November is Scorpio’s month. Scorpio represents the inexorable forces of evolution and transformation. Many people, especially those with their Suns in fixed signs—Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus, and Leo—say that November is when major changes occur in their lives.

It’s interesting that this is the month of U.S. national elections. They always occur with Sun in Scorpio, and begin with Scorpio rising as well. Scorpio is a sign of power, and this Scorpio season encourages ambition and control. Scorpio is also a sign of business; thus power in business is always a major issue in U.S. elections. Scorpio also has a tendency to look for the negative, and last-minute negative ads are a staple of U.S. politics.

In addition, elections are always on Tuesday, a Mars-ruled day. Mars is the attacker.

Scorpio, and its co-ruler, Mars, always form the milieu of U.S. elections, both for candidates and voters. Both the sign, Scorpio, and the planet, Mars, are always ready for conflict. This was very apparent at the 2000 presidential election, with the voting conflict which ensued. Conflict and power-seeking correspond to the general character of the U.S. Administration, which has made at least 60 military interventions in other parts of the world since 1945—not to speak of the many earlier military forays.

A challenging T-cross in fixed signs dominates November.

The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Their job is to attract and to build power. They are stable, and work to hang onto what they’ve built.

The planets this November show that indeed power, and struggling for different kinds of power, dominate the month. This is particularly true during the first half of the month, before Sun and Mercury move into the go-for-broke sign of Sagittarius.

We feel this month the power of Scorpio, who wants total control over what it needs for survival. In the waning days of this industrial age, oil is the apparent centerpiece of economic survival. And the drive for total control can engender all kinds of manipulation and enmity.

We have Leo, who needs to create the show in his/her image, and direct it. Leo will brook no competition for the role of ruler. Leo wears the mantle of divine kingship. (GW has a Leo Ascendant.)

And there is Aquarius, whose power is that of reform. Aquarius will fight for its reforms—Pres. Abraham Lincoln is a good example—but it has a very specific idea of what it considers reform. The current prevailing idea of reform in the U.S. is for the U.S. to develop into a military-police security empire—although other reforms are simmering underground in the U.S., and other countries have different ideas of reform. Corporate reform is towards total corporate domination of every thing and every person in the world. And at the same time the idea of reform amongst peoples of the world is towards greater democracy and human rights. Reform is on the move. Aquarius is the most tenanted sign this year.

Aquarius’ planet, revolutionary Uranus, turns direct just before the election, and the election results will show us what kind of reform interests American voters at this time. Whatever kind of reform is chosen now will leave its mark on the world for a long time to come, for the Moon’s North Node of the Moon, a destiny point for the world, conjoins the U.S. natal Uranus this month at 9 Gemini.

The U.S. Uranus corresponds with this nation’s love affair with technology, and particularly with weaponry. It conjoins the reddish fixed star Aldebaran, in Taurus, often called the Eye of the Bull. There is a Mars nature to Aldebaran, and this degree is prevalent in charts connected with nuclear development and with U.S. war activity.

Michael Moore’s new film, "Bowling For Columbine," is right in tune with this joining of Node and U.S. Uranus. It is a wake-up call to America about the misuse of its Uranian energy.

On November 19, the day of a Lunar Eclipse in Taurus, Taurus Moon, as Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, will complete the fourth corner of the fixed square. Taurus power is that of production and accumulation, whether it be a lovely garden, a hefty bank account, or an enlarged empire.

This eclipse occurs as Venus stations to turn direct, and is thus particularly strong. Venus is Taurus’ planet, and we will see what kind of production opens for us now (besides war materiél).

Scorpio and Aquarius battle it out.

The major celestial action in November, besides the Eclipse, concerns the many squares between Scorpio and Aquarius. The Scorpio planets are the inner, personal planets—Sun, Mercury and Venus—and will manifest personal desire and intensity. The Aquarius planets are Neptune and Uranus, universal energies, and refer to grand social movements and deep changes in consciousness.

Our major challenge here is aligning our personal desires to be instruments of universal service. Two examples of ways of meeting this challenge are (1) intense work to tune into our highest modes of service to the collective, and (2) finding ways to use the zeitgeist—the current flow—to help us achieve our personal goals.

November’s three occultations involve asteroids.

On November 1 and November 29, Moon occults—or eclipses—Vesta. Vesta was Goddess of the Hearth, fierce protector of all those things we need for security, including turf, clan, and income. Two eclipses this month show upsets in Vesta’s territory.

Investments are a Vesta word, and Vesta is always prominent in financial dealings. For instance, when Vesta conjoined the U.S. Sun, criminal charges were filed by the U.S. against Arthur Andersen. When Vesta crossed the U.S. North Node (destiny point), GW signed Fast Track for the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas.

All "vest" words denote things under Vesta’s care—investiture, vestments, and any care entrusted to, or vested in, someone—all things that enhance our security.

Vesta is now traveling through Virgo, sign of work, service, health, and the military.

On November 3 Moon eclipses Juno, the Great Goddess. She corresponds with both relationships and with abuse, disenfranchisement, and victimization.

Watch Juno and Mars this month.

Juno and Mars are both traveling through Libra, a potent sign for both the U.S., and for GW. The combination can certainly indicate terrorism—of one kind or another.

Juno starts the month having just begun her new four-year cycle for the U.S. And Mars is about to square the U.S. Sun, which energizes the nation. On November 3, when disruptive Uranus turns direct, and Juno is eclipsed, Juno is at 22 Libra. This is very close to GW’s nadir, and it could signal a shift in his partnership modus operandi. Mars is then squaring the U.S. and GW’s suns, which it does through Election Day. This square energizes the nation and GW.

This timing may correspond with an incident that galvanizes the U.S. public to vote for the Bush machine.

On November 16-17 Mars conjoins and stimulates the U.S. Juno, the energy of partnership/abuse. This last happened in December 2000, when the Supreme Court decision came down in favor of Bush.

From November 9-26, Juno squares U.S. Mercury and Pluto, the U.S. power complex. At the same time it squares GW’s Saturn, his sense of authority. From November 20-29, Mars makes these same squares.

Thus November 20-26, the week during which Venus and Ceres turn direct in Scorpio and in Aries is very heavy for the U.S. This is a week that directly follows the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus. It is also the week during which Mars in the war and peace sign of Libra transits the sensitive point of the Lunar Eclipse of April 15, 1995, which preceded the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

Jupiter and Pluto continue their magical trine.

During the entire month of November, Jupiter and Pluto run a very close fire trine. Pluto is power and Jupiter is luck and good fortune. This combination means new growth, and the trine means they can harmonize creatively and beautifully. This is a great track for all of us to use to accomplish our goals. This trine continues through December. People born on April 7, 8, and 9 are especially favored.

Three bodies change direction.

Directional changes in planets are signals that indicate a change in expression of that planet. The three shifts in November are all moving into direct motion, which means easier operation in the world. On November 4 Uranus, the Disrupter, turns direct at 25 Aquarius. On November 21 Venus begins her rise from her journey into the shadowy depths of love and desire, just at the beginning of Scorpio. And on November 23, Ceres turns direct at 4 Aries. Perhaps some labor conflicts can be settled now, just in time for Thanksgiving—which is Ceres’ special holiday. At the same time, martial Aries energy gets a boost.

A feeling of anticipation may color the month.

There are two cases of planets closely chasing another, but not quite catching up. Mars chases Juno, and catches up on December 5. This combination indicates the possibility of victims. The chase is in Libra, who seeks for balance and equal partnership, but the conjunction in December is in Scorpio, who will go to great lengths to attain control.

Smart Pallas Athena in Aquarius chases an exact opposition to expansive Jupiter in Leo. This too culminates on December 5. Pallas Athena sits now on the midpoint of Neptune and Uranus in Aquarius, and she pinpoints, with her laser-like strategy, that combination of consciousness-changing energies. This configuration relates to air itself, and action in and through the air is involved.

These combinations on December 5 could certainly add up to attack by air. In addition, on December 4 we have a Total Solar Eclipse at 12 Sagittarius, right on the U.S. Ascendant. Jupiter also turns retrograde this day. Jupiter is the U.S. chart ruler.

In summary, war and terrorism are major subjects during the next month. Relationships and partnerships are also on the front burner. Use of and power over resources is the big issue. This is Scorpio’s forte.