If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget about it. This is real astrology for the real world, not some mystical mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble word salad. If it's real astrology for yourself that you want, you can get it by phone or in print. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT, aka GMT). Location for all mundante charts is set for the Great Pyramid at Giza; the choice being strictly arbitrary in any case. Also please be aware that, while I never change a forecast once it's published, I do post errata to acknowledge typographical errors and the like.

PLEASE NOTE: This month’s forecast incorporates elements of (and refers to) my complete 2016 World Forecast Highlights (38 8-1/2 x 11" illustrated pages); focused, amplified and elaborated with details for the month as appropriate. The full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights is available in hard copy by mail ($75) or as a PDF document by email ($50). Orders may be phoned in (toll-free from anywhere in North America to 800-527-8761), and charged to any major credit card. Orders may also be placed direct from your own PayPal account page to rnolle@astropro.com – or by using the AstroPro PayPal order page.

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done."
-- Bruce Lee
 

The Skinny

There’s plenty to keep in mind this October, at so many levels – geophysical, personal, collective, political, financial and more. Let’s start at the top, and work our way through, from the macro to the micro (and then back to the macro).

October’s Geophysical Shock Windows

Setting the stage for October are the new moons at the beginning and end of the month, and the first full moon SuperMoon of the year in the middle. That’s an extraordinary level of solar-lunar tides rippling through Earth’s atmosphere, seas, and crust in October. Consequently, we can expect a remarkable increase in extreme storms and tidal surges, and notable seismic activity (M5+ earthquakes and powerful volcanic eruptions).

To be sure, Earth is a dynamic planet, and has a lot of all these events going on at any given time. But I’m talking about an extreme concentration of stronger than usual disturbances, centered on certain dates. When? As described in my September 26 update, it actually starts in late September, on the 28th, in advance of the new moon on October 1st, and continues into the 4th; as well as the October 13-19 SuperMoon shock window, and the October 27-November 2 new moon period. These are the days to check your emergency kit, just in case: batteries, candles, bottled water, dried or canned foods, a full tank of gas, etc. Most of us won’t need any of these things. Those who do will be glad they have them.

Every new and full moon anchors a geophysical stress window with its accompanying spike in tidal surges, powerful storms and notable seismic activity. But October’s soli-lunar shock windows are unusually potent. The September 28-October 4 new moon window, for example, overlaps the three days-either-way shock wave associated with Mercury’s September 28 maximum western elongation - the end of the year’s penultimate Mercury Max cycle. (For more on Mercury Max, see my free online article on that subject, or pages 18-25 in the full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights.)

This ushers in a peak in solar storms (M and X-class solar flares) and CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) as well as geomagnetic activity (Kp 5 and up geomagnetic storms). Dumping Gigawatts of extra solar energy into Earth’s atmosphere, magnetosphere and crust not only stirs up and intensifies the geophysical disturbances described earlier – but also increases disturbances in electrical systems and networks, including the human nervous system.

Next up in the way of geocosmic shock windows – and much more than that - is the October 16 full moon SuperMoon at 23° Aries (conjunct Uranus) – the first in a trio of these alignments for 2016. As described on pages 32-33 in the full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights:

This one will be a sight to see, as the great, big, glorious full moon rises in the east at sunset. This particular SuperMoon is caught up in the Uranus-Pluto square, with the Moon conjunct Uranus widely square Pluto, which happens to be conjunct Mars . . . Plan on it, this isn’t just a great sky show – it’s a spectacle in interpersonal as well as international relations. Ideological confrontations, rude and crude demagoguery, offers that can’t be refused – and that’s in polite society. Military and paramilitary clashes and attacks make news; hazardous materials (e.g. bio, radiological and chemical hazards) are brandished – maybe even deployed.

The above-mentioned scenarios will likely figure biggest in the personal lives of people born under significant planetary placements (and other horoscopic points) around the degrees emphasized by the SuperMoon: 23° of the cardinal signs, in other words (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn).

I make the geophysical shock window for the October 16 SuperMoon as October 13-19. This is the time slot to expect the customary SuperMoon paraphernalia: severe storms with high winds and heavy precipitation (followed in many cases by flash floods); also extreme tidal surges along the coasts; moderate to severe (M5 and up) earthquakes, and news-making volcanic eruptions.

As always, this full moon SuperMoon will be much more than a sight to see in the sky. In fact, because it’s often associated with storms, many of us won’t have clear skies to see it anyway. SuperMoon tidal turbulence stirs up the skies over the whole of planet Earth, even if its effects on the crust and seas are more localized to the coastlines and fault lines of our home planet. The bottom line is that it’s prudent to have your emergency kit, supplies and plans ready just in case, no matter where you’ll be for this particular SuperMoon. You should know the drill: bottled water, canned goods, backup power if possible, a full tank of gas in case you need to evacuate, and some extra cash.

There may be some pointers as to areas of special vulnerability during this SuperMoon shock window, looking at an astro-locality map for the event. The meridian line running through western North America touches central Canada and the US, as well as northern Mexico. It crosses the poles to come down through Russia and India. Horizon arcs draw a bead on West Africa, the UK and Western Europe, sweeping down across Siberia, Japan, and New Zealand.

Remember: just because you might not be under one of the astro-locality lines in the above map when the SuperMoon hits, that doesn’t necessarily mean you get off scot-free!

Bringing up the rear in the parade of disturbances this month is the new moon at 8° Scorpio on the 30th, anchoring a shock window that extends from October 27 into November 2. This one occurs within a few days of the superior Sun-Mercury conjunction on the 27th, which signals another solar and geomagnetic storm surge to occur a couple weeks later, within plus or minus three days of November 10 – which gets us within striking distance of the November 14 SuperMoon full moon. Add it all up, and the surge in tidal extremes, powerful storms and moderate to severe seismic activity (M5+ quakes and volcanic eruptions) that we’re bound to see from October 27 to November 2 will be followed shortly by an even greater disturbance some ten days later.

SuperMoons and Psyches

Earth’s atmosphere, magnetosphere, seas and crust are not the only systems stirred up by the combination of solar, lunar and other factors described above. The human psyche also responds to several of these factors – both individually and collectively. The SuperMoon full moon alone is enough to raise the conflict level in human interactions, but the Mars-Pluto conjunction on the 19th ups the ante considerably in this respect. This, and the Mars-Uranus square the day before the new moon on the 30th points to the entire second half of October as a time when haste, restlessness, intemperance and belligerence soar beyond normal levels. It’s akin to a reprise of the Mars Max pattern that has dominated headlines in so many ways from February into September – a maelstrom of murder and mayhem, fires, crashes, clashes and explosions.

Individually – and particularly if you were born with significant horoscopic factors at or near 23° of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) or 8° of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) – you’re more than usually likely to be dealing with a short fuse either directly (within yourself) or indirectly (in the people around you). Get a grip, steer clear of trouble and conflict as best you can. Think safety! (Check your chart for the degrees indicated above to see how close this comes to you.)

The full moon and new moon shock windows mentioned above, given the Mars tie-ins, are danger zones in time this month. I’ve already described the individual dynamics. The collective picture is even more daunting: a rise in violent crime, including mass shootings and terror attacks; worsening military conflict; and a rash of spectacular accidents. Be careful, keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel out there!

Fear & Greed

There’s a lot of economic instability and financial system turbulence at work this month, making the equity markets more than usually susceptible to panics. Saturn and Neptune are still within a few degrees of their September 10 waning square, as described on pages 2-9 in the full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights (published last year).

Saturn’s waxing square to Neptune happens on a 35-year cycle, more or less. It’s a configuration that points to disenchantment with traditional articles of faith, be they religious, political, social, cultural, etc. Scandals associated with fraud (financial, moral) and betrayal are woven into the fabric of this development. Strong institutions more and more lose their hold on the loyalty of the people, who feel they have been betrayed one time too many. This growing global dissonance has already made its mark on the news of the world since late 2015, and will only increase throughout 2016. (The British Brexit referendum and the Trump and Sanders insurgencies in the US political parties are an excellent representation of this trend.)

While global in scope, this will have great impact on the outcome of the 2016 US Elections in particular, occurring as they do under the auspices of the Saturn-Neptune square. It’s also a sign that financial institutions and economic engines are in a fragile state. Oil and banking are two focal points for this, but they’re far from being the whole enchilada. Mining and manufacturing generally lead the list of vulnerable sectors. The global economy stands at the brink of recovery this year, but it’s not a firm footing – more like a teetering. Two steps forward, one step back: that’s the pattern this year. By and large, 2016 will be a good year to cash out, take your profits safely off to the sidelines, and let the turbulence pass you by. Definitely a stock picker’s market, not fit for index players. Nervous? Take your money and go home!

It’s time to recognize that most of 2016 will feature a lot of political and geopolitical conflict, a kind of crescendo to the Uranus-Pluto square cycle that began with the Arab Spring raising the specter of war both civil and international. February brought the start of a new Mars Max cycle, to fan the flames of five years of conflict. While this kind of conflict is a story in its own right, it combines with the Saturn-Neptune square to shake political and economic confidence, making markets and other financial institutions quake and swoon.

Collapse? No. (Close, but no cigar!) But fall, yes – outright panic for a time, even. If your own financial horizon is long term, there are good buying opportunities to be had, as the sellers crowd the exits. The usual suspects in the "sky is falling" crowd are prophesying a financial Armageddon of course. But what else is new? Don’t they warn about the end of the world once a month or so? Perish the thought. This is a shudder and swoon, but it’s not the crack of doom. Short of a direct and outright, mano a mano major power war, that is . . . and there’s no sign of that this year. (I’m talking about more than the many proxy wars going on currently.)

If your horizon is short term, then you want to sell before you get caught in the stampede for the exits. I’m expecting a quick 5-10% pullback (maybe a bit more); and then a slow recovery. What else can anyone do with their money, after all? Nobody pays any kind of interest, so short of precious metals the only game left is the artificially inflated stock market – which grows your money right up until the collapse, albeit erratically. If you can’t keep your eyes on the screen and your finger on the trigger, then just sell and step aside for a while . . . and then buy back in at a discount, and continue the ride.

Acknowledgments

All mundane astrological charts as well as eclipse and astro-locality maps are set for the Universal Time (UT) of the event, and calculated and produced using Esoteric Technologies’ Solar Fire Gold Version 7.0.8. Charts are set for the location of the Great Pyramid - a purely arbitrary choice, since location is irrelevant to these charts. Unless sotherwise noted, sky map images are screen captures from the Pocket Universe or Star Rover apps for iPhone, or produced by Starry Night for Windows; storm tracks are screen captures from The Weather Channel app for iPhone; and earthquake maps are screen captures from the QuakeFeed ör Quake Alerts app for iPhone.

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)

Richard Nolle, Certified Professional Astrologer consultations/orders (AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa) 800-527-8761 data/message 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com