Welcome to Indy Maven’s monthly astrology column coming by way of Kelli Jenkins and Hayley Trussell, better known around Indy as the Spellsisters. Check out their website and Instagram feed for even more info from the world of horoscopes and tarot, or to book a private reading.
October 2021 OVERVIEW
This year, October is *the* time for good old-fashioned R&R. Deep introspection, reconnection with goals, and reflection really hit different during the Season of Spook™. The Sun is in Libra as we transition fully into autumn, and as always, this time of year grants the gifts of recollection and reconsidering. Maybe it’s a little premature, but we’re inching closer and closer to the end of the year; reviewing progress on goals and reevaluating what’s been occupying your attention is the vibe right about now.
It may not be the right time to take action or make dramatic decisions without proper consideration, though. We start October with a LOT of retrograde energy happening. Pluto is retrograde until the 6th, while Mercury and Jupiter go direct on the 18th. Saturn is retrograde until the 11th. Uranus and Neptune stay retro the whole month. Mercury spends a good part of the month retrograding in Libra. We are focused on the past and drawn into an old narrative that’s being reloaded. Retro planets relaunch old plans and create complexities. The one thing to keep in the forefront of your mind about communication right now is that it’s especially important to be super mindful of how you’re responding to literally everything.
The first half of the month is so astrologically active. The New Moon in Libra is on the 6th, and your desire to advocate for enjoyment and love is amplified. It’s all fire and ice and the balance between the two is harmonious…if you aren’t resisting. Pluto goes direct on the same day, after being stationed retrograde since April, intensifying the need to go with the flow…lest you be dragged. Expect to be heavily focused on karmic lessons and transformational changes that allow you to manifest living the life you really want to live.
Any missed opportunities will reveal themselves on the Full Moon in Aries on the 20th. Latent desires bubble up to the surface and anything that feels like it’s been left unfinished or festering will reach a breaking point. Oppression and control will be challenged, as you’re reaching max frustration levels. You’re willing to do almost anything to relieve the pressure. There is no longer tolerance for the status quo or sitting idly by. Purging can feel good, though, especially when it ultimately releases you from whatever needs to be released.
While this month is heavily focused on communication and releasing old, toxic patterns, when the Sun enters Scorpio on the 23rd, you are ready to initiate shedding that last layer of build-up that keeps you stuck. You can expect your intuition to be marvelous and the messages you’re receiving to be true and valid. Trust yourself and don’t let any negativity or doubt hold you back from your truth and the life you want. On the 30th, Mars also goes to its home in Scorpio, making it suddenly crystal clear where you need to make improvements in both yourself and your surroundings. It’s time to take inspired action: You know where you need to be now. You will have the map lined out by the end of October. Hint: If it doesn’t feel like *this precise moment in time and space* is where you want to be, then it’s not. Time to change. No excuses.
BIRTHDAY SPOTLIGHT: Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)
You’re feeling alive this month and finally, everything is coming up roses for you, Libra. This month, you’re finally starting to feel like you’re getting back to the elusive “normal” we had in 2019. One cool thing about this month: you realize that you’ve amassed a considerable amount of skills, friends, and personal benchmarks to call your own in the past few years. You’re not Josie Grosie anymore. Whatever happened to you that set off a major multi-faceted rebirth in 2018 has finally cleared and set you free to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve worked hard because you had to, your survival depended on it. You’re about to realize how far you’ve come since who you were then. Although you’re feeling a weird feeling of tenderness at the New Moon in your sign on October 6th, you’re also strangely ok with letting down your guard and taking back your power. You’ve learned to set boundaries and this New Moon has you drawing a dividing line on what belongs to you and what belongs to other people. You’re redefining who you are through the lens of other people during your birthday month. Come the Full Moon in your opposite sign Aries on October 20th, you’re feeling a bit backed up against a wall and discover a hole in a relationship issue that drastically requires repair. It’s ok to be triggered, but it’s not ok to walk away and throw up your defenses. Expect this period of turbulence at the transition into Scorpio season in late October to open up a vulnerable place with your most intimate relationships that allow you to get deeper than ever. You’re ready to grow and part of that is tearing down the facade that makes you pretend you’re happy.
Famous Libra: Kim Kardashian
Local Libra: Porsha | Iconic Nail Stylist, Basic Beauty Salon | 1335 Prospect St. | https://basic-beauty-salon.business.site/
RELATED: 6 OFF-THE-MENU ITEMS TO TRY THIS FALL
AND NOW FOR THE REST OF YOU...
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
You’ve had some challenging times recently and a few discouragements have caused you to go inward. Again. Even with all that you’ve dealt with, you never stop believing that you’re being led to something better, even as every door closes on you. You’re the Cryptkeeper of the Zodiac, Scorpio: You’re adorable but creepy and cynical AF. You’re going to feel the Full Moon most this month. You’re in warrior mode and changing your rituals, patterns, and spring cleaning your routines until you’ve purified it down like alchemy. You’re moving on from a phase where you felt devoted to an old person or old way of life and casting that off in favor of an uncertain future (who are you?)
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
You’re frustrated and spinning your wheels this month. October shows you attacking the New Moon in Libra with your own hostile vibes right off the bat and fighting the powers that be. You’re being pushed to change your career in particular, and you may notice the pressure to change your life even though you have noooo idea what you’re doing. Your anger at yourself is powering you into a different reality: sometimes, negative moods are bigger motivators for manifesting your destiny than a million posi vibes. Let the drama wash over you at the Full Moon in Aries on October 20th. Your love life is set to heat up in equal measure to your ferocious temper. Partnered Sag’s might need to use protection this month.
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)
It’s a damn shame that not everything works out, no matter how much you try. You’re becoming viscerally aware of that this month. October shows you making motions to grow but getting hit with heaviness from your ruler Saturn at the New Moon in Libra on October 6th. Even if you feel empowered by the setbacks that arise this month, it’s time to take a break and admit that you need help and you need a little bit of rest before you get back out there. Your plans are getting temporarily derailed. Hint: you were on a path that was going to take you through an emotional swamp—it’s hard to be grateful, but you’ll come to be by month’s end. At the Full Moon in Aries, there’s family tension, but you’re putting out the Do Not Disturb sign. You are unbothered, as only the boss bitch Cap can be.
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18):
Full feral mode has you welcoming in (or fighting deliberately against) an emotional world you’re only now feeling privy to. Your 9th house of adventure feels oddly challenging in October—leaving you feeling restless and balking at any ties that bind. Don’t pull desperately at your bridle at this New Moon in Libra on October 6th—you’ll be surprised what changes can materialize when you R.E.L.A.X. and let nature take its course. Part of your issue is that you don’t want control, even though you insist you need it. Near month’s end, at the transition to Scorpio season, you’re being pulled to take a short trip somewhere new to restore and refresh. Don’t be surprised if something surprising comes up at Halloween that makes you believe that anything is possible and we are not alone out there.
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)
You’re deeply probing the unconscious, and feeling super regretful about a few unconscious connections. This New Moon in Libra has you stung, attacked, ravaged, and vulnerable. Think that’s dramatic? You’re gonna be feeling like you opened up a deep well of your own past trauma—because you did. Your old self is being exhumed and like blood rushing back to a body part, it is PAINFUL. Scorpio season, normally a peaceful and tender time for you, has you ushering in a final fantasy on October 21st. You’re not used to talking straight and you feel like you’re being harsh but you’re not—be harsher. It’s time to tell the truth at the Full Moon in Aries. You’re ready to stop ignoring the glaring issues in your self-esteem and the friendships you hide inside.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
You’re loosening your grip on routine and plunging into the extreme. This month may start angry, with pride exacerbating an already frustrating situation. You’re being asked to open up to an opposing view this month that feels far from comfortable. With the Libra New Moon in particular (Oct 6th), you’re focused on the Other™ in your life and possibly feeling defensive. Your relationships are weighing heavily on you now. At the Full Moon in Aries, expect to finally realize what your spidey senses were telling you while you were busy projecting stuff onto your significant other, friends: you’ve changed. In October, you’re emerging from an unmade bed, starting the long road to redefining yourself. Expect 2022 to be wild for you.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You want to relax, but oh Taurus, that is not a vibe for you this month. October has you feeling like if you don’t do it, it might never get done—or worse, it’ll get done wrong and you’ll have to spend time on your vacation/weekend fixing it while idiots get cozy time watching Netflix. To circumvent this, you’re getting a little controlling as the Full Moon on October 20th enters Aries in your 12th house of the Shadow. You’re protecting yourself from unexpected pressure by forcing others to comply with your rules. That’s okay, but you might be pushing people away that are actually loyal to you. You will have to show a lot more patience than normal, but by month’s end, you’ll finally feel like your life is your own again.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Everything’s a joke until it gets real. You may notice October begins with a bang, as the New Moon in Libra on October 6th gives you a taste for fun and letting loose. With Mercury, your planet’s ruler, retrograde in Libra too though, you might realize you’re irritating everyone around you or going a bit too far with your “harmless” comments. You’re living off the cuff and feeling yourself, but what you may find breezy is actually a little boorish. It’s not your fault: Mercury has you in its tone-deaf grip, accidentally starting fights, sending mixed messages, and being wishy-washy. By the Full Moon at month’s end, expect the signals to start to straighten. With this moon falling in your 11th house of community, expect to be invited to multiple parties, events, meetups: a clique for each of your personalities.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You’re a little overwhelmed this month. With you, Cancer, the tears can just as often mean frustration, fear, hatred, as they mean sadness for others. The New Moon in your cosmic 4th house of home has you feeling some type of way, and nesting under the covers is just about the only cure. It’s time to retreat and fulfill your tenderest impulses. With Mercury retrograde, you might even want to indulge your nostalgic side and bake your favorite childhood treat and watch a movie marathon of sentimental features. The Full Moon on October 20th will have you focusing on your next steps at work, as you slowly emerge from beneath the duvet. It’s time to get your 6-month plan in and you’ve had plenty of me time to figure out just what that might be.
Leo (July 23-Aug 22)
You’re feeling a tad bombastic in October, Leo. A person of strong moral character like you usually doesn’t act proud, but there’s something about the retrograde energy this month that just makes you recede into your most shadowy self—the one you try to deny. The New Moon hits you in your communication sector, making you both excessively charming and a tad highfalutin. You might take things too personally and see rudeness where there isn’t any—or you may just fib a little to seem like you’re doing better than you are. By mid-month, you’re over this Provincial life: you’re obsessed with the next adventure and might be planning a trip or going back to school. With all the nostalgia-vibes of all the planets in retrograde, it’s time to live a dream you thought you gave up on and put the past in your future.
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)
It’s better to hold onto your money this month, dear Virgo. Your stability-loving sign thrives in this “penny saved, penny earned” atmosphere, even if you sometimes get a little stuck in a rut. Your month is focused entirely on self-worth, which includes finances, income, and all manner of body consciousness. You’re investing in yourself: it’s time to focus on the long-term consequences of your actions, but take the pressure off all the areas where you’re convinced you’re missing something. Not everything has to be squared away perfectly when you’re making considerable progress. At the month’s Full Moon in Aries at cross purposes with your agenda, you might feel like you’re up against a wall, as you’re pressured to end a cycle and start fresh. It’s ok to reinvest and let go.
—Kelli Jenkins and Hayley Trussell
Photo by Schwebach Photography.
Follow the Spellsisters on Instagram @spellsisters and schedule a Zoom reading or purchase gift cards here.
All of our content—including this article—is completely free. However, we’d love if you would please consider supporting our journalism with an Indy Maven membership.
