Scorpio - be with the truth sensitively and intelligently

Power in Scorpio operates at the deepest level of our emotional experience, so the best attitude is one of acceptance and surrender.

To accept is not the same as to approve: as individuals, we each necessarily have our own perspective, which gives us preferences and philosophical or political attitudes. But we are faced with the physical world, and the necessity of surviving if we are to continue our spiritual work on this material level. We can only do this if we begin by using our senses to tell us, as well as they can, what the situation is that faces us. We need also to use our intelligence to understand from past experience and deduction, and our emotional sensitivity to connect that experience to what surrounds us now. Perhaps most importantly, we need to remember that acceptance means not making moral judgements about what is there, regardless of our personal preferences.

Solar eclipse - focus towards the unconscious

The pattern of planets this month is beautiful and strong, and the sun and moon together are completely and harmoniously connected to life’s inexorable movement (all in a pattern called ‘a cradle of aspects’). Whether this movement is working out in your life obviously, or as just a background sense of deep change, whether you are finding situations easy or difficult to get through, changes are happening.

Only one planet has energy not comfortable with this pattern - that is Uranus, who represents our sense of being unique and individual. So we may feel we are standing alone, or perhaps feel the need to fight for our freedom. We could find ourselves forced to examine our hidden motives, while we try to work out how we created our present circumstances, how they reflect us, and what they can teach us (emphasised by the moon eclipsing the sun).

It was the 1 November that this desire for freedom of personal expression (Uranus) hit against the powerful needs of the moment (Pluto) for the fourth time since that struggle got underway in 2010 (Uranus into Aries, and squaring Pluto 7 times between 2012 and mid-2015). We are now in the centre of this movement, this November being the culminating point during these years of the Sun itself experiencing Uranus and Pluto at right-angles to each other (heliocentric perspective), so the earth is being physically bathed in this pattern through solar radiation.

Deeply based changes last

This time, almost all the planetary energy is pointing to the truths that are being revealed (Sun/Moon/ Saturn on the North Node in Scorpio). So our individual efforts need to support, and work with, the unfolding of new, and better, ways to deal with practical realities. Otherwise we could find ourselves distracted by our personal concerns for safety. The fact is that the only safe direction is forward, not back (Saturn in harmony with the changes). This drive for individual rights is valuable at the moment in that it stops us being unconsciously swallowed up in someone else’s new set of rules - for instance, not losing our ability to choose complementary medicine, due to the chemical industry’s efforts to take over all health products.

What can go wrong when we ‘fight for our rights’ is that an entire outlook can be rubbished when those who are fighting for it are over-emotional, angry, or abusive. Passions may run high in defence of the individual, but it is the steady determination and background work that will have most effect this month (Mars in Virgo sextiling Saturn).

Seeing and accepting the truth is enough

We need an open mind to hear the inner wisdom, because it may be showing us where we have not served well in the past. We need to notice our reactions, and see the possibilities beyond the past experiences that created them. We need to notice our old fears, our judgements, our rage and resentments - they are likely to rise (Mercury retrograde over Scorpio North Node). Recognise them, accept that they are there, and even explore them, but then let them go - in the sense of not fighting against them. Nothing takes the life out of something, like being indifferent to it! Simply seeing what is there is enough - we are, after all, each a shard of the great human hologram.

Life is about being our true selves enjoyably, and this chart suggests that we approach this month light-heartedly (Venus in Sagittarius). By the Full Moon on 17 November, we will probably have accepted what needs to be done, in our own lives, and more generally. We will feel more inclined to take personal responsibility, and be working with each other towards the future (Venus in Capricorn with Pluto ). Everything should quieten down somewhat during the second half of the month, settling into a shape that will work for the time being. Looking back we will see how much healing there has been as we put our efforts into finding helpful solutions (Mars through Virgo).

One more thing . . .

This month begins the four-month period each year when great forward motion slows down so that we have time to re-examine what we really want, make corrections to our course towards it, and prepare for the next forward thrust in March 2014 (Jupiter retrograde in Cancer). This year, it is our family connections, and also how we nurture and support ourselves, that need our attention.