A Grand Crossed Aries Full Moon fires up relationship shadow work in the second half of October. Beyond that, we have the Sun entering Scorpio and lots of aspect patterns. Learn how to partner with these astrological energies to improve your life!
This forecast covers this half-month’s most important astrological events. Also check out my award-winning This Week in Astrology audio podcast and YouTube video forecasts!
Click astrology graphics to see larger images. Some resource links may occur more than once. This is because many people link to a specific day’s forecast from social media, and might not see an important resource link elsewhere on this page.
As of October 16 …
The Moon is waxing (there was a Libra Solar Eclipse on 10/2).
Saturn is retrograde thru 11/15.
Neptune is retrograde thru 12/7.
Chiron is retrograde thru 12/29.
Uranus is retrograde thru 1/30.
Jupiter is retrograde thru 2/4.
A Grand Sextile with Venus, Mars, Vesta, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto continues thru 10/22.
A Sun-Mars-Chiron T-Square continues thru 10/23.
A Sun-Mars-Pluto T-Square continues thru 10/31.
A Vesta-Uranus-Neptune-Pluto Kite continues thru 11/8.
The Uranus-Neptune-Pluto Mini Grand Trine continues thru 9/6/2029
Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: Transform Your Life with this Auspicious “Gods of Change” Astrology Alignment!
What if the most auspicious window of opportunity of your entire life was opening right now? Wouldn’t you want to know what it is, and how to make the most of it?
There’s a very good chance this is true. Click here to learn more!
10/17 (Thu)
Aries Full Moon Fires Up Relationship Shadow Work
One of 2024’s most intense Full Moons illuminates the heavens at 7:26 am EDT (24°35′ Aries). The luminaries are part of an intense Grand Cross. Its challenging planets and hard aspects will make sure you get the relationship catalyst you need to unearth old trauma ripe for healing.
The good news? If you work with it skillfully enough, you could finally heal seemingly endless suffering once and for all!
For starters, any Aries Full Moon is great for adjustment or release in several areas. These include how you take action as a warrior, pioneer, sexual being, or entrepreneur. Its motto, like Nike’s, could be “Just do it!”
Aspects
Grand Cross
This Full Moon aspects seven planets. But the four most important planets form a Grand Cross with the Sun and Moon: Mars, Juno, Chiron, and Pluto.
The Moon’s tight opposition to Juno, along with the Sun’s placement in Libra, highlight relationships. Juno is the goddess of committed partnership, while relationship is the best-known meaning of Libra.
Shadow work – the art of facing and healing unresolved trauma – is stimulated by the other three planets.
The Moon is conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer. The luminaries square Pluto, lord of the underworld. He watches over the trauma buried in your unconscious, then helps you release or transform it when the time is right.
The Sun and Moon also square Mars in Cancer. Mars gets things rolling, while Cancer is the sign of emotions – including the painful ones. Once healed, these let you experience exuberant, joyous feelings.
These might be more wonderful than any emotions you’ve ever experienced. It’s only after diving into the darkest depths that you can soar to the most ecstatic heights!
Effective Shadow Work Techniques
I’ve been on the spiritual path for almost 50 years, and have tried many shadow work techniques. After all this time, my bottom line criteria have become:
Does this healing approach definitively heal trauma once and for all? And does it do so as quickly, easily, and painlessly as possible?
After much trial and error, two healing techniques have reliably met these benchmarks time and again – both one-on-one with my Shamanic Healing clients, and in the group processes of my Awakening Plus online membership.
One is my free Healing Invocation. It delegates the healing to your higher self, who does it far more effectively than any human could without divine assistance. You simply invoke your higher self, then hold your attention on the discomfort as your higher self heals it for you.
My other go-to shadow work technique is Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). This modality lets you unburden and reintegrate the wounded parts of you that cause your suffering. I consider IFS to be shamanic soul retrieval, but presented as psychology.
IFS is usually facilitated by someone trained in this modality. However you can guide yourself using books such as
Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS …by Jay Earley. I use a similar approach in my Self-Guided IFS Course, which is included with each Awakening Plus membership.
Of course, there are many other effective shadow work approaches. What I can state with certainty is that shadow work need not take forever, and need not require any suffering.
A core shamanic principle is: “you have to feel it to heal it.” Approaches such as my Healing Invocation and IFS let you feel the pain one last time, without overwhelm, so you can put it behind you once and for all. Intellectual approaches can only get you so far without a “feel and heal” component.
Why Shadow Work Accelerates Spiritual Awakening
The most awakened people I know make shadow work a regular part of their spiritual practice. They understand that effective shadow work, for most people, is the best way to accelerate their spiritual awakening!
The reason is simple. A higher part of you is already vastly more awakened than your human part. The only thing in the way of your human self’s deeper conscious connection with it is your unhealed trauma.
Effective shadow work clears the trauma, which automatically opens you to deeper awakening. (In my invocation book, Instant Divine Assistance, I describe this using the metaphor of the “Great Onion of Consciousness.”)
Most of us have been conditioned to avoid the pain of unhealed trauma however we can. However, it’s by skillfully facing and healing trauma that you’ll experience the greatest fulfillment, happiness, and spiritual awakening!
Other Great Ways to Use the Full Moon Grand Cross
What about relationships that are going well? This Grand Cross can help them rise to a whole new level of wonderful! Chiron can support you in giving healing or wisdom to each other. Libra can help you enjoy beauty and harmony together.
In intimate relationships, the two planets of sexuality – Mars and Pluto – can help you increase your erotic pleasure. Pluto can even help you revel in the incomparable ecstasy of soul-blended sex.
As noted earlier, Aries is the sign of taking action as a warrior, pioneer, sexual being, or entrepreneur. Stepping into these roles, as well as firing up just about any activity, is supercharged by this Grand Cross!
Acting with supercharged emotional potency is supported by this Full Moon’s special relationship between the Moon and Mars. They’re in “mutual reception,” which means they’re each in the sign that the other one rules. (Mars is in Cancer, ruled by the Moon. And the Moon is in Aries, ruled by Mars.) Pluto adds additional power to your activities.
Other Aspects
Three of this Full Moon’s aspects are outside the Grand Cross:
A Jupiter-Moon sextile expands whatever you’re doing, and can give you an extra measure of luck. It can help you be adventurous and euphoric, and can also support higher-level learning and teaching.
A Moon-Uranus semi-sextile can help you express your authentic self more easily, and can bless you with intuitive hits to guide you.
Finally, a tight Vesta quincunx can inspire you to offer selfless service to a worthy cause.
Awaken, Heal, and Thrive!
Kick your personal evolution into high gear! Awakening Plus offers you online spiritual and shamanic experiences … 700+ consciousness-shifting recordings … and life-transforming courses. This extraordinary membership also gives you community connection and personal support.
Ready to awaken, heal, and thrive like never before? Click to learn more!
10/18 (Fri)
Thor’s Hammer Tests Committed Partnerships
A Thor’s Hammer continues the main theme of yesterday’s Aries Full Moon. It puts Juno, asteroid goddess of committed partnerships, in challenging aspects with Mars and Saturn.
The Mars-Juno square invites you to “turn a corner” in your key relationships. Positive relationships can rise to the next level. In your less harmonious committed partnerships, what release or adjustment would be most appropriate?
The Saturn-Juno sesquare scrutinizes the structural integrity of your committed partnerships. If the structure is solid, you can build a deeper foundation or expand its size. If not, it could be time for appropriate release or adjustment.
The Mars-Saturn sesquare can create an Energizer Bunny effect. This can give you the endurance to persevere through whatever transformation a relationship might need.
This Mars-Saturn-Juno Thor’s Hammer lasts more than three weeks. It starts today (10/18), peaks on 10/29, and ends on 11/10.
10/19 (Sat)
T-Square Boosts Your Wealth, Power, and More
Empowerment opportunities abound with a Sun-Mars-Pluto T-Square that started on 10/12, peaks today (10/19), and ends on 10/31.
Mars can help you step out as a warrior, pioneer, sexual being or entrepreneur. His placement in Cancer can help you act with emotional intensity.
Pluto can boost your wealth, power, and charisma. He rules sacred sex, which can let you and your lover blend your energy bodies for dramatically enhanced ecstasy.
A T-Square is a hard aspect pattern, so you may also experience some challenge. The lower expressions of Mars and Pluto include domination, abuse, and violence. Try to steer clear of people and situations where this is more likely. Make sure all sexual activity is consensual and serves everyone’s highest good.
VIP Day
Your Potent Opportunity for Profound Personal Transformation
What if one day, one-on-one with Benjamin and focused entirely on you, could change your life forever?
10/21 (Mon)
Double Thor’s Hammer Starts
A Thor’s Hammer with Mars, Saturn, and Juno started three days ago on 10/18. Venus joins the party today, creating a Double Thor’s Hammer thru 11/2. (The original Mars-Saturn-Juno Thor’s Hammer will continue through 11/10.)
From one perspective, Venus simply doubles down on the relationship theme of the first Thor’s Hammer. Juno represents committed partnership, while Venus represents all important relationships.
These could include spouse, lover, friend, family member, business associate, or open enemy. Venus rules relationships whose absence would make a significant difference in your life, for better or worse.
But Venus also brings other important meanings. She’s the artist archetype. So this Double Thor’s Hammer could represent you enthusiastically (Mars) and productively (Saturn) partnering (Juno) with someone in a creative project.
Venus also rules money, so a similar opportunity could apply to a financial endeavor.
With Saturn in Pisces, you two could support each other in Law of Attraction manifestation or in maintaining embodied awakening. The focus is yours to choose!
10/22 (Tue)
Neptune Opposite Vesta
Two planets with mutually supportive meanings join energies as Neptune opposes Vesta (27°42′ Pisces-Virgo).
Neptune represents compassion and unconditional love, while Vesta rules selfless service to a worthy cause. Neptune can also be a font of divine inspiration, showing you where to best focus your charitable energies.
Sun Squares Pluto and Enters Scorpio
Two events with the same interpretation happen today. The Sun squares Pluto at 10:15 am EDT (29°40′ Libra-Capricorn) and the Sun enters Scorpio at 6:15 pm EDT.
The interpretations are the same because both Pluto and Scorpio are part of the eighth letter of the astrology alphabet. Because of this, they share the same meaning.
Pluto/Scorpio can invite psychological transformation. This is usually catalyzed by an emotional challenge that stirs up an old trauma. (Click here to go to the part of my Full Moon forecast where I discuss how to quickly and efficiently heal old traumas once and for all!)
The more you heal your old emotional wounds, the more easily the eighth astrological archetype can fill you with wealth and power. Wealth can be anything you value, while power can be used selfishly or for the good of all.
Pluto and Scorpio also resonate with occult practices, which can be done entirely with high vibration love and light energy. They also rule sacred sex and all shared resources and energy blendings. Choose your own adventure!
10/23 (Wed)
Selfless Service Kite Peaks
Selfless service to a worthy cause is harmoniously boosted by a Kite with Vesta and the three outer planets: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
What worthy causes are you inspired to support? You have plenty of amplified energy to do so as the three “gods of change” support the asteroid goddess Vesta. This Kite began on 10/5, peaks today (10/23), and ends on 11/8.
10/24 (Thu)
Mars Sextile Uranus
Intuitive hits can more easily pop in to guide your actions as Mars sextiles Uranus (26°10′ Cancer-Taurus).
Given Mars’ natural inclinations, these activities might involve you acting as a warrior, pioneer, sexual being, or entrepreneur. Mars’ placement in emotional Cancer lets you do all this with passion and excitement!
10/25 (Fri)
Committed Partnership Yod Peaks
Committed partnership gets a “Finger of God” focus as a Yod with Juno, Uranus, and Neptune peaks. This adjustment-seeking aspect pattern started on 10/14, peaks today (10/25), and ends on 11/5.
What changes would best support your committed partnerships? Uranus can shake up the status quo as needed, and can send intuitive hits to guide you. Neptune can guide you with a constant flow of divine energy and guidance, and can help you and your partner enjoy deeper energetic connection.
AstroShamanic Life Coaching
Make that amazing life you’ve been dreaming about real!
My unique combination of modalities, refined through more than 10,000 AstroShaman client sessions, can help you thrive in all areas of your life. And my unusual approach could help you do this faster than you might have thought possible.
10/26 (Sat)
Venus T-Square Starts
Relationships, creativity, and money get ten days of boosted energy, thanks to a T-Square with Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. This hard aspect pattern starts today (10/26), peaks on 10/31, and ends on 11/5.
T-Squares invite you to “turn a corner.” What changes in these three areas would best serve you?
With Venus in Sagittarius, would an adventurous approach help? The balancing of expansion (Sagittarius and Jupiter) and contraction (Saturn) will help you avoid either extreme.
10/27 (Sun)
Pallas Athena T-Square Peaks
A T-Square with Jupiter, Saturn, and Pallas Athena peaks today (10/27). It started on 10/12 and continues thru 11/12.
This gives balanced support to the various manifestations of this asteroid goddess. Do you want to boost your feminine assertiveness? Be cunning, clever, or strategic? Or is it time for a win-win outcome through negotiation, mediation, or diplomacy?
Mercury-Mars Envelope Kicks Off
You can boldly proclaim your message, thanks to a new Envelope. This five-pointed star features Mercury and Mars supported by Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. It starts today (10/27), peaks on 10/31, and ends on 11/6.
This harmonious aspect pattern also supports passionate learning and communication, using whatever assertiveness is needed. With Mercury mostly in Scorpio, it’s also great for research, investigation, and detective work.
10/28 (Mon)
Double Thor’s Hammer Peaks
The Double Thor’s Hammer with Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Juno that started on 10/21 peaks today (10/28) and ends on 11/2.
Mars Trine Neptune
You can enjoy emotionally gratifying action, guided and energized by an easy divine flow, thanks to a Mars-Neptune trine (27°34′ Cancer-Pisces). You can also use this smooth celestial support for Martian roles such as warrior, pioneer, sexual being, or entrepreneur.
10/29 (Tue)
Two Aspect Patterns Peak
Two aspect patterns peak today, starting with a Sun-Uranus-Neptune “Finger of God.” It started on 10/15, peaks today (10/29), and endures until 11/10.
The Sun is the core of identity, while Uranus and Neptune are the two planets of intuition. Stay tuned for flashes and flows of inner guidance!
With the Sun mostly in Libra, this Finger of God can also energize your relationships and creativity. Make appropriate adjustments as needed.
In addition, the Mars-Saturn-Juno Thor’s Hammer that started on 10/18 peaks today (10/29) and ends on 11/10.
Deepen Your Insight, Healing & Awakening
Your astrology chart reveals powerful insights into your relationships, career, soul purpose, and much more. Getting a yearly Astrology+ update can show you what’s important now!
I also offer Shamanic Healing, one-of-a-kind Life Coaching, and more. All my services are equally effective in person or long distance.
10/30 (Wed)
Mercury Opposite Uranus
Intuitive hits could rain thick and fast, thanks to a Mercury-Uranus opposition (25°56′ Scorpio-Taurus). This connects the planet of mind (Mercury) with the planet of divine mind (Uranus), using the aspect of relationship (opposition). Think fast!
10/31 (Thu)
Two Aspect Patterns Peak
Two aspect patterns peak on Halloween. Boo!
One is a T-Square with Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. It started on 10/26, peaks today (10/31), and ends on 11/5.
The other is an Envelope featuring Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. It started on 10/27, peaks today 10/31, and ends on 11/6.
Neither aspect pattern is particularly spooky. But have a happy Halloween anyway!
“Easy, precise, and brilliant.”
I’m honored to share this recent 5-star Amazon review of my book:
“Benjamin Bernstein has made this so simple and has offered so much other support via YouTube and website. Bravo my friend this is easy, precise, and brilliant. 👏”
— Lori (5-star Amazon review, 9/14/24)
Available as an audiobook, narrated by yours truly! (FREE if you’re not yet an Audible member.)
Available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover starting at $3.99, and included with Kindle Unlimited.
Whatever your Sun Sign, my forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.
All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least a week before and after.
Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart. Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me.
Learn more about my Astrology+ sessions.
Recent Forecasts
Check back around the 1st and 16th for updated forecasts.
- Mercury Retrograde, Pluto Locks into Aquarius: November 16-31 2024 Astrology Forecast
- “Gods of Change” Full Moon, Jupiter Sextile Chiron #2 & much more: November 1-15 2024 Astrology Forecast (written)
- Grand Sextile, Jupiter retrograde, Pluto direct & more: October 1-15 2024 Astrology Forecast Part 2 (written)
Eva says
Thank you, I enjoyed reading you forecast.