Your essential guide to the week ahead from Citizen Femme’s resident astrologer, Zana Wilberforce.
Communication planet Mercury is still bumbling backwards until 3 November, causing travel snags along the way. Think of it this way, the details matter more than ever – plan intricately (even militantly) and the rest should follow. Some unexpected plot twists are likely to crop up with unpredictable Uranus making a comeback side-by-side a rare blue moon – and all in time for Halloween. Whew.
In a month-long voyage of artistic endeavours at CF, we conclude with a nod to the socially distanced, artsy Halloween events available throughout the week, from eerie eats to spooky staycations, and what’s in store for your (travel) “horror-scope”. Trust us when we say Halloween isn’t cancelled.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Watch out for snafus as Mercury retrograde shifts backwards into Libra on Tuesday, 27 October. Pay attention to the details, though you’re good at that anyway. A celebratory mood is in the air thereafter as Taurus lands in your extraverted fifth house this 31 October. The second full moon of the month presents a cosmic opportunity to learn a thing or two. Channelling this lunar energy, and your productive nature, check out “Fashionably Strange: A History of Victorian Creepiness” for a virtual talk on the history of Victorians and what made them so shudderingly creepy.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
In all of the cosmic commotion this week, you’re reclining to your safe, domestic fourth house just in time for Halloween. Get crafty at The Prince in Hammersmith for a wholesome Halloween outing. Guests are invited to carve their own pumpkins and try cocktail concoctions that resemble magic potions. Supplies are provided per ticket, including your very own designated pumpkin and a handy carving kit. The woodland-themed pub garden is shaded by a flowery pergola should the weather turn iffy.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
There’s a bright and enchanting mood as the month’s second full moon in sensual Taurus lights up your communicative third house on 31 October. Delve into the mysteries of the cosmos with Suzanne Treister in an online virtual séance to a hypothetical museum organised by Serpentine Galleries. Pisces will revel in the opportunity to draw, write creatively and describe their visions. Anything goes – watercolours, fountain pens, and, most importantly, a vast imagination.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
A full moon arrives in Taurus and your second house of money right in time for Halloween. Avoid splurging, Aries, and nourish a pervading groundedness encouraged by this lunation. A modest “Wizard” afternoon tea at Georgian House Hotel, London, has a creative menu for an immersive experience. Magic-themed cocktails, “eye of newt” scones and bottomless bottles offer the thrills you seek, and a welcome break from the new normal. Magic potion cocktail-making sessions can also be added to the agenda.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Self-care moves straight to the top of your to-do list as beautifying Venus slithers into Libra on 27 October. Now’s the time to preen and pamper, moments before the Taurus full moon beams down on your sign. Where better to absorb these bold moonbeams than the illuminated Beaulieu River in Hampshire this Halloween? With Uranus, the planet of surprises, also making an appearance, change to routine feels otherworldly. The canoe trip lasts two hours around the private estuary, passing a spectral monk and other spooky sights along the way.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Your twelfth house of fantasy, dreams, and closure is illuminated during a rare blue moon this Saturday, 31 October. Your wide-eyed ways are all the more ravenous, seeking the new and the noteworthy as innovative Uranus simultaneously makes a comeback. The hollering halls of the Natural History Museum will be open after dark from Friday, where guests can wander along the Terror Trail through the eerily quiet galleries. Staying home? Quench your thirst for knowledge with an online whizz around the Salem witchcraft trials. The self-guided tour pinpoints various real-life locations still synonymous with the spectre of witchcraft and the eerie events of 1692.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
A socially distanced outing could be on the cards this Halloween as your eleventh house of groups and friends comes to light. Though the timing feels slightly skewed considering the new tier-two guidelines, there’s a way to celebrate and stay safe. Check out the specially curated Forbidden Forest Cinema in the heart of Peckham for an assortment of spooky screenings in a Covid-proof environment. The hidden cinema is set to show a slew of horror films including The Sixth Sense, The Shining, Us and many more amid a tangle of cobwebs and immersive set design.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
A focus on work becomes paramount this week as your tenth house of professional goals resurfaces during the second full moon of October (known as a blue moon) . Could a spot of reading in your lair be an option this Halloween? Stephanie LaCava’s stylish dive into the art world in The Superrationals isn’t exactly “horror” by genre, but an underlying sense of dread and foreboding is just as thrilling. The story follows an art world employee, Mathilde, in a series of unexpected twists that result in a darkly comic novel about female friendship and the art world.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Your taste for the finer things in life is bolstered this Tuesday, 27 October, when beautifying Venus backs into Libra. A sophisticated Halloween occasion is the only option, preferably sipping champagne rather than overly pungent punch. Gothic Opera’s Halloween-themed repertoire was launched last year with references to gothic literature. Become immersed in an uncanny, atmospheric location for a stylish evocation of the eerie.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
You’re sailing through the cosmic chaos this week as harmoniser Venus shifts into your sign on 27 October. On Halloween, a new moon in Taurus will amplify your intimate and erotic eighth house, calling for a low-key celebration at home or a sultry staycation with a haunted twist. Need ideas? The Mermaid Inn, based in Rye, has a reputation dating back to the 1100s. Spectral stories, secret cellars and underground passages once used by smugglers are all part of the thrills and chills.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
A restorative week is in store for Scorpio, calling for a sumptuous self-care routine. Peacemaker Venus holds a strong influence on Tuesday, 27 October, while entering Libra today. The week concludes with a rare blue moon in passionate Taurus on Saturday night, lighting up your seventh house of relationships. Buddy up for a movie marathon of A24’s most spine-chilling horror movies over on Amazon Prime. You can count on Midsommar, a folk horror film set in a seemingly pastoral paradise, to set the tone.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
Guard against the cosmic chaos with some organised travel this Halloween weekend. Remember, communication planet Mercury is in pesky retrograde until 3 November so plan intricately to avoid a Herculean escapade. This is especially the theme as change-maker Uranus steps into the limelight alongside a rare blue moon. Anything could happen—though that’s exciting for spontaneous Sagittarius. Edinburgh’s dark passageways are a Halloween treat for your restless and expansive tendencies. Explore the city’s haunted history tangled in the Gothic spires and church steeples.
Any Questions or Tips to add?