Right, pull up a chair and maybe hide your phone. October is the month of the double retrograde, and the sky has clearly been reading your old texts. Venus, planet of love, money and good taste, turns retrograde in Scorpio on the 3rd and stays that way until 13 November, which means exes, situationships and that person you swore you’d never think about again are all back on the table. Mercury joins in from the 24th, also in Scorpio, so expect crossed wires, unsent drafts and at least one voice note you’ll regret.

It’s not all doom. There’s a new moon in Libra on the 10th (fresh starts in love and partnerships, with a second-chance flavour thanks to Venus), Pluto finally turns direct on the 15th, Scorpio season kicks off on the 23rd, and the full moon in Taurus on the 26th – the Hunter’s Moon – asks you to decide what, and who, you’re actually keeping. Mars and Jupiter are both in Leo all month, so confidence is high even when judgement isn’t. Spooky season, indeed.

Here’s what it all means for you, sign by sign.

Aries

Venus retrograde is rummaging through your intimacy sector, so October is about trust, shared money and who actually gets to see you with your guard down. The Libra new moon on the 10th lands in your relationship zone, which is lovely, but with Venus backtracking, it’s more likely to bring a second go at something old than a brand-new face. Before you reply “u up?” to someone from 2023, ask whether they changed or you just got bored. If it is someone new, look for a Leo, who’ll match your energy and cheer louder than anyone at your five-a-side, or a Gemini, who’ll keep you on your toes with banter so quick you’ll forget to be competitive. Career: Mars in Leo gives your creative work a real lift, so pitch the fun idea. Friendship: the Taurus full moon on the 26th flags who’s been quietly covering the bill. Pay them back, in cash or in pints.

Taurus

Your ruling planet, Venus, is retrograde in your relationship sector, so love is on review this month. Partnerships, romantic and business, get a full audit, and someone from your past may wander back in looking very sorry and very well moisturised. Don’t make any big decisions about them until November. Then the full moon on the 26th lands in YOUR sign, and it’s a big one: a moment of clarity about what you want, what you’re worth and what you’re done tolerating. If you’re open to someone new, the stars are pointing you towards a Virgo, who’ll plan the whole date and pick a restaurant you actually like, or a Capricorn, who’s as stubborn as you are, and somehow that’s the attraction. Career: the new moon on the 10th is great for fixing routines, so finally sort the inbox. Friendship: you’re the friend with the good sofa. Charge rent in snacks.

Gemini

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The Libra new moon on the 10th lights up your romance sector, which usually means flirting season, but Venus is retrograde, so the flirt might be with someone you’ve already got history with. Rekindling is allowed. Repeating the exact same mistakes is optional. If you’re after someone genuinely new, try an Aquarius, who’ll send you a meme at 3am that’s somehow both deranged and correct, or a Leo, who’ll take you somewhere loud and introduce you to everyone. Career: Venus and Mercury in your work sector mean an old project comes back for a rewrite. Save every version and triple-check who’s copied in, especially after the 24th. Friendship: the full moon on the 26th sits in your rest zone, so cancel one plan without a twelve-paragraph explanation. They’ll survive.

Cancer

Venus retrograde is going backwards through your romance sector, which is a polite way of saying your ex has your number and knows how to use it. You’ll feel nostalgic, you’ll reread old messages, you’ll wonder if it was really that bad. Pause and ask a friend who was there. The new moon on the 10th brings focus to home, so a move, a new flatmate or a long-overdue declutter is on the cards (and yes, that includes the hoodie that isn’t yours). If someone new is on the horizon, the stars are steering you towards a Pisces, who’ll text “home safe?” and mean it, or a Taurus, who’ll cook for you and never once mention the washing-up. Career: steady, keep your head down. Friendship: the full moon on the 26th falls in your friendship zone, so expect a group chat reckoning. Be the peacemaker, but don’t absorb everyone’s feelings for them.

Leo

Mars and Jupiter are both in your sign all month, so you’ve got energy, luck and the confidence of someone who’s just had a fresh cut. The Libra new moon on the 10th fires up your communication sector, so send the email, post the thing, start the newsletter you’ve been talking about since lockdown. Venus retrograde in your home zone might bring family stuff or an old flame back to your doorstep, quite literally. In love, the stars are lining you up with a Sagittarius, who’ll book a last-minute trip and make it look effortless, or an Aries, who can keep up and won’t mind when you take the good side of the mirror. Career: the full moon on the 26th lands at the top of your chart, so recognition is coming. Accept the compliment without three “oh stop”s. Friendship: someone needs a pep talk, and nobody does them better.

Virgo

Venus and Mercury are both retrograding through your communication zone, which for you means overthinking every message before sending, then overthinking it after. Good news: it’s a great month for a long, honest conversation you’ve been putting off. Bad news: a message from someone you’d archived might pop up. You’re allowed to leave it on read. The new moon on the 10th lands in your money sector, so set a budget you’ll actually stick to (and cancel at least two subscriptions). Romantically, look towards a Cancer, who’ll recognise your attention to detail as the love language it is, or a Scorpio, who loves a deep chat as much as you love a plan and won’t flinch when you ask to “talk about us”. Career: tie up loose ends rather than starting anything new. Friendship: the full moon on the 26th sparks a travel itch, so start the group trip WhatsApp. Someone has to.

Libra

Happy birthday season, you beautiful diplomat. The new moon on the 10th is in your sign, which is your personal reset button for the year, so set the intentions, book the haircut and decide who you want to be. The catch: your ruling planet, Venus, is retrograde, so this glow-up is more “return to the real you” than total reinvention. Venus reverses through your money sector (the jacket can wait), then slips back into your sign on the 25th, making you very reflective about what you deserve in love. Single? Look out for a Gemini, who’ll match your wit and debate you on everything for fun, or an Aquarius, who’ll treat you like the fascinating person you are, not just the pretty one. Career: your charm is a currency, but this month, back it up with receipts. Friendship: the full moon on the 26th gets intimate, so a friend may confide something big. Listen, don’t fix.

Scorpio

Two planets are retrograde in your sign. Of course they are. Venus from the 3rd and Mercury from the 24th make October a deep dive into you: your desires, your habits, your history and that one thing you never got closure on. Your season starts on the 23rd, so you’ll be magnetic and mysterious anyway, and people from your past will come knocking because they can’t stop thinking about you. You can let them in or let them wonder. The full moon on the 26th lands in your relationship zone, so a partnership hits a turning point. If you’re open to something new, the stars favour a Taurus (opposite sign, maximum tension, excellent chemistry) or a Pisces, who’ll get your silences and still want the whole story. Career: think before you hit send, especially from the 24th. Friendship: you’re everyone’s 2am confidante. Let someone else do the listening for once.

Sagittarius

Venus retrograde is wandering through your most secretive sector, so there’s a crush you’re keeping very quiet, or a past romance that keeps creeping into your thoughts at 1am. The universe is asking you to process, not post. The Libra new moon on the 10th lights up your friendships, so new people arrive, most likely via a club night or a birthday drinks you nearly skipped. Go. Jupiter, your ruler, is in Leo, so travel and big adventures still look good. In love, look out for an Aries, who’ll say yes to the plan before you’ve finished explaining it, or a Libra, who’ll make even a Tuesday feel like a date. Career: the full moon on the 26th brings things to a head at work, so tidy your to-do list before someone else does it for you. Friendship: you’re back in the social whirl, just don’t RSVP yes to four things on the same Saturday.

Capricorn

Venus retrograde is backpedalling through your friendship zone, which, in queer life, means one thing: your ex is coming to the party. Or is now dating your best mate. Or both. Take a breath, pour a drink and remember you’re the most composed person in any room. The new moon on the 10th lands right at the top of your chart, so career moves are very much on: a promotion, a new role or a side hustle finally getting serious. Then the full moon on the 26th lights up your romance sector, and you might be surprised by who catches your eye. The stars recommend a Taurus, who’ll match your standards and never flake on a plan, or a Scorpio, who’ll see straight through your poker face and like what’s underneath. Friendship: group dynamics are wobbly, so stay neutral and let the drama burn itself out.

Aquarius

Pluto, which is spending the next couple of decades in your sign, finally turns direct on the 15th, and you’ll feel it: momentum returns, and the reinvention you’ve been working on stops feeling stuck. Venus retrograde is in your career sector, so a past job, client or boss might reappear with an offer. Read the small print before you get excited. The Libra new moon on the 10th sparks the travel bug, so book the trip or sign up for the course. At home, the full moon on the 26th might bring a flat move or a tough conversation with family, chosen or otherwise. In love, look towards a Gemini, who’ll find your weird hobbies genuinely sexy, or a Sagittarius, who won’t try to fence you in and will take you to a gig instead. Friendship: you’re the group’s ideas person. Turn one of them into an actual plan.

Pisces

Venus retrograde in your travel and big-ideas sector has you rethinking your worldview, your career path or, at the very least, your flight plans. Someone you met on holiday, or a long-distance almost-thing, might slide back into your inbox. The new moon on the 10th lands in your intimacy zone, perfect for deepening an existing connection or finally saying what you mean during pillow talk. Then the full moon on the 26th lights up your communication sector, so expect a big conversation, a revelation or an overdue apology. If you’re looking, the stars are pointing you towards a Cancer, who’ll meet you in the deep end with a towel, or a Capricorn, who’ll ground you without ever making you feel like you need fixing. Career: double-check details once Mercury goes retrograde on the 24th. Friendship: Halloween’s at the end of the month and you’re the one with the costume concept. Make the group commit.

Whatever the stars throw at you this month, remember: Venus retrograde isn’t an excuse to text your ex, it’s a reason to ask why you want to. Take what serves you, leave the rest, and maybe screenshot this for November.

Nonchalant x

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Nonchalant Magazine

This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.