
Today is Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. We are quickly approaching the Taurus Full Moon on Thursday, which is when the Sun in Scorpio opposes the Moon in Taurus. The week of a Full Moon is always marked by an increase in the intensity of emotional energy. This phase asks us to be especially aware of our inner temperature and how it translates into outer reactions. In particular, the aspects accompanying this Full Moon call for expert handling. It’s nothing to be afraid of, but there is reason to carry forward last week’s mantra of ‘discernment’.
The main players: Mercury and Venus are in a tight, as-close-as-it-can-get-without-being-exact conjunction in early Sagittarius. Mars is still opposite Neptune – exact today – and then Mars is immediately opposite Chiron. The Full Moon itself is square Nessus. And all of this takes shape as a single Full Moon matrix this week; a landscape of projection and shadow, illusions and confrontations.
The first thing to remember is to guard your integrity and to be honest – not only with others, but with yourself. The Mercury-Venus conjunction leans toward being extra-idealistic. This sounds great, and may in fact be a nice balance to other angles this week. But watch any tendencies to apply that rosy glow to the point of not seeing things for what they are.
Next, this is a likely week for strange confrontations. Full Moons are polarizing events and we tend to experience them externally; that is, we see the issues as being between ourselves and another. But that square to Nessus signals an internal source of tension. Any confrontations this week are mostly going to involve confronting inner material. Translation: beware of projections and illusions of your own mind. The Scorpio Sun is a bit like a movie projector this week, shining the contents of our psyches outward onto the ground of the earthy Moon in Taurus. The illumination is easier to see ‘out there’, but it’s our job to remember that what we’re being shown actually exists within us.
This kind of light source in the darkness casts our shadows in ways that are less distinct than in the daytime. Have you ever had your own shadow, glimpsed out of the corner of your eye, make you jump? The fight-or-flight response kicks in, and it takes your body much longer than your mind to settle back down. Once you do, you’re glad you didn’t run or scream or lash out, since the only threat to your sense of safety was your own perception.
Nessus, a Centaur planet dealing with shadow material, is square the Sun and Moon. Mars opposite Neptune places facets of our psyche in a rather murky place. Having those two factors involved this week speaks to the importance of regular self-checks on our perceptions. If you start thinking someone has it in for you, check those thoughts thoroughly for validity – and then check again. It’s one thing to make yourself jump; it’s another thing to call someone out on shit that isn’t theirs.
The other thing about Nessus square the Full Moon is that since it’s in Aquarius, it brings in tension with group dynamics – and the ‘first group’ is the family of origin. If things get heated with your coworkers or friends, take a timeout and see if you can match up the outlines of the exchanges with the shadows of your family dynamics. If there’s a resemblance, you know you’re being presented with some inner work to do.
It’s like there’s a persona within each of us running out of space to breathe and move. Through a crack in the box containing it, light is shining onto those around us so we can see what’s inside. Sometimes recognizing that can be scary. The fear is, if I let the light through, see it for what it is, work with the shadows being cast, won’t the crack widen – to the point of obliterating the box? Far more likely it will simply transform from container to foundation, giving us something to stand on as we integrate within and without. When it comes to that process, the more real we’ve been with ourselves in recent weeks, the more Chiron will be of practical help when Mars opposes it, rather than a shock.
In the willingness to observe and face the ‘dark monster’ of shadow, we can look past its appearance and into its heart. The strength found there is ingenuity; and then one simply breaks the box down and stands on top of it.
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Thanks again Be. Giving that light some space of it’s own in hopes of finding a way through…(notice I didn’t say out) 🙂
starry & Burning,
What’s the difference between going to school and gaining consciousness? If any, I think attitude and perspective. Probably age has a lot to do with it too. Right now and for the foreseeable future it’s a 24-7 classroom. Talk about a blur!
If he could, and if you could believe him, Neptune would point out any drug related events, including alcohol, and in this case he is in the last degrees of Aquarius. But a lot of other planets are paying homage to Neptune these days. The personal planets, all of them, the Moon (who does so several times a month anyway), but also Mercury and Venus together at the same time, starting squaring Neptune on Halloween and into the next day. Transiting Mars, another personal planet opposed Neptune yesterday so this is the aspect influencing the events you mentioned starry. The Sun, as personal as it gets, will square Neptune on Sunday, November 20th, but before that, tomorrow in fact, Neptune will station and then start his direct motion toward his home sign Pisces.
When the Sun, the part of us that is consciously aware, finally squares (transiting) Neptune, he (Neptune) will still be in the same degree as he was in for all the previously mentioned contacts, but he will no longer be in a reflective mode. He’s through looking back and leaning forward as they say at MSNBC.
You have your assignments. Study hard and get ready for the big test on Neptune later this month. Next month Saturn will trine Neptune and would just love to put him in a box, but if he does it will only be an illusion. Still, there is cooperation there and maybe containment is possible.
be
Wow. Woke up this a.m. With an awareness of what was put in the box! Now, what to do about it…how to Unpack it, break it up and stand on it?
This is great stuff Be!
P.s. Which ones are the “conscious planets” you’re referring to?
Thanks Be – could be I’m seeing shadows everywhere these days…hard to say as it all seems like a blurry funhouse of sorts by now (with these aspects). A friends son was killed early a.m. Sunday. He was speeding….alcohol involved. Another teen also killed and two severely injured.
Then a drug involved young family member popped up on the radar today…really would prefer not to deal with an active user right now. Manipulations galore by close family members. So addiction is the shadow…what’s the creative response or counterpart?
I’ll keep looking within and hope the smoke and mirrors clear…
Thanks, be. I had the same question as starrynight.
starrynight3,
The idea of a shadow even having a heart seems ridiculous doesn’t it? But the shadow. . our own shadow was suppressed long ago for whatever reason and yet is part of us. It follows us around and probably it was a very clever part of us at one time, til somebody thought it too clever and made you suffer for expressing it. Then you packed it into a box where it would not be seen or heard from ever again. Probably even forgot about it.
If you think about that shadow thing that someone some where at some time made you think was a bad part of you, try substituting ‘creative’ or ‘clever’ for ingenious and see if you can work with that. It is always a good time to get to the heart of what is unconscious within us when the centaurs ride the range and make contact with personal planets. These days we are all facing those unconscious shadows in a box, what with centaur Nessus having turned direct the day after Halloween and centaur Chiron turning direct the day of the Full Moon. This makes them more powerful as they almost stand still, from our view, and focus all that energy through the contact with the personal planet, in the case of Nessus, through the Sun and Moon, and in the case of Chiron, through Mars. See if you can’t get to the heart of it when one of those ‘conscious’ planets seems to be making trouble for you. How do you react? What do you think? How does it make you feel? See if you can’t find that bit of light shining through the cracks in the old box it got packed up in and study it for a while. Can you see the creativity just waiting to be developed? Try giving it a little space of it’s own and maybe you will make a new friend.
be
Really instructive and helpful, but I’m stuck on how ingenuity is a strength in the heart of the shadow and how to work with that. Is it a grammar problem? Sorry. Would love some elucidation on what is meant here.
Thank you for a useful piece to commit to memory and a practical protocol to commit to action. Your acute and generously shared perception may (if heeded) save a lot of grief.
When all of the managers, supervisors and police officers are dealing with this same situation, it might be good to remember to smile and wave. No-one needs an ugly face or fist first thing in the morning. Thanks for the November resend on the monthly report too!
Can’t thank you enough for this. Have already been experiencing this stuff this weekend. Feeling pretty low abpout things these days, and was with a very dear friend who I feel I’ve grown apart from, that I’m not on ‘the same page’ as any more – and I find this really tough and alienating. But as always, it’s up to me to look at my needs and projections, to do the inner work. Thank you. xx