It feels to be a week filled with the desire for lots of movement: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Be open to the flow of that, seeing how it informs and inspires you. Yet, also be aware of the expectations you have related to your desires, what you want them to yield and where you want them to take you.

To further illustrate, here’s a simple/practical example: that of baking a cake.

Let’s say as the week begins I find myself with a strong, maybe even obsessive, desire to bake a cake. And yet, the unfolding week’s events—both expected and unexpected— preclude my ability to do so. As it turns out, I realize that I don’t truly have the time, resources, and/or energy for my baking endeavor.

If I held too tightly to the outcome of my desire (that in short order, I would have had a cake that I baked myself), I may find myself frustrated and/or angry. I may even experience being steeped in a thrall of deeply stirring emotions, even those not possibly commensurate with baking; for example, my not being able to fulfill the aim of my longing may unearth deeply buried feelings—such as shame, guilt, remorse, or regret—that I felt in the past as an outcome of similar experiences. And so, while I was inspired by the desire to create something sweet what unfolded because of my outcome attachment was anything but sweet.

Better would be to allow my desires to rise to the surface while also being careful to not be too hooked to a specific time frame or the way they should manifest. Perhaps instead, I read recipes and gather ingredients for doing it another time and/or I treat myself to a slice of gateau at my favorite French pastry shop. This would allow me to still have a relationship with what I want without pushing myself would be without reward. So, even if I end up not getting to bake my own cake, my desire for sweetness and delight may be fulfilled another way.

If we orient from this approach, we may be able to more clearly give voice to our passions, motivations, libido and/or erotic impulses with less risk that in doing so we would be tapping into the stress and disquietude that can arise should our urges and willpower expression feel obstructed.

I share this as it feels like one strong potentiality of the melange of this week’s astrology. We’ve got a tense square between communicative Mercury and from-the-depths Pluto, after which Mercury then moves into deep probing and desirous Scorpio. It’s also the week of the Scorpio New Moon Solar Eclipse, which may have us feeling volcanically vulnerable while also sensing we are at the edge of deep transformation. (I’ve written an article on the Eclipse—that includes journaling prompts, self-care strategies, Moon Mapping insight, and more—that you can find here.) Additionally, with Jupiter re/entering Pisces (until December 19), we may find ourselves with a greater sensitivity to our dreams, which gives us both the inspiration to make them real and an enhanced disillusionment if that is not readily possible.

Also, on Sunday, warrior Mars begins its retrograde cycle. It does its apparent backwards slide until January 12.

When Mars is retrograde, we have the opportunity to discover new strategies that will help us meet our aims. As it will be doing so in the mutable air sign of Gemini, part of our learning may arise through connecting—and/or reconnecting—to information resources, communication methods, and messaging platforms that better allow us to expand our understanding and share what we know, helping ourselves and others to champion their lives from a more educated and aware vantage point.

Mars Retrograde is period in which we are rewarded with awareness by going slow and taking pauses when necessary. In doing so, we can recognize a more optimal and sustainable pace. These ten-plus weeks offer us great insights into the arsenal of tools we have at our disposal and which ones may better help us get the job done.

That said, Mars Retrograde can yield frustrations that emerge through experiencing setbacks and postponements. After all, Mars reflects an energy that likes to move forward while retrograde periods are ones in which we’re encouraged to go back and retrace already visited territory.

Watch for anger that can be stoked if gratification is delayed, you can’t propel yourself with the momentum to which you’re accustomed, or—reflecting what I shared earlier in this article—you don’t get or achieve what you want when you want it. See how waiting—and the postponement of getting what you want—may actually lead to more success and progress at a later date.

Try to tamp down the affinity for impatience that may prevail as it can lead to mishaps if you’re not careful, notably with—but not exclusive to—objects associated with Mars such as fire, sharp items, and fast-moving objects. Be aware of the potential for irritation or inflammation, whether experienced in your mind or in your body.

During Mars Retrograde, the past can take a new level of precedence when it comes to discovering our aims and desires as well as the resources that can help us attain them. Look back: survey your past to understanding how your path to a passionate life has unfolded and who or what you knew back then may help you to further your ability to get to the destination of your dreams.

All in all, this week: be with your feelings and let them move you, yet at a rhythm that feels activated and alive while also sweet and sustainable. After all, it may help you to have your cake and eat it too.

Astrological Highlights

October 25: Scorpio New Moon (Solar Eclipse)
October 26: Mercury/Mars Trine
October 27; Mercury/Pluto Square; Jupiter re/enters Pisces
October 29: Mercury enters Scorpio
October 30: Mars Retrograde begins

All days reflect Eastern Daylight Time (- 4 hours GMT)

Stellar Insights: October 24 - 30, 2022