October is a 2 Month [10 (October) + 1 (2026) = 11 = 1+1 = 2] in a “1” Year. 2 Months are about making connections, about building on the energy of the 1 month before. This is our second “2” month in 2026; January was also a “2” month. There might be similarities – echoes – of January in the energy of the month ahead.
The Set Up
October begins with the Sun in Libra, Mercury and Venus in Scorpio, Mars and Jupiter in Leo, retrograde Saturn and retrograde Neptune in Aries, retrograde Uranus in Gemini, and retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. By the end of the month, the Sun enters Scorpio, and retrograde Venus will enter Libra from the wrong side. Mercury and Venus retrograde, and Pluto stations direct.
The Nitty Gritty
It doesn’t matter (at least widely) what the other planets are doing this month, because we are going to experience a double personal planet retrograde – Venus retrogrades at 08° Scorpio on 10/03, and Mercury retrogrades at 20° Scorpio on 10/24. Our world is about to get rocky, and the vibes are going to turn inwards. To our benefit, this is very in line with the energy of October and the Hollows season. This month is the divine right time to slow down and focus on what matters.
Venus Retrogrades 08° Scorpio
Venus’ retrograde, which begins on 10/03 at 08° Scorpio and ends on 11/13 at 22° Libra, will dominate October’s energy. Venus retrogrades about every 18 months, the second-longest interval between retrogrades of any planet. As the planet of love and relationships, her energy is combined with Mars to read the “vibes” of the general population. When Venus and Mars are in good elemental alignment (and in signs where they excel), we tend to have an easier time getting along with others; when they are not, we can struggle with interpersonal relationships of all kinds.
Personal planet retrogrades can be challenging in the best of circumstances, but that doesn’t make them bad or wrong. Despite what many pop astrologers will claim, retrogrades aren’t something to fear. Instead, they are an opportunity to switch gears and experience life in an unusual and concentrated way. Retrogrades are a time of reversal and refinement; as Venus moves backward through the signs, we are often encouraged (sometimes forced) to look backward as well. This reevaluation will occur in all areas of Venus’ domain: affecting relationships, how we feel about ourselves, beauty standards (both widely and personally), artistic expression, and how we show up and express our desires and domestic needs.
If you are stuck in it and fearful of change, personal planetary retrogrades can feel very frightening and unnerving. If you are ready to make a change, there can be times of great personal refinement and understanding.
Venus retrogrades sit inside of our interpersonal relationships, so this is the classic example of “breakup weather.” That always makes some types of people deeply anxious. If your relationship is built on solid foundations and you can manage conflicts, you likely have little to worry about. Some reorientation with relationships is expected during Venus (and Mars) retrogrades, but we should view that as a good thing. Relationships rarely survive by being stagnant.
But we should all admit that most relationships aren’t meant to last. And that’s okay! A deep truth of Venus retrogrades is that, oftentimes, love ISN’T enough; that when times get tough, the ability to stay kind and empathetic, to listen without judgment, and to show up even when it is horribly difficult, matter more than love songs and gifts. That maybe – just maybe – romance isn’t what makes the ultimate test of time.
If you aren’t okay with being alone, Venus retrogrades can be incredibly triggering – even when you are coupled! Venus rules Libra, the sign most concerned with coupling; and a large portion of this particular retrograde will occur in that sign.
But, I must reiterate, Venus is not just about romantic or sexual relationships; Venus rules all relationships. Even the least impactful ones. Yes, modern Western culture is overly obsessed with coupledom (some might say to a fault); it’s possible for Venus retrogrades to make you lonely for family or community, just as much as it might make you wish for your perfect Other. And, in her other domain, Taurus, she rules the most physical experiences in life: sight (beauty/art), scent, taste, and touch.
How this translates into your personal life will be somewhat subjective. Artists and other creatives may find themselves either strongly inspired or bereft of motivation. Those prone to dissociation or dissatisfaction may find it harder to connect to the world and feel good. The general population will be more reactive, affecting anybody who works or lives with others. Interpersonal issues sit closer to the surface. Love may feel harder to find, or keep.
During the first part of her retrograde, Venus will move from 08°-00° Scorpio. Scorpio, our fixed water sign, is the placement of Venus’ exile, opposite sign to her first domain (Taurus). Love and emotions are very watery in nature; it does not feel like a stretch to say that they function best when they can flow. Scorpio is a still glacial lake; full of hidden depths but secretive and restrictive. Scorpio is most commonly known as the scorpion; watch out for backstabbing or revenge plots during this part of Venus’s retrograde. This could bring up old wounding; make sure you are pointed at the target that actually hurt you if you need to draw your weapons during this time.
The big flex will be to not be a vindictive bitch. Be a nostalgic bitch instead. Remember why you love them, because if you didn’t love them, they couldn’t have hurt you.
On 10/25, retrograde Venus enters Libra from the back end. Yes, like the back of a Vokeswagon for those of you old enough (or big enough cinefiles) to get my Chasing Amy reference. Some of us are about to get fucked. Some of us might actually like it.
Libra is our cardinal air sign, the second domain on Venus. If Venus was in forward motion, this would be an amazing transit. In retrograde, this tends to be one of the most challenging (I think Venus in her fall might be the only worse sign for a retrograde). Venus in Libra will really bring the relationship shit into deep focus. Venus is the sign of the scales, so we can expect relationship imbalances to rise to the forefront during this time. Expect to see some immature Libra behaviors rear their heads: indecision, emotional manipulation, and people-pleasing are likely to show up, especially in those prone to them.
“If you loved me, you will do this”
The big flex during this part of the retrograde is to have iron-clad boundaries, but to love them anyway. (Unless it’s fucking toxic, yo, you do not need to put up with abuse because you love someone – I will always need to say this) You can love them from far away if that’s what you need. Take this with a grain of salt, because I have an Aries Moon (the astrological opposite of Libra), but there are lines that should never be crossed, even for love. Only you can know what your lines are.
I could get really esoteric here, and talk about how Venus retrograde is about her transition from the Evening Star to the Morning Star (during her inferior conjunction at 00° Scorpio on 10/23), or how her retrograde is about 40 days and there is a weird connection of withdrawal of pleasure which feels akin to Lent from my cultural Catholic perspective.
Because Venus rules both Taurus and Libra, all Taurus and Libra types (Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Sun conjunct Venus in any sign) and those born while Venus was retrograde are always impacted by her retrogrades. Impact does not imply negativity; as always, personal planet retrogrades happen, you choose what you make of them. This retrograde will strongly impact anyone born with planets (except the outer three) in the early degrees of fixed and earth signs and in the later degrees of the cardinal and air signs. Watch out for Mars aspects in particular, as they will indicate a greater likelihood of strong relationship involvement.
I could write about this for hours. No other event this month should be considered without taking this transit into account. If you are sensitive to the vibes of the Gen Pop, I’d consider warding against the crankiness if that is a part of your practice. I’d avoid places with large portions of the population if I had any choice in the matter. Expect dysregulation from people you don’t know – road rage, “Karens” in customer service, and people to express a lot of negativity. Don’t pick up a nasty vibe bug just because you walked by somebody having a hard time.
Don’t pass on the shit. The shit CAN stop with you.
The biggest flex during any Venus retrograde is to carry heart energy. It’s to love anyway. It’s to embody love. It’s to have empathy even when it’s hard.
It goes beyond saying, but I am going to anyway. Most of us are already having a hard time. It’s a fucking sucky time to be a human being. People are struggling to make rent, or buy food, or they fear their rights are being taken away, they feel their way of life will be taken away, or they are afraid of getting sick, or they are sick, and they think nobody cares…
Maybe you can be the person who cares. Maybe you can’t. And that’s okay too. It has to be.
It’s about accepting rather than judging. Maybe they are doing their best, and right now, their best really sucks. You don’t have to stick around for longer to find out more if it’s not your monkeys, ya know? Tend to what is yours. Love what is yours. And, if you have extra, tend to more. Love more.
Our Lights: the Sun and the Moon
It’s telling that both lunations we will experience this October – our new moon in Libra and our full moon in Taurus – are ruled by retrograde Venus.
But Minx, isn’t that every October? This is a common misconception. There are, on average, two lunations every month – they can fall on either side of the sign divide. This means we could see an Aries Full Moon and a Libra New Moon (ruled by Mars and then Venus), or a mix like we are seeing here – which could be an Aries Full Moon and a Scorpio New Moon (both ruled by Mars) or a Libra New Moon and a Taurus Full Moon (ruled by Venus). We can’t see both lunations on the Scorpio-Taurus axis because that is the smaller part of the month.
This time, we get two Venus-ruled lunations. This is going to make both very active days, highly charged with retrograde Venus energy.
Our new moon peaks at 17° Libra on 10/10, while retrograde Venus is still in Scorpio, the sign of her exile. It is also the day that Venus in Scorpio exactly squares Mars in Leo. The combination of Libra/relationship energy and the Venus-Mars square is bad news bears for all kinds of relationships, but especially more traditional romantic or sexual relationships. (Queer, aro, and ace relationships do still involve Venus and Mars, but are less defined by them, as a whole)
This would be an exceptionally good day to do some bad relationship magic, if that is your cup of tea. Break up that couple that shouldn’t stay together, or curse a couple to remain together; either way, this energy is strongly supported by these aspects. With Venus and Mars in fixed signs, this square screams Red Flags and Long Nights. It is personalities too big to coexist; it is irreconcilable differences. Don’t pick a fight around these days because nobody will win. Mercury in Scorpio will square Mars in Leo on 10/30, a repeat of this energy.
It is a 5/7 New Moon.
7 (Libra Sun) + 7 (Libra Moon) = 14. 1+4 = 5.
5 (Libra New Moon) + 2 (October 2026) = 7.
Here, the numerological energy aligns particularly well with the astrological energies. 5 is our big conflict number; it destroys that which isn’t stable. 7 energy carries its own instability, albeit with more immediate rewards if you are esoteric enough. We should also note that the date is 10/10, which is also seen numerologically as 1/1, representing both the “1” energy of the year and the “2” energy of the month. Setting intentions directed towards non-Venusian endeavors is strongly augmented during this time. I’d stay away from Venusian magic entirely unless you are very comfortable with retrograde Venus energy.
The full moon for the month will hit just as hard, but in a different way. It sits at 02° Taurus on 10/26. Retrograde Venus will be in Libra, the sign of her domain, conjunct to the Sun (although in a different sign) and opposed to the Moon. Both Taurus (the sign of the Moon) and Scorpio (the sign of the Sun) can hold on to things (ideas, possessions, relationships) for far too long; this looks like a reckoning over the things that used to bring us pleasure but no longer do. This is a great time to do a release ritual or cord-cutting, especially over that ex you still spy on late at night on Insta.
It is a 1/3 Full Moon.
8 (Scorpio Sun) + 2 (Taurus Moon) = 10. 1+0 = 1.
1 (Taurus Full Moon) + 2 (October 2026) = 3.
1 and 3 are among the most powerful numbers from a numerological perspective, as they represent the beginning AND its first manifestations. Unfortunately, with Venus and Mercury in retrograde, there are many types of magic that will be harder to find and control during this lunation. The Full Moon energy is likely to highly dysregulate the general public; this is the kind of lunation that makes me understand why ER doctors and other emergency workers dislike the full moon so much.
Mercury retrogrades 20° Scorpio
Mercury retrogrades 3-4x times every year due to its proximity to the Sun, so this is decidedly business-as-usual, although the kind of business that has a permanent “Out of Order” sign on the vending machine and is perpetually “Out to Lunch” when you show up. As this occurs entirely within Venus’s retrograde, it will add to discord and misunderstandings, but might otherwise go somewhat unnoticed.
We note that Mercury enters their pre-retrograde shadow on 10/04; they then conjunct retrograde Venus at 08° Scorpio on 10/06 (it might be a good day to keep communication flowing in your relationships if you know how to work with Mercury and Venus). It then retrogrades at 20° Scorpio on 10/24. There aren’t a lot of transits this time around – Mercury squares Mars in Leo on 10/30 and conjuncts the Sun in November – and that’s it.
It will station direct on 11/13, the same day that Venus also stations direct. Circle that date. We may feel a bit like we are in a state of limbo until that time, especially while both Mercury and Venus are retrograde.
Let’s put it this way: we may be feeling unhappy with our others (Venus retrograde) and unable to talk about it (Mercury retrograde).
Mars
Mars entered Leo late in September and is making his way towards his fated conjunction to Jupiter and the South Node next month. Mars in Leo may feel difficult to deal with, especially while he is square to Venus in Scorpio by sign – and most especially during their square on 10/10. This is repeated when he squares retrograde Mercury on 10/30.
We’re too early in this Mars in Leo journey not to be absolutely arrogant assholes about it, but heed this warning: not only does Mars conjunct the South Node, which implies we may have to get rid of some things, but he is about to enter his pre-retrograde shadow in November. He retrogrades in early 2027. And, spoiler alert, Mercury will retrograde inside his retrograde, as well.
Relationships are in for a bit of a hard time for the near future. Think the sixth-month timeframe. They need some reevaluation and possibly some refiguring.
That’s just the astrological weather; we need to find a way to live with it.
Looking Forward
Mercury and Venus’s retrogrades continue through the beginning of November, and we’re getting some pretty big transits on top of it. Mars, Jupiter, and the South Node will form a major stellium in Leo, squaring our Scorpio Sun. As well as Mars entering his pre-retrograde shadow. This energy will be here for a while, so pack your raincoat (or snow boots) now.
The Details
10/02 – Mercury in Scorpio square Mars in Leo 02°, Mercury in Scorpio square retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 05°, Mars in Leo trine retrograde Neptune in Aries 02°
10/03 – Venus retrogrades 08° Scorpio, Mars in Leo opposed retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 03°
10/04 – Sun in Libra opposed retrograde Saturn in Aries 11°, Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow 05° Scorpio
10/06 – Mercury conjunct retrograde Venus 08° Scorpio
10/07 – Mars in Leo sextile retrograde Uranus in Gemini 05°
10/10 – New Moon 17° Libra, retrograde Venus in Scorpio square Mars in Leo 07°
10/15 – Sun in Libra sextile Jupiter in Leo 22°, Pluto stations direct 03° Aquarius
10/16 – Mars in Leo trine retrograde Saturn in Aries 10°
10/19 – Sun in Libra trine North Node in Aquarius 26°
10/20 – retrograde Venus in Scorpio square retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 03°
10/21 – Sun in Libra opposed Chiron in Aries 28°
10/23 – Sun enters Scorpio, Sun conjunct retrograde Venus 00° Scorpio
10/24 – Mercury retrogrades 20° Scorpio
10/25 – retrograde Venus enters Libra
10/26 – Full Moon 02° Taurus, Sun in Scorpio square Pluto in Aquarius 03°
10/28 – retrograde Venus in Libra opposed Chiron in Aries 28°
10/30 – retrograde Mercury in Scorpio square Mars in Leo 17°
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