Mars afflicts Venus and Jupiter

Venus and Jupiter are the two main Benefic Planets in Vedic Astrology. Venus is the planet of Aggreement; Jupiter is the planet of Truth and Wisdom.
Mars is a Natural Malefic: the planet of Conflict, Aggression, and War.
During most of November, Mars, from its position in the Zodiac in the sign Cancer, sends its influence to both Venus and Jupiter: to Venus via the 90 degree/ Square aspect, and to Jupiter by being opposite to it.
Therefore, the significations of Venus and Jupiter are suffering. It's harder to get at the Truth, and coming to Aggreements is almost impossible.
Jupiter is the planet of Beliefs and Religion. Mars is the planet of Aggression and Combat: more incidents (as have happened already) portraying this energy pattern are likely while the two planets oppose each other in the Heavens. Jupiter will finally escape the influence of Mars when it leaves Capricorn on December 19.
This weekend, starting Saturday Evening and lasting until Monday night, the Moon will be transiting through Cancer, adding more energy to Mars and its influence on Venus and Jupiter, increasing the potential for contentious debate in Congress, etc.
The Aspect of Mars on Venus and Jupiter becomes more exact, and stronger, as we proceed into the 3rd and 4th weeks of November.
Jupiter is also suffering from its proximity to Neptune, the planet of Dreams. Having the planet of Wisdom conjunct the planet of Illusion, while simultaneously being pounded on by Mars the planet of Haste and Aggression, is very unfavorable for making correct decisions. Therefore, the month of November can't be counted on for making progress.
Meanwhile, Saturn, planet of Structure and Established Order, is avoiding the current mess while in its position in Virgo, a sign favorable to it. Making use of Saturn's energy may be the solution: Best to be Cautious, Stick to Routines, Pay attention to the Details, and wait until after November for moving ahead.

Fulll Moon in Aries, Venus enters Libra, Nodes change Signs

The Full Moon will be Monday, November 2, at 16 degrees in Aries. This is the culmination of the energy of the lunar month of Kartika, however, the Full Moon this year will be in lunar sign Bharani. This is a rather volatile Full Moon with a lot of Mars energy in it: The Moon and Mars will be exchanging signs (Mars in Cancer the Moon's sign vs. Moon in Mars' sign Aries) and Mars will be in a 90 degree aspect to the axis of the Sun-Moon opposition. Emotional energy will be rather high.
Also on Monday, Venus will be changing signs, entering Libra. The day that a planet changes signs it's energies are weakened. Significations of Venus, such as Financial Markets, have been taking a beating lately, and that will likely continue on Monday. However, once Venus advances into Libra, its situation improves, since this is Venus's own sign. One problem is that while in Libra Venus will be receiving an unfriendly Square Aspect (90 degree) from Mars, which will continue to create conflicts and manifest as Difficulty coming to Compromise, Arguments, and Volatility in Markets. In the chart of the USA, Venus (along with Mercury and Sun) are in the 11th house, representing Congress. The inimical influence from Mars will make for a contentious month re coming to Agreement on Health Care Bill, etc. Venus will remain in Libra for most of November.
Rahu and Ketu, change signs this week. The Moon's Nodes (crossover points of the apparent paths of the Sun and Moon as seen from Earth) are given nearly the same status as planets in Vedic Astrology. They spend approximately 1 and 1/2 years in a sign. Rahu will be entering Sagittarius, while Ketu goes into Gemini. To learn more details on the effects of this important change, get the current issue of the Vedic Astrology Newsletter and/ or listen to this coming week's podcast.

Mercury and Venus in Parivatana Yoga

As of Saturday, Oct. 24, Mercury is in Libra. Meanwhile, Venus is still in Virgo until November 2. Since Mercury is the planetary ruler of Virgo, and Venus is the planetary ruler of Libra, these two planets are now in each other's signs. This combination is called a Parivatana Yoga in Vedic Astrology. The two planets are in a special relationship, which continues until Venus changes signs.
Venus is considered debilitated while in Virgo, i.e., the planet is Weak for producing results, and its significations are harmed. Previously, while Mercury and Venus were together in Virgo, Venus benefited by its association with exalted Mercury, which effectively cancelled the debilitation of Venus. This is now no longer the case, and Mercury and its significations will likewise suffer by being in a sign whose planetary lord (Venus) is ill-disposed.
Venus is a planet of Guidance, as is Jupiter, which is also currently debilitated while in Capricorn. With both planets of Guidance at a disadvantage, the potential for understanding and getting things right over the coming week is poor.
The situation is made worse by the influence of Mars, which from its position in Cancer, is opposite to Jupiter, and now simultaneously square to Mercury. Since Mercury is the planet of Communications, the Media will be even more antagonistic than usual, and can't be counted on for reliable information during the next three weeks while Mercury is in Libra.

New Moon in Libra, Diwali

The New Moon will be Saturday, October 17 (early Sunday am on East Coast of USA) at 1 degree in Libra. This marks the beginning of the lunar month Kartika, named for the lunar sign Krittika, where the Full Moon normally would fall... except this year the full Moon will actually be in the earlier sign, Bharani. In any case, this month has the energy of Starting Things, Going out and Subduing the Enemy, Fierce Actions, etc.
The New Moon this month is also a very important holiday in Hindu culture, known as Diwali, the "Festival of Lights", celebrating the return of Lord Rama, the Defeat of Darkness by the Forces of Light. It is appropriate to have festivities, give gifts, etc. The traditional practice is to surrond your house with lights, i.e., lamps or candles, and perform Puja in favor of Goddess Lakshmi to insure prosperity for the coming year.

Mars-Ketu Activation, Jupiter goes Direct, Venus conjunct Saturn

The Combination of Mars and Ketu together in Cancer is an energy pattern conducive to Violence. This conjunction gets Additional Activation when the Moon enters Cancer on Sunday Oct. 11. The activation remains in effect Monday and Tuesday. By Tuesday, Mars will be entering 4-5 degrees of Cancer, the July 21 Solar Eclipse Point. Mars, a natural malefic in Vedic Astrology, transiting through a prior eclipse point, produces negative events. The Events are most likely in the area of the world where the eclipse was visible: the South Pacific, Japan, China, and over to Northern India and Pakistan. Therefore, these areas of the world are more prone towards violent events, especially from Sunday through Wednesday.
In your Personal Chart, keep a watch on the area of life signified by the house that contains the sign Cancer. Anyone having a planet or significant point in the first 5 degrees of Cancer, or the sign opposite, Capricorn, is more likely to experience an event. The energy pattern being a Volatile one, it is best to stick to routine activity and not begin anything of importance. Watch out for the inclination in yourself or others to act with Impulse, Haste, or Taking Risks.
In the Chart of the USA, the Mars-Ketu-Moon combination in Cancer is exactly on the USA natal Mercury in the eighth house. This combination suggests Action and potential Loss due to Financial Arrangements with Partner Countries, indicating a strong potential for changes in the Financial Sector, assault on the value of the dollar, etc.
Jupiter, retrograde in Capricorn since last June, will resume normal Direct Motion on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The planet of Opportunity and Prosperity will return to normal progress in the zodiac implying a more normal manifestation of its energies. But since Jupiter is considered debilitated in Capricorn, its signification of a Return to Prosperity doesn't hold much promise.
Venus, now in Virgo, will be exactly conjunct Saturn on Tuesday, October 12. Venus is considered debilitated, i.e., weakened, in the sign Virgo. The combination of the debilitated Planet of Finance, conjunct Saturn, the Planet of Harsh Reality, also suggests some bad news in the markets.

Mars, Mercury, & Venus Change Signs, Mars Conjunct Ketu

Mars enters Cancer on Sunday, October 4. Mars is considered debilitated in the sign Cancer, i.e., at a disadvantage, meaning that some of the planet's worst traits are emphasized. The significations of the Planet of War don't mix too well with the sensitive, emotional, nurturing quality of Cancer. The resulting mix creates Negative Emotions: Anxious, Irritable, Angry, and Defensive.
As soon as Mars enters Cancer its energies combine with Ketu (the South Node of the Moon, one of the eclipse points). Both Mars and Ketu share the quality of Violence. As the two have been getting closer together over the past week, the world has already been experiencing natural disasters, which are likely to increase in severity over the coming weeks. The exact conjunction of Mars and Ketu is on Friday, Oct.9.
In your own Vedic Astrology Chart, keep a watch on the House of the chart containing the sign Cancer. This part of life for you has a high potential for Difficulties and Conflicts.
Mars will remain in the sign Cancer for 8 months. The reason for this is that Mars will go retrograde while in Cancer, and will therefore traverse this part of the zodiac three times before leaving on May 25, 2010.
Mercury enters Virgo on Sunday, October 4. Virgo is Mercury's own sign, as well as its sign of exaltation. The significations of Mercury are considerably enhanced over the next three weeks. Mercury's energies will immediately combine with Saturn, which is transiting in the early degrees of Virgo. Saturn the planet of Focus and Structure, with Mercury the planet of Information, in Virgo the sign of Details and Analysis, will help to closely Examine and Disect details of any matter under consideration in the coming weeks. However, this combination can get so focused on detail that it misses the big picture.
Venus enters Virgo on Friday, October 9. Venus is considered debilitated in Virgo, i.e., the planet's less desireable qualities will be on display over the coming weeks. The Planet of Love in the Sign of Critical Analysis is not such a good fit. Venus becomes less romantic and more practical, detached, and self-serving. Venus will also be affected by Saturn as soon as it enters Virgo. Since Venus is a planet of Finance, and Saturn is "The Reality Check Planet", this can signify another Downturn in the Financial Sector.
With so many planets changing signs during the coming week, the energy in general is unstable and unreliable. Therefore it is best to stick to routines, and put off anything important until the planets get used to their new positions.

Mercury goes Direct, Neptune enters Capricorn

Mercury will end its Retrograde phase on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Mercury will return to its normal progress amongst the stars starting at 27 degrees in Leo. Since it takes a week or so for the planet to "get back up to speed", the effects of Mercury retrograde will linger for awhile. The significations of the planet of Rational Thinking will get further enhancement when it enters its own sign Virgo, in another week, on Oct. 4. Mercury's energy is essential to Making Decisions, a lot of which have been delayed or put on hold over the past weeks. The return of Mercury to normal motion, plus its entry into Virgo, will encourage better decision making.
Mercury is the planet signifying Communications, therefore The News. Since Mercury has been opposite Uranus, the planet of Unexpected Events, there have been surprising developements in the News, such as the Terrorist Bomber discovered in Denver, and the Secret Nuclear factory in Iran. When Mercury is re-entering Virgo in a week, and again simultaneously directly opposite Uranus, there will likely be more Unexpected News Events.
Neptune, the planet of Dreams and Idealism, in its retrograde period, has been creeping along in the zodiac at the very end of Aquarius, and will "back into" Capricorn this week. Uranus, also retrograde, will likewise be "backing into" Aquarius a few days later. Next weekend, both Mercury and Mars will change signs as well, simultaneous with a Full Moon next Saturday, Oct. 3.
When a number of planets change signs at the same time, especially during a turning point in the Lunar cycle, it creates a rather unstable situation. Therefore this week, and next, have an energy pattern suggesting change and transition. Best to wait for the transition to be complete before starting anything important.