Pisces Horoscope for October 2023

This is a month of sorting things out, Pisces, after a time of introspective investigation of the way that you get along with partners. With Mercury in retrograde over recent weeks, or recovering, you have been focused on relationship, and questioning or refining your approach there. The Aries Full Moon from September has affirmed issues of self and other from a novel standpoint, continuing as October begins. With Mercury finally straightening out, relationship issues are settling down and there are many and varied ideas to draw from now. Your own identity is involved in the way that you see your connection with others taking new shape. The Libra New Moon and Solar Eclipse of October 14th is telling. Involved with others, you are also solitary; you are stirring the caldron of your own evolving sense of self and it can be lonely work. Your worldview too is up in the air and settling into new patterns. You are intent now in finding your own way forward, independent of consensus thinking and the remnants of early conditioning, and you will emerge from this pivotal month – as you succumb to the will of your higher self – with a new sense of freedom and integration.


The following was written by our guest columnist Alea Balzer. You can write her at alea.balzer@gmail.com


You begin October in the wake of the Virgo New Moon in your sphere of partnership from September 14 that was an extremely significant lunation for you, kicking off a thirty-day period of focused attention there which continues to evolve through the first half of the current month. A Uranian wildcard is also present in this lunation cycle, relating to your learning and communication; there are many and varied ideas not all of which will see their way to fruition. This connects adjustments in your committed relationships to changes in your local environment or paradigm shifts within your cognitive realms, and signals developments that will continue to evolve as the October month continues to unfold. The very recent Aries Full Moon could have illuminated how your resources, skills, and self-esteem are related to how your relationship dynamic has been developing, arising topics of ownership and sharing which may also relate to the upcoming Libra eclipse which taking place mid-October in your sector of intimacy and personal evolution.

Momentum feels at hand with all inner planets direct this month. However, as Mercury leaves its retrograde shadow in Virgo, it immediately comes into an opposition with Neptune, your ruler, in your sign. The first three days of October may have you feeling a shift, perhaps appreciating the thought process of partners, or possibly bringing up mental uncertainty around relationships or individual versus shared goals. Mercury in your opposite sign of Virgo offers the pragmatism of taking one tangible step toward integrating feelings related to your psychological depths to work with partners. A trine from Mercury to Pluto in Capricorn from the 3rd to the 4th suggests you may be experiencing conflict within social dynamics or have powerful allies that can help you manifest an ambition.

Relational topics might be further activated by Mars' conjunction with the South Lunar Node in Libra as it applies to a square with Pluto in early October. These transits can amplify patterns from the past or stimulate less conscious aspects of yourself that require attention, connecting transformation in your social sphere and long-term dreams to personal metamorphosis and topics of intimacy, shared resources, and debt. The dynamic between these two spheres of your chart points to the importance of authenticity and reciprocity in your relationships.

Mercury enters Libra and your intimacy sector for a brief stay on the 4th as the intensity in this sign builds to the Solar Eclipse on the 14th. Mercury's presence in Libra could also support salary and financial contract negotiations over the next couple of weeks.

The influence of the square between Mars in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn, active from the 5th to the 9th, could infuse an element of volatility into your social world. Pluto is a major player this early part of the month as it slows and turns direct on the 10th. In the final degrees of your sphere of kindred spirits, collaborators, and higher aspirations, the planet of metamorphosis may offer catharsis through engaging with aspects of yourself you may have suppressed in order to navigate social hierarchies or fit in with certain groups. You may be able to direct the potency on offer into passions with intimate partners and going deep, being brave enough to show your more vulnerable parts will bring depth and closeness to your connections with others.

Venus leaves its retrograde shadow on the 7th. As it moves into new territory for the first time since late July, an immediate opposition to Saturn in Pisces before entering Virgo on the 8th arrives with a feeling of consequence. While romance may be in the air as the planet of love moves through your sphere of partnership, this may also be a time of balancing your own individual needs and desires with that of important partners. The Sun's subsequent opposition to Chiron in Aries points to a path of healing that is rooted in rebalancing around your needs for both self-sufficiency and cooperation. This may require confronting either side of that dichotomy, possibly raising fears about identity-loss within a deeply merged relationship, breaches of trust, or abandonment.

Mars enters its home sign of Scorpio on the 11th, revved up and ready for adventure, spiritual, cerebral, or international. Learning pursuits will likely be energized over the next month and a half, so it will be wise to follow your gut instincts and passions. A trine between Mars and Saturn in your sign indicates you have the work ethic and drive to commit to whatever is lighting you up right now, which likely relates to personal ambition and growth.

The Libra Solar Eclipse on the 14th opens a six-month cycle of change, growth, and rebalancing in your sphere of shared assets and intimacy that will also play out in your Aries sector of personal assets. This new series of eclipses will see you exploring the complex terrain of energetic and material enmeshment with others, including those of a contractual or karmic nature, alongside your needs for autonomy. With Venus stewarding the eclipse from Virgo, your committed partnerships are a significant part of the story, which centers on what you love, value, and share with others. Issues of inner wounding relating to resources and values, as well as healing of these issues, might again come up in the context of this extra-potent New Moon.

This major mid-month reset in the Libra area of your chart, corresponding to intimacy solutions with others and as well within yourself, is followed by the moment of clarity indicated by Mercury moving through the heart of the Sun on the 19th. A square from the Sun and Mercury to Pluto is also active from the 18th to the 21st. This dynamic may speak to the importance of honest self-expression within your relationships. Perhaps you might consider: what if it was okay just to be yourself, however that manifests, external to what you think people want or need you to be. With retrograde Saturn having returned to the threshold of your embodiment sector, open expression will affirm your sense of self and inform others of your needs and boundaries. This period may also align with inspiration, insight, or news related to investments and shared finances, including debt, inheritance, and business collaborations.

Further focus is pulled to your Scorpio sphere of higher mind on the 21st as Mercury enters Scorpio, closely followed by the Sun on the 23rd. A trine from both planets to Saturn indicates exploration of intellectual, spiritual, and physical horizons will revitalize and support your health and happiness.

The final eclipse of the year takes place on the 28th with a Taurus Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse taking place in the sector of your chart that relates to your communication and mental process. As the cycle of eclipses across the Taurus-Scorpio axis concludes, it could be useful to reflect on the evolution of topics related to your mind and local environment, as well as those connected to your explorations in the classroom of life. The conjunction of Mercury with Mars in Scorpio, as both planets form an opposition to Jupiter in Taurus, heightens the intensity. This may align with further emphasis on thoughts and ideas, perhaps as well the potential is there for ideological conflict or a crisis of faith regarding spiritual / philosophical paths. With Mars and Mercury in Scorpio having you charged up and mulling over particular situations, this transit also offers a sharp mind and the courage to put your ideas into action.

Taurus is related to sensual enjoyment and security in the material world as it relates to your need to experience beauty in your environment, the quality of your internal dialogue and communication with others, and your peace of mind. This Full Moon lunation may thus relate to a sense of artistry or the abundant potential of a skill you are learning. Perhaps the importance of an intellectual connection and exchange within partnerships has been highlighted for you recently, or you may be thinking about whether you truly listen or feel heard in your intimate exchanges.

As this eclipse cycle draws to a close, a new process focusing on independence and interdependence opens. It may be time to open a dialogue with your partner to explore how you are aligned as your life philosophies and values continue to evolve. Venus ruling this eclipse and located in your house of partnership acts as a reminder you’re your individuation process does not happen in a vacuum. Instead, you evolve through your connections with others and with your world.