Starcodes horoscopes for week of October 3 - 9, 2008

by Heather Roan Robbins

Something which does not show up in our ephemeris – but astrologers watch carefully- is the Sun’s cycle of activity. The Sun usually fluctuates on a roughly eleven year cycle, quiescent to aurora-causing solar storms. This Cycle is synchronous with our general level of action here on earth;  when the Sun is quiet, we may talk a good game but it is hard to motivate the collective community for political or cultural change; we tend to work with the answers we have. When the Sun grows active, our politics heats up as we grow hungry for new answers; peak cycles in history appeared around the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and during the mid- 60’s. The Solar flares turn up the volume of all other aspects, and these Solar fluctuation tend to coordinate with our own oscillations between more conservative politics and more liberal fluctuations.

The last Solar Cycle energize a conservative revolution and peaked in 2000-2002 with a relatively quiet maximum flare, in the intervening years the Sun calmed down to its quietest spell in over 50 years. The first Sunspot of the new cycle, expected to swing towards a more liberal search, appeared on January 4th; it was relatively small storm in the grand scale of the Sun, only about as wide as Earth, but initiate a  beginning of a turning of the tide, a change that we expected to build momentum if the Sun activated as expected on its regular 11-year schedule this summer. But instead the Sun quieted down (lots of coronal prominences, but no spots or storms) and momentum faltered.

We just saw the next Sun spot in late September, correlating with the onset of the announcement of the recent economic crisis and another surge for change, but then the Sun smoothed out, again it stirred the pot, but the momentum dropped for real reform. Though we’ve seen a few  spots, the new Solar cycle is long overdue; it’s expected to cycle any minute now into a very active, history-carving, change-producing maximum over the next few years, but the Sun is capricious and works on its own time table, we’ll just have to keep our eyes open.

This on-again off-again pattern toward change was echoed by Pluto, as it first entered Capricorn last January 26 (for the first time since the American revolutionary era), then Pluto retrograde back to Sagittarius June 14 and took its pressure off, briefly. We backed off its new agenda of reform and went back to finish up personal agenda from the last decade. Pluto enters Capricorn again at the end of November, beginning a decade-long reorganization of how we build and structure business, government and structural foundations.

We have some help from Saturn and Jupiter, both now in earth signs and encouraging us to work together to handle the earth stuff, the material form of our world. Saturn in Virgo has been bugging us to get practical since it left melodramatic and big-spending Leo a year ago and entered Virgo, the hardworking sign of the harvest. Saturn is also moving into an opposition with change-master Uranus, exact on election day. This aspect can literally shake the foundations, it challenges the status quo and is sometimes associated with earthquakes or other fundamental shifts. It requires change, but leaves up to us the direction of the change. The last time these two were opposite, also in a very active solar cycle, was 1965.

If we, as a country and as global citizens, are willing to do our work, make the adjustments needed, pair down to the bedrock and be willing to build up one brick upon anther sold brick, we will be able to make it through the next few years with grace. But if we tray to avoid changing the very nature of how we do business, how we organize our world, then the next few years will be an earth quake.

As October begins we’re urged into action by a series of Mars aspects, but consensus decisions can be painfully hard to come by with Mercury retrograde in Libra until Oct 16. Our thinking is fuzzy and we have incomplete information. This Mercury is great for fiction of all kinds, but can scramble our judgment and our communications. We may have to go back into the past to dig up some clue or missing piece to clarify our situation, and we really have to want to see the truth, not just our hopes and fears, whether we’re looking at our love life or our economy.

Mercury Retrograde does help us repair what was broken, do what should have been done a long time ago, but it’s not an easy time to start a whole new process; we just don’t have all the facts at hand.

As the week progresses, the consequences of our actions becomes more apparent for better or worse. We may have to take a scalpel to our plans and make some surgical decisions as Mars aspects Pluto and Saturn and then enters Scorpio. It will be important to see the benefits of restraint; feel everything we feel (expect flashes of anger or frustration) but let our wisest selves take action.

Mars Joins Venus in no-nonsense Scorpio this weekend and provokes three intense responses: to introspect, to get suspicious and investigate the motives and means of all suspects, and to get even. it is not a forgiving place, but does encourage us to look inwards, and to get to the bottom of a problem. Scorpio loves extremes, it can send us to plumb the depths of discouragement, but also encourages us to take on an impossible challenge and increases our concentration and awesome willpower– if we choose to engage. The gloves are off, let’s choose carefully how we proceed.

Friday, Oct 3 thoughtful morning, we need a break to think clearly. No nagging. Energy picks up and some last-minute solutions are found this afternoon as the Moon enters Sagittarius. Edges sharpen tonight as Mars enters Scorpio; vent wisely, anger is easily misplaced.

Saturday, Oct 4 spelunk in the soul but don’t get caught under the rocks. This afternoon it feels good to move, gets the frustration out of the body, just keep the timetable loose. Bonding on collaboration improves options and optimism later, look for medicine in laughter tonight.

Sunday, Oct 5 hard consequences make people opinionated and uncooperative early, but soften with opportunities for healing midday. Sadness can instigate compassionate action as Venus aspects Pluto then Jupiter later.

Monday, Oct 6 offers real competence under a Capricorn Moon. Take an opportunity to grow but watch for crimes of excess. Let the words flow, there’s lots to say, lots to do, but stay on firm ground as the Sun conjuncts Mercury and both square Jupiter.

Tuesday, Oct 7, leadership mingles with ambition, look for a real path up the mountain as the Moon conjuncts Jupiter. Rebuild organizational structure and the rest follows. Be generous but not fulsome with recognition; we need to feel trusted and to have our work recognized or we pull away.

Wednesday, Oct 8 work together for the common good as Moon enters Aquarius and Sun trines healing Chiron. Personal angers are understandable, but self-indulgent; stick to what furthers. We can respect and learn from elders and old wisdoms, whether or not we agree with them; look for an opportunity to heal a sense of personal authority in self and others as Saturn and the Sun aspect Chiron.

Thursday, Oct 9, talk it out even if words stumble. Collaboration cooks, creative solutions can be found and our love life calls for spice as Venus trines Uranus.

For more on sunspots, see www.spaceweather.com, for more on sunspots and history, see www.carolemoore.net , for more on the astrology of the year, see www.roanrobbins.com