There is always something cooking, though a new wave of aspects is coming to a boil over the next few days, culminating in a rather deep Full Moon square Pluto on Sunday, Oct. 13. That is one peak of energy this month; the other is Mercury stationing retrograde on Halloween.

Mother of All Fractals — the Mandelbrot Set.

Our current week of Oct. 7 is sparky for a few reasons. Monday, Mercury in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus. Oppositions can represent confrontations and showdowns that move the story along. This is the first of two such aspects this week.

Mercury’s presence in Scorpio has a secretive feeling, though as it encounters Uranus, you can figure that not much is going to stay contained. Uranus represents a surprise element that can unravel previous plans, so make sure you have Plan B; and it will help if Plan A has some integrity to it, and does not involve confidential information. One of the themes of our era is that people think keeping secrets works, until they are revealed.

Monday, the Aquarius Moon squares both Mercury and Uranus, which will have a knock effect all day. This is a “beware of gossip” kind of aspect. Refrain from speaking until you have all the facts, if you even need to say anything at all.

As of this coming Friday, Mercury will officially enter its echo phase (sometimes called shadow phase), meaning it is entering the degrees of the zodiac where it will be retrograde starting on Oct. 31. This emphasizes the need to get information out and into the open sooner rather than later.

We see another direct encounter in Mars in Libra opposite Chiron in Aries. An opposition is the full expression of two planets. Mars and Chiron both represent facets of masculine warrior energy. This quality is turned inward by Chiron retrograde, and somewhat muted by Mars in Libra, which feels diplomatic.

Image by VibekeAlvestad.

This aspect is about how you handle confrontations. The thing to remember is that you have options.

You don’t have to react. You don’t have to do much of anything till you figure out where everyone is coming from.

So if you are finding tension building in any situation, first figure out how you feel and what you want, and then apply that to everyone else who is involved.

You may be able to guide things into a sane conversation and defuse a showdown. If there is an impasse, figure out what the issue is. Is it something significant, or is there a bone of contention for its own sake?

You can work the Mars side of the equation (diplomatic engagement) and the Chiron end (determining how people feel and what is really going on). Between the two, you should be able to arrange a solution where everyone saves face.

Meanwhile, be aware that the Full Moon is developing, and it’s a big one — square Pluto and conjunct Eris. Big forces are moving. Stay grounded; that means keep your feet on the ground, listen to what people you care about have to say, and don’t let yourself get distracted by any dancing skeletons.