October 2022: Horoscopes for Moderns
The month jump starts itself with a harsh Mars Neptune entanglement and a shocking close to the ongoing Saturn Uranus square.
“The universe is change, life is opinion.” —Marcus Aurelius
OCTOBER BLOWS UP fairly quickly with a set of high tension aspects—the exciting ones—occurring within the first week or so. Two central themes are at play. But first, let’s talk squares (the planetary angle sorts).
The square is the unloved component in astrology and given humanity’s Manichaeistic ideas about good/bad, or difficult/easy—and people's tendency towards sloth—they’ve gained a sinister reputation.
If it weren’t for the squares in my chart (that touch off the water trines) I’d probably be living in a van somewhere down by a river, collecting food stamps, and reading romance novels non-stop. (Not that there’s anything wrong with van-living, or romance novels).
Squares generate. Squares galvanize. Squares make you crazy so you’re forced to get off of your ass and figure stuff out. Give thanks to the 90-degree shit-kicker.
So, right out of the gate this month Venus opposes Jupiter, and then a week later Mars squares Neptune. A refinement (or reevaluation) of what we seek from our interpersonal relationships is highlighted. More importantly what is imagined in distinction to what’s realistic. Whatever you’re projecting on to others needs to be reeled in returned to its place of origin: oneself.
Venus-Jupiter aspects, albeit short and quick, can trigger a compulsion for heightened levity and increased latitude in our social world. This is fitting. After years of COVID a lot of people have forgotten how to put themselves out there. So re-engage for goddess’ sake. This is the month to stop binge streaming.
The Mars Neptune square takes whatever urge for freedom we come away with from the Venus-Jupiter opposition and adds a weird twist. Classic Mars Neptune themes conjure peculiar alchemies:
• action with passivity
• domination with submission
• purposefulness with goalless rambling.
How does one work with such hybrid mixtures? The next six months will reveal a lot about how apparitions (Neptune) are put to work (Mars) as this aspect will drift around in our brain pans, as Mars continues a long transit in Gemini.
Mars finally exits Gemini in late March of next year so you’ve plenty of time to put this spiritualization of the libido to work. Tantra anyone? How will you work with this chimerical Mars-Neptune alignment? Let me know in the comments.
Way trickier than the above two transits is the final pass between Saturn and Uranus, forming an almost-exact square on October 4. Some takeaways:
• Saturn in Aquarius (precise mental discipline) and Uranus in Taurus (practical perfection) have forced each of us to confront the following truth: Without putting skin in the game you can’t expect traction for your dream.
• When folks have asked me about this transit I offer a condensed response: “Something’s gotta give.” Because Saturn’s key function is to preserve, and Uranus’s is to shatter.
• What’s certain and dependable for Saturn is boorish and outdated for Uranus. And yet these two impulses need to harmonize to express what’s essential about their functions. What is wrought?
In mundane astrology, this aspect can play out in predatory and violent ways, as we’re seeing this week with international law (Saturn) being broken (Uranus) with Russia’s annexation of Ukraine. Put this together with the lingering Mars Neptune square and we’re living through some dangerous times re the tricky (Gemini) actions (Mars) of fanciful (Pisces) madmen (Neptune).
Here are your horoscopes for September. Note: These are not rising sign horoscopes. I fashion each overview by considering your Sun sign.