An Intense New Moon – Part II

We all know that life is full of strange contradictions, a kaleidoscope of patterns weaving in and out of our lives and the mysterious sense that for every moment of clarity there will also be an equal number of moments of uncertainty and mystery. The New Moon that occurred on November 16 is certainly an example of this. On one hand, we have the first Sun-Moon cycle that contains the newly formed aspect between Saturn and Pluto, which is a contractive, consolidating set of energies. But on the other hand, the Sun/Moon conjunction squares a tightening conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune. Well, sure enough, the stock market went up this week, despite the forces that would defy that movement.

This coming week will likely maintain this upward, optimistic trend as not only does Jupiter continue to get closer to Neptune, but Venus (which rules joy, aesthetics and money) is moving right into that square to Jupiter/Neptune and a trine to Uranus. Reversals in the market seem to become likely after this week in the beginning of December as other transits begin to kick in, so this week is one in which we can enjoy ourselves. Thanksgiving should be very nice one this year. I hope you enjoy the festivities.

On a personal level, this suggests that it is a good time to focus on the solving of problems, especially if we do not lose our footing in the real. Jupiter rules opportunities, but can also pressure us to take such an optimistic approach that we avoid making the necessary shifts. We can think things are better than they are. Saturn is lurking just right underneath and if we avoid that, it will catch up with us soon. Back to the macro level for a moment, the Obama trip to China was historic in the sense that this is the first time a U.S. President has traveled to China with our nation and economy in a weak position, while China’s is strengthening by the day. Our ability to influence Chinese policy is at an all-time low. They are concerned about the free fall of the U.S. dollar, which now appears to be part of a deliberate policy of the Federal Reserve to increase U.S. exports. But, we are not going to be able to dictate to China without repercussions from them. We are in very new territory with the Chinese.

To put into a simple sentence what I believe these contradictory forces mean for us I would say: Take advantage of any real opportunities that appear, while also remaining cautious and patient. This may be more difficult than it sounds right now as it will be easy to ignore the ‘slow down warning signs’ that are also there if we are observant. We are in the waxing or growing phase of the Moon cycle, so we are urged to expand and develop whatever projects in which we are engaged and in fact, with the Moon moving into a conjunction with Jupiter, this is the best time of the month for this.

Mars, the archetype of self-assertion is now slowing down significantly as it prepares to turn retrograde on December 21. It will only travel 4 degrees in the next month whereas it usually travels at a rate of a little less than a degree per day. This is another telltale sign that changes cannot happen at a fast pace right now. Prepare to adjust to a slower pace and pay attention to any temptation to race ahead, because anything that is done prematurely will certainly have to be redone during the Mars retrograde period. See what I mean about flows and counter-flows.

The “Jack and Jill” Series

The final selection of Jack and Jill has been made. I want to express my many thanks to the readers who were kind enough to be willing to participate in this project. Also, I want to express my gratitude to the graduates of the School who assisted me in setting up the best parameters in the selection process as well as in the decision-making process itself. The final decision was based on the intensity of change in the charts selected. They are both going to be strongly affected by both the coming Saturn square to Pluto as well as by the Mars retrograde this winter.

The articles will begin soon and will appear about once a week. The articles will be numbered so if you miss one, you can find it by doing a search at my website for Jack or Jill and be able to read the articles in order or any other way you prefer. I hope this series will be interesting and enlightening as its intention is to help you see how alive and relevant astrology can be. I have an expression I tell me students all the time. It bothers astrologers sometimes, but here it is. “Astrology is only a description and is therefore inferior to the person themselves.” Another way to say it is that if you find that an astrological description doesn’t make sense to you, the problem is likely not in you. It’s in the astrological interpretation. This series is intended to help you discover this for yourself.

Final thanks go to Jack and Jill themselves who have invited you to look at how their lives develop in the next several months. Although they will remain anonymous, I greatly appreciate their willingness to share their personal lives so openly. As Wayne and Garth have said: “Game on!”

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

All the best,

Jim Sher