Have you noticed that some weeks feel more clearly than others like a car shifting into a higher gear? This looks like one of those weeks, though you might not notice the full effect until we’re closer to the weekend.

This guy’s in gear. Photo of the Portland, Maine, Climate Strike by Amanda Painter.

According to our astrological road map, we have two major planets changing sign this week, and a third that’s stationing direct. The Moon is also waxing again, after Saturday’s New Moon, adding another — gentler — layer to the sense of picking up speed or directing more power to your engine.

Of these events, the first is Pluto stationing direct in Capricorn on Thursday. I can’t say I’ve ever really noticed a particular sensation or event associated with Pluto stationing; not the way I have with Mercury or Mars, for example, though perhaps you have. What makes this station direct of Pluto notable is that it’s the final change of apparent direction either it or Saturn will make before they meet for their conjunction in January.

Pluto is a ‘take no prisoners’ agent of change and surrender in astrology. Even though Saturn is associated with structures, it has its own way of compelling change and growth. Much has been written about these two planets and their upcoming conjunction; suffice it to say here that Pluto stationing direct signals a new phase where any shifting undercurrents that have gone unnoticed thus far should begin surfacing. It’ll likely become increasingly harder to deny that they’re real.

Less than two hours after Pluto stations on Thursday, Mercury ingresses Scorpio at 4:14 am EDT (8:14:07 UTC). Incidentally, Scorpio’s modern ruler is Pluto, and its traditional ruler is Mars (the other planet that changes signs this week).

Mercury in Scorpio suggests sharp thinking — and often even sharper tongues. Yet it’s the depth of thought and enquiry that you may find most useful over the next two months.

Yes: two months. Due to Mercury stationing retrograde on Oct. 31, we’ll get a longer than usual taste of this mental tone. Mercury will finally leave Scorpio on Dec. 9.

Keeping with this week, though, Mercury in Scorpio describes a concentration of intellectual and intuitive power fitting of its two ruling planets. Mars and Pluto also indicate a need to handle that power carefully, however. In part, this means remembering that not every situation requires getting the final word at all costs.

Finally, Mars leaves Virgo and enters Libra at 12:22 am EDT on Friday (4:21:50 UTC). As Eric has written in the Libra horoscope below, this is a placement that can easily ignite the ‘human blowtorch’ quality of Libra. Like with an actual blowtorch, you mainly need to be sure you’re directing the flame where it belongs — such as toward creative and physical projects, consensual sex, or taking the lead in some way that’s needed.

If you can put this energy toward genuine diplomacy — as in, working toward agreements and solutions that are equitable even if they are not ‘equal’ — you may gain traction where it had been lacking. However, indecisiveness could come out sideways as hostility toward self or others. If you get caught that way, can you retrace your path back to the point before your desire got complicated by ‘shoulds’ or too many options?

You may already feel like you’re in a productive gear, which is great. In that case, think of this week as getting more traction on increasingly solid ground. If you can guide your insights deeper, and focus your energy where it matters and is needed most, you’ll likely notice some real results.