Think of October as a rollercoaster. During the first half of the month we’ll be inching up that steep incline, eager to get to the good part. Around mid-month, we’ll reach the apex, tip over, and here we go! As we enter October, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, and Mercury are retrograde, which means they appear to be moving backward. However, with the exception of Mercury, this retrograde period has been going on for a while, so October will begin feeling like more of the same. By mid-month, when everyone except Neptune turns direct, we’ll start to feel life speed up and projects that have been difficult to get off the ground will finally start moving forward. As always, to see where the planetary energies will play out in your life, you need your birth chart based on the exact time, date and place of your birth. You can get one by searching for free birth charts online. The Significance of Each Direction Change Pluto began its retrograde in Capricorn on April 27th and will be the first to flip around. The god Hades requires us to face life’s biggest issues. He usually brings up imbalances of power and requires that something be done about them. When moving backwards, Pluto takes us on an inner journey. He forces us to consider our personal power and identify areas of life where we’ve let it slide. Pluto retrograde can be emotionally exhausting, but once he turns direct on October 6th, we should be able to address the issues we’ve uncovered during our trip to the underworld and take back our power. Afterwards, we have the strength to move directly toward our goals. Saturn in Aquarius has been retrograde since May 23rd. Saturn is the farthest planet visible from earth without a telescope, making him the keeper of boundaries. He is also the taskmaster of the zodiac. While retrograde, we’re being given the opportunity to examine our own boundaries. Are they appropriate and well-defined? Have we allowed them to slip here and there? Saturn also governs hard work. He forces us to question whether our efforts are paying off. When Saturn turns direct on October 11th, we can reestablish boundaries and adjust how, and even with whom we’re working in order to achieve the success and recognition we deserve. Also in Aquarius, expansive Jupiter turned retrograde on June 20th and will go direct on October 18th. Jupiter is usually a very outward focused planet. Its job is to make things bigger and usually better. It is the planet of good luck. During this retrograde period, we may have been feeling more introspective. It may have been difficult to launch plans and projects. During the remainder of the retrograde, it’s best to spend time rethinking and revising existing plans rather than trying to move forward. From October 18 on, everything should start moving again and luck will return. Mercury went retrograde in Libra on September 27th and turns forward on October 18th. Mercury’s backward motion brought the usual glitches in his areas of communication, technology and travel. But with Mercury and Jupiter both turning direct on the same day, the end of October should be full steam ahead. Projects and plans can move forward without the complications that have been plaguing us. And our good luck should return. Only Neptune in Pisces continues its retrograde through all of October. In fact, the planet of illusion, fantasy and deception won’t flip until December 1st. During this period, Neptune is likely to strip away our rose-colored glasses and force us to see things as they are whether we want to or not. Fortunately, Neptune enjoys being in Pisces, so this softens his actions a bit. While we may prefer to cling to our pretty pictures, our forced clarity will end up being for the best. Like all good rollercoasters, October is a combination of the slow climb before the wild ride. Just buckle up, hold on tight, and scream when you need to. It’s going to be one heck of a ride. n