Astro Tips - New Moon in Sagittarius, November 22, 2014

(With gratitude for all that we have experienced in 2014 IN SPITE OF the crazy fight to heal humanity's karma and create a just world. . . Happy Thanksgiving!)

After months of “drag your feet” syndrome, all of a sudden so much seems to be happening at once.  What is really happening is our awareness.  We are flooded with awareness of where we are and what is truly happening.  2014 has been a year of awakening – a year of clashing with established ways of doing things – a year of rebellion in many odd costumes (Tea Party people are also rebels!)– another year of violence and war – a memorable year of plutocrats looking down on the masses.  For example, in Denton, Texas….the citizens voted to prohibit fracking in their community.  A proposition forbidding fracking easily passed in the November election. Case closed.  Not so fast.  The Republican Railroad Commissioner said, “It’s my job to give permits, not Denton’s.”  The Commissioner plans to continue “fracking as usual” in spite of the ballot box. 

Yes, it has been quite a year.  The New Moon for December on November 22 is in the early degrees of Sagittarius.  Mars in Capricorn has moved away from the darkness of Pluto.  We find ourselves taking action based on our beliefs and our sense of responsibility.  Neptune, the planet most associated with falling asleep and ignoring the practical side of life, is now headed in direct motion. Instead of sleepy denial of reality, we are suddenly obsessed with idealism and aspirations to make things better.  Go with it!  Some people are saturated with creative thoughts and dreams for a better world.  Neptune is the veil that separates us from the other dimensions. This New Moon in Sagittarius make a strong connection with Neptune. We are longing to learn new things.  We are determined to promote what we believe in.  A triangle of fire between Venus, Jupiter and Uranus keeps pumping us with energy to express our convictions.

The Moon at zero degrees of Sagittarius sits close to Saturn in the late degrees of Scorpio.  Somewhere inside we know we can plant new seeds.  Saturn has almost finished its visit to serious Scorpio.  The past has been painfully reviewed. We can stop now and think instead about the future.  The heaviness of the Moon so close to Saturn is just to remind us to tune in to what we truly value.  There is no need for depression.  Saturn will step into the sign of Sagittarius around December 23.  Our focus will be on the future rather than the pain of the past.  Accept the death of all that now passes away and cannot be brought back to this realm.  Say final words of forgiveness for anything that has been a disappointment. Then look into the dark earth for your own new seeds taking root.  It’s time to step out of our narrow emotional well and greet the world with open arms. Open up.  Sagittarius rules the search for higher truth.  With the New Moon in Sagittarius, we take a deep breath and say yes to new opportunities that allow us to expand and grow.

Astro Tips November 2014

Every Moment by Rumi (Ghazal number 26, translated by Nader Khalili)

“a voice /out of this world /calls on our soul / to wake up and rise…

this soul of ours / is like a flame /with more smoke than light / blackening our vision / letting no light through

lessen the smoke and / more light brightens your house / the house you dwell in now / and the abode / you’ll eventually move to

now my precious soul / how long are you going to / waste yourself / in this wandering journey / can’t you hear the voice / can’t you use your swifter wings / and answer the call.”

We will look back on 2014 as a year of awakening.  Uranus has been delivering the stimulus to kick us into consciousness about ourselves and the World we live in.  Yes, we live in difficult times. But we also live in a time of awakening to our connection with all that is.  Every moment we are bombarded with information that tells us that everything has consciousness.  We are beginning to comprehend that we are a part of a Universe that is mysterious, alive and interconnected.  Pluto has been trying to tear away old structures to allow for new growth and new paradigms.  Things that don’t work anymore and belief systems that are dead are slowly corroding, but it takes time.  Planet Saturn represents time.  Saturn has been visiting the Scorpio place all year.  Scorpio is a fixed sign so Saturn in Scorpio has held us back and it has kept the status quo in place. A fixed sign wants to be sure about things before taking a new step.  Judging from current mid-term elections, there is still much hesitation about taking new steps.  As a collective we seem to remain attached to our separation rather than our unity.

Well thank goodness we are about to get more light on the subject of awakening to our responsibilities as a homo spiritus species!  As the November Full Moon approach on November 6^th, the Sun, Saturn, Venus and Mercury are all holding hands in the sign of Scorpio.  The fixed nature of Scorpio is about to intensify and shift.  Saturn, the timekeeper, delivers a mature, serious tone and Scorpio planets recognize that the time has come to make some decisions and to commit to the next life chapter. Venus (what we value) and Saturn (what we are destined to do) join together to bring devotion to the soul’s path.  Mercury also joins with Saturn during the month.  Mercury is communication, but it also relates to commerce, the market place and the corporate office.  New decisions regarding career direction could be on coming for many of us.  Our destinies are unfolding.

The full moon time of the month brings increased light to the darkness…the darkness of the psyche, the unconscious, and our hidden agendas.  This full moon on November 6^th occurs in the sign of Taurus.  Taurus tells us to value the good life.  Enjoy yourself, and let life be easy. Taurus is about holding on to what we have (the house, our bank accounts, our relationships) but the opposite sign, Scorpio, slowly lets go of what has been acquired and proceeds to die and be reborn into a new life. Rumi’s words in the poem “lessen the smoke and more light brightens your house…..” crystallize the polarity  of Taurus and Scorpio. Taurus is our earthly house; Scorpio holds a hint of the abode that will come later. Scorpio intuitively seeks that next life, whether it is the next life chapter or another dimension of existence. Furthermore, Taurus enjoys the sensuality of life while Scorpio seeks intimacy and the hidden meaning of the sensual life. Taurus is building and maintaining while Scorpio is already seeing the transformation that will come later.

The Sun is transiting Scorpio until November 22.  Scorpio’s rulers, Mars and Pluto, will come into a conjunction this month on November 10^th.  When Mars and Pluto face off, we have intense energy that longs to find an outlet for powerful activity.  It could be a football game, an argument, an intense passion directed into romance (or a creative, money-making project), or it could get channeled into war.   Mars and Pluto will hold this space together in the sign of Capricorn, the ruler of the “establishment” (the government) and the corporate world.  Maybe there will be political fireworks or acceleration of aggression/ war activities.   Mars and Pluto together is definitely martial energy.  In addition, Mars will square Uranus during this period and that indicates surprises or sudden events; and it also encourages risk taking.  We need discernment to help us with our risk taking.  And we should be cautious and careful around the full moon and into the next week.  Mars square Uranus is a signature of accidents.  It can also lead to sudden upsets or life changes that are beyond our control. This doesn’t mean disaster.  Maybe somebody gets a windfall or life takes a favorable direction that just happens out of nowhere.

On the personal level, we have excitement, passion and energy.  Of course most of this package will be directed into our current earthly existence. However, when the Sun travels through the sign of Scorpio, we are close to the underworld where our true treasures reside.  Taurus is the earthly life that focuses on physical sustenance, pleasure and abundance.  Scorpio is the shadow life that longs to know the meaning of this life and to experience the deep wonders life offers.

“now my precious soul / how long are you going to / waste yourself / in this wandering journey / can’t you hear the voice / can’t you use your swifter wings / and answer the call.”

For many people, the month of November brings them closer to their soul destiny.  On the collective stage, we have a karmic destiny to address:  how long will we continue to witness people living in fear and bloodshed?  Are we any closer to finding resolution to generational, cultural and religious hatred?  As my teacher, Bhola Banstola said,  “when we undergo initiations we are BEGINNING the process. We are not masters yet, we are initiates.”  Life is one initiation after another!  Every month, in a subtle way, we begin again.  Collectively we begin again to address inequality, conflict and killing fields.  Individually we begin again by gaining another piece of the puzzle of our soul’s journey.

Souls2gather is sponsoring my Astrology 101 course.  It begins Tuesday, December 2, 2014, at Company Café Restaurant near Katy Trail in Dallas.  Here is the web site for more information.  Join souls2gather and register for Astrology 101.

http://www.souls2gather.com/astrology-101.html?m