“This is the struggle we’re now in, a struggle for democracy, a struggle for decency and dignity, a struggle for prosperity and progress, a struggle for the very soul of America itself.”
Public Address by President Joe Biden 11/2/22
I had a hard time narrowing down my choice for the opening quote. Our president made a stirring defense of our democracy on Wednesday evening. He reminded us all of what we value, what we fought for, and declared that “we can’t take democracy for granted any longer.” That means that if we want to preserve it, we have to actively participate in it.
On Tuesday November 8th, America goes to the polls to decide our future. Synchronistically, the Sun, Moon and Earth align to perfection and create a powerful Total Lunar Eclipse. The chart of this Full Moon is loaded with cosmic messages that emphasize the importance of the choices we make that day.
The Sabian Symbol for the eclipse degree is revealing: “A symbolical battle between ‘swords’ and ‘torches.’” This is from Dane Rudhyar’s book The Astrology of Personality in which he lays out the meanings of each degree according to the channeled information received by Marc Edmund Jones. This symbol couldn’t be more appropriate. A perfect description of the battle between our two political parties and the divided sides of our population – swords of violence or torches to light the way to a more enlightened future.
First let’s look at what makes this eclipse so unique. Eclipses happen when the Moon is close to one of its nodes. The nodes are the points at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic. The Sun appears to orbit the Earth on the ecliptic, but in truth, it’s the path of the Earth around the Sun. When the Sun, Moon and Earth align along the ecliptic, one body blocks the visibility of the other two. In this case, the Earth is blocking the Moon’s reflection of the Sun. So the focus is on Earth. All that has transpired during this transitional phase is coming to a climax, not just in the USA, but around the world.
The peak of Tuesday’s eclipse takes place at 3:02 a.m. Pacific. But the whole eclipse process takes over 6 hours, making this one of the longest eclipses in recent history. On top of that, totality lasts for 1 hour and 25 minutes. During that time the Moon will appear blood red. The path of totality, however, will run through western Asia and then Central America and the tip of Florida and across the Eastern Seaboard. I’m not sure how much coverage there will be where you live. East Coast states will have a great view between 5 and 7 a.m. Look to the West. Moon will set around the time of sunrise. There will not be another total lunar eclipse until March 2025.
The NASA site is loaded with charts and maps and interesting information.
So what does this all mean? Let’s take a look at the eclipse chart.
Full Moon in Taurus
The Moon will be exactly at 16 degrees of Taurus, same degree as transiting Uranus, in the USA 5th House. It is also within 3 degrees of the North Node, which is our pathway to the future. Uranus is letting us know there will be change, big change, taking place in our future as a result of our election. The 5th House is all about self-expression and playfulness in our creativity. This House is associated with the traits of Leo – big-heartedness, leadership qualities and the products of our imagination. This is key because Saturn is squaring the Full Moon axis and the nodal axis forms a T-square with the USA natal Sun. Just to be clear, the choices we make now will determine our identity as a nation in the future.
Uranus is also conjunct the USA natal Vesta – devotion to the sacred flame within the heart of us all, like a pilot light that never goes out. It is our connection to the Divine Feminine that keeps our spirit nourished. This is just one of the indications of the deep spiritual signals in this chart.
The Sun is opposite in the 11th House in the sign of Scorpio, conjuct Mercury within one degree, Venus within 4 degrees and the South Node within 3 degrees. What we think, how we perceive reality, how we love, what we appreciate, our relationships, the most intimate workings of our personal lives are being illuminated and purified by the Sun. The South Node is the repository of the past, both positive and negative. We have forgotten the glorious beings we truly are and we can reclaim that through the South Node, but we first have to lighten our load because we all carry burdens from our past that weigh us down.
Scorpio is the most intense sign in the Zodiac, ruled by Pluto, Lord of the Underworld. Scorpio has a deep longing for connection to the Divine, but the journey to the heart of that connection involves our stripping away ego defenses, self-concepts, personal stories about our lives and who we are. We need to complete unfinished business, heal personal wounds and wounded relationships, find our courage and strength to face the truth. This is the transformative potential of Scorpio. It is a daunting inward journey, but a rewarding one, because once we have faced our inner demons, stripped away our misconceptions, and discovered our authentic selves, we are reborn, empowered by the initiation, enlightened by the release of psychic burdens.
So we have Moon conjunct Uranus at the North Node alerting us to change in our future, opposite the Sun nestled together with our personal planets and the South Node drawing us inward for self-reflection. Mercury will conjunct the Sun shortly after the exact Full Moon. This is his Superior Conjunction when Mercury is behind the Sun, furthest from the Earth. It marks the half-way point in the current Mercury cycle, a sort of Full Moon Mercury. But it is invisible and we will have to wait for its appearance in the evening sky, just before sunset, to reap the full harvest of understanding and illumination. It becomes visible around December 7th and by the December Solstice, it will be closely conjunct Venus near the horizon.
At the Full Moon, Uranus, the Great Awakener, has a direct line of sight from higher mind to lower. Look for insights, be ready to see new truths and celebrate them. These are gifts even if they bring a temporary sting.
Squaring this potent lunar axis is Saturn in Aquarius. Saturn is a complex archetype with so many interpretations. Saturn is the great teacher who brings us challenges and tosses obstacles in our paths so we can grow and experience the joy of overcoming them. Saturn carries the principle of integrity, or wholeness. He also is considered the Lord of Karma. With Saturn squaring the Nodal Axis and the Lunar Axis, we need to pay attention. Saturn is also the manifestor. It creates structure, boundaries, matter. So Saturn is asking us to bring our integrity to the choices we make at this Full Moon because what we choose will alter our reality, for better or worse, and determine our successful passage into the Aquarian Age.
This eclipse on Election Day is the final exam, so to speak, of our Pluto Return. And to emphasize the significance, the Nodal Axis forms an exact T-Square with the USA natal Sun! Our identity is hanging in the balance.
Finger of God
I happen to see this chart as positive, revealing our potential and our power. When I realized that there was a Lunar Eclipse on Election Day, my first thought was that women will determine the outcome. The eclipse involves the Moon, sign of the Feminine. It takes place in Taurus, ruled by Venus – the Divine Feminine within all of us. The freedom of women is at stake. After two centuries of struggle to claim our rightful place in society, a bunch of men want to take back control of us – to determine when we give birth, when we die of complications, when millions of unwanted babies with damaged psyches enter our population. And this is only the beginning. They want to take away our right to birth control, to change our gender, to marry whom we love. They are even talking now about abolishing marriage equality and re-establishing men as heads of households with power over their wives! The patriarchy is losing its grip and those who have benefitted are unwilling to relinquish control. In their fear and madness, they are threatening a hostile takeover, but the power lies with us.
We have been in a power struggle for the last six years and we are worn out by it. But we must remember that we are the majority. The minority makes all the noise, tells all the lies, threatens us and controls us with fear and gets all the headlines and nightly news coverage. This is the aberrant few. The vast majority of us are kind, loving, responsible people and this is our hour of triumph. We can say NO!
In the Full Moon chart, Haumea at 29 degrees of Libra is the apex of two quincunxes from Sedna at 29 Taurus and Jupiter at 29 Pisces. This is what astrologers call a Finger of God, and look who’s involved – the most spiritual bodies in our heavens, excepting Neptune which is within 24 minutes of exact opposition to our natal Neptune, emphasizing the spiritual significance of this moment in our history. Jupiter symbolizes a god who brings hope, optimism, happiness and joy, faith and abundance. Sedna is the outer limit of our solar system and represents our spiritual path to enlightenment. And beautiful Haumea is the goddess of creation, diversity, regeneration and rebirth!
Furthermore, Mercury is trine the USA Sun and the North Node is sextile it. We have been inundated with information over the past several years, some of it true, some misleading. We have had to use our intuition, pay attention to our body messages, feel our way to the truth, but in the process we have developed a multi-dimensional synergy of discernment.
Other Aspectsl
Ceres at 16 Virgo is conjunct the dwarf planet Orcus at 15 Virgo, both are sextile Mercury and the Sun in Scorpio, as well as Moon and Uranus. Our natal Orcus is in the 9th House, a passionate seeker of truth with the power to transmute shadow into light. Ceres is the Divine Mother, motherhood in general – nurturing, protection, caring – and our Mother Earth. She is also on the line, in as much peril as our nation. If we lose our democracy, we lose the opportunity to moderate climate change, move to clean technologies, unite our world in a common cause dedicated to saving the health, beauty and abundance of our home planet.
That brings me to Hygeia, goddess of health and hygiene sitting right on the USA Ascendant. She warns us that the health of our nation and our humanity are at stake and asks us to exercise our vision, to dream a healthy future, continue our pursuit of truth and meaning and aim for the highest outcome.
Finally we have Mars recently retrograde and moving slowly in Gemini squaring Neptune in Pisces. This planet has created a climate of confusion, illusion and delusion, by blurring boundaries, dissolving structures and systems in preparation for the new world that awaits us.
The potential for the future of humanity is enormous. We are on the threshold of a Renaissance to rival the one that began in Italy in the 16th century after a millennium of Dark Ages. We have been through our own Dark Ages. Our creativity is about to burst forth. The joy of reclaiming our freedom and the challenge of our climate crisis will generate amazing solutions we haven’t even thought of yet. Remember Pluto’s final conjunction to its natal position in December is a new beginning for our country, a rebirth of new potential.
We will take a look at our wildest dreams when the Sun and Moon come together at 1 degree of Sagittarius on November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. We will have much to be thankful for – new beginnings, new dreams, new visions, hopes and goals for 2023 and another amazing chart to explore.
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