In Between Days
October 2024The time falling in between our occupations, our appointments and scheduled activities is often a most overlooked opportunity. Many race to fill “empty” moments which could otherwise be recognized as sacred chances to wander and wonder.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to simply space out, drift, allow time to carry you away …?
Such is the deliciously ripe chance we find ourselves in as October opens. As the month begins we are in between two of three eclipses, the second of which occurs immediately on Wednesday, October 2nd, and happens to be a New Moon Solar eclipse in Libra.
Contrary to the frantic urge to be productive, we often forget that mind wandering time is similar to sleep, and without it, we cannot function properly. Dream away down time feeds the soul which in turn feeds the engine of our days. Ignore it at your peril. Where some consider time off to be a waste of time, think of it rather as creative juice.
October largely belongs to Libra. Libra allures and attracts us with beauty, art and highly developed relational skills. Ruled by Venus, goddess of love, money, all of the good stuff, Libra teaches us to balance. Who among us hasn’t given away our time, talents, resources and energy only to run smack into resentment for not factoring our own needs and agenda into the equation?
Balance is the primary theme, then, of October, marked as it is by two significant eclipses in Libra. As a reminder: eclipses are neither bad nor good. When they impact your astrology chart directly, eclipses say pay attention. In Libra they point out where our lives may be in need of realignment and rebalancing. Where might this be for you?
In modern life, beauty is much maligned, both over hyped as well as denigrated. Have you left beauty somewhere by the wayside of your own life? Forgotten how snappy a polished pair of shoes looks? How charming a vase of flowers can be? How satisfying a walk through works of art feels?
This is Libra.
Much like in-between time, Libra’s greatest gift of beauty gets put down and pushed aside in our rush to get ahead.
The Libra New Moon solar eclipse on October 2nd is tightly bound to Messenger Mercury offering a significant window to set clear intentions. Take time handwriting three to five goals you seek to manifest over the next month or season; then plant in the earth or set safely alight. Decision making is key now. With Sun, Moon, Mercury and the Lunar south node all in Libra, we carefully weigh all choices. Remember: there are no wrong decisions. There is ONLY learning.
Libra can see every single angle, both pro and con, of the options at hand. What should tip the veritable scales of your choices is casting a vote for yourself. Especially as Libra tends to forget itself entirely, so focused is it on everyone else in our lives. By all means, take into account whatever choice benefits you the most. This is not selfish as many of us have been taught. Our own potential and well-being are of equal importance as are the myriad agendas factoring into your equation.
One week later, cosmic gear shifts as we move toward mid-month and the second eclipse. The planetary baton is passed.
First, Generous Jupiter comes to a standstill and turns retrograde on Tuesday, October 8th. We do not feel the forward and reverse motions of the outer planets as we do the interior planets Mercury, Venus and Mars that are closer to the Earth. Nonetheless, if you have important affairs to launch or get a move on, the energy may feel sluggish from October 7-9.
In communicative Gemini, Jupiter sends a message now: are we listening as much as we are talking? Are you allowing quiet, down time (again with the down time!) to gather information and integrate all data points? This reminder is the gift of Jupiter retrograde in Gemini, to pay attention, to hear, in equal measure to sharing and talking.
Only two days later, on Thursday, October 10th, Powerful Pluto turns direct motion in Capricorn. Tied to the moon, Pluto says clearly: get down to business. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Actions speak a whole lot louder than words now. Opposite Motivating Mars in Cancer, the Pluto-Moon duo in Capricorn emphasize the gravity of the current moment, especially as pertains to our family, home, diet or food, country/nation and ancestral heritage.
Push has come to shove and it is time for decisive action.
To underscore this brass tacks moment, Messenger Mercury turns into transformational Scorpio on Sunday, October 13th. With its X ray vision and unparalleled bull shit detector, Scorpio Mercury roots out any dirt swept under the proverbial rug. What it uncovers, it readily reveals. Feel the burn. Anyone trying to pull a fast one or pull the wool over another’s eyes, will feel the burn, the infamous Scorpio sting. Simply: they won’t get away with anything. Talk about power moves. Now is the time to let your power swing.
The combined energetic gravitas tees us up beautifully for the final eclipse of 2024. Brought to you by balls to the walls, this Full Moon lunar eclipse on Thursday, October 17th in Aries and Libra directly challenges heavy weights Mars and Pluto. If you did not get the hint the prior week, you will be bowled over now. Supposedly everlasting structures and power dynamics may fall like dominoes. What remains post eclipse is intended to stay for the duration.
The message: love comes first, family (or people who feel like family), your home, nation, ancestral conditioning and programming, what and how you consume food, life endings, and estate matters are all significantly in play now. This eclipse is a call to action, to get a move on like few others. Expect some very big announcements now.
The great news is: The Full Moon tightly conjoins healer Chiron.
In the wake of old structures collapsing, new pathways emerge. Beckoning to us is are invitations to explore new types of healing. What alternative therapies have you thought about but not yet tried? Do that. Book a trial session; try new foods or ways of cooking, investigate ancestral patterns impacting you or your loved ones; prepare estate plans.
Helping us put our explorer hat on, Valuable Venus turns into Sagittarius the very next day, Friday, October 18th. Here, Venus is up for anything, game to try what she hasn’t done before. Unabashed and definitely unafraid, Sagittarius Venus cannot wait to hit the trail and see where adventure takes her.
Messenger Mercury in Scorpio and Venus in Sagittarius create one powerful planetary combination. Together we see everything and everyone clearly, speak our minds regardless of who might be offended, telling ribald truths, and peeling away antiquated distortions and expectations of how life is supposed to be.
A question for anyone still thinking along these lines: how IS life actually supposed to be? And according to whom? Chances are, the answers will not hold water, much less survive the earth shattering honesty of October. Truth telling is not for the faint of heart. So do not expect to win popularity contests or curry favor for speaking your truth.
On Tuesday, October 22nd the Sun turns into Scorpio. Joining Mercury, the Sun lays bare any attempts to shade the truth. We intuitively see, feel, and know with uncanny accuracy the essence of our personal and work lives. Heavy lifting now follows. What once is seen cannot be unseen. You ARE up for the task ahead. You’ve uncovered the dirt hidden by that old rug. Just look there in the pile underneath: a treasure awaits, to bring out of the shadows and into the light. What will you do with your treasure?
Of special note:
So honored to appear on the Life with Ghosts podcast recently. Hosts Stephen Berkley and Gary Langley offered a lively discussion with challenging questions about the soul, astrology, its purpose as a guidance tool, and much more. This is one episode to give a listen. To tune in, go to YouTube, Life with Ghosts episode 18: https://youtu.be/FpJSATYeaSQ
3 Wise Women: Join veteran medium Cathy Ripley Greene, psychic intuitive Veronica Drake and me the first Tuesday of each month @6 pm via zoom for metaphysical community and conversation. We tackle questions large and small. Come find your tribe! $10 session or $110 for the year. www.cathyripleygreene.com or www.hilaryharley.com to enroll.