Normally at times like this, when it’s all too clear that the inmates are running the asylum and no one is willing to admit that the Emperor has no clothes, I usually pine for the swift wit and biting wisdom of John Lennon. In my imagination, he would cut through the endless loop of hyperbolic spin that allows truthiness to reign supreme, and with a few penetrating words, remind us that war is over if we want it because each of us has the power to change the world—all that’s required is a change of heart. Today is his birthday—73-years old—and I do still miss him.
But I miss my home planet more. Okay…I’m out: I’m an extraterrestrial representative trapped on Earth, with clear mission, but no way to phone home, and as conditions escalate here on the Planet Blue, I’m growing increasingly homesick. Oy! (A truly intergalactic sound of suffering.) On my home planet there is no strife. No one argues about petty differences, and no one would even dream of going to war over major differences. We simply expect as well as respect individual choices, understanding that we will all make choices for the greater good of the many, because everyone actually cares about everyone else, which creates a world of tolerance. Mine is not a planet of evil, parasitic aliens whose modus operandi is to suck the life force out of every other civilization. And it is neither a militaristic, avaricious experiment in power and control nor an Amazon fantasy where the feminine wields power through a masculine framework. It’s a planet of inclusion, a place of peace. I recently explained to a friend that we can hear each other’s thoughts, a bold statement that caused her to ask, “What do you do with your bad/negative thoughts?” “We don’t have any,” I replied, “because we have learned to train our minds and hearts to a higher purpose.” Don’t misunderstand: We have issues at home; we’ve just figured out a way to work through them without killing or harming each other.
Here on Earth the killing and the strife continue. And although this week’s planetary interactions indicate the possibility of clear, intuitive thinking, emotional turbulence is probable, and the spillover could agitate already over-agitated nervous systems. As anxiety levels rise, expect even the coolest of cucumbers to break a sweat. The source of this emotional volatility is a Moon/Uranus/Pluto combination that begins on Thursday, when the Moon enters Capricorn and immediately squares Uranus as it simultaneously conjuncts Pluto. Expect emancipation proclamations of every variety—even the best behaved will protest perceived injustices.
And speaking of the Moon and proclamations, next week on the evening of October 16, the Moon conjuncts Uranus and squares Pluto, as we approach a lunar eclipse on Friday, October 18. Eclipses tend to distort time, so as the week unfolds, you may experience an odd sense of dislocation, a wobble in the “then and now.” What’s more, even though eclipses occur in orderly and predictable intervals, they still tend to disrupt normal routines. Given that the Moon will be in Aries opposite the Sun, in Libra, relationships of every variety are most likely to bear the brunt of this eclipse; the challenge will be figuring out how to engage in relationship without surrendering independence.
The source of clarity this week is building trine between Mercury and Jupiter that kicks in on Saturday and continues until nearly the end of the month—even through the dreaded Mercury Retrograde that begins on October 21. A Mercury/Jupiter trine is a boon because it encourages common sense—something we could use in ever increasing doses.
I’m not going to brag and tell you that on my home planet common sense is the seventh sense, as strong and vital as all the others, and the main reason we are kind to each other in thought, word, and deed. But I am going to stress the value of kindness, especially as the coming weeks unfold. Compassion not only has the power to soothe an anxious soul. It is also crucial to a positive collective outcome. When possible, apply it liberally in all your interactions with your fellow travelers.
There are no individual Sun Sign blurbs this week.