There is a strange game in the southern U.S. called Chicken Sh*t Bingo (or Chicken Poop Bingo for a more PG-rated title). It’s simple. A live chicken is placed inside a pen on top of a grid marked with numbered squares. Players buy tickets for numbered squares. Feed is scattered around the grid so the chicken walks around. Eventually, the chicken poops onto a numbered square and someone wins!
If the October calendar were a Chicken Poop Bingo board, several dates would look very inviting to the chicken.
That may sound dire, but chicken poop has its benefits. It indicates a healthy, live chicken that has food to eat. And it’s great fertilizer, more valuable than gold in the garden! As the chicken poop matures, it creates nutritious compost for next Spring's seedlings.
A rough month works the same way; the mess can nourish what comes next.
Now that I have introduced an appropriate visual, on to the highlights for October! A lot of action takes place in Scorpio and involves Pluto, impacting all of the fixed signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo and Taurus).
October at a Glance
A quick guide to the astrological shorthand: When two planets form a square (a 90-degree angle) or an opposition (180 degrees), they pull against each other and create friction. Those are prime chicken-poop days. Trines (120 degrees) and sextiles (60 degrees) are easier, cooperative angles that help things flow. A conjunction means two planets meet and blend their energies. And when a planet is retrograde, it appears to move backward as seen from Earth, a cue to review and revise.
02 Mercury (direct) square Mars and Pluto. Mars trine Neptune
03 Mars opposite Pluto, Venus retrograde in Scorpio
04 Sun opposite Saturn
06 Mercury conjunct Venus
07 Mars sextile Uranus
10 New Moon in Libra, Mars square Venus
15 Sun sextile Jupiter, Pluto stations direct
16 Mars trine Saturn
20 Venus square Pluto
23 Sun enters Scorpio, Sun conjunct Venus
24 Mercury retrograde in Scorpio
25 Venus re-enters Libra, Full Moon in Taurus square Pluto
26 Sun square Pluto
30 Mercury (retrograde) square Mars
October 1–10
This weekend (Friday–Sunday, Oct 2–4) has high potential for chicken poop. Mercury squares off with Mars and Pluto, Mars opposes Pluto, and the Sun opposes Saturn. The energy is tense, with people entrenched in their views and unwilling to yield. Whether you’re a combatant or a bystander, it can feel impossible.
To add to the mix, Venus turns retrograde in Scorpio on Saturday. Venus governs interpersonal relationships, the arts and aesthetics. For the next six weeks, she asks you to look back at those areas, to reflect and re-evaluate.
Mid-week looks lighter and smoother. On Tuesday, Mercury meets Venus, which favors kind words and authentic conversations. On Wednesday, Mars forms a helpful sextile with Uranus, sparking innovation and fresh directions.
Friday evening has a moderate chance of chicken poop. The Moon in Libra wants harmony and beauty, but it is besieged, squeezed between two difficult planets: a rude Mars and a stubborn Saturn.
The New Moon on Saturday (Oct 10) falls in mid-Libra. Every sign has a ruling planet that colors what happens there, and Libra’s ruler is Venus. Right now, Venus is retrograde in Scorpio and under pressure from Mars, which holds the upper hand in their square (astrologers call this an overcoming square). Rather than a clean fresh start, this New Moon is about reviewing the past, considering imbalances and harm, and working toward rebalancing the scales. Relationships are being reassessed.
Your move:
When the gardening season ends, it’s time to prune and discard the summer plants. You clean and sort the final harvest, deciding what to use, share, or store. While Venus is retrograde, she encourages you to sort through past relationships and exchanges. Reflect on what to keep for future seasons, and what is no longer valuable or productive. Toss it in the compost bin.
October 11–17
On Monday, the Moon moves through Scorpio and activates the tense square between Mercury and Mars. Expect a slow, irritable day and another chance of chicken poop.
On Thursday, Pluto stations direct. Twice a year, Pluto appears to stand still and then change direction, and these turning points concentrate its themes of power, control, and transformation. It influences the entire week.
Meanwhile, the Sun forms a supportive sextile with Jupiter on Thursday, and Mars forms a collaborative trine with Saturn on Friday. Together, they spark some hope for justice or consequences. Perhaps the power structure is shifting.
Friday night, the growing Moon in Capricorn shuffles toward an uncomfortable square with Saturn—more chicken poop. If your mind and body are feeling tired, this is permission to cancel your plans and stay home.
Your move:
This is a good week to make adjustments, follow through on commitments, and hold on to hope. Mercury turns retrograde next week (Oct 24). Mercury governs communication, travel, and technology, so back up your files, print any important documents, and wrap up any plans that you can.
October 18–24
Monday evening and Tuesday bring another chance of chicken poop. The Moon is besieged again (caught between Saturn and Mars). Early Tuesday morning Venus squares Pluto, which can stir up stories of power imbalances, impropriety, and corruption. While the stories can be hard to hear, this excavation encourages you to stand up for your values and advocate for change.
On Friday, Scorpio season officially begins as the Sun enters Scorpio and meets Venus. Venus withstands the Sun’s intense, purifying rays, marking a reset point in her retrograde journey. Meanwhile, the Moon in Aries meets Neptune, the planet of dreams and imagination. This may be clarifying: what’s the new vision?
In Saturday’s early morning hours, Mercury turns retrograde in Scorpio. At 8:05 am, the Moon meets Saturn and remains besieged all day. Chicken poop. Sleep in, or get up and get to work. Saturn appreciates hard labor, sacrifice, and efforts to care for the elderly, poor, and afflicted.
Your move:
Both Venus and Mercury are retrograde until mid-November. The sky favors review over new. Revisit unfinished conversations, reread contracts before you sign, and reconnect with people from your past.
Many cultures use this time of year to remember and honor ancestors. There are many ways to do this: an ancestral altar, tracing genealogy, visiting graves, sharing stories or photos, or cooking a family recipe. This is a perfect time to explore ancestral veneration in whatever way feels meaningful to you.
October 25–31
Sunday and Monday look ripe for chicken poop.
Sunday night is the Full Moon in Taurus. This lunation is ruled by retrograde Venus at the last degree of Libra, and forms an uncomfortable square with slow-moving, potent Pluto. Monday brings more of the same: the Moon is besieged again, and the Sun squares Pluto. Expect people around you to be tired and emotionally overwrought.
The remainder of the week is less dramatic. On Halloween, Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio while Venus is retrograde in Libra. Both continue this apparent backward motion until November 13.
Your move:
Full Moons bring things to light and to completion. Notice what you feel, see, and hear, especially around relationships, agreements, and resources. Thoughtfully consider how you want to act on that information. You don't need to rush; allow the retrogrades to work their magic.
Personal Guidance is available
New appointment openings have been added to the calendar for October, November, and December. I'm available for natal chart readings, personal forecasts, and to answer single questions or help you find the best possible timing.
If finances are a challenge, there is a sliding-scale Solidarity Session starting at $25. Feel free to share with a friend.
For a full list of services, check out Denise's booking calendar here: