AstroCast: October 23 - November 6, 2011

*Times are PDT, unless stated otherwise.  Planetary positions are expressed as the degree (rounded to the nearest whole degree) followed by the sign.

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Are you wondering why you feel some of the transits we talk about and not others or why a friend may feel one but you don’t?  If the transiting planet affects a planet in your natal chart, that is, where the planets were at the time you were born, then you are more likely to feel the transit or may feel it stronger than one that does not affect a planet in your natal chart.  Don’t have a chart?  Would you like one?  Let us know.

On Sunday, October 23rd, as the “Occupy” movement gains momentum around the world, the Sun leaves people pleasing, let’s all be fair Libra for the intensity of Scorpio. Gloves will come off as we passionately explore the deep, dark Root of whatever it is that occupies our soul’s purpose. Whether it is equalizing society in a “Levelution” or revealing painful personal truths that are holding us back, Scorpio can take us there. In the most simplistic terms, Scorpio is most associated with sex, but actually has less to do with the physical act itself and more to do with the very act of penetration – for the purpose of re-merging with that which it was separated from. Be prepared to commit to truth – as we probe to the depths of others feelings, so should we allow others to see inside us. Rather than not trusting that others will hold our darkest feelings sacred, our willingness to be vulnerable could lead to the greatest devotion to unity between souls.

On October 24th, the Sun 0° Scorpio trines Chiron 0° Pisces providing an early theme for this year’s solar transit through the sign of the Detective – get to the Root of the issue to find the mechanism for healing. The Sun provides an inherent creative approach to life and in dialogue with Chiron in Pisces, understands the natural fluidity of the universe – all things must change. We have but to tune into our Scorpionic delving nature, wherever it lurks in our charts, to tap into the power of change at the base of any structure and see what topples and what is liberated. Nothing is immune to the march of time.

As if to attest to that, the Moon speeds through Libra in less than 48 hours giving us a quick window of opportunity to work on issues in significant relationships by looking at them from the other person’s perspective. As she passes by Saturn on October 25th, and they both sextile Mars, we are given the directive to “walk a mile in their moccasins.” The old Native American adage suggests a responsible way to act on our feelings about others.

On October 26th, the Moon joins the Sun, Mercury and Venus in Scorpio, tipping the balance of modes heavily on the side of fixed with some cardinal and still no mutability (other than the Moon’s quick transits). The lesson of Scorpio is elimination and as with all fixed signs, that means letting go. While hanging on through thick and thin certainly has its merits, doing so because of fear of what will take its place (what is unknowable) is a weak substitute for a long sustained campaign with a higher purpose. Less than five hours later we have the New Moon at 3° Scorpio giving us a chance to view the process of “leaving behind” on a manageable scale – it’s something we do every 28 days.  While the New Moon represents the symbolic planting of a new seed, it may be helpful to remember the fate of the seed from the previous New Moon.  While this isn’t the most micro of cycles in the astrological play book, it is still one that we can perhaps view as less threatening because the changes it brings are usually less dramatic than those brought on by the outer planet cycles.  Also, the essence of the previous seed is part of the DNA of the new seed developing in the new phase.  Paying attention to these cycles attunes us to the rhythm of letting go and renewal. What better time to focus on this than during the Scorpio New Moon? Dane Rudhyar says the miracle in Scorpio “is the revelation of Humanity to the individual. It is the identification, through immediacy of feeling, of the individual with Humanity, of the part with the Whole. In this identification the individual finds his destiny and purpose. What he has gained as an individual he offers as a sacrificial gift to his Community. The unique gifts of the individual are surrendered to Humanity, that the level of his humanness may rise.” The Sun in Scorpio, according to Rudhyar “has at his disposal the vast accumulation of power stored in humanity’s common life. He is like a tree with a powerful tap-root, able to draw sustenance from the hidden springs of life. There is no depth which the person may not reach if he dares to sink himself into those basic organic energies which are the foundation of human behavior… It is energy which comes from identification with an ocean of life whose tides and storms are tremendous.” With the Moon in Scorpio, there is added emotional depth and an ability to intuit the emotions of others. “The Scorpio Moon,” says Rudhyar, “reflects the passions of humanity’s common ancestry and symbolizes the individual subservience to collective moods. … There is strength in the body and a dark power of will in the emotional life. In combination with other constructive factors, this can lead a person to great power and make of him a mouthpiece of his group.” Tied to the ongoing Pluto/Jupiter trine in Capricorn/Taurus, this New Moon is given added strength to transform dysfunctional structures. With all this power and depth – Scorpio is after all ruled by Pluto – purity of intention is essential less we succumb to the darkness and fail to “ascend to the surface of conscious and individualized being with a rich treasure to use in terms of a clear purpose.” The Sabian symbol for 3° Scorpio is “a youth carries a lighted candle in a devotional ritual; the educative power of ceremonies which impress the great images of a culture upon its gathered participants.” Let us carry a candle with us as we descend into our psyches for this brief moment in universal time so that when we meet our soul’s intention face to face we can let it imprint our mind with its consciousness. Three and a half hours after the New Moon, Venus 22° Scorpio squares Mars 22° Leo. Passions may get the best of us as we do what it takes to satisfy our soul’s desires. As always when experiencing challenging aspects, it helps to put the observer’s hat on to get a better look at what is propelling the intense yearning. Venus in Scorpio deeply believes in the power of love to transform. An intense drive to have a sexual encounter could conflict with the deeper need to have true intimacy. Hopefully Mars in Leo’s noble intent will give us the strength to hold out for the real deal.

On October 28th, Mercury 23° Scorpio follows closely in Venus’ path and squares Mars 23° Leo adding a think/want conflict to the mix that may propel the need to talk about what came up when Venus squared Mars. If we condemn any action we or someone else may have taken, anger could arise, or at least regretful statements. Rather than resorting to arguing, we could use the great Scorpio skill of sleuthing to find the source of our internal rage and bring it to light with compassion. The heavens will provide powerful help as just over one hour later, retrograde Jupiter 5° Taurus trines direct Pluto 5° Capricorn. This aspect has been building for a while and its strongest effects last for weeks on either side of the exact aspect. Others may not see the depth of our understanding and faith due to the underground nature of Plutonic energy. Any government or organization out of touch with the natural rhythm of the universe may not know what hit them as their structures crumble with ease (trine). The expansion (Jupiter) of energy for the long-term changes in progress (Pluto) is redefining our sense of wealth and greatness. Further supporting this mission is the Sun 5° Scorpio opposing Jupiter 5° Taurus just nine hours later. Watch the news for this day could be big, or we could just ride the tide of this tsunami in our own lives and put all that power of high-level focus and profound physical stamina to good use. With the Sun also in sextile to Pluto, we could experience an entré into the soul of others in a big-hearted way. We’ll be bursting at the seams to grow beyond our self-imposed limitations so we can create a faith that is big enough to allow room for growth. Symbolic re-potting of all varieties is recommended. For those keeping score, the Moon moves into Sagittarius today providing a brief influx of mutable energy. Score 6 fixed, 3 cardinal and 1 mutable.

The Moon is now beginning to slow down seemingly having over-exerted herself traveling through the signs so fast. But the Moon is not the only one slowing down. The fleet-footed Mercury has also been slowing down in preparation for his next retrograde cycle. We may finally get some relief from the hyper-drive energy we’ve all been experiencing these last weeks and hopefully the whole world will accommodate us by slowing down too, allowing a little more reflection before action. Hot on the heels of Venus, the Messenger of the Gods has been not more than three degrees away from the Goddess of Love, Beauty and all that we value for most of October. He finally catches up to within one degree of her on October 29 and stays on her heels, no more than one degree apart, until mid-November when he starts to slow down before going retrograde on November 24th. Venus and Mercury sharing such close quarters for this extended time will bring an artistic flare and refined expression to all we do. We may experience the golden touch of Grace and find the way into others’ hearts through poetic words or music. With this pair in Scorpio, our declarations of love may come out with operatic passion.

On October 30th, the Moon moves from mutable Sagittarius into cardinal Capricorn and the score is now 6 fixed, 4 cardinal and 0 mutable.

On October 31st, all Hollow’s Eve, when the veil between worlds is thinnest, the energy builds but then appears to dissipate – or does it? By mid afternoon, we are bewitched by a strong love potion as Venus 28° Scorpio squares rising Neptune 28° Aquarius while Mars 24° Leo, just setting in the west, is still in orb to both, forming a potentially volatile but also misty fixed T-square. We may find ourselves struggling to find clarity about our high ideals regarding relations with others. We’ll look for refinement in these matters, or perhaps be dazzled by all that which glamorously glitters and grasp for false objects of desire that seem to attract us with two-ton magnets. Who fills in the missing point in orb of 28° Taurus to provide an outlet for this energy and make this a fixed grand cross? The fixed star beta Perseus, also known as Algol, is a binary star system with a smaller star orbiting a larger one that is at 27° Taurus. Considered by the ancient Greeks to represent the blinking eye of the head of Medusa held in the hand of Perseus, this star represents where one might “lose one’s head,” in this case where matters of the heart are concerned. We may succumb to the seduction of our dreams or be forever lost in the pain and exaltation of romance novel love. The only antidote is to channel this energy creatively into art or refined physical activities such as dance, yoga or even surfing – what better way to learn how to ride the waves of planetary energy? Another way to come down from the clouds would be to look for the sublime glory in everyday expressions of love.

In the wee hours of the morning on November 1st, when only the most committed of Halloween celebrants are still awake, Mercury joins the party making this a spectacular four planet configuration when he squares Neptune at 28° Scorpio/Aquarius. This will add to our vivid fantasy life and deep sense perception. It may be hard to resist the potent love potion in the air, so rather than fight it, go with the flow of the experience – write a poem or sing a duet with someone. Or we could tap into the Shakespeare or Verdi in all of us and act out the mystery play in flights of lyrical fancy. Better to stick to the arts and higher forms of expression, as the material world will not yield any clarity – what looks like fact may indeed be fiction. Later that afternoon, the Moon moves from cardinal Capricorn to fixed Aquarius. Now the score is back to 7 planets in fixed signs and only 3 planets in cardinal signs with no planets in mutable signs. It may seem all but impossible to not dig in our heels at this time, but that may be a blessing as it is probably better to hold off progressing until we wake from our quixotic reverie!

On November 2nd, as most people are sleeping, Venus emerges from the depths of passionate Scorpio to enter fiery, philosophical Sagittarius, thus ending the fixed/cardinal domination and finally adding some mutability longer than the Moon’s 2-3 days. Venus breaks free from the shackles of do-or-die Scorpionic commitment and heads off to explore the mountaintops of Love, hopefully in some foreign country. Less than eight hours later the Moon 10° Aquarius makes the first quarter square (crisis of action) to the Sun 10° Scorpio. Mercury joins Venus in Sagittarius sixteen minutes later to ask, “What is life all about?” Sagittarius is about broad uninhibited strokes and the Messenger God here is all about freedom of speech. First Amendment advocates will love this, in any language. Just don’t expect details. Now the score is 5 fixed, 3 cardinal and 2 mutable. The Moon and Mercury are both continuing to slow down which may help to reduce the volume of racing thoughts in our minds. Five hours later, Venus 0° Sagittarius squares Chiron 0° Pisces. Then seven hours later, before the day is over, Mercury 0° Sagittarius does the same. Relating of any form could yield healing opportunities for personal evolution by triggering past life issues or karmic ancestrally learned traits about traditional gender roles. Intuition may be strong to help us through any rough waters that may ensue from the impressive planetary T-square configuration still in play involving Neptune and Mars along with Venus/Mercury/Chiron. But attending to the details could be the key to bringing balance between our internal animus and anima and the Martian and Venusian behavior we exhibit.

On November 3rd shortly after midnight, Venus 1° Sagittarius trines erratic retrograde Uranus 1° Aries. Still hot on the heels of Venus, Mercury 1° Sagittarius adds his energy to the mix and trines Uranus 1° Aries before Sunrise. Free Love! Live and let live! Do you see a trend here? The Uranian brand of freedom mixes it up with Sagittarian exploration to bring innovative ways of relating. Embrace the Bohemian in you. Eccentric groups on the fringe of society will have an extraordinary allure. Gypsies and Nomads of all varieties will be exalted. Ultimately, alternative anything will attract to liberate us from the ruts of our accepted but untried beliefs. The pieces of the puzzle we’ve been looking at may suddenly emerge into a clear image that shows us all the connections between us. After the Sun has set and as we settle in for prime time TV, Saturn slips into his shadow at 22° Libra.  The period of what Jim Sher calls “pure progress” is now over.  Look back from now to the beginning of the year when Saturn was at 17° Libra.  What was accomplished during this time?  When Saturn treks through a degree space only once, without having to revisit it, we can make tremendous strides in whatever it is we are focusing on.  But now that Saturn is entering the period when it will travel the degree space between 22° to 30° Libra three times, as it does during this retrograde phase, it is time to buckle down again.  Pay attention to what develops between now and next February when Saturn turns retrograde, as we will need to review it all when Saturn retraces his path back over this degree range, and then again once after he goes direct.

On November 4th, just after midnight, the Moon still slowing down enters mutable water Pisces where it will spend the next 59 hours in mystical bliss. Now the score is 4 fixed, 3 cardinal and 3 mutable.

On November 5th, just after 1:00 a.m., the Moon goes void-of-course for the next 34 hours. Six hours later Mercury enters his shadow at 3° Sagittarius in preparation for going retrograde on November 23rd. Just as the Sun sets, Mercury makes a break for it and goes “out-of-bounds,” into the degree range that is in the outer reaches of space from the Solstice points. When this condition afflicts a planet the rulebook goes out the window, or into deep space. For Mercury, this means the verbal/mind filter is decidedly off and we may speak or think in abnormal ways. Not only is Mercury now in his shadow, making his first transit of the unusually long space from 3° Sagittarius to 20° Sagittarius (the station retrograde point) he is like the dog off its leash, free to roam, or in this case to express himself any way he pleases. With Venus still in his neighborhood, he could drag her concerns with him making relationships or artistic expression seem erratic.

On November 6th at 2:00 a.m., daylight savings time ends with the Sun at 13° Scorpio and unaspected, meaning it can act like a maverick. With the Sun involved, identity crisis may arise, forcing questions to the surface of our minds: Who am I? How do I express my true being? Scorpio will use the Sun’s light to reveal the hidden places of pain deep within us we have yet to transform and give us the courage to bring them to the surface for healing.