The annual New Moon in Sagittarius on November 26 opens this period with an appetite for the world of ideas, philosophy and expanding experiences. The ruler of Sagittarius, Jupiter, will govern this new lunar cycle, and as it spends its last days in its home sign, what we experience over the course of the month may seem more significant than usual as we reach out for a broader meaning to it all. Being open to something new to happen as we go about our normal activities could refresh our enthusiasm and correlate to increased optimism as well as opportunities. It could also lead to a greater sense of inclusiveness that gives life a rich, savory quality. Sagittarius understands there is always more to know and that reaching for the stars of cosmic wisdom connects us with something greater than ourselves. In that connection we just might experience how important the part we play in it is.
Neptune, the planet that rules Cosmic Consciousness and Love, underscores the theme of connectedness with the All when it turns direct on November 27. When this subtle force changes direction it is not as noticeable as when Mercury does, but from its home sign of Pisces, Neptune will emanate a powerful vibration nonetheless. Neptune has been retrograde since June 21 and during that time guided us to work on strengthening our internal connection with spirit by allowing the façade of ego to dissolve. In direct motion, it asks us to lead with the sense of true compassion we strengthened as a result of that spiritual work. The stronger our connection to spirit, the less confused, overwhelmed or frightened we are by the complex, multivalent, multi-player game called life, and the less seduced we will be by our own ego that holds fast to false dreams.
Due to its recent retrograde, Mercury has had an extended stay in Scorpio, an investigative sign that rules all things hidden. While traversing its ‘shadow’ degree space of 11∞ to 27∞ for the third time it will form a four-planet mini-grand trine configuration, also for the third time. On November 28 it trines Neptune, still barely moving at the degree of its station, an alluring current that can transport us into the realms of imagination. Then on November 29, Mercury sextiles Saturn in its home sign of Capricorn, a grounding energy that can identify the most realizable ideas and set about giving them form. On December 2, Mercury completes the alignment when it sextiles Pluto in Capricorn, which intensifies Mercury’s mission to dig for truths and connect with the core of each matter to discover the fundamental motivations behind what is happening. By the time Mercury’s shadow period ends December 7, we may recognize how our awareness has shifted from when it began on October 11. On a mundane level, the Impeachment hearings in the U.S. coincide with the shadow period and as it winds down, we must decide whether or not we will spin the truth to what we want it to be, or accept it for what it is and act accordingly. There is still a chance that a high value surprise witness may come forward when Venus, which entered Saturn’s sign of accountability on November 25, forms a trine to Uranus in Taurus on November 28. Venus then reins in the power of Mars in Scorpio with a stimulating sextile formation on December 3 to support those committed to expressing authentically.
Truth-seeking Jupiter undertakes another, more crucial shift on December 2 when it ends its yearlong tour of Sagittarius, the sign it rules, where it has correlated to an enthusiastic exploration of the meaning of life for many people I know, and on a mundane level with epic discussions of ethics and perhaps overly optimistic interpretations of the laws governing presidential power and immunity. Any excesses and irrational exuberance of the past year will start to see the relevant consequences, and as Jupiter progresses through Capricorn, it energizes the tightening Saturn/Pluto conjunction (in effect 2019-2020) that is correlating to tectonic shifts at the very foundations of civilization. On a personal and collective level, we will likely experience an intensification of the need to step up and take responsibility for the life we are living and instill greater personal integrity in all we do as Jupiter in Capricorn tests the very limits of our ability to expand.
With the stock markets of the world reaching all time highs this past year, it may be wise to recall that when Jupiter was last in Capricorn December 2007 to January 2009 it neatly coincided with the collapse of the housing bubble and the Great Recession. Perhaps this time around Capitalism as our governing societal structure (Capricorn), with its insatiable appetite for unbridled growth (Jupiter) will find it has its limits as well. According to Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges, global Capitalism has destroyed our democratic institutions. “The Capitalist class, which has orchestrated the largest transference of wealth globally upwards in human history [will] support demagogues like Trump.” Even the donor class of the Democrats will swing to Trump, he contends, “rather than carry out policies that will ameliorate the vast disparity in power and wealth.” Hedges recognizes “there is a complete breakdown within the Democratic institutions that once made piecemeal and incremental reforms possible.” He says we must “address the fundamental root causes that have created the political crisis and the economic crisis, the social and even cultural crisis that we are in, and if we don’t re-knit those social bonds, if we don’t confront that crisis, impeachment may very well pour gasoline on the growing antagonisms and violence that is besetting this country.”
It will take courage to face the truth of what is happening to the precious and fragile democracies around the world. When the Sun in Sagittarius squares Neptune in Pisces on December 8, it represents a strong challenge for us to do just that. On the same day, Venus forms a supportive sextile to Neptune, suggesting we can find ways to “re-knit those social bonds” as we navigate the turbulent years ahead by uniting in force with others who are willing to confront these very real crises in a sustained and strategic way, one small step at a time.
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