I was chatting with a cashier recently, and she commented that the whole COVID-19 experience seems to have brought out the best and the worst in people. It was a simple observation, yet it got me thinking. I asked myself whether it is bringing out the best or the worst in me and how I could do better. Much of this question relates to how we treat other people: Can we manage to smile at a stranger in the street, or are we impatient and irritable because the person in front of us in line isn’t moving fast enough? Are we mindful of our triggers, or do we allow our opinions to set us against others?

As the planets line up in the people-orientated sign of Libra, October is a good month to focus on unity and healing divisions. From our partners, family, and friends to the people we encounter in our daily lives while shopping or doing other errands, much of our happiness in life depends on our relationships. Mercury retrograde through Libra will impress on us the need for more harmonious relationships, and any partnership that has suffered for whatever reason will likely take on greater relevance. Now is the time to make an effort to talk to and reconnect with someone you are distanced from.