overview
It’s going to be another interesting month, which is most likely a good thing (“interesting = good and boring = bad” seems to be the most basic equation of human aesthetic judgment.) We do begin November on firmer footing—Mercury’s moving forward nicely now, Chiron is direct again, and the planetary pile-up of the late summer months is finally breaking up. It’s time for us to unkink and get moving, too, and the outer planets will help.
Neptune, protean Master of Dreams & Illusion, is first. Neptune resumes direct motion on November 2, still in conjunction with Chiron; the inner sense of impending metamorphosis/healing we’ve had will ease its way into something tangible. Old dreams take on form, but be aware: nothing ever moves from Ideal Vision to Mundane Reality without changing its shape somewhat, losing in some aspects and gaining in others. Try to keep that in mind, when nothing turns out exactly as you’ve pictured it.
Next comes the first hit of the Saturn/Uranus opposition on U.S. Election Day, November 4 (read more about the aspect here.) This is a rather awkward first pass—Uranus will still be retrograde, so the issues involved won’t quite lead us into the future, not yet. Look to next year, September 2009, for the most explosive pass of this particular opposition. This one’s still about old business, though it could certainly get hairy. Stay alert.
However, Uranus will go direct later in the month, on November 27, after four months of lying low in retrograde motion. We’ll certainly see a few surprises that have thus far been lost in the mail. O Planet By Whose Very Name We Are Endlessly Amused, what have you been storing up for us?
And lastly, Pluto makes his final move into Capricorn on November 26, never to return to Sagittarius ever again (well, not for a couple hundred years anyway, and by then, none of us will be around to notice.) In certain fundamental ways, life will become infinitely more practical; somehow, the interest rate on extraneous dreams will seem too high to pay. Seems a shame to me, but even this, too, shall pass. Fifteen years from now, we’ll all be waiting—with bated breath, even—for Pluto’s next move into Aquarius.
Otherwise, it should be a reasonably exciting, active month, an appropriate segue into the hectic holiday season. Go ahead and have Christmas early—give somebody a present, find some mistletoe to smooch under, something.
And remember: it’s a sin to muck up good scotch by putting eggnog in it.
Aries, Cancer, Libra
You guys will be dealing with unexpected changes in perspective—a bit of ruthlessness, even. This may happen inside you (“That’s it. I’m tired of being a frickin’ doormat. This is what I want and this is how I’m going to get it.”) This may happen to you (you may get the very clear sense of some deep behind-the-scenes manipulations going on.) Either way, the obstacles you run into won’t be cakewalks, by any stretch of the imagination.
For Aries (and especially Aries ascendants) it’s your status and career. Make sure you’re not clinging to your rose-colored glasses; if you have been up ‘til now, you’re due a bit of disillusionment. If the time comes to move on, move on. Resistance will only drag out the inevitable.
For Cancer, it’s relationships. The week of November 10, leading up the Full Moon on Thursday November 14, will be key. What do you receive, and then accept as a kind of love? What do words like “loyalty” and “dependence/co-dependence/interdependence” mean to you? Sex has something to do with this, doesn't it?
For Librans (and again, Libran ascendants in particular) this is a time of fundamental psychological change. Issues of childhood/parenthood, of what it means to be an independent adult with all the responsibilities that entails, of what it might mean to change inside, to grow the hell up...these are your themes this month. It will hurt. Pluto on the imum coeli is never, ever easy, and but you can handle it, I know it. Psychological courage is your key.
Taurus, Scorpio
To share or not to share? That is the question, for both of you. For some, it’s a matter of limelight—how much glory do you crave for your own, and how much are you willing to graciously give away? For some, it’s a matter of material resources, almost like squabbling over the last drumstick on the Thanksgiving plate-- one of those things that make sense while you’re doing it, but then leave you feeling like a bit of a jackass later. Hmm.
Your larger issues are more mental and philosophical, but trust in the small incidents this month to be very illuminating indeed. Watch your own reactions as objectively as you can, and go from there. Trust me: no matter what anyone else gets up to this month, it’s your own actions and thoughts that matter.
Gemini, Leo
You two get lumped uncharacteristically together because your issues are somewhat similar, and they fall under one broad category: Limitations. Something breaks this month for both Twins and Lions, and chances are, it’s something that’s been limiting you in ways you may not have imagined. For both of you, it has to do with other people.
Gemini is facing the limits of fuzzy thought processes, unsatisfactory life philosophies, and harsh, long-standing inhibitions. None of these are really yours. They’ve been magicked into your head by a long string of people who want you to believe just this way for their own benefit. Some Geminis are about to begin a period of hard-core sexual awakening; the lessons you learn about who you really are and what you really think in the next decade will center around sexuality. It’s a deep, tough, extremely vulnerable passage, but also a uniquely rewarding one. The week of the Full Moon, on November 14, is a small preview.
Leo is dealing with some of the same issues, but is reacting quite differently at the moment. You’re already in the throes of acting out your quirks, somewhat willy-nilly. Leo ascendants in particular have been trying on various partners, positions, and strategies—not all of them sexual, either—trying to make it all fit. But you’re meeting with seemingly immovable obstacles, some of them undoubtedly financial, and so the temptation is to assume that you’re doing it all wrong. You’re probably not. Keep trying, and the obstacles will take care of themselves eventually.
Virgo, Pisces
There’s really not much left to say to you poor things (check this article for the main highlights of the Saturn/Uranus opposition in your signs, making its first pass early this month) except...well, keep at it, and keep reaching for that sense of humor.
This is actually a dream-come-true month, for Pisces especially. But...but...your dreams-come-true will change you in ways you can’t anticipate. Your ruler Neptune moves forward this month, and then Uranus in your sign moves forward later; between the two, you’re in for some pretty unique experiences. Your dreams (the actual ones you have at night) will become important; they’ll dredge up things you might not want to look at, but really really need to see.
For Virgos, the same inner transformation is reaching a critical phase. Are you serving? Whom? Why? You’re about to get extremely self-interested when it comes to romance—there are things about yourself that you feel you must learn, and you’ll see your way clearly, through pleasure and self-gratification. It’ll be a struggle at first, but determination will eventually overcome reticence and hesitation.
Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius
You three signs rarely get lumped together, but for this month, I’d like to say this to all three of you: there are larger forces at work, and you’ll need to wear your transpersonal hats as much as possible. The so-called transpersonal signs (along with Pisces, you’re them) have the ability to look at people, behavior, and personal interaction and see humanity in the abstract, rather than mere personalities.
On the one hand, there are the day-to-day specifics of your friends and loved ones; these are the minor tragedies and triumphs that make up the subplots of our lives. On the other hand, there are the generic human themes, the stories, played out over and over again by you, by others, by whomever. These are the main plots—or the archetypes, if you like—and they don’t change; individuals (like Jack or Mary or cousin Humphrey) merely fill in the roles temporarily.
Both perspectives are important, of course, but this month, you’ll need to back away from the personal a bit, and see things from that transpersonal perspective you’re so capable of attaining. For all three of you, spiraling inward toward the intensely personal will be an exercise in self-imposed pressure. You don’t need it. Take the broader view.
This is triple-dog true for Capricorn and Capricorn ascendants. Pluto’s entry into your sign will place an immense amount of pressure on you, now and for years to come. December-born Capricorns are already feeling it. “Change!” it says (and this month it’s yelling.) Change is coming, that’s true, but taking all the pressure of Pluto, Saturn, and Uranus onto your own shoulders is counterproductive and, well, silly. Move your focus away from yourself, and toward the larger plot that you’re a part of.
Aquarius has been finding this move difficult lately. In November, putting yourself aside will get easier in many ways, but you’ll also have to fight some intense inner demons. Take a look at Libra above, because that theme is similar to yours. It’s very similar, in fact, although it’ll be more subconscious for you; memories, triggers, and old nasty patterns seem to pop out of nowhere. The good thing is, you’ll feel better this month, and that’s a great thing. Do stuff for other people. It helps.
