AstroCast: November 6 - 21, 2014

The ease and flow of the last couple of weeks gives way to demand and deliver over the next without much relief among the angular relationships in the sky, meaning the days ahead (if you’re not already feeling it!) will offer increased challenges and the potential for battles. Two distinct astral patterns involving seven planets unfold and as they do it could feel restrained and explosive at the same time. With or without an awareness of what is developing in the heavens, it may be difficult to manage the conflicting energies at play. The feeling of being pulled in different directions could even be a little crazy making. For any of us experiencing the extremes of these divergent configurations first hand, this is an opportunity to hone our balancing act and remain in a state of neutrality. Imagine walking the tight rope, feeling the gravitational pull from both sides, yet yielding to neither. It’s a field test to see where vestiges of disequilibrium still exist. When upset occurs it becomes less what caused it and more about how we handle it than, ideally with presence and honesty.

The Full Moon on November 6th features the Moon in earthy Taurus, which savors emotional stability and highly values the material world. The demonstrative Scorpio Sun always digging for psychic secrets can seem downright scary to the placid Taurus Moon who highly values peace and beauty in her surroundings. No messy dealings or chaotic entanglements for her. The Scorpio Sun’s sense of drama and intrigue can seem like a big to-do over nothing. On the other hand, the Sun in Scorpio is a master at sensing what is operating beneath the surface of polite society. He can smell fear a mile away and is in tune with the forces of life and death. Mysteries of an occult nature fascinate the Scorpio Sun, as does deception and conspiracy. He is always looking to penetrate the veil of this earthly reality in order to reveal the existence of other dimensions he is sure are there. To the Taurus Moon, content with that which is before her very eyes, tangible, sensual and accessible, all that can seem like a lot of nonsense. Since both the Sun and Moon are both operating through fixed signs, they probably won’t be too willing to budge in their polarized positions, except perhaps when they recognize the common ground they do share: resources. The Taurus Moon will work hard to build, protect and preserve her material wealth as well as all that she finds aesthetically and sensually pleasing. The Scorpio Sun will exhibit a great talent in connecting with others to discover all available resources and charm their custodians into employing them in a common cause. Whether tangible in the way of money or other assets, or intangible in the way of inherent talents others bring to the resource table, the Taurus Moon and Scorpio Sun can reconcile their opposing positions by joining forces and applying their mutually tenacious nature into ensuring their resources are used wisely. As the culmination of that which began at the Scorpio New Moon, which in this case was a powerful eclipse, this is the stable Taurus Moon’s opportunity to shine her light at its moment of fullness deep into Scorpio’s territory in order to reveal the truth we’ve been seeking. Her unwavering nature should be able to steady the boat no matter how rocked it gets from the revelations.

On November 8th, Mercury enters Scorpio for a three-week journey into the deep. Joining the Sun, Venus and Saturn in this probing sign, Mercury here applies his perceptive ability to making the connection between the tip of the iceberg and what lies hidden beneath. One of the reasons Scorpio may be so misunderstood is because it is the domain of truth, which may often appear cold and hard. To Mercury in Scorpio, authenticity is an essential component of intimacy. He has a sixth sense for deception and if need be, will strike at it with his stinger of truth, which can cause such intense pain that the force of the delivery completely distracts from the actual message being delivered because it is forgotten in the extreme reaction that generally ensues. The shadow side of that stinger can manifest in the deliverer simply using it to deflect attention away from his own self-deception. We all know how easy it is to call out the flaws of others and how much more difficult it is to acknowledge our own. Once in Scorpio, Mercury enters into a trine to Neptune that becomes exact on November 11th, attuning his perception of others and the world around him to a highly subtle level. This is the one aspect, however brief, that may soften the harsher aspects building into this time frame. We’ll need this open access to our imagination so we can create a strong intention to see the opportunity rather than the obstacle, and to have compassion for ourselves as well as our fellow travelers.

The duo configurations of demand and deliver unfold November 9th through 18th. First off, the Sun and Venus, traveling in tandem since the beginning of October, will square Jupiter in Leo and conjunct Saturn in Scorpio. The Sun and Venus together generally have brought a very endearing congeniality to relationships of late and are just coming off a magical encounter with the New Scorpio Moon eclipse trine mystical Neptune (see last AstroCast). During the current period they’ll encounter some turbulence from corresponding contacts with the planet of expansion and the planet of restriction. Like ocean currents meeting at the shore, their conflicting energies may generate a few waves or perhaps a strong undertow that could sweep us off our feet. In the effort to deepen our relationships, can we meet Saturn’s expectations for responsibly handling the power inherent in witnessing the vulnerability of another? Can we be discerning in the face of Jupiter’s urging to give love indulgently, even if we don’t really know the other to whom we are giving? Thinking about these scenarios it is easy to see where we could get tripped up.

The explosive part comes when Mars conjuncts Pluto in ambitious Capricorn, then squares Uranus in self-determining Aries. Any obstacle could be met with an impulsive reaction filled with powerful anger, resentment, frustration, discontent, and/or a need to strike out at or break away. This is the stuff that breeds radical militants with an aggrandized sense of self willing to exact a big price for whatever it is they value most. It is usually in the name of freedom but you can bet there is something much deeper going on. This is where the iceberg comes in. Be on the look out, not for what is seen externally that triggers, but for what is unseen internally that can be triggered. The key is to realize that whatever obstacles are met must be faced: skills need to be developed, perceptions need wholesale rejiggering, what is closed needs to be opened in a whole new way. That is the quality of effort required to live a conscious life. Without it we always have the mirror given to us by the daily barrage of sensational news reports chronicling the chaos near and far. Consciousness begins with the ability to observe what is operating in our psyche. Simply being willing to self-witness, truthfully and openly, is the ultimate start to spontaneous growth.

During this entire time, Neptune has been at a virtual stand still in preparation for turning direct on November 15th. Subtle as it is, the laser focus of Neptune’s energies beaming to earth may resonate as an alternative call to lay down our arms and give up the fight. As we’ve progressed through the series of epoch defining Uranus/Pluto squares I’ve considered that we might have a resurgence of the street protests as happened in the 1960s when the conjunction between these two heavyweights occurred, but that is old thinking. While it is useful to look to the past for an idea of how the archetypal energies will play out, especially when using a cyclical system such as astrology, the influence of Uranus here insists we think outside of the box. Instead of raising the roof on injustice, perhaps we will raise our consciousness instead. Instead of marching against dysfunctional systems we’ll be meditating en masse in order to connect to a larger consciousness system that has a purpose for ALL that is experienced on earth.

As if to underscore Neptune’s message of the great adventure of consciousness, Venus enters Sagittarius less than twelve hours later on November 16th, ready to shake off Scorpio’s seriousness as she bursts forth with infinite love ready to take on the world. In Sagittarius, she’ll be inspired to expand her relationship horizons, or grab a partner and explore new territory. While the Archer’s influence on Venus could also make her resist anything that ties her down, her square to Neptune, which becomes exact on November 20th, drops a veil of romance over her eyes so she temporarily may not act quite as realistically, or as independently as befits the classic Sagittarius wanderlust spirit. With Neptune tugging on her, she may channel that restlessness into exploring her role in the great Cosmos.

Also on November 16th, Mercury in Scorpio connects with Scorpio’s modern ruler, Pluto and then segues into a sextile to Scorpio’s traditional ruler, Mars on November 21st. This combination adds depth and vigor to our thought processes, which are already fairly potent with Mercury in the sign of transformation. With Mars’ cutting nature and Pluto’s keen ability to purge the non-essential, their connection to Mercury should mitigate any lack of clarity the Venus/Neptune aspect may arouse.

Here’s the data:

Times where noted are Pacific Time Zone.   Degrees where noted are rounded to the nearest whole degree.

November 6th – Moon opposite Sun (Full Moon) at 14° Taurus/Scorpio at 2:23 p.m.

November 8th – Mercury at 0° Scorpio at 3:09 p.m.

November 9th – Venus square Jupiter at 21° Scorpio/Leo at 12:41 p.m.

November 10th – Mars conjunct Pluto at 12° Capricorn at 3:03 p.m.

November 11th – Mercury trine Neptune at 5° Scorpio/Pisces at 7:39 p.m.

November 12th – Venus conjunct Saturn at 25° Scorpio at 5:02 p.m.

November 12th – Mars square Uranus at 13° Capricorn/Aries at 5:29 p.m.

November 13th – Sun square Jupiter 22° Scorpio/Leo at 7:05 p.m.

November 15th – Neptune stations direct at 5° Pisces at 11:06 p.m.

November 16th – Mercury sextile Pluto at 12° Scorpio/Capricorn at 5:55 a.m.

November 16th – Venus at 0° Sagittarius at 11:04 a.m.

November 18th – Sun conjunct Saturn at 26° Scorpio at 12:05 a.m.

November 20th – Venus square Neptune at 5° Sagittarius/Pisces at 6:56 a.m.

November 21st – Mercury sextile Mars at 20° Scorpio/Capricorn at 6:01 a.m.