StarWatch by James Jarvis, M.A. By adding the universal year 1999 (1+9+9+9=28) to the 10th month of October, we come up with the vibration of 38/11. The 38/11 month is a time for breakthroughs! It is a particularly good time for breakthroughs in the area of relationship with others, as the number 11 can be further reduced to the number 2, the number of relationship and cooperation. Be aware of how you relate to others this month in terms of how much you give vs. how much you receive. Are you in tune with your own needs, or does your awareness immediately go to others' needs first? For some, the challenge may be just the opposite: being aware of what others might need first and developing the willingness to serve and take care of others. October 4 Mercury enters Scorpio Mercury will be in the sign of Scorpio from October 4-30. Mercury in Scorpio is like the surgeon’s knife, cutting to the core of a problem and excising it! Use Mercury in Scorpio this month to learn to tell the microscopic truth. Even though telling the truth seems hard and painful, sometimes the side effects of not telling the truth are even worse. If we withhold our truth, we also withhold our love, and eventually shut down our ability to be intimate with others. Mercury in Scorpio calls us to bring to the surface and acknowledge what’s bothering us. Sometimes just the simple act of telling the truth can help us release a tremendous amount of energy that has been suppressed and that has been getting in the way of us being intimate with those that we love. October 7 Venus enters Virgo Venus moves into the sign of Virgo October 7 through November 9. Virgo is a sign that is often misunderstood in our culture due to various misinterpretations of its fundamental purpose over the centuries. The images that we have of Virgo, particularly Venus in Virgo, are the spinster, the chaste woman, and the celibate. In other words, Virgo has not been seen as a particularly sexy sign! Usually Virgos have been described in astrological texts as people that have a tendency to repress their sexual energies. If we go back to Greek mythology, though, we find the sign Virgo represented by the vestal virgins, the sacred priestesses that tended the eternal flame in the temples. They were known as virgins not because they were asexual, but because they remained unmarried and belonged to no man, and were whole and complete unto themselves. The vestal virgins were also sacred prostitutes, giving themselves to men returning from war, for instance, so that the men could reintegrate the goddess or feminine energy and then return as balanced individuals into the community. This is an excellent time for concentrating and focusing your willpower on whatever it is that you want to bring into manifestation. The vestal virgins also knew the secrets of how to awaken the kundalini energies within the body and were knowledgeable about Indian yogic practices such as tantra. Far from being chaste, the virgins practiced the high art of sexual devotion, and were masters at transforming sexual energy for the purposes of enlightenment. When Venus is in Virgo, all of us have the opportunity to look at how we are manifesting our sexual energy. Are we repressing it, denying our own needs? Are we in touch with the desire to make the sexual act part of our spiritual path and not separate from it? I have found this to be a huge issue with many of my clients: "If I can’t integrate the sacred into my sexuality, then why bother?" It seems that many people are just not willing to separate their sexuality from their spirituality anymore. This is reflected in the growing interest in tantric practices and other forms of sacred sexuality October 9 New moon in Libra On October 9 at 4:34 p.m. we begin a new moon cycle at 15 degrees Libra. Averaging 29 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes, the lunar cycle represents our emotional evolution or unfoldment throughout the month. The new moon represents a starting point and the beginning of a new phase of our growth. With the new moon in Libra, we have an opportunity to attune our emotional body with our sense of justice and equality. Renewed interest in relationships and partnerships, speaking out about the injustice we see, and creating more beauty, harmony, and balance in our lives are all areas to focus on this month. October 13 Neptune direct in Capricorn Neptune completes its five-month retrograde on October 11 as it goes direct again at 1 degree Aquarius. During the retrograde period, we had an opportunity to see how deeply connected we are to being guided by spirit. Do you now feel more connected to some form of guidance that informs and gives direction and meaning to your life, or do you still feel you are drifting on the current of the tides of your life, rudderless, without a direction? The Neptune retrograde period called us to open ourselves up to receive guidance. Through meditation, imagery work, visualization, journalizing, and breathwork, we can now awaken the sixth chakra between the eyes, the center of intuition. As this center opens, we can become more aware of the subtle energy of Neptune that can give us guidance on our journey. October 16 Mars enters Capricorn The planet Mars, representing how we assert our will and personal power, is in the sign of Capricorn from October 16-November 26. This is an excellent time for concentrating and focusing your willpower on whatever it is that you want to bring into manifestation. Mars in Capricorn is like the general who creates the overall battle plan and then uses strategy, tactics, and the skillful use of resources to put that plan into action. With Mars in Capricorn, we have the ability to concentrate our will so that we can bring our goals into manifestation. It’s interesting that the Latin word for manifestation, manifestus, literally means "hit by the hand." In order to manifest, we must be willing to cause action to occur, to set up such a strong intention that the universe knows we are serious! Use Mars in Capricorn this month to create a strong plan for the manifestation of your worthwhile goals. October 22 Uranus direct in Aquarius Uranus, which has been retrograde since May 21, also goes direct this month on October 22 at 12 degrees Aquarius. Uranus’ retrograde has been a time for each of us to deepen our attunement to the subtle and not-so-subtle energy that is constantly flowing through our bodies. Uranus speaks, in particular, of electromagnetic energy, which in different traditions is described as prana, chi, ki, kundalini, shakti, or life force. Use Jupiter’s retrograde through Aries to set a strong intention for what you want to create in the new millennium! As Uranus progresses through its seven-year transit of the sign Aquarius, we are being awakened to the realization that we are truly energetic beings who are constantly enveloped by a universal energy field that is always available to us. Our job during Uranus’ five-month retrograde has been to see how open we are to receiving this energy. Breathing and bodywork, in particular, helps open up the body so it can handle increased energy without being over-amped. Any of the energetic approaches to the body, such as Reiki, polarity, SHEN, Barbara Brennan’s "Hands of Light" work, craniosacral, pranayama, kundalini, or kriya yoga would all be appropriate methods of exploration at this time. October 22 Jupiter retrograde in Aries Jupiter in Taurus will begin its retrograde journey back into the sign of Aries on October 22 and won’t go back into Taurus until February 2000. Jupiter retrograde in Aries gives us the opportunity to reevaluate our action plan. Use this time to look at, write down, and plan out your goals. Did you know that only ten percent of the population takes the time to write down goals? Use Jupiter’s retrograde through Aries to set a strong intention for what you want to create in the new millennium! October 23 Sun enters Scorpio The sun moves into Scorpio on October 23 at 1:52 p.m. The Scorpio process corresponds to the beginning of an inward-turning period in nature, when outer things gradually decay and life returns to the earth. The external forms have died back to leave nothing but bare trees and bushes above the exhausted earth, from which life can flourish anew. The Scorpio principle involves the descent into darkness to transform the ego and to emerge as a powerful bearer of light. Our job in Scorpio is to be role models for others in the highest use of passion and power. October 24 Full moon in Taurus On October 24, there is a full moon in Taurus at 2:03 p.m. The full moon brings to light or awareness what qualities we can focus on this month that will truly nurture us. With the full moon in Taurus, the emphasis is on listening to the needs of our body. When was the last time you had a massage or just took the time to take care of your body? When was the last time you took a walk in nature or just opened to the awesome beauty of the earth? Use the full moon in Taurus to get in touch with your needs for touch, sensuality, being in nature, and taking care of your body. Your body will really appreciate you for taking the time to check in! October 30 Mercury enters Sagittarius Mercury enters Sagittarius on October 30, and remains there until it retrogrades back into Scorpio November 20. With Mercury in Sagittarius, there is a focus on broadening one’s mental faculties. The Sagittarius energy helps us to tap into our natural wisdom rather than relying on external knowledge. This involves learning to trust our own ability to be in the presence of our wisdom. To really trust our wisdom requires that we allow ourselves to be in the moment, to sink into the part of ourselves that is the wise old man or wise old woman. Mercury in Sagittarius is calling us to allow higher wisdom to flow through us. It’s a time when we can truly trust our natural way of knowing and share our wisdom with the world. It’s also a time of letting go of any beliefs that we have about needing certain credentials, degrees, or life experiences before we can share our wisdom with others. James Jarvis, M.A. is a master astrologer and professional life coach. He combines an M.A. in Transpersonal Counseling, 28 years' experience with Eastern and metaphysical traditions, and 14 years coaching and empowering clients to actualize their full potential. For those who want support in discovering and manifesting their vision, James is available for life coaching sessions and astrological consultations by phone. For a brochure of his services, or to schedule a complimentary half-hour life coaching session, call (831) 688-0574 or e-mail <jamesjarvis@mciworld.com>.