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October begins with a bang. Early in the month, Mars in Leo squares Jupiter in Taurus on Oct. 3, 2011 asking us to take a bold, courageous leap of faith as we enter a new world. It is always wise to look before you leap, but this is calling for an inner faith as we move boldly towards living out our greatest potential.

Also Venus is in conjunction to Juno suggesting there is no such thing as a perfect relationship or partner. But in letting go of the need for perfection, and learning to trust and co-operate there can be the experience of something passionate, sweet and beautiful that truly lasts the test of time.

Late last month the Libra New Moon followed by Venus’ conjunction to Saturn, ushered us into an important cycle of restoring crucial balance. As we enter October the Sun and Mercury follow in Venus’ footsteps making conjunctions to Saturn, suggesting in no uncertain terms: this month is due to be a milestone in our journey.

On Oct. 6, 2011 Mercury conjuncts Saturn, and on Oct. 7, 2011 Venus in Libra trines Neptune in Aquarius. We are likely to be solidifying important commitments and love is certainly in the air. But this will require maturity and an appreciation of beauty and acceptance of what is, rather than trying to force an issue or lay down the law. Be firm yet flexible as you negotiate arrangements, healthy boundaries and lay solid foundations for peace, harmony and co-operation.

At the time of the Aries Full Moon on Oct. 12, 2011, we can expect important revelations within relationships. The challenge will be to balance personal needs with the needs of another within all one to one relationships. Mercury in a harmonious trine to Neptune suggests: with a little effort there can be honest conversations that bring deep understanding, helping clear the air within important situations.

Rather than try to please or worry about being too diplomatic, speak fairly as you look at win-win scenarios. This could be a rather romantic and passionate time, and something you hear could be music to your ears, bringing a sense of relief or freedom from something that may have weighed heavily on your mind. Also, Mars trines the Great Attractor at this time suggesting with a little passion, creativity and courage we can attract and create the opportunities we need.

As much as this Full Moon mid-month, marks the end of a chapter we stand at the threshold of a new phase due to take us far into the future and this is a time we will long look back on when we finally put the past behind us. This is a time we will long look back on when we finally put the past behind us and took a bold step forward towards creating the life of our dreams.

Honest communication and negotiation will be key in relationships and financial situations to create the balance of power we need. There may be difficult choices to be made, but trust these are going a long way in solidifying commitments, bringing understanding, creating equality as each person carries his or her own weight and responsibility.

We are laying foundations for the future and the more earnest we can be during the first half of the month to restore balance, the easier it will be to navigate through changes later in the month as the tide turns when the planets move from Libra to Scorpio asking for deeper trust and surrender.

Venus enters Scorpio early in the month on Oct. 9, followed by Mercury on Oct. 13 [the day after the Full Moon on the same day as the Sun-Saturn conjunction], and finally the Sun enters Scorpio on Oct. 23, 2011 just before the New Moon at the end of the month on Oct. 26, 2011 at 3+ degrees of the sign.

Expect financial situations and relationships to go through a deep transformation during the second half of the month, drawing us deeper into connections with others. This will require us to confront darker fears of commitment, feeling out of control, being controlled, feeling powerless, manipulated and deeply naked and vulnerable in situations.

Use the first half of the month to establish healthy boundaries and recognize your own power and authority to make choices in your  life. Then it will be easier to merge with others later in the month with greater trust, awareness and self-consciousness without feeling controlled or feeling the need to manipulate a situation.

The Sun’s ingress into Scorpio marks Fall in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring, South of the Equator. Two days before in India, the Scorpio Moon, (when the Moon is in its Balsamic phase) marks Diwali the festival of lights and the Hindu New Year. Personally, this is the time of the year that has always seemed the most mysterious and magical to me; long before I understood its astrological significance and the very real forces of energy at work.

Scorpio is a deeply alchemical sign and above all represents a process of evolution. This is a water sign; but it is water in the process of transformation when it changes states from liquid (base primal emotions and energy: sex, fear, lust, power, desire, attachment) to vapor (ethereal spirit and indestructible soul awareness.) And for this transformation to occur, there are external forces and conditions of heat and pressure that need to be applied. And so it is in our lives.

There may be external forces now that seem out of our control acting upon us, asking for change. This doesn’t mean we have to surrender to pressure or allow ourselves to be forced into anything. Change can come from the outside in or inside out and only in letting go of trying to control a situation, can one discover one’s true power, inner light and indestructible spirit and allow it to guide us through the unknown safely to the other side.

By the time of the Scorpio New Moon on Oct. 26, 2011 we enter an extremely passionate, powerful, fertile new cycle. Venus squares Mars at the time of the lunation; Mercury squares Mars and Jupiter trines Pluto the day after.

The time before a New Moon is a time of release of the old, to seed a new cycle. Especially in Scorpio, the days before the lunation can feel like the death of something and will call for a deep letting go. The darkest hour is always just before the dawn and the less we cling to what is changing or dying the easier, more painless and quicker is the release, resurrection and transformation.

The energy of Scorpio contains within it the mysteries of life, death and re-birth and this New Moon is a especially magical, fertile new cycle for relationships, creative and financial situations. Address consciously all your attachments to pain, fear of commitment, a darker past, any history of addiction and or abuse, sexual wounds. The more you can become aware of them you can release the hold they have on you and your life. In surrender, there can be liberation.

Perhaps the most fortuitous, solid, and stabilizing aspect occurs as Jupiter trines Pluto on Oct. 28 days after the New Moon. Do not underestimate the power of this aspect and this New Moon to bring forth great magic. Seed this cycle with your best intentions and that is what will bear fruit.

Jupiter in Taurus first trined Pluto in Capricorn on July 7, 2011 while in direct motion, while Pluto was retrograde. Now as the planets trine each other again on Oct. 28, 2011 and the roles are reversed: Jupiter is retrograde and Pluto is direct, and in some ways it may seem like the tables have turned in an important situation that first began to unfold back in July.

Jupiter will make the third and final trine aspect to Pluto on on Mar. 13, 2012 when both planets will be in direct motion; bringing solid resolution, stabilization and progress with this longer process now unfolding. We are learning to let go of external conditioning and superficial rules to discover personal worth and integrity.

There are huge changes occurring and for all that seems precarious things are actually solidifying. And the changes even if they feel slow in coming, or under the surface, or you feel in the dark about something, you can trust this a permanent process of resurrection to reveal the hidden potential in something.

Also, anytime Venus and Mars aspect each other relationships come into focus and in the case of the Scorpio New Moon it certainly highlights sexual, intimate and financial relationships. We are learning to find a balance between personal and mutual desires. It may be scary to go deeper within a commitment but the emphasis here is on shared values and resources. This is also very creative energy and we could be sowing seeds for an empire if we can use and share our resources, talents and energy wisely.

There is something potentially golden and solid resurrecting in the ashes of the past. Trust this and be guided by your deepest part of your soul. To quote Albert Einstein: “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.” And as we enter November for all that is unknown, we will be entering a rather magical, bountiful new phase. Be open to the divine mystery of it all…

— Priya Kale, NYC, Oct. 2, 2011.

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