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by Boots Hart Sounding notes of challenge, confusion and situational impasses, this November is a testing ground which warns of what will unfold come December and the beginning of 2010. Where we haven't dealt with our motivations, with the continuing need to grow and evolve as people, life now asks what our motivations and values really are through a continuing montage of situations which test how honest we are—with ourselves most of all. Do we respect who we're being? With Sun united with Mercury in early Scorpio squaring Mars in early Leo, everything in life seems to require balancing the YIPPEE! against the not-so-hot (aka UGH!), the what-we-want against what we need to get there. Or do first, before we can do what we want. Our days are filled with dichotomies, considerations, responsibilities and sprinkles of various whatnots to the point that things we'd ordinarily take in stride may seem disruptive. At least frustrating. Everything feels so…complicated. Can't anything just be easy? Actually, yes—it can. But getting there depends on how clearly you know what you're about… and how well you know how to fly your own jet-powered psyche. Tests and trials now have less to do with others (or the situation) than with your reactions—and those come from the state of your individual self worth. The universe wants you to be a better and more complete You—so it has to toss things at you which will get you to dust off that determination (at least) and maybe even wax more polished when it comes to being a human work of art. Here's the kicker and the clue: what you attract is really a version of you—one which emphasizes the parts of your personality you haven't done well with as yet. That means running away is ultra-unproductive. As is trying to control them. THEY aren't the issue—your ability to tolerate your feelings in the situation or about them are. All things Scorpio (and 8th house) always test all things Taurus (and 2nd house)—which is to say, our personal basics: self worth, values and abilities. And whether you've developed them sufficiently—or even correctly, which is where money issues come in. Scorpio is about where we invest ourselves—and yes, our money. But more vitally it's about the feelings we risk through investment, which makes this the house that's also about a betrayal of any kind, whether it comes from your lover or you broker. The feeling is hurt. Anger. Shame, even. But that all comes from your not having chosen correctly, which is the Scorpio/8th referendum on internal development. Are you insightful? Do you buy into lies because you always want to think the best? Are you honest and honorable when it comes to emotional responsibilities? Do you take responsibility for who you are? How do you handle trust and the widespread ramifications and responsibilities involved in being trustworthy? That's what's testing us big-time at the moment. And seeing that Mars (the "assertive choice") part of this equation is already in the shadow of its upcoming December retrograde—we can all count on some situations being rocky. Uncomfortably so. Just to review, retrogrades symbolize energies turned "within"—a period when we end up having to get from ourselves what we would rather get from others. This past spring, Venus (symbol of appreciation, reward, affection) went retrograde as economic hard times hit home. As it went retrograde in early March, the "making real" Venusian specialty became real in our lives as the idea of being provided for became the whole thing. That this happened in the “I” sign of Aries made the question whether I am responsible for others, what can I do to survive, what can I do about the problem, what can I do which will succeed. Being that Venus rules Taurus (I have) and Libra (cause/effect), the whole system of what we do for what we get went out of whack. Remember that? So now the retrograde player is Mars—the "can do" or "make happen" energetic. In its role as primary ruler of Scorpio, Mars is the what I do or who I go into the relationship being which generates reactions and results: admiration or being suckered. Being honorably cherished versus being stolen from and abused. As secondary ruler of the 8th and Scorpio, Pluto is only (yeah right…only!) the transformational energy we experience because we made the choices we made. Because we chose that love partner, that adviser, that approach. But the whole thing is a test of our ability to tolerate our feelings about how well we're doing on the inside as emotional beings. Primary ruler of Scorpio, Mars entered the shadow of its upcoming December retrograde on October 16. So while the beginning emphasis on Scorpio comes from the Sun and Mercury's transiting that sign and activating Scorpio issues in daily life, that gets tied up with Mars because Mars is the "what I choose" Scorpio force. Mars is in Leo, a sign about creativity and personal enjoyment. So with Mars in Leo, we want things to be fun—and we want to be involved in things we think are fun or which will give us pleasure in the short or long run, which is where the creative part comes in. Mars in Leo is often a highly productive period and one when the right dynamic attitude can attract new opportunities. The down side of Mars in Leo is where this dynamism rises to arrogance or aggression, with or without a common (if screwball) Mars-in-Leo reluctance to take things on—even things you like doing or want to get done. Good or bad, there's an emphasis on the "me/my" part of life with less than optimal reconciliation of the Leo/Aquarian. In other words, am I being selfish? Does what I want/like work for everyone else? Society? Aquarius is the society, the network, the marketplace, the system. Leo is the backyard, the safety of one's own pleasureful pursuits, the security of private choice. Bottom line, to have Mars ringing a bell about its upcoming retrograde from Leo…? That tells us we're in a period when whether we know it (or like it) or not, we're setting ourselves up to rise or fall, succeed or undermine our cherished interests during the retrograde which begins December 20. This happens within a dynamic which rewards neither doing nothing, nor throwing caution to the winds. It's time to grow, people. But that growth must have purpose—one beyond mere personal preference. That all this occurs as Saturn conjuncts Black Hole M87 adds a note all about moving from the personal into the public world. Wherever Saturn is, there is our emphasis. And Saturn's been in "personal spaces" (Aries through Virgo) since 1996, emphasizing the building of our inner and more personal world. Now all we're all going through a reorientation as we realize our personal world/life depends on what we do and build in a public arena—which would be the cosmic reason for such potent worldly events: to get us into a more public, participatory mood. With Pluto squaring Saturn from 1 Capricorn, the big, big things in life are still hard to manage. But for those willing to put in the effort and (again) act not in terms of preconceive notions but in terms of challenges which well may be uncomfortable, things are changing. Despite the "negative" reputation squares tend to have, they're all about building that which is intrinsically lasting (think of how important a 90 degree/square angle is in architecture and engineering). The question is: are you presenting yourself with enough strength and willingness (Saturn) while being willing to take on big efforts, big challenges (Pluto)—probably things you never would have dreamed of doing but which can have and lasting impact on those things most near and dear to your heart (Mars in Leo, ruling Scorpio)? Come November 2, a Full Moon at 10 Taurus illuminates things even further by shedding a "full and evocative" light on issues to occur on December 31. This Full Moon is in exact sextile (opportunity to act) to the Lunar Eclipse which will occur on that date. In Taurus, this moon is about "security issues" which may be physical, emotional or financial. Whatever they are, they test your sense of personal accomplishment in terms of your own expectations for yourself. Other people may be involved, but the key to this moment is all about each one of us as an individual. Positioned in Taurus' first emotional degree, this Full Moon will either ground you or bring you down with a bruising "thud" outlined by asteroid Agamemnon exactly conjunct asteroid Osiris as part of this figure. Agamemnon is a figure of strength to be sure—but he was also one highly manipulative dude, being the king who used the stealing of someone else's wife (Helen) as an excuse to start a war with Troy. As for the oh-so Egyptian Osiris, that's a two-sided message with the first part being about begin betrayed and dismembered and the second being about a very particular resurrection statement, since Osiris was (a) put back together by his sister (Isis) with one part of his divine if chopped-up body going missing—the penis. So Osiris is a figure of resurrection, but an imperfect and infertile one. On one hand, this combination has a distinctly platonic sound. On the other, it tells us that if and where you have used someone else's tragedy to further yourself…now comes the cost, the opportunity to fix things and a general light which shines forward to December 31 and the three months which follow (lunar eclipses having a generalized 3-month effect). All this happens prior to Neptune going direct on November 4, which doesn't make life any easier, either. Neptune's stations always give us a combination of romantic ideation against confusion; indecisiveness against possible over-optimism. And with this one taking place at 23 Aquarius (using hard-learned lessons to help others avoid similar mistakes) in conjunction with asteroid Pandora (having to work through difficulties to find hope) gives us an image of concerted efforts amidst a torrent of "ills" which must be faced. Pandora will also deliver a little postscript to the moment when on November 6 she conjuncts Neptune exactly. Time to face the truth, whether you like it or not! The message here is that only by facing our ghouls and fears do we get the opportunity to improve things. Hark…! Do I hear an echo of Pluto square Saturn and Mars in Leo? Why, yes I do! Amazing how these things work, don't you think? And we're not done yet: stakes get raised yet again as Venus enters Scorpio early on November 8 (this still being November 7 in the Americas and Pacific region). In an out-of-sign opposition (disparate dynamics being uncomfortably linked) to asteroid Phaeton (overestimation of strength leading to disaster) Venus signals that the next three-and-a-half weeks are a testing time when we are asked not to overstep, overdo, overspend or overestimate our resources physical, mental, financial, emotional or temporal. In other words, priorities not only count—they're wicked important! As Mercury enters Sagittarius on November 16 (still November 15 in the Americas and Pacific Basin) life's pace increases while traveling a bumpy road. For one, Mercury in Sagittarius indicates a time when hastiness, forgetfulness, even mental sloppiness plague us for all we're worth, frustrating us to the point that…well, that we get hasty, forgetful and sloppy. Even without our help, plans will go awry now and glitches in the system are sure to show up. That it starts off with Mercury encountering Circe (being reduced to primal emotions) and Altjira (spiritual seeking), suggests again that this whole month is a "testing ground"—echoes of Mars, anyone? On November 20, Mars will oppose centaur Nessus, putting choice and desire (Mars) in polarity with a primal energy all about wanting what isn't yours even to the point of being willing to kill to get it. Obviously symbolic, this is a polarizing moment. We need to protect our own interests here without becoming victims—or even just doormats! Where and if you've "stolen" something from someone, this two-day transit will call that out, too. And with Mars being at this moment in the company of Atropos (cutting the connecting thread) this may be a moment when giving up on a bad idea, relationship, career or choice—even your seat on the bus—becomes not just apt, but really necessary. That all this happens at one of the zodiac's four “cross-quarter” points says there's an essential "grow up!" energy to this polarity. Since Nessus is only the first in a whole hit parade of figures standing waiting to be opposed in Aquarius…Considering that the next polarity is to Damocles (poised threats one is mindful of), Psyche (the ability to trust) and Jupiter (knowing the greater possibilities) we are individually and collectively being asked to work with others, with the situation, at the task. In other words, it's time to grow up and be an independent, decisive, contributing human being. It's time to get past the petty preferences, personal greed, small-minded personal convictions that we know what's right and instead to get to work on what will just plain work!Solving the problem is more important than whether you like dealing with the problem! And if you don't get past your various reluctances now…? Well, then count on these issues coming back to rain on your parade starting in December, extending on into the first months of 2010. Maybe even beyond. Come November 22 (November 21 in the Americas and Pacific region) the Sun moves into Sagittarius, ushering in a period all about how well things work in practice or application. It's a time for testing ideas and finding out what works, when interactions are informative and profitable connections can be made or called upon. Where things don't work, or where they fail to satisfy our expectations, Sagittarius provides the perfect time to look around for better solutions and new possibilities, all of this being why Sagittarius has a reputation for being about "expansion" and all those things which expand our mind, horizons and experiences: travel, education, religion, scientific/philosophic research, debate, dissemination of ideas through media, etc. One big trick now is not to get distracted, and during this time you can bet on many a thing tempting you to get off course. That's one of the big Sagittarius tests. Another is letting go of what one wishes/wants to be true in favor of what works. This last is where Sagittarius has gained a reputation for overbearing self-righteousness, proselytizing—even out-of-hand condemnation which, here at the shift from the highly emotional/faith-based Age of Pisces into the science-fact-"proof-in-the-pudding" Aquarian Age, is manifesting as a lot of terrified indignation and many a chink in "faith-based" systems. Pisces is based on the sensed, while Aquarius bases all in the rational. Obviously one system has to be uprooted before another can take over, which isn't easy for our security-oriented human race. We're seeing it all around us with so many people just plain scared of tinkering with the balance while others are refusing to deal with the facts. And thus do difficulties spread. This is not to say that humanity or our planet is racing into a future of bleakness. Far from it! Things are changing, yes. Yes, there will be much debate. And yes, many will see every change portending approaching disaster. But let's be real here…people have been predicting ultimate disaster as long as humans have been around; it's a reflection of our difficulty with universal, cosmic process. As a final note on this—and the month: on November 24 a New Moon at 24 Scorpio conjunct asteroid Hidalgo signals a new phase of understanding and facing our various strengths versus our weaknesses (24 Scorpio) with the determination so typical of Hidalgo, a symbol of courage in the face of adversity. As always, there's a bit of cosmic commentary on the occasion, that being here a challenge about getting past feelings of jealousy (Amphitrite) which, with Pluto moving into 2 Capricorn (the desire to prove one's self) arouses the desire to say "it's them, not us!". But is it? That's something to think about—and to act on going forward. Boots Hart, CAP
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