The Wholistic Soul Podcast

Listen to the podcast above for a deep dive into this week’s astrology and card pull, then scroll down for the daily breakdown to save as you go through the week. xoMonday, October 26Moon conjunct Persephone in Taurus | Sun in Scorpio square Pluto in AquariusThe Moon meets Persephone in Taurus while the Sun squares Pluto, and we’re being asked to look at what we’ve buried, what we’ve outgrown, and what we’re still holding onto because it feels safe.We don’t always get to choose when life pulls the rug out from under us. But we do get to decide what we’re willing to take with us when we rise again.What we’re reclaiming isn’t new (with all this retrograde energy). It’s a part of ourselves we forgot we were allowed to have.Work with it:* Notice where you’re clinging to what’s familiar* Get out of your head and back into your body* Don’t get sucked into someone else’s drama* Reclaim something you’ve given up to keep the peace* Ask: What part of myself am I ready to bring back from the underworld?Tuesday, October 27Moon Void of Course in Taurus | Squares Hekate, Jupiter & the Lunar Nodes | Enters Gemini TonightEver have one of those days where you feel like you’re standing at a crossroads, but every road looks equally confusing?Welcome to Tuesday.The Moon spends most of the day void of course while squaring Hekate, Jupiter, and the lunar nodes. There’s a lot of energy around choices, direction, and wondering whether we’re actually headed where we want to go.Hekate is the goddess of the crossroads, and sometimes her greatest wisdom is reminding us that standing still is also a choice. You can take a moment to look around before deciding which road to walk down. And then remember, you are always guided and protected.Work with it:* Stop trying to force an answer* Notice where you’re creating unnecessary urgency* Reflect on choices you’ve been avoiding* Let yourself sit in the unknown for a bit* Ask: Am I choosing this path because I want it, or because I’m afraid of what happens if I don’t?Wednesday, October 28Moon conjunct Uranus, trine Pluto & Asteria | Venus Retrograde opposite Chiron RetrogradeOh, this one could bring some interesting revelations.The Gemini Moon connects with Uranus, Pluto, and Asteria, the goddess of the stars and prophecy. Think unexpected realizations, intuitive downloads, and those moments when something suddenly clicks and you wonder how the hell you didn’t see it before.But Venus retrograde opposing Chiron is where things get deeply personal.Old relationship wounds may resurface, especially around rejection, people-pleasing, and the ways we’ve changed ourselves to feel loved. And maybe the revelation isn’t that someone else failed to see our worth.Maybe it’s recognizing how often we’ve questioned our own worth because someone else couldn’t see it. DAMNNNNWork with it:* Pay attention to sudden realizations* Notice where old rejection wounds get triggered* Stop editing yourself to be more acceptable* Trust the wisdom you’ve gained from past relationships* Ask: Where have I confused being accepted with being truly seen?Thursday, October 29Moon trine Hekate & North Node, sextile Jupiter | Void in the Evening → Cancer Late NightRemember that crossroads we were standing at on Tuesday? Well, today we might actually see a few signs pointing us in the right direction.The Gemini Moon connects with Hekate, the North Node, and Jupiter, bringing opportunities for conversation, fresh perspectives, and those little moments of synchronicity that make you stop and think, "Okay, Universe." I see what you’re doing.But don’t get so caught up looking for signs that you forget you have free will.Sometimes the universe opens a door. That doesn’t mean you’re required to walk through it.Work with it:* Have conversations that challenge your perspective* Stay curious about unexpected opportunities* Notice synchronicities without obsessing over them* Give yourself permission to change your mind* Ask: What possibility am I overlooking because I’m too attached to how I thought things would unfold?Friday, October 30Moon trine Mercury Retrograde, sextile Medusa | Mercury Retrograde square MarsOh, the things we say when we’re triggered.Mercury retrograde in Scorpio squares Mars in Leo today, so this is some serious think-before-you-hit-send energy.Old arguments, bruised egos, and conversations we thought we’d moved past could resurface. With the Cancer Moon connecting to Medusa, we might feel especially sensitive to being misunderstood, dismissed, or made to feel like the villain for having boundaries.But here’s the thing: You don’t have to turn every wound into a weapon to prove that it hurt.You can be angry. You can be hurt. You can speak up. Just make sure you’re communicating what you actually need rather than trying to make someone else feel what you felt. (re-read that one)Work with it:* Put the phone down before sending that text* Notice when your ego is driving the conversation* Speak your truth without attacking* Revisit old misunderstandings with fresh eyes* Ask: Am I communicating to create understanding, or reacting because I want someone else to feel my pain?Saturday, October 31Moon in Cancer square Venus Retrograde in Libra | Moon Void All NightHappy Halloween, witches!And how fitting that Venus retrograde is stirring up some relationship ghosts today.The Cancer Moon squares Venus retrograde in Libra, bringing up how we’ve compromised our emotional needs to keep others happy.You know that thing where you say, It’s fine, when it’s absolutely not f*****g fine?Yeah. That.Sometimes we get so caught up in keeping the peace around us that we forget to protect the peace within. And with the Moon void all night, just let yourself feel what you feel.Work with it:* Notice where you’re saying yes when you mean no* Stop apologizing for having emotional needs* Honor the relationship patterns you’re ready to bury* Create a little Halloween ritual to release what no longer belongs* Ask: What relationship ghost am I finally ready to stop inviting back into my life?Sunday, November 1Moon enters Leo | Third Quarter Moon | Moon trine Saturn in AriesNew month. Same you. But hopefully with a little more wisdom and a lot less b******t you’re willing to tolerate.The Moon enters Leo and trines Saturn in Aries, reminding us that all these revelations mean very little if we don’t actually do something with them.We’ve spent weeks digging through old relationship patterns, confronting uncomfortable truths, and questioning what we really want.Now comes the part where we start making different choices.And no, that doesn’t mean you need to reinvent your entire life overnight. It’s as simple as holding a boundary, following through on a promise to yourself, or finally saying no to something you’ve outgrown.Your growth isn’t measured by what you’ve realized. It’s reflected in what you choose to do differently.Work with it:* Reflect on what October taught you* Release one habit or commitment that’s draining you* Follow through on a promise to yourself* Make a choice that honors the person you’re becoming* Ask: What am I ready to do differently now that I know what I know?love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

Listen to the recording above for a detailed look at the week ahead, plus bonus content to help you navigate this very busy week in the cosmos. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Just search for The Wholistic Soul podcast. Happy listening! And scroll down for the written daily breakdown…This week brings profound revelations about love, worthiness, power, and the patterns we keep repeating. With Venus retrograde reaching a pivotal point in her underworld journey, Mercury stationing retrograde, and a Full Moon illuminating what we truly value, the cosmos is asking us to look beneath the surface. And with my birthday falling right in the middle of it all, I can't help but feel the symbolism of shedding another layer of who I've been to make room for a new cycle. Monday, October 19Moon in Aquarius | Venus Retrograde in Scorpio square Pluto in AquariusTHE SECOND SQUARE OF THE VENUS–PLUTO CYCLESome patterns don’t return because we haven’t learned the lesson. They return to show us whether we’re finally ready to choose differently.Venus retrograde squares Pluto for the second time in this cycle, bringing us back to themes of control, attachment, jealousy, intimacy, and power. What surfaced earlier may now reveal another layer. And with the Moon in Aquarius, we’re being asked to step outside the emotional intensity long enough to recognize the patterns for what they are.Love should transform you, not require you to abandon yourself.Work with it:* Notice recurring relationship patterns* Examine where attachment becomes control* Revisit what surfaced earlier in the retrograde* Choose empowerment over emotional power struggles* Ask: Where am I confusing intensity with intimacy?Tuesday, October 20Moon in Aquarius opposite Jupiter in Leo | Moon conjunct North Node in AquariusYou can be deeply connected to others without losing yourself in the process.Today’s astrology highlights the tension between our desire to be seen, loved, and celebrated and our need to remain authentic to ourselves. Jupiter in Leo may amplify the desire for recognition, while the North Node in Aquarius points toward a future built on individuality, community, and genuine belonging.You don’t have to perform to deserve a place where you belong.Work with it:* Notice where you’re seeking external validation* Celebrate what makes you different* Connect with people who support your authenticity* Choose belonging over approval* Ask: Am I living for the applause or for the life that actually feels like mine?Wednesday, October 21Sun in Libra opposite Chiron Retrograde in Aries | Moon enters PiscesWell, happy f*****g birthday to me! lol The Sun opposes Chiron, illuminating one of Libra’s deepest lessons: the difference between creating harmony and abandoning ourselves to maintain it.Chiron in Aries asks us to confront the wounds around asserting our needs, trusting our instincts, and believing we’re worthy of taking up space. With the Moon entering Pisces, emotions may feel especially tender. But tenderness isn’t weakness. Sometimes healing begins when we stop pretending something doesn’t hurt.You can love people deeply and still choose yourself.Work with it:* Honor the parts of yourself still healing* Reflect on where you’ve sacrificed your needs for harmony* Practice self-compassion without self-abandonment* Give yourself permission to feel everything* Ask: What part of myself am I finally ready to stop abandoning?Thursday, October 22Moon in Pisces trine Mercury in ScorpioToday’s water-sign connection invites us to listen beneath the words, beneath the surface, and beneath the stories we’ve been telling ourselves. Conversations may carry emotional depth, while dreams, memories, and intuitive impressions offer insight into what we’ve been processing.Not every truth arrives through logic. Some truths are felt in the body first.Work with it:* Journal about recurring dreams or intuitive messages* Have a vulnerable, honest conversation* Listen to what your body is communicating* Make space for quiet reflection* Ask: What have I known intuitively that I’ve been trying to rationalize away?Friday, October 23Sun enters Scorpio | Venus Retrograde conjunct the Sun in ScorpioTHE VENUS CAZIMI — SHE IS REBORNWelcome to the moment we begin remembering who we are beneath everything we’ve been carrying.As the Sun enters Scorpio, Venus retrograde meets the Sun in a powerful moment of symbolic rebirth. In Inanna's mythology, the descent into the underworld requires surrendering the identities, attachments, and symbols of power that once defined her.This is the heart of Venus’s retrograde journey. A moment to reconsider what love means, what we value, and who we’re becoming when the old versions of ourselves no longer fit.Sometimes you have to lose the version of yourself that was loved for being agreeable to rediscover the version of yourself who is worthy of being loved authentically.Work with it:* Reflect on what Venus retrograde has revealed* Reevaluate your relationships and values* Release identities rooted in others’ expectations* Set intentions around love, worth, and reciprocity* Ask: Who am I becoming when I stop defining myself through what others need from me?Saturday, October 24Mercury Stations Retrograde in Scorpio.Oh, we’re not done digging yet. Just when you thought Venus retrograde had uncovered enough, Mercury decides to join the underworld excavation.Mercury stationing retrograde in Scorpio invites us to revisit conversations, secrets, assumptions, and emotional truths that deserve a closer look. Something previously misunderstood may become clearer, but this isn’t necessarily the moment to rush toward a conclusion.The truth doesn’t always change. Sometimes our willingness to see it does.Work with it:* Revisit unresolved conversations* Question assumptions before reacting* Pay attention to recurring thoughts and memories* Give yourself time before making major decisions* Ask: What story have I been telling myself that deserves to be questioned?Sunday, October 25Full Moon in Taurus | Venus Retrograde re-enters LibraThe Taurus Full Moon brings our attention back to the body, our values, our security, and the tangible foundations of our lives. After so much emotional excavation in Scorpio, Taurus reminds us that we don’t have to earn peace through suffering.As Venus retrograde returns to Libra, the conversation shifts toward reciprocity, fairness, and the ways we compromise ourselves in relationships. This is an invitation to reconsider what balance actually looks like when our own needs are included in the equation.Sometimes we become so concerned with keeping the peace around us that we forget to protect the peace within us.Work with it:* Reconnect with your body and its needs* Reevaluate what makes you feel safe and supported* Examine the balance of giving and receiving* Release patterns that compromise your self-worth* Ask: What would my relationships look like if my peace mattered just as much as everyone else’s?The Message for the WeekThis week takes us through the depths of Venus’s underworld journey, confronting how we’ve confused love with sacrifice, attachment with intimacy, and keeping the peace with genuine balance.Pluto reveals the patterns. Chiron exposes the wounds. Venus meets the Sun and invites us to remember our worth. Mercury asks us to reconsider the stories we’ve believed. And the Taurus Full Moon brings us back to the one place we can begin again: ourselves.You can be compassionate without abandoning your boundaries. You can desire connection without surrendering your individuality. And you can build a beautiful life without exhausting yourself trying to prove you’re worthy of it.The question isn’t whether you’re worthy of the love and life you desire. It’s whether you’re finally willing to stop settling for less.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

*Make sure to listen to this voice note, some powerful truths came through xo I got rear-ended yesterday. I’m okay, but after the initial shock wore off, I couldn’t stop thinking about the symbolism of it. Something literally hit me from behind. Something I couldn’t see coming forced me to stop, look around, and pay attention. And the message I took from it was pretty clear: The truth is right in front of you. Stop looking at every possible angle, trying to make excuses for what feels off.Maybe that’s my Libra talking because, as I’ve mentioned before, we Libras are really good at looking at every side of a situation. We can find the nuance. We can understand why someone behaved the way they did. We can see their trauma, their potential, their good intentions, their childhood wounds, the circumstances surrounding the situation, what they might have meant, and the seventeen other possible explanations for why something happened the way it did. And sometimes that’s a beautiful gift. Compassion and the ability to hold multiple truths at once are powerful things. Until they become the way we avoid acknowledging what is right in front of us. DAMN THAT HITS HARD! Because Mercury is now in Scorpio. Venus is retrograde in Scorpio. And Scorpio has absolutely no interest in the polished version of the story. Scorpio wants the underbelly. It wants what's underneath. It wants the truth we don’t particularly want to look at because once we see it, we can’t unsee it.And maybe that’s why we work so hard sometimes to avoid fully seeing the truth. It’s not because we’re stupid or naive. It’s because we don’t want to believe that this is actually the reality we’re living in. We want to see the good. We want to see the potential. We want to believe that if we love someone enough, explain ourselves differently, give them another chance, wait a little longer, work a little harder, or look at the situation from yet another perspective, maybe the story will change. Sometimes it does. But sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the truth is simply the truth.And that isn’t limited to our personal relationships either. I think we’re collectively being asked to look at things we’d rather not acknowledge. There are parts of humanity that aren’t particularly pretty right now. There are things happening in our communities, our relationships, our systems, and our world that we cannot spiritually bypass our way out of. There is a stain on our collective conscience staring us right in the face, and no amount of looking at the situation from another angle makes it disappear.And no, that isn’t the pretty, fun astrology. This is the raw stuff. The exposed stuff. The Oh s**t, now that I’ve seen this, what am I going to do about it? stuff. Because Scorpio doesn’t expose something simply so we can stare at it forever. Scorpio exposes what has been hidden so it can be transformed.With Venus retrograde, some of what is being exposed may come through the past. Old relationships, old desires, old wounds, old versions of ourselves, or situations we thought we were finished with may suddenly reappear in our consciousness or even in our lives. But I don’t necessarily think everything returning is coming back because we’re supposed to reclaim it. Sometimes the past returns because we need to experience it from the perspective of the person we are now.Sometimes you look back and realize, Wow. This f*****g sucked. I never want to experience this again. And THAT is clarity. But sometimes something resurfaces, and the realization is completely different: Wow. I’ve missed this. This feels like me. This is exactly what I want more of moving forward. And THAT is clarity too.That’s the distinction I want us to sit with this week. Because revisiting the past doesn’t always mean returning to it. Sometimes we revisit something so we can finally understand why we left it behind. Other times we return to something because we realize there was a part of ourselves there that we want back. Either way, the past becomes information. It shows us what we have learned, how we’ve changed, and what we want to choose differently moving forward.And the timing of all of this feels significant because we’re moving toward the darkness of the Moon and a New Moon in Libra on Saturday. The dark Moon naturally asks us to turn inward. Venus retrograde asks us to look backward. Mercury in Scorpio asks us to look underneath. Inward. Backward. Underneath. That combination leaves little room for pretending.All of it is asking us to get really f*****g honest before we begin again. Because the New Moon isn’t asking you to create a new life based on the fantasy of what you wish were true. It’s asking you to create from what you now know to be true.So pay attention this week. Notice what is being exposed and what keeps showing itself to you, even when you try to explain it away. Notice what from the past makes your entire body say, Absolutely f*****g not. Never again. And notice what makes something inside you soften and say, Yes. I’ve missed this. More of this, please.Both are information. Both are truth. And both can help you decide what deserves to come with you into whatever you’re creating next.That’s the real gift of seeing the truth. It doesn’t always feel good when it’s revealed, but once you stop arguing with what you know, you finally have the freedom to make a different choice.So let’s get into the week ahead...Monday, October 5Moon in Leo conjunct Mars in LeoWe start the week with FIRE.The Moon meets Mars in Leo, and emotions may be louder, hotter, and significantly harder to ignore.Leo rules the heart, and Mars wants action. So if you’ve been swallowing something, minimizing what you want, pretending something doesn’t bother you, or trying to make yourself smaller to keep the peace, you may have a harder time doing that today.Good. Anger isn’t always the problem.Sometimes anger is the part of you that finally has enough energy to say, This isn’t okay with me anymore.Remember that feeling something strongly doesn’t mean you have to react immediately. Let the emotion give you information before you hand it the microphone.Work with it:* Move anger through your body.* Notice what triggers a strong reaction.* Let yourself acknowledge what you want.* Create before you confront.* Ask: What is my emotional reaction trying to show me?Tuesday, October 6Mercury in Scorpio conjunct Venus Retrograde in ScorpioWell, if the Universe wanted us to revisit the past, it certainly isn’t being subtle about it. Mercury meets Venus retrograde in Scorpio today, bringing conversations, memories, realizations, people, desires, and relationship patterns back into our awareness.Something may click.A conversation you had months ago suddenly makes sense. You understand why a relationship affected you so deeply. You recognize a pattern you couldn’t see while you were inside of it. Someone from your past could reach out, or perhaps you’re simply thinking about them differently.But remember: remembering something doesn’t mean you’re meant to return to it.This is where those two questions become important.Wow, that sucked. Do I ever want to experience that again?Or:Wow, I’ve missed that. Is this something I want to bring forward with me?Don’t rush to answer. Listen.Scorpio is revealing what’s underneath the memory.Work with it:* Revisit an old relationship or pattern with fresh eyes.* Journal about what the past taught you.* Pay attention to resurfacing conversations.* Notice the difference between nostalgia and genuine desire.* Ask: What can I see now that I couldn’t see then?Wednesday, October 7Mars in Leo sextile Uranus in GeminiAfter all that emotional excavation, today brings movement.Mars and Uranus together can create breakthroughs, unexpected ideas, courage, and the willingness to finally do something differently.Sometimes seeing the truth isn’t enough.Eventually, we have to respond to it.If you’ve spent the last few days realizing that something isn’t working, this energy may help you interrupt the pattern.Send the email.Change the plan.Try the thing.Say no.Say yes.Take a different route.You don’t have to completely reinvent your life today. You just need to stop automatically repeating the choice that created the reality you no longer want.Work with it:* Break one old pattern.* Follow an unexpected idea.* Do something differently on purpose.* Let yourself change your mind.* Take one brave action.* Ask: What would happen if I stopped doing this the way I’ve always done it?Thursday, October 8Moon in Virgo void all dayToday isn’t asking you to figure everything out. With the Moon void in Virgo all day, you may be tempted to analyze every revelation from this week until you’ve dissected it into seventeen spreadsheets and somehow convinced yourself that what you know isn’t actually what you know.Don’t.This is exactly where my Libra tendency to examine every possible angle can join forces with Virgo overthinking and create an Olympic-level mental gymnastics routine.Give your mind a break.The dark Moon is approaching.Rest.Clean something.Take care of your body.Finish what needs finishing.You don’t need another analysis of the truth today.You may simply need enough quiet to accept it.Work with it:* Finish instead of beginning.* Clean or organize your physical space.* Take care of your nervous system.* Stop searching for another explanation.* Let something remain unresolved.* Ask: What if I already have enough information?Friday, October 9Moon enters LibraMoon sextile Mars in LeoMoon trine Uranus in GeminiNow we begin preparing to become new.The Moon enters Libra ahead of tomorrow’s New Moon, and there is something beautiful about this energy.After a week of seeing what’s underneath the surface, we’re finally beginning to ask:Okay. Knowing what I know now, what do I choose?Not what would keep everyone happy.Not what looks best from the outside.Not what you should want.What actually feels true?Mars gives us courage to act f

As the air starts to get a chill, the season of relationships, aka Libra season, begins to stir. What we commonly call cuffing season is officially underway, and so is the desire to examine our partnerships and the roles they play in our lives. It’s funny, because as I write this, I keep getting the image of handcuffs. And what is coming through isn’t necessarily the fun side of cuffing season. Haha, get it? It’s more about the association with restriction, obligation, and pressure. Hear me out...As humans, we are relational by nature. We come to Earth to experience life alongside other people. It begins with the family we are born into and evolves into the friendships, partnerships, communities, and chosen family we create along the way. Every soul we meet is sharing some part of this human experience with us. Some we may have known before in other lifetimes, while others we may be crossing paths with for the first time. Whatever the case, relationships are an essential part of being human.What isn’t essential is the enormous amount of weight we have learned to place on them, particularly the belief that another person is supposed to make us happy or somehow complete us. Like part of you is missing and you’re wandering around Earth searching for your “other half.” My unconventional Aquarius Rising is rolling her eyes right now because you aren’t half of anything.The idea that someone else completes us is a narrative that has been sold to us for generations, particularly to women, and so much of it has been built on fear rather than love. Because love isn’t something you find only inside a relationship. Love is what you are made of. When you enter into a relationship, that love gets stirred inside of you. Another person may awaken it, challenge it, reflect it, trigger it, expand it, or remind you that it exists, but they didn’t put it there. It was already yours.Relationships are mirrors, and Libra season reminds us of that. Think about the symbolism of Libra. It is the only sign of the zodiac represented by a non-living object: the scales. And I think that matters. Libra observes. It looks at the different sides of a situation, weighs the information, considers the relationship between seemingly opposing truths, and then looks for balance.Which is why I don’t agree with the pop-astrology idea that Libras can’t make decisions. As a Libra with many planets in Libra, I object to this slander. 😂 We absolutely can make decisions. We just want to examine every possible angle, consider how everyone involved feels, run through seventeen hypothetical scenarios, and THEN make the decision. Totally different.And that’s what I want us to explore this week: What is your truth when it comes to the relationship dynamics in your life?Because this week Venus, ruler of both Libra and Taurus, stations retrograde. For approximately 40 days, Venus begins her descent into the underworld, asking us to revisit our relationships, desires, values, self-worth, money, pleasure, and the things we believe we need in order to feel loved. And she begins that journey in Scorpio, a sign that isn’t particularly interested in the polite answer. Scorpio wants to know what is underneath it all. It wants to know where the power lives. Who has it? Who have you given it to? Where are you attempting to control someone else because you’re afraid? Where are you allowing someone else’s approval, attention, behavior, or rejection to determine how you feel about yourself?This is why I wasn’t surprised when I pulled The Lovers for this week. The Lovers is card number six in the Tarot, and six carries themes of love, harmony, responsibility, and relationship. Apparently, there is no escaping relational themes this week. But The Lovers isn’t only about romance. At its deepest level, it is also about choice. What are you choosing? And are you choosing it because it is aligned with who you are, or because you are afraid of what happens if you don’t?Our animal spirit ally this week, Dolphin, reminds us of the healing available when we connect with like-minded people and allow ourselves to experience supportive community. Not because someone else has the power to heal you, but because safe relationships can create an environment where you feel secure enough to lower your guard and reconnect with your own power. There’s a difference. The most disempowering thing we can do is believe another person has complete control over our happiness, worth, or life. When we are constantly seeking validation or approval outside ourselves, we hand our power away piece by piece. You are whole. You are complete. You don’t need someone else to tell you that. What you may need is to start believing it yourself.And imagine what happens when two people enter a relationship from that place. Not I need you to complete me, but I am whole, and I choose you. How beautiful would that be? A relationship built on two people who love themselves enough that they don’t need to control one another. Two people capable of supporting each other without becoming responsible for each other’s entire emotional existence. Two people who can say, I want you in my life, rather than I need you in order to have a life.But that isn’t necessarily what we’ve been taught relationships are supposed to look like. Women have historically been handed the Prince Charming narrative: someone will arrive, save you, and then you’ll live happily ever after. Men have often been handed another damaging story: suppress your emotions, don’t appear vulnerable, be strong, provide, protect, don’t show anyone that softer side. Over time, women can lose connection with their fierce feminine power while men learn to treat emotional vulnerability as weakness. Then we wonder why so many relationships feel disconnected. The foundation was cracked from the beginning.I once had a man tell me he was struggling in our connection because I didn’t need him. My response was, “Isn’t it better that I choose you?”And I think there is a profound difference between being needed and being chosen. Need can easily become tangled with fear, obligation, control, and the belief that we cannot survive without another person. Choice allows two people to remain sovereign within connection. I don’t need you to complete me. I am already whole. And from that wholeness, I choose to share myself with you.That’s what I want to leave you with before we dive into this week’s astrology. What are you choosing, and why? What are you committing to, and why? Where are you staying because you genuinely want to be there, and where are you staying because you’re afraid? Where are your relationships empowering you, and where are you handing someone else responsibility for something that actually belongs to you?And please don’t limit this inquiry to romantic relationships. Look at your friendships, your family, your work relationships, and your communities. Look at who gets access to you and why. Look at where you feel safe enough to be yourself and where you find yourself performing, shrinking, controlling, chasing, or seeking approval. And most importantly, look at the relationship you have with yourself.Because Venus is about to descend into the underworld, and she may have a lot to show us about what we’ve mistaken for love, what we’ve given away in exchange for it, and what becomes possible when we remember that the love and power we have been searching for were never outside of us to begin with.You can read more about the Venus retrograde here: So, let’s get into the week ahead...Monday, September 28Moon enters TaurusSun in Libra trine Uranus in GeminiWe begin the week with a little disruption to the relationship script. And I actually love that.The Libra Sun trine Uranus invites us to question the rules we’ve inherited around relationships, partnership, beauty, identity, and what a “successful” life is supposed to look like.Uranus doesn’t particularly care what everyone else is doing.It asks:But what actually works for YOU?Meanwhile, the Moon enters Taurus, bringing us back into the body and our values.Sometimes you don’t realize how much you’ve been contorting yourself to fit someone else’s expectations until you finally experience what it feels like to stop.Maybe your version of partnership doesn’t look conventional.Maybe your friendships are becoming more important.Maybe your definition of family has changed.Maybe something you thought you wanted five years ago doesn’t fit anymore.Good.You’re allowed to evolve.Work with it:* Question an inherited relationship rule.* Notice what feels freeing versus restrictive.* Let yourself want something unconventional.* Check in with your body before saying yes.* Ask: If no one else had an opinion, what would I choose?Tuesday, September 29Venus in Scorpio opposite Chiron in TaurusHere’s where things may get tender.Venus opposite Chiron can bring wounds around love, worth, rejection, desirability, intimacy, security, or receiving to the surface.And because Venus is preparing to station retrograde, I wouldn’t be surprised if something familiar appears.An old relationship pattern.An insecurity you thought you’d moved beyond.A memory.A person.A fear.But resurfacing doesn’t mean you’ve failed to heal.Sometimes we revisit an old wound because we’re finally ready to see it from another perspective.The question isn’t simply, Who hurt me?It might be:What did that experience teach me to believe about myself?Because another person’s inability to love you well was never proof that you were unlovable.Work with it:* Notice what triggers insecurity or rejection.* Offer compassion to an older version of yourself.* Separate someone’s behavior from your worth.* Let yourself receive without immediately questioning it.* Ask: What am I ready to stop believing about my worth?Wednesday, September 30Moon enters GeminiMercury enters ScorpioThe conversation gets deeper.Mercury leaving Libra and entering Scorpio shifts us from Let’s consider every sid

I woke up this morning in a full-body sweat. Hello, perimenopause, or what I prefer to call it…transitioning into my crone era. And I honor it! I honor my body's wisdom and the process of transition. Because that is what this time in my life and the season we are in is all about: transition. Here is the podcast I mentioned in my voice note: https://mythicmedicine.shop/blogs/podcast/jane-hardwicke-collings This week ahead marks the fall equinox. The start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and, most importantly, the start of Libra season. Now, I may be a little biased because I am a Libra, but this is my favorite season. Sweata Weahta! The season of the witch. The season of transformation. The cards I pulled this week further solidify that theme. The tarot card I pulled is the 9 of Swords. Okay, I didn’t pull it; it basically jumped out of the card deck, TWICE! I put it back in the first time because I was like, give me a better one, but spirit was like, nope. Stop hiding the truth: we all have fears, anxieties, and worries, and it is okay to talk about them, to show them, to be human together. So much of what we see or what we show people is what we want them to see. But why? Why are we afraid to say “I am struggling” or “I am scared”? Because that takes vulnerability, which we don’t teach in school, and many of us didn't have a good example growing up. We were told to perform or put on a brave face when, in reality, the bravest thing you can do is be vulnerable and authentic. And this week is asking you to be brave. To face your fears and even to show them. Give them space to breathe so you can move through them. On the other side is the truth, and that truth is wisdom. It’s transformation. This week's animal and plant allies both speak to this: the butterfly and the Elderberry. The butterfly says: you are undergoing great change and transformation. You are in transition. And the way to work with this is to create a daily routine that supports you through it. This helps you move through that frustrating energy and find grace in the process.Elder, or elderberry, is steeped in folklore and legend across many traditions. It is known as the Queen of the Faries or Queen of the Underworld for its association with the planets Jupiter and Pluto. It signals the end of a life phase and the beginning of a new major cycle. Very fitting for this week. She will assist you in stepping through the doorways of this change and protect you and your body during this transformation. That is also why, in herbalism, Elder is used to support your immune system. When you go through major change, your body needs time to adjust and is more susceptible to illness because your immune system is lowered. So, I highly recommend taking it as a tincture or making a syrup to keep on hand. Astrologically, this week brings the Sun entering Libra, which will interact with both Neptune and Pluto, bringing intuitive and underworld themes, then oppose the Moon in Aries, marking the Full Moon in Aries. We close out the week with Mars squaring Chiron and then shifting into the sign of Leo. Let’s break it down, plus more detail on the week ahead…Monday, September 21Moon enters AquariusMercury in Libra sextile Jupiter in LeoWe begin the week with a little breathing room, which feels appropriate considering the Nine of Swords practically threw itself at me twice this morning. Mercury in Libra sextile Jupiter in Leo invites us to zoom out and see the bigger picture. Sometimes when we’re in the middle of a transition, we become so consumed by the details of what isn’t working that we forget how much possibility still exists beyond our current circumstances. The Aquarius Moon helps us gain perspective, while Mercury and Jupiter encourage conversations that open our minds and remind us that we don’t have to figure everything out alone.This is a beautiful day to talk to someone you trust about what you’re experiencing. Not because they need to fix it, but because sometimes simply saying something out loud takes away some of its power. You might discover that the thing you’ve been quietly struggling with is something someone else understands all too well.Vulnerability creates connection. And connection reminds us that we aren’t alone in the transition.Work with it:* Have an honest conversation with someone you trust.* Share an idea you’ve been keeping to yourself.* Step back and look at the bigger picture.* Let yourself imagine a more expansive outcome.* Ask: What might change if I stopped pretending I had it all figured out?Tuesday, September 22Sun enters Libra — Fall Equinox Happy Libra season and happy fall equinox!Sweata Weahta has officially arrived, and I am here for it. Bring on the cozy sweaters, candles, changing leaves, and all the witchy things. Although, considering how I woke up this morning, my body might have some opinions about the sweater situation. 😂The equinox marks a seasonal turning point, when day and night are approximately equal in length. In the Northern Hemisphere, we begin our descent into the darker half of the year. Nature starts withdrawing its energy, the leaves begin to change, and we’re invited to reflect on what has reached completion.Libra is represented by the scales, so there's beautiful symbolism in beginning this season at a moment of balance between light and darkness. But balance doesn’t mean everything is perfectly equal or that we’re supposed to feel peaceful all the time. Sometimes finding balance means acknowledging what's become unsustainable and being willing to change.And that brings us right back to the theme of transition.You cannot create a new equilibrium while insisting that everything remain exactly as it was.Today, honor the season you’re leaving and the one you’re entering. You don’t have to know exactly what this next chapter will look like. Simply acknowledge that you’re standing at a threshold.Work with it:* Create a simple equinox ritual.* Reflect on what the summer taught you.* Notice where your life feels out of balance.* Clear something from your home or schedule.* Ask: What needs to change so I can feel more at home in this new season of my life?Wednesday, September 23Moon in Aquarius conjunct HekateVoid Moon until 9:21 PM MT, when it enters PiscesWell, hello, Hekate. Of course the goddess of crossroads would show up during a week devoted to transition.Hekate stands at the threshold between worlds, holding her torches and illuminating the paths that lie before us. She doesn’t necessarily tell us which road to take. Instead, she reminds us that we have the wisdom to navigate the darkness, even when we cannot see the entire journey ahead.With the Moon conjunct Hekate and void for much of the day, this isn’t necessarily the moment to demand answers or force a major decision. It feels more like a day to stand at the crossroads and listen.And if you’re feeling uncertain, that’s okay.We have been conditioned to believe that uncertainty means we’re doing something wrong. That if we were truly aligned, we would have absolute clarity and unwavering confidence about every decision.But sometimes being at a crossroads simply means you’ve outgrown the road you were traveling.You don’t have to choose the next one out of fear.Let the day unfold. Rest your mind. Notice what comes forward when you stop trying to control the outcome.Work with it:* Spend time in meditation or quiet reflection.* Journal about a crossroads in your life.* Avoid forcing an answer before you’re ready.* Pay attention to intuitive nudges.* Ask: What becomes possible when I stop demanding certainty?Thursday, September 24Moon in Pisces trine Venus in ScorpioAfter yesterday’s crossroads, today’s astrology invites us to soften.The Pisces Moon trine Venus in Scorpio creates a beautiful connection between emotional sensitivity and the desire for deeper intimacy. This is an invitation to feel what you’ve been trying to think your way through.And perhaps, more importantly, to let someone else see it.Remember what I said about vulnerability in the introduction? This is where we get to practice it.There is something incredibly intimate about allowing another person to witness us when we aren’t performing. When we aren’t trying to be the strong one, the capable one, the person who always has the answers.When we can simply say, I’m having a hard time right now.That is not weakness.That is an act of trust.Venus in Scorpio doesn’t want the polished version of intimacy. She wants the truth. And the Pisces Moon reminds us that compassion creates the space where that truth can be expressed.Of course, vulnerability doesn’t mean sharing everything with everyone. Choose people who have demonstrated that they can hold your truth with care.Work with it:* Allow yourself to feel without immediately analyzing.* Have a vulnerable conversation with someone safe.* Make time for creativity, music, or water.* Offer yourself the compassion you give others.* Ask: Where am I ready to let myself be seen more fully?Friday, September 25Sun in Libra opposite Neptune in AriesSun in Libra trine Pluto in AquariusToday, the Sun finds itself in conversation with two very different planetary forces: Neptune and Pluto.Neptune can dissolve the boundaries of our identity, making it hard to distinguish what we know, what we hope, and what we fear. Pluto, meanwhile, invites us beneath the surface to uncover the deeper truth.And with the Sun in Libra, this may play out through our relationships and the ways we define ourselves in connection with other people.Who am I when I’m not trying to keep everyone happy?Who am I when I stop performing the version of myself that others have come to expect?Who am I when I finally admit that something I once wanted no longer feels right?Neptune may make the answers feel a little foggy, but Pluto reminds us that transformation begins with honesty.This is a day to be mindful of projection. We can sometimes mistake our fears for intuition or our hope