Welcome to Indy Maven’s astrology column coming by way of Kelli Jenkins, better known around Indy as one of 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 2023 OVERVIEW
Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like the Season of the Witch is coming a little early this year. The veil feels thinner already, synchronicities are even more frequent than usual, and time feels like it’s speeding up towards the end of the year.
It could be because there’s been a slight chill in the air, but we’re also rapidly approaching eclipse season, and October is full of pretty significant astrological shifts. If you’ve felt like something important is desperately seeking your attention, like there’s something crucial you need to put out into the world, you’re not alone. But this month is going to ask you to put the brakes on things and be sure you’re not rushing them along for the sake of completion.
The Sun, having already entered Libra on September 22, will be joined by several other planets and aspects that make us collectively feel drawn to socializing, traveling, learning something new and sharing ideas with others. My personal take on the cosmic peacemaker, Libra, is that their stereotype as a social butterfly has a cause. Libra’s pursuit of community is for the sake of collective peace and harmony.
So when our planet of communication, Mercury, enters Libra early in the month, it feels harmonious. The emphasis is on sharing ideas, fellowship and expansion of knowledge. When Venus comes into play here, too, with a Jupiter opposition, it feels like a recess. We’re being blessed with a spell of play and optimism.
On the 10th, Pluto will go direct in Capricorn. This is the last time Pluto rests in Capricorn before stationing in Aquarius. This is a chance to integrate the societal lessons we’ve learned over the last decade-plus. What have we learned from Pluto in Capricorn?
While it may feel like there’s a break and time for some fun with other aspects lighting up playfully, Pluto’s last bout in Capricorn is being followed by Mars entering Scorpio on the 11th. This could lead to some tension…. You may be feeling the pressure to put things out there, while Mars is encouraging more of a Kacey Musgrave’s vibes Slow Burn.
If it feels like an inner-roiling is taking control of your life, just know that this is a fleeting moment, and the back-and-forth, push-pull, quick-slow-quick you’re experiencing will soon pass. Instead of following the impulsive Mars whim, focus on your more Pluto-in-Capricorn baseline.
Lol, what I mean by that is this:
It feels easy to get caught up in impulsiveness, and you may feel driven by assertion during this season. You want to push things forward and move it along, but the call is actually challenging you to resist that impulse. Instead of pushing, lay low. The name of the game right now, though it feels like action, is more about reflection and refinement. It’s easy to recognize an inner pull and chase the hell out of it. The challenge is to recognize the pull and know that you can’t force it.
The New Moon Annular Solar Eclipse in Libra further emphasizes this, as things feel off-kilter. There’s burnout in the air, and pushing only inches us closer to losing it. Once again, I cannot emphasize this enough: lay low. This eclipse season seems to be about spiritual rest.
This month is about committing to your own internal spiritual practices. Focus on refining your plans, revising your goals and revisiting your lessons. You can only integrate and embody what you’ve learned if you don’t speed past it. You don’t pick up the lessons if you just shove them in the car as you’re zooming by.
Hold onto that energy of spiritual rest throughout the two weeks between eclipses. The inclination to push is not the medicine you need right now. It’s a trap! Should you choose to force it and push things forward–there is a dark, accident- and conflict-prone energy throughout that two weeks that could foil your plans and not only impede progress, but take you back to the beginning of your game.
This all culminates with the intense Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Taurus on the 28th; it is a balm, although it’s the kind that burns. It’s unlikely to be soothing. We’re being asked to let go of the past. The Lunar Eclipse amplifies the intensity of the month. It’s time to release the parts of yourself that have been holding you back.
xo,
Kelli
BIRTHDAY ROYALTY <3 Libra & Libra Placements (Birthday between September 23 – October 22):
You’re in the hot-seat, and all eyes are on you. And while you like to be in the center of a social setting, it’s not necessarily comfortable for you to be the center of attention. You may not love to be the one who has to take responsibility for the vibe. It’s not your thing, but this month, you may find that others are looking at you for the answers. While you’re the original passenger princess, you might find yourself in the driver’s seat far more often than you’d like. Don’t be surprised if you feel like you have to answer for someone else’s behavior this month–it’s possible that you are the one put on trial when someone in your inner circle takes a major stand you don’t agree with. This month is ultimately about focusing on and prioritizing yourself. Don’t fall victim to someone else’s mistakes. You are not the one who’s meant to fall on the sword.
Tarotscopes | Justice: This is your card. Justice will always prevail. You can’t force everyone to see what’s good and bad, but you can hold the awareness that it’ll be worked out on a cosmic level.
Famous Libra: Kim Kardashian, October 21
NOW FOR THE REST OF YOU...
Scorpio Placements (Birthday between October 23 – November 21):
Your 12th house of the subconscious mind, dreams and completion is being activated this month, pushing you even further into reflection. You may want to commit to a sober October when you recognize that this month is asking you to focus on your shadow. Whatever your crutch, this is a good time to put it on the back burner and give yourself a break. You are seeking mental clarity and honing your intuition–you don’t need distractions.
Tarotscopes | The Devil: Don’t allow yourself to be controlled by things that do more harm than good. It’s a choice.
Sagittarius & Sag Placements (Birthday between November 22 – December 21):
You’re coming out of a major period of rest, or as some might say, your hermit phase is coming to a close. You finally want to be out and about again, networking and rebuilding your community. The only potential pitfall right now is false friends. Watch for people who want you around only for their own gain. Good for them, but that’s not why you’re here. You’re searching for a genuine connection.
Tarotscopes | 3 of Cups: Let your circle be tiny. It’s still a circle.
Capricorn Placements (Birthday between December 22 – January 19):
You want to have your cake and eat it, too, Capricorn, but sometimes that just isn’t how it works. You want to have your moment in the spotlight, but you may have forgotten that you had help to reach this point. This was a group effort. Be gracious rather than bitter. You don’t need all the accolades. What you need this month is to learn how to fit others into your plans. Don’t abandon them once you get where you wanted to be.
Tarotscopes | 9 of Wands: This is only your burden because you wouldn’t let anybody help you.
Aquarius & Aquarius Placements (Birthday between January 20 – February 18):
Go where you’re being called! You have the opportunity to learn new things, grow exponentially, and experience greatness. This might mean you need to travel, maybe you need to go to a place you’ve never been, or you need to do something that’s been scary but intriguing. If you’re waffling, stop! Just do the thing that intrigues you. If you don’t like it, you can always come back.
Tarotscopes | 8 of Wands: The road is open. Any path you take is clear.
Pisces & Pisces Placements (Birthday between February 19 – March 20):
You could find yourself at the precipice of a totally new life path. The Sun in Libra is shining on your 8th house of taboo, sex and death. This feels like a personal renaissance. You know exactly what you’re getting into, but you may be afraid to commit to something entirely new and unexpected. What you have to gain is worth the risk. This is a very black-and-white, yes/no, all-or-nothing decision, but you can no longer avoid taking a step in any direction.
Tarotscopes | The High Priestess: Only you know what you’re feeling. Only you know what’s beneath the surface. If it feels right to you, then it is.
Aries & Aries Placements (Birthday between March 21 – April 19):
It’s cuffing season for you, with all this Venusian Libra energy hitting your house of partnerships and commitment. You’re ready to settle down into something, be it a new relationship, reconnecting with your partner or even just nestling into cozy season. You have the opportunity to fully lean into the beauty of surrender, and it feels good to finally relieve some of that pressure from yourself. You might find that you can get closer to your dreams when you welcome this.
Tarotscopes | The Empress: It’s easier to recognize the beauty in everything once you decide to see it.
Taurus & Taurus Placements (Birthday between April 20 – May 20):
You’re learning that no matter how much energy you put into your goals, you don’t feel like they’re successful if you aren’t finding balance in your personal life. You have no issues prioritizing your self and taking all the time you need for self care, but it may be hard for you to stay out of an all or nothing mentality without finding harmony between “work” and “play.” I don’t necessarily mean your job when I say work–housework, inner work, health, etc. can also fall into that category. And play may mean learning, resting or socializing for you. Either way, the trick to feeling good for you is striking the perfect balance, and you can do that by committing to your routines.
Tarotscopes | Strength: Everything in its right place–including your energy and focus.
Gemini & Gemini Placements (Birthday between May 21 – June 20):
Playfulness and finding ways to have fun in your everyday life should be your focus this month. You can, but shouldn’t, IMO, just continue trudging along without giving yourself space for balance. You desperately need to strike the perfect work-life, social-rest, play-reflection balance in your life right now, and with this month highlighting your house of fun, you can lean into your own uniqueness to do this easily. You have something that not everyone has.
Tarotscopes | Temperance: You can’t heal without allowing yourself the space to.
Cancer & Cancer Placements (Birthday between June 21 – July 22):
You don’t always stand up for yourself and take up the space you totally deserve. It’s sometimes hard for you to stand in the spotlight and accept your accolades, but you know that you deserve them. There is so much to celebrate, this month in particular, for some reason! You’ve worked really freaking hard to get where you are, and you absolutely deserve your moment in the sun. You fought for this moment.
Tarotscopes | The Sun: It may feel like the little things for you, but the light that’s shining on you recognizes the impact of all those tiny decisions you made.
Leo & Leo Placements (Birthday between AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMber 22):
This month is all about that inner work for you, Leo. You might feel more compelled than usual to soak up more information, especially if it comes from unexpected sources. You’re on a different path than the one you expected to be on, and it may be that you’ve had some unexpected limitations. Those could ease up, and your situation could change. You just have to change how you’re thinking about the “problem” and consider: is it even a problem? It feels like you need to do some mental math to try to figure out your next steps.
Tarotscopes | The Magician: It turns out you can have what you want, and you do have what you need to get it. You might just need to rearrange your use of the tools you have acquired.
Virgo Placements (Birthday between July 23 – August 22):
You don’t always love dealing with unpredictability, but in this case, it serves you. You are entering a new period where fated meetings and destiny might intervene to help you reach your goals. Now you’re just being called to measure how those goals weigh against what really matters to you. Is what you want really what you want? It’ll become more clear as you lean into the things that bring you stability and comfort. You might just have to shift your idea of what you thought you wanted to match your values and belief systems.
Tarotscopes | The Hierophant: Do you believe in your values because they feel right to you, or is it because that’s what you’ve been told is “right?”
RELATED: YOUR SEPTEMBER 2023 HOROSCOPES WITH THE SPELLSISTERS
Photo of the Spellsisters by Schwebach Photography.
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