Ego is a healthy part of the human psyche that tells us who we are, protects our preferences, and helps us attune to our boundaries. It becomes unhealthy or arrogant, though, when we are unwilling to be uncomfortable and intolerant of what is outside of our preferences.
Last week, my social media feed was filled with people’s responses to the filing of the Jane Doe case against Cornell, alleging brutal violence at a fraternity. Having represented many Jane Does as a lawyer in many civil rights lawsuits, including some with similar violence, it made me sad to see the same conversations happening today that happened 10 years ago and 20 years ago, and probably before.
What we see, as we have seen in the past, is an evaluation of whether and how the perpetrators should be punished and counter-evaluation of Jane Doe’s veracity. When that is the conversation we have, it is all built around the ego reactivity of defensiveness and arrogance. And, also, the system sets those talking points up before anything goes on social media, so I am not saying any particular person is getting something wrong.
But, I do genuinely want this narrative to shift to how we support the strength of the young people (including the journalist who pursued this story) who had to go through so much effort to contribute to the safety of future students, when the adults in charge were indifferent to it. I understand the men who are doxxing the perpetrators and I don’t take issue with it (it’s very white women a la 2020), but that is still gathering attention to the men, which has also gathered support to them. Also, this often whiplashes back when the legal system gets involved and “exposes” that Jane Does are human and not angels. So, it’s tricky.
What I dream of is a day where we have an actual fund (not Time’s Up, no offense) to shower wealth on anyone advocating for true safety for the most vulnerable in our schools, workplaces, and communities. And I send my deep respect to Jane Doe and the journalist who pursued this story for their tremendous courage.
So, to bring this back to the astrology, this week we hare having transits between Mercury, Mars, and Venus, as well as a New Moon that create an opportunity to think about how we handle our deepest betrayals, desires, and just preferences. When we act out of pressure to prove we are good people, we reinforce the status quo to defend our egos. When we stay silent, afraid we will say the wrong thing, we do the same. To find the right answer, respect your ego, be uncomfortable, and experiment with what is right for you.
(Image from the movie Party Girl with Parker Posey getting ready to start her signature dance. Highly recommend watching this movie anytime, but especially this week if you want to capture the Mars in Leo square Venus in Scorpio vibes.)
Transits
For horoscope principles this week, I am primarily looking at the following celestial events:
Tuesday, October 6, 2026:
Mercury goes conjunct Venus in Scorpio at 5:10pm Pacific. This is the deity of thinking and communication meeting up with the goddess of beauty and relationships. The hitch here is that Venus in Scorpio is Venus in an uncomfortable place where she faces restriction and so she has intensity about fulfilling her rulership promises. So, this may give you access to sharing feelings that have been building up, but this can also result in blurting out our communications in a more intense or pointed way than we intended. If you want to make a change, wait for Wednesday’s supportive energy, rather than reacting to Tuesday’s pressure.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026:
Mars in Leo sextiles Uranus in Gemini at 3:41am Pacific. If you’ve been feeling frustrated by the energies lately, this offers a little movement in stuck places and supports making a change.
Thursday, October 8, 2026:
The Sun in Libra goes from human design Gate 48 (accessing deep resourcefulness) to Gate 57 (allowing unease to point you to your intuition) at 2:18am Pacific. Gate 48 can be a time of superstitious and even paranoid thinking that leads us to remember we are able to access the resources we need. Gate 57 reminds us that when we feel unease, the tuning fork of our intuition can guide the way to clarity.
Saturday, October 10, 2026:
The New Moon in Libra happens at 8:50am Pacific. The Sun and the Moon are both in the sign of harmony, balance, and relationship building. This energy encourages us to do the nice thing, rather than the true thing, so watch for indecision, and if you experience it, check in with your intuition. Intuition feels neutral and may have a pull or push to it, but anxiety is not intuition.
Mars in Leo squares Venus in Scorpio at 2:31pm Pacific. This aspect can involve sexual tension or flirtation, but in Leo and Scorpio, there is an underlying intensity to it. Our need for beauty and relationship is aloofly giving a side eye to our need for physical action and ego validation, and that might be the beginning of an intense flirtation.
The Moon travels through Leo, Virgo, Libra, and into Scorpio this week; Jupiter continues in Leo; Saturn continues in Aries; Neptune continues in Aries; Pluto continues in Aquarius.
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Horoscopes
These are the principles to consider for the week of October 5, 2026. It is worth taking a look at both your rising and sun sign horoscopes (visit astro.com to find your rising sign):
Aries: When we change our boundaries, people who are used to our old boundaries often have a “change back” response. They subtly (or intensely!) remind us of who we were when we didn’t have boundaries. This week invites you to make new partnership agreements, starting with yourself. Consider how you can be a stellar partner to all of your parts, including your ego and your body. Then consider where there is room for clarity around boundaries and needs with other partners, including how you can mutually support each other.
Taurus: The sh*tty first draft rule of writing says that it is better to put something on a page that you can edit later than to censor yourself seeking protection or perfection in your first try. This week, especially with your partners and closest accomplices, make sh*tty first drafts of what you want to say and sit on them before you try to communicate your most intense feelings. The intensity is healthy, and also it might not always represent what you actually want to say. Let the beauty of everyday rituals ground you into what really matters.
Gemini: A private fact is something that is personal and nobody else’s business, while a secret is a private fact we keep to ourselves even if it may impact someone else’s decisions. This week, remember that not everything you create needs to be something that your friends or acquaintances know about. It is okay to start a creative project, knowing that that it is too vulnerable to share until it has a little time to grow. This week invites you to birth something new and share it with those who provide support without scrutiny.
Cancer: Whether we like it or not, our bank accounts reflect what we value most because money is a symbol of value and values (they also reflect systemic barriers we face, but those inform our values as well). This week, rather than pretending your values are “good person” values, be honest with how you see yourself handling money. Flirt with how you can express your values in your creative projects. At the end of the week, consider whether the restriction you impose around your career serve the beauty of your home and inner life. Do a ceremony to honor your harmonious inner self and home.
Leo: In marketing, sales, and job interviews you sometimes see people offering something in a flashy way that sounds like, “Hot dogs! Hot dogs! Get your hot dogs!” and other times, marketing and sales sound more like, “Is anybody hungry?” Strangely, dominant culture often values the flashy communication over the relational one, even though most of us prefer the relational one. This week, consider how you communicate to invite your closest friends to a party. Start applying that type of relational communication to achieving your most impossible goals.
Virgo: Often we (and by we I specifically mean you) can learn more about what we unconsciously believe about the world by listening to what we say out loud than by what we assume our worldview is. That is particularly true this week. If you record yourself talking in random places and play it back, you might be surprised by what you hear. At the end of the week, consider what this means about your conscious values and your unconscious beliefs and hold a ritual to anchor your values in your unconscious.
Libra: We can understand what we value most by looking at our actions, rather than thinking about what a “good person” values. This week, be deeply honest with yourself about the actions you take during your days and where you put your energy. For example, if you sit and ruminate about who has wronged you, call this “sitting,” rather than romanticizing it. If you write a love letter, call that “writing,” rather than “falling in love.” At the end of the week, make something beautiful (written, artistic, interpretive dance, or spreadsheet - whatever feels like you) to remind yourself of the values that are aligned to your true self.
Scorpio: Nobody falls in love without some kind of tension (otherwise we fall in sibling). This week, when things go wrong or you feel frustrated about your career and public facing life, consider how you would handle that frustration if it were a flirtation, not necessarily with one person but with the outer world. Leave a little mystery, but be a little vulnerable to get what you want and need. At the end of the week, look at any unconscious fear that comes up in this challenge and see how you can meet yourself with love in those spaces.
Sagittarius: The measurement of whether a belief system is healthy is not what other people think (including what deities think), but how it feels to you and what those feelings motivate you to do to impact the world. Your fixed worldview is being challenged right now, so notice any defensiveness that comes up when those challenges appear. If you defend poison, you get sick. If you are willing to adjust your worldview, especially as it relates to your friend groups, you can notice poisons packaged as medicine.
Capricorn: More discipline is not always the answer, even if it has worked for you in the past. Eliminating all boundaries is not the answer either. This week, to the extent you can, set aside the extremes of restriction and excess. Experiment with putting yourself in spaces that are beautiful and harmonious to you, as well as spaces that are deep and private, without trying to reach a conclusion about their moral value. At the end of the week, do a ritual to renew your relationship with how you want to relate to beauty and harmony in your career and public-facing life.
Aquarius: Ego is a healthy part of being human because it defines our preferences. It becomes unhealthy when we (consciously or unconsciously) expect other people to conform to our preferences or become overbearing to protect or defend our preferences. This often sounds in our minds like, “I should show them I’m not bad or wrong,” but on the outside looks defensive or domineering. This week, look out for that tendency with partners and in your public facing life. At the end of the week, consider whether defensiveness that comes up aligns with your ideals, and make any shifts to your relationship with your ideals that feel healthy.
Pisces: The term demis*xual means that we have s*xual attraction based in emotional bond, not just physical desire (as opposed to allosexual). In the spectrum of orientation, there is no right or wrong, and this is just one way to be. This week, consider any space where you may have value judgments that your orientation should be one way, without changing. Your body’s needs are loud right now, so listen to them, even if they are different than what they were in the past (not only related to s*x). At the end of the week, consider whether you want to welcome in new values around s*x and money based on what you’ve learned.
To find out specifically how these transits apply to your chart, get your natal chart reading here. We go through your human design and astrological natal charts as well as the impacts of any major transits happening. It’s the best!