★ Starscope for Today’s Living ★ The Planets Dance in October

The planets seem to dance during this month, changing direction as several turn from retrograde to direct, leaving Uranus and Neptune as the only planets in retrograde motion by the end of October. A transiting planet is said to be retrograde when it appears, from our vantage point on Earth, to be moving backwards. In October, six planets (Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) begin the month retrograde, but as the month progresses, four of them will resume direct motion, in the following order: Pluto goes direct in Capricorn; Saturn, in Aquarius; Jupiter, in Aquarius; and Mercury, in Libra.

Planets in the Air signs of Libra and Aquarius dominate the heavens now, indicating that clear thinking, communication, and the use of advanced technology are especially important during this month. Some people dread retrogrades because old-time astrologers usually emphasized the negative in referring to them. Modern, more enlightened astrologers, are more moderate in their interpretations.

Here’s a brief look at this month’s retrogrades.

Mercury in Libra is retrograde through October 18. This planet seems to cause the most mischief when it is retrograde, with errors in documents usually first on the list. You may have trouble with matters relating to communication, concentration, or transportation, such as phones, mail, cars, computers, and appliances. People may be late for appointments, or you may encounter more traffic jams than usual while driving.

When Jupiter is moving backward, don’t expect to get much help from other