FULL MOON IN TAURUS

This Full Moon in Taurus marks the half-way turning point in the current 4-week lunar cycle. Ruled by bountiful Venus, this can be a time of increased desire for sensual pleasure, comfort, luxury or wealth. It could bring benefits, resources or prosperity; or the urge or need to spend money. Its energy may call on you to reflect on and act according to your values. This Earth sign seeks rewards for past efforts, or you can plant seeds for the future. As a Fixed sign, Taurus wants to protect your abundance and creature comforts..

Venus enters Libra

Venus glides like a graceful model through her own sign of Libra, giving you the opportunity to expand your interactive style, cultivate diplomacy, beautify your surroundings, schmooze with social connections, and discover a new fashion statement. Find something beautiful, balanced or harmonious to appreciate or do during this time. You might consider visiting an art gallery, or watch a romantic movie, or listen to music that moves you into a peaceful place inside. You might feel drawn to going shopping for beautiful clothes or items to decorate your home. It can also be a good time to negotiate agreements with people, in a way that is fair and is focused on a win-win solution. Do something to celebrate, express and discover your inner and/or outer beauty. Find new ways to balance your own interests with those of others, which generates good will and harmony.

United Kingdom begins Standard Time

If you live in the UK, Europe or in the Middle East, and if your region observes Daylight Saving Time, it's time to move your clocks one hour BACK. If you're not sure if this applies to you, check the change dates for your location on DateAndTime.com.

Mercury goes Retrograde

Yes, it's that time again! Mercury goes retrograde for the next 3+ weeks. For up to a week before and after today, Mercury is moving very slowly or stopped (hence "stationary" or "making a station"). During this time, you may experience intensity, frustration, confusion, miscommunications, or feel like you're getting bogging down in your progress.

Mercury retrograde is usually a time when it is a good time to rethink, rehash, reflect, and tie up old loose ends, rather than begin new ventures. It is typical for new insights and information to emerge later in the retrograde cycle that you didn't anticipate, which can change the whole picture. Because of this, it is usually advised to avoid making final or permanent decisions (e. g. , signing contracts or putting new projects into action), during the retrograde and even up to 2 weeks after Mercury goes direct. However, it is an excellent time to do fact-finding, research and investigation to prepare for major decisions, which are usually best put off until well after Mercury goes direct.

In the meantime, while Mercury is retrograde, expect the unexpected, and leave lots of extra time when planning your schedule (to minimize any disruptions from delays and complications). Stay flexible and learn to roll with the weirdness. It's common to have to reschedule appointments or redo things because the instructions or information got messed up the first time. Do some things that use your intuitive, creative, non-rational mind for a while until Mercury goes direct again.

If you absolutely must do something important during this time that can't be postponed, don't be surprised if you wind up having to redo things. It can help to be especially vigilant about triple-checking what you do, but some of these mishaps can't always be predicted or prevented, so don't be hard on yourself (nor on others). Remember: Mercury loves to play practical jokes. This is his playtime. ;-) It helps to learn to laugh with him.

This particular Mercury retrograde cycle is in Scorpio, challenging you to look beyond the obvious. What you see might not be very comforting, and disagreements or upsets may arise. Consider that what you're picking up may be the Jungian shadow peeking out from below the surface of a situation, which can provoke reactions of anger, frustration, outrage, depression or even shame. It might be hard to know how to be reasonable, objective or responsible. This energy is best waded through one careful step at a time.

Mercury makes the following aspects during this retrograde cycle (all dates in North American Eastern Time):

• Mercury sqr Mars ~ Oct 2 (02:29 SC/LE), Oct 30 (17:58 SC/LE), Dec 9 (04:53 SG/VI)
• Mercury qcx Saturn ~ Oct 9 (10:55 SC/AR), Nov 7 (08:55 SC/AR), Nov 20 (08:19 SC/AR)

Here are the key dates of this Mercury cycle (for North American Eastern Time):

• Mercury enters the Shadow ~ Oct 4 (05:02 SC)
• Mercury-Sun greatest elongation PM ~ Oct 12 (14:11 SC)
• Mercury Stationary Retrograde ~ Oct 24 (20:58 SC)
• Mercury Rx conjunct the Sun ~ Nov 4 (12:10 SC)
• Mercury Stationary Direct ~ Nov 13 (05:02 SC)
• Mercury-Sun greatest elongation AM ~ Nov 20 (09:04 SC)
• Mercury leaves the Shadow ~ Nov 30 (20:58 SC)

Sun conjunct Venus Retrograde

Your ability to radiate an aura of love, pleasure and beauty is very strong right now. You have the ability to soothe the rough edges – both your own and others' – and to spread joy and love around you. You are more able to come across in a diplomatic, gentle and easy-going way. This can also enable you to glide through tricky interactions with others with strategic finesse, as well as to negotiate through difficult conflicts with ease (at least, relatively speaking). Your ability to attract your heart's desire to you is especially strong right now... so be careful what you ask for! This is a good time to take a look at your choices, to see how much you are living according to your values and how much your values bring joy and satisfaction into your life. Relationships may also be on your mind, either looking for someone new in your life or rekindling an existing one. This could apply to committed intimate relationships, business partnerships or close friendships. Your focus could be pointed at acquiring material abundance, gathering resources or cultivating self-worth. You are as beautiful and as prosperous as you feel!

This is part of the current Venus retrograde cycle which is in Libra and Scorpio, in a busy process spanning August 2026 through January 2027. This journey takes you back and forth between searching to find a positive, peaceful balance versus needing to clear away the toxicity that has been blocking it. It's not enough to simply remove the source of the problems – it's also necessary to proactively pursue a more healing direction. that said, this won't be very effective unless you also dig up the root of the trouble. Both must go hand in hand. This can be tricky because each focus (facing the bad stuff versus reaching out for the good stuff) can make it hard to see the other clearly while you're in it. Journaling can be helpful so you can track your journey.

Venus makes the following aspects during this retrograde cycle (all dates in North American Eastern Time):

• Venus sxt Jupiter ~ Aug 17 (10:37 LI/LE), Nov 4 (24:43 LI/LE), Nov 28 (26:40 LI/LE)
• Venus tri North Node ~ Sep 10 (29:49 LI/AQ), Oct 30 (27:00 LI/AQ), Nov 23 (24:36 LI/AQ)
• Venus enters Scorpio ~ Sep 10, Dec 4
• Venus opp Chiron ~ Sep 10 (00:14 SC/TA), Oct 28 (28:14 LI/AR), Nov 29 (26:56 LI/AR)
• Venus sqr Pluto ~ Sep 15 (03:16 SC/AQ), Oct 20 (03:04 SC/AQ), Dec 9 (03:45 SC/AQ)
• Venus Rx enters Libra ~ Oct 25 (Rx)
• Venus sxt Mars ~ Nov 10 (Rx 23:08 LI/LE), Dec 12 (05:44 LI/LE)

Here are the key dates of this Venus cycle (for North American Eastern Time):

• Venus -Sun greatest elongation PM ~ Aug 14 (07:43 LI)
• Venus enters the Shadow ~ Aug 31 (22:51 LI)
• Venus Stationary Retrograde ~ Oct 3 (08:29 SC)
• Venus Rx conjunct the Sun ~ Oct 24 (00:45 SC)
• Venus Stationary Direct ~ Nov 14 (22:51 LI)
• Venus leaves the Shadow ~ Dec 15 (08:29 SC)
• Venus -Sun greatest elongation AM ~ Jan 4, 2027 (26:46 SC)

Sun enters Scorpio

Happy Solar Return to all Scorpios! While the Sun is in Scorpio, we all get to explore our passions and probe the secrets within our depths. There is an intensity to the Scorpio experience that goes right to the core, and Scorpio challenges you to take a closer look at how that intensity manifests in your psyche. What are you passionate about and what fires up that passion? What events and experiences have brought you to "rock bottom" and then turned the tide to rejuvenate you back to a new lease on life? What people, causes, beliefs or physical things are so important to you that you would even risk death for? What secrets do you harbour inside, even from yourself? Posing these hypothetical questions doesn't mean you'll bring it on! But doing so can help you tap into the Scorpio experience to understand better how you experience transformation and touch the deepest heart of life itself. The danger is in becoming so obsessed with your passion that you neglect the practical realities. Or, you could become stuck in the "dark side" of transformation and letting go of the old, that you forget that figurative death and transformation are meant to lead into rebirth in order to complete the cycle. During this time, celebrate the endings in your life. Honour the hard times when you have had to face painful losses. And take passionate pleasure in the things that pull you out of your routines and make you feel alive. In some way, they have all allowed you to survive, thrive and grow.

Sun opposite Chiron

This transit can bring a challenge to your sense of personal purpose versus the trans-personal vision of possibilities. This could play out in many areas; for instance, spirituality, career, life direction, physical or emotional healing, etc. Perhaps you are feeling a conflict between what you want to gain on a personal level versus a higher vision of what you could be capable of. The problem is that to reach for greater possibilities, you have to move beyond your comfort zone. There is a certain amount of risk and sacrifice involved in any kind of growth. You might worry that moving into a larger context could undermine your self-esteem by making you feel small or inadequate. You may be concerned that you'd have to give up personal rewards in order to achieve that higher vision. Regardless of how this plays out in your life, the struggle to find a balance you can live with – between what is and what could be – is the purpose of this transit. Later it will be time to take further action, but for how it is important to grapple with the dynamics of your situation which will lead to a decision.

Sun trine North Lunar Node

You may feel confident, optimistic and empowered today and a couple of days before and after this date. It can feel like the pieces are falling into place and you can make progress in what you're striving to do in your life right now. And if only because of this added self-confidence, this could indeed happen. Just an added caution, though: even though the lights are green doesn't mean you shouldn't look both ways before moving forward. In other words, a reality check as to the wisdom of what you want to do is still a good idea.

Venus square Pluto

Relationships and interactions are likely to be deep, intense and transformative under this transit. The same goes for your sense of beauty, and your material and financial dealings, which may require you to delve far deeper than usual to discover the truth under the surface of things. You may encounter the dark shadow of your desires – the obscure, secret or unconscious hunger that hides underneath the "politically correct" face you show to the world (and to yourself. This is a challenge to be resolved in some way. It might bring out conflict rooted in envy or jealousy, if someone has something (or someone) that you feel you are entitled to. Or, it might prompt you to reach very deep into your soul to find your inner beauty and value. You may be challenged to develop empathy or empowerment about something that initially seemed undesirable, unforgivable or scary. This transit can show you the problem areas that need to be transformed and healed. And seeing these more clearly can be a catharsis that sets that transformative healing in motion.

Moon comes In-Bounds

The Moon now comes back In-Bounds (InB) by declination after being Out-of-Bounds from Oct. 13 (23 SC 02) to Oct. 18, 2026 (26 CP 39).

While the Moon was Out of Bounds (OOB) your emotional state may have been a bit disconnected, detached, isolated, or pushing you to go beyond your usual potential. This could have been either a welcome change or a difficult energy for you to deal with. So, when the Moon comes In-Bounds, you typically return to whatever your "normal" is. If your OOB journey was stressful or intense, you may find some relief now that the Moon is back In-B, or you're now in a position to integrate what you've learned from your experience. If your OOB journey felt like a welcome reprieve from the everyday stress or "noise" of the world around you, coming back In-B will hopefully give you a fresh start, like coming back from a brief vacation. The Moon will go OOB next in about 10 days, give or take.

Mars trine Saturn

This is a great time for disciplined action that can produce grounded, specific and stable results. If you have a project that needs to push ahead to the next step, you may find this is a good time to do that. If you want to make progress with your ambitions, goals and plans, this can be a good time to make plans or to take action. You are likely to feel "together," capable and strong, giving you a serious, calm and realistic confidence. It's usually easier to control or restrain your more volatile emotions, and present yourself as someone who is stable and on top of things. This transit can bring sustained physical energy that doesn't burn itself out quickly and can pace itself for lasting endurance. Remember that the effects of this transit typically last only about a week or two, so make the most of it!

Pluto goes Direct

For about a week before and after, you may experience energy that is intense, compelling and transformative, as Pluto changes direction to its normal forward motion. If you've been going through deep, cathartic changes in your life over the last 6 months to a year, you may find that this station brings a shift in how you are able to approach and act on those changes. This might be a time when you feel the weight of power struggles or loss in your life, but it can also galvanize empowering strength in yourself that you didn't know you had. Above all, it is a time when your deepest, most authentic Self can start to emerge and be reborn anew.

Sun sextile Jupiter

This is a time when your understanding of the Big Picture and your place within it has the potential to click into place. As a result, your confidence and self-esteem can be quite high right now. Your ability to see opportunities and possibilities more clearly can produce an experience of being "lucky. " Your insight into life and the world around you may be especially bright, optimistic and inspired. This is a "feel-good" transit, when your sense of self can seem to expand and become free. You may feel especially connected to spiritual energy during this time. Just be careful that all this self-assurance and "knowing" doesn't backfire, by overestimating the extent of your knowledge or underestimating the reaction of your audience. It is possible to become a bit self-indulgent under this transit, so be careful not to overdo it. Beyond a reasonable caution, this is a transit to enjoy!

Moon goes Out of Bounds

The Moon is Out-of-Bounds (OOB) by declination from Oct. 13 (23 SC 02) to Oct. 18, 2026 (26 CP 39).

During this time, your feelings and emotions may move in a different kind of rhythm. One possible effect is that you might feel more disconnected from the world around you; perhaps a bit alone, lonely or isolated. Or, this could be a welcome change where you can let the stresses of the world roll off your back more easily. Or, your emotions could be a bit erratic, extreme or harder to contain. The common thread through these diverse experiences is that your feeling state may reach beyond your usual range of feelings. If you're an artist, musician, writer or other creative person, this can be a very inspiring time as your creativity and imagination could more easily flow into unusual ideas, whims and impulses. Watch to see how you respond during this time. You can work on finding ways to channel this energy into positive, productive, creative experiences, or use it as an opportunity to take another step in your emotional healing.

Mercury Max Elongation from Sun
(Evening Star)

Mercury reaches his greatest elongation from the Sun approximately today. He is as far away from the Sun (from Earth's perspective) and as high in the western sky after sunset, as he's going to get during this period when he is known as the Evening Star. But it not easy to spot Mercury! He's extremely faint, and seen only in a clear sunset sky when it's dark enough, just above the horizon.

Greatest elongation occurs a few days after Mercury enters the Retrograde Shadow. It tends to bring clarity, when thoughts, awareness and decisions may come into sharper focus. It can be a good time to consider your path ahead, as well as to reconsider what you want to carry with you from past. A word of caution, though – thoughts that are clear aren't necessarily the best ones to act on. If you're in an emotional or volatile frame of mind, there's a risk of letting those feelings overwhelm or dilute your mental clarity. It's better to keep mind and feelings in a balanced awareness, with a little more emphasis on objectivity and thinking twice before you act.

This particular Mercury retrograde cycle is in Scorpio, challenging you to look beyond the obvious. What you see might not be very comforting, and disagreements or upsets may arise. Consider that what you're picking up may be the Jungian shadow peeking out from below the surface of a situation, which can provoke reactions of anger, frustration, outrage, depression or even shame. It might be hard to know how to be reasonable, objective or responsible. This energy is best waded through one careful step at a time.

Mercury makes the following aspects during this retrograde cycle (all dates in North American Eastern Time):

• Mercury sqr Mars ~ Oct 2 (02:29 SC/LE), Oct 30 (17:58 SC/LE), Dec 9 (04:53 SG/VI)
• Mercury qcx Saturn ~ Oct 9 (10:55 SC/AR), Nov 7 (08:55 SC/AR), Nov 20 (08:19 SC/AR)

Here are the key dates of this Mercury cycle (for North American Eastern Time):

• Mercury enters the Shadow ~ Oct 4 (05:02 SC)
• Mercury-Sun greatest elongation PM ~ Oct 12 (14:11 SC)
• Mercury Stationary Retrograde ~ Oct 24 (20:58 SC)
• Mercury Rx conjunct the Sun ~ Nov 4 (12:10 SC)
• Mercury Stationary Direct ~ Nov 13 (05:02 SC)
• Mercury-Sun greatest elongation AM ~ Nov 20 (09:04 SC)
• Mercury leaves the Shadow ~ Nov 30 (20:58 SC)