I work as a career and business strategist. But my secret passion is… astrology!
About once a month, I post an overview of what’s happening in the cosmos and how it might influence your career. It’s called: Your Career Forecast.
Whether you’re job-hunting, running your own business, or wondering about the ideal time to ask for a raise or take a vacation, each Career Forecast will reveal the important dates and cosmic shifts that you need to know about.
I am joined by my dear friend, Heidi Rose Robbins, a master astrologer who will provide expert insight into what’s going on in the stars.
Let’s dive in!
OVERVIEW
What’s going on this month…
HEIDI: The Sun moves into Libra on September 22nd, 2017 at 1:02pm Pacific. Libra is a sign of relationships. We shake hands. We kiss. We offer friendship. We treat a stranger with respect. We recognize that we are not alone in the universe and that everyday we have the opportunity to connect with our fellow human beings in a kind and compassionate way.
Libra is all about beauty and harmony. Libra does its best to create environments and conversations that uplift us and allow us to feel connected. When the Sun moves into Libra, the month ahead is an opportunity to collaborate, connect, and call interesting people into your life.
On September 29th, Mercury joins the Sun in Libra. Mercury is the planet of communication and Libra brings diplomacy. So, conversations over the next few weeks could flow with ease. Use these weeks to have the conversations you’ve been putting off. With Mercury in Libra, you can often find peaceful resolution.
October 5th is the Full Moon of Libra. While the Moon is actually in Aries, we focus on the highest and best qualities of Libra. Again, collaborate. Unify. Work together. Harmonize. How can you extend yourself to someone and make the relationship better from one encounter? How can you protect the rights of someone who’s being treated unfairly? Libra brings justice and equality.
October 5th is also a very creative day because Mars and Venus sit in the same degree of the sign of Virgo. This is “creativity at work” at its best! It’s a great day to get things done, to clean things out, or finally find a solution to a problem.
October 10th is a big day. It’s the most significant astrological shift this month. Jupiter has been in Libra for the entire last year. It now moves into the sign of Scorpio for one year. Scorpio rules money, power, intimacy, and the therapeutic process. Jupiter grows whatever it touches. We want it to grow the best parts of Scorpio. For anyone with strong Scorpio in his or her chart, this should be very good year—a year of conscious growth. We will all benefit from the Scorpio journey of transmuting fear to love again and again.
Venus joins Mercury and the Sun in Libra on October 14th. This is a great combination for love. When Venus is in Libra, everyone is the lover. Everyone just wants things to be beautiful and harmonious. It’s a great time to spend with a partner or beloved.
Mercury moves into Scorpio on October 17th. This is a great combination for getting to the heart of the matter. It creates the energy of the researcher, the scientist, the one who dives deep. Get tenacious with this combination. Don’t give up.
October 18th is a great day for expansive thinking. Jupiter and Mercury meet in the same degree of Scorpio. Again, it emphasizes the depth of Scorpio and the power of the mind to reach beyond the norm. This is penetrating thinking at its best.
Finally, on October 19th, there is a New Moon in Libra. This is always a good time to initiate relationships, to make the calls, to plan an important meeting. Libra has the gift of bringing beauty and harmony. Do something that allows you to feel at peace or feel full of the beauty life can offer.
It’s a powerful month with many planets in Libra. Work on all the most important relationships in your life—strengthen and deepen them. And who knows? Maybe you’ll start a new significant relationship (or two) this month as well.
What does all of this mean for your career? Let’s look closer…
JOB HUNTING?
Here’s what you need to know…
ELLEN: In an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered, Matt Youngquist, the President of Career Horizons, said, “At least 70 percent, if not 80 percent, of jobs are not published. Most people [spend] 70 or 80 percent of their time surfing the net versus getting out there, talking to employers, taking some chances [and] realizing that the vast majority of hiring is friends and acquaintances hiring other trusted friends and acquaintances.”
Matt is right. Tons of great jobs are never posted online. To find these kinds of jobs, you’ve got to ask your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances to help you out. You’ve got to ask the people in your social circle to keep their eyes peeled for opportunities, to make introductions, and sometimes, to put in a good word for you.
Fortunately, with all the Libra energy in the air, this is the ideal time to do that! Especially between October 10th – 17th, you can use the Libra/Scorpio energy to get out there and network with enthusiasm.
Remember that “networking” doesn’t have to be awkward and complicated. Networking can mean sending a handwritten note to your aunt, posting a quick note on Facebook, or emailing three friends to say, “I’m searching for a new job. My dream would be [describe your ideal situation]. If you happen to hear about anything like that, could you let me know?” If you fire off a couple emails like that, it might lead to some surprising opportunities. A little effort can open big doors.
This Libra month is also a great time to negotiate. Is it time to ask for a raise, a promotion, or something else that you want? What would make you feel happier at work? A different schedule? A new chair that doesn’t constantly squeak? An intern? On September 29th, Mercury joins the Sun in Libra. Use this day to ask for exactly what you want. Your conversations will flow with ease, and you’ll be able to tap into your “inner diplomat”—calm and reasonable, yet persuasive.
ALREADY HAVE A JOB?
Here’s what you need to know…
ELLEN: This is a great month for team collaboration. On October 5th, the Full Moon of Libra gives us a chance to collaborate, work together, and harmonize. On October 5th, we also have some fiery, warrior energy from Mars, making this a terrific day to rally the troops and get things done. If there’s a project that hasn’t been progressing very quickly, this is a great moment to hold a meeting, assign tasks, and set an aggressive timeline to finish it. No more dithering around. Go, team, go! Onward to victory!
On October 18th, as Heidi mentioned, we have a great day for expansive thinking—for thinking beyond the norm. This would be a great day to sit with a tricky problem at work and explore some new solutions. Try brainstorming a list of 20 brand new solutions and write all of them down—no matter how off-the-wall, zany, or unreasonable they may seem. Sometimes, ideas that initially seem “unrealistic” or even “silly” turn out to be… exactly the right approach!
Also, sometime this month, consider giving your workspace a “face lift.” Libra is all about beauty and harmony, so this is a great time to declutter and spruce things up. Crack open the windows and let the fresh air inside. Hang some artwork inside your cubicle or office. Treat yourself to some fresh lowers. Put nice pens and stationery on your desk to remind yourself to send “thank you” notes to colleagues, to keep strengthening those relationships. Set the stage for a successful October, November, and December… so you can finish the year on a strong, positive note!
SELF-EMPLOYED OR RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
Here’s what you need to know…
ELLEN: The whole month of Libra—which begins on September 22nd and lasts for 30 days—invites us to think about the idea of partnership.
What does partnership mean to you? Are you craving more partnership and support in your business? Are you spending a little too much time working alone, at home in your PJs? Does that need to change? These are excellent questions to consider, especially when there’s Libra energy in the air.
Personally, I don’t like running my business alone. If I feel too isolated, my creativity dries up. That’s why I love doing this Career Forecast each month along with my friend Heidi. I love working at co-working spaces like The Hivery, because I can soak up the creative energy in the room and chat with other women about my projects, and theirs. And I love running my interview series, How Did You Do That?, because it’s so collaborative. I ask questions, people respond, we chat and exchange ideas, back and forth… it’s a joy for me to do!
Even if you don’t have any full-time employees (I don’t either) maybe it’s time for a little more partnership in your business. It could be an intern, an assistant, a new workspace where you’re surrounded by other entrepreneurs, or a weekly date with a writing buddy or business buddy.
On that note… October 19th brings the New Moon in Libra, which is a beautiful time to begin new projects and initiate new relationships—whether it’s a romantic relationship, friendship, or business collaboration. The energy in the air is fresh, sparkly, and new. Think: first date.
If there’s a local business owner you’ve admired for years, reach out and say, “I love your work, and I wanted to finally introduce myself and say hello.”
If there’s a podcast you love, send a fan letter to the host and let them know how much you appreciate the show.
If you’re trying to line up more clients, reach out to one of your dream clients and say, “I don’t know if you need this sort of thing right now, but if you’re ever looking for a [describe whatever you do], I’d love to work with you!”
This is a powerful time to initiate all kinds of relationships. Reach out, wave hello, and make your presence known!
OVERALL, THIS IS A GREAT MONTH FOR…
• Beginning new relationships.
• Strengthening existing relationships.
• Teamwork, partnership, and collaboration.
• Expansive thinking, fresh ideas, new solutions.
• Handling tricky conversations with grace and diplomacy.
• Creating more support in your career—new friends, buddies, and allies who can support you on many levels.
• Relationships, in general. Romantic, platonic, creative, professional, all of the above!
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
September 22nd – The Sun moves into Libra. We begin a month of harmony and beauty. Focus on strengthening all kinds of relationships.
September 29th – Mercury in Libra. A great time for peaceful communication, diplomacy, negotiation, and reaching successful resolutions.
October 5th – Full Moon of Libra. Libra powers in full force! Harmony, togetherness, friendship and goodwill for all.
October 10th – Jupiter moves into Scorpio. Lots of power in the air today, focused on themes of intimacy, healing, and transformation. It’s also my birthday!!
October 14th – Venus in Libra. Love, love, love is all around! Hang with your best friend or schedule a date night.
October 17th – Mercury moves into Scorpio. A great day for tenacious research and communication. Scour the Internet. Look under stones. Don’t give up too quickly.
October 18th – Jupiter and Mercury in Scorpio. A great day for expansive thinking and problem solving.
October 19th – New Moon in Libra. A new beginning—and a beautiful time to initiate new relationships and make new plans.
CAREER MANTRA FOR THE MONTH
“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. (A person is a person because of other people).”
—Zulu proverb
We are social creatures. We need one another to survive and thrive. Even if you’re fairly introverted and independent—like me—there’s no denying that we all need relationships. The stronger and deeper, the better.
During this month of Libra, work on your relationships. When your personal and professional relationships are strong, that’s worth more than gold. Those relationships will carry you through difficult times, and those relationships will unlock doors for you, and carry your career forward.
This month, instead of spending 5 hours fussing with your résumé or website to make each sentence “totally perfect,” take those 5 hours and invest in your relationships. Call. Text. Send flowers. Help out a friend. Take someone out for a meal. Do something kind for a colleague with no strings attached. Those kinds of actions will pay off… a hundred times over.
Whatever you’re working on this month, I’m wishing you great connections and collaborations!
Learn more about my career & business coaching services here.
Learn more about Heidi and her astrological services here.