During the two days before the U.S. election, transiting Mars will oppose Pluto, both planets at the final degrees of Cancer and Capricorn respectively. Mars is about personal power. Pluto in Capricorn is about the power of the state, but also the power of transformation that resides in the collective unconscious. This opposition will be in effect for the next six months, suggesting that, once again, we will be tied up in a power struggle.
We shouldn’t be surprised. Trump made it clear that he would contest the results if he lost, and his disastrous hate rallies have pretty much sealed his fate. The good news is that the following two oppositions will be from Leo to Aquarius. Leo concerns our personal sovereignty and is associated with courage, leadership, self-expression, creativity, playfulness, the inner child. We shine our light in Leo.
Aquarius, on the other hand, is about the power of the people, independence, freedom, democratic principles, the welfare of the collective as well as the sovereignty of the individual. Pluto enters Aquarius on November 19th. For the next 20 years Pluto will be broadcasting this energy, activating planets in fixed signs.
The second opposition takes place on January 2nd kicking off a year of major change. The final aspect will take place on April 26th at 3:48 Leo and Aquarius. (On a personal note that is a monumental day for me – I have my final Uranus return and my Pluto opposition on that same day, so Mars will be on my natal Pluto at the time.)
Scorpio
Scorpio is the domain of Pluto, the murky realm of the unconscious where repressed material dwells. This sign is associated with secrecy, corruption, criminality, sexuality and big money. It’s about dark power, hidden power and control. Much of this corruption has been revealed over the past few years, but there is more to come. Mars may activate some revelations as toxic secrets are revealed.
Pluto destroys the old to make room for the new, but empowers us at the same time as we gain access to hidden information. Pluto holds our repressed pain, our deepest fears, our taboos, our phobias all of which disempower us until we bring them into consciousness and face them down.
I have always wondered why we have our national election when the Sun is in Scorpio. If I had my way, I’d schedule it for the month of Sagittarius when our optimism, vision and ideals flourish.
USA chart at the New Moon in Scorpio
November will have two New Moons, one on the 1st and one on the 30th with a Full Moon in Taurus conjunct Uranus on the 15th. We begin the month of November with the New Moon at 9:35 Scorpio in our collective 11th House, the house associated with Aquarius and its multiple themes. Haumea is at the initial degrees of this house and will be regenerating all Scorpio themes until 2049, entering our 12th House in 2044. Haumea has been squaring Pluto throughout most of our dark passage, and will accompany the Lord of the Underworld during its journey through Aquarius.
I see this as a positive aspect, despite the square. Haumea will be stimulating regeneration and rebirth, along with our appreciation of diversity, one of the themes of Aquarius.
The New Moon forms a T-Square with the dwarf planet Varuna and the centaur Chariklo establishing the themes of sovereignty and the healing balm of the Divine Feminine.
Varuna is in our collective 8th House and has been transiting back and forth over our North Node, preparing us for a future of mastery and dominion. The North Node in the 8th House is tied to collective financial themes, hence our runaway capitalism; but the 8th House is also the domain of mystery, mysticism, the unknown. It’s tied in with Pluto themes of transformation, suggesting that we will continue to re-invent ourselves as we evolve toward the goal of a more perfect union. Our nation began with a great experiment questioning whether a nation of self-rule could succeed. We haven’t been perfect, but we have survived for almost 250 years. The big questions facing us now are whether we can we integrate the changes in our society’s makeup, and find the courage to move forward into the unknown once again, evolving our democracy as we evolve our consciousness.
Dwarf planets represent the components of the new consciousness toward which we are evolving. Each one carries an energy of expansion. Varuna is the higher octave of Saturn, operating beyond karmic entanglements, inviting us to take full responsibility for ourselves and our impact on the world. This dwarf reinforces the Mars in Leo theme of sovereignty. Some synonyms for sovereignty include dominion, authority, self-determination and autonomy, the very qualities our Constitution supports.
Saturn, as sole ruler of Capricorn, brings us challenges that boost our growing self-awareness and maturity. As we move beyond the ego stage of our development, we free ourselves from ego defenses – from blame, resentment, comparison and competition, projection and denial, information avoidance, emotional suppression and all the dysfunctional values of our patriarchal world. As our consciousness expands, so does our understanding of ourselves and our reality. A new paradigm is gestating, one that brings our polar energies into balance, includes and values the Divine Feminine, esteems relationship over self-interest, kindness over conflict, compassion over judgment, peace over war.
Varuna welcomes us into a state of consciousness in which we have mastered our baser instincts and can use our power and talents for the betterment of our society.
Chariklo, opposite Varuna at the New Moon, is the consort of Chiron. While Chiron is a teacher and mentor, bringing up our wounds for healing, Chariklo actually facilitates that healing by holding a context of loving support. She is an aspect of the Divine Feminine. If you recall, back when Pluto and Saturn made a conjunction in Capricorn on January 12, 2020, Chariklo was just two degrees away, part of the large stellium that included the Sun, Ceres and Mercury. All of these planetary energies have been guiding us for the last four years with Chariklo leading the way. We have been lured further into separation and the next several years will be about healing and reinvigorating our union.
I get the sense that Chariklo is helping us heal the wounds that block us from our sovereignty. Chariklo will return to her natal position of 22+ Aquarius in February of 2026. We will feel her influence waxing over the next 15 months.
Chiron
On November 8th, retrograde Chiron will make its second return. The wounds of separation are obvious. The struggle for control of our future comes to a head in this election and many will not accept the results. With Mars opposite Pluto, there may be angry protest, accusations of voter fraud, a repeat of 2020’s election which was tested in the courts for several months. Hopefully it will not lead to violence, but the potential is there.
We can do our part by remaining calm, staying centered, holding love in our hearts and anticipating a peaceful resolution. Our nation has been held hostage by the vulgarity, seething resentment and racial hatred of Donald Trump whose lies have poisoned our collective consciousness. The majority is exhausted by it. Everyone with whom I speak acknowledges their anxiety. We are a nation under severe stress, but I like to think of it as growing pains. We are forging a new identity, based on solid democratic principles, well aware of our collective shadow and the vulnerability of our Constitution. We know what needs to change, what needs reforming.
Chiron makes its final return on February 18th, 2025. The first return alerts us to what needs healing. The retrograde is a review, a time in which we not only see our weaknesses clearly, but solidify our resolve to heal them. At the final return, we bring our conviction into play and get down to the business of reform.
Chiron is four degrees away from Eris, a dwarf planet that has been squaring Pluto and stirring up chaos in a cauldron of possibility. Eris is a warrior for equality and inclusiveness. She is the enemy of entitlement. She represents the perfection of our democratic principles, demanding that we embody the equality we profess to represent. Everyone deserves respect no matter how diverse they are from the old norms. Everyone deserves a voice, a vote that is counted.
Jupiter is sextile Chiron at this New Moon, lending its energy and optimism for a positive outcome. Jupiter is opposite Venus at 17 Sagittarius in our nation’s first house. Venus is conjunct Pallas Athena, daughter of Jupiter and, like Eris, a female warrior for justice. This conjunction reminds us of the wisdom of our hearts.
Furthermore Mercury is in our 12th House and moves into Sagittarius on November 2nd, bringing our ideals into focus. This is the sign of aspiration, symbolized by the centaur shooting an arrow out into the unknown, toward the stars. Mercury at 28+ Scorpio is also involved in a Grand Water Trine with Neptune at 27+ Pisces and Mars at 29+ Cancer. This speaks to me of emotional and spiritual support, as well as the action of heart’s desire. With the New Moon trine retrograde Saturn, also in Pisces, it suggests that this month our karma ripens. Saturn has slowed down and will make its direct station on November 15th, on the Full Moon. Remember that Saturn supports our maturity and mastery.
I’m taking a course in another dwarf planet at the moment. Varda, the bringer of light. She is the goddess who lit up the darkness of the night sky with stars. Symbolically, Varda brings light into our darkest hour and she is transiting our 1st House conjunct our natal Selena, the White Moon that illuminates our spiritual path. While these are little known, and rarely consulted heavenly bodies, I find their presence a positive sign for our future.
New Moon Sabian Symbol
What encourages me the most about this New Moon chart is the Sabian Symbol for 10 degrees of Scorpio:
“A fellowship supper reawakens unforgettable inner ties.”
Rudhyar explains: “Companionship rooted in past performance. Group personality emergence. Fraternity of ideals uplifting individual efforts.”
I love the “fraternity of ideals.” That’s what our Sagittarian Ascendant reveals – we were founded on ideals. To me this Sabian symbol speaks of a new coherence emerging, rooted in the dreams of our forefathers and our inner ties to sovereignty, dedicated to uplifting the individual and working together to realize our dreams.
November 1st is All Saints Day. On Halloween we purge our demons, cleanse our shadows, exorcise our terrors and emerge refreshed on our spiritual path. We begin a new lunar cycle and cast our votes for the future we desire.
A last few words about our election: I heard a fascinating lecture on our polling system. The speaker declared that for every 10,000 phone calls, a pollster may get 10 people who pick up. Most people don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. He said that all polls really tally are the percentage of people who pick up the phone. The sampling is too small to be significant. I hope that lifts your spirit as it did mine.
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