I don't usually like to play favorites, but one thing I do really, really like in astrology is the sign of Sagittarius. That's probably because it's my rising as well as the home sign of several other planets in my chart. I truly enjoy the lightness and buoyancy of this vibrant slice of the zodiac. People born under this sign are a lot of fun as well! They have a sunny, happy-go-lucky attitude that makes them hard not to love. Sagittarians in general are exploratory and philosophical by nature. Ruled by the planet Jupiter, they are always looking to expand their horizons. The sign itself is a centaur with a stretched out bow and arrow. The horse side of the centaur represents their desire to explore new places and travel the world. The human part is their desire to grow their mind beyond physical limitations and understand the truth of existence. Subjects like philosophy, religion, and sociology are some of their favorite areas of study. Lastly, the bow and arrow is their desire to direct their fiery energy towards a goal far off in the distance. It is quite rare to find a Sagittarius not planning a new trip, taking a new class, or working on a new endeavor in their career. The sign is a mutable sign, and as such, its energy makes people very flexible. Combine this with their fire element, and you get a restless energy that bores easily and needs constant movement and stimulation. Sitting still in one place for any longer than a half hour is like a death sentence to our explorer friends. Their mission in our world is to help us stretch beyond our limited perceptions of what we believe things to be in order to find truth. By growing beyond the boundaries of our limited thinking, we gain access to the power we call miracles. Our mission this month will involve this type of mind bending, however, much of the work that we started in Scorpio will cross over into this month. We are not done with the deep soul searching just yet!
There is something quite interesting about this new moon. While the energy of Sagittarius is certainly upon us, there are many planets still in Scorpio, most notably the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter. Jupiter is a key figure since he is ruling this month. The planet that rules the month gives us our cues on what themes will show up that can help us elevate to a higher level of consciousness. Looking at Jupiter in Scorpio, we see that our expansion and learning will need to go inward rather than outward. One of the hardest things for Sagittarians to do is self analysis. During this month, we will not want to be bothered by emotional confrontations and conflict. Sag wants to go out into the world and see what's new, not sit down and talk about feelings. The problem is that with Jupiter in Scorpio, we don't have much of a choice. We are going to keep seeing our anger, fear, and jealousy popping up everywhere we go, and the more we ignore it, the more intense it will become. Looking at these two signs, they really couldn't be more opposite. Scorpio asks us to dig deep and deal with feelings that are uncomfortable, while Sagittarius asks us to expand our mind outside of ourselves and our own limitations. If we can begin to see our feelings of anger, fear, and jealousy as the limiting factor, rather than the situation that is making us feel this way, we can make a huge quantum shift. Thinking back to Scorpio, when we release our feelings through proactive transformation, we break those limits and gain access to the eternal truth Sagittarius so desperately craves. Essentially, freedom does not come from being released from the situation we are in, but rather, in releasing ourselves from the negative emotions those situations elicit. If you did not read my post on Jupiter in Scorpio or the New Moon of Scorpio, I highly recommend that you do so in order to get a full understanding of how this transformation takes place. Read Jupiter in Scorpio here, and the New Moon of Scorpio here, if you want to review.
The chart of this new moon has Virgo rising, which gives us another planet to pay attention to: Mercury. If Jupiter is giving us directions, Mercury is driving the car. Mercury just so happens to be in the sign of Sagittarius this month, which is not his ideal placement. Sagittarius is a sign of the bigger picture and big thinking. Mercury likes details and organization, particularly the Virgo side of him. He will also turn retrograde on December, 3rd. His retrograde will signal the typical Mercury retrograde type annoyances: traffic jams, crappy cell service, and irritating misunderstandings, but with Virgo on the ascendant, we are meant to pick up our magnifying glass and take a real deep look at what is actually going on so that we can fix it. The problem is that when Sagittarian big-picture thinking clashes with Virgo's detailed approach, we run the risk of being so overwhelmed by our situation that we let go and just walk away. Suddenly simple tasks seem too much because they will involve going back to something we thought we had already completed. The reality, however, is that Mercury retrograde is rarely a time to move forward, and it is ALWAYS a time for review. There are three objectives I take upon myself during Mercury retrograde: review, revise, and improve. Let go of all desire to advance, and instead place your efforts on going back and looking things over. Embrace the editing and review process. When we focus on perfecting the details, the bigger picture can receive an upgrade. If you run away or ignore the details, then you create an opening for much bigger problems down the road.
How does all this tie together? This month we are looking at some stormy seas ahead of us, but if we know how to navigate them, we can actually sharpen our spiritual senses and gain a tremendous amount of clarity. The first aspect is to let go of seeking freedom from negative feelings by running away from the situation. The second is to understand that by confronting those negative feelings, transforming them, and releasing them, we find a much greater sense of freedom than we could have imagined. The third is to understand that by letting go of our desire to advance forward and, instead, focus our energy on improving how we deal with our emotional reactions, we move with the currents rather than against them. If we put in the effort this month, the rewards can be sublimely enriching.
Lastly, where do miracles fall into all this? A miracle can be defined as something that goes against the laws of nature or destiny. We as humans have the ability to tap this power, by going against our own nature. If our nature is to get angry, and we instead, transform the anger into forgiveness, we ignite the flame of miracles in our lives. So, in this month, when you feel that every ounce of you wants to give in to those negative feelings or run away so you don't have to deal with them, you are missing your opportunity to connect to the power of miracles. And if we are able to accomplish it, we can experience one of the most tremendous miracles of all, complete transformation and release from our long held resentments, anger, fears, and hatred, which allows us to move forward happier, more fulfilled, and truly free.
Wishing you all a month filled with transformation and true freedom.
With Light,
Josh