For loyal, hard-working, and idealistic Capricorn: Here’s what you can expect to enjoy, work through, and receive throughout the month of October.

Don’t be fooled by this month’s arduous celestial alignments. You have a tidal wave of celestial good fortune carrying you through even the rockiest moments of October, helping you maintain a healthy balance between challenging yourself and running yourself ragged. Still, even without an overarching theme of prosperity and success, you would be better equipped than most to handle what’s ahead. Your October hits the ground running with an opposition between the waning crescent Moon and your retrograde ruling planet, Saturn, on October 1. This tense alignment emphasizes a need for rest, recalibration, and reanalysis of your goals and obligations. Avoid adding anything to your plate.

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Indeed, the stars will have enough for you to focus on without taking on new responsibilities. While the sliver of a crescent Moon and Saturn retrograde face off with one another, Mercury and Makemake conjoin under Libra, forming a square with Ceres, flying under your sign. The former conjunction promotes a greater connection to your immediate community, emphasizing how we can leave our world better than we found it.

Within the context of its square with Ceres, a dwarf planet governing our sense of nurturing, you might feel like your efforts to help are being thwarted for one reason or another. This is a crucial reminder that sometimes, compassion is not always easy. Persevering through the challenges of your charity ensures you’re extending a helping hand for the right reasons.

Your first wave of star power occurs between October 2 and 4. During this time, your ruling planet forms two harmonious trines with Mars and Venus. This aspect between Saturn and Mars boosts work ethic and makes it easier to accomplish even arduous tasks. You can expect a clearer path forward to your goals. This will give you the opportunity to actually enjoy this journey while you take it without having to worry that you’re headed in the wrong direction. Make sure you capitalize on this energy while it’s here.

Venus and Saturn’s trine offers similarly positive results, but it might take a bit more work to enjoy them. As Saturn retrograde calls you to review your pre-existing obligations and goals, Venus’ influence shifts Saturn’s focus to matters of love and finances. Take this time to review whether the emotional and financial investments you’ve been making have been providing you anything in return. If you find that they haven’t, then it might be time to make a change. While this type of revelation can be uncomfortable to meet at first glance, know you’ll be better off for acting on it.

A few days later, Saturn forms a sextile with Ceres, further emphasizing the stars’ call to focus on what you need to feel nurtured and fulfilled. Consider how your immediate relationships and responsibilities make you feel. Does it seem like you’re moving further from or closer to your goals and ideals? A sextile is a favorable aspect but not necessarily an action-oriented one. Don’t expect any major transformations to happen during this time. Instead, focus on absorbing all you can from your surroundings. You can gain great insights without much work.

The Moon delivers a one-two punch between October 8 and 10. It first appears as a square between your ruling planet and a waxing crescent Moon. Then, it manifests through the Moon’s entrance into your celestial domain. We’ll begin with the square. The waxing crescent Moon encourages forward motion toward our goals and desired outcomes. Based on the previous week’s intense focus on your emotional and financial, these areas of your life would be a valid place to start. As the first-quarter Moon enters your Zodiac constellation, the Moon directly pushes you to be brave and take action. It’s one thing to identify areas in your life that need improvement. It’s another thing to fix them.

By October 14, the waxing gibbous Moon conjoins with Saturn retrograde under Pisces. By this point, you will have had about two weeks to determine whether you’re content with your life path. Under the glow of the almost full Moon, the stars ask you for a definitive answer. Are you proceeding as planned or making a change? You can’t split yourself in two directions. There is no having your cake and eating it too. The universe calls you to make a choice and stick with it, which can be easier said than done.

Your hard work will be rewarded on October 22, when Mercury locks into a trine with your ruling planet under Scorpio. Mercury is the cosmic communicator. With Scorpio’s keen sense of power flow and intuition, you will be more equipped than ever to handle whatever the universe throws at you. Just be wary of letting this cosmic confidence get to your head. Scorpio can encourage callous and apathetic behavior toward others when left to its own devices. You can get your point across without belittling others’ emotions or desires in the process, Capricorn.

Saturn locks into another trine with a waning gibbous Moon under Cancer on October 23. Because the Moon is Cancer’s ruling celestial body, its effects on our emotional state are often stronger when it flies through its cosmic home turf. As this lunar phase calls us to reflect and assess what we’ve learned over the past month, Saturn retrograde serves as a cosmic secretary, recording and interpreting the jumble of emotions that often comes with major life changes. Potential pitfalls come from Saturn’s placement under Pisces, which runs the risk of placing too much emphasis on emotions. Remember to take time to step away from your feelings. Assure you’re acting on the truth, not your ego.

Your Zodiac sign ends the month in a challenging square between Venus and Saturn retrograde. Discoveries revealed by your ruling planet’s earlier trine with our planetary neighbor come back to haunt you. This isn’t necessarily a sign that you did something wrong, Capricorn. Shifts in romantic or financial priorities are not often a one-and-done process. Unfortunately, you should anticipate confronting your decisions for a while longer. Allowing your heart and spirit to acclimate is an ongoing effort.

Thus concludes your monthly highlights. For more specific celestial analyses, make sure to read your daily and weekly horoscope as well. Good luck, Capricorn! See you next month.