October already?!! Pardon us, while we try to wrap our heads around the fact that this year is flying by, right before our eyes and the holidays are just around the corner. In the mean time, take a look at what’s in store for the month ahead with predictions by our columnist Christie Craft. Get a general overview right here or click into your sign below for a in-depth look.

Us earthlings have a respite from September’s scatterbrained and hectic energy in October as we’re finally out of Mercury retrograde’s shadowy clutches. Everything seems to go much, much smoother early this month in comparison to, say, mid-September’s madness. Negotiations that made no headway last month and came to a standstill thanks to tricky Mercury will pick up steam considerably after October 7, when the quicksilver god himself is completely out of his post-retrograde shadow period. Legal matters—especially those related to contractual agreements—should be wrapped by October 11 for all signs; Jupiter, god of expansion, abundance, and luck will link with Mercury in partnership-focused Libra, giving us a serious advantage in business and with financial negotiations. If you’ve been mired in a feud or disagreement, these days are ideal for squashing any beef tactfully and compassionately. Libra’s energy reminds us that diplomacy rules the day, every day.

Keeping it 100-percent real is imperative to moving through the powerful Aries full moon on October 16, and no matter what, we’ll all be challenged to remain true to ourselves in some difficult circumstances. This lunation is connected closely to Uranus, planet of electric surprises, which can put a jarring twist on any one of your revelations. Others might be shaken by our authenticity and brutal honesty, but their opinion simply isn’t as important as your integrity and strength of character.

Aggressive, action-oriented Mars will crash into deep, dark Pluto on October 19, both in the fastidious earth sign Capricorn, providing the perfect mix for business dealings and agreements. One caveat, though: This energy is powerfully explosive, tempers will rise and bubble at seemingly small irks—or nothing at all—so practice self-restraint. Any major rage eruptions that happen now will be tremendously damaging and difficult to fix. You don’t need that noise in your life.

#ScorpioSeason ends the month with an ethereal, dark connection to all things of the underworld and unconscious mind. Pay close attention to your intuition’s messages at the end of the month near the Scorpio new moon on October 30. You Scorpios and water signs out there will be doused in the most cleansing restart—out of all signs who’ve struggled in this bleak year, you’re the most deserving of an urgent fresh start.