It’s been an unusually bleak time lately, between bomb threats, hate-motivated shootings and pre-election political rancor. The Sun and Mercury are dredging the depths of Scorpio, while Jupiter transits the final degrees of that dark, inscrutable sign, spotlighting life-or-death struggles – and the power to overcome them.
Sometimes the imagery can be shockingly literal. Take the following news item from last week’s edition of The Week: A 62-year-old Arizona prospector recently fell a hundred feet down an abandoned mine shaft on his property while searching for gold. John Waddell lay there with broken legs for three days, fending off and killing three rattlesnakes, until a concerned friend went to check on him and heard him calling for help. “He’s a tough SOB,” said a neighbor of Waddell, who is recovering well. How Scorpio is that – serpents and all?!
In the same issue of the magazine, there is a story about Peter Dinklage. “I used to ask myself,” said the four foot-four-inch actor, “What did I do in my past lives to deserve this scarlet D on my chest?” But his profession has allowed Dinklage to turn unwanted attention into an asset, and wrestle his demons into submission. “We all have our issues – physical, emotional, spiritual, mental,” he explained. “You just have to stay on top of that stuff or it will eat you alive.”
Which brings us to the Scorpio New Moon (Nov. 7, 8:01 a.m. PST). As they sextile transformational Pluto, the Sun and Moon challenge us to confront our demons and rise above. This lunation is sure to trigger raw, profound emotions, especially as it falls the morning after the U.S. mid-term elections. It’s safe to say that the Sun and Moon will take things to the depths, for better or for worse, especially with Jupiter in its last gasp of Scorpio (a sign it’s been transiting since Oct. 2017). These elections have “upset” written all over them, as the Moon opposes Uranus that morning, with that erratic planet then retrograding back into incendiary Aries a few hours later. No matter what happens, some folks are going to be very upset.
And then there is the Mercury factor. The winged messenger recently leaped into outspoken, truth-telling Sagittarius, where it remains through early January thanks to its impending backward turn. In fact, Mercury is now in in its tricky shadow phase, as it prepares to turn retrograde on Nov. 16. Therefore, whatever happens early this month will need to be revisited before it’s settled. For instance, Mercury will be at 6 degrees Sagittarius on Election Day, a degree it reactivates on Nov. 26 and again on Dec. 19.
The other big news is Jupiter charging into its fiery home sign of Sagittarius on Nov. 8 for a one-year tour. This cycle can bring good news, and it’s tempting to view it as a redemption from a murky quagmire, but life is not always that simple. Certainly this transit emphasizes freedom, travel, truth, learning and new horizons – but it can also fan the flames of self-righteousness. Still, this is a once-every-12-year opportunity to bring new life to the house(s) of your natal chart containing the sign of Sagittarius. Let me know if you’d like to do a Snapshot reading to see what that might mean for you!