The autumn equinox, with its balance of light and dark, signals a time for responsible engagement. The planets suggest steady, thoughtful, and ever-forward momentum, so let’s get out there and do the work we are meant to do! See what your 2023 fall horoscope predicts below.
As the Sun enters Libra on September 23, marking the autumn equinox, the waxing first quarter Moon in Capricorn is at a critical point in its cycle where symbolically, a new reality has taken root. The Moon at this time appears divided, equally dark and light. The days as well surrounding the equinox are half dark and half light. While the Sun in Libra is now entering its darker half of the year, the Moon is gaining in light at equinox, suggesting a decrease in collective individualism versus an increase in collective care and understanding of infinite differences. With new realities comes the urgency of engagement and responsibility. Diplomacy amongst collective growing pains is of note in this fall’s astrology. The Moon is in a supportive aspect with Mercury in Virgo and Jupiter in Taurus, an earth sign configuration that comes with an agreeable sense of steadiness. It encourages us to deeply ground ourselves while paying close attention to our thoughts and articulating them wisely. With every decision made something is left behind. Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all in direct motion (or, not retrograde) implying forward momentum, yet with Saturn retrograde in Pisces guiding the Moon in Capricorn we proceed with thoughtful hesitation. There is a no-nonsense orientation to the beginning of autumn’s astrology that is reflected in the horoscopes to follow.
Consideration and devotion to the greater good is welcomed while Saturn, still retrograde, is slowing down to turn direct in Pisces. Here, Saturn’s slow drag forms multiple whirlpools of possibilities that are interesting yet nearly impossible to discern efficiently. On November 4, Saturn will station direct at 0° Pisces where it has specific strength marking a turning point in the year where the choices we make have lasting spiritual and emotional outcomes. These issues are mystifying in Pisces but Saturn acts as a sieve, straining solids from the immeasurable over time. Each of us contributes our unique gifts within the larger-than-life story of humanity. Saturn at this time cuts puzzle pieces out of a boundless vision for the future that can only be revealed slowly, piece by piece. Saturn now direct in Pisces forms a maze with a beginning and end but draws no map. This fall, using a balance of logic and intuition, we must feel our way to winter’s door at the solstice in December.
Aries
Your planetary guide Mars has taken a long and winding path over the past year or so. Most notably its extended retrograde in Gemini where you revision modes of communicating. Then it passed through Cancer where Mars must use utmost caution and care while at high speeds, irritating the foundational roots of your home life. It recently opposed stern Saturn retrograde in Pisces in your 12th house adding salt water to wounds you’d rather no one see. But an important cycle is about to end and be reborn as this October Mars, who represents you in your astrology, will return home to its preferred sign, Scorpio. This regenerative time will culminate with the cyclical meeting of the Sun. Mars with the Sun in Scorpio is intensely focused on slow and deliberate processes. After a year of heavy lifting and emotional rip tides, the conjunction with the Sun replenishes your confidence, vision, and trust in the more subtle forces of change. Amidst a tense but ultimately supportive opposition from Jupiter in Taurus, take this moment to pause, reset, and feel resourced by the fruits of your labor this past year. From here on your cup is assuredly half full.
Taurus
The lunar eclipse in Taurus on October 28 will be in your first house of identity and the body. It is the final eclipse in the Taurus and Scorpio axis bringing closure to a year and a half of subconscious rewiring. Specifically, at this eclipse consider easing the unreasonably high expectations of yourself and others. Be aware of what expectations have been imprinted upon you versus what feels inherently comfortable. Deciphering the two is harder said than done, but this eclipse offers a potent opportunity for embodying a healthy acceptance of your established moral codes and capacity for setting boundaries. Venus, your guiding planet, is in Virgo, your fifth house of pleasure and creativity. Sensual Venus in Virgo, the sign known for being particular, further embosses the theme of acceptance over criticality. Rather, tap into Venus in Virgo’s ability to make the beautiful tangible through acts of creation and leisure. Pass lightly through fall’s eclipse season within the realms of a good book, an afternoon mastering a luxurious recipe, or painting plein air amongst the changing autumn leaves.
Gemini
You’ve felt the tug and pull of responsibility with Saturn in slippery Pisces as it recently was retrograde in your 10th house of reputation, visibility, and career. Early this fall Mars will be transiting your sixth house of work albeit in its preferred sign of Scorpio and a place where it can be quite constructive. You’re working on making sense of some ambiguous circumstances around your career and or the work you do. Meanwhile, Mercury, your planetary guide, will enter Sagittarius in your seventh house of relationships on November 10 where it will form a harmonious aspect with Venus who is at home in its sign Libra, in your fifth house of pleasure, casual romances, and creativity. Your professional life feels void at the moment, but Mercury and Venus suggest you have amusement in mind. Flirtatious Mercury emboldens you with amorous feelings that wield the upper hand over topics of career at this time. This fall is a reminder that no amount of work and grind at the job will have the divine payoff that a little play and romance can bring. Ideally consider not separating the two.
Cancer
The solar eclipse on October 14 near the south node of the Moon in Libra is transiting your fourth house of home. The south node has a connotation of soulful change and the discomfort that comes with letting go. The forthcoming eclipses occurring in your fourth house until spring 2025 will have you reconsidering the contents of your nest. At this solar eclipse Mars will be in the early degrees of Scorpio where it is exceptionally strong, sparking a creative approach to solutions around the house. Give alms to these south node eclipses by considering an autumn tag sale or donating excess clothing and books to charity. Take the vow during this time that if something enters your house, something must leave. Honor the shadowing of the Moon and Sun’s light during these eclipses with a candle lit at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Consider dimmer switches on every light in the house. Rearrange the furniture in reaffirming configurations. Repair what is broken if it is of value. Resist adding more while developing reverence and resourcefulness for the already essential and lovely.
Leo
On October 4 nimble Mercury enters Libra in your third house of interpretation and the familiar. Mercury in this house deftly scrolls the screen of fleeting thoughts crossing your mind on any given day, hour, minute, and second. We live in a world so saturated with images and words it is increasingly difficult to know who, what, and where you are. Untethered, you’re eager to simplify the complex without making it simple. Come October 20, Mercury will conjoin the Sun also in Libra near the south node of the Moon. At this sensitive moment Mercury with the Sun is in the calm of an information storm. If you’re feeling hungry for more, for more’s sake, the south node of the Moon close by suggests a reboot. If possible, shutdown all technology. Unfollow at will. Rest quietly in the calm of this storm. Become your own AI scanning, filtering, and refining one image from the archive of your own mind. Gently pull and carry this thread of intention throughout the rest of fall, free of unlimited influences.
Virgo
In our culture which prides itself on eternal progress, establishing meaningful growth takes resistance and patience. It is said it takes at least three tries to learn something new but Virgos prefer to get it right the first time, leaving no trace. The autumn equinox begins with your planetary ruler Mercury in Virgo, still in the shadow of its recent retrograde. Retrogrades roam the same portion of the zodiac in three consecutive passes: forward, backward, and then forward again. Mercury is potent in Virgo and the first house where your spirit and soul meet in delicate communion with your surroundings. Retrogrades in the first house repave our habits that in turn reframe our realities. Matters of health and initiating new methods of self-care are prioritized. Also, your sense of values are easily swayed in our slippery culture of loose-ended virtues. More applicable than at the new year, commence new regimes at this time. New habits require repetition and there is a hidden aspect within this astrology suggesting they be grounded in pleasurable and leisurely experiences. Not simply a new to-do list.
Libra
Early this fall you are balancing the instinct to be present for others while reserving clarifying time alone. Mars, who is the planetary guide of your relationships is in Libra in your first house at the time of the equinox, indicating there may be someone you know romantically or otherwise in need of your advice and attention. Libra, you are prone to pleasing others for the sake of keeping peace but at this time you may need to let someone know your truth. This truth stems from an obscure place in your consciousness and requires mindful reflection to put into words. Your planetary guide Venus will transit Virgo in your 12th house picking up on subtle indications of where you are not communicating self- defeating dynamics in relationships. By the second week of November, things should become clearer while you and this significant other enter a more resolved state of mind. From here on spend quality time alone uncoiling within familiar spaces. Savor quiet open-ended time frames while leaving a window cracked for personal insights carried on crisp autumn breezes.
Scorpio
Mars, your planetary guide, enters your first house in Scorpio on October 12 in a portion of the zodiac where it is exceptionally empowered. After a year of resistance as Mars transited a few rough spots in your astrology, you are primed for a fresh start. Stealth in its preferred sign Scorpio, Mars quietly inspires a purposeful focus on self-perception. Immediately upon this ingress Mars is applying to a supportive aspect with Saturn, retrograde in Pisces in your fifth house of delight and generative potency. Venus, planet of beauty, is opposing Saturn at this time forming great creative tension. This planetary brew inspires the child within you to play an unexpected character. Saturn in Pisces invokes oddly beautiful approaches. Friends too are eager to watch you dance in a different light. If you’ve ever considered throwing a Halloween party this is the year to do so. While experimenting with costumes and masks, remember identity is a form of magic making, casting spells over its master and those around them. Invite only those who will celebrate your exploration of intrigue with warm intensity.
Sagittarius
Since June 17, Saturn has been in retrograde in Pisces in your fourth house of home, origin, and land. During this time, you may have felt a longing for yet disconnection from your family roots. Saturn is the guide of your resources, siblings, cousins, and distant relatives. Connection is a mystical experience that must be nurtured, fed, and practiced. Saturn retrograde in Pisces corrupts the emotions of want and interdependence. In your fourth house you may have experienced some chaos and sentimental labyrinths considering family, the land you live on, and your relationship to its mysterious wellsprings of belonging. On November 4, Saturn will station direct at 0° Pisces and begin again its two-and-a-half-year passage through said sign. The fog lifts a bit as there is a beneficial aspect with Jupiter, a beacon in Taurus where it holds the key to compassion inherent in the work it takes to keep family ties alive and thriving. This time does not bode well for material improvements of the home but instead commit to the family of your dreams, born of blood or chosen.
Capricorn
At the moment of the autumn equinox the Moon is in Capricorn in your first house of the body and mind. In its waxing phase, increasing in energy and light the Moon is in a tense yet separating aspect with the Sun now in Libra in your tenth house of visibility. There is a tense relationship between your emotional state and the places where you feel seen. You seek comfort that is difficult to name as well. Friends and colleagues especially may be a great source of stress which idles and drains your otherwise colorful enthusiasm to manifest great works of beauty. The Moon in Capricorn is reticent and finds it challenging to be adaptable. But fear not, the Moon is applying to a supportive aspect with Jupiter in Taurus who graces you with optimism and imagination. November 8, Venus enters Libra in your 10th house where you should feel an existential weight lifted and a sense of peace restored. Remember, too, that a bit of light-heartedness will go a long way as the skies clear.
Aquarius
Saturn, your planetary guide is transiting Pisces in your second house of finances and sustenance. Here Saturn considers seriously what life feeds you in optimal nourishment. The quality of time, a signification of Saturn, is also an asset that is of great value to our livelihood when well spent. Time squandered can have grave effects on our health and happiness. Saturn signifies austerity while Pisces guided by beneficent Jupiter offers abundance and wealth. Together they ask paradoxically, what is essentially more than enough? Time and money spent during Saturn’s time in your second house could have a sandcastle effect, built only to be easily washed away. Thoroughly parse wants versus needs. Be conscious of vague spending. Look for leaks in your bank account like subscription services no longer in use. Purchases made in haste will come with greater than normal regrets. Instead look to Jupiter in Taurus in your fourth house of home where resources will support foundational lifestyle investments that can be better cared for with deeper roots and long-term growth.
Pisces
Mercury is in Virgo at the time of the equinox in your seventh house of relationships. When in Virgo, quick-witted Mercury has the acumen to pull the abstract into reality. Rarely straightforward Pisces, you are drawn to yet mildly annoyed by Mercury’s cleverness. For you, here lies an opportunity for focused attention with others. Thanks to a supportive aspect with your guiding planet Jupiter in your third house of communication, you are further blessed at this time with compassion for mutual understanding. The Moon in Capricorn is applying to a cooperative aspect with Mercury as well but carries more difficult and emotional qualities to the relationship. Romantic Venus has a subtle involvement here but is averse to the situation, further emphasizing a complicated connection with someone’s peculiar allure. Regardless, trust and place your fascination with this significant other on a pedestal. Acknowledge, pardon, and celebrate their forgivable flaws as unique personality quirks. Mercury in Virgo is nimble, matter-of-fact, and like you, adaptable. Remember that it is okay to commit within contradictory circumstances.
Story and Imagery by Shane Powers, Enon Valley Astrology
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