“Next week has been exhausting.” Jordon Nardino on Social Media
A friend reposted the above message and I laughed out loud. In many ways next week has exhausted us all year! Well, dear friends, this epic Saturn/Pluto passage is reaching its climax with some spectacular signs from the Heavens. Halloween begins early with a Full Moon in Taurus – a Blue Moon which simply means the second Full Moon in our calendric month. We began October with a Full Moon in Aries conjunct Chiron. Clearly the theme of the month was addressing old wounds. On October 16th we had a New Moon in Libra, suggesting we try to maintain our equilibrium. I don’t know about you, but that was a tough assignment for me!
October has pushed us to our wits’ end. The onslaught of negative news, the rising tide of our pandemic morphing into a tsunami, the extreme tension between two factions that has launched us off our sofas and out to the polls – the pressure has been intense.
When the Sun entered Scorpio on the 22nd, we turned the burner on high. Scorpio is the realm of Pluto and Mars – which are squaring off from Aries to Capricorn right now. Mars is still retrograde and slows down to turn direct on November 11th. Between now and then we should know results of our election which will determine the fate, not only of our Democracy, but of the health and viability of our planet.
Isn’t it heartbreaking to see the patriarchal attack on women and on our Mother Earth? As the Goddess energy waxes in our collective consciousness, the dysfunctional masculine – the old gods – go to war, stacking the courts to guarantee ultimate control despite our choices; opening up more sacred, pristine, primeval land to the hungry maw of capitalist greed; continuing to ignore the suffering of our people. It’s appalling and we can’t let them get away with it.
As of yesterday over 75 Million people had already voted. We have exercised our right, declared ourselves, and now we wait – again. Will the system function without outside interference or will it succumb? There are still cases before judges in courts all over the place trying to limit our voting! The “Great Patriots” are subverting our Constitution all the way to the polls. Can you understand why anyone would vote to have their rights taken away?
Mercury
One of the synchronistic messages from the Heavens, is Mercury’s station on election day! Mercury turned retrograde at 11 Scorpio on October 13th when the Sun was opposite Mars, and has been dragging us into our personal and collective underworld for a last look at our shadows. This is where our deepest fears lie, where we store our grief, where all the unseen forces within our psyches operate from behind the scenes, controlling our lives, unnoticed.
I’d love to hear how the rest of you fared. For me, I had two weeks of living on the edge of tears. Everything touched me so deeply. Out of the blue, Uranian style, my beloved, long-departed dog appeared in all his panting glory. My heart just cracked wide open and I sobbed with an electric tension between ecstatic love and deep grief. The next day I heard a song that held the poignancy of human life, and I burst into sobs, again. For two weeks I was wide open raw. It was as if my whole life came back on stage for a curtain call. All the beautiful moments and the harsh ones that forge our strength. And with the full cast came the flu that I had in February, in an accelerated reprise of symptoms.
Mercury returned to Libra on October 27th. Did you notice the shift? For me it was like returning to myself after a long journey. I have to warn you though, Mercury will pass back through Scorpio from November 11th to December 2nd when it enters the visionary realm, of Sagittarius, and we can begin to let in that Christmas Spirit – anticipation, hope, excitement, warm hearts.
Mercury turns direct on Halloween, on the Full Moon, just before our election. It will be squaring Saturn in Capricorn which is within a degree of the USA natal Pluto. Our nation’s future is on the line. Saturn can help us organize our thoughts, get clear about our convictions, show us where we need to take responsibility, what we need to integrate. That includes our Higher Self. Not everything is dark shadow. We’ve only just begun to let in our Light.
The Full Moon
The Sun is in Scorpio opposite the Moon in Taurus. Look to Taurus for comfort and nourishment. It’s time to take care of our needs, to allow pleasure, to slow down and pay attention to the body. This is where we take a break. The days are getting shorter, darkness is returning along with the chill. Our clocks go back an hour. We crave comfort food and everything that warms us. Part of self-love is taking a Venus pause to enjoy life. Focus on what your body needs. Maybe it’s an extra hour of sleep at night, or quiet time by a fire, or reading poetry and staring out the window. Maybe you need to dance or sing. Surrender to those pleasurable impulses. Be good to yourself. We’ve all been beaten up this year.
This Blue Moon is conjunct Uranus, the great awakener. This signature is a harbinger of change. We can’t know what’s coming, especially with Uranus involved, but we have forged a lot of new tools this year and we are fully equipped to handle it.
The Full Moon on Halloween carries sacred energy. November 1st is All Saints Day in the Christian calendar, Samhain in the Celtic. It lies midway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice, when Jupiter and Saturn will come together to celebrate rebirth. Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, is when we honor the dead, our ancestors who paved the way with their hard work and determination to create a better life for their progeny. It’s also a time to exorcise our demons before we enter the holidays – the Holy Days.
Venus
Beautiful Venus is still in the morning sky but her light is dimming as she heads toward the horizon. On the Full Moon Venus is exactly opposite Chiron. There are so many possibilities that can accompany this aspect. We can heal our hearts. We can awaken to beauty. We can heal the relationship between our inner feminine and masculine so they work as a cooperative team. We can soothe the Anima with flowers and candlelight, lingering baths and sweet love. We can open a bit more to the returning Goddess, exercise our intuition, express ourselves creatively.
It feels to me that despite all the turmoil and uncertainty of the moment, this Full Moon is a respite, an oasis. Enjoy it to the fullest. Find a way to celebrate yourself and your journey this year. Allow gratitude to flow through you and warm your heart.
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