October 2026 Astrology; Venus and Mercury retrograde

 

October 2026 astrology; Venus and Mercury retorgade

October is a difficult month with Venus’s retrograde and later Mercury’s retrograde, both in Scorpio. Venus retrogrades October 3-November 13^th. Mercury begins its retrograde October 24^th and turns direct November 13^th.

Venus and Mercury both retrograde in the sign of Scorpio but Venus re-enters Libra October 26^th while Mercury remains in Scorpio its entire retrograde. Scorpio is the sign that rules the 8^th house which is connected with money, investments, other people’s money, sex, taboos, mysteries, change, transformation and death. It is the most intense sign of the zodiac. With both of these planets retrograde in Scorpio we may be concerned with love, money, finances, our values and change both on a personal and global level.

Otherwise we have some other difficult transits in October to pay attention to and a difficult full moon. Let’s look at the details:

Venus retrogrades October 3-November 14 in Scorpio/Libra.

Love and relationships can slow down on a Venus retrograde, and people can change their minds; or change their partners. That said, if you have a stable relationship there is little to fear.

As Venus retrogrades we have an opportunity to rethink and re-access our relationships with others and those closest to us. Love energy may be harder to come by but we may compensate by more self care and reflection.

If you begin a new relationship on a retrograde Venus it is said the love energy is never fully expressed. If this is the case, things could also change after Venus turns direct again. Venus retrograde is sometimes associated with those we have known in the past. At times we can reconnect, or take many trips down memory lane.

Venus retrograde is a karmic period as all retrograde planets are and at times our love lives can take dramatic shifts one way or another.  If a relationship comes back together it was meant to, and if one ends at this time, it is granting you the freedom to find someone more appropriate.

Venus will re-enter Libra October 26^th and will turn direct at 22 degrees of Libra. Venus is considered in its detriment in Scorpio which means the energy isn’t comfortable in this sign to begin with. When Venus enters Libra it is considered at home and much happier so look for Venus’s retrograde to be more difficult in Scorpio than it is in Libra.

Mercury retrogrades October 24-November 13

When the planet of communication retrogrades, those areas of life it rules are basically not functioning up to par.

Mercury rules all kinds of communication, verbal and written, speaking, learning, even listening and thinking, as well as all forms of electronic communication. It rules formal agreements and contracts, buying and selling, travel, transportation, and shipping. It also rules pets and young people. You shouldn't expect terrible things to happen, but on a certain level, chaos and confusion can and will occur.

 Communication can break down, slow down, or stop altogether. People can become confused; change their minds, job interviews can slow down, and things, projects and people can change their course of direction, sometimes unexpectedly. Equipment can breakdown, whether it is a computer, a coffee pot or a car. It is hard to get decisions from others, and if you do, they could change their mind after Mercury turns direct.

Retrograde Mercury can be a time of reconnecting with those from the past in some instances. This does not mean reconnect to a former, toxic relationship, but reconnect with those who have been tried and true. Go back to the things from the past that have served you well and reconnect. You could hear from relatives, old friends and on occasion old loves. It’s time to take care of those things you have put off, and clear your closets, both literally and figuratively.

Don't make important changes such as starting a new job or project, launching a website, buying big ticket items, closing on real estate, buying electronic equipment, getting married or engaged, having elective or cosmetic surgery, launching new endeavors, or signing contracts if you can avoid it. If you can’t avoid these things expect things to change when Mercury turns direct.

Mercury retrograde is a time of personal realignment with the world.

 Mars, Pluto, Mercury and Venus powerful t-square that affects the world and us

October 1^st, Mercury in Scorpio squares Mars and Pluto with Venus forming a tense t-square in the sky that is exact October 3^rd. Mars opposes Pluto and Mercury/Venus square Mars/Pluto. This is a volatile aspect and Pluto rules corruption, power, control and violence, and all things that are hidden. This aspect that will play out on the world stage as well as our lives.  

If by some chance we avoid hostilities in the Middle East the transit will play out in some other volatile way on the world stage concerning power, control and destructiveness. This aspect isn’t limited to 1 event and there can be many things happening that draw our attention. Pluto rules the dark and things that are hidden and Mars rules war, men and aggression. In some cases Mars can denote bravery but this does not take away from the dark nature of this transit. Mars-Pluto destructive but can lead to transformation.

On a personal level it is important to be aware of your environment and the types of situations you want to avoid. It might be a good idea to stay away from contentious issues, or people or anything that triggers you. This will affect your personal chart if you have Fixed planets at 2-4 degrees. This energy will be with us for at least a week if not longer.

Adding to the energy, October 4^th,the Sun opposes Saturn and the Moon opposes Pluto. Sun-Saturn can represent endings, issues from the past and other very serious matters or  it can be tiring and depressing.

All of this is happening on the day Venus officially turns stationary retrograde and will square Mars and Pluto making the energy very powerful. This could be a turning point in some partnerships.

The Iran/US War began on retrograde Mercury in Pisces. Pisces is typically involved in ideological battles and Pisces also rules the oceans . When a war begins on Mercury retrograde it is traditionally viewed in astrology as having logistical failures, chaotic information or misinformation and the original goal is often not realized.

Should the war resume under this retrograde Venus the result can include financial strangulation, breakdowns of treaties, backroom deals, unmasked intentions, and internal as well as external sabotage. Weaponized relationships can backfire, obsession and power struggles emerge forcing us into a deep psychological audit and desire to uncover the reality of what is really happening.

The perpetrator of a war on retrograde Venus in Scorpio is likely to not win a clear and decisive victory and there can be massive domestic blowback.

October 6^th Venus squares Mars and Venus is retrograde. Not only can this cause conflict in the world it can cause conflict in love and between the sexes. It can also concern to money issues.

October 10^th the New moon falls at 17 degrees of Libra but Libra’s ruler Venus is retrograde. Libra is the sign that rules partnerships and relationships of all types including business partnerships, international partnerships and marriage. On the world stage this can relate to overt military posturing with neither side standing down. In our personal lives this can lead to disagreements in terms of love, money, ego with neither party willing to compromise.

October 15^th Pluto turns direct. Pluto is direct for nearly half of its yearly cycle and when it turns direct the psychological affects that have been brewing underneath transition from internal to external. This affects many things including our personal psychological states, lawsuits and business changes or something picking back up where it was left off, and typically when this powerful planet turns direct we see significant world events.

October 19^th Venus squares Pluto-This is another difficult transit associated with love, money, sex and betrayal. This is especially prone toward trouble in relationships and can be connected to obsessions and jealousies. This is not a favorable transit for women and we could hear of domestic violence in some way.

October 23^rd, the Sun enters Scorpio and conjuncts Venus; It’s a wildcard how this plays out with Venus’s retrograde but it is typically positive, especially for the things Scorpio rules; love, money, secrets and sex.

October 25^th, Venus re-enters Libra and the Sun squares Pluto. While Venus is happy in Libra it is still retrograde.

The Sun square Pluto is connected to power struggles and sometimes others who try and force their will on others. This can also relate to crime, violence, things breaking down which could be machinery, relationships or any other number of things and hidden issues that come out in the open so this is a day to use care. Typically we see significant world events with this aspect.

October 26^th, the full moon falls at 2 degrees of Taurus and squares Pluto.

Taurus is the 2^nd sign ruled by Venus, the planet of love, money and values. Its square to Pluto can bring up deep seated issues and power struggles in relationships. Pluto rules the darkness of night, hidden issues, sex and change so this will be a volatile full moon with Mercury and Venus retrograde as well.

Expect this to play out in the world in terms of power struggles, financial issues or prices. Taurus rules food and growing food so we could see more issues in this area along with others. This can signal a clash between public economic survival and technological or institutional control. There could be a problem in global food distribution or seismic activity.