The Lovers of the sky have been traveling in tandem within ten degrees of each other since August, influencing each other to such an extent that they may not be really sure of who they are as individuals. The archetypal energies of Venus and Mars in a conjunction formation do a mind-meld thing, blending their respective traits into one expressive form. Venus tempers Mars’ innate self-oriented drive, and Mars gives Venus an assertive edge she never knew she had. By the time Venus pulls out of Mars’ orb around November 22nd, they will have been dancing from Leo to Libra a total of three months, their sexy moves and charming words finding their way into our hearts to soothe the hard edges of relating. During this time frame, Venus and Mars, currently in Virgo, are pulled into Jupiter’s philosophical orb, which will inspire them to rise above day-to-day activities to see where they are in the context of the bigger picture. As they do, we may ask ourselves, where are we expressing love? These symbolic Lovers are by no means exclusive representatives of amorous liaisons between consenting adults. This collaborative Venus/Mars union blesses lovers of all art forms as well as those passionate about any type of creative endeavor. As they segued from playful Leo to service-oriented Virgo, their palette has shifted accordingly. Under Jupiter in Virgo’s guidance they will look for meaning and purpose in what they accomplish together, not to mention adventure! But that’s not all. The Venus/Mars/Jupiter conjunction in Virgo is in a motivating trine to Pluto in Capricorn. Venus joining this impressively grounded and productive configuration in earth signs exudes practicality as much as it does the value and power of creativity born of a clear intention. Whatever we set our hearts, mind and spirit to could manifest with ease, as if what we endeavor to accomplish is second nature to us.
Venus becomes the Queenpin of this four-planet powerhouse, who commences activating their collective universal vibration when she trines Pluto in Capricorn, figuratively going to the source of all life, the deep down core of transformative potential. Exact on October 23rd, Venus’s alignment with Pluto opens a window of opportunity for all who seek a metamorphosis in relating from the heart. Tapping the cosmic root for soul sustenance can bring about a life-changing experience in relating to one or more of the many other beings in our sphere of existence. Even a moment in this state can have enduring effects. On October 25th, the Goddess of Love connects with Jupiter, the planet of Abundance, generating an aura of the good life, which they would normally revel in with whatever was on hand no matter how if Mars and Pluto weren’t backseat driving their ambitions. This big-hearted duo in Virgo would do well to remember that love cannot be bought or sold, and the ultimate luxury is being able to accept and be happy with who they are no matter what their material wealth or circumstance. Once there, Venus and Jupiter come to understand a more profound meaning of love and to know that being in a state of Love is the most valuable experience attainable, and it’s all about quality over quantity. After being primed by Pluto and Jupiter, Venus has her exact conjunction with Mars on November 2nd, their embrace generating warmth and genuine affection. They put love in all they do and they’ll choose a course for their romantic journey through Virgo’s terrain that serves the greater good, even if all they do is radiate love wherever they go.
Synchronistically arranged by the cosmic consciousness, the Sun enters Pluto-ruled Scorpio later in the morning on October 23rd giving us an opportunity to explore that which is hidden so we may experience mystery from the inside. True power comes from knowledge of the inner workings of life. The Sun in Scorpio, uninhibited by other celestial players, could care less about what is practical or stable. The more intense the better. He takes the deep dive into life, penetrating the psyches of the people in it who place their messy secrets into his mesmerizing hands. He alone understands all things taboo as necessary while the world turns its head in horror, shame or faint-heartedness to the unspeakable elephant in the room. Willingly exploring these areas offers a more complete experience of life – the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. The challenge for the Sun in Scorpio is to have the experience but be able to have enough distance from it as an observer, rather than be completely absorbed by and thus lost in it. Dane Rudhyar best describes the ultimate Scorpio mission of passion: “To be consumed by the Fire, and nevertheless be tender of the flame – this is the goal. And this goal can only be reached by using this most magical gift of the Spirit; the power of non-identification.”
Mercury leaves the “shadow” territory he traversed three times due to his retrograde motion on October 24th and begins negotiating new terrain in Libra, now with a greater understanding of his own position in relationships. The first aspect he makes is an opposition to Uranus in Aries on October 25th that will fire up his brain synapses at high velocity to receive sudden cognitions. He could be playfully contrary or simply not care about the consequences of whatever shocking revelation he chooses to share. Quick-witted and often brilliant, the Mercury/Uranus duo in the other/self Libra/Aries polarity could shake up relationships that may have only just begun to feel steady, forward movement after the back-to-back Venus and Mercury retrograde re-evaluations of late summer/early fall. While Mercury will quickly move on from his encounter with Uranus, it only takes one flash of inspiration to change the course of history.
Coming off the Mercury/Uranus perceptual unpredictability, the Harvest Moon on October 27th is a classic set up for emotional volatility, as most Full Moons are in that they reveal the polar opposite archetypes in us all from the perspective of the signs involved each month. For as much as the Sun in Scorpio loves intensity and the full immersion experience, the Moon in Taurus cherishes her highly cultivated peace and both-feet-on-the-ground stability. When these two prominent luminaries have their annual face off in the fall they evoke the eye of the storm. The Sun in Scorpio knows that false peace is no peace at all when hidden psychological programs are allowed to operate below the surface of conscious awareness. The Moon in Taurus knows only too well that exposing that which we fear can result in massive disruptions in life, to put it mildly, if they are not handled deftly and with a liberal dose of grace. If the Sun and Moon in these deep reaching signs find the still-point at which they can merge, they will realize an innate respect for and understanding of each other’s mission, even if to the world they make it look like they are sworn enemies. Every month, the Sun and Moon present the opportunity to find balance in their opposition, to embrace the polarized sets and hold them with equal tension. As this Harvest Full Moon unfolds, culminating this lunar cycle’s theme of collaboration and cooperation, may the power of the Sun’s Scorpionic magician, fearlessly wielding unseen streams of energy, join forces with the Zen-master simplicity of the Moon’s loving Taurean nature and together initiate the process of awareness by alchemically transmuting dysfunctional rote behavior into thriving spontaneous beingness.
Neptune in transcendent Pisces closely aligns with the Full Moon, stimulating the imagination and attentiveness of spiritual dimensions beyond the 3D. When the fears we chose to encounter rise into our awareness it should be easy to visualize being the eye of the storm. Just hours after her culminating aspect with the Sun, the Moon forms a sextile to the planet of cosmic consciousness, opening us up to a feeling of oneness. When we realize we are not alone and that we are energetically connected to all existence, we know we’re loved and supported in life’s journey through the light and the dark. The Sun’s trine to Neptune, exact on October 30th, opens pathways to intuition and further deepens our connection with the grace. Under this idealistic signature, we are given the opportunity to experience the extraordinary in everyday reality. The pathway to acceptance is recognizing that where we are in this very moment is perfect. Living our truth and operating with integrity gives us the freedom to dance around boundaries that are necessary for those still absentmindedly living in the ultimate Grand Illusion – the physical material reality.
The ability to go deep, or the compulsion to go dark, is enhanced when Mercury enters Scorpio’s waters on November 1st. Preferring to focus on life and death issues rather than superficial matters, Mercury’s contemplations through Scorpio’s persuasive domain have the ability to rise above the drama, choosing instead to explore the mysterious process of regeneration. The more we understand death, the less we fear it. Whether we experience the death of a body, a mind-fabricated belief system, a relationship between beings or other energetic formation, the consciousness that participated in those creations lives on. With the Phoenix as his mascot, Mercury in Scorpio sees rebirth all around him, and that is what gets him truly excited. As he journeys the early degrees of Scorpio, Mercury trines Neptune in Pisces, exact on November 6th, which helps him access the deeper reaches of the imagination and spirit. The two planets harmoniously aligning in water signs are more apt to feel their way through situations rather than work things through intellectually. Life to them is a sensory experience that defies description through normal lingual channels.
Positive transformational Plutonic energy abounds this period and when the Sun in Scorpio sextiles Scorpio’s ruler Pluto on November 5th it may seem like one of the more regenerative trips to the underworld where we can easily tap into our power source. Going deep may not seem so intimidating and in fact have intriguing results as the potential exists for help to come from encounters with influential others.
On November 8th, after finally coming to an acceptance of her beautifully imperfect self in Virgo, Venus comes home sweet home to Libra, where she seeks acceptance of herself as a part of the whole of society. Finding her willingness to engage with others leads to the peace and grace that makes her at ease with being who she is and her role in life. A symbol of the sacred feminine, Venus recognizes the value in relationships as a way of establishing harmony. She brings beauty and artistry to everything she does, knowing these attributes are the foundation of living in accord with the cosmos.
Here’s the data (using Pacific Time and planetary positions rounded to the nearest whole degree, unless otherwise noted):
October 23rd – Venus trine Pluto at 13° Virgo/Capricorn at 0:40 a.m.
October 23rd – Sun at 0° Scorpio at 10:47 a.m.
October 25th – Venus conjunct Jupiter at 16° Virgo at 1:03 p.m.
October 25th – Mercury opposite Uranus at 18° Libra/Aries at 3:59 p.m.
October 27th – Moon opposite Sun (Full Moon) at 4° Taurus/Scorpio at 5:05 a.m.
October 30th – Sun trine Neptune at 7° Scorpio/Pisces at 2:06 p.m.
November 1st – Mercury at 0° Scorpio at 11:06 p.m.
November 2nd – Venus conjunct Mars at 24° Virgo at 5:10 p.m.
November 5th – Sun sextile Pluto 13° Scorpio/Capricorn at 7:58 p.m.
November 6th – Mercury trine Neptune at 7° Scorpio/Pisces at 5:39 a.m.
November 8th – Venus at 0° Libra at 7:31 a.m.
Brilliant writing as always!
Being a double Scorpio (Sun and Moon) and an astrologer, myself of some 30 plus years, Kim, I had Dane’s books when I first began this astro journey. The life task for Scorpio is exceedingly challenging, especially if the Moon is in the sign as well. My very first astrology teacher was a later discipline of Evangeline Adams, and a definite ‘fan’ of Rudhyar. I recall reading this description years and years ago, and my teacher saying…’An almost impossible lesson for Scorpio…but never give up.’ She was a Scorpio Sun Sign herself!
Keep up the amazing writing!!
Thanks, Kimberly! Regarding the phenomenon of “non-identification” described in the below context, would it be accurate to assume that it refers to the idea of belonging to everything and nothing at the same time (not recognizing or succumbing to any man-made boundaries/limitations)?
“the ultimate Scorpio mission of passion: ‘To be consumed by the Fire, and nevertheless be tender of the flame – this is the goal. And this goal can only be reached by using this most magical gift of the Spirit; the power of non-identification.'”
Looking forward to November 8th which promises the arrival of a long-awaited friend (self-acceptance):
“On November 8th, after finally coming to an acceptance of her beautifully imperfect self in Virgo, Venus comes home sweet home to Libra, where she seeks acceptance of herself as a part of the whole of society. Finding her willingness to engage with others leads to the peace and grace that makes her at ease with being who she is and her role in life.”