October is an exceptionally busy month, with more twists and turns than a back road in Tennessee. There are two eclipses, both solar (Oct. 13) and lunar (Oct. 28, five days before the presidential election). So get ready for some interesting changes and fertile chaos. I believe that in strange times, the best thing we can do is get together, remember we all still exist, and check out reality from a shared perspective.

This is also the month of Samhain, the ancient Celtic ritual of harvest and death. All over the world, cultures are celebrating and remembering the dead in this season, which peaks with Halloween and extends into November. Halloween is the longest continually celebrated international holiday known to humanity. It's always fulfilling to participate in this worldwide ritual, to remember our ancestors, and touch feet to the Earth as visitors to our home planet.

Aries (March 20-April 19)

How do you really feel about the sudden onrush of personal changes that have blown into your life? It certainly seems as if you cleaned the magic closet that made room for all kinds of new people, events and emotions. The trick when clearing space is deciding what to do with it once you've succeeded at getting the things and feelings you don't want out of the way. Even as so much new energy enters your life, you may be reassured to hear that you can still close and lock your door. You can get a break even from people you really like.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)

You still may be caught in the spell of a romantic situation that has left its mark on your home. To see the effects, you'll need to put a lot of small pieces together and look at the final result from a distance. Events of this month, in any event, should provide additional perspective and an undeniable sense of momentum toward the future, something that may have been lacking over the past seasons. What the events of summer gave you was a long view, in years and maybe decades. The coming weeks should give you a view of right now, which is always useful.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)

Now that you've spent the past year making such solid, specific improvements to your home, you can at last see what that journey was all about. These changes may have provided a sense of satisfaction or seemed to be an end in themselves, but actually you're likely to discover that they were a means to an entirely different purpose or objective. You were really working on changing your mind about something, and the buns are about done. There comes a time when, knowing who you are and what you want, there is nothing else left to do but go for it.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Track your mistakes, particularly emotional miscalculations at home and with family members. I don't suggest doing this in the spirit of an investigator but more as an impartial observer. You may have a tendency to over-estimate certain things, to overreact emotionally without noticing or, and at the same time, to under-estimate your own capacity for error. At the moment everything is within safe limits, and will remain that way as you keep track of what's happening. Beware of pride in any form. It's a safe guess that you can always do better, and there is no harm in trying.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)

You're a potent and effective optimist by nature. Your ability to see the best qualities in people and to work for the best outcomes in challenging situations is one of your strongest assets. This will come in handy this month, and be essential to you and those you live with. In particular, siblings or close friends may be struggling to understand the meaning of developments, and your presence will be more than comforting. This comes, for you, at a time of deep reassessment, but that process is far from over. There's less need for certainty than these uncertain times seem to demand.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)

No matter how much money you have, keep a firm grip on your cash this month, including access to your accounts and financial documents. You could find yourself having a lot more to look after in the way of assets and business affairs, and you may need expert help. In any event, those who succeed financially and make that success last usually do so through some conservative means rather than extravagant ones. This is a very good time to begin setting aside cash that has no specific purpose but to collect and draw more money to you.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)

It may be tempting to make or carry out certain plans immediately, but I strongly suggest you wait until at least the end of the month before finalizing any decisions or acting on your agenda. There are simply too many factors you cannot see at this point, and those factors become increasingly important over the next four weeks. In essence, you are counting out advantages that could work for you very well, but which you cannot use until you know exactly what they are. And, it works out that the best of these, or at least the most important, makes itself known at month-end when Venus reaches your sign. So, be patient.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)

It would appear that a certain odd energy has worked its way into your home over the past year, but as events of the next four or five weeks unfold, you'll have a much better sense of what it is. Meanwhile, be on the lookout for clues that someone is rebelling against you, or your role in their life. Encourage them to talk sooner rather than later. Or, you could just wait and watch what unfolds, but remember not to act too surprised when the silent tongue speaks. Some people have strange ways of expressing love. You will probably need to do some translating.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)

This has been a restless year, and both domestically and emotionally, you have been running mostly on adrenaline and the thrill of uncertainty. Now, yet another wave of change enters your life and it seems that you cannot sit still, or sit at home. These factors will work together in ways you could not have foreseen. The changes other people have been going through have been harmonious with your own impulsive and not-so-stable way of being. It could well be that you take your home on the road soon, and that you will belong anywhere you go. Your familiar face is your best asset and your passport to the world.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Scanning more than 70 planets, only two come up in your 4th solar house, where we look for information about your home. And one of those involves balancing your personal and professional priorities. October and November are dynamic months, a true adventure for the human family, and, like many other signs, your attention is being called into the outer world. Great achievements are possible. But I strongly suggest touching home base regularly, and keeping your home arranged in the way that you feel is perfect, and stocked with all your favorite comforts. You may doubt it at the time, but visiting your sanctuary will have great rewards of stability and perspective as you make your way in the world.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Jupiter has recently entered Libra, your 9th solar house. For the next year, you get to take a ride on the giver of wisdom and gifts in your house of wide-open possibilities. Any astrologer would suggest that this has international themes: either of traveling abroad, living abroad, or seeking information and ideas from other societies besides your own. You may, therefore, want to make sure that your material life is as scaled down, compact and simple as you can make it so that you are free to move about the surface of the planet as you see fit -- freedom you will relish when you receive its gifts.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

There is no predicting Pisces these days, and as you'll eventually see, these years. But I would like to offer a definition of 'home' that may work for you. One is that it be a place that feeds you creatively. The second is that it have the ability to change frequently, either because the furniture moves around, or because interesting people come and go (as you wish). Last is that it be a gathering point. You need that sense of living where people get together and exchange ideas, and of being able to draw them together with your own energy. You may find other places where you like the rugs better, but they won't do it for you.

Eric Francis is a horoscope columnist, investigative journalist and counselling astrologer. His monthly and annual horoscopes are now free. If you don't want to wait a whole month, you can get his subscriber-only horoscopes every Monday and Friday by subscribing here. As a subscriber you get horoscopes, astrology news and articles twice a week by email from Eric, plus access to our subscriber-only website. Check out the details here or call us toll-free on (877) 453 8265. Thank you.