Mercury and Sun in Scorpio and the Full Moon in Taurus: A Picture of What Lies Underneath and a Time to Calm Down

“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”

— Oscar Wilde, Picture of Dorian Gray

“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.”

— Harriet Tubman

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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!

Full Moon In Scorpio, Upcoming Jupiter Square Neptune: It's Time We Stop, Hey, What's That Sound, Everybody Look What's Going Down

“I thought I heard a young man moan this mornin’
I thought I heard a young man moan today
I thought I heard a young man moan this mornin’
I can’t walk you out in the morning dew today”

— Morning Dew, folk song by Bonnie Dobson. Opening song by the Grateful Dead at the Human Be-In, January, 1967.

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Full Moon, 27˚39’ Scorpio, Sun, 27˚39’ Taurus Conjunct Mercury, 24˚24’ Taurus, Jupiter retrograde, 22˚12’ Sagittarius, Neptune, 18˚25’ Pisces, 2:11 PM PDT, May 18, 2019. Upcoming: Jupiter, 18˚43’ Sagittarius Square Neptune, 18˚43’ Pisces, 8:18 AM PDT, June 16th, 2019.

I love this old photo of hippies in San Francisco. It fits well into what I want to write and say about our current astrological moment. The light in the image gives me a feeling of the surreal; a sunny day of fun and laughter, but something lies underneath, something in the realm of a passing mood, an intensity of feeling.

You might be thinking, “What does all this have to do with a Scorpio Moon? Where are the scorpions? Where is the telltale sign of the zodiac?” I promise I’ll connect back.

Sometimes I find it intriguing to look back in time and compare an historical moment, what was happening in the sky then, and follow up in my mind with a reflection upon the current moment in terms of astrology. This coming June we have the second in a series of three 90˚ squares between the faster moving planet Jupiter, in Sagittarius, and the slower moving Neptune now in Pisces. Jupiter forms a square with Neptune about roughly every six to seven years, so it has a certain cyclical rhythm to it, though the timing of the exact aspect varies and several can happen in one year, as we have this year, because of retrograde motion. The square first occurred this past January, about two weeks after the start of the New year. Then in April Jupiter turned retrograde (perceived backward motion) and, as I write, the planet is four degrees away from another exact square that will occur on June 16th, Father’s Day. The third hit will happen just before autumn equinox in September, after Jupiter swings direct in August.

I decided to write about this square now, on the Full Moon in Scorpio, rather than when it happens next month, just before the June Full Moon, in part because I believe the historical comparison I make speaks to the nature of Scorpio as a sign – to help us with the feeling of this current Full Moon. But I also hope it helps us contemplate Jupiter’s retrograde passage leading back to the square. Better to have the information now while the energy builds! The stationing, slowing and stopping before moving retrograde, of the planet Neptune at 18˚ the week following the square, strengthens the tension of these two archetypal energies, Sagittarius and Pisces, to the eventual separation of the aspect later in the September. Also during our current Full Moon, Mercury, right now in opposing Taurus, opens us up to ideas and perceptions we might feel on an intuitive level about what this longer phenomenon might mean for us both on an individual and on a collective level.

The time in history I chose is the Summer of Love and then the following fall of the year 1967. The square in the sky between Jupiter and Neptune then shared signs in common elements as the current square in 2019, though the signs, Leo and Scorpio respectively, were, of course, very different from today’s Sagittarius and Pisces. The exact square occurred in early September in ’67. Jupiter had entered Leo briefly in late 1966, turned retrograde, and then when the planet was at 0˚ Leo again, Jupiter graced the infamous San Francisco Human Be-in of January 14th, 1967. Jupiter in Leo – a fire sign that embraces the joie de vivre and celebration of self-expression so characteristic of the moment, all the folks who flocked to San Francisco and embraced hippie culture, the passions of the times, the psychedelic play and performance of the era. Those of that generation, especially those with natal planets in Leo, many with Pluto in the sign when they were born, or those with Leo in their 5th House – must have reveled in enjoying the ride.

Meanwhile Neptune – planet of shared consciousness and mass spiritual sensitivities in the intuitive water sign of Scorpio – brought the intense feelings and awareness always under the surface of the thoughts and memories of those being sent abroad, those killed and maimed in Vietnam, the horrors of war, the suffering and fear and reality that you or those you loved could be next. What a deep, true feeling – so Scorpionic – embodying Neptune’s compassion through its passage through the sign. Somewhere deep below the play and revelry of Jupiter in Leo, demonstrative and heartfelt, if at times ostentatious and loud, wasn’t there always the underlying fact of it all being so fragile? Both pain and pleasure were real.

About a month after the square was exact, when it was waning, on October 6, 1967, the Hippies staged the now famous “Death of a Hippie” – a mock funeral through Haight-Ashbury neighborhood – declaring the media had “sold out” the concept of the Hippie – now a product of mass culture, the Hippie had been appropriated into the mainstream and became an empty shell of the very symbol of the countercultural. The Moon in Scorpio that day, October 6th, triggered the larger Neptune in Scorpio and the sextile to Uranus and Pluto in Virgo; all underscored “death” and truth as radical steps in maintaining the very power for social change embedded in that fun-loving, but in some ways very serious, certainly impactful, self-expressive spirit of a Leo generation.

So how does this relate to 2019? To the passing months surrounding the square now between Jupiter and Neptune? Jupiter currently in Sagittarius – like Leo, a fire sign – brings a passionate enthusiasm, in this case for Sagittarian truths we seek, our philosophical views, our opinions, our quests to understand, while also, at times, a push to adamantly make our beliefs known. Neptune in Pisces, like Scorpio a water sign, feels deeply, but with no boundaries, dissolves our understanding, brings about delusion and confusion – while nurturing a collective desire to connect with what is larger than ourselves, to escape (whether through the current episode of Game of Thrones or, of a more serious concern, through opioid addiction), to find the Divine, the spiritual in a world desperately in need of healing. Passion is muddled with Neptunian confusion and lack of clarity and creates tension with our set notions of what is right, with our higher ideals, especially if we remain rigid to what those ideals and beliefs are.

The timing of this past March’s retrograde passage of Mercury in Pisces and the unfolding dramas of what we learned, or even more so what remained hidden, in the Mueller Report, suggest the difficulties inherent in Neptunian and Piscean communication. The very day, March 24th, that Mercury made a transit to Neptune in Pisces, Attorney General Bill Barr sent his summary to Congress, writing that while the Mueller report "does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." There seemed a shared frustration many of us felt over the lack of clarity around what is actually in the report. Deception seemed to abound. Donald Trump’s Natal Moon at 21˚ Sagittarius, opposing his Gemini Sun (the President was born on a lunar eclipse), ties him emotionally into proving “he is right” under this upcoming square. Now another critical issue angering so many Americans concerned in protecting a woman’s right to choose, we watch state after state rushing to pass radical anti-abortion laws that even some on the far right are claiming have “gone too far.”

There is such tension now in the world between what we hold to be true individually, among our closed networks of family, peers, neighbors, co-workers and colleagues, and what we need to feel and do collectively for true compassion and change in support of all beings “with a heartbeat” and for the survival of our planet.  

Thinking this way about the astrological moment, the Full Moon in Scorpio or the square between Jupiter and Neptune, in the realm of the collective, is mundane astrology. But I feel it is worth asking “How do we use this square productively in our own lives?” Consider where the square falls in your own natal chart. As Jupiter moves retrograde, can we wrestle with what this means for us individually? A Scorpio Full Moon may help us begin the process with a penetrating intuition into what our hearts hold true.

How do we dissolve ego and feel compassion for the many, while also holding onto our own truths and values? Does “my truth,” my “faith”, where in life I quest for understanding, need to be reevaluated? Or, even more relevant, where do I force my opinion or belief without honoring what others bring to the table?

In what arena have I been underestimating myself? Where do I need to question or expand upon my beliefs, my principles, and how can I act with compassion to make a lasting difference? To me, thinking of new paradigms and opening to ways more constructive to the common good sounds like a much higher road to take with Jupiter and Neptune!

Wishing everyone a great Full Moon!