The three big stories in astrology for this last decan of Libra season are: Pluto stations direct 13 October, a complex story involving Venus and all the outer planets unfolds 11-13 October, and finally a conjunction of Mercury and Mars 20 October. We continue to be smiled upon by exalted Jupiter, whose trine with Saturn and retrograde station both happen in Scorpio season to follow.
Pluto stationing direct is a global shift that should unblock some technological progress. If it seems like we have been spinning our wheels for a while this year, it’s now time to get back on track. Pluto in Aquarius is especially linked to the development of AI, so some new features might roll out this fall. It’s also linked to very difficult emotions that we’re dealing with as a global civilization, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. These stories are linked by the use of drones and AI target acquisition in both conflicts. Expect some movement in all these stories as Pluto speeds up from its station.
You might be personally challenged by this station if you have a significant planet placed in the very early degrees of Aquarius, or another fixed sign. For you, the feeling of moving in a direction you aren’t sure you want to move in may be more personal, rather than coming through the world news.
Venus is currently moving swiftly on its journey to overtake the Sun to become Hesperus, the evening star, early next year. For now, Venus is visible in the morning, far from Earth on the far side of the Sun but still brilliantly lit.
Venus plays out a complex story in the middle of the month. Though it is merely drawing attention to the dance of the outer planets, it’s also providing contrast, giving us emotional insight into historical forces that are usually too bright to look directly into. First, it opposes Saturn on 11 October. This transit prompts confrontation between your appreciation of what is right and proper versus a reality that is much fuzzier, and more open to sometimes-unpleasant novelty. The fuzziness is the reality, and that’s the fact that you will integrate at this time. It has an awkward vibe, as if things are not ready to resolve, even as we are becoming aware of their imperfection. Saturn is retrograde in Venus’ sign of exaltation, while Venus is ruled by Mercury who is approaching a conjunction with Mars in its own sign. Furthermore, this significant transit is just a prelude to the alignment of Venus with the three more distant planets.
Venus enters Libra-- a sign it rules with sophisticated grace, as opposed to being stifled in Virgo-- early on 13 October. Over the course of less than two days from its ingress, it aspects Neptune by opposition, then Uranus by trine, then stationing Pluto by trine. Venus in alignment with this historic sextile pattern of outer planets prompts a challenge to our personal values brought on by the horrific crimes and oppression we see in the world. In particular, our relationship with the media (mass and social), through which we learn and cleanse our feelings about these realities, is challenged. Though Neptune is about to retrograde back into Pisces, this opposition takes place in Aries. Thus, the events in the news in the middle of October will inspire an emotional response that is indicative of how we will respond to the next decade of heroic Aries ideology.
It’s crucial that Venus trines Pluto at its moment of direct station. Despite some people’s negative feelings towards AI, Pluto is progressive in Aquarius. Real social change is happening: seismic shifts that have not been possible since World War II. The next few years could see the fall of the United Nations world order, as new forms of power and revolutionary spirit erode the institutions that have preserved a form of stagnant peace for almost a century. Venus in trine will help us to find beauty, if not in the historic threat to our security, then in smaller joys that are made possible by new technology, things that could not have been imagined just a few years ago. Maybe things like animated memes and hilarious cover songs.
But we will feel we must be careful not to enjoy these little things too much. Is our joy fake if it isn’t the work of a conscious human? Venus is the last planet to be entering Libra this year, but with the upcoming years of Aries energy, we will want to keep an eye on how Libra replies, attempting to balance the fighting spirit with a beautiful one.
On the morning of 14 October, with Venus’ closest aspect being to Uranus, the Moon will activate the whole arrangement through an exact opposition to Pluto. This creates a fascinating arrangement of “double kites,” which appears a bit like a pentagram in the chart. (The persistent sextiles between the outer planets this year has provided the opportunity for a few of these: with Mercury and Mars on 10 August, and then loosely with Mars and an almost-stationing Jupiter on Halloween.) Both kites are based on a Grand Trine at 1 degree of Air signs, indicating flows of information.
Venus trine to Uranus suggests stepping back from the ultra-connectivity that defines so many of our lives, a pleasant pause to smell the roses. It will prepare us for the communication disruptions that are coming during Uranus’ time in Gemini (after a taste this year, that’s 2026-33). So far, it has not manifested as a plague of internet outages, but rather political moves such as the American takeover of TikTok, and the chilling effect of the Kirk murder on freedom of speech. Uranus may disrupt communication over the next few years not through lightning strikes, but through power moves by those interested in controlling how we share information. Interestingly, Venus on this day gives us a chance to consider whether we find joy in fighting that tide, or more in contracting our bubble and focusing on what is closer to us-- finding beauty in the disconnect.
Moon opposite Pluto will also be emotional. In contrast to happy Venus, the depths of Pluto facing off with the Moon will bring up difficult feelings. Entangled with Venus and the rest of the outer planets, it will be complicated, it will seem like it is “out there” in the world, rather than an opportunity for your own inner evolution. But that’s what it is. As the Moon swiftly swings by this transit, 0600h in the East Pacific, there is no need to get up early to confront it head-on. The Moon can easily operate on an unconscious or ethereal level, as a message in a dream, or as a real event that you will see when you wake.
This whole cat’s cradle of aspects over these couple of days could be subtle. The forces of history are imprecise and they develop slowly. But decades of history can also happen in a short time, and the energy unleashed in these days are significant enough to unfold over the next few months.
One overall story this year is that while the outer planets lock into their sextile pattern that represents the final chapter of a century-long story, Jupiter is smiling at us from its exaltation in Cancer, beaming us blessings in a way that’s hardly relevant to the bigger story, yet crucially supportive.
Another important transit is a square of Jupiter with the Sun in the cardinal signs of Cancer and Libra on 16 October. With Jupiter exalted and the Sun in fall, we may feel a threat to our sense of self. Can we really accept Jupiter’s blessings, or do they make us feel small? Can we be true to ourselves if we put others first in a time of need?
This shift would be almost simple, if it did not herald Jupiter’s narrowing trine to Saturn, and Jupiter’s own retrograde station in November. The blessings of Jupiter are about to get more complicated as it interfaces with the bigger historical story. It does not want to do it, thus turning around in a retrograde, but soon it will be compelled to reveal its relevance in the larger history. Its square with the Sun hits us first in our vulnerable inner safe space. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t handle it with grace: it’s kindly intended as a learning experience we can apply over the next couple years.
Throughout this time, we will experience the applying conjunction of Mercury and Mars, its energy of “fighting words” and intellectual debate building up to exactitude on the 20th. With the importance of Uranus in Gemini, we can’t ignore Mercury as the gracious host of its disruptive party. Mercury, in turn, works on behalf of strong Scorpio Mars, a dispositor that reminds us how everything eventually comes down to survival, which sometimes means ruthless competition. We may feel challenged around this time to remember the slow story that’s unfolding in the outer planets, as our thoughts are captured by baser instincts. Consider carefully if it’s really the right time to tell hard truths, as your target may be ready to trade blows with hard truths of their own.
And keep in mind that when the Sun enters Scorpio, both Mercury and Mars will soon find themselves very close to a grand trine in water with Jupiter and Saturn. The emotional consequences of your truth bombs could take the form of getting flushed out.
There will be a new moon in Libra around the same time, bringing the season to a close with an introspective opportunity to consolidate harmonious Libra energy to carry forward. At the apex of a loose T-square with Jupiter and Pluto, and a Yod opposite the sextile of Uranus and Saturn/Neptune, this last charge of Libra could be a real treasure hoard, perhaps a crystal of grace, art, and peace to resonate through these years of historic crisis. Perhaps that lovely intention will be set in spite of any Mercury-Mars conflict, or perhaps it will be the moment we understand how Jupiter’s benevolence will be integrated into the difficult transformation to come.
*All dates and times are according to my home in the Salish Sea area, Pacific time zone.