Monday 11/2/2020: Sneak Peek at the Week; Mercury Direct; the Astrology of November

Alllllllll-righty then!

The start of the work week is driven by the Moon in Gemini, which needs to be the smartest kid in the room. Buzz, buzz, buzz…what’s the buzz; tell me what’s happening — from now until 4:45 PM ET on Wednesday, when the Moon enters Cancer. Getting correct information is challenged by Mercury, which is literally the focus all week. Why? Because it is slowing down to a virtual standstill, preparing to turn direct on Tuesday.

When a planet is stationary (that’s the tech term for “slowing to a virtual standstill,”) it is reflected in human experience in the way a driver leans on a horn. We see events blaring in whatever that planet symbolizes. Mercury refers to communication, transportation, information, negotiation and transmissions. We are advised to apply extra FOCUS in these concerns — especially if you are planning to go to the polls.

On Sunday, retrograde Mercury was challenged by Saturn, symbol of structure, authority, controls and BLOCKS. Did we see any authoritative blocks in the news yesterday? We sure did — including a blockade now being erected around the White House, and roads and bridges being blocked by supporters of P45, as Heather Cox Richardson explains. How many efforts to BLOCK votes will we see this week? Hundreds, says HCR.  This Mercury-Saturn pattern carries gravitas, and it is the only exact pattern in the cosmos. It will be repeated early Friday morning, now with Mercury moving direct. It will be interesting to see how this pattern is reflected in Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week later today. Other patterns will be in play next week, OK? If you’re feeling heavy, this too, shall pass.

Upside potential of Mercury square Saturn: constructive structuring efforts on an idea. I will be writing, writing, writing all week — on my next TMA article and on another presentation about the horoscope of Jane Austen. I am confident I can make good use of the mental discipline Mercury-Saturn reflects.

These Mercury-Saturn blocks will be experienced more personally if you have planets around 25 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn.  Consult your local astrologer for details.

The week goes like this:

  • MONDAY: the only exact pattern  is a harmony between Moon and Venus at 7:31 PM ET. It’s a fine time for expressing meaningful aesthetic values.
  • TUESDAY: See you at the polls, if you haven’t voted already. That’s where I’ll be — serving as a poll worker.  Buzz, buzz, buzz — goes the Gemini Moon, which would also like to have things both ways. Gemini is literally mercurial — the flow of information may feel as if you’re watching a tennis match. Mercury (ruler of Gemini) turns direct at 12:50 PM ET; I’m sure the day will reflect this pattern in multiple communication and tech snafus. MAINTAIN FOCUS AND TRIPLE CHECK ALL DOCUMENTS!
  • Mercury’s change of direction is energized by a harmony with Mars, encouraging action and assertion, for better or worse. The afternoon and early evening ET is blurred by a square between Neptune and the Moon, facilitating hope (upside). Downside: lack of focus (!!!) and false information. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR.
  • WEDNESDAY: Gemini Moon goes void on a harmony with Mercury at 8:49 AM ET. OK, we think we know what’s going on.  Moon will be void until 4:45 PM ET, suggesting that nothing initiated during this period will be of consequence. Roll with the twists and flakes; stick to routine concerns. Remember that  crises which crop up during voids are usually much ado about nothing. Chill!!! When the Moon enters Cancer, the focus shifts to our need for emotional and home/homeland security. Nourish your body and soul with the comforts of home — and a home-cooked meal (unless you’re a lousy cook).
  • THURSDAY: Moon’s harmony with Uranus at 9:18 AM ET suggests cooperative efforts, possibly among previously opposing factions. A square to Venus at 1:22 PM ET suggests a clash in matters of fairness and balance vs. matters of homeland security. It irons out by 8:07 PM ET, when the Cancer Moon harmonizes with the Scorpio Sun. The next 24 hours are potentially volatile, starting around 11:08 PM ET, when the security-seeking Moon clashes with retrograde Mars in Aries. 
  • FRIDAY: Mercury squares Saturn at 4:12 AM ET. A repeat of Sunday’s blocks and controls — but also an opportunity for a responsible adult to weigh in. Note your dreams, as Neptune harmonizes with the Moon at 4:14 AM ET. Choppy waters kick in around 11:01 AM ET, as the Moon opposes Jupiter (think big!), then Pluto at 12:41 AM ET (think power!) and Saturn at 7:52 PM ET (think heavy!). At 8:27 PM ET, Mercury squares Moon, suggesting conflicts in communication. Moon then goes void until…
  • SATURDAY: at 2:18 AM ET, when it enters rip roarin’ Leo. Cue the drama kings and queens, pronouncing regal edicts left and right. Others may just be looking for a party in which to shine. The only exact aspect today is an upset or flash of genius around 5:49 PM ET, as Moon squares rebel Uranus.
  • SUNDAY: the Leo Moon is supported in the wee hours by harmonies with Venus and Mars, both of which are high-functioning in their respective ruling signs, Libra and Aries. At 8:46 AM ET we’ll have the 3rd Quarter Moon — and I’ll talk more about that later in the week. Meanwhile, there’s tension in the air, as Venus and Mars will oppose each other at 11:09 AM ET on Monday. Who will win? My money is on Venus, as it is not retrograde. That doesn’t mean that retrograde Mars will not be making its me-me-me-do-whatever-me-wants in Aries assertions known. Why? Because next week, Mars will be slowing to a virtual standstill, preparing to move direct on Friday the 13th. Horrors! We anticipate that all things Mars will be in focus: aggression, cars, testosterone, courage, guns, assertion.

Here’s the outline for the rest of November:

  • November 10: Sun trine Neptune pours oil on troubled waters after the November 9 Venus-Mars face-off. Mercury re-enters Scorpio — we’re back in REform mode now.
  • November 12: Jupiter meets up with Pluto in Capricorn for the third and final time this year. Seeds are planted for the expansion of power and resources. All things Jupiter — horses, liver, courts, dogma, education, publishing, reward — may make news in Plutonian extremes. All things Pluto — power, news from underground, corrupt exposed — may make BIG news. How big is the Covid surge now?
  • November 13 — Mars turns direct in Aries.
  • November 14Sun harmonizes with Jupiter and Pluto, consolidating power among heads of states and CEOs.
  • November 15New Moon in Scorpio opposes P45’s Midheaven (professional status/reputation), squares his Leo Mars; activates the area of his horoscope that refers to home, real estate and family. In Joe Biden’s horoscope, this New Moon activates his Mercury, ruler of his Midheaven. Venus squares Pluto today and then…
  • November 16squares Jupiter. We see power plays and expansion in all Venusian matters (women, art, money and values), especially with respect to fairness and balance.
  • November 17third opposition between Mercury and Uranus. Tech breakthroughs; disruptive communications; gender-benders…and maybe another notable piece on astrology makes news.
  • November 19Sun sextiles Saturn, suggesting cooperative communication involving leaders and judges. Venus squares Saturn, suggesting harsh — but effective — advances in Venusian concerns. Mercury will be at 11 Scorpio, where it was when it turned direct on October 13th. Finally we move forward in communication, information & transportation. 11 Scorpio is significant in Joe Biden‘s horoscope, if you ask me — so I am watching this day. Today is Biden’s 2020 solar return, though he officially celebrates his birthday on November 20. Another pattern that may bode well for Biden: Jupiter is about where it was at this time in 2008, when he and Obama were first elected to the Executive Branch.
  • November 21 — Venus enters Scorpio; Sun enters Sagittarius. First Quarter Moon.
  • November 23 — Mercury trines Neptune
  • November 27 — Mercury sextile Pluto; Venus opposes Uranus. News from underground; upsets and unconventional attractions in matters of women, money, arts and values.
  • November 28 — Neptune — planet of vision — turns direct, ending a week of focus on matters of dreams, scandals, hope, healing, drugs, floods, oil, refugees — the usual Neptune concerns. Mercury sextiles Jupiter; tell it to the judge.
  • November 30Full Moon in Gemini — and a lunar eclipse. The eclipse affects professional status in the horoscopes of both presidential contenders. Stay tuned.

If you find these forecasts useful, Avid Reader Diane invites you to support the time and effort it takes to produce them. Head on down to the Cosmic Tip Jar and thank your astrologer with a monthly glass of Chianti (which may be replaced by a shot of Scotch by the end of my poll worker stint tomorrow). Your appreciation inspires me to share my insights with you.  Cheers!

And now, the news.

The Full Moon in Taurus — with the engagement of disruptive technogeek Uranus and the sobering Mercury-Saturn square was the perfect backdrop for a Halloween horror show. Mine was watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix. Now is the time for the heavy realization of how much our social media connects and controls us. I like to believe I am free from such profit incentive-based efforts to influence my behavior, but this film says it just ain’t so. We can expect more controls and authoritarian advances in these matters when Saturn returns to Aquarius in December — for better or for worse. 

Meanwhile, The Social Dilemma is a must-see, as it explains how social media algorithms keep users (a.k.a. addicts) trapped in individually-tailored bubbles of alternative facts. It is sobering indeed to realize that what you see in your newsfeed is radically different than what your P-45-loving uncle sees in his. This is why I try to keep an eye on the Wonderland of media sites that espouse beliefs I do not share. It’s important to recognize these perspectives.

In other news…

Seismic activity was anticipated on this Sun-Uranus opposition. There was a 7.0 earthquake in Turkey.  Not seismic, but still mightily disruptive: Hurricane Zeta, which knocked out power to 2 million people in the Southeast. Meanwhile, The Philippines was hit by Super Typhoon Goni, the area’s strongest storm in four years.

Other reflections of disruption in the headlines include:

  • “Women converge on Warsaw, heightening Poland’s largest protests in decades.
  • Jeremy Corbyn — leader of Britain’s Labour Party — is suspended amid allegations of anti-Semitism 
  • Europe has returned to lockdown mode in an effort to combat the Covid surge
  • …while Australia reports no new Covid cases for the first time in months. G’day, mate!
  • Police officers in North Carolina pepper sprayed peaceful humans heading for the polls, including small children and disabled persons. Police say the peaceful humans were blocking the roads.
  • A debate between Jon Ossoff, a Democrat  running against the current Senator David Perdue (R-GA), was quite disruptive — and a clip went viral. When last we looked in on Perdue, he was gleefully mangling the pronunciation of Kamala Harris‘s first name and enlarging Ossoff’s nose in Facebook ads (Ossoff is Jewish).  We don’t have birth times for either candidate, but Ossoff’s Mars is in Aries — and will be activated by Mars around January 3rd. The start of a militant two-year cycle of action? Perdue’s horoscope is under the influence of foggy Neptune now and into 2021. Something is not as it seems, though the return of Jupiter to its natal position around the December holidays suggests expansion, for better or for worse.

Upsets involving P45:

  • Federal judge denies DOJ request to represent P45 in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation suit (P45 says she lied when she accused him of sexually assaulting her at Bergdorf’s many years ago). This is excellent news for taxpayers, as Carroll’s case continues.
  • Barack Obama dazzles ’em on the court — captured on tape, while campaigning for Joe Biden.  I’ve written about current patterns in Obama’s horoscope for the next issue of The Mountain Astrologer — due out in a few days.
  • Sarah Cooper and Helen Mirren recreate the infamous “grab ’em by the p*ssy” Access Hollywood tape (as P45 and Billy Bush)
  • Three times in the past week,  P45 supporters have been stranded in extremes of heat and cold, with some requiring medical attention. Transportation failures were blamed on blocked roads (see a theme here?). One comedienne’s satirical take on an event in Omaha went viral. Sun-Uranus patterns are apt for displays of quirky humor.

Meanwhile…

The opinion columnists at the NYT were feeling the gravitas of Sunday’s Saturn-Mercury square. All 15 weighed in on this heavy question, “What Have We Lost?” (in America over the past four years). Once again we marvel at the NYT for its astonishing ability to be in sync with planetary patterns. Well done, Grey Lady!

Also heavy (some involving the Mars-in-Aries theme of cars):

Finally — a random gender-bender. There’s always one in the news when Uranus is hot in the headlines:

If you haven’t already voted, get thee to the polls! If you don’t vote, someone else will (and then you’ll be sorry). Check your registration online before you go. Remember MERCURY is changing direction, increasing the odds of delays, tech snafus and misunderstanding. Stay focused. Be patient. I am not predicting how it will all turn out, but I remain hopeful.

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