Grace McGrade is an intuitive astrologer and priestess based in Los Angeles. She is the host of the podcast Bitchcraft: Spirituality for Bad People. For more astrology, read her guide to rising signs and moon signs. Read an overview of what 2024 has coming up for us this year here.
As Summer fades, Autumn arrives with the Sun’s entry into Libra, shifting our focus from personal growth to the dynamics we share with others. It is no surprise that Libra season coincides with “cuffing season” when we abandon the heated frenzy of Summer in pursuit of companions to accompany us through the colder months (and all of our pressing social engagements). Libra, the sign of relationships, beauty, balance and fairness, asks us to seek harmony between our inner world and the outer chaos of human connections. Libra is ruled by the pleasure planet Venus and is a lover of peace in all her dealings, aiming for social and aesthetic perfection. Occasionally duplicitous, the sign of Libra wants to be unanimously adored – even if it requires shielding our truth to keep the peace. But over the duration of this month, peace is not always a viable option. As the Solar Eclipse on October 2nd shakes up our social landscapes and propels us into new relationships, environments and ways of living, pushing us headfirst into transformation.
The Libra Solar Eclipse carries an intense and cathartic energy, reminding us that finding true balance often requires sacrificing our desire to save face. Meanwhile, Venus in Scorpio digs deep, unearthing hidden truths and exposing the motivations that drive our connections. As this eclipse meets the South Node in Libra, we’re faced with a karmic reckoning – forced to leave behind relationships and dynamics that we’ve clung to for comfort or to keep up appearances. It’s a time to let go of what no longer aligns and make space for authentic, transformative connections.
The scales of Libra require more than fairness – they ask if you can see both sides of a conflict and if you can readily adjust your perspective. This is a time when we are asked to reckon with both the good and the ugly aspects of self that might be pulling the strings in our psychic dramas. We have played the role of both the victim and the perpetrator in various situations, and this eclipse calls for an integration of duals, leading to an eventual acceptance of ourselves, from the lightest to the darkest octave.
The desire to hunker down with that special someone and shield ourselves from interpersonal theatrics is heightened by Mars in Cancer. Mars, symbolising our drive and energy, resides in this sensitive sign until November 2, inspiring us to prioritise emotional safety and invest in relationships that feel secure and supportive. A grand water trine between Saturn in Pisces, Venus in Scorpio, and Mars in Cancer ensures that our actions are being guided by our intuition – marking a time of emotional and spiritual healing.
Mercury’s ingress into Scorpio on October 13 invigorates our investigative impulses, driving us to do rogue research on our counterparts, collect secrets and reconvene with the truth. A fiery Full Moon in Aries on the 17th reignites our appetite for individuation, making sure we don’t slip back into the codependent patterns of the previous year. Aided in part by Venus entering Sagittarius the same day, our appetite for adventure supersedes the need to have a travelling companion.
The month ends with the Sun plummeting into Scorpio, intensifying the atmosphere of transformation and truth, aiding us in alchemizing the excess of energy we may have taken on from others. It would make sense that Halloween is a Scorpio as we conclude October having faced our fears, even if it required taking off our masks.