The Season of Political Drama
The highlight of the final week of September was the Sun’s movement into Libra. On September 29th, the Full Moon in Aries brings contrast and hot tempers winding up a month of serious challenges for the USA Congressional body trying to come to agreements to save the government from “burning to the place to the ground,” as Speaker McCarthy put it. The US government is facing historically high debt, and the two parties are standing opposed on either extending debt limits, or facing a government shut down before the beginning of October. Astrologically, it seems like the stand-off might take weeks to come to agreement.
The government Shut Down illustrates the argumentative atmosphere hampering Congress in the previous 6 weeks with Mars in Libra, transiting the US horoscope place of government management. Mars, planet of confrontation, battles, military, can display willfulness, anger, and bad behavior in the sign of its detriment. The stalemate in Congress is a display of arrogance, power struggles, and a “because I can” attitude of leaders.
Mercury is in the last few degrees of Virgo and opposing Neptune, a signal to be aware of distractions, false narratives, and deceptions as we begin the month. This opposition pair are like the contrast of hard data against idealism. Neptune in Pisces suggests sympathy, inclusion, the ideals of unity and sharing. Mercury, in terms of Mars in Virgo, is impersonal, detailed, and analytical, breaking down figures and spreadsheets with an eye for what to eliminate. The first days of October can seem extra critical or dispassionate.
Mercury’s ingress to Libra can initiate collaboration and discussion on Oct. 6th, with the Moon in Cancer and then into Leo for the first weekend of the month. It is a time for gatherings and easy conversations, building allies. Venus is passing the point where it began the retrograde, offering clarity on relationships.
Two factors can shift the trend of events mid-month: Mars ingresses to its own sign, Scorpio, gaining power, and Pluto’s station to direct motion is a full stop. Pluto is at the same degree in Capricorn that it was last January 7, 2023 when Kevin McCarthy became Speaker of the House on the 15th ballot. It was the most protracted vote for Speaker in 163 years. Similar energies are working now, but things are about to change.
The American Empire is in trouble. The theoretical ethics of our early American ancestors have evaporated in Pluto’s long 248-year cycle. As it stations direct motion on October 10, Pluto is making its final contact to its position in the Declaration of Independence chart. This is why the questions of individual rights and personal freedoms are demanding our collective attention to sustain Democracy.
The same day, the Libra Sun opposes Chiron in Aries, the healer-spiritual warrior, and the Moon goes into Virgo, sign of negotiations, healing, and service. These factors gathering at the same time suggests that the groups in discussions are beginning to work toward beneficial conclusions. The negotiators present are people with just the right ideas or solutions to bring others to agreement. Chiron is a spiritual warrior seeking peace and leading others toward right action.
The shift in Pluto’s direction will be a tipping point of decisions that will bring a flood of disclosures from investigations that bring a change of perspective on issues of power, influence, control, domination of ideas, and the trickle-down effect caused by the involvement by giant corporations and through power collusion among leaders, all Pluto ideas.
There is dynamic power involved with Pluto’s station in late Capricorn. The destructive power of the outer planets in their stations has a magnetic/geological influence on the Earth. The earthquakes and excessive storms in areas causing crumbling and ruin of incredibly old structures are events relative to the type of dramatic devastation and mass deaths we see with Pluto.
In mid-October, we have the shift of Mercury into Libra, ahead of the Sun, and Mars into Scorpio, behind the Sun; both under the Sun’s beams. When planets are near the Sun, they are invisible to the daytime sky. We consider them working in counsel with leadership, meeting in private to plan and collaborate. Closed-door meetings could be productive this week as Venus rules all these Libra planets and is collaborating with Mercury.
The Solar Eclipse will be on October 14, at 21 Libra, with Mercury and Pallas Athene conjoined. Pallas represents creative intelligence, strategic thinking, and the art of peacemaking. These next two weeks Mercury will be under the Sun’s beams, suggesting long hours of discussion and meetings that are stressful until parties begin to share ideas and cooperate.
The Aries-Libra lunation is the archetypal polarity of the individual versus relationship; “I vs We.” Mars, planet of war, individuality, and self-awareness rules Aries. Venus rules libra, and leans toward agreement, fairness, harmony. Mars in Libra, its detriment, has exhibited selfish behavior without discretion. This is one reason it has been difficult to find compromise and consensus.
Mercury will conjoin with the Sun as they both enter Scorpio, October 23-24. Mars and Mercury conjunct on the 29th, adding potency to the Lunar Eclipse on the October 28th. The Full Moon brings things into the light, offering awareness. Mars is collaborating with Mercury, representative of Venus in Virgo, harmoniously linking to Taurus, and Scorpio, all ready to find resolutions to long-held issues. Symbolically, this is a point where the factions come together in agreement with a plan for a new direction.
Venus is a bright morning star in its Eastern phase. Venus governs values, ethics, money, and aesthetics. Venus, archetype of feminine energy, is in fertile Virgo until November 9. Themes that can arise here are those of fairness, Truth, group-sharing, equal values, respect for individuality and uniqueness.
The conclusion of October could show the rise of an influential new leadership and the potential for positive outcomes that could support collective growth in 2024.
Norma Jean Ream
Norma Jean Ream Bio
Norma Jean Ream has been a resident of Kalapana SeaView since 1988. Astrology has been her passion since 1970. She has a B.A. in Astrological Studies East and West from Kepler College and NCGR Level 4 Certification. Her specialty is in Traditional Western astrology, and she writes articles on Mundane (world events) for her own website, www.AstrologyHawaii.com. She wrote and taught a course in Traditional Astrology for IAA, an online college for seven years. She serves clients with a variety of offerings including personal consultations, Electional timing, Relocation decisions, Horary questions, and Children’s Charts for Parents.
