A rare month with two Full Moons, this Libra season will see a chance to recalibrate before the imminent changes ahead
Grace McGrade is an intuitive astrologer and priestess based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of ASTRAL ORACLES and author of Palpable Magic; a website exploring prose about sex, love, Los Angeles and the occult. Her sessions include natal chart readings, energetic clearing and activations, and tarot readings.
Autumn begins in full swing in relationship-oriented Libra season, as we seek to find balance and reliable partnership in the face of global intensity. October brings us two full moons, a rare occurrence that happens every two to three years, and the final mercury retrograde of 2020. As we depart Virgo season and the Sun enters the sign of Libra, our focus turns from our daily improvement to our connections with others, justice, and truth. We’re looking to find equilibrium between our outer landscape and our inner world.
October is our window to restore balance to our lives, despite the immense collective change ahead. 2020 has been the year of disintegration, where our footing was halted and our foundations have been tested. With rowdy political disruptions and climate change in our peripheral, we are given the task of assembling a new ‘normal’. Libra season wants us to keep our immediate atmospheres trouble free, and hone in on our most intimate connections to draw strength.
With a fiery full Moon in Aries on October 1, the month initiates us into yet another phase of collective dismantling. This Full Moon beckons us to release security fears and all obstructing our drive for personal expression. The strong pull of the Sun in peace-loving Libra increases our desire to connect with others and find balance in an era of extremes. With dramatic polarisations in politics, weather, and outlooks, we are seeking to draw forth our own harmony and light.Â
Our desire to connect deeply with others is increased by chatty Mercury moving into Scorpio, and we want tell-all talks and deep discussions. On October 13, Mercury stations retrograde, delving us into deeper thinking patterns and adding a brooding sense of intensity to our communicative efforts. Combined with Mars, also retrograde, we are pressured to examine our expression of anger and frustration. This retrograde is a time of revelation for deep secrets, as deceptions or betrayals may come to the surface, ready to be healed. Â
Utilise caution this month, and guard against hasty, brash action. The Sun enters Scorpio on October 22, infusing our daily lives with intensity and increasing our appetite for depth. The Full Moon in Taurus on October 31 ends the month on a spooky note, as the veils between our world and the spirit realm become sheet-thin. We are capable of asking spiritual back-up in these intense times. Ask yourself how you can tend to your inner landscape, and restore balance to your wellbeing. It's time to shift and recalibrate any disharmonies by making our personal relationships more peaceful.

ARIES
With the first full Moon on October 1 falling in your sign, you are enlivened with a sense of clarity and purpose. It’s a mini-celebration, as your personal mission has become clear this year, and you are entering October with a greater understanding of what you came here to accomplish. With your ruler, Mars, retrograding, the astrological spotlight has been shone on you. You have been inspecting how you express those fiery impulses. It may be time to share the spotlight a little, and use Libra season to bend to the wills of those with good intentions. No one is trying to steal your thunder, and it’s important that you pick and choose your battles wisely. With Mercury retrograde in intense Scorpio, you are brought opportunities to heal old relationships and rid yourself of self sabotaging thoughts. Remember, you have Mars on your side, giving you a boost of courage and the will to get through just about anything. Your armour is suited up for any task, but is it possible that you perhaps need more intimacy and emotional connection?

TAURUS
October beckons you to form a new-and-improved routine, and dazzling habitual rituals is your superpower. It's time to amp up your self-care, as we can anticipate some collective astrological turbulence that will require you to feel rested. Ask yourself: How can I nourish myself and tend to my inner garden? What needs to be cleared away, and what seeds of intention do I need to lay down in order to welcome in success? Unresolved conflict and hidden things will come into your awareness this month, so brace yourself accordingly, by fluffing your pillows and tending to your house plants. Keeping your life balanced is a full time job, so take time to examine what you need more of, and what you need less of. The month finalises with a Full Moon in your sign, which amplifies your sense of purpose and beckons you to release all obstructing your sense of destiny.

GEMINI
A boost of support is ushering towards you from the planets, livening up your sense of creativity and inspiration. As an air sign, you have lightning-paced thoughts, and do very well in the realm of ideas, but sometimes you could use a hand completing things. In October you may need to ask for some help in making things reach physical fruition. Projects you have been working on are ready to be shared, so consult with your closest confidants for some extra help. It's an important time to take inventory of your relationships and assess where things may be less than rosy. With your ruler, Mercury, stationing retrograde, you may be in store for a little more drama than usual, particularly as your tendency to follow your premonitions and hunches could lead you to uncovering something important. Libra season is all about anticipating disharmony before they become problems, so try to choose peace over conflict. Burning bridges will only hurt you in the long term.

CANCER
With masculine Mars retrograding through your house of career, you may be re-evaluating your attitude towards work, and uncovering your mission in the world at large. As you step into a greater sense of self mastery, remember you have gifts the world is ready to receive. You are the empathic caretaker of the zodiac, but this year has uncovered a hidden reserve of boss-bitch energy. Direct approaches aren't really your style, but it's time to adopt a new attitude and move fearlessly towards your goals. With Mercury stationing retrograde this month in fellow water sign Scorpio, you may find yourself detecting some power imbalances in your close relationships. Ask yourself where your values don’t match the values of the people around you. Remember you can always turn your focus on the comfort of your home, and invoke an atmosphere of safety and security.

LEO
In October you are asked to inspect the lens that you perceive the world through, examine your beliefs around how the universe responds to you, and deepen your spiritual connection. Ask yourself, do I believe the world is harsh and toxic? Or do I believe the world is magical, and when I interact with it with gratitude, I put myself in the position to receive miracles? Deepening your trust in the world around you may seem tricky right now, but utilising that leonine creativity and expecting good things will bring you blessings. Towards the end of the month, when the Sun enters Scorpio, your sights are set on professional matters and you are given the chance to move your career to new heights. Attitude and outlook determine everything for you this October.

VIRGO
With your ruler, Mercury, stationing retrograde in intense Scorpio this month, you may find yourself wading through murky waters when it comes to communication. You might find yourself inspecting your intimate circle and deciphering who around you reflects your values, and who doesn’t. With romantic Venus moving into your sign this month, a lot of attention will be on you. You may find that what you want has changed drastically, and you need partners that can keep up to your pace. Try to tend to your energetic garden, and do some weeding out of things that are no longer necessary. You are choosing quality over quantity when it comes to friends and loved ones, and your attempts to keep some inner harmony over appeasing others will not go unrewarded.

LIBRA
Happy Birthday Season, dear Libras! It’s time to serve those looks that have been patiently waiting in your closet. Revel in the birthday spotlight and carve out time to celebrate your accomplishments this year. You have been both a mediator and a spectator for great, unprecedented planetary change. As you gear up for another year, your focus turns to love and how you can get back what you give so freely. With warrior planet Mars retrograding through your sector of partnership, you may be rehashing old romance or friendships. Cutting people out of your life has never really been your style, but with Mars here, you are encouraged to adopt better boundaries around who you dedicate time to. You are naturally instinctive about the needs of others, but it's time to review what relationships do not need to renew in the upcoming year.

SCORPIO
It's time to nestle in your underground lair and indulge in some private time. With Mercury retrograding in your sign, you may find your own thoughts to be louder than usual, so remember to exercise caution when it comes to saying the harsh-but-honest thing. Mercury retrograde will influence all the signs, but for you, this is experienced internally. Some rescheduling of plans can be anticipated, and don’t be afraid to say no to social demands. You are feeling nostalgic, reflective and introspective as your birthday approaches. 2020 has already given you a lot of time with your thoughts, deeper insights are emerging now. Look for answers in the dark, and remain open to receiving clarity that was previously obstructed. You don’t need to go digging for answers, answers usually find you.

SAGITTARIUS
Your appetite for play is amplified by the full Moon in fellow fire sign Aries on October 1. You are eager to let loose and have a bit of adventure. Your visionary creativity is accentuated in October, and the New Moon in Libra on October 16 brings some welcome collaborators to assist you on your mission to greatness. As you churn out impressive dreams and ideas, it's important to remember to actualise them by doing some physical footwork. Mercury retrograde gives you a chance to look at the projects you abandoned in the past, and you may be able to string them together in an innovative way with the right help. Remain open to constructive criticism.

CAPRICORN
It's impossible to be in two places at once, and Libra season is calling you to balance your work and home life with more discernment. Maybe you are still working from home, and in need of recalibrating your environment to suit a steady focus. Or perhaps, you are in need of setting a few more boundaries on your domestic situation so you can keep the two separate. Regardless, the heavens are pushing you to build a home base that keeps your inner peace protected. New career prospects are around the corner, so make sure you are ready by clearing out what you are holding on to. Mercury retrograde may bring some old resentments boiling to the surface, so exercise caution and determine what conflict is worth rehashing, and what needs to be laid to rest.

AQUARIUS
How does it feel to be the experimental, humanitarian leader of the new world? As the old world dismantles around us, your ideas and insights are more important than ever. You may feel as though you were sent from the future, but it's the day-to-day that needs your attention. You need present-day application, and where better to start than your own sphere of influence. You have had a lot of time to consider your next steps over the course of 2020, and October is your call to action. What changes have you been sitting on making? What resources do you possess that can be lended to those in need? Assurance from the universe that you are on the right path is destined this month. Remember, not everyone possesses the beautiful bird’s eye view you have. Mercury retrograde may make all the signs teary-eyed, and a little more clear on where they have old wounds that need healing. Be ready to lend an ear or a shoulder to those you love.

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PISCES
The final Mercury retrograde of 2020 beckons you to surrender and let go of old emotional material. You are called to be extra mindful about what you say, especially to yourself. Look for ways to anchor into the earth and release extra baggage. October brings you the desire to get more grounded in your body, so you aren’t always navigating a sea of everyone else's feelings. Libra season is your call to find balance between the watery-world of emotion and pragmatic steps forward. As you navigate treacherous waves, determine what daily steps you can take to build your sense of security. Whatever brings you back to your breath and body is what you need more of. The mood lifts on October 22, when the sun enters Scorpio, amping up your desire to play and relax. Welcome in the revival of innocence and fun, and find a new medium of art to play with.Â