By Amanda Painter

In one week, on Oct. 31, Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio. On the way there, this Saturday, the Sun and Moon make a conjunction — the Scorpio New Moon — which is opposite Uranus. One translation of all this: the next seven-plus days may well be characterized by secrets and surprises. The question is: what determines whether such things feel like tricks or treats?

Illuminated offering at the 2016 Sacred and Profane Festival, Peaks Island, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

The short answer is, “you.”

More specifically, it’s things like your perspective, attitude, agility in responding to new information, and emotional attachments (whether to people, to certain ways of doing and thinking about things, to the familiar, to what you think you know about yourself and others) that will contribute to whether life feels like an enticing mystery that you’re unraveling, or a haunted hayride you didn’t want to go on in the first place.

Yet you are on this ride, and you’re probably here for a reason — or several. What if one of those reasons is to learn to stay curious, and to learn how to take everything that comes your way as either a growth opportunity or a chance to play?

Easier said than done, I know. Mercury retrogrades can test the limits of our patience and flexibility; Scorpio can test our comfort with intensity and the taboo. Uranus tests how much wattage we can channel. Yet those limits and comfort zones often have a way of expanding when we’re able to keep coming back to the questions “What did I learn?” and “How can I apply that?” Sometimes the applications are immediate; sometimes we need to file the lessons away for later.

Amidst that context, you’ll want to notice any restlessness you’re feeling as the New Moon approaches. (The Scorpio New Moon is exact at 11:38 pm EDT Sunday / 3:38:20 UTC Monday). What is that restlessness actually pointing to? What do you want?

Those questions are pretty internal; fitting for a New Moon. Yet with Uranus in Taurus opposite the Sun and Moon, we get a dynamic that could easily manifest externally, between you and another person. Whether a surprising new person enters your world in an unusual way, or someone you’re close to throws you a curve ball, disruptions and unexpected developments appear likely.

However they manifest, ask yourself what they’re serving to show you. What facet of yourself are you being forced to reckon with? What elements of your interactions with the world around you are being turned upside-down, or opened up, so you can explore beneath the surface?

Between now and the Scorpio New Moon, some accompanying aspects are lending additional flavor. Perhaps the most important one to watch for is Mars in Libra square Saturn in Capricorn. Though it’s not exact until Sunday, Mars aspects tend to be palpable as they’re building. This one could come through as a feeling of frustration at being blocked in some way (perhaps in a relationship or with an authority figure).

The more you can keep moving deliberately and thoroughly toward your goal, the less likely it is you’ll give in to fears of failure or inadequacy. Surprises along the way could either feel like new obstacles or spur you on to tackle them with meticulous creativity — you have some choice in how you see them.

Meanwhile, a Venus-Pluto sextile between Scorpio and Capricorn (exact Friday) describes deepening emotions, whether in friendships or more intimate relationships. Avoiding depth is not likely to work very well; this aspect also represents persistence in digging for the truth.

Yet there’s also an opposition between the asteroids Pallas in Scorpio and Vesta in Taurus, exact tomorrow, which seems to be offering a little space and detachment in certain interactions. There are still indicators of sexual energy here. Yet there’s also a suggestion that sexual energy might be the subject of a healing process, perhaps where you are a witness/facilitator, more than simply being the driving force of an encounter.

Finally, Jupiter and the asteroid Ceres form a conjunction in Sagittarius (which Jupiter rules) tomorrow. This could signal a culmination of sorts regarding the Ceres-in-Sadge process, or some new level of expansion. As with all things Jupiter, it’s always worth being aware of taking things to an extravagant extreme — though it can be hard to judge such a thing when you’re in the midst of it. Possibly the more you’re moving in the direction of some kind of service and/or core priorities — or in support of more foundational growth — the more solid the results.

Have you learned anything in the last several months that relates to the ways you are able to nurture others — or be nourished in return — in an intellectual or spiritual role? What about the ways that expanding your horizons (whether through literal or metaphorical travel, or formal or informal education) can feed specific facets of your soul? These have seemed to be some of the themes of Ceres moving through Sagittarius since January of this year.

The mentorship idea, in particular, may have had particular resonance in some way. Though just like eating junk food, there’s plenty in this world that counts more as entertainment and superficial distraction, no matter how it’s packaged as ‘spiritual’. Are you actually getting your Recommended Daily Allowance of soul nutrients from the pursuits and people you’ve chosen to learn from? What kind of spiritual RDA might you be offering those you’re teaching in any capacity? This could be a good time to check in about that.

You might be surprised by some of your answers. Then again, with Mercury slow and powerful, and Uranus about to receive the Sun and Moon in opposition, the questions that get asked in the coming days may themselves seem to come out of the blue. It might be more refreshing than you expect, once you’ve gotten over the shock of a secret being revealed. If you think you’re the one who’ll do the shocking, you might consider giving a few hints first. Kind of like ringing the doorbell before you yell, “Trick or treat!”

In 2020 we have not one but two conjunctions that mark the turn of a generation, and of an era in history. On Jan. 12, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn form their once per 33-year conjunction. Then on Dec. 21. 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, both now in Aquarius, form a conjunction in the first degree of that sign. Read more here…