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Dear Friend and Reader:
In today’s horoscope I focus on Mercury turning to retrograde motion, though of course I read the Sun entering Scorpio and Venus re-entering Libra. This is a lot, and in the Starcast above, I caution that this astrology has the three-card Monte feeling of what happened in February and March of 2020.
The horoscope that personalizes this astrology took days to write; the energy is dense and people are confused, so I am doing my best to work out a clear path through the complexity for you. It’s taking everything I’ve got to work through the static.
All of the planets in the Mars-ruled signs are retrograde, though Mars continues to blaze forward in Leo, heading for a conjunction to Jupiter. This is the part that raises some concerns for me.
The planetary shuffle over the next few days leads into Election Day in the U.S. All kinds of nasty politics are playing out, including raids on Board of Election facilities and a member of Congress, and the nonstop threat of infectious disease. Of the latter, I have a deep understanding; the hyping of “Ebola” and measles is absurd, designed only to destabilize people, instill fear of existence, and pound the contagion narrative into your mind.
I am more concerned about what happens after the election, and after Mercury and Venus change directions. There will be a release of energy at a time when political forces know they have nothing to lose.
The day to watch is Nov. 17, when Mars forms a conjunction to Jupiter in Leo. There could be a lot of off-gassing of pressure at that time.
I have a video covering these topics that I will post below.
Thanks for your business and your trust.
With love,
Your faithful astrologer,
Planet Waves Weekly Horoscope for Oct. 22, 2026 — By Eric Francis
Click or tap to download October Almanack as PDF
Click or tap to download horoscope as PDF
Today is horoscope 1,624. Detailed readings for your Sun, Moon and Rising Sign.
Aries (March 20-April 19) — Everything in a Mars ruled sign is retrograde. This pent-up quality is putting a lot of pressure on Mars as a point of expression. Retrogrades tend to hold back. But in the charts I use, we are talking about 10 different factors. All that energy has to go somewhere. Rightly, it would be directed within. Part of this setup includes the last stand of the Chiron-Eris conjunction, which has been trying to get your attention for the past four years. You could go two ways at this juncture. Mars and Jupiter in Leo describe your taking an active role in the outer world, burning off your energy on work and other projects, at the gym, or in some form of drama or conflict. Or, you can do something which is “not a thing” in our era, which is to direct your attention within yourself. You may think this is difficult, though you have an abundance of support from Chiron. But Chiron grants the kind of support you may not want: the kind that compels you to be honest with yourself and make decisions.
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Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Before your ruling planet Venus retrogrades into Libra on Sunday, it makes a conjunction to the Sun on your relationship angle. This aspect stands tall in our strange moment, and raises the question: how do you feel about men? This also translates to: how do you feel about your father? The Sun is a significator for both. The past few weeks have been a time of deep questions arising, and most of them point back to your emotional bonds with others. This is taking you through some uncomfortable personal territory and may be dredging up memories you would rather forget. Now Mercury will be retrograde, and the key is: remember. What exactly? How about: put together what motivated you to make certain decisions. You cannot undo those decisions but you can, at least, learn from them.
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Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You’ve been under pressure to pace yourself, take care of your health and not overwork. Mercury turning retrograde on Oct. 24 affirms this fact. But the best approach toward saving time and energy is a creative one. And the best approach to feeling better will be about indulging your creative spirit having nothing to do with a problem or a task at hand. Think of your life as a beautification project. This would include simplification. You may already be on this wavelength, though either way I’m here to encourage you. Venus in your fellow air sign Libra will encourage you to tie up any loose ends and benefit from the efficiency. Do as much as you can with your physical environment to feel better and the rewards will come to you in many ways.
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Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Despite the presence of both Mars and Jupiter in Leo, your house of personal resources, take a slow steady approach to improving your financial situation. All of the planets in the Mars-ruled signs Aries and Scorpio are now retrograde, and that is urging caution and taking careful, thoughtfully-paced steps. Mars is giving you the feeling that there is some kind of big rush necessary, and there are certain vitally important matters about which you are impatient. And in a sense, impatience is an important resource if it drives a little urgency — but not a lot. Based on a diversity of factors, I strongly suggest that you take a long-range view, and remove some emphasis from finance while you place that energy onto activity. Develop a concept for what you want to do in 2027. The intense pressure you’re under right now is metamorphic, and it will change you — and as a result, you need a plan different from what you’ve had in recent years.
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Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The issue seems like how fast you should go, and I would say that the real question is focusing your intentions. Mars and Jupiter are in your sign and Mars is moving fast and furious, heading for an alignment with Jupiter. This can give you the feeling that you’re on top of the world. However, there is reason for caution. By that, I mean proceeding with full self-awareness (to the extent such is possible for a human; a little goes a long way these days). I mean taking the future consequences of your actions into account. And planning for the life you want — even as the world seems to crumble. One thing you have going on is a whole array of planets retrograde in a house associated with your quest for self-understanding (Aries, your 9th place). And you have Mercury and Venus retrograde in an angle of your chart calling for deep emotional introspection. You must handle Mars like a loaded weapon, leave it at home, and turn your attention within.
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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Mercury turns to retrograde motion in the angle of your chart associated with mental activity. Venus already retrograde there could be about some deep melancholy or inner questioning that makes no sense — though the Sun’s arrival today will help improve your outlook. The combination of Venus and Scorpio can make it difficult to know what you want and why. The attractive power of Venus can be turned aggressive, or against itself — especially when retrograde. So keep asking yourself: what do I really want from this situation? As for Mercury, in Scorpio this will blur the already foggy boundary between thoughts and feelings; between fear and desire. There is no need to come to any firm conclusions about what you want any time soon, especially if guided or influenced by what you think other people want.
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Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Venus re-enters your sign today, just as the Sun leaves and Mercury turns to retrograde motion. That’s a lot of traffic in one snug little corner of your solar chart — the one associated with resources, personal assets and your gifts and abilities (the 2nd, Scorpio). Money is secondary to your true value, which is really about what you’re capable of. And going deeper, it’s about the value that you put upon yourself. Said another way, Mercury and Venus retrograde in Scorpio are about taking a fearless and searching personal moral inventory. Venus retrograde arriving in your sign over the weekend will give you a lift. It will make your questions less abstract and help you focus your awareness on the mental plane rather than the astral. You know you’re on the astral plane because everything is polarized. If you find that, go somewhere else.
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Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The most important philosophical question of our era is about how to not lie to yourself. We live in the age of infinite excuses, and the age of if you believe it, then it’s true. This includes what you believe about yourself. There’s an old expression sometimes applied to certain famous people (when there was such a thing as fame on a scale other than Taylor Swift): he or she believes their own press releases. Notably, this was before the age of how everything everyone does online, from age 8 to age 88, potentially falls under the category of publicity. The creation of an image is an activity and it has work product but it’s also a mentality. And in that mentality, people weave a public image of themselves and then they believe it. Any “living up” to the claims is about maintaining the illusion. Your chart is drenched with this risk right now, and I suggest you avoid it. Be honest, be true, be real — and be nothing else.
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Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — With all of the activity in Scorpio, your house of deep secrets, you must be under some unusual pressure. Add to that a massive retrograde train in Aries, your house of self-expression, and there does not seem to be anywhere to go — especially within. Aries is your 5th place, your area of creativity and fun, and it’s like the whole thing is frozen solid. (It’s true, there are certain artists who will thrive on this kind of metamorphic pressure — more power to you.) For many, the sensation is one of paralysis, the need to rest or sleep, and the desire to not think about too much. Rest may in fact be highly beneficial, if you can arrange it. If your life is usually hectic, any form of stopping or pausing will be helpful. Other approaches to turning within may feel like mixing oil and water. And there are two forms of bypass possible: social, and spiritual. It will be fairly easy to pretend you have no special needs, and have a good time. But this is an unusual moment, with potential that would be unfortunate to waste.
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Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The Sun’s ingress into Scorpio should lighten up your mood a little. It’s your social angle, but also the place where you let yourself dream. The somewhat dark and serious cast of Capricorn (with its fabulous sense of humor) is provided by this attribute in your solar chart. Mercury also goes retrograde in this corner of your mind, which looks like a tale of social intrigue. You will make some unusual discoveries about people if you sit still and listen. The truth is likely to bubble out of certain people you consider friends. Pause and sit with it for a few weeks without making any judgments. With the Mercury retrograde process, there is the information that comes out during the station retrograde, and then with the station direct — and you need both sides of the story. Meanwhile, remember, you don’t have to stay home. Get out this weekend and have a good time in your own strange and unusual way.
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Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Keep your mind on professional or vocational necessities over the next few days and you may make some significant progress. This will come a few ways, one of which is discovering a niche market or opportunity that you had not noticed or considered. Another will be an occasion to raise your visibility. This will be subtle and, again, something that you discover that was not apparent to you before or seemed to have been hiding around a corner. The essence of the discovery is the understanding of how it feels to be in someone else’s position. This is the underlying psychological magic of advertising. And it’s also the way you figure out how to help people with the thing you do best. If you have a revelation or idea, write it down before you forget — and then spend the next few weeks developing it. Get it down to one specific concept, focus on that, and as David Lynch taught, do everything in service of the idea.
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Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Venus retrograding into the friendly territory of Libra this weekend will help bring some clarity to interpersonal situations that need it badly. But this is also about spiritual clarity for you as well, and gaining an understanding of what your relationships are about. It concerns what you need your relationships to be about now and in the future — for real. There seem to be two competing concepts of ‘relationship’ going around these days. The first is that “it’s all about me.” This self-centeredness is extremely pervasive at the moment, waged with a sense of shocking entitlement (the whole “what I deserve” thing). And it’s null, useless and evincing of something being not a relationship. Second is that none of this is really about me, I offer myself totally to my situation. This would work for you with a very high degree of trust and attentiveness by your partner. Such is rare to find. However, for you, a genuine balance of exchange is necessary. You must be in service and you must be able to benefit — which for you means being open to receive. That is the difficult part.
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