Returning from the Underworld
The November 2002 Forecast
Contact me if you would like to have my latest forecasts sent to you automatically via email as they are published, FREE OF CHARGE.
All dates and times are based on Pacific Time.
Mercury, Venus, and Uranus are retrograde.
Uranus turns stationary direct |
24°54' Aquarius |
November 3 |
Mercury conjoins Venus retrograde |
~6°00' Scorpio |
November 3 |
New Moon |
12°15' Scorpio |
November 3 |
Mercury squares Neptune |
8°16' Scorpio/Aquarius |
November 5 |
Sun square Jupiter |
17°07' Scorpio/Leo |
November 9 |
Mars sextile Pluto |
16°21' Libra/Sagittarius |
November 9 |
Mars sextile Jupiter |
17°17' Libra/Leo |
November 11 |
Mercury squares Uranus |
24°58' Scorpio/Aquarius |
November 15 |
Sun squares Uranus |
24°59' Scorpio/Aquarius |
November 17 |
Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse |
27°33' Scorpio/Taurus |
November 19 |
Venus turns stationary direct |
0°03' Scorpio |
November 20 |
Sun enters Sagittarius |
0°00' Sagittarius |
November 22 |
Mars trines Saturn |
27°13' Libra/Gemini |
November 26 |
Mercury conjoins Pluto |
17°05' Sagittarius |
November 30 |
Mercury trines Jupiter |
18°05' Sagittarius/Leo |
November 30 |
November is a much simpler month than October was, planetarily speaking. This means that there will be discernible peaks and troughs of energy and force available. October was so full of activity that it spilled over into November for many people, including myself (hence my lateness in posting this forecast). Fortunately, there was a relaxation of energies in the first part of November, so that we could get caught up.
One of the troughs of energy occurred on election day (U.S.) when Mercury squared Neptune and the Moon was void of course all day. Voters stayed away from the polls in record numbers. Whether it was weather, a feeling of aversion toward the candidates, or a suspicion, after the voting debacles of 2000, that their votes didn’t count— probably all of the above — the elections were decided by razor-thin margins in many areas.
The Lessons of Saturn and Pluto — Again
This divide is mirrored in the heavens by Saturn and Pluto. Although they are not directly involved with each other by aspect, they are in signs that tend to manifest in polarization. Gemini (Saturn’s placement) is the sign of polarity itself and how to deal with it. Sagittarius (Pluto’s location) can be expressed (when poorly understood) as polarization because people retreat into their beliefs, becoming more distant from each other, avoiding reconciliation.
Saturn’s job in Gemini is to bring out our false and unhelpful ways of dealing with polarity in all its forms, including the way we deal with differences of opinion. The one consistent pattern I have seen over the past few weeks is the way that taking a position decreases the possibility for reconciliation.
One example of this is the conflict between Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush. The bellicose way that Bush is acting toward Hussein makes it that much less likely that Hussein will ever agree to disarmament. Let’s put it this way: If someone came up to you with an arsenal of weapons and threatened to do you in if you didn’t get rid of yours, what would you do? Would you willingly lay down your guns and say, “Okay, you’re right. I trust you not to use your weapons against me.” Saddam Hussein will never agree to disarm as long as he feels that he is in danger of being attacked. Nor would any of us. Self-protection is a natural response.
This does not make him any less dangerous a man. He is an insecure man who has turned that into petty tyranny. His people are forced to go along with it on pain of death while becoming indoctrinated that the U.S. is the great evil in the world. Some adults may not believe this, but the suffering children are more easily swayed, later to become the angry adults willing to fight wars his way.
It’s a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. The ways out of this dilemma lie in understanding how to reconcile opposites, to which Saturn in Gemini invites our focus by bringing conflicts to the forefront. The problems in the Middle East are complex, and I won’t pretend to know the solution. I think that the core issue of the situation, however, is greed and the “need” for oil. This is complicated by the global nature of warfare and its tools, from weapons of mass destruction to terrorism. However, without pandering, perhaps it is better to try to open a dialogue and find out how we can help Iraqis out of their situation than to vilify them. Perhaps this is happening with the aid of the international community via the U.N. resolution.
The Lesson of Pluto
We can no longer sit idly by waiting for a nation to get back on course. Each nation now has the ability to destroy the planet, whether in the short term or long term, whether through weaponry or abuse of the planet’s resources and destruction of the environment. Pluto is teaching us that we are all related to each other and affect each other, both by having our collective roots planted on Earth and by Cosmic Consciousness, which unites us all. We face the challenge of recognizing the other side of the polarity coin — that polarity doesn’t really exist, that we’re all in this boat together and have the same goals and same dreams when viewed at the deepest levels.
This is true, not just in the conflicts at the international level, but in the national politics of the U.S. as well. Many Democrats were disheartened to lose Congress to a Republican majority. I asked the I Ching (the Sage) about it, and it said that we can’t expect things to always stay the same. “The zigzag path is the method by which the Creative Force resolves problems.” This meant to me that until the Republicans are given the chance to try their reforms, their voice will not be moderated. The people who supported the plans need to learn for themselves whether it was wise for them to do so. The rest of us must be there to represent an alternate perspective when the door is open to do so.
This is another lesson of Pluto in Sagittarius: We cannot expect progress to proceed in a straight line. If everyone is to be included in the progress, the energy must zigzag — this is the shortest path. Both sides of an issue must be heard. If each side is trying to shout down the other, the conflict will not be resolved. The first step is to go to the deepest levels of awareness, where unity exists; find the common goals between the two factions. The next step is to have an open dialogue about the methods of reaching the common goals, where each party (double meaning intended) really listens to the other. So far, I have yet to see this take place in the U.S. political arena. Both sides use disrespectful and discounting tactics in dealing with each other. In the past, this has set the tone for debate outside the Beltway as well, but perhaps it’s time for the energy to flow the other way. In spite of what happens on the stage of national politics, the people frequently hold much more moderate views than those expressed through the media and the people at the top of the ladder who control them. Part of the Pluto in Sagittarius revolution of consciousness may be to give the people more of a voice in what they hear so that they have more of a voice in who and what they vote for and how they are led.
And Now for Something Completely Different
I talked last month about the Venus-Jupiter-Neptune pattern and the fixed signs in which they currently reside. This drama is still going on, bringing issues of ideals and disillusionment to the fore. With Venus’s return from the depths of the Underworld, we have been learning about what ways we have been fooling ourselves, and this theme will extend into the coming 18 months of the Venus cycle. Venus retrograde in Scorpio challenges us to look at things at a deeper level, particularly our values and relationships. With its square to Jupiter and opposition to Neptune, this theme is highlighted, since both planets have to do with idealism, possibility, and the perception of truth. Idealism covers up the truth and leads to disillusionment, a lesson we are all working on as these planets interact. The critical dates for this were/are 9/7, 9/11(/02), 9/19, 9/24, 10/10, 10/17, 10/20, 10/30, 10/31, 11/9, 11/20, 12/4, 12/13, 12/15, 12/24, 12/27, 2/2/03, 2/16/03, 4/3/03, and 6/2/03.
There is a new twist on the plot in November, however, as the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Uranus interact in the later degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius). This brings the forces to a peak of tension on the 19th, when a lunar eclipse signals a shift of focus which will not be set in place until after the New Moon-Solar Eclipse on December 3rd. We will feel this increasingly as we approach the 19th, but in a rhythm. We will get clues to what is coming on or around the 10th – 11th, and especially the 16th – 18th. On the afternoon of the 18th, the energy peaks.
A big release comes on the following two days, as Venus returns to direct motion on the 20th, and the Moon opposes Pluto and conjoins Saturn, always a time of increased activity. I expect that surprising actions will be taken in the crisis with Iraq and in the U.S. Congress. However, the harmonious aspects on the 8th – 11th resulted in a U.N. resolution that may stave off war for the time being. However, Congress or the Administration is likely to take some startling actions on the strength of the Republican sweep during the elections. The key for us personally is to be prepared for the unexpected in our lives and respond with flexibility. Whatever is revealed on the Full Moon will inform our decisions over the coming few days. We’ll finally know what to do about what we’ve been unsure about for the entire fall.
When the Sun enters Sagittarius, the mutable energies are once again activated (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces). Pluto and Saturn will be in focus during this solar month. The key dates for the expression of these energies are in December, but you may notice some advance publicity from the planets regarding what to expect, especially on the 21st – 22nd, the 27th – 28th, and the 30th. Although Thanksgiving Day may not be the most pleasant you’ve ever experienced (including weather-wise), with these energies being in the foreground, the rest of the weekend will make up for it, with plenty of harmonious aspects on Friday and Saturday. Your dream state on the morning of the 30th may be especially helpful, as Mercury conjoins Pluto in the wee hours in the Western hemisphere.
No matter what we experience, it is best to approach it with an open mind and willingness to change. A good attitude leads to a good outcome.
