind on October 18, coming into exact conjunction with the Sun on October 22.

From there, Venus moves forward more quickly compared to the Sun, escaping combustion in late November when the trio of Venus, Sun, and Mercury has moved past the eclipse axis and into Scorpio.

Even though combust, we can still leverage Venus’ energy as we try to walk the tightrope we see ahead. We may feel absolutely stretched and pressed at the same time during this transit, with seemingly no ground beneath our feet. Strong Venus in her own sign is helpful, as will Mercury’s addition be in late October.

We must also face the difficult influences coming into Libra from Rahu’s position in Aries and Saturn’s position in Capricorn. Unexpected or sudden situations could cause chaos as indicated by Rahu in Aries, while Saturn offers continued pressure, limitation, lack, and illness which layer into a heavy cloak of desperation.

The changes that we’ve been refusing to face will come, ready or not. We must find the grace to confront our walls and our ego trips. Or else. Wise adults always tell the children that if a choice is given but not taken, someone else will make the choice for you. Life is beautiful, but not perfect. Make sure the pressure to always be right doesn’t prevent you from taking that choice.

Ketu Changes Nakshatra October 19

The nodal axis consists of Rahu, the North node of the Moon and Ketu, the South node of the Moon. These two points will always be exactly opposite in the zodiac, traveling in retrograde motion and changing signs in tandem about every 1.5 years.

While we aren’t seeing a sign change until October 2023, we do see Ketu shifting nakshatras this month. There are two ways of calculating the position of the nodes. There is Mean Node, which smooths the wobbly retrograde motion into an average position, and there is True Node, which shows the exact location of the node and accounts for the fact that there are some days where the axis vibrates in normal, forward motion, but most often moves retrograde.

The nakshatra border in consideration will only apply to Ketu, who will be moving from Vishaka to Swati. Using True Node, Ketu crossed that line on September 24 and with Mean Node calculation, Ketu moves to Swati on October 18. Ketu in Swati could be a bit more dynamic due to Rahu’s rulership. Listen deeply for messages that travel on the wind through June 2023, when Ketu will again shift nakshatra to Chitra.

Saturn Resumes Direct Motion October 22

After an apparent retrograde spell that began on June 4, 2022, we see Saturn resume direct motion on October 22 at 25 degrees Capricorn. Those who have important placements in the degrees between 25 Capricorn and 2 Aquarius are receiving this very intense format of Saturn energy.

Again, retrograde motion doesn’t mean that the planet stops its orbit and goes in the other direction. There is an optical illusion that occurs when planets are traversing a part of their own orbit around the Sun that causes our perception of the planet moving in retrograde motion. In the end, as astrologers, we are seeing a strong emphasis on the degrees that are being traversed three times in a relatively short span. That degree range won’t see our friend Saturn for another 28 years or so!

Think of this timeline, starting when Saturn first crossed into 25 degrees Capricorn in early March.

• Phase 1: March 3 - June 4, Saturn in direct motion from 25 Capricorn - 2 Aquarius
• Phase 2: June 4 - October 22, Saturn retrograde from 2 Aquarius - 25 Capricorn
• Phase 3: October 22 - February 3, 2023, Saturn in direct motion from 25 Capricorn - 2 Aquarius (again)

This is a small span of the zodiac where Saturn is spending 11 months. We can’t help but notice that this territory falls within the nakshatra of Dhanishta, which spans equally between Capricorn and Aquarius. (23 deg 20 min Capricorn - 6 deg 40 min Aquarius.) The energy of Dhanishta is strongly influenced by Saturn, as it spans between the two Saturn-ruled signs, and also by Mars, who is the planetary ruler of Dhanishta. Mars’ exaltation degree falls in the second pada of Dhanishta, at 28 degrees Capricorn.

The power of Mars enmeshed with the structural integrity of Saturn shows us a field of play where we can create emphatic rhythms that help us to measure and mete out our energy as we pave our pathways.

If you know the houses of your chart that occupy the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius, you may have been experiencing this rocky transition between those two houses since March. Saturn moves from Capricorn to Aquarius on January 12, which could be a timeframe in which some things shift. Note that mid-January seems to hold a few different markers that indicate notable shifts.

From Capricorn until mid-January, Saturn aspects the signs of Pisces, Cancer and Libra, so by extension we could feel the direct motion of Saturn reverberate into those signs, as well. Currently, we have retrograde Jupiter in Pisces, which under retrograde Saturn’s gaze has caused quite a drag in various ways. Cancer is free of planets at this time, but its ruler is the Moon, which affects our moods, minds, and perception. These factors could feel a shift with Saturn’s direct station. Libra is hosting Ketu since April and for a couple of months, we see Sun, Venus, and Mercury pass through.

Look for what may be pulsing, turning about, or struggling under pressure in those domains of life that are affected by Capricorn, Pisces, Cancer and Libra. This is where the puzzles and answers lie. With patience, perseverance, humility, and hard work, things will begin to move forward in the appropriate way.

New Moon in Libra October 25 (Partial Solar Eclipse)

Under the steady eye of Saturn as he resumes his forward plodding, the Moon joins the Sun, Venus, and Ketu in Libra, which causes a partial eclipse of the Sun at 8 degrees Libra, in Rahu’s windy nakshatra of Swati.

This is an interesting moment, when the glorious Sun faces his zone of discomfort, Venus’ air sign of Libra, ever reminding us of the delicate balance that is required between self and other. With the Sun at this moment are both Moon and Venus, which means a totally combust Venus. Let’s chalk this up as both a new Moon and a new Venus.

Venus has been chasing and gaining ground on the Sun all year. The pair last met on January 8, 2022, when retrograde Venus was passed by the Sun in the late degrees of Sagittarius. Just before the New Moon partial eclipse, Venus moves past the Sun, finally catching up, which could feel like a bit of a switch when it comes to matters of the heart.

Combust planets tend to have trouble getting their message across, so often when we see Venus in the arms of the Sun, we struggle to maintain the balance between compromise and self-care. In this case, we’re seeing a debilitated Sun that is also being partially eclipsed by Ketu. This could be a liminal moment where we get a glimpse of what may be missing in our struggle to balance *me* with *we*.

Most of the action is in Libra during this eclipse. Four planets occupy Libra, with both Rahu and Saturn adding influence through aspect. New Moon and New Venus in Libra, under the shadow of Ketu, could really mark this time during late October 2022 as important for pending endings and new beginnings.

As the Moon waxes through late October and the first week of November, we prepare for the next eclipse of the pairing, a total lunar eclipse in Aries on November 7-8.

Mercury Transits Libra October 26 - November 13

Mercury moves from exaltation in Virgo to join the multiple planets in Libra on October 26, hustling through the eclipse zone. Mercury will pass by Ketu and the Sun, and then catch up to Venus as the two besties tumble into Scorpio by mid-November.

This could indicate that the best way to deal with the fallout of the aforementioned endings and the blank canvas of the upcoming ventures is with the help of friends, with courage in the face of unknowing, with trust in ourselves, and with a realization that we are on a field trip in the school of life at all times.

Mercury is great at calculations, data analysis, and objective viewpoints. In the midst of what is breaking and what is coming together, which could be legitimately emotional and dramatic, use Mercury’s objectivity to move through each step with curiosity and Venus’ inspiration and grace to solve problems creatively.

Mercury and Venus travel as a pair for the remainder of 2022. They part ways as they reach Capricorn, where Venus continues forward alone and Mercury does a retrograde cycle back into Sagittarius from December 28, 2022 - January 18, 2023.