STAR GUIDANCE

November is a month of big developments and healing. The universe is going to facilitate a big announcement on November 1. It’s a big day with lots going on in the skies; the biggest aspect being the third in the series of squares between Pluto and Uranus. These guys have been moving back and forth in the skies and making exact aspects; the first two happened over the last year and a half. The first square left us reeling after an earthquake sent a wave across Fukushima, Japan, disrupting the nuclear power station. We saw Arab Spring and the Occupy movement. We have seen a greater focus on a hard to pin down enemy, homegrown terrorism both official, as part of terrorist plots, and unofficially with the misguided or deeply disturbed openings of fire. This Pluto-Uranus square will bring further development.

The good news is that the Sun is sextile pluto on the 1st and will be good for helping to clean up situations that have been or become disordered and confusing. It is a great combination for helping to clear up difficult situations. This, however, requires a level of consciousness and a concerted effort. If not, what may happen is a confrontation, because at the same time the Sun is in a difficult aspect to Uranus. I can’t stress enough, conscious expression is important or we might find ourselves in one big surprising situation.

The bad news is that Mercury will still be retrograde in Scorpio and in lots of aspects to other planets. With so much going on with Mercury we can expect words, possibly secrets, to come to light that will be a game changer. Over the last year and a half we have been stunned by actions and natural disasters, but with Mercury playing a big role in this Pluto-Uranus square, it will be words, not actions, that hit us hard. I have heard it said that “words” or “psychological abuse” is much harder to recover from than physical abuse… That is the power of words! We can expect to see words pack that kind of punch on this day. Mercury is sextile Pluto in Capricorn, promising the possibility of something being exposed, possibility in the government or other such institutions. Whatever it is, it will penetrate and have the kind of power in speech that will deeply impact the collective consciousness. The Sun, also in Scorpio conjunct Mercury, promises that the communication will be asserted with some degree of clarity. If you have ever experienced the sting of the scorpion, you will already know what this is like. Mercury sextile Mars, which is in Virgo, will help to ensure that it is honest and direct.  This is a no mincing words combination. As Iyanla Vanzant says, “let’s call a thing a thing, people.” The fact that Mercury is retrograde suggests that we are going over some old ground here and something will come to light that we just didn’t ever think.

On November 1 the Sun is also trine Chiron, so we can be sure that whatever happens, a spiritual awakening will occur. Chiron is in Pisces, so this will be a healing to the collective consciousness. Also, Venus is in truth-seeking Sagittarius trine Pallas in theatrical Leo.  I once had a conversation with a friend’s sister who was a bit of a quirky type; adorable, but quirky. She told me that when she is upset she likes to act it out in the mirror. I feel this may actually be a good way to use the Venus-trine-Pallas energy; expressing your creativity and allowing it to be mirrored back to you so that you can see the subtle patterns of truth and beauty in the situation.

So much astrology is gloom and doom or a report on what has happened using the planets and stars. Yet the energy of the planets, stars and asteroids is not so fatalistic. We do have choice and knowing and using the energy in enlightened ways is, I think, a positive way to use this sort of ethereal knowledge. So much of the time we say “Yeah…let’s do this, let’s do this! We have gotta change the world.”  Yet in reality we only point out the problems and complain about the issues.  We ourselves do not step forward in any real way to make the necessary changes. And so, I was so excited to hear of Marianne Williamson’s decision to become a politician last month. This is a woman who is stepping up! In my excitement I took a look at her natal chart and what I discovered is that more than a politician, Marianne is a mother to the world. Clan Mother! Clan Mother is a role in Iroquois tribes that I quite like. What I like is not just the idea that power was in the hands of a woman, but that the decision-making process was a different one, where the care of the children of the community was taken into consideration.  On the contrary, patriarchal decisions have a different agenda. I bring up Marianne and Clan Mother because I want to talk about a pattern that is forming in the skies on November 1. Uranus is forming difficult aspects and is inconjunction or quincunx to the Sun and Mars. The Sun and Mars are sextile. This configuration in astrology is called a “finger of God”.  Both the Sun and Mars are masculine planets and often represent men in a horoscope. They are sitting in Scorpio and Virgo respectively. Scorpio’s symbol is ♏ ˜and Virgo is ♍ –. Demetra George says that these “Ms” represent matter and in latin, matter’s meaning is “mother”. Right in between Virgo and Scorpio is Libra.

It is important to note that Libra was a patriarchal construct. Libra is the only sign that does not have an animal representing it; it has the balancing scales. In truth, Libra is the tail or the claw of the constellation of Scorpio and was once just a part of the sign Scorpio. The moon transiting in this claw or Chela is the release because it is opposite Uranus. So there the moon sits opposite to Uranus who is in an uncomfortable and in a tense position with the two boys who are in the arms of mother, or at the very least sitting in feminine signs, and having a nice conversation with one another about topics that may or may not be making much sense. Remember Mercury, the communication planet, is retrograde and conjunct the Sun. The moon definitely points to the solution to the tension here. The Libra moon is seeking balance.  Libra, or Chela, can hold on or “claw” to bad situations out of a need to keep the balance, but the hindi/sanscrit meaning of the same word Chela  is “a religious student”.  And maybe it is in this meaning that we should embrace.

In fact, I really feel that if the moon in Libra can step up and be courageous, we can make the most of the Solar eclipse, which happens three days later on November 3. All of the energy of November 1 will still be in effect, however, we have some further developments. The moon will have met up with the Sun at this point and will pass in front of it. All in all this eclipse is an incredibly healing eclipse. If you have ever done a detox diet and had a healing crisis, you will know that in the moment it doesn’t feel very good. In fact, you can feel downright awful. But what is actually happening is that your body is ridding itself of all of the toxins and is getting healthy. With Saturn conjunct the solar eclipse, this in fact, might be the feeling. Structures and things of old may be collapsing around you, but know that it is a part of a deep healing. Mercury is also conjunct the north node facilitating a move in the right direction, this is the path to our destiny.

Ceres will also move into Libra on the 3rd, the day of the solar eclipse, helping us to find the balance in nurturing and to bring about healing. There is, however, a couple of days when we can be thrown off balance. We feel cautious with nurturing on the 6th when Venus squares Ceres. Uranus will oppose Ceres on the 24th and may show up as an erratic emotional response; and Pluto will square Ceres on the 28th igniting separation anxiety.  We may hate the structures that are falling all around us, however, they are the devil we know and we may cling to them out of security at this point. The truth is, we are being challenged to let go in a very deep way.

Venus moves into Capricorn on November 5. Venus – the planet of love and attraction – in Capricorn gets a little materialistic but also cautious with money. If you are doing some Christmas shopping Venus sextile Neptune on the 7th gives a great appreciation of things of worth, however, Jupiter goes retrograde the same day. The better way to use this energy is to allow what you are seeing to inspire the depths of your soul.

Venus will also touch the Pluto/Uranus energy going on this month when it opposes Uranus, also sextiling Chiron on the 14th and conjunct Pluto on the 15th. Remember Venus represents love, but also money, so we may see something come to light with the markets and our own purse strings. If things get a little disordered, or even a lot disordered within these couple of days, we have a saving grace because on the 23rd Venus will sextile Saturn giving us an a small window for financial recovery and stability. It won’t last long though. On the 28th Venus will opposes Jupiter making us excessive and indulgent.

Mercury goes direct again on the 10th of November. Before it does, it will trine Neptune on the 9th and then trine it again on the 11th. An aspect during this time when Neptune changes directions makes it very potent and with this aspect, it is making us all a little more intuitive and a little more psychic than usual. This is the kind of communication that stays away from the logical mind, so if we are sensing something that we feel a need to be able to “prove in court”… don’t bother. Your sense perceptions are bang on, whether you can prove it or not! What we see, what we believe and what we understand will seem like a hall of mirrors in a couple of days later as Neptune also turns around and goes direct on the 13th making its power a little more potent as well. Neptune can create lies, illusions and foggy situations, but also inspiration and spiritual insight.  However, with Neptune opposed Pallas now in Virgo on the 16th, our perceptions and ability to see the big picture and the patterns, may be even more distorted.

Things will clear up the next day when Mercury is conjunct the north node again on November 17.  The moon will also be full on that day giving us a sneak peak at the new beginnings that took place with the eclipse. Mercury is sextile Pluto and trine Chiron on November 20 and conjunct Saturn on the 25th, taking us back over the November 1 eclipse points. When Mercury was retrograde communication may have been heard, but was not understood. Eclipse happenings will crystalize over these couple of days as Mercury goes over the same ground again.

All in all, November will be filled with lots of communication and healing. Sometimes clear, sometimes murky. Crystals that will help the energy this month include pink calcite, which aligns us with the divine mother and the divine feminine.

Read what’s going on for each sign…..

November starts with another Pluto-Uranus square. Wait, it’s October! Yes, but since that lovely square happens on November 1 I didn’t want you to be blindsided as October 1 starts with an exact square from the Sun to Pluto and an opposition to Uranus on the 3^rd.

If you look at the images of the 1950s and then the 1960s you wonder how the world changed so much in seemingly overnight. Even the Beatles sounded wholesome in 1963 with Please Please Me and practically the next day were bizarre beyond belief with the white album… Revolution Number 9. Does anyone understand it? This music was born during the Pluto-Uranus conjunction in the mid-60s. Now during the series of Pluto-Uranus squares, we may finally come to understand what “Revolution Number 9” means.

John Lennon felt connected to the number with his birthday on the 9^th and even changed his name to John Ono Lennon so that his name would add up to nine in numerology. But nine is not an easy path; it is the path of the humanitarian, which is sometimes fraught with conflict if one is to achieve real and lasting change. Those on the path of the nine have a responsibility to mankind. Some true number nines are Elvis, Mother Theresa, Bob Marley, Gandhi, Kurt Cobain. Because it’s such a hard path, it’s easy to crash and burn. Elvis and Kurt had trouble with it, but look at the impact of those who embraced it; Mother Theresa, Bob and Gandhi.

John was not a real nine; actually, he was a real jerk. Yoko Ono, his wife, was a nine however; and how she handled John may just be an example of the number nine approach. She loved him through his jerkiness. Though she loved him, she always did what she needed to do for herself.  And though it may not make sense to most, she even sent him packing at one point with a hall pass and her blessings. He spent 18 months in L.A., which he referred to his “lost weekend”. Through that relationship, John went from hitting women (old machismo) to writing Woman, a song for Yoko and a genuine apology to women and Jealous Guy (new machismo). She even found him crying one day while reading The First Sex
by Elizabeth Gould Davis after realizing the pain he (meaning men) had caused women. And once reunited, she got him to be a house husband and stay-at-home dad.

I thought we were talking about astrology here? Well, I believe these are number nine times. And the Sun square Pluto on the 1^st will highlight the faults in the cracks. If the structure is not solid or working, it will bring up situations that force change. We can embrace that change in service to what is seeking to emerge or we can hold on tight.  Holding on tight can look like Elvis or Kurt, both of whom checked out in painful ways! Or we can choose the path of Bob! (And I don’t mean marijuana.) With Uranus in the mix on the 3^rd, expect the unexpected. My best advice right now is to allow the unconscious to be conscious. Sit in meditation and ask your heart “What am I really feeling?” and let the truth of it emerge. The Sun is in Libra, so not only is finding balance is the key, but loving yourself and all involved through it.

Mercury will also be trine Neptune on October 1, so any heart-to-heart with yourself has the potential to be highly intuitive and spiritual. If you have ever tried to go into a meditative state and visualize and found that nothing emerged, today would be a good day to give it a second try. Whatever the case, if you try to address things with your logical mind, you may get lost.  If you are feeling rebellious or need to be free from obligation, meditate on what your cause really is. If you are feeling internal tension, meditate on what your ideas or beliefs are related to your responsibilities. Maybe your world view needs some revision. Are you harbouring a false belief about the world that is causing you to act in self-sabotaging ways? These questions are answered with your heart, not your mind. Saturn is sextile Vesta, so we can feel strong devotion to duties and obligations. One word of caution however; keep your own counsel on the first as Mercury is squaring Juno, attracting us to people and conversations that will keep us in our minds. This is also all happening around the New Moon on October 4, a tense New Moon.

A couple of days later it’s way better for having a dialogue about what’s going on. Mercury is sextile Pluto on October 6, making it a good time to pierce further into the issue with a coach, psychologist, tarot reader or astrologer.   Good decisions are made when using the head and the heart together. The Sun is sextile Pallas on that day, so recognition of patterns within ourselves can be aided when they are reflected back to us through the mirroring that may occur in these types of interactions.

After basking in the unconscious, intuition and your heart in the first week of October, Mercury will conjunct Saturn on October 8, making it a good day to pull out a spreadsheet and assess the pros and cons in a logical manner. This is when some pessimism can seep in, but there is no need to make any moves just yet. Just let it all swim around and mix together. Jupiter sextile Ceres on the 9^th will make sure that you are covering all state of affairs and viewpoints. Maybe this is related to your children or something else you are nurturing, even if it’s only your own inner child. Solid insight will come later in the month, so hold tight.

In the meantime, on October 10 Venus will be square to Neptune, making it a great day to just forget all that’s been going on and spend the day dreaming. It’s a great day to let yourself be creative. Write a poem or do some painting. If you don’t feel that you are the creative type, you can lose yourself in a great movie. Not in front of the TV or your tablet… make a production of it and go to the movie theatre. Venus will be trine Uranus on October 16, another day to go out and have some fun. This time try to find something unusual or exciting to do. It’s October, so finding a fun house or haunted theme park shouldn’t be too hard. If you have the guts, there is always The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, where the Shining was filmed and where they have actual ghost tours! I don’t really like to be scared, but I do like the part where you get to scream and find an excuse for jumping in your lover’s arms. This is the perfect day for that!

The Sun is square Jupiter on the 12^th giving us a boost of energy. If you have been stagnating on a project get working on it. Keep the momentum by throwing yourself into work on the 13^th when Mercury will sextile Vesta, providing laser-like focus. It’s a day that you may put your head down to work only to lift it at 3:30 p.m. and realize you’ve missed lunch.

On the 19^th, Mars will oppose Neptune. This will be a day when it feels as though someone has pulled out the plug. Energies will be low and we may all feel like withdrawing. There has been so much going on in the world and likely in your life that this is understandable. Let yourself catch your breath. Better days are ahead.

We have a lunar eclipse on October 18 at 25 degrees Aries. Astrologer Bernadette Brady calls this a gentile eclipse with a sense of inspiration, which allows a sudden release from the unconscious that brings with it deep insight. She calls them good insights and wise to act on. If you have been allowing yourself to dream and to meditate all month, this will be a productive eclipse. Jupiter sextile Vesta on October 19 will give you the vision and dedication to follow through. Finally, some action!

Mercury goes retrograde on October 21 in Scorpio. Students taking chemistry beware. Mess-ups can happen at this time by misreading directions and causing small explosions. Research done at this time may need to be revised. Decisions in big business may fall through later on or be fraught with hiccups. Mercury retrograde will again touch Saturn in a conjunction on the 29^th bringing some pessimism into the mix. Don’t get too down on yourself if things are not going well. Just remember there are always valuable lesson in our failures and mix-ups.

Gemstone that will help with the energy this month is Cobaltoan Calcite. This gemstone works with the heart, aligning us with the feminine, balancing our emotions and promoting positive thinking. It opens the heart centre and would be a good one to meditate on decisions to come from the heart.

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