There’s a few things I wanted to point out about this week’s planetary hijinx. I am going to also focus on the eclipse, even though it happens next Tuesday. It happens in the wee hours of Monday morning on the West coast, and I want us to have time to prepare, to the extent that it is possible. That may actually be laughable. But at least you'll have an idea which area of your life is most likely to be jolted. Also, I need next week's Scopes to talk about Mars retrograde. So yep…this is an intense period of changes we are coming up on.
The planets this week give us a little foreshadowing of the eclipse energy. There’s a variety of transits that indicate some turbulence in relationships, and we may struggle to find solutions to problems in various areas of life. There are 6 quincunxes, 7 transits involving Venus, 6 involving Mercury, and the Sun is involved in 8 transits this week! If you look back at past BitchScopes, that’s a lot of Sun activity in one week! The Sun and Venus both shift into Scorpio, and that’s the shift from commitment to intimacy, so put on your goggles and get ready to dive deep.
I like to characterize our big 3 in astrology as follows. Our physical body is a car. The Sun is like the engine, how powerful it is, how much torque it has, how loud it is, how it performs. It is literally what powers your fleshsuit. The Moon is what your car needs - the type of fuel. Is it electric or diesel? Does it need high performance gas and expensive oil changes? The ascendant is the style and color of your car. It is how people recognize you on the road. Is it a car or a truck? Is it flashy or practical? Are there stickers? What do they say? Is the plate personalized? Are the windows tinted? Are you blasting your music?
When the Sun makes a transit either to another planet in the sky or to your natal planets, you should pay attention. We will definitely feel this energy! The Venus transits are all fairly intense as well, and the Mercury transits all indicate a level of seriousness and some mental frustration. Our usual tactics and mental processes aren’t going to work as well as usual. We can’t think our way out of things as effectively as we normally would. Venus indicates that things will be deep and intense. We need more intimacy. The key words for the sun’s interactions are: catharsis, confidence, power struggles, desire for peace, tension, and intensity.
And thennnnnn….we have Saturn stationing direct. The next few months will be a period of integrating and incorporating the lessons Saturn has imparted during retrograde. What have you been learning? What has society been learning? Elections should be very interesting and significant! On the world stage, Ukraine started gaining the upper hand during Saturn’s retrograde. Women in the US have been angrily conspiring about reproductive rights. So let’s see what comes of it.
Now, the eclipse…
In a new moon solar eclipse, the moon comes between the Sun and the Earth blocking the rays of the sun from Earth’s surface and plunging us into temporary darkness. New moons are for manifesting, right? Not this one. It is generally ill-advised to work on manifesting in eclipse energy. This is not a time to charge or bathe your crystals, or try to set intentions. Eclipses naturally have an effect of speeding up timelines. So things set in motion since the last eclipse can be brought to fruition more quickly, but there’s often a curveball of some kind. This is a good time to assess things and take care of unfinished business. If you have feelings you have not dealt with or expressed, get in touch with them. Are your romantic needs being met? This lunation is conjunct Venus to an exact degree, so a heart (or wallet, since Venus rules finances also) reset is likely, though it may feel a bit more like a defibrillator - CLEAR!
Focus on your current connections and the things you feel passionate about in life. Open yourself to see and experience these people and things in a new way. Trust the process. Trust the universe. Because this eclipse is on the South node of the moon, something will end before it begins. This is eclipsing out old energy. That does NOT mean everyone will break up so calm your tits, friends. Scorpio rules all things mysterious and taboo, emotional intensity, intimacy, and exploration of boundaries. Scorpio wants to pull back the veil on hidden desires and motivations.
Here’s how your rising or sun sign can expect to experience this eclipse:
Aries
Time to get emotionally naked! I’m laughing because that was meant to be a little triggery but you’re you. Another sign would be already closing their browser, heehee. Anyway, this eclipse is about connection and intimacy. Your vulnerability may cause passions to stir, so don’t be afraid to go deep. Your real challenge is letting go and letting the intimacy happen without trying to control it.
Taurus
What’s going on with relationships in your world? This eclipse is going to shove you in the direction you need to go, with an emphasis on letting go of old shit. Take time to take emotional inventory and ask yourself to be honest about if your needs are being met or you give too much, etc. Even if you’re in a good relationship, this could be a great reset for you.
Gemini
Since Scorpio rules your 6th house, you are passionate about the ways you work and why.
Your routines are likely to get a little shake up in this eclipse. Routines and habits are what shape our experience of “reality”. Things that force you to change or slow down are things you should pay attention to and ask “what’s happening and what can I learn from this?”
Cancer
I feel like I’ve said this to you a lot this year, but your creative sector is getting a blast from this eclipse. Finish up old projects that feel worth it, and start up some new ones based on any jolts of inspiration you get. Eclipses move us forward, so don’t be afraid to try something new and expand your repertoire. This placement (5th house) also rules children. So if there is unfinished business between you and one of your offspring, see if you can get it finished up, ironed out, etc.
Leo
This eclipse is a chance for you to examine your current home and family and see if you’ve built what you wanted to build. The 4th house is also a sentimental house, so you’re likely to be thinking about childhood holiday memories and things of that nature as well. What did you successfully end that was unhealthy? What may you have forgotten to bring forward out of the past that is lovely?
Virgo
Your current way of thinking or communicating is likely to get a shake up in this eclipse. This isn’t so much a change in what you believe, so much as how you receive and offer information. Scorpio is very psychic energy, so tap in to your intuition. I’m a big believer that using pen and paper to get information out of the conscious and unconscious mind, so do some automatic writing or some journaling and see what comes up.
Libra
The eclipse is giving a kick in the pants to your 2nd house of earned money and security. Do you feel secure? Are your finances where you want them? Are you stretching too much? You may have to compromise somewhere in your budget. Scorpio is very intuitive so you probably already know what this is, but the eclipse will move you forward on your timeline for better or worse, so do a little emotional homework.
Scorpio
Well obviously this eclipse hits you right in your 1st house of identity. How are you feeling in your fleshsuit these days? Do you know who you are right now? If you answered “No”, you’re right on track. As I’ve said before, when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it has to dissolve into goo first, and you may be in the goo phase. The changes that come from this period are needed, and ultimately it will feel better so try not to fight it and just go with the gooey flow for now.
Sagittarius
Spiritual questions are one of your fortes. You think and philosophize in a way that is unique and needed. During this eclipse, beliefs can either come into question, or be surfacing from the past for reexamination. You’re leveling up spiritually, so its time to get clear on some things and let some things go. Tie up loose ends and offer forgiveness where you feel prompted. Beliefs that don’t resonate with who you are now need to be released.
Capricorn
This eclipse can shake up your friends and associations. Because eclipses move us forward rapidly, you may be thrust into a new group of some kind due to other circumstances in your life (job change or house move for example). Some connections may end suddenly, or finally. This just clears the way for a new tribe. This house also rules your hopes and dreams. Do your dreams align with your current identity and life?
Aquarius
This eclipse puts you in the spotlight. This can mean a promotion, raise, acknowledgement or some other move up the ladder. But beginnings and endings happen essentially in the same space. Don’t freak out and assume this means you’re losing your job. But changes are necessary for growth and this lunation is a fast forward kind of vibe. This is also an area of your chart that rules authority figures, or your own authority. So this eclipse might boot you forward and make you reclaim your personal power.
Pisces
This is an interesting place for an eclipse because this happens in a truth seeking house (the 9th), and Scorpio loves to dig for the truth. This lunation is going to propel you forward and ask you to reexamine your spirituality, how you define truth and expand your horizons. That all sounds very heady. You may just be shoved forward into more travel or worldly experience. This house also rules teaching, so you can be put in a position of sharing your wisdom. On a mundane level, legal stuff will be finalized as a result of this eclipse.
Monday 17 October
Ceres opposite Juno
Mars sextile Eris
Sun opposed Eris
Venus quincunx Neptune
Sun trine Mars
Venus trine Vesta
Jupiter square Chaos
Tuesday 18 October
Venus opposed Eris
Venus trine Mars
Uranus sextile Pallas
Wednesday 19 October
Sun square Pluto
Mercury quincunx North Node
Venus square Pluto
Mercury opposite Chiron
Thursday 20 October
Sun sextile Galactic Center
Saturn quincunx Pallas
Friday 21 October
No pants!
Saturday 22 October
Mercury quincunx Uranus
Sun conjunct Venus
Mercury trine Saturn
Saturn turns direct
Sunday 23 October
Mercury square Pallas
Venus quincunx Jupiter
Sun quincunx Jupiter
Venus enters Scorpio
Sun enters Scorpio
Venus trine Chaos
Monday 24 October
Mercury square Lilith
Tuesday 25 October
NEW MOON/SOLAR ECLIPSE in SCORPIO 3:49 am PDT