Current Transits for November 2000 Current Transits for November 2000Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mars enters Libra, 11-3
Mercury Direct Station at 29Li56, 11-7 -- enough confusion to blow the election!
Pallas enters Scorpio, 11-8
Full Moon at 19Ta47, 11-11
Chiron sextile Uranus, 11-13
Ceres enters Sagittarius, 11-22
New Moon at 4Sa00, 11-25
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Compared to the fast clip of October, November appears to be having trouble getting up a good head of steam. There are few events in the sky worth getting excited about. Even the usual procession of storms and transitions seem to blur into each other without much distinction. A pattern like this is really a two-edged sword. On the one hand, the energies are mostly moderate in intensity, so at least we aren't being blown out of the water constantly. However, these same energies are often scattered and somewhat negative in tone, so we are often struggling against external circumstances to get anything done. Take it slow and easy, keeping your expectations in check. This is especially so the first half of the month, as retrograde Mercury comes to a halt on the 7th and slowly resumes normal motion. This makes for more snafus than usual and inhibits our ability to rationally sort out problems.
November is kind of a slow news month. The major stories include one big aspect (Chiron sextile Uranus) and the Mercury direct station. In addition, there are 3 notable sign changes.
Mars shifts from Virgo into Libra on the 3rd. Libra is a zodiac sign that seems to restrict Mars' natural, blustery style. He's normally about doing his own thing, expressing his own desires and will power, not letting anything get in his way. This is warrior energy, the urge to just get things done. Libra, however, puts the spotlight on relationships and getting along harmoniously with others. This forces Mars to consider others in his decisions, to try to balance conflicting needs and desires in his plans, when all he really wants to do is look out for himself. Anger and impatience can become an issue under this placement, as we tend to blame others for the disagreements that crop up. As much as Mars dislikes it, diplomacy and patience are important traits to master in order to get through the next few weeks. Postpone your need for instant results, actually listen to others. Cooperation goes a long way towards smoothing over the arguments that can erupt. Realize that you may achieve greater results by working with people instead of trying to go it alone. Mars stays in LIbra for about 6 weeks, moving into Scorpio on Dec 23.
Mercury is standing still on the 7th, at 29Li56, about to resume normal forward motion. This station is notable on 3 counts. First of all, it slips back from Scorpio into late Libra for about 38 hours, making for a quick shift in perspectives just as the thinking mind goes to sleep. Second, another mental body, Pallas, is right next to Mercury as it stands still; they are exactly conjunct 2 hours later. But most interesting, the station happens just as the election polls are closing in the mid-section of the country. Given retrograde Mercury's infamous reputation for disrupting thinking and decision-making processes, as well as screwing up our abilities to perceive and communicate, the stage is set for a wild election night. It's curious that this campaign has focused on issues more than usual (leading to some mind-numbing debates last month), and yet most people couldn't care less. In the end, people vote on emotional reasons, especially some fuzzy sense of "charisma" that passes for a personal relationship with their leaders. This "glamour vote" is mainly Neptune at work (in a strong square to Mercury now), choosing illusory image over mundane substance. So it's interesting that Mercury dips from Scorpio (passion, emotion) into Libra (more mental, group oriented) on election day, as if to get people to question their decisions at the last moment. Pallas also brings in the question of the so-called "women vote", bringing some doubts about the patriarchal system to the surface and what it will mean for women (and men!) in coming years. Pallas is also known for "looking out for the underdog", the little people that get trampled when the big boys play with power and money. We're making long-term decisions for short-term reasons -- maybe we need to pause here and reconsider. Perhaps if the individual passions can rest a few hours, we can come to a consensus that serves the entire country better down the road. Anyway, as close as the presidential race is, don't expect quick results on the TV. The news organizations may have to eat a little crow tonight.
When the polls open on the 7th, we are slowly pulling out of an energetic funk, heading into a significant mini-storm that peaks early on the 8th. Of course, Mercury is slipping into Libra and grinding to a halt today, adding a cloud of confusion to the proceedings. In addition, the Pisces Moon becomes void of course around 20:04 CST (just as the polls close in the Midwest) until late at night, so the later election results may be doubly confusing. There are 9 planets and asteroids feeding into this pattern, making for a very complex mixture of positive and negative influences. Jupiter is passing over the USA Uranus on the 6th, which would tend to upset the status quo and favor third party candidates, as well as stir up a populist mood in the country. Pluto and Chiron are aspecting the Sun, so the influence of the big money interests may actually make campaign reform palatable soon. The USA chart is surprisingly inactive overall, which makes me wonder if Campaign 2000 is more of a mistake waiting to happen instead of a defining moment. Regardless, be prepared to stay up late if you want the final results.
Pallas (and then Mercury) moves into Scorpio on the 8th. This placement promotes a very penetrating kind of mental outlook, one that peers right to the core of a problem and immediately intuits what to do. It's especially useful when you need to see the unconconscious underpinnings of the issue, the stuff that people are normally unaware of or afraid to let surface. It brings a passionate involvement to the normally mental-intuitive outlook that Pallas is famous for, a sense of being personally involved in the matter instead of floating above the situation or being unconnected. The western mind, in particular, is often divorced from its feelings, never giving the emotions their due. This lack of involvement in our own feelings is a major source of imbalance for us. Pallas in Scorpio gives us a chance to look at these hidden sides of our nature and heal the split. Otherwise, hidden feelings will secretly control our behavior instead of helping us break out of our ruts. Pallas moves into Sagittarius on 2001-1-20.
The T-square in this chart (Uranus-Juno squaring off the Sun-Moon axis) points to a number of roadblocks within relationships that are more than obvious now. There doesn't seem to be much movement on these issues either, as they go deep into matters of fairness that partners can disagree on. Oh, it is possible to make some breakthroughs here, if people approach the issues calmly and with an eye out for novel solutions, but it's just as likely that partners will be stuck in their positions and simply dig in further. (Curiously, this T-square closely resembles the total eclipse chart of 1999-8-11, which caused such a stir at the time -- this may be unfinished business surfacing now.) The Grand Trine in air signs is also a "social" influence, though we are being pulled in opposite directions here. Jupiter and Mars are pushing us to get out and mingle (just keep your diplomacy hat on), but the Neptune-Vesta position tends to draw us inward at the same time. This need to withdraw, whether physically, emotionally or even financially, makes it real hard to stay connected with others. You need to balance these conflicting demands -- no easy trick these days...
Chiron is sextile Uranus on the 13th, a relatively quick, single-pass contact. We've got two whacky Trickster planets having fun together -- look for the weird and unusual to be entering your life! This is a good time to be getting a completely new perspective on "problems" that have been bugging you for quite some time. Chiron often represents problem areas or "old wounds" that have been holding you down like a boat anchor, but it also symbolizes the initiation or the stroke of illumination that helps you break free of them. Uranus also acts like a bolt of lightning, shifting your point of view in a second and helping you crawl out of your ruts. Sextiles usually work very constructively, especially if you put in the necessary elbow grease, so I see these brothers in chaos working quite well together. Embrace some new alternatives, play with ideas that you'd normally not even consider. Imagine what you'd like to see in an improved life, leaving the details for the universe to fill in. Above all, have fun and enjoy this time -- it beats worrying about the "same old" stuff.
Ceres moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius on the 22nd. There's a strong need now to break free from your shell and move out into the world. This contact with the world at large, with new ideas and new people helps to reaffirm your connections with Life in general. The Scorpio placement is good for promoting emotional intensity, but all too often that serves to keep you involved with your inner world, cut off from others. Ceres in Sag is not content with an inner journey that merely substitutes for true human contact. She wants to be free of all such restrictions and boundaries. It's also a good time to expand your mind and your mental outlook, as the inner restrictions often determine the size of your outer horizon. Enjoy a wider point of view and the inner freedom that promotes. Ceres moves into Capricorn on 2001-2-4.
The 4 degree planets (Jupiter, Pallas, Ceres, Sun-Moon, Neptune) are focused more on the mental-spiritual level, causing us to want to expand our mental horizons and try out new points of view. This is not necessarily well grounded thinking, as Jupiter (plus 5 Sagittarius planets) makes us look at the big picture while losing track of the details, and Neptune is just as likely to bring on illusion and glamorous wishing as it is to lead to cosmic insight. There can be a lot of flitting around with ideas, trying things on and dropping them quickly -- there's not much "substance" or staying power here. As long as you don't get swept up and carried away with your grand philosophy of the day, this shopping around can be quite useful and fun -- just keep your feet on the ground occasionally. The 16 degree fan is an interesting mixture of personal (Mars, Mercury, Venus) and transpersonal planets (Pluto, Chiron, Uranus), helping us tune into (and maybe even make sense of) some subtle soul level messages coming in. Part of the reason relations with others are so rocky lately is this lack of a higher dimension to our interactions. Unfortunately, what is "truth" for one person is not always so for another, so even a higher understanding is no guarantee that we'll get along any easier. We'll have to put up with this divisive undercurrent for some time yet. If you can't get along, at least be true to your own inner calling. There's no need to compromise, even if the relation breaks up (it likely would have anyway). You'll know where these "flash points" are in about a week, as the Sun moves over Pluto (always good for dredging up unconscious issues). These aren't easy times -- persevere...