Current Transits for November 1996 Current Transits for November 1996Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Vesta and Ceres enter Capricorn, 11-9 and 11-13
Saturn sextile Uranus, 11-10
New Moon at 19Sc03, 11-10
Mercury conjunct Pluto, 11-16
Chiron square Neptune, 11-19
Nothing in Scorpio, 11-22
Full Moon at 3Gm10, 11-24
Jupiter Octile Pluto, 11-30
November continues a shift in our attention from the problems and structures of the past to some challenges in the future that are fast approaching. We are now only a few months away from the "Grand Finale" (the final sextile of Uranus and Pluto next February), and the planetary energies are already making a marked change as this configuration starts to form. The unworkable areas of our lives are under incredible pressure to just give up, as we are being forced to grow at an ever accelerating rate. Needless to say, this is not an easy or painless process. The temptation is to kick back and freeload (assuming our lives would slow down enough to make this possible). This pressure will be especially potent around the full moon just before Thanksgiving, when a major planetary storm kicks in. Hang onto your hats and get used to all the chaos -- it isn't likely that our outer planet "friends" are going to let up any time soon.
As I've said so many times already, pay attention to the outer planets during the month, especially Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. These three have been in cahoots together since last April to overturn our lives. Right now, the contacts between these planets are very tight and powerful, and they will get even more potent the next few months. This energy is being tapped into by the faster personal planets about once a month; the Moon brings in this vibration every 2 or 3 days. This creates a large number of preliminary shocks or discharges of energy as we build up to the Grand Finale in February, just like small earthquakes often prefigure "the Big One" later on. In short, we are heading into a time of continuous change and challenge -- down-time is the exception from here on. This is why this time is such a crucial period of spiritual growth.
Note that Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto are all at 0 to 3 degrees of their respective signs. These degrees are extremely sensitive all month and every planetary storm is concentrating on these areas. Check your birthchart for these contacts.
Another thing to consider is how few planets are retrograde right now. Juno, the relationship asteroid, changes from reverse gear to forward motion on the 15th (at 5Ar36), leaving only Saturn moving backwards. Even Saturn turns direct in early December (12-3, 0Ar36). It seems there are fewer impediments in our way when the planets are mostly going direct like this, change is smoother and faster. This should definitely help us with the last minute stuff we've been putting off for too long -- now's a good time to take care of all that junk.
The asteroids Vesta and Ceres, just past their conjunction on 10-28 (at 24Sa15), slip from Sagittarius into Capricorn on the 9th and 13th, respectively. I'm still trying to figure out what these ladies are up to. Vesta is the goddess who finds strength and convictions deep within herself, while Ceres is the Great Mother that nurtures and protects us all. Their conjunction near the Galactic Center activated a new cycle of these feminine energies that lasts about 17 years. So why are they moving into Capricorn, the sign of patriarchy itself? Perhaps there's a need to soften and humanize the social systems we're embedded in, but which slowly seem to be strangling the life out of each of us. Something important is going on with this cycle -- keep your eyes open!
One of the "big aspects" this month is the sextile of Saturn and Uranus on the 10th, just before the new moon. This is the 2nd of 3 such contacts (the others, 5-19 and 97-3-1), showing that we are midway through this process. Saturn is the planet of structure and form, the influence that brings substance (and inertia!) to our plans. Uranus, the Crazy Wizard of the solar system, loves nothing better than to throw a live hand grenade or two into the Saturnian gearworks. One of the common experiences I've felt lately (echoed by many people I've talked to) is that the everyday structures of our lives, the frameworks of what we do, think and feel on a daily basis, just plain don't work for us anymore. Our lives feel restrictive, all consuming, draining, way too small for who we've become recently. It's the situation of the butterfly in the cocoon prior to emerging -- "It's getting pretty cramped in here!" Make changes where necessary, try out some different ways of doing things, drop some old habits. It makes things easier if you don't beat your head against the wall the same way all the time. At the same time, Saturn is also the god of discipline and perserverance. Uranus is exciting and innovative, but it's hard to live so full tilt all the time. This kind of high octane lifestyle is becoming the norm for us as spiritual beings on planet Earth, but it seems to be taking a toll on our nervous systems and bodies. When was the last time you felt truly rested or had too many hours to actually kill? Saturn helps ground this energy, making it easier for the body to handle. It's the realization that this fast pace is here to stay, so we'd better learn to take it easy at this speed. Take care of your health.
The new moon (at 19Sc03) is dominated by several big aspects going on. Obviously, the sextile of Uranus and Saturn earlier in the day is a major player. Note that the new moon point is nearly exactly quintile Uranus now, doubly emphasizing this planet. So right away, the theme of this lunar month is change, change, change. Not just your run of the mill organic growth, this is taking a quantum leap or going into warp drive. Perhaps the trickiest part of this is handling your emotional ties to the past in a balanced, enlightened way. It's not a case of taming or overcoming your feelings. If anything, it's about reaching a higher level of awareness where such stuck feelings aren't even a concern anymore. This is known as "growing up". A square between Venus and Jupiter says that a sense of balance, harmony, optimism, and open-mindedness is important in the times ahead. We are increasingly becoming "world makers", turning our visions of the future into material realities. Without these more harmonious outlooks as a basis, the world we build could be more nightmare than utopia. And that square from Chiron to Neptune, the Wounded Dreamer, is starting to kick in. Chiron is an initiator, an opener of doors for us that are guarded by our own hurts and fears. In this case, Neptune is behind the door, our own abilities to step into the Dreamtime and start working "magic". All that's holding us back is our fear of mishandling the power this represents, and the insistent claim by society that such things are nuts. What is it like to become a real-life magician? I don't know, but it's time to find out.
Today is marked by Mercury passing over Pluto and the Moon joining Uranus -- this is an important release point of the growing Grand Finale. The Moon is the instincts and Mercury is the thinking mind, two areas of the psyche that are now getting quite an eyeful. You may be noticing a lot of strange ideas or unusual "urgings" passing through your mind these days, as the conscious mind is opening up to yet another shift in awareness. Many of these "messages" may be coming from people around you, as day to day interactions will have an uncanny tendency to mirror the inner world. If you pay attention, all the pieces of the puzzle will be presented to you (though you may still be baffled).
The square of Chiron and Neptune is a 3 contact affair that starts on the 19th; the other contacts are 97-4-7 and 97-8-13. A combination of these bodies' keywords strikes a deeply resonant chord for me: the Wounded Dreamer. I'm not sure what this means yet, but it seems this is a process to open up new "psychic" abilities for the sensitive. I've begun to think of Chiron as a "circuit activator", an initiating influence that flips the on switch for new behavior patterns in the psyche as we grow to handle new energies. In this case, the new circuit is Neptune itself at the very high level of Dreamtime Worker. The Dreamtime is the energy pattern underlying physical reality, and the power to work with these energies is the power of creation. But we need to overcome the handicaps (physical, energetic, psychological; at this level, they merge together) holding us back, to heal the guilt and doubt that this is wrong or beyond our grasp. Interesting that this aspect should show up as the Uranus-Pluto sextile comes to a climax.
Don't blink on the 22nd! For the first time since 1983, when Pluto entered Scorpio, we get to experience the zodiac with no planets in Scorpio. I remember, when Pluto moved into Sagittarius for good last November, a feeling of relief and release, like waking up from a long, strange dream. For all the mystical beauty of Scorpio, it's certainly an overload of inner activity, too much spiritual challenge at a time. Savor a moment of freedom from this intense energy -- it literally lasts one day, as Venus enters the sign on the 23rd. Eventually, this could become the norm for us.
Without a doubt, this is a whirlwind of a time. The conjunction of the Sun and Pluto by itself is always a powerful, disorienting time. Couple it with a full moon and the other outer planets, and you get an energy that is becoming overwhelming. Those outer planets often manifest as "eruptions" of material from the unconscious mind or the higher spirit. The experience of these bizarre themes is sometimes shattering to our image of ourselves (which is the desired effect, actually), forcing us to face issues we'd rather avoid. Most often, these influences show up in the way we treat others and how they respond to us, since our experience of others is heavily colored by our own unconscious biases and blindspots. There's a feedback loop in effect here, where our habitual way of experiencing of the world creates more of these same experiences in ever more exaggerated form, until we finally wake up and get it. Jealousy and mistrust breeds more reasons to be suspicious, the need to be right and in control produces more opportunities to find fault. The world is becoming a mirror of our inner experience, giving us instant karma and immediate feedback. This is why "spiritual growth" (or as I see it, becoming aware of our deepest nature) is so crucial now. Our ability to make life miserable for ourselves is increasing as our awareness grows. Only the higher path approach prevents us from turning the party on Cruiseship Earth into a hell hole, by focusing our creative minds on making a positive, growing world instead of one built on the path of least resistance. Particularly when the energies are as frenzied as they are at this full moon, it's vital to keep a clear head and stay focused. There are enough distractions and cross currents to turn this ride on the rapids into a messy situation. Look on the obstacles you encounter as clues on how to improve your skills at piloting. It makes life a whole lot easier.
Another "big aspect" is the octile of Jupiter and Pluto on the 30th. This is the final contact of 3 in this series. The previous contacts were on 4-23 and 6-1 of this year. Jupiter rules over many of the large social institutions in our lives, such as religion, politics, the law, education, publishing, big business and finance. On a more personal level, Jupiter shows us how to make connections with the world at large, to expand our boundaries. Pluto, of course, is the planet of transformation, overhaul, death and rebirth. There's frequently an undertone of manipulation or being drunk on power with Pluto in its undeveloped form. Since this is an octile aspect, this combination is not very smooth. Octiles typically have an element of friction involved, as though incompatible elements were in conflict and incapable of working together. This aspect describes the current election time well -- a powerful few trying to manipulate the many by raising and spending immense amounts of money in the pursuit of more power. Perhaps these excesses, which raised campaign finance to a debate issue, may actually push us to take action finally. Individually, I suspect the ways we reach out to others, the groups we connect with, the ideals we pursue, may need to be reevaluated. Our relationships are also structures in our lives that define us. Like everything else these days, our networks are also up for grabs.