“The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul”
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
HAPPY FULL MOON IN TAURUS, 19˚52’, November 12, 5:34 AM PST, Mercury retrograde 17˚42’Scorpio, Mars 25˚34’ Libra, Jupiter 25˚39’ Sagittarius, Saturn 16˚18’ Capricorn, Neptune retrograde 15˚59’Pisces, Pluto 21˚02’ Capricorn.
I always get a kick out of comparing the writing of astronomers with that of astrologers. I can often see some common thread – how the two were once one. Then the vast difference becomes so evident, as the sky shifts from the spectacle I objectively observe to more of a personal reflection showing me how my soul fits in and connects with the cosmos. The Full Moon in Taurus in the early morning here in California, on November 12th, is less than 24 hours after the transit of Mercury crosses the Sun, the astronomical event set for Monday. The close conjunction of Sun and Mercury – the “transit” of Mercury in the terminology of astronomy – is called “cazimi” in astrology, referred to as “in the heart of the Sun.” Mercury and the Sun both will be at 18˚56’ of Scorpio.
NASA photo of the Mercury Transit, May 9th, 2016. The Transit this month occurs Monday morning, November 11th, 2019, PST.
Mercury is also moving retrograde now, a necessary condition under the inferior conjunction, so in typical “mercury retrograde fashion,” I’ve been contemplating, reassessing, trying to reconsider what the sign Scorpio means in my birth chart – a good practice I suppose for anybody. What taboo events in my past, dark secrets I carry, undercurrents below the surface of my consciousness, influence my thoughts, my actions with others, and the perspectives I hold of myself in my mind and in my heart? Do they affect my assumptions about life? My abilities to trust others? Again, it would help to see where Mercury is traveling in your own birth chart to find the arena in your life where this plays out. Check planets and/or luminaries at 18˚ to 20˚of fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius for insights as well.
I went to see the movie, Harriet, about the famous abolitionist Harriet Tubman, the other day. The director, Kasi Lemmons and co-screenwriter, Gregory Allen Howard, stressed the strong intuition Harriet possessed, the visions that accompanied her on her journeys along the underground railroad and how God spoke to her through this inner voice. The film is set during a time when Neptune was in Pisces in the mid-19th century. This seems to me oddly characteristic of our own times, with Neptune also currently in Pisces. It takes Neptune 165 years to orbit the Sun and to move through the zodiac. It is impossible to know Harriet Tubman’s birth chart. We don’t even know for certain the year she was born. But she had strong water signatures in her chart undoubtedly, along with a healthy dose of Aries probably, given the radical courage she demonstrated throughout her life. Water signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces – are known for their deep emotions and abilities to feel.
Our current Mercury retrograde in Scorpio asks us to be more like Harriet, to be cognizant of our intuition and recognize psychic impressions. How does the Divine speak to us in personal ways? What directions are waiting there in the omens, messages, and signs that we just need to see? During cazimi, what aspects do the Sun and Mercury make to my own chart? What messages do I need to hear? If you miss cazimi, this Mercury retrograde period, in general, offerings us such intuitive moments; all we got to do is listen.
It may be helpful to consider the Mercury/Sun conjunction and the following Full Moon at 19˚52’ Taurus (Sun then, of course, at 19˚52’ Scorpio) as a time to awaken in us what psychological muck and guck lies below the surface of our consciousness that we might still need to process, how do we bring it to light and how do we face it? How do we then calm ourselves and find some peace? Acting as our own inner detectives might just allow us to do the work necessary to become better agents of change and fighters for our planet, to claim whatever part we play in the collective struggle for a better more viable, more compassionate world. I can imagine this would be especially relevant to folks who may be wrestling with the current passages of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, breaking down structures and wiping the slate clean, the Scorpio energy now in a soft sextile, 60˚ aspect, and the Full Moon at a trine, 120˚, to the planets now in Capricorn. What power struggles, hidden agendas, psychological problems do we still need to face? I know I have a closet full of mine.
Or perhaps we encounter these through others?
Then, again, if you think all the money issues, sexual games, jealousies, power issues, are coming from somebody else, maybe it IS time to do your psychological work. Insert a smiley face emoji here! Now might be the time to flip the coin and see the other side. All of this boils down to good, old fashion detective work exposing the truth in a Scorpio manner…Hmmm. And House Democrats announced they'll be holding the first public hearings during the week ahead in their impeachment inquiry of President Trump. Ah, Mercury in Scorpio.
November 13th, the day after the Full Moon, Mercury retrograde in Scorpio forms a trine, 120˚, to Neptune (this aspect also occurred October 15th and happens again November 28th after the planet turns direct). These are quick Mercury transits that offer Piscean creative vision in combination with the penetrating insights of Mercury retrograde in Scorpio. I couldn’t help but think of the Irish poet and writer, Oscar Wilde, who was born with Mercury in Scorpio in a trine to Neptune in Pisces (Yup, the same passage of Neptune through Pisces as occurred when Tubman encountered her visions. Wilde was born in 1854). Ok, it might seem a bit odd to put Harriet Tubman and Oscar Wilde in the same post, but see if you can follow my logic here…
Wilde had such a skill at bringing taboo topics to the table – through story-telling, imagery, creative metaphor and, at times, a dark humor, that seemed to push the audience over the edge. One of his most famous works, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), is as much about the darkness hidden in the soul of a man as it is about the vanity of wanting to hold onto youth and beauty. If you are not familiar with the famous story, the main character Dorian falls for every dirty deed, a hedonist who manages to stay young while his portrait, painted by a friend, grows hideously old and decrepit. Oscar Wilde led a troubled life, caused, in part, by his open writing about taboo subjects and a countercultural gay lifestyle a 19th-century audience refused to accept. But his writing was visionary and it revealed deeper truths – not unlike the visions of Harriet Tubman – a path to freedom, in this case a freedom from what keeps us from being whole.
There is something in the sky right now that suggests it is a good time to tap into that same penetrating psychological insight, the truths that make us fully human. It is about that gut feeling, the inner voice in you, suggesting to you what needs to be processed, what needs to be let go of, what fears need to be taken on, in order to be whole. Our intuition may tell us about our soul journey, just like the visions of Harriet Tubman.
What skeletons remain in our closet – the dark, scary portraits of ourselves - do we need to embrace, bring to light, expose – if only to ourselves – so we can be healed, made stronger, made more aware of our inner truths and the truths of others? Mercury retrograde in Scorpio and then direct may give us some clues. The planet goes direct November 20th and remains in its shadow until December 7th. In addition to our own inner detective work possible now, other people and other peoples’ resources, jealousies and power struggles all may surface, along with intimacy, trust and sexual issues – all to help us process our “stuff,” our “baggage.” As usual, it is best to avoid any firm commitments or to sign any contracts, rather use the time to reflect upon what truly lies below the surface and what needs release.
On a lighter note, Mars in Libra, at 25˚, makes a nice sextile, 60˚ aspect, to Jupiter in Sagittarius, 25˚, several hours after the Full Moon. The aspect is within orb, within play we might say, between November 9th through the 16th. People with planets or critical degrees in late Libra and/or Sagittarius might want to take action in terms of the expansion, opportunities or growth this Jupiter time has been for some folks, again look to the houses in your chart for guidance. Part of the beauty of working through the transformations of the Scorpio processes I described above is the way such cleansing might strengthen what we can do with a flowing aspect of Mars giving a kick, some juice, to Jupiter. Next week, the week of the 18th, Mars’ ingress (entrance) into Scorpio, the planet’s natural comfort zone, puts into more overt action some of the inner psychological work we’ve been doing this month.
It is a gift to be wounded; it leads to something else. It makes us stronger.
In the meantime, we can return to the Full Moon in Taurus, a lunar time to help us feel grounded and to acknowledge our creature comforts. As evolutionary astrologer Steven Forrest likes to say, “The Great God Taurus and the Great God Scorpio are sitting on a hill. Scorpio turns to Taurus the Bull and says, “It is all so complicated,” and the Bull sighs and responds, “And it is all so simple.” Take time for the deeper revelations, the psychological truths – we all got our “baggage”! - then find a beautiful moonrise, take a deep breath, and make it all a pleasure to behold.
Happy Full Moon in Taurus everyone!
