Tag Archives: new moon in scorpio

Weekly Forecast October 24: New Moon in Scorpio, Jupiter Trine Pluto

I took this photo during my early morning commute two weeks ago. Crossing the water by the Full Moon seems like a good metaphor for a transformation in consciousness. © Pat Paquette, 2011.

As the iconic talk show host Ed Sullivan used to say, we’ve got a “really big show” this week.

Not only is there a powerful New Moon in Scorpio, but we reach the alternative end-date for the Mayan Calendar. No need to toss and turn waiting for December 21, 2012 – at least, not if you believe Carl Johan Calleman. Most other Mayan Calendar experts use the 2012 date, which is no doubt more dramatic and plays better with the public, most of whom aren’t even aware of the alternative date.

Calleman and his nemesis, John Major Jenkins, have been going at it for years about who’s right. It’s silly, really, to be arguing about such a thing and to me is a perfect example of the most basic weakness of humans: the ego. Sure, we can’t do without it (Ruth wrote a great post on this topic), but we need to keep it in its proper role. Failure to do so creates a distortion in our perception of reality – which is precisely the point when we talk about expanding human consciousness.

In fact, the expansion has been happening gradually for many people over the past several years and began accelerating during last summer’s cardinal T-square. If you’ve felt like you’re hurtling forward through space at a head-spinning pace, it’s not just your imagination.

Regardless of whether Calleman or Jenkins has the bigger ego, we’re about to find out which of them is right … well, maybe. “Expanding consciousness” isn’t exactly going to be the biblical Rapture, where everyone gets taken up to heaven. It’s hard to define, let alone measure. But I think you’ll know it when you feel it.

As many long-time readers of RealAstrologers and its predecessor, The Pisces Chronicles, may recall, I’ve written about this moment, also referred to as the Apocalypse. Again, it’s been happening over time, so you may detect the big change only by thinking back to a year or two ago and comparing your life and perception of reality now to what it was back then.

One of the ways you can recognize the shift is by observing how fast your thoughts manifest into reality. This happens most efficiently if you’ve found your life’s purpose and are working on how best to share your unique gift with the world. The mere fact that more people are asking about their true purpose is a big sign that a shift in consciousness is taking place. Astrology happens to be one of the best tools for discovering this critical bit of self-knowledge, so it’s also no coincidence that more and more people are turning toward this ancient discipline.

This week’s New Moon in Scorpio is brilliant for manifestation work, as it falls within two days of a trine between Jupiter and Pluto in earth signs. The earth signs, remember, represent the tangible and material – what we can see and touch on the material plane. This includes relationships. Where this New Moon falls in your chart tells you where you can best use this energy to draw a new situation or relationship into your life that serves your higher purpose.

Rather than taking the week chronologically, I’m going to devote the remainder of this post to the New Moon chart, which contains all of this week’s astrological themes.

Click on image to enlarge

Scorpio is the sign of death, rebirth, and transformation, with heavy emphasis on transformation. Isn’t that what we’re talking about when we discuss expanding consciousness, the end date of the Mayan Calendar, and even the Rapture?

The first thing you note in this chart is that the New Moon is opposite Jupiter in Taurus. Jupiter is retrograde until Christmas – is that symbolic, or what? So some of what we set into action at this New Moon may not be completely visible for another two months. This is especially true for those with Jupiter currently transiting the six or twelfth house. The next thing you see is the strong blue line from Jupiter to Pluto. That’s the trine, which represents an easy path for energy to flow. Pluto is the modern ruler of Scorpio and shares many traits with that sign, including all the underworld and transformation symbolism. The trine is exact on Friday, as is the Sun’s opposition to Jupiter and sextile with Pluto.

Pluto currently is in Capricorn, which is about structure, among other things. Transforming the basic structure of our lives, of society, of government, and of our basic material reality is all contained in this symbolic planet-sign combination.

The New Moon also makes a wide, out-of-sign trine with Neptune in late Aquarius, which represents collective spirituality and the intuitive sense that we’re all connected. This phrase is thrown around like some New Age buzzword, but do stop to think about what this really means. Chiron at 0 degrees Pisces is just a few degrees from Neptune and adds an element of healing to the mix. “Heal” and “whole” come from the same root. Connected with others, we are greater than the sum of our parts.

You’ll also note the inconjunct (dotted green line) from the New Moon to Uranus in Aries. Radical change doesn’t happen without upset and discord. How can you fly through time and space without feeling disoriented? On a mundane level, humanity can’t experience wholesale change without massive upheaval, and that’s exactly what’s occurring.

The second set of aspects in the New Moon chart is the square from Venus to Mars and sextile from Mars to Saturn. There’s almost no better expression of “ego” than Mars in Leo, while Venus in Scorpio hints at the need for power and control through sex. Obviously, this is not an easygoing pair, and resulting conflict is represented by the square (90-degree angle) between them. As I’ve often pointed out, conflict is not inherently “bad.” It’s how we grow and how we eventually come together in union. Conflict simply means that one person wants one thing and the other wants something else. You don’t need to take it personally. It helps to be clear about what you want and why. If it’s because you need to have control or to be the center of attention, you could get a rude wallop on the side of the head this week. But that wallop could be quite transformational, if you pay attention to the lesson – “lesson,” of course, being the function of Saturn. Because Saturn is in Libra, relationship lessons are especially fruitful.

Lastly, I’d like to mention Comet Elenin, which recently passed its closest point to Earth. The dire predictions associated with this comet were among the silliest I’ve ever seen. But I don’t discount the widespread feeling that “something” is about to happen, and maybe that’s why so many people got sucked into the Internet rumor mill.

Something is about to happen. In the words of Dave in the sequel to 2001, it could be “something wonderful.”

See you on the other side next week. In the meantime, wishing you all a universe of love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast November 1: New Moon in Scorpio, Neptune Turns Direct

In the Celtic tradition, we’re in the period when the old year has ended but the new year hasn’t yet started. In other words, we’re outside of time.

The ancient Celts obviously knew something we didn’t regarding time, and it colored their entire existence. According to Julius Caesar, who fought the Celts and wrote about it in his famous commentaries, they were fearless in battle, because they believed that if they were killed, it simply meant a brief detour to the Otherworld, followed by a new incarnation. The more bravery they showed, the better the new incarnation would be.

The Celts also believed that night preceded day and that winter preceded spring. So, while astrologers typically consider the spring equinox to be the start of the new year, our Western tradition of Christmas Day at the winter solstice and New Year’s on January 1 is closer to the Celtic cycle. The old year is dead, and the new year will begin on December 21, when the days begin getting longer again (in the Northern Hemisphere).

So that’s where we are this week. We’ve got one foot in the world of the manifest and the other foot in the great void of the unmanifest. It’s a powerful place to be, and there’s a reason it happens while the Sun is in Scorpio.

While out shopping this past week, I noticed that several stores have their Christmas decorations up already! I always hate this, as it reinforces the consumer orgy that the winter holidays have become. And yet, it may not be so depressing when you think about it. Rather than sending a list to Santa or whomever it is you want to buy you that new flat-screen TV, visualize what you’d like to manifest in the new year. Better still, think about what you’d like to become. These are transformational times, and we’ve got an amazing opportunity to create the world we want.

Just be sure you know what that is! If you’re in doubt, Monday’s sextile between retrograde Venus in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn may provide a clue. Then, don’t be too quick to write off what you think you don’t want. Remember, growth can’t happen without a certain amount of pain and suffering, so if you’re seeking to avoid discomfort, you may not be doing yourself any favors. Be brave, and step up to the task.

On Thursday, Mercury trines Jupiter. As the saying goes, “the devil is in the details.” Favorable contact between Mercury and Jupiter represents the ability to combine the big picture with the smaller details in order to make real progress. Since Jupiter is retrograde for another three weeks, stick to planning for now and schedule your launch date for Nov. 18 or shortly thereafter.

Friday and Saturday are the power days this week, with the New Moon in Scorpio and connections from communicator Mercury to both Neptune and Uranus. New ideas may come streaming in, along with dreams and visions. But be prepared to “edit.” Channeling is a tricky business. The messages you receive may or may not be the truth. While it’s true that rational analysis can ruin your intuitive powers, intuition needs logic as a reality check. Ideally, they need to work in tandem.

Mercury also squares Chiron, which suggests that some messages we hear could be painful or bring up old wounds. I hope that doesn’t happen to you, but I want to forewarn you of the possibility. If something like this should occur, consider it an opportunity for healing, bite the bullet, and do what you need to do.

Neptune returns direct on Sunday (Saturday in western time zones). I usually feel this one, with my Neptune-ruled Pisces Moon. I get sleepy, and my dreams get very vivid. Your energy may be sapped, too, but it depends on where Neptune is transiting your chart. Mars in fiery Sagittarius could help mitigate this effect somewhat.

Also on Sunday, Venus re-enters Libra on her retrograde path. We’ll definitely be revisiting relationships, and you should have an excellent opportunity to go back over unresolved issues and start laying the groundwork for a breakthrough. It can be hard work, but I almost guarantee you that the results will be worth the effort.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

P.S. If you’re in the United States, don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed on Saturday night.

New Moon in Scorpio, November 6, 2010

Scorpio is the sign of transformation. Never was this a more timely theme than now.

Throughout the summer, the cardinal T-square heralded new directions for just about everyone I know. For some of you, the handwriting had been on the wall for many months, even a year. But it was like the difference between planning a long trip and actually setting off on the adventure.

As of last month’s New Moon in Libra, we began to see signs that our new way of living and being were coming into manifest reality. The message was clear. With the New Moon on November 6 (November 5 in Western time zones), the transformation takes place allowing your inner world to align with your external reality and vice versa. It’s a constant dance.

As with last month’s New Moon, the Sun and Moon make no close aspects with other planets, and all of the planets are contained within the confines of the T-square – that is, between Saturn at 12 degrees Libra and Uranus at 27 degrees Pisces. Although the intensity of the T-square has dropped, we continue to feel its effects unfold, like the blossoming of a flower.

The connection between the New Moon and the cardinal T-square may not be readily apparent, but we need look no further than Pluto, Scorpio’s ruler. Pluto was at the apex of the T-square throughout the summer, bearing all the pressure of the conflict. Consistent with the symbolism of Pluto, the tension that many of us felt in the past few months required us to transform in some way, to expand our awareness, broaden our perspective, and consider changes that never would have occurred to us before.

Not only does Pluto rule this New Moon, but he’s very close to the lunar North Node, which we often use in astrology for clues about our destiny. Ceres, also connected with cycles of death and transformation, is in a separating conjunction with Pluto. Our transformation as a species is fated. As an individual, your personal transformation includes accepting your “assignment” in this incarnation. If you’re still wondering what that might be, be alert for signs around this New Moon.

As conscious awareness evolves, we begin to see glimmers of what some call “past lives.” I call them “other lives,” as I don’t believe they are all in the past. Time as we know it is an illusion of the human brain, probably an evolutionary step to help us function. We may come to realize that we are everywhere at once, but we’ll need some way of dealing with this, or we’ll go insane.

Being able to see into the Otherworld is a very Scorpio thing. I believe that’s why there are so many traditions at this time of year that involve communicating with the dead.

As it so happens, Neptune is stationed this week in preparation to return direct on Sunday. Just as Saturn represents time and the limitations that allow us to function on this plane, Neptune represents the dissolution of time and the vast nothingness of the unmanifest. I have a feeling that many of you are going to have dreams and visions of other lives. Or, you may suddenly find yourself in telepathic link with others.

Speaking of communications, Mercury in Scorpio is in a tight trine with Uranus in Pisces at the New Moon, and Neptune and Uranus are in a sympathetic link (mutual reception). This makes it even more likely that we could receive messages from “somewhere else” or that we’ll suddenly pick up on signals from others around us. Or perhaps others who aren’t on this plane.

Jupiter is still tracking fairly closely with Uranus and also is slowing down as we approach his return direct. He’ll resume forward motion on November 18, the same day that Venus turns direct. She’s in the first degree of Scorpio at the New Moon and then returns to her own sign of Libra the next day. If you’ve been having second thoughts about a relationship, I continue to advise you to wait until Venus is back in Libra and returns direct before making any long-range decisions. You might find that your second thoughts disappear into thin air. But at the very least, you’ll gain some clarity.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Sun and Moon at 13°40′ Scorpio is telephone linemen at work, with the keyword ATTACHMENT. Everything is connected. We’re all connected to each other, in this life and in every other life across time and space. “Implicit in the symbolism is a responsibility on the part of all higher life for all lower, and a faithfulness of all lesser things to the requirements of the greater,” writes Marc Edmond Jones, who channeled the symbols.

I’ve observed over time that Scorpios and people with strong Scorpio in their charts seem to be plugged into a cosmic energy source. At this New Moon, we may all be Scorpios.

Pat

P.S. Don’t forget to write your abundance check!

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmond Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in 1925 with the help of Elsie Wheeler, a gifted psychic. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Weekly Forecast November 16: New Moon in Scorpio, Sun Enters Sagittarius

The Rotting Season Developments that began unfolding last Thursday or Friday continue to play out in what promises to be another intense week. There likely will be another surprise or two, and it’s anyone’s guess whether it will be pleasant or of the other variety.

The week begins with a powerful New Moon in Scorpio. You’ve probably read Neith’s complete report, but if not, it’s a must-read. This New Moon comes fully loaded with six out of ten planets in fixed signs, virtually guaranteeing some sort of conflict.

Now, as I’m so fond of saying, not all conflict is bad. Sometimes we need it to push us out of a rut. If nothing else, we are forced to decide what we really want. If we don’t make a point of setting priorities, life sometimes hands us a situation to get our attention. That has happened to me a couple of times already in the past week, and I’m expecting more of it this week, with the New Moon dead on my lunar North Node and Midheaven.

If for some reason someone or something has you feeling cornered, look to the sign opposite the apex of the T-square for direction, which would range from about 11 degrees to 25 degrees of Taurus. In my chart, 25 degrees Taurus is my South Node and IC, so for resolution I might look to home, family, or memories from childhood. Or, if I come against a problem I can’t get a handle on, the source might be behavior I’m not aware of that no longer serves me. That’s what I would tell a client, anyway.

The New Moon can represent powerful new beginnings, so keep that in mind, too. Sometimes in order to make a fresh start, we need to leave something or someone behind for good.

On Tuesday, Mercury sextiles Saturn. Positive Mercury-Saturn contacts typically help our concentration. In this case, we may get some clarity regarding a long-term relationship, and we’ll be able to discuss matters frankly and honestly with the other person.

Venus squares Mars on Thursday, and this often can manifest as conflict in love relationships, especially involving issues of jealousy, possessiveness, and dominance. If you’re attracted to someone and are prevented from acting on it, one or both of you could end up frustrated and irritable. This is all the more true if you’re unaware of your feelings or deliberately suppressing them. But this aspect also represents the tension in an intimate relationship that leads to unbridled passion.

Also on Thursday, the Moon conjoins Pluto and squares Saturn. I wrote about this influence last week, when the Moon conjoined Saturn and squared Pluto. If you got a blip on your radar screen last Thursday or Friday (I did), it may grow into something more this week.

Relief from all this intensity comes on Saturday, when the Sun enters Sagittarius. The Archer is a centaur, a mythological creature who is half man, half horse. Except for Chiron, the centaurs were a wild bunch and loved playing around, in all senses of the word. But hey, we all have to cut loose once in awhile and have fun, damn the torpedoes. Just don’t do anything you’ll regret in the morning.

Wishing you all much love and joy,
Pat

Image: We’re seriously into winter here in the Pacific Northwest, with the relentless cold rain that leads to the most impressive composting and rot I’ve ever seen. Scorpio is the sign of death, rebirth, and transformation, and here we are, in the uncomfortable dying out phase. Photo by Pat Paquette, all rights reserved.

New Moon in Scorpio, November 16, 2009

If there was ever a time for figuring out the source of difficulties in our lives, the New Moon at 24° 34′ Scorpio on November 16 is it.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is so fitting and descriptive that I am going to lead off with it this time. It is 25 Scorpio, “An X-ray photograph helps with the diagnosis.” How appropriate is that for a New Moon in Scorpio square Neptune in Aquarius and trine Uranus in Pisces? There is little doubt that if we can identify a problem, we are well on the way to resolving it, providing we apply a generous dose of compassion and diligence.

Scorpio’s penetrating vision and willingness to use a scalpel to lance the wounds it finds may not be easy or comfortable, but if we can accept the necessity of doing so, we have an opportunity to really start healing wounds long ignored. There is also little hope of being able to continue to bury our heads in the sand, because our vulnerable backsides are sticking up, just waiting to get kicked. Fortunately Uranus in Pisces trine the New Moon offers new possibilities and solutions to old dilemmas, with a nice measure of empathy thrown in.

Mars, Scorpio’s ruler, forms a square from dramatic Leo to Venus in very private Scorpio. This sets the stage for potential disagreements with friends and lovers, because both of these fixed signs tend to be somewhat possessive with jealousy as a consequence. Scorpio likes to hold their feelings close to the chest, and Leo prefers to make a public display of theirs – not a happy combination. Honesty is by far the best option, because if Scorpio finds out they have been lied to, there will be all hell to pay.

On the subject of honesty in relationships, the Saturn-Pluto square is just one day past making the first of three exact squares (the second one is January 31, 2010 and the third, August 21, 2010). At this time, we have help in the form of Mercury in forthright Sagittarius forming a sextile to Saturn in Libra and a semi-sextile to Pluto in Capricorn. Yes, the words may be blunt and to the point, but if they reflect the truth as each person understands it, progress in resolving our differences can be made. I know I sound like a broken record on the subject of being as honest as possible in our dealings with ourselves and others under this transit, but please, do your best! The rewards will be well worth the pain.

This particular New Moon falls within a degree of my Scorpio Ascendant and I find myself being terser and more focused than usual. Usually my pleasant Libra nature shows more, but with Saturn in Libra sextile my Venus now, my more serious side is coming to the fore these days. That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend taking time to really listen to your friends and loved ones with love, kindness and compassion foremost. These are difficult times for many people, and we need to feel someone really cares about our welfare and well-being.

Blessings and peace to all.

posted by Neith . . .

Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.

New Moon in Scorpio, October 28, 2008

Moon against the trees The power and mystery of Scorpio moves onto the scene with the New Moon on Tuesday at 5°54′ Scorpio and is enhanced by the presence of Mars, co-ruler of Scorpio along with Pluto.

If we consider the combination of the New Moon’s sense of being pregnant with possibilities and Scorpio’s capacity for regeneration, we begin to get an idea of what is ahead. Of course, since it is Scorpio in charge, it’s very likely something will have to be released or die before the new can emerge.

The Sun and Moon essentially are unaspected by the other planets, but Mars in Scorpio stands in for them by aspecting just about everything. In fact, all the planets in earth and water signs form a pattern called the basket or cradle, with the base being formed by the waxing opposition of Saturn and Uranus. It is as if the energy being generated by the opposition is being moved outwards through Jupiter in Capricorn and Mars in Scorpio. This energy in general is more subtle in expression than the same formation in fire and air would produce. Mars is at home in Scorpio and is incredibly powerful, but is much more inclined to work behind the scenes rather than on center stage. Jupiter is constrained in Capricorn and isn’t up to make bold statements right now. The overall result is a sense of gestation and biding one’s time.

Mercury is thankfully direct now in Libra and is trine Neptune in Aquarius, encouraging us to look at the big picture with detachment and compassion. With Neptune currently at a standstill preparing to go direct on November 2, it is a good time to turn inward and contemplate where we are on our individual paths and what changes we want to implement. Here, too, we are in a holding pattern.

The increasing tension in the atmosphere is aided and abetted by a tightening T-square with Venus at the apex and Saturn-Uranus as the base. This formation will be exact on November 3, the day before the presidential election in the USA. On a personal level, if you have planets or angles at 18-19 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces, you will no doubt already be aware of the tension! Thankfully, once we are past November 4, these energies will start to slowly dissipate.

Pluto is now at 29° Sagittarius and is grinding down the days until he moves into Capricorn. If the feedback we are getting on Real Astrologers is any indication, there are many people who are hovering between trepidation and anticipation of that move. Pat and I plan on addressing these concerns over the course of the next month or so as best we can.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon at 6 Scorpio is, The gold rush tears men from their native soil, with a keyword AMBITION. Here, the desire for passionate intensity of Scorpio presses forward in a search for new values and achievements with little regard for the cost. The waxing square from Mars in Scorpio to Neptune in Aquarius cautions all to be aware of hidden costs and unwarranted expectations. Here the classic “unwritten contracts” of Scorpio are fully in play, and if we don’t carefully examine our motives and expectations, we can be seriously disillusioned.

Overall, this New Moon lends itself to contemplation rather than action and actively encourages us to take stock of resources both internal and external in preparation for the release waiting at the Full Moon in Taurus on November 13. For now, practice patience and kindness and remember each of us holds our own unique truth. Be well!

posted by Neith . . .

Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.