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SKYWATCH
FOR NOVEMBER 2007
11/1
Mercury turns direct November is a relatively easy month astrologically, giving us a bit of a much-needed break! We begin with Mercury turning direct on the first of the month and we are still experiencing the effects of a nice sextile between Jupiter and Neptune that will continue over the next week or so. The optimism and confidence of Jupiter now harmonizes with the urge for a more transcendent experience that Neptune offers, making this a very creative time when it is easy to visualize our lives into manifestation. I am keeping an eye on the new planet Eris to see what kind of effects it may have, and Jupiter will make a trine to Eris on November 6 which will be in effect for the whole first week of the month. You can read much more about Eris here, but she seems to have a disruptive effect that is aggressive but not outwardly so. This is a trine aspect where we would expect to get the best of both planets, and both are in fire signs (Eris is moving very slowly through Aries and Jupiter is in Sagittarius) so we might see an increase in physical activity and perhaps a healthy competition through sports. I have a theory about Eris that I have not yet proven which is that Eris rules over small events that have a big disruptive impact such as what occurred during the 10-year Trojan War which was caused by an apple and a beauty contest. But I am still just exploring its meaning through observation. When Venus (relating to others and sensation) makes a square to Pluto (compulsive behavior and transformation) on November 6 we may find ourselves feeling more intense than usual and this can create challenges for our relationships. Venus moves quickly so this transit will last for a day or so on either side and when Mercury (communication) sextiles Pluto on the 8th we will find it easier to discuss the issues that have arisen under the Venus/Pluto influence. The sextile of Mercury and Pluto facilitates writing and study of all kinds as the mind is sharpened and more focused. Venus leaves Virgo for its own sign of around midnight of November 8-9. Venus and Libra are concerned primarily with beauty and harmony in life, as well as relationships between people. Because Libra is an air sign there is more of an interest in the relationship dynamic than in actual intimacy which is the province primarily of the water signs. Venus in Libra is creative, artistic, great for entertaining and diplomacy of all kinds. The New Moon occurs on November 9 at 7:03 pm with the Sun and Moon conjoined at 17 degrees Scorpio. During the New Moon the Sun's power of conscious will is stronger than the lunar flow of subconscious emotions, which is why New Moons are considered auspicious times for new beginnings. There is an unadulterated stream of intention that flows from the New Moon and offers an opportunity for change. In Scorpio we delve into the underworld of our emotions and face the raw reality of life and death. Transformation is the key here: digging up the dead and dying debris of our psychological history in order to make room for something new to be reborn. There is a square from the New Moon to Neptune which opens the doors of perception and spirit and inspires our creativity, but this could be a time when we lose our grounding and our center. The New Moon opposes Ceres nearly exactly, creating a tension between the two poles of nurturing between the Moon and Ceres. Ceres is more connected to nurturing the soul in physical form, whereas the Moon rules over emotional security. Food-related issues may be of interest during this time, or matters of the family. Mercury enters in Scorpio on November 11 where it will bring more intensity into our communication and mental activities. There is a tendency here to be somewhat obsessive and a bit compulsive which could intensify a whole range of activities. Mars will turn retrograde on the 15th, and during the first half of the month it is slowing down in preparation for its retrograde turn. Mars is in Cancer now, where it is concerned with protecting the family as well as one's own sensitive emotions. There is a defensiveness to Mars in Cancer and a drive for preservation of the tribe. Mars will retrograde at 12 degrees Cancer, affecting those of us with planets in the middle degrees of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn) more intensely than others. Chiron becomes more important during the second half of the month as Mercury approaches a square to Chiron that is exact on the 18th. Painful experiences of the past are more accessible now and we may find we are touchier than usual as a result. Still, the experience of that inner wound can bring us in greater contact with our inner selves and deepen the wisdom of self-understanding. This becomes easier with the trine of Venus to Chiron on the same day. Until the 20th or so, take advantage of these opportunities to resolve interpersonal issues or emotional discomfort. By the 20th Venus makes a square to Mars, a mildly irritating day or two of dissonance between relationship needs (Venus) and personal needs (Mars). Mars makes a trine to Mercury the same day, energizing our thoughts into action and making this a great time for projects requiring that mental energy. With Mercury opposite Ceres now there may be some tension between what we need to feel nurtured and healthy (Ceres) and what our intellect is telling us (Mercury). This will be short-lived since Mercury will make a trine to Uranus and provide us with a wealth of new ideas for exciting changes. The Sun enters Sagittarius on November 22. November 24 brings the Full Moon at 10:29 am in Gemini (with the Sun in Sagittarius). At the Full Moon the lunar principle gains more power, and the instinctive unconscious is more available to us. The Gemini Full Moon brings a facility for language and communication, and learns through a variety of experiences. Because the Sun in Sagittarius is opposite the Moon in Gemini, there is a tension now between these two polarities. There are two faces to Gemini: the light side and the dark, and there is a thirst for learning as much as possible about both. For Sagittarius, however, there is just one way, and the journey is to find that one way. This is a time for study, for philosophy, perhaps for travel and adventure! The lunation forms a tight Grand Cross to the lunar nodes which reveals a sense of destiny in this event. Decisions made and adventures taken at this time could play a role in the unfolding of our ultimate experience. The approaching trine of Venus to Neptune (exact on the 26th) adds creativity and romance, and an ability to delve beneath the surface of the mundane details of the material world to find beauty and mystery beneath. Music, writing, painting - all are favored during the week of this Full Moon! On November 27 Mars makes a quincunx to Chiron. The quincunx is somewhat difficult because it creates pressure without an opportunity for release through crisis that we see in the square or opposition. We may find ourselves feeling uneasy or afraid as faint rumblings from forgotten and unconscious painful places (Chiron) are stimulated by Mars. This is a short-term event that coincides with the approaching conjunction of Jupiter to Pluto of early December! I'll be reporting more on that aspect at Astrological Musings during the month, but for now I'll just say that this will be an intense time of conflict (Pluto) over ideas and theology (Jupiter). Those of us with planets in the late degrees of the mutable signs (Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo and Pisces) will be most affected by this period. Until
then, have a good month and enjoy the (relatively) smooth ride! |
Jupiter
sextile Neptune