Current Transits for November 1997 Current Transits for November 1997Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Uranus-Pluto sextile reforming
Galactic Center contacts
Venus and Mars, 11-4
Mars enters Capricorn, 11-9
Full Moon at 22Ta15, 11-14
Jupiter sextile Saturn, 11-14
Harsh Vibes, 11-27
New Moon at 7Sa54, 11-29
After a number of truly challenging months in a row, November looks more easy going and straightforward than what we've been used to. The energy is humming along, without major roadblocks in our way. The main planetary storm patterns are focused on a pair of sextiles (Jupiter-Saturn and Uranus-Pluto) that are old "friends" of ours by now, which may not make their effects easy (outer planets are rarely easy), but at least we're familiar with them. The sense of stagnation present in October is definitely lifting. It's a good time to move out in new directions, although you should make sure "old business" is behind you and unable to spoil your plans.
Curiously enough, the sextile between Uranus and Pluto continues to haunt us. The 5th and final contact in this 2 year series of influences was last Feb. 5, giving us the delusion that we were at last "done" with this disruptive force. However, by Thanksgiving, this sextile very nearly reforms a 6th time, with the 2 planets coming within 1/12th of a degree of repeating their act! Here's another reason for all the stress and craziness we've been experiencing, since we're feeling not only the aftershocks of the Grand Finale, but a repeat performance. Practically every important storm pattern in November involves either this sextile or the Jupiter-Saturn one, so these powerful outer planets are having quite a time with us. Remember that Uranus and Pluto are both highly transformational planets, inclined to overthrow all the givens and certainties in our lives. If there was any part of our lives that has grown stagnant or was holding us back from further growth, the Dynamic Duo has certainly given that area a pounding. In fact, for several years now, these two have been systematically overthrowing the tyranny of the personal ego as the main controller of our lives (which is why life seems "out of control" so much), putting everything under control of our higher selves. To the degree that we learn to identify with this higher self instead of the ego, the transition has gone more or less smoothly. If you haven't shifted your perspective, however, this time has been a threatening nightmare. Suffice it to say that everything we need to make this shift has already been given to us -- the trick is in learning to use the new tools and outlooks we already possess. The revolution of the spirit continues within us and within our lives -- bucking these powerful trends will only lead to more discomfort down the road. Anyway, this sextile will take about 2 more years to finally peter out. In the meantime, the aftershocks (loosely translated, "rude lessons") will continue on a regular basis. Get to work!
During November and December, many of the faster moving planets are contacting the Galactic Center, the point (currently at 26Sa48) that is the central hub of our entire Milky Way galaxy. Just as the Sun is the center or heart of our solar system, symbolizing the center or core of the individual psyche, the Galactic Center is the spiritual heart of the entire galactic family that contains our Sun. Astrologers may still argue about what this point "means", but there's some consensus that it represents deeper, more "spiritual" levels of the person than the usual ego awareness, sometimes called the higher self. It also deals with our wider, more transpersonal connections to the world around us, even beyond the confines of Earth herself. (Curiously, many charts related to air and space travel accent the Galactic Center strongly.) Whatever the details are, this 2 month window is a time to open up to many higher revelations about who we really are in this mysterious universe. It's undoubtedly much bigger than any of our stories or myths about ourselves would lead us to believe.
I talked last month about the long, drawn-out game of tag between Venus, Mars and Pluto in Sagittarius. I may have left the impression that the Venus-Mars contact on 10-26 was the end of the process, but things are much more complicated than that. Notice that Venus goes retrograde the day after Christmas, giving Mars a chance to keep pace with her for a long time. In fact, the October conjunction will be repeated on 12-22 and then next year again on 8-4 -- Venus and Mars literally chase each other halfway around the zodiac over a 9 month period! Well, early in the morning of the 4th is another interesting milestone in this extended love affair, as the Moon passes over Mars and Venus, with the Galactic Center nestled right between them. Needless to say, romantic relationships are highly accentuated now, although not necessarily in a smooth or happy fashion. The inner urge at some deep instinctive level is to force relationships to a higher level. That can mean the surfacing of underlying problems that have been plaguing partnerships for a long time to be looked at now. Sure, the period can be very "romantic", but it can also have its share of knock-down-drag-outs if people aren't ready to look at these issues calmly and honestly. If you're at odds with partners these days, take a step or two back and look at things from their point of view instead of defending your own position so doggedly. Loved ones are a great mirror for seeing our own blindspots -- their criticisms often carry a grain of truth you'd rather not acknowledge. Give your relationships a chance to grow and evolve. In the long run, it can only support your own growth.
Mars moves from the sign Sagittarius into Capricorn on the 9th. Whereas Mars in Sag is very dynamic and outgoing, wanting to spread his wings in every possible direction, Capricorn brings him a more focused and disciplined approach. Capricorn Mars is like a well-drilled soldier: he knows what he wants to do, he knows how to do it -- and he does it. There's a directedness and focus about the way he expresses his energies -- no pointless scattering of his efforts here! If you want to get things done, the next 6 weeks are an excellent time for pursuing your plans. The only drawback with this placement is a lack of what George Bush called "the vision thing". Generally, Capricorn's sights are aimed in pretty conventional directions -- this in not the mark of a dreamer or idealist. But if you place Mars in the service of your higher goals, you can be certain that now is a time to move mountains.
There are 3 groupings of planets in this chart, loosely connected, clustered around 6, 15, and 23 degrees. The 6 degree bunch is the strongest pattern: Chiron, Pluto, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Uranus. The 23 degree crowd includes the Moon, Juno, Sun, Pallas, with Neptune on the fringes -- it forms a Kite pattern. The tiny 15 degree group consists of Saturn, Vesta, and Jupiter. Note that Jupiter and Saturn are only 14 hours from their sextile aspect.
There's something very solid and settled about the 23 degree group -- all those planets except the Sun are in earth signs. It may well be the best time to make real and concrete those relationship changes we've been discussing. It's a bit easy to "intellectualize" your emotions away, unfortunately, so remember to come from the heart whenever possible. Some mental distance from your feelings is appropriate, however, given the power of the 6 degree bunch. Passions and feelings run deep and hot, motivated by urges that defy scrutiny for now. Some of it is old emotional responses to long past situations that have never been acknowledged or released, continuing to this day to color your experiences. From a higher spiritual perspective, all this emotional turmoil is mostly a distraction in life. At best, it's a signal that here's an area of life we aren't handling well -- there's lessons to be learned here! It's time to apply some of that "penetrating intellect" to seeing these patterns just as they are, without getting obsessively caught up in the drama they cause. With insight comes healing and wisdom -- it's time to take the next step..
The big aspect of the month is a sextile of the giants Jupiter and Saturn on the 14th, just after the full moon. This is the 3rd of 3 such contacts; the other contacts occured on Feb. 9 and July 14. This last sextile is thus a completion of processes that have been going on since the Grand Finale last February. Jupiter and Saturn trips usually have broad social themes associated with them. Saturn is about taking responsibility for your actions, carving a niche in the world for yourself that respects others, while Jupiter is about the social rewards and privileges that come from learning Saturn's lessons. Since this entire cycle started within the context of the Uranus-Pluto sextile and the Grand Finale, we've been experiencing an influx of cosmic energy into the social arena. It's been necessary to incorporate a much broader spiritual perspective into our everyday interactions with others, operating on a daily basis from our highest spiritual centers. Well, most of the time, at any rate. The trouble is that Saturn is more than happy to let us know when we slip up, especially since it's been in reverse gear since early August. This cycle has been a time of rewards postponed or dangled like a carrot just beyond our reach. If you've been acting like your normal, old cussed self this year, the outcome has probably been quite frustrating. However, as you learn to cooperate more with others, joining your energies with theirs for a common good instead of simply looking out for Number One, you find that everyone involved comes out ahead. The greater cosmic perspective is gradually overshadowing everything we do, since the Earth herself and all her living beings are slowly being reborn at a higher level of spiritual awareness. Everything must change and grow, including the way we act towards each other on a day-to-day basis. You can't achieve personal enlightenment and treat people the same old way -- it just won't work. Part of this "social overhaul" has involved simply being a better conduit for these higher energies, literally conducting these subtle influences through your body and nervous system. This accounts for most of the "inexplicable" stress and physical exhaustion we've been feeling lately, since our systems have been regularly overloaded and taxed to the limit. Hopefully, some of this stress should lift when Saturn finally returns to normal forward motion, after Dec. 16th. In the meantime, open up more to others and cut back on any demanding commitments. Hang in there...
Thanksgiving day is a volatile mix of aspects, most of them rather rough. The Sun conjunct Pluto is often a difficult influence, since it brings up darker "shadow" parts of the psyche into everyday life. And this year, it's assisted by Venus and Uranus. Mars is also square Saturn today. Mars and Saturn are both known as "malefic planets", meaning they cause a lot of trouble for us, while squares are known for arousing conflict and stress. And the stakes are raised with Mercury passing over the Galactic Center. Go easy with each other at family gatherings, which sometimes bring out the worst in family members anyway, since old family patterns will likely surface and muck things up. (And don't invite Cousin Lenny, the mass murderer, to dinner!) You can learn a lot about yourself the hard way today, but why go through all the drama? Keep a low profile and enjoy yourself instead. It's a holiday -- take a break from reality.
The next lunar month starts out on a more powerful note than most recent new moons. Uranus and Pluto are as close as they come to creating another exact sextile now. With emphasis from the lunation and Ceres, it becomes a dominant theme once again. Get ready for a month of changes and surprises, as the sextile throws our lives into unexpected confusion one more time. Where are you holding onto old, outmoded beliefs or ideas? How can you shift your perspective to see an even bigger picture? It's time to infuse relationships with a deeper heart energy, uncovering a more profound meaning of love than you've thought possible previously. It may take a lot of talking to bring this love into reality with your partners, as there will likely be differences of opinion that need to be reconciled. Further, unless you're careful, there's a temptation to resort to power plays or manipulation with others. Stay away from such an approach, since it's obviously a step backwards and will certainly boomerang on you eventually. Operating at this high of a spiritual level requires responsibility and integrity, as well as optimism and faith that everything is evolving properly. Remain open to the world around you, as helpful influences are all about you if you only recognize them. Deeper mysteries of ourselves are opening up before us, but you must approach them as a little child. Keep your sense of wonder alive...