October 2019 By Bob Mulligan (a personal note is at the end of the newsletter) October is the relationship month. 2019 is in the basic pattern. Putting aside criticism during the first two weeks allows us to concentrate on the good in each other. Mars enters Libra on the 4th. The ruler of Libra, Venus (goddess of love), enters Scorpio (sign of Mars) on the 8th. Our focus narrows; we will expect more, but from fewer people. We are strengthened through self-awareness. We need to see what we are contributing to others. On the 14th Jupiter (ethics) in Sagittarius is Sesquiquadrate Uranus (abrupt change) in Taurus. Our well-conceived plans may be thrown out the window. It’s back to the drawing board. On the 17th, Jupiter (lord of expanse) is Semi-sextile Pluto (ruler of the underworld). Hidden things come to light. Mercury turns Retrograde on the 31st, initiating a three week period of reflection. The Full Moon on October 13th is at 5:07 pm EDT on the 20th degree of Libra/Aries. The triple Conjunction of Saturn, Pluto, and the Moon’s South Node (in Capricorn) are Square both Sun and Moon. Because all planets involved are in cardinal signs, change and movement will automatically come. Capricorn is the sign of karma (chickens coming home to roost). We get the results of what we have created. Jupiter (king of the gods) is Trine the Moon and Sextile the Sun. This provides lift, a way out. Jupiter is the planet of luck. Mercury (ideas) is Trine Neptune (ideals). Both are Trine the North Node of the Moon (dharma). This Grand Trine is in water signs (empathy). We are all reminded that we must adhere to our higher beliefs. This reminds us to have faith. We are participating in a process of healing the earth, healing our political environment, healing our ways of collectively dealing with each other. Obviously the earth must be tilled in order to plant something new. Mars (war) and Venus (peace) are in each other’s sign. Reconciliation between masculine and feminine forces can only come when we each allow our feelings of love to take precedent over our desire to be right. The Sun enters Scorpio October 23rd at 1:21 pm EDT. The Moon is void of course (not making any major aspect while in its sign). This indicates that this whole solar month will lack cohesion. Things going on behind the scenes will manifest later on. The Sun (sense of self) Opposite Uranus (abrupt change) shows that we are each being shaken to our very foundation. Mars in Libra Square Saturn in Capricorn. We are our own enemy when we feel defeated, that life is too hard and we can’t make a difference. Our allies are love, faith in the inherent goodness of life, and the symmetry of the universe. This is indicated by Venus (goddess of harmony) in Trine with Neptune (lord of the ocean). The greater the struggle, the greater the victory. The New Moon comes October 27th at 11:39 pm EDT 40 Scorpio 25′. The New Moon is Opposite Uranus showing that deep, unexpected changes of circumstance will put us on a new footing, before the next New Moon. Pluto (god of death) is on the direct mid-point between Venus and Neptune, being Sextile both. In order to get the higher side of our personality to operate fully, we need to eliminate that which stands in our way. Sacrifice is required now. A new world will come when we all start living a new life. From the 1st to the 6th we struggle to get balance. Circumstances seem less certain than they did a week ago. Relationships are key to both success and comfort. We have a tendency to vacillate between putting more energy into people in order to get a response, and just ignoring the obvious. From the 7th to the 13th lots of new options come our way. Our job is to reach out, make room for the new, and nurture what we already have. Excitement comes from many directions. Overcoming fear of limitation happens when we pick our projects carefully, then energize them consistently. From the 14th to the 20th political turmoil and environmental eruptions add color to an already exciting time. Seasonal changes are in full force, but unanticipated events can disrupt the rhythm of our personal lives. Courage and determination bring about better results than we could have thought possible. From the 21st to the 27th our creative efforts help us participate in the beauty of life. At the cosmic level, forces of unity confront the energy of separateness. Do we want peace or war? understanding or prejudice? vice or virtue? We can be the change we wish to see in the world. From the 28th to the 31st all the tumultuous activity can leave us exhausted. Rather than hastening to make things happen, we should postpone final decisions on big things wherever possible. We are at peace with ourselves, and our contribution to life, if we spend more time just observing. 1st – Tuesday – The world seems to be moving slow. Even though we wish to stay in agreement with other people’s pace, we can be critical. More detail than is necessary comes to our attention. By being uncharacteristically meticulous, we accomplish our given tasks. Important things need to be done first; time limits force some activities forward on the calendar. 2nd – Wednesday – Mercury Semi-sextile Mars – We put the finishing touches on a project. Other people’s criticism will be there. It is not to be taken too seriously. We need to apply what we can, then discard the rest without commentary. 3rd – Thursday – Pluto turns Direct, Mercury enters Scorpio, Mercury Contra-parallel Uranus – We learn to think differently. Interruptions bring a new focus. Our concentration improves through a sifting process. Knowing what to ignore and what really needs our attention is wisdom. 4th – Friday – Mars enters Libra, Mercury Sesquiquadrate Neptune – Emotional impulses override our intellect. Common sense dictates that we stay on our designated course. A flurry of imaginative solutions to everyday problems emerge, but it is best to just take note of them for future reference. 5th – Saturday – Mercury Semi-square Jupiter – Big ideas are not necessarily aligned with reality. Practical patterns of action may seem too pedestrian to keep our attention. Regardless of our lack of enthusiasm for the ordinary, the well trod path is the shortest way to our destination. 6th – Sunday – Being patient is the best strategy. Take time to rest and restore. We may be anxious to complete the job in front of us; there is always tomorrow. If a serious mood is too dark to shake, then time alone is necessary to recharge. 7th – Monday – Mercury Opposite Uranus, Sun Square Saturn – We can see more than we can accomplish. The danger can be if we declare what we are going to do before we have done it, then find out how hard it is to achieve. Being happy with our choices means spending time in the selection process. “Looking before we leap” is the best advice. 8th – Tuesday – Venus enters Scorpio – Waves of intensity can carry us into a new dimension of our own creativity. Emotional satisfaction arrives on the heels of commitment. It is time to bring some small article of involvement to conclusion, or just drop it and change course. 9th – Wednesday – Sun Parallel Neptune, Venus Sesquiquadrate Neptune, Sun Quincunx Neptune – Our dreams and illusions have a very strong pull on our imagination. A higher way of being is tapping us on the shoulder, reminding us that this world is just a mirage. Breaking through the barriers of our self-created imprisonment comes in stages. Devoting time, money, and energy to improve other people’s lives brings joy. 10th – Thursday – Accumulating more than we need has meaning if it is used to make life beautiful. “Man does not live by bread alone.” Survival is not good enough; life has meaning; our lives have meaning. Hope and inspiration grow exponentially when shared. 11th – Friday – It’s a time of choices. Shaping our vision of life comes by being willing to go beyond the limits of logic. Big dreams should be instructive, not mere compensation for what is actually happening in our lives. We need to ask more of ourselves and less of others. Self-awareness develops through intention and observation. 12th – Saturday – Mars Quincunx Uranus, Venus Semi-square Jupiter, Venus Parallel Uranus, Venus Opposite Uranus – Intimacy develops between people as they are willing to follow their hearts and ignore the rules. We need to be sensitive to others’ pain in order to grow beyond ordinary limits. New insight tells us what to release and where a permanent commitment is necessary. 13th – Sunday – Venus Semi-sextile Mars, Sun Sextile Jupiter – Really listening to others opens doors. Small gestures of kindness have a way of transforming even the harshest circumstances. We can all make a better world, one virtuous act at a time. 14th – Monday – Jupiter Sesquiquadrate Uranus, Mercury Sextile Saturn, Sun Square Pluto – As we implement a plan, frustration can lead us to a crisis of values. Is what we are striving for worth the effort? Loss comes from gambling on long-shots. This is unnecessary. Digging a little deeper requires effort. Growth comes when we reach agreement on goals. 15th – Tuesday – Mercury Trine Neptune – Looking beyond the obvious allows us to penetrate to the roots. Our ideals are a guidepost pointing the way to a better life. Meditation and rumination come easy when we have a quiet heart. Inspiration emerges as compassion is put into motion. 16th – Wednesday – Being honest with ourselves means facing our own psychological weaknesses. What seems practical may just be a symptom of selfishness and pride. Overcoming the inertia of past habits is a daunting task, but worthy of our time. 17th – Thursday – Jupiter Semi-sextile Pluto – Taking a giant step forward starts with being very clear as to where we are going. “Threading the needle” means learning from our advanced preparations. It’s time to expand. 18th – Friday – Poetry is more important than precision. Life is a great teacher. Learning requires open-mindedness. Game changing knowledge requires lighthearted experimentation and detachment. 19th – Saturday – Mercury Sextile Pluto – Returning to an earlier mindset and pattern of interests, we can discover previously hidden details. We just need to keep going. Obstacles don’t evaporate, but can be broken into bite sized pieces. Dessert comes automatically when we eat our vegetables. 20th – Sunday – Mercury Semi-sextile Jupiter, Venus Sextile Saturn – Exposing our ideas to a wider range of associates than we normally would is a great way to evaluate our situation. Loyalty to people and causes can be tested by intervening circumstances. It’s time to pare down. Saying good-bye to fair weather friends is one method for opening to new experiences. 21st – Monday – Venus Trine Neptune – At least take in a presentation of some performing art. Creativity and inspiration leads us. Expressing our deepest feelings can be a cathartic release. Channeling powerful emotions into a romantic love can lift us. When the motivation is to surrender our selfishness for the collective good, everyone wins. 22nd – Tuesday – Compromising with others is a good strategy as long as we adhere to our values. Confidence is a good thing when we allow room for others. Having a clear direction is more a matter of instinct than reasoning. This is just fine; details of our actions can be worked out later. 23rd – Wednesday – The Sun enters Scorpio – Hard work and a careful eye for procedures can bring success. The die is cast. We just have to pick up the pieces. Some things can’t be delegated. Our own efforts will make the difference. 24th – Thursday – Sun is Sesquiquadrate Neptune – Our emotional impulses can guide us toward a personal victory if the ground work has been laid out appropriately. Contemplating the larger arena of life is time well spent. 25th – Friday – Venus Sextile Pluto – Understanding the nature of changes taking place allows us to put our passions to constructive use. We need to show others through our actions; words alone will not convince anyone to join forces. 26th – Saturday – Venus Semi-sextile Jupiter, Sun Contra-parallel Uranus – We experience joy when we let go of past hurts. Trying to accomplish too much can dilute the potency of our quest. Unforeseen consequences can steal our victory if we have become over-extended. We need to be satisfied with small personal gains. 27th – Sunday – Mars Square Saturn, the New Moon is on the 4th degree of Scorpio at 11:39 pm EDT – If we feel frustrated by lack of progress, self-analysis frees our energy. We have been getting in our own way. Blaming others or circumstances leads to more blockage. Careful attention to every last detail and inexhaustible patience brings satisfaction. 28th – Monday – Mercury Parallel Pluto, Sun Opposite Uranus, Mars Quincunx Neptune – Research is fun. Going deeper reveals secrets. Distrust of other people’s motives brings unproductive emotions to the surface; our joy disappears. Just because something is new does not make it better. Stubbornly holding onto the past is worthless. Only protracted reasoning and quietude move us forward. 29th – Tuesday – We can be the master of the well turned phrase. It’s remarkable how others pick up on our thoughts, so thinking positive is good. Our vision expands when our world includes everyone. We learn by sharing, verbally as well as by email. 30th – Wednesday – Mercury Parallel Pluto, Mercury Conjunct Venus – This is the perfect moment to be bringing closure to things that have been on our radar for a long time. Life is a grand adventure. Sharing the mystery of our deeper feelings is freeing. 31st – Thursday – Mercury turns Retrograde, Sun Semi-square Jupiter – Reflection comes naturally. We get a chance to review our most recent project and do some editing. Letting go is the hardest part of moving forward. Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or by e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our website, www.theastrologycompany.com. Caroline Beebe accompanied me to India on this last pilgrimage. We planned it a year ago. It was successful. A good use of time. I spent every day with my Master, Meher Baba, without distraction. The weather was perfect, cloudy, warm, but not too hot. Every day. Ok, the Sun came out on the last day. I did get sick while I was there. Katie did some Esoteric Healing on me. I got better. The doctor wanted me to take some medication. My health has been up and down, but it is basically ok. On the way to India I watched a movie, “A Dog’s Way Home”. I enjoyed it so much I watched it again on the flight from Paris to Mumbai. It is now one of my favorite movies and I watched it again when I returned to the United States. It’s available from Red Box. See it if you get a chance. Spiritually, this trip was a step forward for me. We all struggle with our own psychological weaknesses. Spiritual progress is only made while in the physical body. The time between lives is for digesting experiences already acquired. There are a few things I must complete while I’m still here. It appears I’ll be speaking at the 43rd International Astrology Conference in Kolkata in February 2020. There is some special work in the astrology community I need to do before then. I wrote-edited some more on my book while in India. Aiyara’ s 9th birthday is October 3rd. She is my first grandchild. My son Sylvan, his wife, and two children live near the Meher Center in Myrtle Beach. In November, my daughter Juliana, and her mother , will be going to Myrtle Beach. Four of my five children will be there all at once. Katie and I could theoretically make the trip up there, but life seems a little too complicated for both of us. On December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut, a single gunman went into a primary school, shot and killed 26 people including 20 children between 6 and 7 years of age. A rock group, “Alternate Routes,” composed a song for a non-profit group to promote acts of kindness. Katie and I were watching NCIS Season 11 Episode 11. During the last three minutes a piece of music was playing in the background. I liked it and asked Katie if she knew what it was. She didn’t. But, she found it on Goggle. The group is Alternate Routes. The song is “Nothing More”. I’ve selected a version with printed lyrics. Please take a look. It is an important message. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIuy1a9IdHk Nothing More – the Alternate Routes (NCIS Homesick) Once again, I would like to thank each of you for your support through the years. Much time during the last week of every month is spent tuning into the coming events, taking notes, then recording my impressions. God willing, see you next month. | 
