Happy Halloween, also known as All Saints or All Hallows, and the Mexican Day of the Dead.

It’s no accident that these religious holidays were established at a time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest and most permeable. Astrologically, this phenomenon matches well with Scorpio, sign of death, transformation, and rebirth.

A growing number of people are becoming attuned to other dimensions of space/time, so I expect that many of you will have unusual experiences in the next week or two. Besides being in this seasonal space between the world of the living and the world of the dead (the material and energetic planes), we’re in a cosmic place of transition. More and more people are becoming attuned to this alternating vibration.

Our ability to sense beyond material reality is amplified by the coming eclipses and Mercury retrograde. These shifts don’t happen until Thanksgiving, but we head into interdimensional waters this week, as both Mercury and Venus cross the degree of the November 25 solar eclipse and Mercury enters the pre-retrograde shadow phase. You likely won’t need to wait until the end of the month to find out how the next eclipse pair will play out. Just keep your antennae up this week for clues. If you’re having trouble identifying them, check to see where 2-20 degrees Sagittarius are in your natal chart. You also can order your StarGuide Forecast for November, which will give you some ideas of possible scenarios you might encounter.

Taking the week one day at a time, Venus and Mercury in late Scorpio square Neptune on Monday and Tuesday. With Mars in late Leo, we’ll have a fixed T-square with Mercury and Venus at the apex. Remember, the planet at the point of the triangle bears the most pressure. The combined energy of Mercury and Venus manifests as communications in relationships. These exchanges likely won’t be direct, however, as Scorpio represents deep undercurrents. To get an idea what this means, think about a time when you were standing next to someone and having a conversation, but you were exchanging more information on a nonverbal level. It might have happened through body language, but you also may have picked up on their feelings, thoughts, and even their fears and weaknesses.

The square with Neptune suggests that you may not be entirely accurate in what you’re picking up, so don’t automatically assume you’re correct in your perceptions. Mars in Leo tells you exactly how you’re susceptible to deception. If you’re ego is in the way, you’re probably getting a distorted communications signal.

As with all T-squares, the “out” lies either in the degree opposite the apex or in a planet in soft aspect to it. The degrees of late Taurus include the malefic star Algol and the Pleiades. Check to see where those degrees fall in your chart, and that’s where your solutions and resolutions lie.

Venus and Mercury enter Sagittarius on Wednesday. Their first order of business is a conflicting square to Chiron in hypersensitive Pisces. You don’t need to be an astrologer to do the math. Insensitive remarks made to someone who is wounded or insecure will be taken badly. The difficulty is that they probably won’t say anything to you and instead will let the perceived slight fester. It’s always such a pain when something like this happens, because you end up having to defend yourself against something you may not have said and certainly didn’t mean. If you value the relationship, you likely will want to clear up the misunderstanding and smooth things over. If you don’t, you may not want to take the time to say anything but “I didn’t mean that.” The worst thing you can say, by the way, is “I’m sorry you took it like that” or “I’m sorry that you feel that way.” This is emphatically not an apology, so why bother? What you’re saying is that it’s the other person’s fault for misinterpreting your words and intentions. This is one of my pet peeves.

On Thursday, Venus and Mercury trine Uranus. Communications come fast, furiously, and from unexpected quarters. In early Aries, Uranus is still tracking the degrees of last summer’s intense cardinal T-square. One of my classmates, a Libra with early Cancer on the Ascendant, had major shakeups in her life and recently began getting calls and e-mails with amazing new opportunities. Many of you may experience something like this – again, depending on where these planets are transiting your natal chart.

On Friday, both Mercury and Venus cross the degree of the November 25 eclipse, at 2°37′ Sagittarius. Mercury is the messenger and the herald, so do pay close attention to unusual events on this day. Mercury turns retrograde on November 24 at 20 degrees Sagittarius and returns to 3 degrees on December 13. So, when Mercury crosses 3 degrees Sagittarius on Saturday, he’ll officially be in pre-retrograde shadow. It’s best to avoid this period for major transactions, but if you can’t, be aware that anything that can go wrong probably will. Make sure you’ve got all your ducks connected … oh, wait, that’s supposed to be dots connected. Your ducks should be in a row.

On Sunday, the Moon in Aries conjoins Uranus and squares Pluto. This occurs once a month, so it’s not a major astrological influence. However, I think you might notice more activity this month, given what else is going on.

Don’t forget that we go off daylight savings time Saturday night. I’ve got my list started for what I’ll do with the extra hour. Unfortunately, sleep isn’t on it.

Love and courage to all,
Pat