November Star Watch

By Terri Smallwood

Welcome to November, the cusp between fall and winter, and the bridge between Scorpio and Sagittarius. In November, we move from the fixed and watery realm of the Scorpion to the fiery, mutable dominion of the Archer. Under these skies we see many of man’s religiously significant holidays: Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Bodhi Day, Yule and Christmas. It is not coincidental that there are so many different types of religious observances during the reign of the Archer. Sagittarius and its ruler Jupiter are associated with organized religion and philosophy and are concerned with applying this to their quest for understanding the universal laws that govern humanity.

It is often said that the signs of the zodiac from beginning to end represent man in all his various stages of growth; from the infant-like naivety of Aries to the empathic and compassionate “Old man of the sea” that is Pisces. Sagittarius is the 9th sign of the zodiac and, as such, is in the figurative homestretch, less concerned with self than some of the previous signs, and aiming his arrows towards an understanding of universal truth.

Sagittarius is represented by the immortal centaur Chiron: half-human, half-horse. Unlike most of his more bestial cohorts, Chiron was a gifted philosopher, teacher and healer. Mythology says that a poisoned dart from Hercules caused Chiron so much pain that he renounced his immortality and was rewarded by Zeus with a home in the heavens as the constellation Sagittarius.

The expansive and jocular nature of the Archer’s ruling planet, Jupiter, lends a cheerful resilience to natives born under this sign, together with the desire to expand, usually ideologically, but occasionally physically as well. The dual nature of the centaur hints of a conflict within most Sagittarians - finding the balance between the animal and the man. The symbolism of the Archer, and Chiron, are keys to understanding the Sagittarian. Half-man, half-beast, with his arrows pointing to the sky, the nature of the Sagittarian is to aim high, but be grounded in his humanity. The legs of the horse walk upon the earth, yet his head rises to the clouds and his arrows shoot straight and high and far.

This month, the Sun enters Sagittarius on November 23. That gives us three more weeks of the highly charged Scorpio energy that we have been working with throughout October. As we begin November we see the Sun, Mercury and the retrograde Venus all in Scorpio. The Sun and Mercury will each take a turn at squaring Neptune during the first week of November, which can lead to feelings of depression, mental confusion and disturbing dreams, especially around the 5th, when the Moon enters Scorpio as well, intensifying these already strong feelings, and magnifying the effects of the squares.

The transits remain relatively calm until about the third week of the month. November 19 features a partial (penumbral) eclipse of the Moon at 27 degrees Taurus. The eclipse should be visible throughout most of eastern and central North America, as well as western Europe, including Great Britain. The eclipse seems to stop time, stop energy and stop movement, while also focusing energy. Where once there was light shining down on us from the heavens, there is suddenly darkness, nothingness. This temporary lack of stellar input serves to bring our awareness closer to the energy of the current lunar cycle. It is said that it takes up to 28 days (one lunar cycle) to truly understand what effect a lunar eclipse has had on you. Certainly, this one will be somewhat minor, and unless it exactly conjuncts, opposes or squares a major point in your natal or progressed chart, it’s unlikely to have a major effect on your personal life. Eclipses, however, are often linked to earthquakes and floods, perhaps stemming from the Moon’s association with our seas and life cycles on Earth. It would be a good time to send out protective white light to people living in the region of Mount Etna, as recent eruptions from Europe’s only active volcano have the potential to spark larger, perhaps catastrophic, seismic events.

The day after the eclipse is a significant one as well, as Venus finally ends her current retrograde cycle and begins to move forward through Scorpio. At the same time, Mercury slides out of Scorpio - a potentially compromising place for him - and into Sagittarius, where a much more open mode of communication emerges. In The Pulse of Life, psychological astrologer Dane Rudhyar describes each sign of the zodiac as reacting against the extremes of the sign that precedes it. The observation seems especially valid when talking about the differences between Mercury in Scorpio versus Mercury in Sagittarius. The secretive, occasionally manipulative form that communication takes in Scorpio is turned on its head by the frank and honest Sagittarian. Honest to a fault, perhaps. Which is a clue as to why Mercury is actually in its detriment in Sagittarius. The zealousness of Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius can make for a mode of communication that is exaggerated and sermonizing. Debates become about principle rather than fact.  

All in all, November promises to be an introspective, yet intense month, with the concentration of Scorpio energy through two-thirds of November very reminiscent of the heavy vibrations of the last week of October. It’s worth remembering that a journey through Scorpio can lead to amazing revelations, transformation and even rebirth. Through the darkness, light emerges. In this case, the light is the frank and unsullied energy of the Archer, galloping through the heavens, ushering in our festive season and bringing truth to us all.