November Astro Highlights

I’m not sure where 2011 went. It seems like yesterday was January 1, but here it is, early November.  And what an interesting month this should be. Here are some highlights:

What the moon is doing:

On November 10, we’ve got a full moon earth sign Taurus. Full moons usually indicate a culmination, a harvest, a completion. Once again, go here  to get a copy of your natal chart and look for a symbol that resembles a circle with horns.

That’s Taurus. If it’s on the cusp of your first house – in other words, if you have Taurus rising – then the culmination concerns your personal life. If it’s on the cusp of your 4^th house,  then it concerns your home and domestic situation. If it’s on the cusp of your 10^th house, then it concerns your career. Look here to find out what the houses represent. Regardless, this full moon should be pleasant for most of us.

There are two biggies this month – Mercury’s retrograde and  a solar eclipse in fire sign Sagittarius on November 25. Let’s do the eclipse first.

Solar eclipses tend to concern external events. They usher in new opportunities, new chapters in our lives, new, new, new. This one is absolutely positive, particularly for you fire signs – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius – and you air signs – Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. For the rest of you, find out where Sadge is in your natal chart – it looks like an arrow.

That’s where the opportunities will surface. Through the opportunities this eclipse brings, you’re able to grasp the larger picture, the bigger truth, of whatever you’re doing – a life path, a career, a relationship, finances, family. The really stunning part of this eclipse, though, is a rare trine in earth signs.

Trines always indicate a smooth, effortless unfolding and with this one, we have Jupiter in Taurus – expansion, luck; Mars in Virgo– physical stamina, sexuality, ambition, what drives you; and Pluto in Capricorn – the transformer. Trines in earth signs are grounding. Think of yourself as barefoot on the beach, a huge wave comes in, rolls over you, and doesn’t move you one iota because your feet are deeply rooted. The other notable detail about this eclipse is that Uranus, the planet of sudden, unexpected events, forms a close, beneficial angle to the eclipse degree. Any opportunities that surface for you do so suddenly, unexpectedly.

In terms of the Occupy movement, I hope this earth trine suggests that they’re in for the long haul in spite of winter, police intervention, and political talking points.

OK. Then there’s the Mercury retrograde, in Sagittarius, which beings the day before Thanksgiving – November 24 – and extends until December 13. It’s the last Merc retro of the year; that’s the good news. The fact that it falls in the busiest shopping season is, well, a bummer. Astrologer Susan Miller is quite specific about what this retro means in terms of holiday shopping – if you keep your gifts under $200, then you may not be in the return line on December 26. The best bet is to shop on either side of the retro, especially if you’re buying electronics.  The usual rules also apply for this retro.

–       If you have to travel, be flexible, think of it as an adventure, because there could be delays, cancellations, abrupt and inexplicable changes in your itineraries.

–       Back up all computer files on external hard drives, flash drives, the more, the better. There’s no such thing as redundancy during a Merc retro.

–       Don’t sign contracts.

–       If you’re expecting checks, request that they arrive before November 24.

–       If you shop online during the retro, merchandise may not arrive in time for Christmas. Best to shop in person.

But the bottom line with astrological predictions – with any kind of divination – is that they only present potential. What you do with that potential is up to you and your free will.