Alex

As you begin October, you’re feeling serious, having come off a major conjunction of the Sun and Saturn on September 30. You are ruled by the Sun, so major conjunctions to the Sun will always affect you strongly. This time the Sun and Saturn meet in Libra in your house of communication, a good place for them to be, for it is easier to host these two heavenly bodies here than anywhere else in the chart.

It looks like you will be working on a major project that is highly important to you. You may not know just how big it is likely to grow in time - and how proud you will feel to be part of it. It looks complex, but that could be good - there’ll be lots to learn! Saturn teaches us that the harder and smarter we work, the greater the reward, and this seems to fit here.

Saturn can bring a critical boss or elder into the picture, though, so you may be super-sensitive to criticism as you start the month. This won’t be true for every Leo across the board, but if you are affected this way and are feeling a little crushed, hurt, or depressed as you start October, know that this feeling will pass in a day or two. Mercury will oppose Uranus on October 2 - in contrast not depressing but jarring. The start of the month won’t be your favorite, but I promise things will improve quickly after that.

The third house, where the new moon, October 7, the Sun, Mercury, and Saturn are situated, all crowded together closely, suggests that this is a project that could have strong profit potential. Mercury rules your earned income sector and with Saturn within two tiny degrees, you will likely work in a very diligent and determined manner to make this assignment a success. It will take time for the money to come - it could take six months to a year to see profit from this project, but it would be there for you. Any promises you make now will be spoken from your heart, the reason why I feel so strongly that you will make this assignment quite a success.

With Saturn so prominent, it appears you will be building a foundation for the future. Perhaps you are learning a new expertise in this project that you can use in the future. If you are asked to estimate a deadline, add extra time to what you think you will need. Saturn’s presence shows you’ll need more time because you will have to work slowly and methodically, but it will be done right.

You may be writing a book or screenplay, or designing and writing an important website or blog. You may be giving a series of talks, or you may be asked to speak on a number of panels. You may be working on a key advertising or publicity campaign, or doing special research.

Libra rules not only artistic endeavors, but also the law, so it is also possible that you may be working on a very important legal brief or high profile case. If you are a curator, you may be working on a blockbuster museum exhibit that will be seen by the public down the road, say, a year or two from now. With Libra prominent there is a strong chance you will be working with a collaborator, ghostwriter, or other partner on this job, and although that is not your usual way of working, it will be a good way of working now.

There are two other ways this new moon could manifest its energies. One way is that your sister, brother, or cousin may need your help, or you may have big news that has the family buzzing.

If you were born on August 6, or within four days of that date, you will benefit the most from the actions you take at the October 7 new moon.

It’s very possible you will be traveling quite a bit this month - at first, short distances, especially just after the new moon October 7. If you do travel in the first part, it seems to a place only a few hours away, and most likely to see family or to complete a property deal. You might want to have your car checked for maintenance, since you will be on the road a lot. Leos born in early August will be on the road quite a bit.

Later, within four days of the full moon, October 22, you may again travel, but this time you’d go a longer distance, even possibly overseas.

If your birthday falls on August 21 or within four days of that date, you will enjoy twice the fun of other Leos on the full moon of October 22.

All Leos will see the travel trend grow in 2011, so if you need a new suitcase or to update your passport - do it now! You’ll be glad you did! Even if you have a mission to complete on these many trips this month (very likely) you still will enjoy being in a new setting.

Watch your health all month, particularly your spine and lower back, your heart and circulatory system, blood chemistry (check for anemia or for cholesterol as just two examples), and your hands and fingers (avoiding, for example, overuse to avoid carpel tunnel disorder). Also protect your digestive system. Ask your doctor if you need a flu shot, and if she thinks you do, get it early in the month as it takes three weeks for the medicine to work.

You may also address a real estate matter this month, a perfect time for you to be thinking about this. Mars will be brightening your fourth house of home and family until October 28. After Mars leaves, a gorgeous new moon will appear in your home sector in early November, proving that you will have sustained cosmic support to get things done your way.

Venus will travel very close to Mars now in early October, and together these two planets will create a joyous environment. You can now choose ways to make your home more beautiful and comfortable, or you can entertain more at home. It seems there will be a lot of noise in your house, so if you aren’t entertaining, you may be making repairs, rearranging furniture, or cleaning out closets.

It would be hard to beat the weekend of October 2-3 for finding ways to beautify your home, for that’s when Venus and Mars will meet in glorious conjunction in your house of home. If you do give a party, give it at home, not in a restaurant, so that you can partake of the sparkling vibrations of this elegant aspect! It’s a rare one that we will not see again until May 23, 2013.

Actually, you would be wise to make use of that weekend (October 2-3) because on the heels of those days, Venus will go retrograde and shut off her strongest powers for six weeks.

Venus will retrograde from October 8 to November 18. During that time, it would not be wise to make any dramatic changes to your appearance or to your home either. After all, Venus rules good looks and all forms of embellishment.

During the Venus retrograde, don’t make any radical changes to the way you wear (or color) your hair. It would be the worst possible time to do plastic surgery, for Venus rules beauty and you need Venus’ full support. Venus rules fun too, so you would want to wait until late November to throw a major, luxurious party or fundraiser (if you don’t do it on your golden weekend October 2-3). You won’t want to buy jewelry or gems, expensive clothes, or fragrance while Venus is sleeping either.

Because Venus will be in your house of home when she begins to retrograde, buy and accept delivery on any new furniture or accessories you purchase for your home before October 8. Actually, I would like you to make your purchases over the weekend of October 2-3, but if you cannot get immediate delivery and the item would arrive in your hands during Venus retrograde, you may want to ask for delivery after November 18. If it’s expensive furniture, if you receive your home-related purchase during the retrograde, it might not look right in your home environment even though the piece itself may be quite handsome. Sometimes things are returnable, but if the furniture is large, you’d incur a lot of costs, so be smart, and ask for it to be delivered November 19 or a few days after that. Most stores will work with your schedule.

As long as we are looking ahead, I should drop the other shoe now and tell you that December will be a nightmare for shopping or for making big decisions, launches, or announcements. Mercury will be retrograde all through December, and on top of that, a difficult total eclipse of the moon will arrive on December 21, sure to bring news for just about everyone that will force us all to reprioritize our schedules. This eclipse will be in late degrees of Gemini, a sign that is actually quite favorable to your Leo Sun, but Uranus (surprise) will be acting up and bring many Leos an unanticipated expense that may temporarily throw you into a tizzy.

Knowing how wild December will be this year, plan to shop for holiday gifts in October and November, starting with the children on your list, and then progressing to those few people you love the most and want to please with all your heart. If the item you want to buy embellishes or beautifies (like jewelry), then browse now and buy it November 18-21. If you need to buy a computer, appliance, or other electronic item, you must avoid December at all costs or wait until January. These types of items can be bought any time in October or November. You can buy gift cards any time, but those are not as much fun to give!

One very bad day to buy anything will be November 27, due to Mercury in hard angle to Uranus. That is often a popular Saturday to shop for Christmas presents (for those who do celebrate the holiday), but this year, November 27 will bring unforeseen problems. You’d be smart to stay out of the stores then and don’t buy online then either. I didn’t want to give you this news at the last minute, so I am giving you the whole picture all at once. I know, it’s overwhelming, but we are all in the same boat.

Now let’s return to October and look at other things coming up, all of them good, thank goodness!

In terms of your finances, you have several excellent days due, and I might add, your long-term outlook for money is excellent. In terms of real estate profits, the weekend of October 2-3 will be terrific - you may get a bargain on something you purchase, or make a profit on a sale of property. Venus is associated not only with beauty and fun, but also profit, so Venus will make that weekend a standout.

Then, an even better day for your money will be when Mars and Jupiter will be at perfect angles, on October 20. Jupiter rules growth and large financial transactions (even more so than Venus) so this could be a four-star day for you! See what happens.

The last day I want you to watch for good news about money will be October 23-24, when Mars and Uranus will cook up more good news. On this day you will find money come to you from a source you’d never expect in a million years.

All the financial news seems to be tied to real estate, but it also could be that your family will be very generous to you too this month. See how this works out for you.

Romantically, the planet that is the engine that runs your fifth house of true love, Jupiter, planet of good fortune, will be teamed up with Uranus, planet of surprise, so from the start of October through January 22, you may meet someone special out of the blue, when you least expect that to happen. That’s a long trend that will help you find love, but you will have to circulate to make this happen. Your outlook for love for 2011 will be very positive too, so those difficult relationship days you had back in 2005 are truly over, and money won’t be as much of a stickler point in your relationships in coming months and years either.

November will be a big month for romance for you, because Mars will enter your true love sector for the first time in two years and light your house of true love from October 28 to December 7, just in time for holiday parties. If you are attached, your relationship should go well, for you will have what you have been missing - more fun!

If you hope to conceive a baby, November would be an excellent month, as would December, two of your best months of the year for you to see progress. You have so much to look forward to, dear Leo!

Finally, have you been invited to a Halloween party? The moon will be in Leo on Saturday, October 30 (the day before Halloween but a logical night for a party for many people). If you go to a party or give one on that Saturday, the costumes will be out of this world and VERY entertaining! Yours is the most dramatic, theatrical of all signs, so you have a real possibility of winning first prize in the costume competition - give your costume all you’ve got!

Summary

Learning to communicate clearly could well become your mission of the month. Actually, it’s likely to be your mission of the coming two years, as Saturn has recently settled into your third house, a place that governs these skills. This month will drive this point home because the new moon October 7 will focus you on this topic and sharpen your concentration so that you capture all the beauty of the details.

You may be yearning to illuminate your feelings in everyday relationships, with a sweetheart, friend, or sibling, for example - or you may focus on a key communication project in your professional life. You may be crafting your own Facebook page, or learning to Twitter in short, succinct bursts, or be asked to design a website for your employer.

Traditional forms of communication may enchant you now. You may be writing your first magazine article, or new book, or screenplay, or taking lessons in standup comedy. You may be launching an advertising or publicity campaign, designing your own company’s logo, or writing code for a cell phone app or software program.

Keep working - in the two weeks that follow the new moon October 7 you will see enormous progress, and you may even surprise yourself with how enthusiastic the people around you become over your efforts. That’s no wonder - you’ll be showing remarkable dedication this month, the kind that would allow you to overcome any challenge. Nothing will stop you!

You’ll need a little something to look forward to so that you can enjoy greater balance, and travel will be the key. The full moon of October 22 will give you a reason to travel, and you may be either taking off or returning back within four days of this date. This trip would be filled with adventure, for with the moon in Aries, there would be plenty to see, learn, and even dare you to do! This trip seems just your cup of tea - go.

You seem to be getting more interested in fixing up your apartment or house, thanks to the presence of Mars in this area of your chart. However, with Venus about to retrograde on October 8 for several weeks, if you plan to buy furniture or appliances, or make any other expensive changes to your home, wait until AFTER Venus goes direct November 18 for best results. Also, if you are thinking of giving a party at home, do so over the weekend of October 2-3 or put off for late November.

One other note about Venus retrograde: Venus is the natural ruler of your house of career, so you will need to expect a slowdown in that area of life too until late November.

In romance, the natural ruler of your house of love is Jupiter and because Jupiter will orbit close to Uranus, your love life will show a happy, unexpected up-tick. If you do meet someone new, the chemistry between you would be great, and it may be hard to keep your hands off each other. Try anyway - heat this relationship slowly or it will puff out and sink too quickly, for that is how unpredictable Uranus works. The person you’d be most attracted to would be jovial and creative, and possibly working in one of the humanitarian, mathematical, or social sciences. Keep your eyes open.

Venus will retrograde, though, from October 8 to November 18. Venus is the planet of fun and love, and when retrograde, is sleeping and withholding her best powers from us mortals below. It’s not considered the best time to make any major initiations in love or to make big changes to your appearance. Put off that engagement, and by all means, don’t do plastic surgery now or have a major change to how you wear your hair.

A note to my readers who live in time zones that are based far (12 hours or more) from the US:

I had a young woman ask me on Facebook if the dates I write each month applied to her, as she lives in Australia. Yes, they do, but you should add one day to the date I give you. The reason is that the dates I give here are for the United States time zones. If you live 12 hours ahead of the USA, then you might need to add one more day to the dates I give you. If I say October 3 will be special, mark your calendar for October 4.

Having said this, you may feel the energy on the dates I mention here as well. All aspects are strongest as they are growing in strength. Once they reach a peak (on the day I give you) they begin to decline. So if you live in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, or Japan, for example, you will see dates mentioned that are still on their way to peaking.

Generally you can add one day to the dates I list each month, but sometimes the dates I give you will be precise to the day. There are always mathematical tolerances, because astrologers use bell curves. Full moons, no matter where you are located, will have a plus or minus of four days on either side. It all sounds complicated, but it is actually not. You will enjoy your forecast, dear reader, as long as you realize all aspects have a bit of plus or minus associated with all of them, and that includes my readers in the US.

Dates to Note:

Your ability to communicate is about to take a big stride forward this month. Actually this is a theme that will be in place for 2 years, but you will feel it very strongly now, thanks to the new moon, October 7.

Venus will retrograde from October 7 to November 18. Because Venus rules love, fun, and looks, that phase is not the time to take risks in these areas. No plastic surgery of any kind, no changing your hairstyle, dear Leo. It’s also not a good time for a first date.

On the plus side, however, Jupiter is the ruler of your solar fifth house of true love, and because it’s orbiting close to Uranus, you will have a chance to meet new people quite spontaneously and unexpectedly. Then again, the course of true love might be a bit like a roller coaster - Uranus rules all unexpected events.

Once Mars enters your true love sector October 28, to stay until December 7, things will begin to look up romantically, but of course, within that zone, will improve more after Venus trims direct November 18.

Keeping that phase in mind - the new moon in your true love sector in two months, December 5 - will help love along in a big way. For you, true love comes late in the year.

Venus is the natural ruler of your career sector, so expect professional slowdowns to show up this month. Be patient. Pushing for answers and approvals won’t help.

The full moon October 22 will coax you out of the house, possibly on a really fun trip to a foreign country. Pluto will be friendly so this trip could be amazingly refreshing, even transformative, and help you see you represent life with fresh eyes. You may leave for a quick trip on this full moon or return from a long one at this time.

Your best romantic dates (realizing Venus will be out of phase from October 8, and therefore weaker): October 3, 6, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20-21, 26, and 29-31.

Go to any Halloween parties given in October on any date - October 29 through 31. You’ll have great fun. Your best day will be October 30.