Today is Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. This is going to be an interesting week. Yes, we said that last week, and the week before and the week before. Once again it’s true. It’s an especially interesting week for a holiday where many families get together — it may be the kickoff of the Occupy Your Family of Origin movement. The astrology is so in your face this week that someone, somewhere is going to stroll up to their parents’ television blaring out FOX News and turn the thing off, or switch it to MSNBC. Under this astrology even the turkeys could rise from the dead and stage a revolt.
Three things happen this week, or you could say three clusters of things.
First and most immediately, the Sun enters Sagittarius. The change from Scorpio to Sagittarius is one of the most palpable of the lot, when the sign of emotional fixity bursts into the sign of cosmic fire. The Sun slips into its new sign making a trine to Uranus in Aries, opening the flow of energy and joining many other planets in Sagittarius — especially Venus conjunct the Galactic Core. The Moon is conjunct Saturn at the time of the Sun’s ingress. That’s the grounding piece. So much of this chart is about impetuous fire or an unusual cosmic light pouring through the parted clouds. But the Moon conjunct Saturn in an air sign is mental ballast, providing reference points and clarity.
Mercury goes retrograde on Thanksgiving Day. Mercury being the planet of conversation, merchants and Tourette’s Syndrome, you just may find yourself saying things you thought you would regret but which leave you feeling somehow ecstatic once you say them. Easily, a million people could come out to their families this holiday. You might find yourself saying literally anything.
Hours after Mercury stations retrograde, there is an eclipse of the Sun in Sagittarius early Friday morning. The eclipse is square Chiron and Mars, and trine Uranus. That is a lot of energy. Oh, the eclipse — in Sagittarius — is also quincunx the planet of Sagittarius: Jupiter. Let’s start with that. Sagittarius is saying to itself, don’t be so stuck in your beliefs. In fact why don’t you get really bold about admitting what is true for you and not believing anything else? What you believed yesterday no longer matters, but what is true generally stays true without any help from us.
The Sun/Moon square to Chiron is a challenge to any notion that your creativity is wounded, or your spiritual connection compromised. Subject matter around father often comes up with the Sun and Chiron in aspect, but this is the Sun/Moon at the same time. The implication is to investigate what was hurting in your parents’ relationship, and take account of how it might have influenced you. And gee — since most of those of us in the U.S. will be sitting around a dinner table with family, what better time to put that Mercury retrograde-influenced impulsiveness to solid, investigative use? If you start the sleuthing while you help Mom (or your older brother or aunt or whoever) get those side dishes prepared, you might have the whole history lesson / therapy session coming to some resolution by the time pie is served. Once the tryptophan-induced nap sets in, you can let your unconscious get to work and see what your dreams tell you about it all.
Thanksgiving nap (and Friday’s leftovers) notwithstanding, the eclipse being square to Mars is a call to action, ensuring that the full momentum of this eclipse will gather through the weekend and into early next week. In other words, be ready to use what you learn in tangible ways to move things forward in your life. Note that eclipses can have staying power for (in our experience) anywhere from six months to 10 years.
This eclipse snuck up on us. It’s a partial solar eclipse, which will be followed by a total lunar eclipse at the Gemini Full Moon a little over two weeks from now. Eclipses make the pace of life feel more brisk, they amplify events, and there can be the sensation of making many choices that are rapidly coming due and then being propelled into the next phase of your life. It’s always a great idea to do some of the things you truly love, or even just one thing, in the days around eclipses, since they are pattern-setting phases. Keep that in mind if you start to feel daunted by obligations this week.
Looking for insights on how this week’s astrology affects your personal Sun and rising signs? Try out Planet Waves Light, our streamlined horoscope service. For deeper cultural context and astrological investigation, the premium Planet Waves subscription includes the same horoscopes, plus extensively-researched articles on Fridays.
KatLyons — Yeah for your mom! and for you too, since I know you are feeling the joy of her joyful experiences. Great news about her changing bank accounts. Dad did that too! He is going with his local credit union.
Just poetry! We can change and evolve until we decide not to. But then change comes any way, so why not enjoy it?
Yikes – I’m not one to keep my mouth shut to begin with.
I will also be spending Thanksgiving alone, but Thursday has been designated a small day of reckoning for me that will require all the diplomacy I can muster. Many thanks for the heads up.
gwind – I related to your Dad’s story. During the very week of her Uranus return at 84, my mother decided to move from Portland, OR where she had lived virtually her entire life to Bellingham, WA. She looked at the information about the vintage hotel that is a very cool retirement community (Gregory Peck, Shirley Temple, visited there in the 30’s) came up to take a look, signed on the dotted line and had moved within two weeks. She has lived a very isolated life for most of her adult life, and is now taking part in an active community (including family coming and going). She has also been depressed much of her life and commented to me, now almost a year later, that she hadn’t been depressed since moving here. Hurray Uranus!
By the way, when I was growing up in the 50’s, she worked in an old office building in downtown Portland. Right down the hall was the office of an astrologer – Helen McFarland, I think was her name. My mother had her own and my brother and my charts done – I still have the old typed readings – accurate, too. (My mother has Neptune conjoined Sun and moon in Pisces – what can I say.) Also, she is in the process of transfering all of her money from Chase to a credit union, too.
Speaking of money, I learned about and signed up for a new service called Dwolla – it is a way to transfer funds – like debit and paypal, but bypasss the credit card companies. It charges a flat 25 cents per transaction – unlike the credit card companies that take a percentage of a merchant’s transacton. It uses Facebook, etc. in some way. I don’t totally get it all yet. It was recommended on our Occupy Bellingham Site. Websites like PW can use it. Kat
Well stated, Mr Hill. Big love to you in return.
The Yod is indeed already there Bk….Mars….Pallas…. and Uranus. The call to questioning…is ..I think…a matter of re-defining and re-stating our Spiritual integrity. The Mars opposition to Chiron will ensure the healthy outcome…me thinks! Squares get to the corners where it needs some daylight!
“Who…what …why …when…where and how….” are always a good start….although “why” has perhaps become obsolete in an existential world.
As someone with natal Borasisi conjunct Great Attractor conjunct Ascendant…conjunct Moon… currently being lovingly caressed by Rahu, Pholus, Venus, Mercury, Ixion and Quaoar, I can confirm that tact is a completely obsolete concept, when it comes to the integrity of truth!
It was, I think, Phillip Sedgewick who suggested that people born around 1950/51 with Borasisi aspects, somehow get away with voicing the uncomfortable truths that seem to get swept under the carpet at most conflagrations of the familial kind…..
As a youngster, I can vividly remember causing mayhem at many, many communions of the Wedding and Funerial kind…to the point where it became an expectation of the participants to the event in question. It was also, for a while, part of my own sense of self! Tricky that was…!
A study and understanding of the Astrological kind, since the discovery of Chiron in 1977, has run alongside a diagnosis of Aspergers in freeing me up to see the next 28 days as the stairway to serenity that it has truly become; a result of spending a major part of the last 34 years in serious contemplation!
Eric and Len describe beautifully the mechanics and implications of all of the major aspects that are soon come….but I would just like to add this thought for the week’s gateway to the future.
Speak your truth along a continuum of whatever level of sensuality, sensitivity, pleasance, strength, aggression or even poetic and intellectual assault; above all, make certain that you cut through the bullshit that the modern world has subsumed us all into. From Neptunian delusion… (sneaking quietly up behind Chiron)… to Saturnine suppression, you will, in time, realise that your courage and sense of purpose are the focus that help you to break on out of this current malaise. It is the not-knowing, that is around the corner of the next square, that makes the mystery so exhilarating! No-one ever said that it was going to be easy!
A big love to you all…I give thanks for the future that this weeks’ enlightenment is about to bring upon us! Mysterious, mysterious ways…!
Paul Hill
ah be, thank you for the tip on Sag. I’ve lived life with that ‘cant breath’ feelings – all of my being geared toward me knowing my strongest ability lies in knowing how to organize structures that work amazing well – but differently. I’ve had some opportunity to put this talent to the test and those moments have been exillerating. Mostly though, the current system steps on it, like godzilla on bambi. So there it is – natal saturn in sag.
Amanda, I’ve always blamed my verbal point-blank-ness on moon in Aries. I guess there are many ways to skin a cat. uh, silence a lamb. uh, turn the turkey. or in this case, freak out the family. 😉
Thanks PW for the almost turkey-day update. i’ll be with mySelf for the weekend and think I’ll make the most of the conversation.
A great summation on all these very powerful aspects! With Merc going retro, my experience has generally been that its a more “sticky” period if we need to act. The squares to Chiron/Mars will no doubt provide clarity in perhaps old patterns resurfacing for discussion. The move from Scorpio to Sag also feels like taking the psychological step of actively participating in the material as it appears externally, and having this discussion in a room that is lit up by the eclipse energy. It’s amazing because it feels like we were being prepared for this by the Neptune/Chiron aspects these past weeks that gave us tools to move from “foggy” to clarity. I’m not sure, but I think when the Sun hits late Aquarius and moves to join Chiron and Neptune in early 2012, the landscape will be either fully disclosed or transformed enough to really leave it behind.
Thoughts anyone?
HS
Ooops, scratch that yod business, at least for the rest of you it will only be a quincunx, bothersome enough, but it isn’t transiting Jupiter, it’s MY Jupiter that will be part of the yod formation. See, it’s already happening!
Anyway, Amanda, it’s better to know than to not know, right? The other expression i remember about Sagittarius from years ago was “don’t fence me in” and I bet you can relate to that one. It is a suffocating feeling you get when you can’t move freely or speak freely, and with it being your Moon in Sag, I bet it’s not being able to express your feelings freely. I can relate.
be
gwind — what a great story about your dad! very, very heartening. so — by “multi-level living community” you don’t happen to mean the local OWS encampment, do you? 😉
bkoehler — until recently, i had no idea my Sag moon might be partially responsible for some of my verbal (ahem) impulses gone unchecked. yes, it does make the dinner table interesting!
Oh boy, this IS going to be interesting. . . just the other day I was reminded of that expression attributed to Sagittarius “open mouth, insert foot”, and I don’t think the Moon conjunct Saturn will be able to stop that kind of energy. . Sun trine Uranus? Yikes!
Anyway, everybody loves Sagittarians and they almost always get forgiven for any faux pas at the dinner table, but I don’t know about the rest of us. Still, it would be refreshing for many to speak and hear the truth even if it includes some ruffled feathers. What a relief after all the sub-stratum work we endured while the Sun was in Scorpio.
There is also the added pressure on transiting Mars as he is the focal point of a yod at this time. He will be powered by the two sextiling planets Jupiter and Pallas-Athene (in Aquarius). She, Athene, will do her best, I’m sure, to keep things from getting out of hand but, good grief, Mars is being prodded six-ways-from-Sunday and in Virgo, tact is not going to be the #1 concern. I say think through your questions in advance and have a fall-back plan if they hit a brick wall. No sense in spoiling the get-together, huh? Maybe after that nap would be a good time to probe. While you help clean up the kitchen.
be
You like-a-pie? I make you-a-pie!
I remember visiting my parents and the TV, mainly FOX, was blaring 24/7. I guess to keep them from hearing themselves or the silence.
Mom passed two years ago. Yesterday I had a lengthy phone discussion with Dad about his plans for the future. He is nearly 80 and about to make his final move into a multi-level living community. The subject of the tv came up; he doesn’t like to listen to it much any more. He is tired of negative people. He is ready to give up his car and live a more social life, rather than being by himself all the time. Although we have been talking about this since Mom passed, yesterday he said these words to me:
“I only want to be surrounded by things and people that bring me joy.”
Talk about coming out! A little role reversal there for me. I felt like a proud parent watching the kid go off to school the first time. He hasn’t told the rest of the family yet. He is doing his inner work, getting stronger every day, moving away from the dysfunctional family structure. Even at 80 the world can change. I hope I get to witness his Uranus return.
Separate thanks once again for a photo that demonstrates the transformative power of a ray of light.
Thank you for alerting us to the possible scenario. Better to see it coming. Many thanks to our itinerant poet, Jere, as well. A single piece of thought can go a long way.
Hey PW,
Long day on top of a long weekend, for all of us no doubt… all typos are understandable – the date for today is the 21st, not the 20th. I’m off to rest finally!
Martha
Very good piece of thought.
Jere