Retrograde Mercury conjuncts the Sun in Sagittarius on November 27, reaching the midpoint of its review period. This is the “new moon” phase of the four-month Sun/Mercury cycle when seed ideas are planted. We don’t yet know what the new cycle will bring but this one is likely to offer abundant opportunities for growth. Only hours later on November 27, Mercury segues from the Sun into a conjunction with Jupiter, which itself began a new cycle when it returned to its home sign on November 8. Furthermore, Mercury’s alignments with the Sun and Jupiter occur in the immediate wake of the Sun/Jupiter conjunction of November 25. The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter gathering in the early degrees of Sagittarius to embark on several new interrelated cycles acts as a three-planet ball of fire that can light up our hearts with motivation and confidence to face the unseen road ahead. The heartfelt purpose of the Sun, the perceptive power of Mercury and the wisdom and enthusiasm of Jupiter make exploring unfamiliar territory rewarding and joyous. The archetype of Sagittarius is the seeker who formulates philosophy out of direct experience, which gives us a greater sense of our place in the world. Any opportunities arising at this time are likely to expand our minds and hearts and bring us more in touch with our own authority.
The need for freedom is emphasized under the influence of the third and final opposition between relationship-oriented Venus and ingenious Uranus on November 30. This culminating “full moon” phase of the Venus/Uranus cycle includes three exact alignments due to the recent Venus retrograde (October 5 to November 16). The first and second oppositions on September 12 and October 31 occurred when Venus was in intense, emotional Scorpio and Uranus in practical, values-based Taurus. For this third pass, Venus is at the last degree of its home sign Libra and retrograde Uranus has just backed into pioneering Aries. This shifts the focus from issues of identification (Scorpio) and attachment (Taurus) to being at ease in relationships (Libra) and adapting our creative self-expression to benefit others (Aries). The Venus/Uranus planetary pair has the archetypal thrust to liberate us from, or significantly realign any relationship in order to create greater autonomy for all involved. During the last several months of this phase we may have seen how we adapted too much, believing that would make a relationship work. We may now feel suddenly freed to strike out on our own without considering what others think about it. This is an awakening moment where we discover how to spread our wings and express more fully our unique gifts.
Mercury and Venus, the planets of communicating and relating have synchronistically been making archetypal shifts in tandem over the last month. On October 30 and 31 respectively, both left intense Scorpio – direct Mercury entered wide-vision Sagittarius and retrograde Venus backed into its social home sign of Libra. Then simultaneously on November 16 Mercury turned retrograde and Venus turned direct. Now they both return to Scorpio on December 1 and December 2 respectively, again shifting our focus back to darker psychological realms. Mercury and Venus in Scorpio take on an all or nothing quality with how we perceive our relationships and we can be more authentic in them. We may feel compelled to dig a little deeper together to reach the very core of our issues wherein lies the treasure of naked truth. Mercury will remain in Scorpio through December 12 and Venus through January 7 revealing to us where our mind’s total immersion with a relationship may be in need of a process of de-identification so it can respond more fluidly to changing circumstances. Being at once the passionate flame and the impartial tender of the flame creates the delicate balance needed to keep our interactions with others alive and healthy.
A feisty square on December 2 between the Sun in Sagittarius and Mars in Pisces may correlate to our making strong movements this week, compelled by the need to resolve any conflict we feel. The Sun/Mars cycle amplifies the nature of the self and how we establish our existence in the world. This moment initiates the last quarter phase of the cycle wherein we begin to reflect on how we have been pursuing our creative impulses and desires since the cycle began in July 2017. Looking honestly at the blocks we may feel, or how we’ve acted selfishly or recklessly, could open us to seeing a situation differently and making necessary adjustments. Mars also forms a sextile with Saturn in Capricorn, exact on November 27, which anchors the high tension of the Sun/Mars square with a stabilizing force that calls us to take responsibility for our actions. Mars’ forcefulness is softened in Pisces by an attunement with spirit that summons the courage to face life in a more relaxed, present manner no matter how challenging. The Sun in Sagittarius beckons us to see the big picture and how all our actions impact society. Jupiter is still within close range of the Sun/Mars square magnifying whatever is happening and increasing the likelihood of big movements. If we can maintain enough awareness to mitigate negative reactions, we could act on the new opportunities arising and make significant progress.
Here’s the data for the major aspects this week (Pacific Time).
November 27 – Sun conjunct Mercury at 5°3’ Sagittarius at 1:15 a.m.
November 27 – Mars sextile Saturn at 7°26’ Pisces/Capricorn at 1:30 p.m.
November 27 – Mercury conjunct Jupiter at 4°18’ Sagittarius at 2:27 p.m.
November 30 – Venus opposite Uranus at 29°9’ Libra/Aries at 6:12 p.m.
December 1 – Mercury at 29°59’ Scorpio at 3:12 a.m.
December 2 – Venus at 0°Scorpio at 9:02 a.m.
December 2 – Sun square Mars at 10°46’ Sagittarius/Pisces at 4:35 p.m.
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