The Aesthete

Against All Odds

Overcome obstacles as the sun and Saturn merge in Scorpio and Venus enters Libra

by Shelley L. Ackerman

What is it about the 8th zodiac sign that strikes fear in the hearts of men (and women, for that matter)? For one thing, it’s the sign that rules death and rebirth, sex and the deepest transformative experiences imaginable, the ones in which we lose total control. The corresponding 8th house is where all hell breaks loose. It’s where we meet our dreaded “shadow,” the buried part of ourselves that we’d rather not encounter and would prefer rejecting all together, if only we could. But Scorpio is also part of the money and wealth axis, and it rules buried treasure, riches, shared resources, investments, banking and inheritances.

The Sun enters Scorpio on Monday October 22nd at 8:14 p.m.; makes a favorable 120-degree aspect (a “trine”) to Neptune, mystical planet of dreams and illusions, on Tuesday the 23rd at 7:15 a.m.; and conjoins stern and solid Saturn, planet of karma and crystallization, on Thursday the 25th at 4:32 a.m.

In Scorpio, the Sun/Saturn combo is willful, strong, uncompromising and determined to manifest goals and succeed at all costs. Ruthless too? Well, yes. Some notables with the Sun and Saturn in Scorpio include Maria Shriver, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Bill Gates, Joan Sutherland, Dominick Dunne, Whoopi Goldberg, Ang Lee, Adam Ant, Condoleezza Rice, Ruby Dee and Katy Perry, each and every one a formidable force-to-be-reckoned-with powerhouse in his or her own right and an example of the stick-to-itiveness inherent in the Sun-Saturn conjunction.

Wherever this conjunction occurs in our chart is where a wall or a block can be penetrated (Scorpio is water) and eliminated. And although it may take some time to get the entire job done, the process can and should begin now. Also of note this week: Mercury, planet of communication, is now in its pre-retrograde “shadow” degrees, and although the retrograde doesn’t actually begin until at 6:04 p.m. EST on Election Day (can shades of Y2K Election Day voting irregularities be far behind?), the slowing down process (glitches and all) is officially in motion.

Ending on a sweeter note is the news that on Sunday October 28th at 9:04 a.m. Venus, the very social planet of love, aesthetics and grace, enters her home sign of Libra. She’ll transit the sign of the scales in 25 days through November 21st during which time our dance cards will be filled, amended and rebooked many times over.

HOROSCOPES FOR OCTOBER 22ND TO OCTOBER 28TH

ARIES: The Sun/Saturn meet-up on the 25th gets you where you live and breathe alright — right in the sex chakra and big money/shared resources house. Cracking the code of a long-standing karmic issue regarding either one of the aforementioned subjects is a big deal. Imagine making headway with both? It’s doable you know. Sweetening the pot is Venus’ entrance into your 7th house of committed relationships and contracts, assuring that your social life is on the upswing through November 21st with the likelihood of a number of repeat offenders looking to reconnect. If nothing else, be open to a conversation.

ARIES Go To: Unblocking energy and breaking down barriers is where it’s at. One of the many ways to skin that cat is through shamanic work. Attend the free intro to shamanism on October 25th at 8 p.m. at The Open Center by NYC Shaman Itzhak Beery, a very seasoned pro.

TAURUS: Relationships turn a corner and certain things must be addressed: get more solid and/or serious or risk what happens to precious commodities when they’re not tended to. There’s no need to freeze or become fearful, but Saturn doesn’t mess around. The ball is not entirely in your court mind you, and half of the responsibility lies with the “other” in question. On Sunday, your ruler Venus enters your 6th house of health, routine and co-workers. Making the workplace a little more camera-ready will do wonders for your spirit and uplift everyone sharing the environment. A sweet staffer may appear to make life easier all around. How nice.

TAURUS Go To: Sensual, sublime and delicious, on October 25th at 8 and 10 p.m. jazz pianist and composer David Benoit is at the Iridium at 51st and Broadway. Treat yourself and a buddy.

GEMINI: The October 25th Sun/Saturn combo in your 6th house reminds in no uncertain terms that health is wealth. Pay attention to that baby and don’t disregard any signal from within to check in with a physician if that’s what you sense is needed. Other likely manifestations of this activity may include a more serious and structured approach to responsibilities at work and scheduling in general and/or saying sayonara to a co-worker or staffer whose time has come to move on. On a happier note, Venus in your 5th fun-loving house of creative pursuits, amusement and romance on the 28th uplifts and moves you into host/entertainer mode.

GEMINI Go To: Experiencing presidential debate burnout? The last one on Monday October 22nd at 9 p.m. may be that much more enjoyable if watched on Crosby St. at The Housing Works Bookstore Café along with an ingenious game of Debate Bingo. 

CANCER: Celestial phenomena involving Saturn can manifest in either direction in the annoying “Ya gotta eat your spinach” tough stuff or the “You’ve done your homework, now here’s your reward” kind of event. Of course, we prefer the latter. In your 5th house of romance, creativity and offspring, the Sun-Saturn meet-up could describe a serious love affair with an older person or the end of one with someone who refuses to grow up; a child of yours finally taking responsibility for his or her lot in life; and/or a creative project becoming solid (or requiring more $$ to do so). However, now is not the time to throw good $$ after bad. Venus in your 4th house as of the 28th signals a few weeks of feathering your abode. Surround yourself with beauty.

CANCER Go To: How far back, to whom and where do your bloodlines go? Are you related to someone famous? Trace your lineage this Friday October 26th and Saturday October 27th at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th St. at The Genealogy Event.

LEO: The Sun in Scorpio and its meet-up with Saturn takes on great significance for you. The Sun is your ruler and, in unison with Saturn, it has lots to say about authority, leadership and the rules of the game. The focus is on family responsibility, ancestral honor (or the lack thereof) and tending to matters at home base and upkeep where you live. Are the terms of your living situation still serving you? Is the environment right? Are there fixes that can no longer wait? Have your needs changed? Serious questions, yes, but ones that must be addressed. Help and support may come by way of a female neighbor or sister when Venus enters Libra on the 28th. Sprucing up the exteriors (with her?) will get energy moving in the right direction. 

LEO Go To: Take your heart chakra on this special theatrical journey: Playing through December 9th, “The Whale” at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater on West 42nd St. is a “big hearted” tale of a 600-pound reclusive Mormon Idaho man’s last chance at redemption.

VIRGO: Monitor overthinking (those acrobatics between the ears) and commuting glitches. They're likely as the emphasis this week is in your 3rd house of transportation, communication and self expression. The tendency to work an idea to death and to question your accuracy could derail your effectiveness. Sign off on an issue with a neighbor or sibling and let the chips fall where they may. Joyfully, Venus in your 2nd house of income should sweeten the pot for the next few weeks. Vibe into and align with who and what you love most and expand on those themes.

VIRGO Go To: For a Virgo, there’s no such thing as “critical to a fault” for yours is the gift of discernment. Refine your favorite pastime on Thursday October 25th at 6:30 p.m. at NYU’s Vera List Center with The Critic as Outsider, a lecture and Q&A with Michelle Kuo, Editor-in-Chief of Artforum International.

LIBRA: Getting your financial health and well being in order doesn’t have to be a downer. As a matter of fact, when that part of your life finally gets organized once and for all, everything else will start to hum, including your career options AND romantic prospects! Venus entering your sign on the 28th will add to your allure and popularity and generally help move things along just the way you like ‘em. Your biggest challenge? Organizing your time and sticking to a schedule while politely turning down the distractions that derail you.

LIBRA Go To: Having issues remaining poised while trying to balance all that you do? You’re not alone. Narrated by four-time Oscar nominee (and Gemini) Annette Bening, "Yogawoman" is playing at the Angelika Film Center through October 25th.

SCORPIO: As the Sun and Saturn meet in your sign, you may, to the uninformed and insensitive observer, appear to be tight and restrained. But what outsiders don’t know is that with every cell of your being you are working overtime to overcome years of obstacles and breakthrough to your core strength and use it in awe-inspiring ways to affect change in your world. It’s an admirable goal, and your true friends will support you. Cut the others loose for now (you’re so good at that).

SCORPIO Go To: If Saturn’s heaviness has you feeling distraught and a little alone, this production of “Harper Regan” at the Atlantic Theater on West 20th St. through October 28th ought to lend perspective. Given a rave review by the NYT’s Ben Brantley, the play presents an absorbing story about a woman who explores the limits of loyalty, morality and the bonds of family.

SAGITTARIUS: While travel, politics and exploration of unchartered territories are usually at the top of your list, the Sun/Saturn meet-up in your 12th house of hidden content and buried treasure encourages that attention be paid to those elusive inner planes of experience. But don’t fret; you’re not going at it alone — not by a long shot. Venus enters your friend-centric 11th house on the 28th and though there’ll be a need to work stuff out among your peers, all in all, the entertaining diversions with cohorts for the next 25 days will more than make up for any rough patches.

SAGITTARIUS Go To: Access, explore and heal your glorious inner landscape with the aid of VortexHealing. This intro to energetic anatomy at The Open Center on October 24th at 8 p.m. is being taught by Lorraine Goldbloom. For more intellectual fodder on the 24th, check out the 12th annual Docu-Jam featuring documentaries produced by teens at the Paley Center on West 52nd St.

CAPRICORN: The tug between focusing more on financial resilience versus personal transformation is alive and well with this week’s Sun/Saturn meet-up in your 11th house of friends and societies promising a breakthrough of sorts (along those lines) in a communal setting. As you ready yourself for Venus’ graceful entrance to the top of your chart, which sweetens how the world sees you and attracts more opportunities to expand career-wise, the question is: how much meaning do you give to sharing the same values (political, economic, aesthetic) with those you hang with, and is there room for diversity?

CAPRICORN Go To: Okay, with economic growth being where it’s at the October 23rd 6:30 p.m. lecture, Halftime in America: Is a Competitive Renaissance Beginning? at the NY Historical Society on Central Park West — complete with a panel of CEO’s, business advisors and academics — should get you all warm and fuzzy.

AQUARIUS: Ready for the major leagues? Thought so. The Sun/Saturn meet-up at the top of your chart is a make-or-break energy that will (if you’ve been doing your homework) thrust you to the next levels of achievement and recognition. And even though elbow grease is still required, the fun part is that your nearest and dearest like-minded cohorts are included in on the action. Even sweeter is Venus’ entrance into your 9th house of journeys, foreign affairs and publishing. A well-dressed and/or luscious academic type may come to your aid and add to the festivities.

AQUARIUS Go To: Carrying the weight of the world is a drag. For some lightening up through October 30th, why not go to the Bronx Botanical Garden and stroll though The Haunted Pumpkin Gardens? There’s even a pumpkin-carving demo session on weekends.

PISCES: “Dance when you’re broken – what you seek is seeking you,” said Rumi, glorious 13th-century Muslim-Persian poet and Sufi mystic. Though it may sting for a moment, the Sun/Saturn combo in your 9th house of philosophy, beliefs and travel bursts a pet bubble of yours, leaving you with the task of re-examining what it is that makes you tick. Perhaps a cleric has let you down or an academic whom you admired is exposed as being less than perfect. Either way, this wake-up call doesn’t have to throw you. In fact, after a mini soul-searching sequence, you’ll emerge stronger and more solid-footed than before.

PISCES Go To: “Vertical Road,” Akram Khan Dance Company ‘s NY premier of a dance meditation inspired by Rumi at the Rose Theater on October 23rd and 24th is part of The White Light Festival’s month-long presentation.