Courage Under Pressure

Astro Notes for New Moon in Scorpio Cycle (November 13-December 12)

(Note: My apologies for this cycle’s Astro Notes coming out later than usual — I was working last week on an essay about the astrological outlook for the remainder of the decade and it took longer than I expected to complete. If you're interested in that longer-term outlook, you can find that essay here: Navigating the Storm of Global Change: An astrological update.)

Mars is the dominant actor for at least the first half of this extremely intense and volatile monthly cycle. Mars is very strong in its home sign of Scorpio until November 24, bringing an energy of intense focus and determination to get what it wants. The new moon in Scorpio on November 13 was conjunct Mars. The full moon on November 27 is opposite Mars. Sun and Mars move together in a conjunction until the end of the month, meeting in an exact conjunction on November 17-18, initiating a new 2 year Mars cycle (when a planet transits between 0-1 degrees of the Sun, it is known as 'cazimi'). All this Mars energy makes this period extremely enlivening and energizing, but also highly intense, volatile, explosive, and fast-paced.

Mars in its home sign of Scorpio gets to express itself in its pure, unadulterated form. Mars is about our drive, energy, focus, will, and courage. These qualities thus become more easily accessible to us while Mars is in Scorpio. Mars in Scorpio is also strategic and calculating, liking to plan ahead with a sense of great determination to achieve its goals.

The new moon in Scorpio on November 13 was not only conjunct Mars but also opposite Uranus. Uranus is the great awakener, bringing sudden, unexpected developments that disrupt the status quo. Uranus opposite Mars and the new moon created an electrifying but highly unstable energy that could have brought sudden shocking developments. Personally I felt as though I were zapped by a kind of cosmic Zen stick, telling me firmly (but not unlovingly) to ‘wake the bleep up’!

The intensity continued all through the next week, culminating in the Sun-Mars cazimi on November 17 and 18. Mars in the fixed sign of Scorpio tends to stubbornly resist change. But when a planet is exactly conjunct the Sun, it gets a chance to be recharged and renewed. Thus with the Mars cazimi, we have the chance to make a true and powerful change of heart in a way that is conducive to our long-term personal improvement and transformation.

The cazimi also represents the beginning of a new 2 year Sun-Mars cycle, a new hero’s journey in a certain area of our lives (which will be indicated by which house 24 degrees of Scorpio lies in your chart). It can be a good time to set intentions for that journey, with bravery to face into our shadows in that particular area of life and determination to persevere to success (Mars in Scorpio will help with this). The Mars cazimi being in Scorpio does indicate that the 2 year cycle ahead for the world is likely to be extremely intense. (See my essay above though for the surprisingly optimistic turn we can expect in the second half of this decade.)

On a personal level, this transit can be used in very powerful ways to set a positive new direction in our lives. On a collective level, where the expression is often reduced to the lowest common denominator, it indicates the likelihood of extremely challenging events.

By November 23 and 24, when first Sun then Mars move into Sagittarius, the atmosphere of searing intensity and focused directionality will noticeably shift. Sagittarius is the rebirth — the resurrection — that takes place after our intense encounter with death during Scorpio season. Something in us died over the last four weeks, and now we get a chance to be reborn, with renewed energy and optimism. A spirit of hope can be rekindled, along with the possibility of a new adventure and an expansion in our horizons.

There is a constraint, however, to our sense of freedom because when Sun and Mars enter Sagittarius, both will be in a tight square to Saturn in Pisces. We may experience a sense of emotional heaviness that dampens our enthusiasm, a frustrating limit placed on our desire to expand. Not so fast, the universe seems to be saying, yet more maturity and reality-testing is needed before we can come fully up for air.

This dynamic comes to a head at the full moon in Gemini on November 27. With the full moon in Gemini, there is an emphasis on gathering facts, data, information. The media may be in the spotlight, with new facts emerging that illuminate the truth of a situation. But the full moon is opposite Mars in Sagittarius, a sign not shy of bloviating opinions based less on facts than religious or ideological dogma. So this period could see a clash between those voices calling attention to facts and those aggressively opining dogmatic belief. While we might easily observe this dynamic playing out in the wider world, it may be more challenging to acknowledge how it takes place between different parts of our own psyche.

The full moon in Gemini is also square to Saturn, which could manifest in the world as further attempts to censor or control the flow of information in the media and social media, as well as potential limitations on the freedom to travel or freedom of speech. On an individual level, we are being asked to show discipline and to reality-test our ideas before spouting off (for American readers — if only this had come before Thanksgiving).

On December 5, Neptune turns direct. Since June (when Neptune went retrograde), we’ve faced some harsh realities and ideally dealt with them head-on. Now with Neptune moving forward again in Pisces, we get to allow our consciousness to expand once again into the realm of day-dreams, visions, fantasies, and intuitions about our future. Our faith and spirituality can deepen, and we can more easily access the healing balm of universal compassion—a blessed and necessary comfort as we continue to navigate intensely choppy waters.

The Heat is On

Astro Notes for New Moon in Libra cycle (October 14 - November 13)

I want to begin this month by looking at the astrology of the recent horrifying events in Israel/Palestine.

The big picture is that we are still in the vice-grip of Pluto in late Capricorn and Pluto square the Lunar Nodes until the end of the year. The last half of 2023 is an enormous squeeze, dredging up material from the depths of the personal and collective unconscious, calling on us all to honestly examine our shadows and make the necessary reforms. If we have access to the right kind of internal and external support, it’s a profound opportunity for growth and maturation. But it’s also the kind of pressure-cooker environment in which we could be tempted to act these primal energies out. It all depends on the level of consciousness we’re able to bring to the surfacing material.

Within this general milieu of sustained intensity, on the morning of October 7 when the attacks began, Mars had moved into a tight square with Pluto. By October 8, the square became exact.

Mars square Pluto, in its most unconscious form, is the aspect for expressions of brute force and ruthlessness, naked aggression, and violent sexuality. When the god of War meets the god of Death in a tense aspect like a square, it unfortunately has the potential to trigger events like the ones we saw October 7-8.

Furthermore, Pluto turned direct on October 10. Whenever Pluto stations and turns direct, for several days on either side Plutonic themes become amplified— intensity, power, the shadow, sexuality and other primal drives, etc.

The other factor is that the attacks occurred in the lead up to eclipse season. Eclipses open a portal of time characterized by heightened drama and intensity during which consequential events tend to occur. Their influence can be felt up to a week before the day of the eclipse. And indeed the Hamas attacks occurred seven days before the New Moon Solar Eclipse on October 14.

Eclipses always come in pairs, a solar eclipse at the time of the new moon (when the Moon moves between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun’s light) and a lunar eclipse at the time of the full moon (when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, with the Moon falling in the Earth’s shadow). A solar eclipses is like a new moon on steroids, bringing major new beginnings and a lunar eclipse is a full moon on steroids, offering some kind of significant karmic completion.

The New Moon Solar Eclipse on October 14 was conjunct Mercury, square Pluto and opposite Chiron.  It was a South Node solar eclipse, meaning that an important chapter from our past closed in order to make way for a new beginning. With the challenging aspects to outer planets Pluto and Chiron, it was/is an especially intense passage that may have caused us to feel subject to events unfolding beyond our control. Yet it was also a deeply cleansing process with the potential to awaken us from our complacency and focus our minds on what’s most important to us, especially (being in Libra) in the realm of our relationships or relational patterns.

The two-week period between Solar and Lunar Eclipses is known as the eclipse window. It’s normally a powerful time to engage in shadow work since the cosmic cauldron is already turned up to boiling. This year that’s especially true since at least part of the eclipse window falls in Scorpio season, that annual time of the year when we are called to look more intensely at what is hidden in the unconscious. Mars moved into Scorpio on Friday October 13, Mercury enters Scorpio October 22 and Sun October 23. Honest, intense soul-searching, direct communication, and powerful, decisive action become the name of the main game for a few weeks.

Thankfully there is some blessed cosmic relief from all the pressure and intensity.  From October 19-24, we have a lovely Jupiter-Venus trine in Earth signs, bringing a welcome opportunity for a touch of sweet pleasure for the body and/or enjoyable social contact for the heart.

Then from October 26 through to November 6, there is a Grand Trine of Venus, Uranus, and Pluto, also in Earth signs, offering the exciting possibility of the rebirth of love and friendship, including an opportunity for powerful healing of our capacity to love as well as deep romantic and sexual breakthroughs. In recent times, we’ve been engaged in a lot of hard relational work, discerning what’s true and what’s no longer aligned in our long-standing relationships. In this context, we can look forward to the Grand Trine as a potential reward for our labor.

This auspicious aspect pattern is in play during the Full Moon North Node Lunar Eclipse in Taurus on October 28. As a North Node eclipse, we have the chance to come into greater alignment with our evolutionary purpose. The Moon is conjunct Jupiter, putting us in an expansive and confident mood, though we may have to contend with challenges from others to our big visions, as the eclipse is opposite Mercury and Mars in Scorpio. Ultimately, though, with the Full Moon’s ruler Venus in that beautiful grand trine, we have an opportunity to catch a magic current that carries us in the direction of our dreams.

On November 2, Saturn turns direct at zero degrees of Pisces. Saturn has been retrograde since June 17. Saturn retrograde periods occur every twelve months, for about four and a half months each. During these periods, we are working out karma from our past. Depending on how we’ve behaved in the past, we’ll either be learning lessons in relation to missteps or receiving rewards for good deeds. Since June, we may have been through a time of testing to ensure we are ready to take on extra responsibility relating to our careers or families, or we may have been required to look at where we have become stuck in a negative expression of Saturn qualities, such as depression or isolation. By the time Saturn turns direct, we hopefully will have integrated these lessons and are ready to move forward with our next phase, one that will lead us to greater achievement and recognition.

From November 8 leading up to the new moon in Scorpio on November 13 we face another volatile passage with Mars opposite Uranus, in a broad t-square with Saturn. Mars-Uranus hard aspects bring a tendency for rash and impulsive action; with Saturn’s constraining influence in the mix this can — in its lower expression — result in extreme frustration or explosive acting out. I suspect this might be a time when we see significant repercussions of the Hamas attacks playing out in the world news.  On a personal front, we would do well to apply our maturity to avoid potentially damaging flare ups of anger, and instead direct that energy toward liberating ourselves from old reactive patterns.

Digging in the Dirt

Astro Notes for New Moon in Virgo Cycle (September 14-October 14)

As we begin the new monthly cycle, the big picture is that Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are all still moving retrograde. This can make us feel a bit like we are trudging uphill with heavy garments on, especially if we keep trying to push forward at our usual pace. Pluto is still in Capricorn, where it will remain until January 20 next year, driving consciousness into the depths to flush out those structures that belong to the era that is dying. We are still digging in the dirt, pulling out our gnarliest psychic knots from their roots. We are still preparing the ground for the much more expansive and future-oriented phase that will arrive next year when Pluto moves into Aquarius and Jupiter joins with Uranus in Taurus (more on that another time).

Nonetheless, there are gems to be mined down here. The New Moon in Virgo on September 14 formed a gorgeous Grand Earth Trine with Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn, creating a magical window through which to bring something new into manifestation. Earth is the element that brings our vision into form in 3-D reality. A Grand Earth Trine involving the New Moon means that the intentions we seed at the start of this cycle have the support of the cosmos to happen for real. Further, Neptune — the planet of transcendence — is also involved in this configuration, at the apex of a ‘kite’ aspect pattern that gives the Grand Trine energies focus and direction (see chart below). It means that we are rewarded this month with a green light to go for our highest dreams (Neptune), as well as the capacity to do the work needed to bring them into actual form. At the same time, with all the retrograde action taking place, we would do well to cultivate patience with ourselves and embrace the need for times of slowness and self-care.

Chart for New Moon in Virgo, 'Kite' aspect pattern highlighted

(cast for Mendocino CA, where I live)

The Sun moves into Libra on September 23, marking the official start of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern. The Equinox is the time of year of greatest balance between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. This principle of balance lies at the heart of Libra. Libra’s role is to bring any situation or relationship into greater harmony, whereby all parties involved feel met as fundamental equals. Libra is associated with the law because it understands something universal about fairness and equality. On a deeper level, Libra represents the spiritual law of Karma, where every action, right or wrong, is balanced over time. Because of this higher order understanding, Libra is exquisitely relational.

It is not just because of Libra season, however, that relationship themes are likely to be strongly up this cycle. Venus has been in Leo since June 5 and will remain there until October 8, an unusually long 4-month sojourn in one sign. During that time, Venus passed through a powerful 42-day retrograde period that asked us to reflect deeply on what we really want in our relationships. Many of us will have had important realizations in that period about what is really true for our hearts. Since Venus started moving direct again on September 3, we have been able to act on those realizations, in some cases taking steps to bring closure to relationships and in others redefining or renewing the relationship's form.

The process of negotiating these changes in our personal relationships will continue as a major theme this cycle. Throughout the month of September, Venus in Leo is in a close sextile with Mars in Libra, bringing the energy and drive to act on the deeper truths of our heart.

The full moon in Aries on September 29 continues this theme, being ruled by Mars in Libra. We will be looking to balance the polarities of healthy self-interest on the one hand with consideration for the other — though at the full moon we will want to align with the assertive Aries energy to overcome any self-defeating patterns of over-giving.

When Venus finally moves into Virgo on October 8, we’ll be ready to get practical about the improvements that we’re feeling called to make in our relationships and to do the work required to get to where we want to go.

On October 10, Pluto turns direct and two days later Mars leaves peace-maker Libra for transformative Scorpio. We will most definitely feel the shift in intensity as we will also be approaching eclipse season, beginning with a tense New Moon and solar eclipse on October 14.

Yes, more intensity on the way — I sometimes wonder these days if I will ever get to retire that phrase. But these last few months of Pluto in Capricorn are also truly a goldmine for anyone on a path of transmutation. I recommend lining up your alchemical container of choice now to allow you to dig deep in the dirt for the treasures hidden beneath the rocky surface.