This month starts slowly and almost silently. Yet although it might seem on the surface that nothing much is going on, that won’t be the case – lots of important things will be happening, but it will all be happening within you, and under cover. Your twelfth house will be packed with energy and rules all things that affect your spirit and psychology, and also secrets you need to keep under wraps for now. Let’s look closer.

First I have to give you a little background. Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, entered Libra last month on September 9, to stay for the coming twelve months until October 10, 2017. Because Jupiter reflects where all the goodness is being poured into a chart, for you, it appears you will be involved in some sort of career activity that requires a lot of secrecy. Or, you may be doing research or tweaking a project that requires time to complete, as much as a year.

As a Scorpio, you keep secrets very well, and that’s why your sign is associated with CIA, spies, law enforcement, and all kind of professions that rely on people who know how to keep a confidence. This month, you should not allow prying eyes to know what you are doing, so be careful, especially when speaking in restaurants or elevators.

Last month, the new moon that appeared just moments prior to the start of October, September 30, lit your twelfth house. It’s clear that what you do behind closed doors will benefit you. You will also receive the side benefit of working alone, which is always Scorpio’s favorite mode of operation – namely, great productivity. Your future profits or paid salaried income seems to depend directly on projects you are involved with now. (Jupiter rules your second house of earned income and is now touring your house of behind-closed-doors activities.) Your reputation is hinged on the work you are doing now too, and I say this because the Sun rules your tenth house of fame and honors. Planets in Libra suggest you may have a partner or collaborator as you work on this assignment.

The twelfth house, so lit up for you, rules one’s mind, body, and spirit too. You may consult a psychiatrist or coach to talk out a problem that has troubled you, and if so, it’s a good time to do so. Or, the psychology of a person, or an entire market, may enter the discussion at work – that is, judging the mood of the marketplace and what people will want next. Doctors of psychology are often hired by lawyers in high-risk cases to help in jury selection, and these psychiatrists use their understanding of human motivation to influence the outcome of a case. This may fit what you are doing now, in the same way, or a different way, but you would see the connection. Knowing the psychology of a certain demographic group could be vital in the introduction of a new product or service.

Now let’s turn to the place Mars and Pluto are found in your October chart, for they both are your ruling planets, and their whereabouts often point to where your attention will be drawn. Both Mars and Pluto are in Capricorn, lighting your third house of communication. This part of your chart is tied to writing, editing, and public speaking, and so one of these areas will consume lots of time. You will be dealing with a lot of emails, phone calls, and meetings, and you may be on the road much more than usual in October. Mars and Pluto in Capricorn will make you very practical and realistic when making decisions.

You will like that Mars has changed signs, for until now, Mars has been stuck in Sagittarius for the longest time, forcing up your expenses since last March. Now finally, in late last month, Mars moved on to Capricorn, and your expenses will begin to drop, and you will have greater control over your money. OnNovember 8, Mars will leave Capricorn, making this a short, but intense trend.

Problems will come up at the full moon, October 16, in Aries, 23 degrees. This full moon will light your sixth house of work and health/fitness, so let’s look at your work life first, which appears to be taking the lion’s share of your attention this month.

On October 16, the full moon will be conjunct Uranus, in exact mathematical degree, which is significant. Whatever event or news that surfaces at work at that time will come suddenly, out of left field, and you won’t see it coming. At a full moon, you would likely be finishing up a project or reaching an important plateau in an assignment, but the wheels may suddenly fly off your wagon in all directions. It will be up to you to monitor details and to conform to the client’s directives (or your boss’ demands), even if you think the decisions are the wrong ones. The client may be the reason the project is in disarray – last minute changes may have everyone in a tizzy. An assistant may quit, the budget may go into overruns (and out the window!), or a client may leave. It’s a tense time.

The area of your chart being focused on by the full moon October 16 also rules your health. It may be that all will go smoothly at work, but that as you get closer to the full moon, within four days before or after, you may not feel well and need the advice of a doctor. You will have a full plate at the office, but it will be important that you make time for that doctor’s visit if you feel that something is off. Maintaining balance to your mind, body, and spirit is a very strong theme this month for you.

You will start to come into your own once the Sun moves into Scorpio on October 22. Your strength will return, you’ll feel more optimistic, and things will start to go your way. You won’t be shuttered inside quite as much, although as said, you may have a secret assignment that you simply cannot talk about that could last from six months to a year.

Wonderful news that more money is about to come to you, or that someone has sent you a valuable birthday gift, may arrive on October 26, when Venus and Jupiter will be in sync. You will love what happens on October 26, and if it is your birthday, this lovely aspect, so very good for financial news, will follow you all through your year ahead. (That’s because whenever a great aspect coincides with your solar return – literally, the day the Sun returns to the place it was at your birth, or more commonly said, your birthday – in astrology, that’s significant. What a golden year you have ahead! Give October 26 a plus or minus one day of influence.

The new moon in Scorpio on October 30 will be your cosmic gift certificate to direct in any way you please. Each month I tell you how best to use a new moon’s energy, which lasts approximately ten days. New moons are very important, for the actions you take, and the relationships, deals, or initiations that you put in place during those ten days, can carry you forward for a year or much more.

If you want more love in your life, that is, to meet the right person, the new moon in Scorpio, this year so personal in nature, can help you do exactly that. Neptune is the higher octave of Venus, bringing the love of Venus to an even higher level, and will be in such beautiful angle to that new moon. Love will perfume the air in a heavenly, graceful way.

If your birthday falls on October 30, it means your entire year ahead will be filled with new opportunities, for that is what new moons bring – something new. All Scorpios of every birthday will be celebrating this new moon, but you will get a double dip of pleasure. The same is true if you have Scorpio rising, the moon in Scorpio, or a planet in Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn, all at 8 degrees, plus or minus five degrees.

Even before you get to the end of the month and that sweet as sugar new moon in Scorpio, from the start of October you will have Venus in Scorpio until October 18 to amp up your charisma and charm. During this period, you will have the best moment this year to think about your appearance and to make any changes you might want to make. Buy new clothes, see your hair stylist or barber, and have some fun. Venus will see to it that you love those upgrades. Having some new clothes, possibly a new pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses, and a new look to your face will give you confidence to find love or enjoy the love you’ve already found.

With the new moon of September 30, plus the Sun and Jupiter influencing your first half of October, it is time to reflect on your life as it is now, and to imagine what you hope to change and materialize in the coming year. A recent research study reported in the Style section of the New York Times found that with all the digital distractions we regularly use and become distracted with means that we have fewer hours stop and think quietly. Researchers also found that our brains are changing to conform to our digital lifestyle but not necessarily in a positive way. The study went on to say that the ability to think objectively is good for all of us and that we should spend more time simply thinking.

Apparently ancient astrologers agree, and felt it was so important to quiet down and think, that those ancient astrologers devoted an entire sector of the horoscope for this purpose. The time to plan for the future, these astrologers wrote, was one month prior to your birthday, which is now for you. This month, after the darling new moon appears only one day prior to the start of October, think about what, precisely, would make you truly happy. Don’t pass up this opportunity – your coming year will be all the richer for it.

Venus will move through Scorpio until October 17, so your allure will be high. Use the first two weeks of October to select new things for your autumn wardrobe, and, for women readers, to choose makeup colors to add the right touch to your outfit. Men, ask your barber if a new way to wear your hair is due. Venus will see to it that you find all the most flattering options.

Mars and Pluto, your two rulers, are both filling your third house of short distance travel, so you may want to venture out, perhaps to admire nature’s brilliantly colored leaves in the north hemispheres. Even if you live down under, the seasons are still beautiful in the spring, with all the pastel flowers – you will want to enjoy those too. See if you can take two vacation days and plan a long weekend away, October 8 to October 11, when Mercury and Jupiter will combine energies to make your trip a success. They may even provide you with a way to take advantage of a bit of luxury in your choice of accommodations.

The full moon, October 16, will be a prankster, and will arrive in your sixth house of work projects. Uranus will be conjunct the moon, so it appears the project might go haywire at the eleventh hour, just when you get close to deliver it. Or, it may be that you will have personnel problems, with workers not showing up. The reason you must have your antenna up is that the project’s difficulties could reflect on you, even though nothing that happens would be your fault. The Sun, ruler of your prestigious career sector, will oppose unpredictable Uranus, so events could take a peculiar turn that may baffle you. Everyone will have problems with this full moon, so tread carefully, for other persons you will deal with mid-month will likely be feeling fragile, too, adding to the emotional feelings in the air.

If you are about to sign a contract at the full moon – don’t. Wait for a week or more and ask your lawyer to have a second look at the paperwork, for you may have overlooked a clause in the paperwork that may prove troublesome later. A better time to sign would be earlier in the month, October 10 or 11, when Jupiter and Mercury will make a rare conjunction in Libra. Your thinking will be very strategic, clear, and on target.

The new moon in Scorpio on October 30 will be your time to shine like a brilliant comet in the night sky. This is your annual birthday gift from a loving universe, and its energy can be directed any way you please. In the days that follow, you can make an initiation to improve any part of your life. Romance will be especially lovely, for this new moon will signal Neptune in your fifth house of true love, and a magical spell will be cast. If you are single, you will have ten days in which to circulate to meet someone new, and if attached, to spin a memory with your partner that will last a lifetime.