We're now reaching a significant moment in the seasonal calendar as we make the transition from autumn to winter here in the Northern Hemisphere as marked by the midpoint between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. Although here in my neck of the woods, the trees are only now catching fire, the nights continue to grow colder as the Kingdoms of Nature go to ground.
In many pagan and spiritual circles, Samhain/Halloween is the time of year when the veil between the seen and unseen dimensions grows thin, allowing for some form of contact, association or exchange to transpire. This is a particularly potent window for utilizing various oracles (tarot, scrying, channeling, horary astrology, etc.) as well as for communing with departed loved-ones (see: Día de Muertos). Whether you put any stock in such things or not, at the very least, Samhain is a favorable time for any kind of activity that’s well off the path of the mundane and conventional which speaks to the more ethereal side of our natures.
The Two Faces of Venus
This past weekend, the planet Venus made an inferior conjunction with the Sun, disappearing from view as she transformed from the her role as “Hesperus” the so-called “Evening Star,” setting behind the Sun, to the “Morning Star,” rising ahead of the Sun as “Lucifer,” aka “The Bearer of Light.” Both Hesperus and Lucifer reflect two different faces of Venus with Hesperus being the more receptive, reflective, considerate and shy aspect of Venus while in her Lucifer mode, tends to be more seductive, wildly passionate, foolhardy, and at times, treacherous.
The Ancients considered the period of Venus’ transformational journey through the Underworld and subsequent transition from Evening to Morning Star (Oct. 27-30) to be a time fraught with danger and the potential for serious missteps. How this manifests is difficult to say although it would be prudent to use a modicum of caution when it comes to romantic encounters as well as matters involving large sums of money until the end of the month.
Venus has worn her Hesperus face since January 9, 2018, which is considered the “nice girl” personification of Venus which, in some ways, has put women on the defensive with regard to #metoo and the recent testimony of Dr. Ford which was summarily dismissed by the male-dominated Senate as seen while Venus Hesperus was retrograde. Once Venus enters her Lucifer stage of expression, I would expect to see the tables turn with women feeling even more empowered moving forward.
On a more personal scale of expression, Venus retrograde as Hesperus since Oct. 5 is likely to have coincided with a sense of disappointment in matters of love, or perhaps misgivings over an old flame that burned out a long time ago. An inability to express one’s desires is also emblematic of retrograde Venus Hesperus for both men and women although this is now coming to an end.
After this weekend, Venus will be retrograde as Lucifer until she turns direct on Nov. 16 which should be seen as a time to step back, retreat, regroup and move with caution to avoid engaging in any self-sabotaging behaviors. This will be a time for cleaning-up any leftover relationship karma as Venus retrograde is about going back over something, perhaps to make a correction. Feeling unable to voice one’s desires won’t be an issue so much as trying to maintain a sense of balance and appropriate response; men in particular should heed this warning if they have a tendency to fall into old patterns of inappropriate masculine expression. Although the more passionate and sexual side of Venus in her Lucifer mode will be strong into August 2019, there could be numerous “red-flags” and the potential for getting snagged by psycho-sexual hooks over the course of the next two weeks, so proceed with caution in matters of the heart and libido.
Lastly, in addition to Venus retrograde shifting into her Lucifer mode this week, we’ll see Venus perfect the Grand Cross configuration with its opposition to Uranus and square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis on Wednesday; a theme which began to emerge at last Wednesday’s Full Moon. This is a highly unpredictable and potentially explosive combination that carries considerable karmic weight that will have long-term ramifications, particularly with Venus’ retrograde uncertainty. Just after this takes place, Venus retrogrades back across the cusp into her ruling domain of Libra for about a month, a sign where relationship and partnership themes are paramount.
The Run-up
With the Moon currently on the wane, it enters its Last Quarter Phase on Wednesday afternoon, pointing to a week of serious closure and a time for clearing-up old business. Considering the Moon won’t be opening a new cycle until Nov. 7 suggests that next Tuesday’s midterm elections occurring during the darkest dark of the Moon will be a referendum on things past, not necessarily on things moving forward. Go figure.
Another factor involves Mercury entering into a long-term occupation of Sagittarius this Wednesday which is likely to see a noticeable spike in the amount of political and ideological rhetoric we already expect to see until the first week in January. In classical astrology, Mercury is considered weakened in Sagittarius (the sign of its “fall”) as its detail-oriented signatures are skewed by mental abstractions and an over-emphasis on collective beliefs (Sagittarius). This is where facts (remember facts?) are muddled with half-truths and misdirection in an attempt to trick voters into making poor decisions, especially for political parties that don’t know how to win elections on their own merits. Mercury in Sagittarius likes to crow over the fact that winning is all that matters and the means by which this is accomplished is of no apparent consequence.
Next week we’ll take a closer look at Election Day and its aftermath; considering unpredictable Uranus and the karmic lunar nodes will both be changing signs on that day, I won’t be attempting any solid predictions regarding outcomes other than the results could be surprising in many respects. With the Scorpio New Moon opening a new cycle at the intense powergate of Scorpio (Sco15) on the following day along with another potentially upsetting signature, there’s going to be some major disappointments on one end of the political spectrum with the potential for a social flare-up in its aftermath. Here we go!
Lunar Gardening Report
The current planting window is preparing to close as we approach Wednesday’s Last Quarter Moon with Sunday being a poor day to do much of anything in the garden under the Gemini Moon. The good news is the Moon occupying fertile Cancer all day Monday and Tuesday, ideal for all manner of planting, sprouting, transplanting, repotting and relocating house plants and fertilizing. Wednesday through Saturday are good days to weed, cut, clear and close as we move into November and shift gears to activities which aren’t weather-dependent.
Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)
Sunday, Oct. 28: With the Gemini Moon void-of-course (VOC) until 7:30 pm, it would be good to keep things on the light side while avoiding major decisions or agreements. Otherwise, today would be an excellent day for long, leisurely brunches, phone calls, short journeys, social gatherings or settling down with a good book. Once the Moon enters Cancer at 7:30 pm, we might notice an attitude shift from the mental to the emotional with a stronger emphasis on home, family, parents and security concerns. Soft comforts close to home are highly favored tonight.
Monday, Oct. 29: Big news greets us first thing this morning with a major emphasis or gigantic exaggeration grabbing the headlines (Mercury conjunct Jupiter). This is an ideal combination for public speaking, negotiations, writing, study or blowing a blast of hot air. The imagination takes the driver’s seat just after sunset while our attention may turn toward matters involving health and healing modalities as we move further into the evening hours (Mercury trine Chiron).
Tuesday, Oct. 30: The Cancer Moon continues to lend a more emotional tone to most interactions throughout the day with a spike in energy levels first thing this morning. News and information dominate the evening hours before the Moon shifts gears at 10:42 pm when it enters Leo, pointing to sudden changes in mood and temperament before turning in for the night.
Wednesday, Oct. 31: Halloween/Samhain. Shortly after midnight, Mercury exits Scorpio for the big skies of Sagittarius which would suggest a loud explosion of political and ideological hoo-haw that will continue to find expression for about six weeks, due to Mercury turning retrograde in Sagittarius on Nov. 16 (the same day Venus ends retrograde). Blah. Blah. Blah. Sudden shifts and surprising news are possible today, but this shouldn’t surprise anyone (Venus opposed Uranus; Mercury quincunx Uranus). Abrupt changes of fortune, unexpected developments in the way of relationships as well as eccentric or unusual approaches to love and sexuality could also be in evidence today. In general terms, it might be difficult to keep things on track due to the Leo Moon entering its Last Quarter Phase during the early afternoon as adjustments may need to be made. This is a cue to begin putting a wrap on projects which were set into motion three weeks ago while avoiding any new initiatives. Finally, Venus retrogrades back over the cusp into her native sign of Libra where there may be reconsiderations with regard to current relationships or partnerships while we should keep in mind that Venus retro may be skewing our perceptions with regard to such things.
Thursday, Nov. 1: Día de Muertos. We could still be reeling from yesterday’s commotion as we deal with a late-morning confrontation or angry projection bringing us to a sudden awareness that has been lacking in recent days. Matters involving money and health loom large on the radar with a strong emphasis on alternative healing modalities (Jupiter trine Chiron). Whatever has been taking place recently could manifest as a dramatic exaggeration later tonight.
Friday, Nov. 2: With the waning Moon now in Virgo we could find ourselves sorting through the details of whatever has come to our attention in recent weeks and the final stretch ahead of Tuesday’s election. A tighter mental focus is indicated during the late morning hours while efforts to get through to someone may gain traction just after sunset. Social interactions are favored tonight with a strong emphasis on the details of any given subject as long as we avoid a tendency toward being overly critical.
Saturday, Nov. 3: The Virgo Moon keeps us focused on the details while encouraging fall projects around the house that involve clearing, cleaning, sorting and organizing. A renewed focus on establishing healthy boundaries with our close familiars might also arise today although this shouldn’t involve any kind of ultimatum, especially with Venus retrograde. Preparations are being made for the one-hour time-warp as clocks across the land magically reset themselves sixty minutes into the past during the overnight hours while most of us are asleep. Presto!
Copyright 2018 Gary Paul Glynn