Astrological Forecast for November 2007

The big news this month - and there will be some big news every month for a while - is that Mars is stationing to go retrograde on the 15th. Mars retrogrades every two years for a period of about two months, so that isn’t too significant in itself, although the difficult side of this planet’s energy is sometimes said to be most prominent when he’s moving backwards, emphasizing aggression over simple assertiveness. What makes this retrograde significant for the United States is that it occurs less than one degree from the Sun of the United States, which is coincidentally the same position of the Sun of our President, George W. Bush. Now Mars is the ruler of war, the military, and aggression in general. That it is stationing so close to the two Suns is significant when we consider that the Sun indicates self-image, vitality, and pride. It seems that we might be in for an "agonizing reappraisal" of ourselves and our role in the world, perhaps touched off by some incident in the next couple of months. What is likely to come into question is whether our military endeavors are really in harmony with the image we hold of ourselves.

In other news, we start off November with Mercury’s station to move direct on the 1st. The planet of communication and commerce has been moving backwards since October 11th, slowing and otherwise befuddling our attempts to get our facts straight. This station is in the shadow of Neptune’s station on Halloween, so expect it will take a few days for the fog to clear.

On the 6th, Venus is in a tense square to Pluto. On a personal level, what we want and what we value might seem to be in conflict, particularly in areas of relationship. Another way this aspect can play out is in a conflict around the value of something, so, for instance, this isn’t a great day to get an appraisal on something, and it might be wise to put off a significant investment for a while.

The New Moon, generally a time of beginnings, is on the 9th, in the sign of Scorpio, a sign which is in many ways about endings. We can surely begin anew in many ways at this New Moon, but there is a reminder not only that every death is followed by a rebirth, but that every rebirth is preceded by a death. By all means create, but also remember to let go of those aspects of your life that are ready to pass away.

On the 11th, the Sun is square to Neptune. This aspect is about many things, but seeing clearly isn’t one of them. Dream big, but check your facts before trying to turn things into concrete reality. On the 19th, Venus squares off with Mars, an aspect which puts a strain between relationship and individual goals, or perhaps between love and sex. At best, however, this aspect can ignite passion and get things moving in our romantic lives. Venus happens to be much stronger than the retrograding Mars right now, so although the Warrior may have an outburst, the Goddess of Love should prevail. An easy aspect between Mars and Mercury should help with communication.

As he does every year, the Sun moves into Sagittarius on the 22nd. This year, he’ll be meeting up with Jupiter and Pluto, both of whom will soon be leaving this sign. Look for the month before Christmas to be one in which Sagittarian issues of belief and faith are highlighted, as we begin to reckon what we’ve learned from Pluto’s passage through the sign of the archer these last dozen years.

The 24th will not leave us much time for quiet reflection, however, as Uranus stations to go direct on a Full Moon in Gemini. All the many communication and technology issues we’ve been dealing with in recent months will come bubbling up again, including those having to do with air traffic and the internet. On a more personal level, Uranus urges us towards freedom, and can lead us towards a very edgy kind of crankiness, so keep an eye on your temper, and on other’s as well. To complicate matters, Mercury is in a tense aspect to Neptune, which is the perfect "fuzzy math" aspect, so be sure you don’t act on misinformation or disinformation.

The last aspect of the month is a square between the Sun and Saturn on the 30th. Although it can be a little deflating, this meeting also helps to ground us out. Sometimes a reality check is just what’s needed, even if you have to park your aspirations for a while.