How are you feeling as October begins? If you're exhausted and wondering how you're ever going to make it through to the end of the year, relax

Last month brought us all eclipses and they are challenging to deal with. Eclipses put us back on track, sometimes very unceremoniously.

Now that the 2016 eclipses are over and done with, October should be much calmer. If you feel like you need to take some time out to get your strength back, this month is going to give you that.

While events mid-month prove it won’t all be plain sailing, overall it's a lot less tumultuous than it has been in recent times. Have a great month!

LIBRA

24 Sep to 23 Oct

The skies are quite tense mid-month, and for you the upset looks quite close to home. It could be you arguing with a family member or someone you live with, or perhaps others in your family are at war. Whatever you do, stay out of it and try to resist any temptation to control and manipulate others. The good news is that things look positive for you financially, as abundant Venus wafts through your Cash Zone at long last. Show the world you're worth it and spoil yourself a little – it's your birthday, after all!

Power date: 29 October – people are going to take what you have to say very seriously

SCORPIO

24 Oct to 22 Nov

You might feel like hiding yourself away until around 22 October, and that is totally fine. It's the time of year when you’d do well to take time out. An actual retreat would be a great idea for you, if you can swing it. Otherwise, give yourself permission to say no to any invitations that don’t appeal. Take some time to reflect on the past 12 months and what you want for the coming year. It's really important to have this recalibration time once a year. You need to be a bit Zen, especially around 19 October, when tempers will be running high.

Power date: 19 October is tense, but it gives you a lot of power

SAGITTARIUS

23 Nov to 21 Dec

This is the month for you to work on your self-esteem. You may have had quite a challenging couple of years, which have left you doubting yourself. If that's the case, use October to remind yourself of all that is great about you: your sense of humour, your sense of adventure, your enquiring mind and your ability to see the big picture in life. Work on this now and 2017 will be easier. Also, be careful regarding cash this month. There could be a drama, but don't buy into it and don't let anyone bully you about your finances.

Power date: 26 October – spend it with people you love, who love you

CAPRICORN

22 Dec to 20 Jan

Not to alarm you, but there is one massive clash between angry Mars and furious Pluto this month, and it's taking place in your sign. In one way, it's actually good news. It's like a rocket underneath you, forcing you to strip away the past and all the people and places you have left behind. This is an important process. Your life is still evolving, no matter what your age, and you need to clear the decks to allow for new people, places and situations to come into your life. Take care you don't lose your cool with someone and regret it, though.

Power date: 19 October is the hottest day of the month energetically, and the energies are in Capricorn

AQUARIUS

21 Jan to 19 Feb

The only thing you have to fear this month is fear itself. The reason being, your Fear Zone is being stirred up by some pretty powerful energies. On the one hand this can be good, as it means you might have to face some of your fears head on. And if you do that, more than likely they will buzz off (fears are cowards). However, it could also be that you just wallow in whatever is worrying you. That will keep you up at night but accomplish little else. In other news, if one friendship has been troubled lately, you can sort things out.

Power date: 14 October is a super-charged day. Plan a surprise for someone you love

PISCES

20 Feb to 20 Mar

It's all too easy to take our friends for granted. They are always there for us, they forgive us when we mess up and they put up with our quirks. But this month you need to guard against pushing one friendship too far. You may, on one level, be looking to see how far you can test your luck with this person. How much are they willing to take? Or perhaps you're just feeling argumentative and they become the person for you to take your frustrations out on. Whatever the case, go easy on the people who matter to you.

Power date: 26 October could be a good day for friendship, love and/or money

ARIES

21 Mar to 20 Apr

There are some very big tensions in the air this month as your planet Mars clashes with passionate and paranoid Pluto. If you work, dramas could play out there. If you don't, it will probably just feel like there is a lot of pressure to deal with. The good news for you is that you also have lucky Jupiter on your side, which means you can deal with any upsets with a cheerful attitude. That alone should diffuse things. Also, the New Moon in your Love Zone makes it a good month to start over again in relationships, romantic or otherwise.

Power date: 19 October – don't lose your cool

TAURUS

21 Apr to 21 May

October really can be a great month for you as you go from strength to strength. Work out now what you really want. Once you set your intentions and start following your heart's desire, new pathways will open up to you. There is a lot of energy this month coming from the part of your chart related to study (including evening study) and travel. So if you want to explore either of those, this is the time to go for it. If you're involved in a legal wrangle, don't let anyone push you around – stay 100% honest, for best results.

Power date: 26 October could be your lucky day

GEMINI

22 May to 22 Jun

If you have been working hard on your most important relationships with friends, family and your partner or ex, then here is some good news. This month, the love planet Venus enters your Love Zone. Your efforts to be easier to get along with should start to pay off. You should find that even the people who have been hardest on you begin to treat you more kindly. Financially, October could bring some heated moments. Your key to success now is all about paring back unnecessary expense and working hard if you want to generate extra cashflow.

Power date: 19 October – you can really surprise people today

CANCER

23 Jun to 23 Jul

The truth is that, right now, living with you or being your friend is a bit like treading on eggshells. You have volatile Pluto in your opposite sign, which means that every now and then you are going to flare up like lava in a volcano! This cycle isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so you need to learn to master your emotions. It's all part of your life's journey. Can you finally learn to count to ten when someone starts to rile you? This month will provoke you a fair bit. See how well you're doing when it comes to b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g through your need to shout at someone!

Power date: 5 October is a potentially lovely day, so make the most of it.

LEO

24 Jul to 23 Aug

If you sense that it's time you started to take better care of yourself, you might be right. You have both Mars, the planet of action and drive, and Pluto, the planet of detox, in your Wellbeing Zone right now. In other words, it's a great time for you to become more active for the good of your health. If you've been lounging around too much lately, get yourself out to the nearest park or outdoor space. And if you're active but want to go further, try focusing on improving healthy eating habits. It could work wonders.

Power date: 7 October – passions will run very high today.

VIRGO

24 Aug to 23 Sep

If there have been strained relationships at home and with family lately, it's not all that surprising. You have the tedious planet Saturn in your Home Zone, which means your private life is going to be exhausting at best, and a real drag at worst. However, there are important lessons to be learned about how to deal with family. October brings respite as sweet Venus arrives in the same part of your chart. Are you a big enough person to kiss and make up? Venus also makes October the ideal time for some home renovating or decorating.

Power date: 10 October – positive thinking will take you a long way today.

Your monthly horoscope from Bon magazine's astrologer Yasmin Boland of www.moonology.com