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 2017 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 2017 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 or debit 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.

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."
-- Leo Tolstoy
 

The Skinny

An unusually full calendar of client consultation calls and reports in September – and that’s saying a lot, coming from a double Capricorn – has left me with precious little time to lay out October in advance. So this is a really skinny skinny.

Two major themes come to mind looking over the month ahead. One is the extended Mars-Saturn waning square, which holds to within a few degrees of exact from the 6th through the 17th. This plays into the second factor: a redux of some of the same geophysical disturbances that raised so much havoc in September. Let’s get started.

Solar and Planetary Storm Tides

I see three major geocosmic configurations with the potential to raise extreme tides in Earth’s atmosphere, seas and crust this month. One is the full moon at 12° 43’ Aries on the 5th, with an effective timeline running from the 2nd through the 8th. This a more than usually intense full moon, because it falls within seven hours of the Moon’s northward crossing of the celestial equator.

More than most, this particular full moon speaks to a heightened magnitude and frequency of strong storms with powerful winds and heavy precipitation and all that this entails – flooding, landslides and the like. Extreme tides are part of the picture as well. Moderate to severe earthquakes (M5 and up) are apt make news, along with significant volcanic eruptions.

The whole of Planet Earth is vulnerable to these phenomena during this period. The alignment is astronomical in scale and scope, after all. That said, a look at the astro-locality map for this full moon shows a meridian line running north and south straight through the middle of North America, from Canada down through Mexico. That same line set emerges in the eastern hemisphere, crossing over Russia, Mongolia, China and India. Those aren’t the only target zones, See the map, and check out Japan, Indonesia, eastern Australia, the South Pacific and New Zealand; the Gulf of Mexico and Central America, etc.

The next major storm and seismic risk period is a combination of the October 19 new moon at 26° 35 Libra and an after effect of the October 8 superior (far side) Mercury-Sun conjunction.

As I’ve pointed out before, these far side Mercury-Sun alignments tend to raise solar disturbances which – roughly 14 days later (give or take three days) - are aimed Earthward. This puts us in the firing line for major solar flares (M and X-class) and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). These solar disturbances in turn excite strong geomagnetic storms (Kp5 and higher) on Earth. Dump Gigawatts of extra solar energy onto our home planet, and you stir up the atmosphere and simmer up the mantle, increasing the power of storms and seismic disturbances.

The geomagnetic storm factor in this case manifests as radio blackouts, satellite system failures, electricity grid overloads, computer and network outages, etc. (Human neural networks typically go on overload too, under this barrage. People sensitive to EMF syndrome know what I mean.)

Adding 14 days (give or take three) to the October 8 Sun-Mercury superior conjunction sets up a solar and geomagnetic storm window that stretches from the 19th through the 25th. This overlaps the October 16-22 shock window surrounding the new moon on the 19th.

The bottom line is that we can expect October 16-25 to usher in the strongest storms and seismic disturbances of the month. Here again, while the whole planet is under the gun, I look to the new moon astro-locality map for particular zones of vulnerability. And, much like the full moon earlier in the month, we see north-south target zones running from Canada down through Mexico (shifted to the Pacific side in the latter case). Similar targets are painted from Russia down through Mongolia, Tibet and western China. Western Australia and the South Pacific get tagged again, as well.

The Red and Ringed Planets

Like any other strong Mars aspect, the October 6-17 Mars-Saturn square significantly ups the "fires, crashes, clashes and explosions" factor in human experience. People acting rashly, out of haste and anger: not a safe situation.

Look out for the usual Mars manifestations during this period: a rise in recklessness, anger, conflict, and violence both personal and social. You’ll see it in the headlines: murder, mass murder (school and workplace shootings); riots, terror attacks and military provocations. Yes, these things happen all the time. They just come thicker and faster when the Red Planet is configured with the Ringed One. Slow down, stay alert, be safe.

Mars and Saturn also play a part in a further unwinding of the August 21 solar eclipse on President Trump’s chart. This won’t be comfortable or safe for the President. As detailed in my August forecast:

"President Trump’s natal lunar eclipse being targeted by the June 15 Sun-Saturn alignment is just the beginning. It doesn’t get any better for him after that. The August 21 solar eclipse is on his natal Mars at the ascendant, with Saturn still on his natal Moon."

"Putting all these elements together, the President’s prospects this time around are not encouraging for him – personally as well as politically. In the current highly polarized political atmosphere, half the US population (at least) are hoping that Mr. Trump’s removal from office is imminent. Not so fast! President Nixon’s resignation occurred on August 9, 1974 – some two years and two months after the break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate Hotel. (And that was with the Democrats controlling Congress.)"

"A rapid exit could follow from a mishap which befalls him or some rash, erratic and dangerous act on Mr. Trump’s part. It’s too early for a major war, as I’ve said. But posturing, threats, wagging the dog and surgical strikes, on the other hand, fit the scenario."

"Unfortunately, given that war and peace hang in the balance over Korea even in the best of times lately, rash action can easily spin out of control. We can be sure that the infamous Trump petulance will raise its ugly head around eclipse time. The fact that Mr. Trump’s natal Mars horizon line arcs from Washington DC across North Korea is noteworthy. Born under Mars rising, Mr. Trump is widely known for his belligerence, for going on the offensive when he feels threatened, for bullying his way through adversity. Those lifelong traits are especially dangerous now that he is Commander in Chief – and particularly under an eclipse activating that Mars line through Korea."

"Apart from a major Trump tantrum – which would not be out of character for him at any time, let alone under this kind of eclipse activation – the odds of his removal from office in the near term remain a long shot. But it’s not unlikely that the train has left the station as of August 21. Realpolitik suggests a couple of alternative outcomes. The quicker one is that the GOP power structure turns on the President, and turns him out via the 25th Amendment. The slower hinges on the Democratic Party regaining a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 mid-term election – which would put us on a timeline not unlike the Nixon-Watergate scenario."

Whether the ultimate outcome arrives sooner or later, the train has left the station, as I’ve said. It will be jumping on and off the tracks under the October 6-17 Mars-Saturn 22°55’square from Virgo to Satittarius.

Venus and Mars Are Alright Tonight

While the factors just mentioned typically signify disturbances of a psychological and geophysical nature, there’s another Mars configuration that tends to be exciting in a very good way, mostly: the Venus-Mars conjunction on the 6th, which remains within a few degrees of exact from September 30 through October 10. Passionate, lusty and sexy in the extreme – an extended moment not to be missed. Just remember: this kind of passion combined with the Saturn square can get out of hand. At the very least, it’s a good idea to have a safe word – and maybe a wingman or even a bodyguard. Better to be the hunter than the hunted now . . .

Check Your Chart

I’d like to suggest that, while this month’s forecasts applies to the whole of what the Ancients used to call the Sublunary World – i.e., to the whole of Earth and its denizens – there are a number of cosmic configurations that emphasize certain key degrees in space. For example, the October 11 Mars-Saturn square from Virgo to Sagittarius spotlights 22°55’ of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. Likewise, the full moon in Aries on the 5th emphasizes 12°43’ in the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn), and the new moon in Libra on the 19th brings into focus 26°35 of the cardinals.

Check your chart for these degrees around the indicated dates. If you find them "lit up" in the sky map of your birth, pay attention! Be open to what message is coming through for you from the cosmos.

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