The Astrology Blog 8 November 2021
All times in GMT
“Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion and knowledge.”
“Love is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete.”
Plato – The exact time and place of birth unknown. Based on ancient sources, most modern scholars believe that Plato was born in Athens or Aegina between 429 and 423 BC
MERCURY OUT OF SHADOW
Those who follow my Facebook group The World of Astrology will have seen this post from Wednesday, the day that Mercury came “out of shadow”. This is the moment when Mercury returns to the position at which he originally turned retrograde, and this big event happened just as we tipped into Wednesday 3 Nov in the UK and Europe. This also signifies the moment at which Mercury returns to full speed.
Symbolically it can be a discovery moment in all kinds of ways – in the blog last week I said look out for lost things coming to light – and what better illustration of that could we possibly have seen than the recovery of the abducted four year old Cleo Smith in Australia, early hours of their Wednesday. These heart stopping stories capture the world’s attention, and there are thousands of people all over the world sharing this news and feeling the joy –
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-59143494
Police smashed their way into a home in Carnarvon in the early hours of Wednesday, following forensic clues.
Deputy Commissioner Blanch said they scoured thousands of pieces of information looking for a “needle in a haystack”.
“Late last night they found that needle that led them to that address and rescued Cleo,” he told Network Seven.
LIGHT BULB MOMENTS
Did you have your own “out of shadow” moment? Did you have a great idea or did something finally make sense? Did a reality sink in? Did you feel ready to let go of someone or something? Did you even have a brainwave? Don’t let those moments slip away. They are timely and reliable.
My own out of shadow moments included finding someone to sort out a computer problem. It’s important to note that I didn’t consciously plan it that way but on Tuesday I realized that my very slow computer was getting even slower and in danger of grinding to a halt. It’s needed a huge cleanup for ages but I can never find the time to pack it up and put it in the car, take it into town into the workshop, leave it several hours, go back ….etc. It’s an all day job.
So I suddenly thought, there has to be another way! There must be tons of really clever techno kids out there wanting to earn a bit of cash, so I advertised on one of our local Facebook groups for any recommendations. I got exactly what I ordered when a university student home for a while because of Covid replied to me. When he turned up he described himself, in perfect English, as a computer nerd and my heart sang. An hour later my computer was running like new. Heaven.
This totally fitted one of the list ticking points that I always make when Mercury turns direct, which is “We find the person to fix the problem beyond our own expertise”. On this occasion, I was aware of the problem when Mercury turned direct (18 Oct) but it was the coming out of shadow moment that coincided with my actually doing something proactive about it.
When this guy popped up the true value of astrology in this context was that I knew he would be the right person. I was even happier when he realized straightaway that I didn’t need him to explain anything. I’m definitely in the “take it away and bring it back working” school. He literally rolled up his sleeves with the glee of the true fanatic and got down to work.
The readings I did as Mercury was coming out of shadow were also full of lifting shadows – handing in notice after 45 years of work to go and follow true interests, a realization about living in the shadow of a destructive ex boyfriend, the discovery of a diary through a personal trauma that could be turned into a worthwhile book or documentary. I would call all of these lightbulb moments.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Mercury is in a lead role again, but this time with the so called “malefics”, Mars traditionally known as the Lesser Malefic and Saturn the Greater Malefic, who are coming together by a stressful square. Nobody panic! It doesn’t mean that your world suddenly turns into an evil place, Afghanistan excluded, but it’s definitely not an easy picture for problem solving –
Wednesday 10 November
- Mercury conjunct Mars 7 Scorpio 12.58
- Mercury 7 Scorpio square Saturn 7 Aquarius 17.05
- Mars 7 Scorpio square Saturn 7 Aquarius 23.15
Now that Mercury is back up to full speed again these aspects work through very quickly, but it’s the Mars – Saturn square itself that’s the real difficulty. Fortunately they square up to each other only twice a year, sometimes once.
As ever, indebted to Jamie Partridge and his brilliant website which saves me hours of page turning, here are the squares from the last couple of years and the next two to come. I’ve added the degrees and the signs. If the first five aligned with planets or Angles in your own natal chart then think back to what was happening for you at those times –
https://astrologyking.com/mars-square-saturn/
Mars Square Saturn Dates
21 January 2019 – Mars 13 Aries/Saturn 13 Capricorn
27 October 2019 – Mars 15 Libra/Saturn 15 Capricorn
24 August 2020 – Mars 26 Aries/Saturn 26 Capricorn
29 September 2020 – Mars 25 Aries/Saturn 25 Capricorn
13 January 2021 – Mars 3 Taurus/Saturn 3 Aquarius
10 November 2021 – Mars 7 Scorpio/Saturn 7 Aquarius
7 August 2022 – Mars 22 Taurus/Saturn 22 Aquarius
25 November 2023 – Mars 0 Sagittarius/Saturn 0 Pisces
Why is this such a tough aspect? In a nutshell Mars is the god of war and speaks of action (physical) and desire/anger (mental). Saturn by square speaks of blocks and obstacles of the literal kind (eg Covid restrictions, road works, oppressive patriarchal regimes as Mars and Saturn are both masculine), physical limitations (illness, tiredness, apathy, not enough time) and feelings of the difficult kind (frustration, rejection, depression).
So however you look at this combination it’s not exactly cheerful. It’s the opposite to speed or matters coming together easily. Mercury playing into this square suggests that things like disagreements or even furious arguments or admin nightmares are the kind of scenarios that could bring you up against brick walls. Some things will be unfixable, such as a broken down car or a broken down relationship. What is worth even more investment in terms of time and/or money, and what isn’t?
Getting new things off the ground is going to be challenging but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it. Do however be realistic about time and costs. Refuse to be coerced into things that you know are wrong for you and be quick to spot emotional blackmail, especially of the quiet and subversive kind which is one of the downsides of Mercury in Scorpio.
THE ELEMENTS – & NO FIRE
I occasionally love to quote the ancients if only because their words prove that the essential human condition doesn’t change. There is literally nothing new under the sun in that respect.
The first quote from Plato at the top of the blog this week made me think of the elements – desire (fire) emotion (water) and knowledge (air) – and then I suddenly realized that we’ve just entered another “no fire” zone, as Venus left Sagittarius last Friday. We now won’t have any planets in fire until the Sun enters Sagittarius 22 November followed by Mercury 24 November.
This means that the things symbolized by fire may become notable by their absence, but that they then become even more important. Fire qualities are things like warmth, passion, vision – we may find that these are suddenly the qualities lacking in the world around us.
Jung gave the four psychological functions to the four elements and fire = intuition. Intuitives find meaning through what may be termed non – rational information, such as hunches or visions. They can make leaps of imagination, or connect their insights in a way that leads to “I just know” answers.
So for now I would be circumspect about keeping the company of those who want to force their own agenda on you or who always look at the world in stark black and white or purely scientific terms. Rational arguments have their place but can be disastrous in real terms.
This was tragically obvious in the news this morning about Afghanistan, in the interview with David Beasley, head of the WFP (World Food Programme). The horrifying lack of vision, ie how breathtakingly quickly the Taliban would topple Mr Ghani’s government and take power, is now taking its toll on millions –
Western countries have cut off their aid to the country … But will those countries just stand by now and allow millions of innocent people to face acute hunger?
Mr Beasley challenges the governments and the billionaires of the developed world to face up to the urgent need for help.
“To the world leaders, to the billionaires: imagine that this was your little girl or your little boy, or your grandchild about to starve to death,” he said. “You would do everything you possibly could, and when there’s $400 trillion worth of wealth on the earth today, shame on us … We let any child die from hunger. Shame on us. I don’t care where that child is.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59202880
Listen to your own intuition and vision. How many times has something gone wrong in the past because you didn’t listen to that inner voice?
MERCURY – URANUS
The tricky and frustrating picture being painted by Mars – Saturn will be especially relevant to you if you have planets or Angles at or very close to 7 degrees of the Fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius. This may be a setback or a tough situation in your own life or being caught up in a situation for someone else who’s important to you.
Going into the weekend this “orb” – area of relevancy – extends to 12 degrees as Mercury on his own particular full speed warpath is also heading for a head to head with Uranus –
Saturday 13 November
- Mercury 12 Scorpio opposite Uranus 12 Taurus 15.58
There are more Mercury aspects to come on this rapid journey through Scorpio, and more importantly Mars also travelling through Scorpio will repeat this aspect to Uranus next Wednesday, so pay close attention to what unfolds this weekend as there’ll almost certainly be more to come. Look out for Uranus hallmarks – things happening suddenly, unexpectedly, excitement, group plans, eyebrow raising news, anything different, unusual or rebellious.
Here in Greece there’s a great deal of dissent starting to build at the government’s new laws for the unvaxxed who are now firmly in the leper category – no shops, no bars, no restaurants, no banks etc without a negative same day test – and there’s even talk of having to sit outside places EVEN WITH a negative test.
At one level this is “rational” but at another level it’s provoking anger for the businesses who will suffer. How convenient that the government has imposed this regime as soon as the local airports closed at the end of October so they’re no longer concerned about losing tourism income. Mars – Uranus is textbook stuff for anything on the scale of rallies and protests through to full blown anarchy.
THE SOFTER SIDE …
Hurray, it isn’t all about combat, there is a little oasis in the week. We have the monthly Moon – Jupiter conjunction, and I mention this because it’s the first one since Jupiter turned direct 18 October, so it carries a bit of extra clout. Look out for an opportunity or a milestone moment with anything connected to Jupiter’s concerns – education, the higher mind, freedom, travel, legal concerns, anything or anyone connected to overseas, anything or anyone who makes your life bigger and better, or more fun. Generosity or extravagance, Jupiter is Mr Big and doesn’t do things by halves.
This is followed less than 24 hours later by the Sun in a harmonious water trine to Neptune in Pisces, a sign also ruled by Jupiter. Favours social get togethers – Neptune/Pisces rule the booze – and also softness, care, kindness and empathy. The essential Pisces lesson is linked to redemption, so step in if you can help –
Thursday 11 November
- Moon conjunct Jupiter 23 Aquarius 19.53
Friday 12 November
- Sun 20 Scorpio trine Neptune 20 Pisces 16.25
Sun – Neptune combinations are also romantic in the “urge to merge” sense. Back to the other Plato quote I chose for this week, about love being our search for wholeness, here’s your moment. But with that battleground backdrop going on please distinguish carefully between real oases of care and calm, or being a doormat just to keep the peace. The former is sweet and authentic, the latter is potentially about victim role, deluding ourselves or making the wrong kind of sacrifices.
Next week is also action packed as, apart from Monday, there’s a major aspect on every single day of the week and we’ll also have the Lunar Eclipse in Taurus.
Until then, with love from Greece
Joanna
