> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.astrologywithdenise.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # October 2023 - URL: https://www.astrologywithdenise.com/october-2023/ - Published: 2023-09-28T21:52:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-06T19:50:53.000Z - Description: Into Eclipse Season we go! - Author: Denise Hancock, PhD, RN - Tags: Monthly Forecasts, Eclipse The last quarter of 2023 kicks off with unruly astrological weather. I say this not to scare you but to help you prepare and maintain perspective. October is a **rollercoaster**, so secure your seatbelt, and let’s have fun. ## **Week 1 (October 1-7)** We had a strong **Mercury** in the last two weeks of September, facilitating plans, organization, and forward momentum. I hope it was helpful for you. That is ending, and this week brings opportunities for miscommunication, misunderstanding, and manipulation. Proceed with compassion. Emotions are charged into the weekend. Simmering situations can quickly escalate to explosive outbursts. The media-labeled “Summer of Breakups” (*due to Venus Retrograde in Leo*) is still making headlines, and more separations are likely. Some might surprise us, but breakups usually culminate from a long period of irresolvable differences. Every relationship has periods of dissatisfaction and crisis, but breakups are not inevitable. Relationship challenges often result in breakthroughs, although these rarely make the news. Maybe it’s time to air your feelings, forgive past hurts, and find a shared vision and creative solutions. The transits support that, too! In the sky, Mercury opposes Neptune and trines Pluto at the end of Virgo. That’s the interference factor. Mercury moves into **Libra** territory on Oct 4, joining the Sun, Mars, and the South Node. The good news is that we are more interested in communicating and connecting with others. Mars crosses the South Node and squares stationary Pluto, and that is heavy stuff. ## **Week 2 (October 8-14)** **Venus enters Virgo** on Oct 8, where she will reign over the eclipses. While she is a benevolent ruler, Virgo is an uncomfortable place for her. Venus feels pampered and happy in Pisces, like a goddess at an all-expense-paid luxury resort. She is a fantastic, generous hostess. In the opposite sign of Virgo, Venus feels more like a post-vacation drop. The house is dirty, laundry and messages are piled up, bills are due, and there are no groceries. She feels overburdened and irritated, and maybe – *just maybe* – she reacts by criticizing and blaming others. This is a “Let’s get things back in order” Venus and her first aspect is to oppose the harsh realist Saturn. Ugh. Motivation will kick in after Mars enters Scorpio on Oct 11\. **Saturday (Oct 14) is a Solar eclipse**, with the Sun and Moon at the 22nd degree of Libra. It will be visible in North America, and you can check out the details here. [https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/where-when/](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/where-when/?ref=astrologywithdenise.com) ## **Week 3 (Oct 15-21)** Eclipse season always brings an element of chaos, flavored by what the planets are doing around it. This week, the Sun and Mercury cross the South Node, form a cazimi (Mercury crosses over the Sun), and square Pluto. Into the depths we go! - A Mercury **cazimi** means purification, clarification, and ending/beginning for Mercurial matters. - **Mercury** represents mental activity and transactions. Topics include communications, news and media, travel, trade, early education, politics, math, science, and those who work in those fields. Children, friends, neighbors, and colleagues are also Mercury’s domain. - The **South Node** is associated with past entanglements, decrease, release, the Buddhist concept of *non-attachment*, material losses, and spiritual growth. - **Pluto** is a transformational force of death/rebirth who can bring hidden things to light or bury stuff from view. In ancient mythology, he ruled over the Earth’s treasures and is associated with wealth, power, and (often) corruption. In Capricorn, Pluto has focused on capitalist and patriarchal power systems and oppressor/victim dynamics. Expect news stories with themes like a fall from grace, an expose’, or someone ascending to or removed from power. Will it impact you personally? *Maybe.* People with planets or critical personal points (like the Ascendant or Midheaven) in the last 15 degrees of Cardinal signs (Libra, Aries, Capricorn & Cancer) will feel it. It’s a time of insights and disruptions to the norm. A crisis may appear, or obstacles can suddenly be removed. I use several methods to determine whether this part of your birth chart is activated. Transits and eclipses never affect everyone equally. Likewise, your personal experiences might be perceived as positive, negative, or mixed. Maybe you’ll ascend to power because of someone else’s downfall. Or you’ll gain sudden wealth from previously unknown ancestral sources! ## **Week 4 and a Half (October 22-31)** Mercury and the Sun move into Scorpio with Mars, and **Saturday’s Lunar eclipse** is across the zodiac at 5 degrees Taurus. This is the final eclipse in the **Scorpio-Taurus** axis for several years, and it’s not visible in North America. The eclipse may bring closure to situations that required your attention in the past 18 months. The final weekend of the month is powerful. Mercury connects with Mars, and both planets oppose expansionary Jupiter. I’m borrowing some keywords and ideas from astrologer Renn Butler. He associates **Mercury-Jupiter-Mars** with enthusiastic optimism, passionate communication, mental courage, planning grand adventures, and hearty laughter. Less pleasant possibilities include hot-aired opinions, obnoxious interruptions, and justifications for behaviors of aggression and anger. I’m planning a trip to Denver to capitalize on adventures and laughter with my son and his lovely wife. But I won’t be surprised if I am interrupted by an obnoxious stranger at some point. Keep your wits about you. It is not a good weekend for high-risk behaviors or impaired judgment. I’ve also seen Mercury-Mars aspects reflected in traffic and travel issues. A couple of years ago, when Mercury was square Mars, someone drove a semi-truck down my residential street, hit my pine tree, and the trailer was embedded in a tree branch for several hours. It blocked traffic and created a commotion. ## Podcast Appearance **Happy Birthday to Me, and all the Libra Suns!** I had the delightful opportunity to make a guest appearance on the podcast, I AM ASTROLOGY READINGS. Paul Heath interviewed me about my background, experiences with astrology, and views on a wide range of topics. We touched on some of my most personal life stories, and how I’ve come to a better relationship with Neptune. I hope you’ll enjoy it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0e/4e/0e4e46f8-bae4-4376-bff3-f7cf14459eb9/content/images/2026/08/Podcast-promo.jpg) [Listen Now](https://www.iamastrologyreadings.com/podcast/episode/90b8351c/meet-the-astrologer-episode-54?ref=astrologywithdenise.com) ## **Golden Hours** *All times are CST.* There are two extended periods when the Moon makes no aspects to the traditional planets (within Saturn’s boundaries). These void Moon periods are an excellent time to clear your calendar and **do nothing.** **Oct 11-12 and 25-27** Gertrude Stein said, *“It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around doing nothing, really doing nothing*.” Think of it as **genius incubation** time. **Oct 20** It’s a serious-minded Friday, not so great for social activities. But if you and your team have been puzzling over an issue, this could be the day you find the missing piece. Use it for troubleshooting, problem-solving, investigating, studying, or researching. *And tell me what you learn!*