An alarming month

A fanciful depiction of war between cats and rats, 12th century

Promise me, as your astrologer, that you’ll eat right, get plenty of rest, and not spend the month of October, 2024 immersed in social media, news media, your phone or even gossip over the back fence. And please try to keep a positive outlook for your life and those dear to you, even when the latest news is definitely alarming.

This will be one of the busiest months I have seen in many years, at least astrologically speaking. And you may consider it to be a month that will affect everyone on the planet in one form or another. Therefore I’m not going to pinpoint any certain signs which may be hard put to find that silver gleam in the black clouds overhanging us all.

A partial eclipse of the Sun October 2 shows the Sun and Moon positions to be square Mars. As my astrology students, you well know Mars gets its knickers in a twist whenever it’s challenged by a square, and this month is no exception. Frankly, there’ll be a square between Mars and the Sun virtually all month long. If that isn’t enough to sour Mars’ warlike disposition, Mars will be opposing Pluto. This is somewhat akin to candles on a birthday cake being lighted by a blow torch. The most practical thing any of us can do is to keep a very tight rein on our tempers and leave sarcastic comments unsaid. There is no reason to destroy a friendship or a business partnership with nasty remarks or a juvenile tantrum.

Emotions still run high at the quarter Moon when it is at roughly 13 degrees Capricorn, the Sun at 15 degrees Libra while Mars sulks at 15 degrees Cancer. That’s quite a square, as it involves three Cardinal signs – the signs of leadership, of wanting to lead your particular community, state or even nation (sometimes by brute force), and truthfully, stubbornness and unwillingness to see any other point of view. Shifts in leadership, or perhaps those people unheard and ignored rising up, or even massive natural disasters may make the news a litany of one cataclysm after another. Hold on to what means most to you and refuse to take sides if you can.

Keep in mind Pluto is the sign of atomic/nuclear energy and deep, dark secrets being exposed on a grand scale. That legendary swamp is indeed going to be drained, but we must keep ourselves from being exhausted by the sheer weight of the revelations. The Full Moon October 17 (depending on your time zone) with the Sun in Libra, Moon in Aries and both square (again!) Mars in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn could see literally decades of deception, double-dealing and huge sums of money used in buying and selling power revealed to the nations of the world.

Stay calm. Meditate. Contradictory news reports will inflame your ulcers or your anger if you’re not careful. Take a giant step back and remind yourself you’re not on the world stage (at least most of my students are not), so your part may be to listen to others and be the calm, thoughtful person urging rational discourse instead of throwing bricks. Also take care not to be that person in the middle of the fight if both sides decide they don’t want to listen to reason. Don’t endanger yourself, your friends or your tribe by attempting to pour cool water on flames already out of control. Instead, simply leave. Karma will provide a solution.

When the month and the election are both over, and our nation is still standing in spite of all the negative aspects, consider this: we will all have been tested in a crucible of emotions and fervor, trying to make others see only our point of view. But we are big enough, and our country is big enough, to pull through these trials by fire.