Shock! November's Taurus Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse acts as a catalyst for radical change.
November is a pivotal month when things could turn on a dime.
The Total Lunar Eclipse Blood Moon in Taurus is a catalyst for change, exposing the cracks and tipping the balance. This is the point of no return, a polarised breaking point, when each of us must look to our own strength and resources.
Things kick off as soon as November 1st with a First Quarter Moon in Aquarius foreshadowing the eclipse that is to come and unfold all the way til the 10th, affecting us for the next six months and beyond. So let’s have a look.
The Autumn 2022 Eclipse Season
We’re in the thick of eclipse season. The October 23rd solar eclipse in Scorpio has already lifted the sewer lid, shining a light in dark places, stripping us of all pretence.
We’re ready to face what can no longer be ignored - accept truths that may have previously been unthinkable.
Mars is already retrograde in Gemini til January 12th, meanwhile, and all kinds of anger and resentment is bubbling to the surface. We’re entering a period of disgruntlement, polarisation and civil unrest. And much like Mary who likes to be contrary, the next three months will test our patience and open our minds to alternate points of view in a process not to be completed before March 2023. It’s all going to bubble over this winter, the winter of our discontent.
Jupiter in Pisces lends a helping hand, asking us to have faith, let go and ‘let god’ - at least til New Year’s. This setting supports all spiritual, magical and meditative practices, everything that allows us to connect to the divine and to the rest of humanity, and feel as part of a greater whole - that’s where we can draw strength and hope now.
Saturn and Pluto are both direct and pushing full steam ahead into the next zodiac sign - also to happen next March, which is going to be a crucial and pivotal moment, the start of a new phase. Saturn enters Pisces March 7th 2023 where he will start to corrode what’s left of the old order, seeded in the late 80s, to make way for brand new social paradigms in 2025-26 when he meets Neptune. (This is the cycle which is associated with communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union, so the global order seeded with the fall of the Berlin wall will also give way to something new by that point.) And Pluto begins his transition into Aquarius on March 23rd 2023, giving us a taste of a future, of a world totally transformed by AI and such advanced micro-technology that our lives will become unrecognisable. Next month also sees the final instalment of the USA Pluto return, making clear the absolute decadence and corruption of the old ways and calling for a total rebirth of America, which will slowly but surely unfold in the decades to come.
This November, we descend into the belly of the beast, the (al)chemical pit of transformation. The release of poisons has already started and there is no going back. We must now keep going till the process of transmutation is complete.
But take heart. Things start looking up mid-month, as Mercury, Venus then the Sun trine Jupiter, then enter Sagittarius. Come the 23rd we have a rainbow in the skies, a burst of promise in the form of an exuberant New Moon in Sagittarius, as Jupiter turns direct, shooting a flaming arrow in the skies to guide us through the long night.
November 8th Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse Full Moon in Taurus: Catalyst
This month’s piece de resistance is the Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse in Taurus at 11:02 GMT / UT at 16:00 degrees, delivering a surprising blow that could knock things into unexpected directions. We’re already in the autumn 2022 eclipse season and things have been developing at breakneck speed. That’s what eclipses do. They speed things up. A bit like watching a film on fast forward - it all becomes a bit of a blur. Whatever happens on the 8th (also the day of the US midterms), the results will have unexpected outcomes and aftershocks down the line - and that’s thanks to Uranus in Taurus conjunct this eclipse.
This is the last hurrah of the Saturn-Uranus square of 2021-2022, signifying the breakdown of the old order (co-seeded in the late 80s by the last Uranus-Saturn conjunction) to make way for new social structures in the west.
This eclipse could be the final straw, the one that breaks the camel’s back, the lightning bolt that finally takes down the tower.
The breakdown and polarisation of our society is finally complete and new solutions are needed. Still, this is a North Node eclipse, bringing a breakthrough, propelling us into the unknown and ensuring that changes, however shocking, have positive outcomes.
Lunar eclipses have a wide span so don't expect things to necessarily happen on the day. We’re already feeling the effects of this one and it will continue to affect us for six months, with its outcomes even setting the tone on the financial and material level for nine years.
The 8th is the eye of a perfect storm to help us break with the past so we can eventually move onto greener pastures.
The total eclipse is visible over the whole of the USA (on the day of the election!), Canada, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, as well as much of Russia and some of South America, with a partial eclipse visible over India, Asia and a bit of Norway and Finland.
The Sabian Symbol* for this eclipse is “a symbolic battle between ‘Swords’ and ‘Torches’” alluding to an archetypal war between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. It brings a total polarisation of values and a felt need to take matters into your own hands. It is forceful, manic and unexpected in nature, questioning values and relationships - a ‘tales of the unexpected’ or ‘jack in the box’ type-energy.
If this eclipse eliminates something from your path, it is to open the way for something new. It won’t do it gently. But whatever leaves your life now was only standing in your way. And it’s so solid, so part of the scenery, so unthinkable to let it go that only a powerful earthquake, like this eclipse brings, could ever tear it down. You could see someone - or yourself - doing a one-eighty now.
The Taurus North Node instructs us to simplify. A bit like Alexander’s solution to the Gordian knot. When faced with great complexity, sometimes the only solution is to cut right through it. There. Job done.
Remember, change with eclipses is permanent. So let the dust settle before you announce any major decisions. With Saturn involved, some form of serious commitment, decision or discipline will be key to turning this situation around.
It may help to just be aware of poisons coming out at this point. Bad dreams, bad thoughts, bad feelings, fears and desires, actual physical toxins - let it all ooze out. Better out than in. Give this detox everything you’ve got. Face the dragon of stagnation.
Returning to your core values, you’ll find strength you never knew you had. Finding your center of gravity is key at this time.
Don’t fret too much with the why’s and wherefore’s. There will be plenty of time to seek meaning once we get to the New Moon in Sagittarius.
November 8th-9th Mercury Conjunction / Uranus Opposition: Shocking Revelations
This eclipse is right on the superior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun at 16:15 degrees of Scorpio at 16:42 GMT / UT, which is also on the 8th. This brings secrets to light, concluding everything that has transpired since late August and the September Mercury retrograde, and shedding light on financial, material and power-related matters that are crucial to our survival.
The superior conjunction of Mercury happens right opposite Uranus, with the Uranus opposition to the Sun and Mercury occurring on the 9th. So what arises is sure to shock and reveal a dark underbelly to our society. Money, resources, power-grabs as well as personal sovereignty, fundamental values and physical wellbeing are all real issues when Scorpio and Taurus are highlighted. These are two signs that have much to do with our sustenance and survival on this planet. November is sure to intensify money and survival concerns with news that will shock and illuminate. (Finances first came to the forefront last November with the first Taurus eclipse in the series that totally rocked the markets, and saw inflation starting to rear its ugly head. Within the next six months, its effects were clear for all to see.)
Venus, the ruler of the eclipse, is also right there conjunct Mercury and the Sun and opposite the Moon and Uranus, reinforcing the message of a powerful break with the values or relationships of the past. The whole lot - Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and the Nodes - is square to hard taskmaster Saturn, demanding that we hunker down and make responsible decisions even as tensions are at breaking point.
This is a ball busting energy with a forceful swing - and there seems to be no ducking it. Something has to change.
Eclipse Timeline
It’s sometimes useful to see how the immediate timeline of the eclipse unfolds. By Thursday the 3rd, Venus conjuncts the South Node and old relationships come to the fore. By Saturday, the 5th, the Sun conjuncts the South Node and Venus opposes Uranus, rocking old agreements and shining a light on past matters to be addressed and released. On the 6th, Mercury conjuncts the South Node, communicating important news that are long overdue. All this culminates with Venus square Saturn on Monday the 7th bringing some cold financial and relationship facts to light and requiring a serious commitment or decision. The 'lightning-bolt' eclipse occurs on the 8th causing a split or break, right alongside Mercury-Sun as they oppose Uranus on the 9th, delivering their shocking news. The whole thing completes with two ‘downer’ squares to Saturn (Mercury-Saturn on the 10th and Sun-Saturn on the 11th) giving rise to serious talks in the aftermath and a general hunkering down to take responsibility and come up with a realistic way forward.
The Sabian Symbol* for Mercury’s superior conjunction with the Sun is “a woman, fecundated by her own spirit is ‘great with child’”. This adds a sense of mission, of being impregnated by spirit, of divine will moving through us to the signature of these events. This moment of truth, whatever it is, is calling us on an inner journey, to step ‘on the path’ and align our will with the way.
November 10th-15th Water Trines: Dazed and Confused...
With the eclipse behind us, we have some notable water trines in the skies this month, mainly between Sun, Mercury and Venus in Scorpio and Neptune and Jupiter in Pisces. The trines to Neptune are bound to have a soporific effect, spewing a romantic, sexy and dreamlike vibe - especially between the 10th and 15th of the month when Venus (10th), then Mercury (12th) and finally the Sun (15th) trine Neptune. Trines are lazy aspects so it’s good to find some good avenues that will draw the energies forth - creative and spiritual endeavours are best, as are get-togethers with loved ones. With a Venus-Pluto sextile on Sunday the 13th too, the weekend presents opportunities for inspiring conversations and magnetic, satisfying relationships. Make the most of it! The Moon’s transit through Cancer on the 13th-14th completes the picture with a grand water trine, a pleasant atmosphere for bonding and spending time with loved ones.
November 15th-22nd Water Trines / Sagittarius Season: Rays of Hope!
The 15th is when things begin to look up considerably. That's when Venus in Scorpio trines Jupiter in Pisces, opening pathways to pleasure, abundance, love and exuberance and heralding an upward trend. Mercury trines Jupiter on the 16th and the Sun on the 21st and uplifting conversations and hope abound.
All three planets enter Sagittarius a day later - Venus on the 16th, Mercury on the 17th and the Sun on the 22nd - and that’s when the storms truly begin to subside and rainbows start appearing in the sky.
With the Sun and Mercury also sextile Pluto on the 15th and 18th respectively, a real opportunity arises to take control of your life and make positive changes.
Just as we’re on the upswing, watch out for a decisive moment around the 15th-16th when the Moon in Leo creates a fixed grand cross in the skies, the last echo of the eclipse energies, bringing stark realities to light to help us shift perspective.
It’s not until the 21st -23rd that these rays of hope develop into a fully fledged rainbow.
November 19th Mars Retrograde in Gemini squares Neptune: Confusion & Misdirection
Mars is currently retrograde in Gemini til January 12th, where he's all about the recalibration of our ideas, networks and global communications systems. By mid-month it is clear that adjustments are needed.
Mars is like a little digger there, unearthing all kinds of unsavoury information that is hard to fathom.
And that’s because Neptune is creating soporific interference - hypnotic spells, confusion and misdirection - trickery of all sorts to drain ur energy and prevent us from getting to the bottom of anything. So Mars digs and digs and Neptune throws sand in our eyes and this exhausting process seems never-ending. The Mars-Neptune square has been active since mid-October and is exact once more on November 19th. But it starts to recede by month’s end (returning in March).
The net effect of Mars-Neptune is often exhaustion and despondency. It’s as if you’re pouring all your energy through a sieve and no matter how much your spend, you can’t seem to get ahead. While it may feel futile, this is actually a purification process. Only the finest and purest intentions will go through the distiller.
This is a great time for selfless, spiritual and artistic acts. Menial tasks are also favoured with Mars-Neptune, for these tasks not only subdue and pummel the ego, they also help put the mind in a meditative and highly conducive state.
Mars trines Saturn later this month, on the 28th and that gives the energy some definition, creating a holding pattern to shore up and stabilise it. It also opposes Mercury on the 29th when the airing of some dirty laundry may create quite a commotion. But with Saturn present, authoritative and rational mediation can potentially hold down the fort. While the fast pace of the eclipses may have us fooled, this winter is a marathon, not a sprint. Conserve your energies.
November 23rd Sagittarius New Moon / Jupiter Direct: Surge of Optimism!
After a storm there is always a rainbow. And it comes on November 23rd with a Sagittarius New Moon at 01:37 degrees at 22:57 GMT / UT. What’s more, Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, turns direct on the same day at 23:02 GMT / UT in the 29th degree of Pisces, and it’s even trine the New Moon. Pluto is there too, sextile the Sun and Moon and adding the potential for a meaningful transformation.
Talk about a surge of optimism! The time has come to plant seeds of a new vision for the future and venture toward new horizons.
This lovely New Moon is widely conjunct Mercury and Venus, just as those two trine Chiron in Aries. This could be a healing moment - a moment that brings hope and optimism, allowing us to acknowledge what has been hurt and begin to heal. Venus and Mercury are perfectly conjunct two days prior, on the 21st, merging love with intellectual stimulation, rendering conversations agreeable, and helping us find mutually beneficial solutions. The 21st is also the date of the Sun-Jupiter trine, creating a bridge to tide us over from the darkness of Scorpio's transformative pit to the new vistas of Sagittarius. That's when things begin to turn.
So, despite all the Sturm und Drang that November brings, the month ends on a jovial note - a hopeful and expansive fresh start with matters that have long been in disarray.
Note that this is the first non-eclipse lunation in Sagittarius that we’ve had since 2020. As two years of eclipses in the Gemini-Sag axis sign are finally behind us, this Sagittarius New Moon shines a ray of hope that life can finally begin to resemble normality again, not only for this sign, but also for wherever you have Sagittarius in your chart and for all matters pertaining to our legal rights and freedoms, to the free-flow of travel, movement and ideas, and to coming up with a better vision for the future.
The Sabian Symbol* for this New Moon is “white-capped waves display the power of wind over sea.”
The winds of change seem to mobilise us on a deep unconscious level at this point, bringing forth a spirit of dynamism from deep within and calling a part of us forward that is able to respond to the mad rhythm of a changing world.
The month ends on a raucous note with Mercury opposite Mars retrograde in Gemini on the 28th-29th, airing all kinds of dirty laundry, which Saturn may manage to keep under wraps. With a First Quarter Pisces Moon on the 30th too, action requires great adaptability and quick reflexes on our part, a theme that will take us into December.
* Sabian Symbols taken from Dane Rudhyar’s An Astrological Mandala (NY: Vintage Books 1974)
Check out your November 2022 Horoscope!
Image by Jamie Haughton from Unsplash
Article by YourAstroGenes
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