Plate Spinning, Perception of Choice and Passports
The Astrology Blog 5 November 2018
All times given are stated in GMT
This is arguably one of the most important weeks in this year’s calendar, hence the phrase ‘plate spinning’. Top of the list is Jupiter’s change of sign – coming up on Thursday.
Paving the way to that ingress we start with the Scorpio Sun linking with Neptune, currently on his own long journey through his own sign:
Tuesday 6 November
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Sun 13 Scorpio trine Neptune 13 Pisces 06.42
This is intensely emotional. It’s also healing and redemptive. Any issue that is already sensitive is likely to reach the moment of truth, possibly characterized by floods of tears, but it carries the potential of one of those Phoenix-like transformational moments.
Start by acknowledging your own feelings, and how strong they really are. Claim your right to those feelings and don’t be afraid of them, within yourself or when expressing them to others. What’s the worst that can happen? And what’s the best that can happen?
Whether it’s allowing yourself to drown for a while in the waves of grief or expressing your love, concern or deep emotional connection with another soul, the hallmarks are courage, empathy, compassion and authenticity.
Scorpio loves power and finding our own resilience can lift us above the fear of what others might think or say. If there’s discord, the coping strategy is to allow yourself to feel upset but not devastated. In other words, don’t give someone or something else that amount of power over you.
Neptune and Pisces
Having said that, Neptune and Pisces are associated with vulnerability as well as super sensitivity, but also with boundaries – or rather the lack of them. The Neptunian nature, as in keeping with the god of the seas, is boundless – and learning to put personal boundaries in place is possibly the biggest Piscean challenge.
So with a Sun – Neptune aspect in play this week we all have to remind ourselves that we can’t be everything to everyone. We have the right to say no. We don’t have to rescue. And we don’t have to invest time or resources of any kind in those people or situations that are either thankless or which drain us.
Perception of choice
With that boundary in place, we can then recognize our soul job of being there with full flowing empathy for those who genuinely need us. Perception of choice has a huge role to play in our mental well being. If you’re dealing with rejection, anxiety or guilt, or if you encounter such issues this week, it may well be easier to resolve than you imagined, if you bear these guidelines in mind.
Also, at a universal level, positive Neptune aspects are also great for socializing, enjoying your favorite tipple, falling in love, getting sloppy or nostalgic, watching movies, playing your favorite music and taking great photographs (thank you David Elgee!).
Uranus retrograde in Aries
This major aspect coincides with Uranus reversing back into Aries on the same day – traditionally the sign of the self and the ego:
Tuesday 6 November
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Retrograde Uranus returns to Aries 18.51
Thursday 8 November
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Jupiter 29 Scorpio quinqunx Uranus 29 Aries 06.19
With the rebellion planet returning to this dynamic fire sign, it pays to do a spot check on whether we’re being selfish or “self”ish. It’s such a hard line to walk sometimes, but basically try not to do anything that’s fuelled by guilt. Choose what is fuelled by love.
Questions to be asked – what is your desire, what is your passion, what works for you and what doesn’t? Chuck the rule book out of the window, especially the one that was written by other people without consulting you.
We are all entitled to be free spirits in terms of our essential self. The best of Aries is all about healthy egoism, knowing yourself and being clear about where you’re not prepared to compromise.
Second chances
Look out for the themes of second chances too. Anything you tolerated this year and wish you hadn’t? Now’s your opportunity to revisit the issues and say what you really think. Just guard against being too headstrong, or against what psychotherapy calls “marked impulsivity”.
Aries rules the head – use it, don’t bash it against a brick wall. The awkward alliance between Jupiter and Uranus in the early hours of Thursday, Jupiter’s last aspect before changing sign, warns against blind spots and the unexpected of the damaging kind. It’s a NO for risk taking, so bide your time. But if you’re already spinning far too many plates don’t worry if some crash land.
New Moon in Scorpio
Power and control issues are also indicated in this month’s New Moon:
Wednesday 7 November
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New Moon 15 Scorpio 16.03
In traditional astrology Scorpio is not an easy sign for the Moon as it’s her sign of “fall”, but with this New Moon in good aspect to Neptune those sharp edges should be softened a little. Emotional tides rise high on Full Moons but New Moons are also times of enormous sensitivity. Although they are about the opening of new cycles, rather than fruition.
Look out for all the usual Scorpio themes – life, death, rebirth, transformative processes, starting over, power balances, personal authority, secrecy, determination and unearthing information that has been missing or obscured.
On a darker note, all the signs have their flipsides and Scorpio’s is jealousy, and the desire to punish or take revenge. Even when we think we’re in a lofty superior position of being above all that, there are always situations that can trigger our most primitive responses.
Close to home
If I find the person who deliberately inflicted suffering on my youngest cat this weekend, who’s now at the vet’s hanging onto life by a thread, I might have to shoot them, although that would be far too kind a fate.
Jasper has serious kidney damage – and with Venus still retrograde in Libra, the planet and sign ruling the kidneys, it’s not looking good. By the time I got him to the vet he had hours to live. I can only pray that the Sun – Neptune (water) is the showing for life saving rehydration, but am also aware that it could be grief too.
As with all questions put to astrology, matters are always compounded and complicated with either a retrograde Mercury or Venus.
Jupiter changes sign
Moving on to happier things! Roll of drums. Jupiter – Mr Big of the skies and King of the gods – arrives in his own sign of Sagittarius. His arrival is underlined by the Moon also entering this sign a few hours later. So Jupiter’s first meeting is with the Moon, a conjunction that will be repeated monthly:
Thursday 8 November
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Jupiter ingress Sagittarius 12.39
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Moon ingress Sagittarius 19.01
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Moon conjunct Jupiter 19.04
Jupiter has a 12 year cycle and with 12 signs of the zodiac the maths is easy. He spends approximately one year travelling through each sign. So the last time he was in Sagittarius was November 06 to December 07, and the time before December 94 to January 96. The latter was when I moved to Greece, as Jupiter transited my Sagittarius Sun. The idea and the planning took shape as Jupiter travelled through Scorpio, but it was Jupiter entering Sagittarius that marked the event actually happening, and successfully.
So look out for the beginning of Jupiter’s biggest themes, notably anything connected to making your world a bigger and better place. I’ll obviously be talking a lot more about Jupiter’s new journey in the coming weeks but for now, to give you a flavor, from Be Your Own Astrologer:
Jupiter’s main principle is expansion and he is the bringer of joy, good fortune, opportunity, higher education, freedom and travel. He rules all things connected to overseas, both people and places. He is also the planet of truth and humanity, ruling the law, justice, religion, philosophy and the higher mind. His nature is optimistic, encouraging and extrovert.
Jupiter in Sagittarius (dignity) or 9th House
Jupiter’s qualities and concerns resonate with Sagittarius, sign of learning, travel and exploration of all kinds. These Jupiter people often have a foreign theme of some kind in their lives, they paint on a broad canvas and approach life with enthusiasm, optimism and a deep sense of trust.
They intuitively know that things happen for a reason which makes for an effective safeguard against bitterness or cynicism. In crisis they can make a crucial leap of faith and in doing so create their own “luck”. They are truth freaks with a pronounced sense of right and wrong.
Positives: sincere, ethical, good natured.
Negatives: blunt, reckless or a “don’t fence me in” resistance to commitment.
Two other major aspects take place at the end of the week:
Friday 9 November
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Venus retrograde 26 Libra trine Mars 26 Aquarius 15.13
The love planets in harmony generally bode well for relationship issues and affairs of the heart. However I’m not getting too excited about this one as Venus is retrograde, and with the aspect falling in air signs (the intellect) there’s a risk that emotional concerns can be objectified, and feelings lost in the world of arguments, logic or reasons. Not that these are to be denigrated but it feels a bit robotic.
Don’t talk yourself out of your desires, or allow anyone else to do so. Love doesn’t always make sense. In fact it usually doesn’t! I do like this aspect for a meeting of minds though. But it will be more telling to see what happens when Venus finally turns direct, after her 42 days in the wilderness, which will happen next week.
Finally, the Sun’s first aspect after the New Moon:
Sunday 11 November
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Sun 19 Scorpio sextile Pluto 19 Capricorn 15.20
This is also the last solar aspect before the Sun arrives in Sagittarius later in the month on the 22nd. In turn, Pluto is also about endings, finality or change of the total and irreversible kind.
The sextile is a harmonious aspect – formed when planets align when exactly two signs apart – so we can expect conclusions of the tough but constructive kind. If you have planets or angles between 15 and 19 Scorpio then the weekend may well bring events connected with the midweek New Moon.
Significant transition
Overall this week is a time of significant transition, and also crammed with activity. It will be a tall order to pack it all in, which reminds me of Jupiter’s exuberance and huge appetites, but also his flipside of overdoing things to the point of burnout!
So the maxim of “one day at a time” applies more than usual and we’ll get the best of this week if we can pace ourselves – but with a good healthy dollop of fun along the way.
Until next week
With love from Greece
Joanna