Planetary Illuminations for November now posted!

The November edition of the monthly Planetary Illuminations report is now posted.  You can read the entire article here, and if you are not yet on my mailing list please sign up to subscribe.  Subscribers receive a monthly report with an abridged translation that is easy to understand.  Just enter your email address here, and you can unsubscribe easily at any time.  Subscribers, your newsletter will go out tonight!

Here is the synopsis of the major events coming up in November to get you started:

Cardinal alignments November 6-15th.  Ever since Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008 there has been an expanding and contracting pressure from other planets that have aspected Pluto.  Because Pluto and the other planets were in the Cardinal signs of action (Capricorn, Cancer, Libra, Aries) some astrologers have called this the “Cardinal Crisis,” the “Cardinal Climax,” etc.  I preferred to call it a Cardinal Drama, because a “climax” or “crisis” suggests that there will be a peak of intensity which will then be followed by a resolution.

As many of you know, this Cardinal Drama was particularly stimulated by the challenging square between Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn.  You can read many many articles about this cycle here on this site, but you will find a summary in the sidebar of this page.  Uranus/Pluto cycles rarely create a peak of intensity which resolves itself as we would find in other planetary cycles – Uranus inspires the breakdown of the old order and Pluto encourages its destruction.  Then the rebuilding must occur, but the final resolution can take time.

As November begins the dance between Uranus and Pluto is tightening and becoming more intense as the planets align for the sixth out of a total of seven total alignments.  What is even more significant for us right now is that the planet Mars, which is known to trigger the larger and slower moving cycles, will be translating the Uranus/Pluto cycle, meaning it will act as a spark to activate both Uranus and Pluto.  This is rather like a boxing match in which two big fighters are circling each other and one pipsqueak calls out something from the stands to goad the fighters into action.

The interaction between these three players will be further stimulated when the Moon moves into Cancer and activates the dynamic, forming a Grand Cross of tension and disturbance.  This will begin around November 6th and will be most intense between the 8th and the 15th or so.

Scorpio gives way to Sagittarius.   We have been in an intensely Scorpionic time over the past month or so – truly the “Season of the Witch.”  On November 15th that Scorpio energy of deep introspection and powerful transformation will give way to a lighter and more buoyant experience as one by one the Scorpio planets start to move into Sagittarius beginning with Venus, followed by the Sun and Moon at the New Moon on November 22nd at the first degree of Sagittarius.  Sag encourages us to let go of the gloom and dark power of the season of darkness and to find a more carefree approach to life.  Sagittarius is all about faith, and when we find true faith in life itself our problems begin to disappear.

Neptune and Chiron turn direct mid-month.  The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) appear to travel retrograde for about six months of every years, so their retrograde periods are not particularly challenging.  However, when any planet (appears to) change direction, its movement slows down to a crawl in preparation for that turn and at this time its influence is particularly powerful, especially if that planet is in aspect to your own chart.  Neptune will turn direct on November 16th and Chiron turns direct on the 23rd.

Chiron and Neptune have been within ten degrees of each other since 2009, urging us to open our hearts to heal the wounds of the soul (Chiron) so that spiritual evolution (Neptune) can occur.  With these two changing direction virtually at the same time, the focus on this process will be intensified.