As October begins, we may feel a pull to turn inward, much as the trees do when their leaves begin to change color. They draw energy from the leaves, sending it down into their roots, in preparation for the coming winter.
This month invites us to wander back through the landscapes of our life, revisiting the values that shape our relationships as well as our inner lives.
Venus begins her retrograde journey in early October, and Mercury follows with a backward passage as the month draws to a close. Between these two retrogrades, the Libra New Moon and Taurus Full Moon illuminate our path. All this invites us to bring heart and mind into harmony, loosen our hold on old patterns, and carry this new wisdom into what comes next.
Venus will station retrograde at 8 degrees of Scorpio on October 3rd. Venus, known as a benefic planet, represents love and romance, harmony and diplomacy, self-worth and relationships, money and possessions, as well as beauty and aesthetics. The days from October 14th through the 23rd, as Venus moves back toward the Sun, she enters a period of reflection and purification. When she meets the Sun on October 23rd, a new eight-year cycle begins for Venus, and for us. This is the most potent part of her journey, unfolding largely in Scorpio, where the hidden rooms of the subconscious ask to be entered. Here, reflection can deepen with unusual ease, inviting us to release old Venus stories and make space for the next chapter to begin. It’s as if Venus has gone to an ashram on retreat seeking guidance and purification from the Sun. We revisit this Venusian terrain so we may author a more authentic story of our lives.
Mercury will enter his last retrograde for 2026 on October 24th at 20 degrees of Scorpio and will turn direct on November 13th at 5 degrees Scorpio. These are almost the same degrees that Venus visits in her journey. This dual retrograde doesn’t happen often and offers us a profound dive into realigning some of our most private hopes, desires and dreams.
Each retrograde is an opportunity to go within and reevaluate what may not be working in a particular area of our life. When the two retrogrades have completed their journey, you may find yourself standing on clearer ground with a deeper sense of how to come back into alignment within yourself as well as your connections with others. The most fulfilling relationships begin where honest needs can be spoken and met with openness; if someone cannot enter that conversation with you, perhaps your words are meant for different ears.
The planetary placements in our charts symbolize the gods speaking to us, while retrograde planets move like a pendulum between the past and the future. Their backward motion invites us to revisit earlier experiences before deciding what we wish to carry forward.
The New Moon in Libra on October 10th may feel a bit edgy. Venus in Scorpio rules this lunation and is moving alongside Mercury. Their conversation with Uranus asks us to be open to new ideas coming in from unexpected sources, and to prepare for new horizons as we align our hearts with our thinking.
Our Full Moon in Taurus on October 26th looks especially active with so many of the planets engaged in challenging yet productive conversations. The Sun and retrograde Venus are opposite the Moon and Chiron; this highlights a new way we can see old emotional wounds and patterns. Take the information that arises at this lunation to fortify the inner shift of the retrogrades.
Keep your heart open to the future, trusting that every change is leading you home to yourself.
As Sylvia Plath (her Sun and Mercury in Scorpio with a Libra Moon) has said, “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
