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EcoAstrology: Taurus-Scorpio Full Moon
October 31: Full Moon 7:49 AM PDT (9º Taurus-Scorpio); Sun opposite Uranus
November 1: Venus opposite Chiron (6º Libra-Aries)
November 1-6: Mercury square Saturn (26º Libra-Capricorn)
November 3: Mercury D+ (26º Libra) 9:49 AM PDT
November 9: Venus opposite Mars (15º Libra-Aries); Sun trine Neptune (18º Scorpio-Pisces)
November 12: 3rd Jupiter conjunct Pluto (23º Capricorn)
November 13: Mars D+ (15º Aries)
We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis — Greta Thunberg
The fears we don’t face don’t become our limits —Robin Sharma
Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful —Hazrat Inayat Khan
October 29, 2020
Dear Friends,
Full moons bring light to the dark, illuminating what’s been in the shadow, and reminding us of the power of the unconscious — how patterns running below the radar of our awareness also run our life. The next full moon, which peaks on October 31 at 7:49 AM PDT spotlights the archetypes of Taurus and Scorpio, along with their contrasting agendas. Taurus strives for serenity, simplicity, and stability, while Scorpio seeks passion, power, and transformation. Full moons in fixed signs like this one galvanize stronger emotional tensions and releases, as they impel the break down of long standing patterns. In addition, Uranus is in close conjunction, sparking sudden insights and quantum leaps, but also provoking edginess and jumping to conclusions.
Taurus is often associated with money, but is ultimately about values. How we spend our time, energy, and assets reflects our values, and even more importantly, our self value. Low self esteem can express either as scarcity or entitlement. Deeply seated beliefs that we are unworthy or inherently privileged are two sides of the same issue. Venus, the traditional ruler of Taurus, is opposite Chiron at 6º Aries, illuminating where we may still have healing to do around our sense of self worth. Venus moves on to oppose Mars at 15º Aries on November 9, testing how we are embodying our values. The Sun’s trine with Neptune that same day makes it easier to have more compassion for ourselves and others.
While the earthy sign of Taurus strives to fully experience matter, and discover what matters most, the watery depths of Scorpio encompasses complex emotions and instinctive fears. Scorpio is the sign most associated with our capacity to trans-form, to detach from what may have served us in the past, but now hinders our growth. Sometimes that process takes the form of an illness or accident, or the loss of a job, home, or loved one; other times it involves shedding a false belief, identity, or way of being. We are then forced to go into the dark, the unknown, and face our worst fears. Pluto, the modern ruler of Scorpio, represents that descent into the Underworld, a purgatory, and ultimately a rebirth, where we realize there is no real death, only the constant metamorphosis of spirit in form.
Uranus very closely conjuncts the Moon, bringing our attention to buried emotions and needs, especially around security, finances, and priorities. Uranus aspects often correspond with sudden reversals or revelations, but when we look back, we see how things have been building up to a breaking point. The primary purpose of this year has been to slow us down, and in many cases, stop completely, so that we could recognize what needs to change. We must create a new normal, for our ourselves, and for our social, political, and economic institutions, as the old "normal" is not only unjust and unsustainable, but ecocide for millions of life forms, including humankind. Uranus demands progress, not just superficial change. Known as the Awakener, Uranus also sparks flashes of genius, making this weekend a great time for brainstorming and breaking with tradition. Where do we need to think out of the box? What alternatives could we explore?
Whenever a planet changes direction, its archetypal energies are intensified on that day, and often for several weeks around that day. Two planets station direct shortly after this full moon. Mercury stations direct on November 3, ending its retrograde passage which began on October 13 at 12º Scorpio. Its shadow point, when Mercury once again reaches 12º Scorpio, is November 19. Mercury corresponds with information, communications, and commerce. The last time Mercury stationed direct on the day of a US Election was November 7, 2000 (at 29º56’ Libra at 6:29 PM PST, quincunx the Moon at 28º36’ Pisces and square Neptune at 3º56’ Aquarius). The close results of that election were decided by the Supreme Court 36 days later. This time Mercury turns direct 25º53’ Libra at 9:51 AM PST, square Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, and opposite Eris in Aries. The Moon will be in Gemini, square Neptune and the Lunar Nodes, which can increase spaciness and fuzzy logic, requiring that we pay close attention to details and beware of disinformation. Mercury very closely squares Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, suggesting that, while there may be delays in knowing the final results, more importantly, this election represents a pivotal choice in how we deal with power, responsibility, and authority. Mercury will be closely square Saturn from November 1 - 6, cautioning us to choose our thoughts, words, and actions with care, focusing on what we want, rather than what we fear.
November 13 Mars stations direct at 15º Aries, ending its two month retrograde which began on September 9 at 28º Aries. Mars once again reaches 28º Aries, its shadow point, on January 2, 2021. Before Pluto’s discovery in 1930, Mars was the sole ruler of Scorpio. The red planet symbolizes what moves us to action — our yang, masculine, assertive energy, which can express as passion, willpower, and courage, as well as anger, conflict, and violence. While retrograde, Mars impels us to reassess our motivations and tactics. Mars direct corresponds with a shift from introspection to action. If we've done the inner work, we're much clearer now as to what we really want and how to achieve it.
The day before Mars stations direct, Pluto makes its third conjunction with Jupiter this year, facilitating our capacity to recognize deeper truths and envision new possibilities. Jupiter, the mythic sky god, represents the principle of expansion, while Pluto, the lord of the underworld, reveals where something must "die" in order to evolve. In Capricorn, this means relinquishing old beliefs around power and authority, ethics and responsibility. The asteroid Pallas is close to all three Jupiter-Pluto alignments, and exactly conjunct the third (the others were April 4 and June 29). In mythology, Pallas was second only to Jupiter/Zeus in rank, and greatly respected for her wisdom, diplomacy, creativity, and healing abilities. Her close alignment with the three Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions facilitate the emergence of new perspectives around power and the feminine.
Modern celebrations of Halloween, The Day of the Dead, and All Saints Day trace back to the Aztecs, Druids, Celts, and pagan celebrations of the mysteries of life and death. These traditions acknowledged this time of the year as a liminal doorway, when the veils between dimensions are thinnest, facilitating communication with the spirit world. November 1 is the beginning of the Celtic and Wiccan New Year, and so a time of reflection and seeking guidance from the ancestors. In Mexico and for Latinos living in the United States, November 1 is Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, a Meso-American tradition dating back at least 3,000 years, which also focuses on honoring one’s ancestors and expressing appreciation. Unless we were raised to commune with our ancestors or have learned to do so, we tend to forget that we can call on their wisdom and support. For a wealth of information and tools, read Daniel Foor’s beautiful book: Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing and listen to some of his fascinating podcasts here.
Here are four articles that eloquently speak to the challenges of this full moon and these extraordinary times. I've included some quotes from each, but all are well worth reading in their entirety:
Why we Resist Change & How to Overcome Stagnation by Gilbert Ross here. “Our resistance to change stems from a deeply innate fear of the unknown…the subconscious mind dislikes what is unfamiliar with a vengeance… It doesn’t like to handle new information that breaks the pattern, because the subconscious minds thrives on patterning… sometimes it sticks to the hell it knows despite the possibility of change that comes presenting itself in front of our very eyes… This pattern generating and management system is inbuilt in all of us. It starts building up patterns from when we are toddlers and by the time we are about 7, we already have built a vast library of patterns that we will by default stick with for the rest of our lives (unless we don’t work on disrupting those patterns and installing new ones). In fact, from there on, throughout our adulthood, everything we feel, act, decide or choose, essentially gravitates around those patterns we build in childhood…”
These key psychological differences can determine whether you're liberal or conservative by Hilary Brueck and Canela López here. “According to scientific research, people on different ends of the political spectrum differ psychologically too. Fear is linked more often to leaning conservative, whereas feeling safer can lead people to lean more liberal... Decades of research have shown that people get more conservative when they feel threatened and afraid. Threats of terrorism make everyone less liberal — researchers found this was especially true in the months after 9/11… Americans aren't the only ones whose political leanings are influenced by fear. A 2003 review of research conducted in five countries looked at 22 separate tests of the hypothesis that fear fuels conservative viewpoints and found it was universally true. Brain scans show that people who self-identify as conservative have larger and more active right amygdalas, an area of the brain that's associated with expressing and processing fear."
The Inner Election by Patricia Pearce here. “…because the events in the “external” world are depicting what is taking place on the inner plane, they can be very instructive... while the movement beyond ego is not about fighting, it is very much about choosing, and the key question is… Are you willing to release the concept of enemy? Are you willing to yield to the Reality of Love? Yes, this is a confusing and turbulent time. How could it not be? The ground we’re standing on is shifting beneath our feet as one reality gives way to another, or more accurately, a false understanding of reality gives way to Reality itself… And when a critical mass of us have cast our inner ballot to opt out of the ego mind and its version of reality, the world will change profoundly, and far more quickly than we ever could have imagined. So please, vote. Vote in the national election, of course. But also remember that the most significant vote you will ever cast is the one within yourself.”
The five real conspiracies you need to know about by Jeremy Lent here. “The world is awash in a deluge of dangerous conspiracy theories… they help deflect people’s attention from the real conspiracies that are systematically damaging billions of people around the world, destroying the living Earth, and—if left unchecked—may drive our entire civilization to collapse. These are the conspiracies everyone needs to know about... The facts about them are in the open, yet these lethal conspiracies hide in plain sight, flagrantly going about their destructive activities while millions of people have their attention diverted toward pernicious fictions… The good news is that, since they’re real conspiracies, there is something we can do about them... and become active in the movement to transform our global society to an Ecological Civilization—one that is based on life-affirming principles rather than accumulating wealth.”
This full moon reveals how we are dealing with power, change, and the unknown. It reminds us that, by consciously facing our fears, demons, and shadow, we simultaneously transform ourselves and our world. “…This is not an easy time for you all to be there on Earth… notice when you’re being triggered. If something or someone is triggering you, you have to do more than just go to a rally, or write a post on social media. You have to do more than just vote, or raise money for awareness of something. You have to deal with your trauma. You have to face your emotions… Go feel what you need to feel. Get to the heart of the matter so that you can create a better reality, a better future, a better version of this society that seems so polarized and oppressed... what you are living is nothing in comparison to what you have already lived, what you have already experienced, and what you have come to Earth to resolve, to clear once and for all, so that you can let go of the heaviness of your trauma and ascend, becoming your whole, full self, your higher self. That’s what you are doing there on Earth, and that’s what this time for humanity is all about.” (The Arcturian Council, September 3, 2020 via Daniel Scranton; full message here.)
Namaste,
Stephanie Austin
www.EcoAstrology.com
360-379-3060
PO Box 1745 Port Townsend, WA 98368
Stephanie Austin M.A. is a full time astrologer specializing in life purpose, career, and relationship readings since 1986. She also teaches astrology, and wrote the New and Full Moon column for the Mountain Astrologer magazine for 14 years. Her background includes a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a master's in Consciousness Studies, and a lifelong involvement with meditation, Nature, and healing. For more information on her astrology readings, eBooks, tutorials, and forecasts, please visit www.EcoAstrology.com.
