Tempted by the Fruit of Another

Venus. She conjures beauty, luxury, and artful living. As the ruler of Libra, the primary zodiac sign of October, she holds an especially prominent place this month.  Even more so by the fact that she turns retrograde motion on Day 4.  While there is much to share about October 2026, Venus is our focal point.

Every 18 months, Venus shifts into reverse gear. You may have been feeling it, at the end of September, Venus slowing down as she prepares to stop and pivot direction.  Normally, she spends 3 weeks in each sign. Now, in Scorpio, Venus will not fully exit this sign until early December due to her retrograde cycle. At the end of October, she will re-enter Libra to recalibrate and rebalance our lives, before turning direct motion in mid-November.

So let’s talk about what Venus retrograde has in store for us, particularly in the signs of Scorpio and Libra.

Venus rules love, money and relationships, all desirable aspects; on a deeper dive, we find Venus isn’t the fair-haired surface dweller she’s often portrayed to be.  To begin with, she rules the root bases of what makes us tick, what propels our interests.  Venus governs our values, skills, talents, self-worth and self-esteem. In short, if we want the good life: love, money and all that comes with it, we must be in right relationship to our values.

We feel the influence of interior planetary shifts much more, such as Mercury, Mars and Venus since they orbit closer to Earth.  A reminder here that retrograde cycles are not negative.  They are part of the natural order to refresh and renew energy; as such, it is helpful to apply the RE words when navigating this October.  Research, restore, review, remember, renovate…  October through early November is not the time to initiate new projects or relationships, in other words, hold off on beginning investments of time, energy or money until mid-November.

Venus is not very comfortable in soulful, psychic Scorpio.  She much prefers the sign she rules light and airy Libra. So when Valuable Venus comes to a standstill in the sky on Sunday, October 4^th, she sends a message.  We feel her flex. In Scorpio, we feel her reach into the deepest corners of ourselves: our power, sexuality, shared financial assets, and yes, our soul.

Venus isn’t messing around, driving her message home as she doubles down, tightly cojoined to Messenger Mercury in Scorpio.  Both planets challenge Mars in Leo.  The opportunity and challenge are one and the same: stop pretending, stop making excuses, and face matters at hand. Follow your soul’s calling.  Your ability to look yourself in the mirror hang in the balance.  Time to revisit your values, the basis for solid self-worth and self-esteem .

Enter temptation.  Venus in the sign of Scorpio offers copious amounts of temptation: an illicit affair, spending money on ridiculously expensive luxuries aka things you cannot afford, or power trips to satisfy our ego are just a few of the ways Venus retrograde in Scorpio shows up.

So here’s a pro tip: between October 4^th and November 15^th, ask whether you can delay spending time and money on a certain person or product. If your wallet and relationships can afford to wait, then hold off until mid-November. Here’s why:

Scorpio rules desire and retrograde Scorpio Venus has infinite tricks up her sleeve.  She’ll titillate, tempt and tease just for the fun of it.  The Fear Of Missing Out (or FOMO), that hesitating means missing an opportunity, dominates October.  Watch for hard-sell pressure tactics and deals you simply cannot refuse.  Pause, and ask whether you can live without that piece of jewelry, or exercise self-control before jumping into bed with that gorgeous married man, or make a deal later on?   The thing of it is: you can.  This month, you should.  Buyer’s remorse is rampant during October. 

Temptation serves a purpose.  Think of it as a measuring stick for your soul to estimate how much you have grown.  Mature souls will be able to gauge whether a person or prospect is for real.  Scorpio is the detective with Xray vision.  It scans prospective relationships and prospects, sifting treasure from trash.  Scorpio has infinite staying power. The question is:  will you succumb to the quick fix only to be disappointed later on?

For the whole month, Messenger Mercury in Scorpio drives Venus to explore more, ask the harder questions and look under the hood rather than signing straight away on the dotted line.  Before you commit to anything or anyone, before you act on impulse, ask direct, forthright, and open-ended questions; this is particularly essential from October 4^th to Monday, October 13^th when so much is kept under wraps or intentionally hidden away from view.  Heading into any New Moon, our visibility is reduced. The October 10^th New Moon cycle is no exception. 

In Libra, the New Moon invites us to be scrupulously honest in our relationships, especially with our own self.  Libra seeks to balance and bring to order what is chaotic. And boy is Mars in Leo stirring the pot.  Leo Mars just wants to have fun, to leap before looking; yet Mercury and Venus are still bound together in Scorpio tell us something just doesn’t feel right.  Trust your gut. 

Even if everyone is telling you to just do it, now is the time to follow your intuition and instincts.  Powerful Pluto is about to turn direct motion in Aquarius, ramping up peer pressure. However, pay attention to what you can feel that others may not know.  Let them call you crazy.  You have information and intelligence that some are not privy to…for a reason. Your spidey senses and X Ray vision heighten and tingle through October 13^th as the Moon joins Messenger Mercury and Venus. 

When Pluto does turn direct on Saturday, October 17^th, it squarely challenges Venus in Scorpio.  Talk about throwing down the gauntlet!  The energy presents as entrenched group- think versus following what each person knows to be their right and true path.  Watch for group power dynamics, being the odd one out, or firmly standing your ground, or conflicts about matters of gender, sexuality and joint assets or shared resources.

Follow the cues Venus retrograde is laying down:  Research and Review. Use October wisely to do your homework.  Mid-November will be here soon enough to launch initiatives.

In the meantime, Scorpio continues dominating October with its very heavy hand.  Secrecy and power plays abound.  Use this energy wisely to gather information or make anonymous donations.  Otherwise, plan to be discovered if your motives are less than honest.  Any dirty deeds done are eventually revealed, most likely under the approaching Full Moon in Taurus which expects complete accountability. 

Under a waxing Moon, the Scorpio hits keep coming and relentlessly so.  Friday, October 23^rd, Messenger Mercury turns retrograde on the same day that the Sun enters Scorpio tied to Venus. This is very tricky energy.  Mercury doubles down on digging up dirt.  Use this time to research and review facts and finances. The upside of Mercury retrograde simultaneous to that of Venus, with both planets turning direct in mid- November. 

Until then, through November 15^th, it is not the time to book travel, sign significant documents, or buy major items: homes, cars, real estate, or major investments.  If you have an emergency, such as a broken refrigerator, laptop or washing machine, make sure you purchase the extra warranty for any replacement as you may very well need it.

Venus re-enters Libra just as the Taurus Full Moon peaks on Sunday, October 25^th.  Expect significant announcements.  Prepare for messages involving the United States mid-term elections.  

October 2026 is rife with seamy, underhanded, secret moves and grooves.  The kind that only come out at night.   It is not the light and airy Libra October we usually expect or experience.  The opportunity this October is the depth to which we may plummet to learn about a particular subject, or our psyche, soul and its desires.  Will you?

Of Special Note:

Is your intuition calling you?  The 3 Wise Women are veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  Join us!  To enroll:  www.hilaryharley.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen through Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com