Taurus Monthly Horoscope

MONTHLY OVERVIEW
Efficiency check! The first three weeks of October could spark a health kick and an organizing frenzy, as the Libra Sun heats up your sixth house of systems and order. Sexy? Not exactly, but you’ll certainly feel ready for new adventures once you’ve gotten rid of all that’s old, stale and stressful. So, clear the decks. Pluck the dead leaves from your African violets. Rid the closets of outfits that no longer fit (or look like they could come in handy on Halloween). Ditch the bank statements from 1995. Nothing will make you happier than spotlessness, in work and in life. Be meticulous, streamlining routines and excising the excess. You’re getting ready: The last week of the month, the Sun moves into mystical Scorpio, your seventh house of committed relationships. Seemingly overnight, your focus shifts. You’ve made room in your dresser drawers. Now it’s time to make room for the all-powerful bonds of human connection.

Truth is, Taurus, you’ve been preparing yourself for the last three years, as sober Saturn in Libra moved through your sixth house of orderliness and health. During the first week of the month, take a pause. Think about what you’ve learned over these last few years. Maybe you kicked that nasty smoking habit or learned to limit your wine intake during your regular television fix. (Now you can admit that “Dancing with the Stars” is just as enjoyable with two glasses of wine, as opposed to four…or even with a cup of herbal tea.) In addition to getting healthier, you’ve also become an organizational whiz, quickly able to suss out a bad plan in the works and to reduce inefficiencies, time wasters and money suckers like eating at restaurants every night and hiring under-qualified people. If for some reason you’re still clinging to bad habits, it’s probably because you didn’t let others help you in your quest for betterment. We know, we know, Taurus…you like to do everything yourself (and on your own terms, dammit!) but sometimes a little support is just what the doctor ordered. Now is the time to enlist the help of a pro—especially since on October 6 Saturn moves into Scorpio, your seventh house of relationships. For the next three years, you’ll be all about partnering up. So when it comes to nixing the self-defeating attitudes or behaviors, hire a therapist, life coach or nutritionist.

But taskmaster Saturn’s shift from Libra to Scorpio (where it will stay until September 17, 2015) heralds more than the need to rely on others. As the “personal trainer” planet moves from airy, cerebral Libra to the darker, more emotional landscape of Scorpio, you’re being seriously schooled in the true meaning of commitment. We won’t lie to ya, Taurus: Having Saturn directly opposite your Sun sign can be challenging. It’s like constantly observing yourself under the microscope: a rare opportunity for insight, but also like viewing yourself in a magnifying mirror. You’re bound to see some truths that make you squirm.

Saturn in Scorpio will also push you to really think before you join forces with others. Words on paper (even a marriage license, a business partnership or any so-called binding agreement) are worthless if they don’t represent a deeper, more substantive bond. In your case, Saturn in your house of committed partnerships will have you deeply examining the ways you relate to others. Are you perhaps too bullish sometimes? Where can you give a little? Where could you be more generous about accepting help? (No, you’re not a weak woman or a poor provider for it.) Since Saturn often augurs lessons—albeit the hard ones—your schooling will have a distinctly spiritual side, since Scorpio rules mysticism. Before you brush that thought off, consider this: Taurus rules the five senses. With this heightened sensitivity, you actually have the capacity to be even more spiritual, even psychic, than any other sign…if only you allow it. As Saturn begins its new tour of duty, why not open up to the extra-sensual (and possibly extra-sensory) ways you experience life?

Staying attuned to your instincts and senses will serve you in the post-2012 reality. No, Taurus, the world will not end if you start treating the people in your life differently. Take an honest moment to evaluate the way you relate to others, especially folks who work with or for you. They are not just your “natural resources” to be tapped. In fact, with that attitude, their stores of generosity may soon dry up. Like it or not, we’re all connected. And yep, that means even the guy you saw fall on the street and the homeless woman who begged you for change on your way home. You are not required to solve other people’s problems, Taurus, but it would do you good to spend a day with the facts of our interconnectedness foremost in your mind. As Saturn moves into Scorpio, it’s high time to detach from all the things you think you can’t live without: your special Prada closet, your six-figure job, even the object of your affection. The point is not to give anything up, but rather to loosen your mental grip on your (impressively vast) array of material comforts and security. While you may not want to stop going for oysters and Veuve every Friday night, it can’t hurt to question your habits and move beyond instant self-gratification to serving humanity. Pleasure and profit have a short shelf life when treated as ends in themselves. What could they be a bridge to? Compassion? Understanding? Spirituality? Saturn in Scorpio demands that you ask: Who am I for other people? Who and what am I here to serve? If you decide to brush those questions under your new Persian rug, well, the relationships will disintegrate under Saturn’s serious influence.

You might even enjoy checking out what the Kabbalah says about the two types of receiving. The boiled-down theory goes like this: The desire to receive is natural. Whew, no more guilt about liking nice things, Taurus! However, one can desire to receive “light”—prosperity, wealth, abundance, whatever—either for himself alone (which leads to the endless, exhausting treadmill of constantly needing more, one-upping, etc.) OR in order to share with others. Plugging into the second kind of receiving—the desire to be blessed with abundance so you can spread it around like Santa—is well worth exploring in the next three years. (For an enjoyable and deeper explanation of this, read Yehuda Berg’s “The Power of Kabbalah.”)

Before you start feeling overwhelmed, know that the month ends with a Taurus full moon in your first house of fresh starts. This is a big “coming out” moment for you, when a lot of personal and professional goals coalesce. If we didn’t know your intense work ethic, Taurus, we’d think all this success just—poof!—magically appeared. But, the truth is, you’ve been climbing that hill for a long time. Make your mark. Say what you have to say. Use this date to reveal an exciting new project. And definitely make sure you’re lookin’ good, because the spotlight awaits!

LOVE & ROMANCE
Rev those engines! This month, you are a veritable romance machine. On October 3, magnetic Venus moves into Virgo, your fifth house of romance, passion and creativity. Swooning becomes your middle name, but make no mistake: You’re not only gaga for a single living, breathing human. You’re in the passionate throes of life itself. Heart open, you bring romance everywhere: the shower, the subway, the traffic light, the lunch date, the after-work cocktails. It’s in the way you dress, the come-hither scent you dab behind your ears. If your body language had a pop-star equivalent, people would watch you strut your stuff and easily mistake you for Mariah Carey. You’re feeling “Emotion” and want everyone to know it.

Now that you’ve jumped into the epicenter of expressive romance, you are really in the mood for love—and not just the abstract stuff that makes your afternoons sweeter. You want physical love, affection, canoodling, and you want it now. On October 6, sexy Mars moves into free-spirited Sagittarius, your eighth house of sexual bonds. You have a libido that just. Won’t. Quit. (In fact, we’re wondering how you’re ever going to get anything done this month, Taurus, if it doesn’t involve a dimly lit boudoir.) Mars can bring stress too, so just make sure you have a reliable outlet for all these amorous feelings and intense emotions (which, yes, can also range into jealous or possessive territory). Bottling them up could result in a Mount Vesuvius–worthy explosion. If any sparring instincts should arise, work it out between those satin sheets.

Commitments are about to become a huge topic of your evolution for the next three years. On October 6, mature Saturn in Scorpio moves into your seventh house of committed relationships until September 17, 2015, beginning a mature new chapter in love. Think of it like relationship grad school: there may be some tough assignments that require dedicated research and new skill sets, but you’ll definitely earn your masters if you do the work. If you’ve been disappointed in the partnership department, get ready to leave the past behind—or to roll up your sleeves and do some repair work. You’ve graduated from adolescent fantasies of romance and are moving on to a whole new level of relating. Check out workshops like Imago (the mirroring technique will save you HOURS of heartache), and quit turning up your nose at the Self-Help section when you visit Barnes and Noble. Great communicators are made, not born, in most cases. This will serve you in every type of relationship, and prevent you from following in the footsteps of “RHONJ”’s Teresa Giudice, a hotheaded Taurus who will hopefully learn a Saturnine lesson or two.

Be warned: Saturn can press down and test your will. There can be moments of doubt, when you feel you’re carrying too much of the load—or, conversely, that you’ve been swept into a relationship where you’ve given away TOO much of the power. There may be distance due to travel, work demands, family obligations or some kind of circumstance that cuts into quality time. The hard work of creating a balanced, interdependent relationship could take some effort now. Love may not be a windswept novel with Fabio on the cover (at least, not all the time). In fact, a partner may fall on hard times, forcing you to really honor the whole “for better or for worse” part of your vows and lend emotional, financial or psychological support. At the same time, that doesn’t mean you should get all codependent. Sometimes, the best help you can give is finding a great support system for your sweetie—instead of trying to BE it all by yourself.

Saturn is sobering, but when it comes to love, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Take fellow Taurus Rob Pattinson, for example, who surely learned some tough lessons after news that his Aries girlfriend, Kristen Stewart, had cheated on him. Sure, seeing his love life splashed all over the tabloids must have been, uh, unpleasant. We can only imagine the names he called her in private. Hell hath no fury like a Taurus scorned. But this experience will have taught him something about trust and what his own expectations are in a partner—very important for the security-minded Taurus. And with Saturn swooping in, he will never make that mistake again.

Think of Saturn like a building inspector that always finds the flaws in the structural integrity and foundation. If you and your sweetie aren’t on solid ground, you’ll soon find out. If you have an inkling that things are heading south, be proactive. Don’t wait for Saturn to spell it out for you. Perhaps you’ll seek couples therapy instead of opening a bottle of wine before you talk about difficult topics (we know how THAT one ends). In the end, if the fissures are insurmountable, then perhaps you’ll make a mature decision to part ways. Whatever the case, just know that Saturn requires work, so as long as you’re rolling up your sleeves and trying to problem solve, the ground will not dissolve beneath your feet.

MONEY & CAREER
Hold them horses, Taurus. On October 4, good luck planet Jupiter goes retrograde (backward) in Gemini, your second house of work and money. This is not the time to treat your career like a rodeo—or a betting track. Tamp down those gambling urges for a few months, while Jupiter is retrograde until January 30. If you have a wild and crazy scheme in the works, perhaps a get-rich-quick idea, you might want to tap the brakes—or at least decelerate. When a planet is retrograde, the best use of your energy is to look within for the answers—or to turn around and edit, revamp, tweak.

We know, it sounds like a drag, being “internal” and all…but think of it as necessary research. If you were going to go skydiving, you’d want to make sure the pull cord worked on your parachute before leaping. You need that net, Taurus. Reevaluate where you’re at on the career track. Watch your pennies and think about making over your savings plan. You may come to the conclusion that additional job training could catapult you to where you want to be. Sign up for some enrichment classes, perhaps a public speaking course or a brush-up seminar on the latest research in your field. Take an honest inventory of what you most value about your capabilities. The best work scenarios are ones where your most pleasurable skills are exactly what your employer or client most value, too. Be clear on your own worth, and eventually, this rising level of esteem will be reflected in your bank account.

While you may not go gangbusters on a bunch of new moneymaking schemes this month, you don’t have to sit around eating bonbons, either. Retrograde periods are fruitful for approaching folks with whom you’ve had a prior relationship. Peruse your address book, your LinkedIn connections, your network of former colleagues. You may find that good luck shines on past contacts. During this period, former employers or clients could offer a promising project or gig. Consider the options, but don’t overpack your schedule. Even if you think you can take on that extra-curricular project at work, err on the side of caution, focusing on the balls you already have in the air. If you work in a managerial capacity, carve out some quality time for your team. Boost morale by bringing in a motivational speaker.

Here’s a bright spot: on October 6, motivator Mars moves into Sagittarius, your eighth house of joint resources and long-term financial gain, until November 16. This is your chance to stop trudging up the hill and imagine that you are a magician of sorts, able to pull in resources (and vast amounts of them). If you’ve been dreaming about a way to make passive income, it’s time to cash in big. A promising investment opportunity may come your way, but before you go extolling the virtues of, say, the latest stovetop cleaner, make sure the deal is a good one. You don’t want to be gambling with optimistic Jupiter retrograde (backward).

On October 6, when Saturn moves into Scorpio, your seventh house of partnerships and contracts, be extra careful about signing on the dotted line. For the next three years, you’ll be wise to act more like the tortoise than the hare. Be cautious about whom you align yourself with. Use the phrase “explore” freely, as you figure out who it is you’re metaphorically getting into bed with. Don’t expose your 10-year plan at the first lunch. Let your would-be collaborators prove themselves to be trustworthy. If you’re one of those do-it-all Tauruses, conduct your due diligence and find an expert to take over an area you’re not the strongest in. If you hate accounting, for example, get a stellar CPA recommendation from friends. It’s all about putting together an amazing support team and delegating to them effectively. You might even consider taking some management training classes or, heck, even going to school for your MBA. It’s not just about getting the job done anymore, Taurus, or being the best at what you do. You must also master dealing with people, asserting yourself appropriately and being a great communicator.

With serious Saturn in your partnership house, you’re going to become aware of relationships across all fronts. How do you treat the people you work with? Do you let your stubborn side rule the roost, saying no to innocuous requests just because you feel pushed? Now is the time to lay down the gauntlet. Play it safe. Be kind. And if you’ve overstepped your bounds or barked at someone for no good reason, learn the fine art of apologizing. A simple “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that” will go miles in creating good will with your team. (Please resist the urge to say, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” That’s not an apology.) For the next three years, you’re figuring out how to be a team player. While the lessons won’t be easy every time, you’ll get better and better at sussing out the right people to join forces with—ones whose solid credentials and proven experience can take your ideas to new heights.

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL
Three, two, one…workout! On October 15, a new moon in Libra lights up your sixth house of health, making this a five-star day for setting a fall fitness plan in motion. If you’ve been lamenting your overly fried diet, choose this day to start a cleanse. Opt for one that will work for your naturally indulgent style. The cayenne-maple syrup Master Cleanse probably isn’t for you, but a more balanced approach with supplements and Pilates would do wonders. Or maybe you’ve been missing out on the quiet mind that your once-regular yoga practice provided. Well, what are you waiting for? Downward Dog and a (probably painful) Pigeon Pose await. If you want to give your health regimen an extra charge, set some fitness goals on the day of the new moon and you shall see results six months down the road, when the Libra full moon reveals just how toned your body, not to mention peaceful your mind, has become.

When it comes to health in the grander scheme, make hay while the sun shines! Tough Saturn has been in Libra, your well-being house, since October 2009, pushing you to take care of yourself like never before. For some Tauruses, ignoring aches and pains no longer became an option, and you may even have dealt with surgery or medical procedures during this time, or strict doctor’s orders to change your lifestyle. With Saturn leaving Libra on October 6, reflect on your choices and even your medical history. Did you schedule regular check-ups? How has your approach to diet and exercise changed since October 2009? Maybe you were once a Buffalo wing aficionado, but now you eat them only once in a blue moon instead of once every five days. Lots of Tauruses we know expanded their wellness repertoire, trying Pilates, physical therapy and acupuncture. Ever so slowly, you’ve put down the Sancerre and started reaching for things like raw foods or exploring meditative breathing on the Internet. Whatever route you chose, you’ve definitely become more open to prioritizing health and fitness. Those Bulls who resisted probably got a gentle nudge from a loved one. Be grateful for the support.