November 17 to 23, 2014 forecvast

November 17 to 23, 2014

By Pam Younghans

 

Now, on with this week's forecast:

 

WE'RE WRAPPING UP some important lessons this week. On Tuesday, two days before our New Moon in Sagittarius, there is a Saturn-Sun alignment in Scorpio.

 

Saturn is never one to be frivolous. This is the planet that represents the concepts of responsibility, discipline, and patience. As Saturn transits each sign of the zodiac, we are called to embody new levels of maturity and realism related to the themes of that sign.

 

AS SATURN has journeyed through Scorpio for the past two years, it has required us to take responsibility for our deepest desires, our needs for control and power, and our motivations, compulsions, and addictions. And, since Scorpio rules the processes of death and rebirth, some have found their lessons to be in this area of the human experience, either literally or on psychological and emotional levels.

 

As the Sun and Saturn conjoin on Tuesday, we come face-to-face with some of the lessons noted in the paragraph above. This is an important opportunity for self-acceptance, as we see hidden or disowned aspects of our psyches reflected back to us by the people and events in our lives.

 

Once we have owned a truth about ourselves, we have a clear choice of next steps, based on the animals traditionally associated with Scorpio.

 

SCORPIO is the only sign of the zodiac that has two accepted animal symbols: the Scorpion and the Eagle (or Phoenix, in some traditions). This gives us important clues as to our options this week.

 

One option is to stay attached to an old definition of who we are, remaining in the darkness that has been uncovered. This would be the choice of the Scorpion, who hides under rocks and stings when revealed.

 

The other option is to choose the way of the Eagle, who flies high above the landscape. From its vantage point, the Eagle can see both the darkness and the light, but does not judge or cling to either. The Eagle represents clarity of vision and purpose, and shows us that the higher we go, the more we can release defining ourselves or others by choices of the past -- even the past of only yesterday.

 

THE CLEARING and release work that we do early in the week can enable us to begin the new lunar cycle with what feels like a much cleaner slate. Our New Moon on Saturday occurs less than three hours after the Sun enters Sagittarius, emphasizing the theme of opening anew to the adventure of life.

 

There are many different systems that assign symbolic images to each degree of the zodiac. I quote from the Sabian symbols quite a bit in this journal, but I also like other, more modern systems.

 

Astrologer Martin Goldsmith, in his book The Zodiac by Degrees, gives this image for the first degree of Sagittarius, where our New Moon is on Saturday:

"On a steep bluff, army veterans reminisce around a dying campfire while their leader surveys the countryside by the light of the rising sun."

The descriptive phrases for this image, which we can relate to the purposes of the lunar cycle that begins next weekend, includes:

"Looking toward new possibilities when an old trip is burnt out; setting clear goals that challenge one's best talents; figuring out which life battles really matter; ignoring unimportant problems and strengthening one's heart for the fight ahead; instigating collective action based on a clear vision of the future; cooperation and comradeship based on shared ideals; long-range plans and foresight; periodically reassessing one's progress toward grander goals."

THIS IS CERTAINLY a time to be looking forward rather than to the past. Pluto and Uranus have been doing a very good job of dismantling the old structures, so it is up to us to create new foundations for the future. With the Sun in Sagittarius until December 21, those foundations will be most successful if they are based on what we truly believe in, and what adds greater meaning to our lives.

 

One last note about this week -- Chiron stations direct next Sunday, so there is an added emphasis on healing now. Chiron in Pisces reveals where we hold fear instead of trust, and where we may choose self-sacrifice rather than unconditional love.

 

As Chiron is at a standstill this week, we are supported in embracing that wounded aspect of self, taking the fearful child into our hearts, to that place where only Trust, Love, and Healing can abide.

 

Blessings,