As October draws to a close, so does the veil between our world and the realm of our ancestors. We have honored them with offerings of food and libations, thanked them for the part they played in the journey of our lives and sought their guidance and blessings on our continued paths through the world of the living. While the veil may be gaining in opacity, this does not mean we can no longer commune with our beloved dead in the spirit realm, it just means that it will require more energy and determination on both our part and theirs to re-forge a connection between our worlds. Hold on dearly to the messages you have received from them in your Samhain divinations and meditations, for they will help to guide you through the coming year ahead.
Nights now are longer and darker, and the air grows crisp as we drift into November like the fallen leaves we see floating on the cool breeze. Many of us are emotionally drained and exhausted, for 2020 has been a nightmare of a year to many, but a definitive challenge to us all in one aspect or another. As I write this, 21 wildfires are still raging in California, adding more destruction to the over 4 million acres of beautiful forests, grasslands, and towns that have already burned. Yet another tropical storm is aimed at the gulf coast of Louisiana, making it the ninth violent storm to hit the Gulf coast this year. 227,000 Americans have died from Covid 19, which is nearly one-quarter of the total death count WORLDWIDE, and it is far from over; A 3rd wave is ramping up across our country, and our “leader” has absolutely no plan in place, instead choosing to host super-spreader rallies, and downplaying the severity of the pandemic, ensuring there will be no end in sight for months or even years to come at the cost of hundreds of thousands more lives. We have been isolated from our friends and family, some of our favorite local places have gone out of business, many have lost their jobs and homes. Our nation is on the brink of a social and economic collapse, and the basic tenets of our democracy are being threatened by a government hellbent on attaining as much greed and power as they can, leaving us vulnerable to fascism and malignant external forces. There is no escaping or ignoring the severity of the situation our country is in at the moment, and in just a few short days, we will know whether the situation will become exceedingly worse, or exponentially better.
Fair warning, this is about to get a bit political. Astrology will be heavily involved, but it will be political. If you have had enough politics for today, maybe save this blog for another day.
The state of our world and the upcoming election is quite fitting for the month of November. As the first month in the Celtic new year, it is a time of new beginnings; of wiping the slate clean and starting anew. Even the theme of November’s moon, known as the Beaver Moon, Mourning Moon, Snow Moon, or Fog Moon, relates to losing the warmth and sun to the darkness of the coming months, but it also signifies a time to tie up loose ends and be thankful for the blessings in life that we do have, despite the world seemingly falling apart around us. It is a time of washing away the baggage of the past and letting it go to make room for the joys of the future. During this moon phase, we must say goodbye to bad habits and toxic relationships, and I can think of multiple toxic relationships that our country desperately needs to break ties with (looking at you, white supremacists, rich oligarchs, and one inexcusably unfit and likely criminal “president”). The results of this election will forever alter the future of our nation; on one hand, the end of decency, honor, civility, and democracy, leaving the door wide open to fascism, environmental destruction, tyranny, and societal collapse; on the other hand, a return to some semblance of normalcy, and a chance at rebuilding a society on the brink of self-destruction, if it isn’t already too late. I, for one, have been and will continue to petition all of my ancestors and all deities to give my people a chance at rebuilding after the chaos and insanity of the past 4 years. The darkest aspects of our country have come to light as if our nation itself has been exploring its shadow self, and now we, as a nation, must decide if we want to continue to let these dark aspects fester and grow until they consume and destroy us completely, or if we want to face them head-on, and do the difficult and painful work needed to repair the damage we have let them cause by trying to pretend they did not exist.
Watching so many of my fellow humans suffer from the harmful policies, hateful words and the removal of protections to their civil rights, bodily autonomy and physical well-being from this current administration has made this year especially challenging for me as a Pisces, for I don’t just feel empathy for someone, I feel the pain with them. The never-ending deluge of negativity, hate, anger, lies, and sadness that has permeated social media and the news over the past four years has eroded my once optimistic view that my country was a safe and honorable one, and the people within it inherently good. I have been absorbing and mirroring the pain and suffering of my peers, and that feeling of helplessness - the inability to fix or ease that pain for them - has caused a lot of emotional turmoil. Throughout my life, my intuition has never steered me wrong and has helped me to easily recognize and remove toxic people from my life, so watching such a large percentage of the population be bamboozled by a malignant narcissist that I know is evil, manipulative, a liar and a cheat has been a real struggle and a test of my patience. I personally cannot take four more years of this type of suffering and ignorance, and I truly believe that the vast majority of the country feels the same way. My intuition is telling me there is a dramatic shift for the better heading our way, but I fear it will get worse before it gets better.
This overshadowing sense of hopelessness and helplessness that most of us have experienced in the past 4 years has led me to seek guidance and solace in astrology and divination more often than before; anything to give myself some semblance of hope for a positive shift or change in the world I will be leaving behind for my daughter. I have received some promising messages in my divinations, and I have encountered several astrologists that all indicate my intuitive feeling that a positive shift is coming is accurate, but what exactly can we expect in the coming days or weeks, should our predictions prove to be correct, and what can we do to help ourselves through the challenges that will arise?
As of October 13th, Mercury is in its final retrograde for the year, and it will be through November 3rd. As a retrograde in Libra and Scorpio, we can expect to see the line between our logical and emotional minds begin to blur, forcing us to not see straight and to feel scattered and overwhelmed. To avoid giving into tunnel vision and to boost your vibe during this mercury retrograde, citrus is a witches best friend. Add sliced lemons or oranges to a warm bath or rub them on your body before rinsing in a hot shower. Mull some wine with oranges (double stress relief!) and imbibe on a Wednesday (Mercurys day), to activate your intuition, clear the mind and dissipate retrograde fog. Lemon verbena placed under your pillow or bed as you sleep will help ease the sleeplessness brought on by the retrograde, so you can wake up refreshed and clear headed.
In addition to Mercury being in retrograde, Mars has also been retrograde since September 9th and will be until November 14th. Its placement in fiery Aries may cause us to question our direction in life, and even resort to immature tactics like temper tantrums in order to get our way. I feel like we have been seeing a lot of tantrums from the white house, and in political discourse overall, but I have also found that my 4-year-old, who is usually very happy and easygoing, has been having numerous meltdowns and tantrums in the past month or so. Needless to say, mommy may have resorted to being a wicked witch a few times herself during these unusual outbursts, an uncommon occurrence for this normally patient and go-with-the-flow Piscean. To alleviate and counteract these confrontational and warlike urges, meditation is key. Now is a wonderful time to get in touch with your deepest inner desires and evaluate whether you have strayed away from your ideals. Since Tuesday is the day associated with Mars, this is the best day to work with Mars and Mars retrograde energies. Light a red candle and meditate in front of it with the intention to evoke your childhood dreams. Write strategic methods to implement your goals and take your visions to the next level.
Nearly all astrologers I have encountered are saying that this isn’t going to be an immediately conclusive election and that a lot about it will not make sense. Mercury is stationing as the election is happening, which is going to lead to confusion. Inevitably, as we have seen with the attempted kidnapping of governors, mail bombs to Democratic politicians, and threats of “Civil war” from extremists on the right, there is the likelihood of carnage and violence. However, this should be fairly short-lived, since after the election and into 2021, the mood seems to change again as Jupiter and Saturn move to Aquarius in December. Aquarius is all about generosity, equality, being humanitarian, and fighting for rights, so we are expected to see a more Democratic-leaning government in 2021. Whether this means Biden wins the election, or that the Republicans lose control of the Senate and fail to regain the house, leaving Trump the ultimate “lame duck” president for a second term (Goddess forbid) we won't know until all is said and done, but nevertheless, 2021 is going to be a more “Aquarian” year for politics.
However, this does not mean it will all be butterflies and rainbows. There is astrology hinting at a bit of a totalitarian and techy edge to 2021, which may change the way people operate. My belief is that the “totalitarian” aspect might be Democrats taking control of all three branches of government, or at least a majority, and the “tech” aspect would be this Democratically controlled government finally cracking down on the hostile foreign interference that has been ignored since 2016, and the tech companies that allowed misinformation to be distributed so flippantly finally being held accountable and forced to change their policies and restrict the blatant injection of falsehoods into the veins of the mainstream. This, clearly, will cause some tension, since there are many people who will view this as censorship and a restriction of their freedom to spread lies. It may very well affect some of us witches with businesses, since many of our beliefs or practices, such as crystals being used for healing or herbs being used for certain intentions may be flagged or removed as false information, which will inevitably change the way we operate online. This, however, is only a theory I have, so do take it with a pinch of black salt.
November begins with the Sun transiting through Scorpio. Like its namesake, the Scorpion is now lurking in the darkness, preparing to sting it’s unsuspecting prey; Only, this time the sting will be bringing our collective humanity face to face with the raw power of misguided desires and greed fueling criminal activity in the highest ivory towers. As the transition through Scorpio draws to a close, we will see the Scorpio evolve and rise from the ashes of destruction to discover hidden reserves of power, truth, integrity, and wisdom.
November 3, is particularly focused on communication. The people will send a message, but it’s whether that message will be accepted in the coming weeks that is uncertain. The planet of information, Mercury, is completing its retrograde phase around mid-day on election day. This is ideal because Mercury is especially important in the reporting of accurate and definitive results. However, we would be fools to think that there won't be opposition to the results, particularly so if they swing to the left. The last time Mercury stationed from retrograde to direct on an election day was the election of 2000, during the unforgettable Gore/Bush contest, which was inevitably defined by weeks of hanging chads, recounts, partisanship, and controversy, with final results ultimately decided in the Supreme Court. This tells us a lot about why the Republicans rammed through Amy Coney Barret, despite swearing up and down - on record - that they would never do that in an election year. I am convinced they know they will not win the votes needed to secure re-election, and thus plan to pull the same shenanigans they did in 2000 in the hopes it will end up in the supreme court, where they have installed the 3 sycophants - Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barett - in the hopes these partisan picks will keep their loyalty to those who appointed them rather than to the American people. We have every right to be dubious, and there is a lot at stake this year, especially for us witches.
Held within the confines of a tense aspect between Mercury and Saturn, the first week of November is certainly going to be contentious. While Mercury will ensure careful, methodical, and meticulous measures in finalizing the election results, the aspect of Saturn will exacerbate existing tensions and differences in opinion. There will almost certainly be discrepancies and delays, and, as always, not everyone will be satisfied with end results, however, the intense energies of Mercury and Saturn will, Gods and Goddesses willing, ensure a disciplined, practical, and law abiding approach to this unprecedented election. Saturn will come through hard with the reality check, shattering illusions and bringing everything and everyone back down to earth.
October has been pretty high drama, which will continue into November due to a planetary opposition between Mercury and the game-changer planet, Uranus which began the first week of October. On October 19, this opposition repeats and will conclude on November 17. We have seen some unusual and sudden reversals due to this opposition, such as the aforementioned appointment of a supreme court nominee in an election year despite oaths never to do so just over 4 years ago, and Republicans casting aside their partisanship in order to back Democratic Presidential nominee, Joe Biden. We have seen some exposure of underlying issues such as Trump's vast debt to some unknown entity, his dubious offshore bank account in China, and his disregard for the health and safety of his own team and supporters. Through all of this, we have seen strategy changes, such as dueling town halls in place of standard debates, mute buttons due to the incumbents' inability to avoid filibustering his opponent, which ended up leading to another change: Trump's campaign team encouraging him to be “more presidential” in the final debate so he did not appear desperate or weak. Uranus has certainly given us some game-changing energy, and there is still more to come in November.
Mercury’s aspect with Saturn implies strict adherence to the law, however, Mercury’s aspect with Uranus implies a breaking free of the norm, upheaval, and reform. The energies of the past will be colliding with the energies of the future in the crucible of transformation, and this is a strong indication that this election will alter the trajectory of our country for decades to come. To me, combined with 2021’s Aquarian energy, this implies that we will, in fact be shifting from our current existence as a mostly democratic and liberal country controlled by conservatives, to a government that is much more democratic.
Transiting Mercury in Scorpio is opposing Uranus in Taurus, and both of these are the zodiac signs of shared resources, finances, and possessions. Mercury retrograde tends to further destabilize areas of monetary exchange, which we have seen already as business and household budgets have been stretched to the max, due to COVID restrictions and our government's failure to take the pandemic seriously early on. Important decisions can free up much-needed resources to address the shortfall during the first half of November, but more than likely, the stock markets and economy will continue to rollercoaster until early next year.
On November 12, Jupiter conjoins Pluto for the third and final pass. This pattern began way back on April 4 and was repeated on June 29. The concealed world of dark money and crime has surfaced into public awareness, and this final pass in November is sure to be transformative. Jupiter is the planet of aspiration, ethics, truth, and justice, and after the obvious political power grabs that severely undermined public confidence (hello politicians profiting off the pandemic), fortunes have been made and fortunes lost. The entire economy is undergoing an overhaul of gigantic proportions as systems are updated and adapted to address current challenges.
Immediately following this, on November 13, Mars stations direct, which should transition us into a sense of relief and readiness to close this chapter, and begin our collective journey on the road to recovery. After so many twists and turns, delays, and detours, Mars in Aries will give us that extra boost of vitality we need to pick up the pace and start anew, however, we are not completely out of the woods yet. Mars will remain in Aries until January of 2021, and uncertainty will loom large; and while on an individual level, Mars in Aries has served to clarify boundaries, on a collective level, this aspect has contributed to civil unrest and heightened potential for aggression and conflict.
November 14, will bring is a New Moon in Scorpio, setting the stage for progression and forward movement. It will be a new moon of perseverance, standing our ground and staying the course energies, the Scorpio determination, and strategic resolve harmonizing and supporting Capricorn’s integrity and practicality. This is an optimal New Moon for clarification of long-range goals and manifestation in all aspects of your life. There is also the protective influence of Jupiter conjoining asteroid Pallas Athene, representing the guardian goddess of teamwork, mediation, and diplomacy, which is something we have been in desperate need of as a country since 2008. Together with Venus in Libra, this rare combination supports the expansion of optimism and opportunity, harmony, and fair and equitable solutions.
Jupiter and Saturn will remain direct from this point on, pulling away from the pluto alignment that has been the planetary thorn-in-the-side of 2020. Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn will be a powerful reality check, ensuring we do not continue to ignore the social issues we have been facing that desperately need to be addressed. Systems and structures that we, as a society, have relied upon to provide stability are being torn down – however, the reality is that many of these systems are broken, and are not functioning for the good of the people. This exposure of dysfunction and decay is one of the greatest gifts we are being handed by this Saturn-Pluto influence, and we need to take full advantage of this gift, swallow our pride, pick up the pieces of our broken country and put it back together.
Another notable occurrence mid-month is Mars conjoining the small, oft-neglected, and forgotten outermost planet Eris, representing the goddess of discord. This sounds a bit unnerving, however, taken as a whole, the combination (Jupiter/Pallas Athene/Saturn/Pluto in Capricorn – Mars/Chiron/Eris in Aries – Venus in Libra) is known as a T-square, and is an alignment that presents an intense contrast between the haves and the have-nots when it comes to wealth and societal advantages. The resulting clash of these competing and opposing perspectives will be impossible to ignore, as diverse groups stand up to be counted. The Gemini Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on November 30 will contribute to this theme of diversity, as our abstract idealism meets grounded reality and necessity. We will find a way to find common ground despite diverging agendas, peeling away layers of illusion and delusion to expose the true nature beneath surface appearances. This happens within and without, on personal as well as collective levels. Familial conditioning, societal and cultural beliefs are often accepted as truth, despite evidence to the contrary in so many instances. This eclipse serves to “enlighten” the masses and may bring relief from a heavily conflicted election season, lifting consciousness toward high ground, at least for those who are listening and receptive.
Neptune stationing direct on November 28 is in stressful aspect to the lunar nodes, triggering a crisis of belief and representing an enormous and definitive paradigm shift for the nation as a whole. While Neptune dissolves limited concepts to reveal the universal truth, it is also the planet of unconditional compassion through empathy, leading us to consider what it may be like to walk in the shoes of others. This may be a challenging time for those suffering from addiction or mental health issues due to Neptunes' somewhat delusional, highly sensitizing influence, and many who experience drastic paradigm shifts often seek to escape reality in ways that can be destructive to the physical and spiritual being of that person. Keep tabs on people such as this, especially this November, for they may be in need of a port in this storm.
All planetary alignments and astrology aside, November will, as always, come to a close with a celebration of gratitude, as we give thanks for the bounty we have been granted in this life. Bounties of love, bounties of friendship, bounties of food. Our nation is one of enormous wealth, though sadly contrasted with excessive deprivation, and gratitude is a feeling often overlooked. However, it is gratitude that arises from the deepest part of our heart, and that will be our saving grace in the months to come. All will not be lost, no matter what fate befalls our nation post-election. Gratitude is one of the most fundamental virtues; the key to ultimate satisfaction, to true generosity, and to cooperation. In a world desperately in need of solace, sincere gratitude can transform everything. It can take the most ordinary of moments and make it immensely beautiful. The most broken of hearts can be mended; lost souls can be saved. It can transform life itself into a joyous, sumptuous feast. So take the time to show gratitude as often as possible this November, in as many magical ways as you can conceive; for gratitude is the way to ensure the universe is aware you are paying attention, and you're sure to receive much in return.
Comments