All dates and times in this forecast are based on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT / UTC-4).

October: the review month. Venus turns inward, Mercury joins her, Pluto wakes up, and one bright Hunter's Moon cuts through it all.

September ended with Mars marching into Leo and clarity clicking in. October answers with the year's biggest slowdown: Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 3, opening a six-week review of love, money, and worth that runs until November 13. Mid-month, Pluto turns direct on October 15 and the tide of the outer planets shifts. Then the sky stacks its second hinge: between October 23 and 25 the Sun enters Scorpio, meets Venus at the heart of her retrograde, and Mercury stations retrograde too, so both inner planets are in review as the Hunter's Moon in Taurus peaks on October 26, square Pluto. This is not a month for forcing outcomes. It is a month for auditing them.

Use Planetaro to track planetary hours and time the month with intention. And first, some news of our own.

News on Planetaro

Two new episodes of Planetaro Talk are out. The show streams from our own feed, so every episode arrives everywhere at once: YouTube for video, Apple Podcasts and Spotify for audio on the go.

Episode 4: Moonruledmami, with traditional astrologer Grace Ilana, on astrology as guidance rather than prediction, representation in the astro community, and how planetary hours shape her days. A perfect companion for a retrograde-heavy month.

Episode 3: CD + The Players, the astrologer behind TikTok's beloved zodiac characters, on turning the zodiac into comedy, astrology across race and culture, and choosing the right planetary hour for the right activity.

Listen and subscribe on your favorite platform →

And Planetaro now works with Siri. With version 2026.5, Planetaro became the first planetary hours app that answers through Siri: ask for the current planetary hour, the next Mars hour, or the Moon phase, and get a spoken answer with a card, in all ten app languages. See what you can ask →

Astrological Spotlight: October 2026

October 3: Venus Stations Retrograde

At 3:16 AM EDT, Venus stops at 8°29' Scorpio and turns backward. This is the event September was bracing for, and it sets the tone for the next six weeks: relationships, finances, and questions of self-worth all go under review until Venus stations direct on November 13 at 22°52' Libra. Old flames resurface, contracts wobble, and what you value gets stress-tested, first in Scorpio's depths, then (from October 25) back in Libra's court of fairness.

The same morning arrives loaded: Mars opposes Pluto (6:39 AM EDT) across Leo and Aquarius, a raw power axis where wills collide, and the Last Quarter Moon in Cancer (10°21', 9:25 AM EDT) asks you to clear emotional residue before the new cycle. The evening before, Mars trine Neptune (October 2, 6:17 PM EDT) softens the edge with inspired, compassionate drive.

Planetaro tip: Do not sign, launch, or propose on October 3. Use Venus hours that weekend for honest inventory instead: what do I actually value, and what am I only performing? Saturn hours help you hold boundaries when the Mars opposite Pluto pressure spikes.

October 4: Sun Opposite Saturn, and Saturn at Its Brightest

At 8:29 AM EDT the Libra Sun faces retrograde Saturn in Aries. Reality checks land: on partnerships, on plans, on your own limits. Astronomically this is Saturn at opposition, its closest and brightest night of the year, and the symbolism matches the sky: the taskmaster is fully visible, and so is the work.

Planetaro tip: Saturn hours on October 4 and 5 are for the mature conversation you have been postponing. Keep it structural, not personal.

October 6: Mercury Meets Venus in Scorpio

At 8:10 PM EDT, Mercury conjoins retrograde Venus at 8°13' Scorpio, right on the degree where Venus stationed. Words find the wound, in the best case gently: this is the night to name what the retrograde is really about. Conversations about desire, money, and loyalty go deep fast.

Planetaro tip: A Mercury hour on the evening of October 6 is ideal for the honest talk or the journal entry that names things plainly. Listen more than you argue; Venus is retracing, not deciding.

October 10: New Moon in Libra

At 11:50 AM EDT, the New Moon lands at 17°22' Libra: the year's reset for relationships, agreements, and balance, arriving one week into Venus retrograde. That timing matters. With Libra's ruler in review, this New Moon favors intentions about how you relate, not new commitments to specific people or deals. The same evening Venus squares Mars (5:31 PM EDT), so desire and friction share the stage.

Planetaro tip: Set relationship intentions in a Moon or Venus hour on October 10 and 11, but keep them about patterns ("I communicate needs directly") rather than outcomes ("this exact person, this exact deal").

October 15: Pluto Stations Direct

At 10:40 PM EDT, Pluto stops at 3°04' Aquarius and turns forward after five and a half months retrograde. Deep transformations that stalled since spring start moving again, especially the collective, technological, and structural kind. The day opens with Sun sextile Jupiter (4:22 AM EDT), and Mars trines Saturn the next morning (October 16, 4:32 AM EDT): a rare patch of traction in a review-heavy month, where effort meets both luck and discipline.

Planetaro tip: October 15 and 16 are the month's best window for decisive work that does not touch Venus retrograde territory. Use Mars hours for execution and Jupiter hours to pitch, publish, or expand.

October 23 to 25: The Turn of the Month

Three days, four turns, and the month changes character.

The Sun enters Scorpio (October 23, 5:38 AM EDT). Scorpio season opens with its themes already center stage: depth, honesty, shared resources, and what lies beneath.

Sun conjunct Venus: the inferior conjunction (October 23, 11:44 PM EDT). At 0°45' Scorpio, the Sun embraces retrograde Venus at the exact midpoint of her retrograde. Astrologers treat this as the new moon of the Venus cycle: the old chapter in love and values ends, a new one is seeded in the dark. What you realize about your heart tonight is the retrograde's core message.

Mercury stations retrograde (October 24, 3:13 AM EDT). At 20°59' Scorpio, Mercury begins its final retrograde of 2026, running until November 13, the very same day Venus turns direct. Both inner planets are now in review: back up your files, reread before sending, and let old conversations return before starting new ones.

Venus retrograde re-enters Libra (October 25, 5:10 AM EDT). The review moves from Scorpio's "do I trust this?" to Libra's "is this fair?". Questions of balance, reciprocity, and partnership terms dominate through mid-November.

Planetaro tip: Treat October 23 to 25 as a listening window. Venus hours for reflection on the new Venus cycle, Mercury hours for editing and re-reading rather than launching. If something from the past knocks, hear it out before answering.

October 26: The Hunter's Moon in Taurus, Square Pluto

At 12:12 AM EDT, the Full Moon peaks at 2°46' Taurus: the Hunter's Moon, the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. It is a bright, grounded moon with a hard edge this year: the Sun squares Pluto the same morning (8:12 AM EDT), pulling the Moon into a tense fixed triangle between Taurus stability, Scorpio intensity, and Aquarius upheaval. Something about money, security, or ownership reaches fullness and demands simplification. With both Venus and Mercury retrograde, the right move is usually release, not acquisition.

Planetaro tip: Moon hours on October 26 favor letting go: sell, declutter, close the account, end the subscription. Avoid power struggles on the 26th; Pluto square energy escalates fast. And watch your words on October 30, when retrograde Mercury squares Mars (1:20 PM EDT).

Night Sky Highlights

  • Saturn at Opposition (October 4): Saturn rises at sunset and shines all night at its biggest and brightest of 2026. Even a small telescope shows the rings; this is the night to look.
  • Orionid Meteor Shower (peak morning of October 23): Debris from Halley's Comet delivers 10 to 20 meteors per hour under dark skies. The waxing gibbous moon sets a few hours before dawn, leaving a dark pre-dawn window on October 23 for the best viewing.
  • Hunter's Moon (October 26): The first full moon after the Harvest Moon rises near sunset in deep amber. Not a supermoon this year, but low and photogenic on the evenings of October 25 and 26.
  • Venus Leaves the Evening Sky: Around her October 23 inferior conjunction, Venus disappears into the Sun's glare. Watch for her return as a brilliant morning star in November.

Featured Articles

A full monthly walkthrough of October's transits, sign by sign.

Peak timing, moon conditions, and viewing tips for the Orionids.

Why October's full moon rises so soon after sunset, night after night.

Full Calendar: October 2026

  • October 2: Mercury square Mars (5:14 AM EDT) and Mercury square Pluto (4:43 PM EDT). Sharp words, power plays; think before firing back.
  • October 2: Mars trine Neptune (6:17 PM EDT). Inspired, compassionate action.
  • October 3: Venus stations retrograde (8°29' Scorpio, 3:16 AM EDT). The six-week review of love, money, and worth begins, until November 13.
  • October 3: Mars opposite Pluto (6:39 AM EDT). Wills collide; do not force it.
  • October 3: Last Quarter Moon (10°21' Cancer, 9:25 AM EDT). Clear emotional residue.
  • October 4: Sun opposite Saturn (8:29 AM EDT). Reality check; Saturn at opposition lights the night sky.
  • October 6: Mercury conjunct Venus (8°13' Scorpio, 8:10 PM EDT). Name what the retrograde is about.
  • October 7: Mars sextile Uranus (6:42 AM EDT). Bold moves find clever openings.
  • October 10: New Moon in Libra (17°22', 11:50 AM EDT). Reset relationship patterns, not commitments.
  • October 10: Venus square Mars (5:31 PM EDT). Desire meets friction.
  • October 15: Sun sextile Jupiter (4:22 AM EDT). Confidence opens doors.
  • October 15: Pluto stations direct (3°04' Aquarius, 10:40 PM EDT). Stalled transformations resume.
  • October 16: Mars trine Saturn (4:32 AM EDT). Effort meets discipline; build.
  • October 18: First Quarter Moon (25°18' Capricorn, 12:13 PM EDT). Push the practical plan forward.
  • October 20: Venus square Pluto (2:56 AM EDT). Intensity tests trust in love and money.
  • October 23: Sun enters Scorpio (5:38 AM EDT). Scorpio season begins.
  • October 23: Sun conjunct Venus, inferior conjunction (0°45' Scorpio, 11:44 PM EDT). A new Venus cycle is seeded.
  • October 24: Mercury stations retrograde (20°59' Scorpio, 3:13 AM EDT). The year's final Mercury retrograde, until November 13.
  • October 25: Venus retrograde re-enters Libra (5:10 AM EDT). The review turns to fairness and balance.
  • October 26: Full Moon in Taurus, the Hunter's Moon (2°46', 12:12 AM EDT). Fullness asks for simplification.
  • October 26: Sun square Pluto (8:12 AM EDT). Avoid power struggles; release instead.
  • October 30: Mercury retrograde square Mars (1:20 PM EDT). Watch your words; reread before sending.