Important astrological energies for the month of November 2013:

• Uranus retrograde in Aries forms a square to Pluto in Capricorn on November 1, 2013. This is the fourth of seven squares that Uranus and Pluto will form. The previous three squares occurred on June 24, 2012; September 19, 2012; May 20, 2013. The last three squares will form on April 21, 2014; December 15, 2014; and March 16, 2015.
• Mercury retrograde in Scorpio forms a sextile to Pluto in Capricorn, a quincunx to Uranus retrograde in Aries, and a trine to Chiron retrograde in Pisces on November 1, 2013. It repeats these same aspects on November 20, 2013.
• A Solar Hybrid Eclipse (NM) with the Sun and Moon in Scorpio occurs on November 3, 2013. This is the last eclipse of the year.
• Venus enters the sign of Capricorn on November 5, 2013 and continues activating the square between Uranus retrograde and Pluto.
• Jupiter in Cancer turns retrograde on November 7, 2013. It will turn direct on March 6, 2014.
• Mercury in Scorpio turns stationary direct on November 10, 2013. It entered the sign of Scorpio on September 29, 2013 and went retrograde on October 21, 2013.
• Full Moon with Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus occurs on November 17, 2013.
• Ceres in Libra on forms an opposition to Uranus retrograde on November 24, 2013 and a square to Pluto on November 28, 2013 creating the energy of a cardinal T-square.

Expressing Your Inner Motivations

By Misty Kuceris ©2013

With the month of November 2013 beginning with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, you may feel as if you’re reliving the month of October: And you may be. Many of the aspects that Mercury made in direct motion during October will be repeated as Mercury makes them again both while retrograde and then for a third time when it finally goes direct. So the subtle, but dominant force of Mercury which indicated that you needed to understand your inner motivations during October now indicate that you need to learn how to express those inner motivations in the external world.

But before Mercury retrograde starts making more aspects on November 1^st, Uranus retrograde forms another square to Pluto on November 1, 2013 starting the month with intense energy. This square is the fourth of seven squares which started on June 24, 2012 and will end on March 16, 2015. This square occurs at 9 degrees and actually echoes back to the first square which occurred on June 24, 2012 at 8 degrees. Therefore, it’s important to review some critical events that occurred in June 2012 to understand how this could possibly impact you today.

In Egypt, Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected President with 51% of the vote. By July 3, 2013 he was out of power and in October 2013 charges were filed against him that he incited his followers to kill protestors in December 2012. During the month of November 2013, it will be very important to keep an eye on events not only in Egypt, but also in the Middle East in general.

Greece looked as if it would elect individuals to their Parliament that would ask for a “Grexit” from the Euro Zone. Instead, the people of Greece decided to elect more conservative politicians who would be willing to negotiate rather than just dismiss the Euro. Now there’s hope that the Greek economy is improving. And, the push for severe austerity measures seems to be more muted. During that time period there were discussions about the importance of creating a Euro Zone banking system. However, those talks seem to have stumbled. If the Euro Zone is to continuing moving out of economic problems into economic solutions, it will be very important for the banking system to represent the actual currency, not individual countries.

The United States Supreme Court made news as it issued two important rulings which on the surface appeared to support President Obama. The first ruling indicated that Arizona had overstepped its state’s rights by passing legislation that police officers could stop anyone and ask for documentation of legal citizenship. This law stepped on the toes of Federal jurisdiction. The other important ruling dealt with health care. The Supreme Court ruled that the requirement to have health insurance and be penalized if a person did not have health insurance constituted a tax. Therefore, this was a legal requirement. However, the Supreme Court actually issued a mixed ruling because it also wrote that states did not have to increase their Medicaid assistance as the law required. Now the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) is in the news with a vengeance. Republicans voted to shut down the government in protest of Obamacare. This shutdown lasted from October 1, 2013 to October 16, 2013. Meanwhile, the Health Insurance Marketplace (www.healthcare.gov) went live for online health insurance enrollment with various problems which are still waiting to be resolved.

Problems will continue with the rollout of the health insurance program in the United States. While 2013 is not a year for a major president election, the various elections which will take place November 5, 2013 will focus issues related to either the health care plan or immigration. Both will become important issues as various presidential candidate hopefuls start their campaigning after the November 2013 elections are completed. Unfortunately, it appears that polarization in United States politics will continue.

The tension that you may feel with this square goes back to the very basic questions people had in June 2012. How do you create change? Do you give the government more power to enact legislation which you feel will help make your life more secure? If you do that, will you lose more of your personal rights? Do you find ways to develop better budgets in your life so you can cut costs and live more frugally? Or, do you continue to cry for more changes in government and rally against what you consider to be greed and corruption? Perhaps the biggest lesson from this particular square is that while you want change to occur in your life, you’re not willing to take a risk and move away from the conservative approach. Yet, sometimes changes require just that move.

To increase the tension which you may feel this day, Mercury retrograde makes three aspects of importance. It forms a sextile to Pluto, a quincunx to Uranus retrograde, and a trine to Chiron retrograde.

The first time that Mercury formed a sextile to Pluto was on October 6, 2013. The first time that Mercury formed a quincunx to Uranus retrograde was on October 8, 2013. And, the first time that Mercury formed a trine to Chiron retrograde was on October 7, 2013. At that time, Mercury was in direct motion and in the sign of Scorpio. During those days people in the United States were frustrated with both Congressional representatives and the President. The leaders of the country couldn’t come to any resolution and were at a standoff. The government was shut down, a Republican bid for the President to stop Obamacare. Yet the Health Marketplace opened on October 1, 2013 with many glitches making it difficult for many people to actually enroll in the program. In addition, more news about the over reach of the NSA continued to hit the media as information surfaced that Merkel’s private cell phone was probably being monitored by NSA.

When this combination of aspects occurs, as they will again on November 1^st, but with Mercury in retrograde motion, you will continue to see people who think they have the opportunity to use their own power to create change. Yet, the change that they want to create can also cause more harm than good. They are not willing to look at the hidden costs or their disruption.

You need to be careful of the same thing in your life. You may feel that you can implement change, but have you analyzed all the hidden costs to creating that change? You may also be willing to take risks, no matter what the cost. But, in the long run, are the costs worth it?  You need to search within yourself, understand your hidden motivations, and decide what actions are actually in your best interest.

This need to continue forward is just as intense on November 3^rd when Mercury retrograde forms another conjunction to the Moon’s North Node before a Solar Hybrid Eclipse, and Ceres entering the sign of Libra.

The first time that Mercury formed a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node was on October 5, 2013 when it was in direct motion. Even though Mercury is now retrograde, you need to look towards the future. Basically, you need to evaluate past events and see if they will be useful in the future. You also need to take care not to injure yourself as this can be an accident aspect. Try not to say too much. The good news is that Mercury is in Scorpio so you will be able to keep secrets for a little bit longer.

Meanwhile, the solar hybrid eclipse which occurs on November 3^rd continues to echo the energy of the Uranus/Pluto square that occurred on June 24, 2012. At that time an eclipse also occurred a few weeks before the first square.

A hybrid eclipse is one that is both total and annular. It will be seen in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. This eclipse will occur when both the Sun and Moon are at 11 degrees in Scorpio, the same degree as the midpoint of Neptune retrograde in Pisces and Jupiter in Cancer. So, while this eclipse does not formally create a grand water trine with Neptune retrograde and Jupiter, it still has the energy of a grand water trine with these two planets because of the midpoint degree being activated.

Although this is an eclipse which could obscure things, the fact that the energy of a grand water trine is created means that hidden matters, such as scandals, usually surface. You’ll also be able to get information which has been eluding you for a while. But be careful because you’ll find that once again your privacy is threatened. There could even be a major hacking situation which means that valuable personal data is lost.

Spiritually this eclipse is about your way of life. It’s a time to consider long-term goals and how those goals fit into your spiritual path. It’s important to make certain that you employ compassion, both for yourself and others. You may even want to get involved with some classes or situations that help you delve into a better understanding of your subconscious desires and how to bring those subconscious desires to positive external action. With Mars forming a sextile to this eclipse, you may find that it’s easier to get things accomplished. On a global level, however, this could mean that more military actions are taking place.

As Ceres enters the sign of Libra on November 3^rd it becomes more obvious that compromise is very important if you want to achieve things in your life. You need to hear what other people really mean when they speak to you. You need to know when to push your point of view and when to listen. Caution is a very important word right now.

Venus enters the sign of Capricorn on November 5^th and really kicks off the energy of the square between Uranus retrograde and Pluto. Venus isn’t comfortable in the sign of Capricorn to begin with. The energy of Venus likes to be generous with others and try to provide comfort for them. Also, relationships are very important to Venus. However, when Venus is in Capricorn, priority is often given to work and not the family. Since Venus will be kicking off the energy of the Uranus/Pluto square, the world economy is under stress. Job situations are difficult. Employment is a problem. And, the stock market will be very erratic. The Euro Zone will undergo a major problem at this time.

The discomfort of Venus in the sign of Capricorn is shown further when it forms a square to Ceres on November 6^th. You may feel isolated or alienated from people you love. Or, you may feel that you need to withdraw into yourself for protection. You don’t really want to interact with others. And, you don’t want to compromise. You need to look at what’s important for your long-term goals so you can determine the next steps in your path.

On November 7^th, Jupiter turns stationary retrograde. It will remain retrograde until March 6, 2014. When Jupiter turns retrograde, especially in Cancer, it’s very difficult for corporations to develop sound marketing strategies that aren’t expensive. It’s also not the time to introduce an IPO because glitches occur which makes it difficult to bring in the money expected. There’s a sense of hubris when Jupiter turns retrograde that decisions made will be good even if the evidence indicates otherwise. People don’t pay attention to the signs.

Not only that, but this is not the time to implement any legal actions because whoever tends to implement them at this time also tends to lose the court case. Legislation that is introduced at this time also has a lot of difficulties. Either legislation is introduced without the proper funding mechanisms or without the proper enforcement measurements.

Personally you need to review your long-term plans because changes will need to be made. You need to be more conservative with your decisions. Taking risks is not a good thing at this time. The fact that taking risks at this time is not a good idea is also indicated by the sextile that will occur between Venus and Neptune retrograde later in the day. While this can bring love into your life, it could also bring deceit because you’d rather see what you want instead of what is there. Your intuition is very high, so pay attention to it. You may want to focus on practical matters but that will be difficult. On the other hand, you may find ways to bring creativity into a practical situation which enables you to solve a problem. Bottom line: Listen to your inner guidance.

On November 9^th, Mars forms a sextile to Saturn, Ceres a quincunx to Neptune retrograde, and Mercury forms another trine to Neptune retrograde. This can be a day where you consider how your dreams can be made into a reality through creative and new approaches. Mars may not be comfortable in the sign of Virgo, but the sextile Mars forms to Saturn helps focus your energy on tasks at hand. You can start prioritizing your goals.

As Ceres moves into a quincunx to Neptune retrograde you may start doubting some of your priorities, but that’s actually all right. You can use the energy of this aspect to re-evaluate your ideas and see how realistic they may be.

As Mercury retrograde forms the trine to Neptune retrograde you’ll find that you really need to consider your dreams and how realistic they are. The first time that Mercury formed the trine to Neptune retrograde was on October 1, 2013 when Mercury was in direct motion. You saw what happened to the United States Federal government and also the roll-out of the Health Insurance Marketplace when dreams were put above practical approaches. While you may not like paying attention to details, it’s important. Details do matter right now. If you can’t deal with the details, than put off implementing anything new until you can.

Mercury turns stationary direct on November 10^th. It went retrograde on October 21, 2013. But what’s more important isn’t today, when Mercury turns direct but tomorrow, November 11^th, when Mercury (now in direct motion) forms its third trine to Neptune retrograde. Now you may be able to understand what details need to be put into place to achieve your dreams. Now you may be able to understand your inner motivations so that you can externally express those motivations. You’ll be able to use creative approaches to problem solving. You may not feel mentally focused, but you will feel inspired. Don’t be surprised if you gain sudden insights during your problem solving. Still, be very cautious with any final decisions right now. These insights will help you, but you still may not have all the facts.

Neptune turning stationary direct on November 13^th may not have a tremendous impact since so much can be obscured by Neptune. However, you may feel more connected to your spiritual goals today. You may feel that people are more willing to discuss matters that deal with religion.

Pay attention to anything that deals with software today. Any new software that’s released will have major significance for the future. Any new websites that are cloud-based will also have significance for the future.

Hopefully with Neptune turning direct, problems with software can be resolved, especially those problems which has plagued the Health Insurance Marketplace.

When Venus entered the sign of Capricorn on November 5^th, it started activating the square between Uranus retrograde and Pluto which occurred on November 1^st. Now that Venus is forming a square to Uranus retrograde on November 14^th, whatever occurred on November 1^st is being activated again. This can be a difficult day for the stock market with economic problems coming from overseas, quite possibly in Europe and Egypt. This could also be a day when people feel that their rights are being exploited and they rise up in anger.

It’s important for you to feel that you can express your individual rights today. If you can’t, you’ll feel very frustrated with people in your life. You may consider ending relationships that aren’t supportive. You may also decide that it’s time to change how you relate to people even if you aren’t willing to end the relationship.

As Venus moves into a sextile with Chiron retrograde on November 14^th, you need to make certain that you don’t take any risks which could cause personal injury. At the same time, you may find that by expressing your individual rights, you actually create a healing situation in your life.

The feeling that you need to express yourself continues on November 15^th when Venus forms a conjunction to Pluto. This is not necessary a bad thing. You may feel as if you’re finally in control of your relationships. In healthy relationships, you’ll find a greater depth that brings more love into your life. In hurtful relationships, you’ll have to determine whether to maintain that relationship or end it.

Power struggles may continue in various countries as people look for ways to express their needs. They want financial equity. If they feel they are not getting this, they will either riot or strike to achieve their goals. Employment is a major concern, as are the benefits that can be received from various jobs.

When the full Moon, with Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Taurus, occurs on November 17^th, you’ll be able to determine what needs to be let go in your life and what needs to be kept. It’s not easy letting go under a full Moon that occurs with Scorpio and Taurus because there is a desire to hold on and try ways to fix things. Basically, you need to decide: Will fixing this thing or relationship lead to my greater happiness? Or, will holding on cause me more pain and suffering in the future? Once you can answer those questions you’ll know how to use the energy of this full Moon.

When Mercury forms a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node on November 18^th, it’s very important for you to analyze your plans for the future. This is especially true since this is the third time this conjunction has occurred in this series. It might help if you look back to October 5, 2013 when it first occurred and Mercury was in direct motion. You may have thought about starting a project at that time but somehow you never got around to finishing it. It would also help if you looked back to November 3, 2013 when Mercury was retrograde and this aspect occurred for the second time. That was also the day of the Solar Hybrid Eclipse that occurred in Scorpio.

On one hand, because both Mercury and the Moon’s North Node are in the sign of Scorpio, you may feel that things are fated. You may even feel that your choices are limited. While you may feel that way, it isn’t really true. You have more control over your life than you know. The key is to make some decisions and move slowly in implementing those decisions.

Weather is always strange when a planet forms a conjunction to either the North or South Node of the Moon. It will seem extreme through various parts of the world. On one hand, there will be too much water which causes floods. On the other hand, there will be conditions of draught which cause crop problems.

Chiron turns stationary direct on November 19^th and Mars forms a sextile to Jupiter retrograde. This can be a tremendous healing day for you. You may be able to focus on important matters that need resolution. You may also have the energy to set goals for the long-term. Just be careful not to get so excited about your goals that you make too many commitments to other people. This is really a day where you need to understand what’s important for you.

November 20^th is going to be a very important day: Mercury forms a quincunx to Uranus retrograde, a trine to Chiron, and a sextile to Pluto.

When Mercury forms the quincunx to Uranus retrograde, this will be the third time in this series. The first time this occurred was when Mercury was in direct motion on October 8, 2013. The second time this occurred was when Mercury was in retrograde motion on November 1, 2013. This could have a lot to do with the elections which will be occurring at the beginning of November. It’s possible that a lot of people are still angry and frustrated about Congress and what occurred with the Federal government. However, you really need to take time to look at your life and see if you’re getting what you want out of it. You need to realize that some of the old ways of doing things aren’t working and it’s time to make some adjustments. Don’t try to push something through if it’s not working.

Mercury forming the third trine to Chiron will actually help you make adjustments in situations that aren’t working. The first time that this aspect occurred was on October 7, 2013. Perhaps at that time you got an insight into what needed to be changed in your life. The second time this aspect occurred was on November 1^st when Mercury was in retrograde motion. That day was important because all of these three aspects occurred the second time on November 1^st. Again, you need to take a look at your life and decide what needs to be changed in order to move forward.

As the evening approaches, east coast time, Mercury forms its third sextile to Pluto. The first time this sextile occurred was on October 6, 2013 when Mercury was in direct motion. The second time this aspect occurred was on November 1, 2013 when Mercury was in retrograde motion.

You started the day, with Mercury forming a quincunx to Uranus retrograde, needing to make adjustments with the direction of your life. You needed to think about what was important to you. When Mercury formed the trine to Chiron, you had a chance to understand how these adjustments could actually work for you and also bring healing into your life. Now that Mercury is forming the sextile to Pluto, you can tune into your own personal power and really understand just how you can use this energy to live your life the way that you want to live it. Mercury and Pluto may not be in mutual reception, but Mercury is in Scorpio and Pluto rules that sign. This really is a day where you can understand your inner motivations and use them to create a life that brings you happiness.

While there is a feeling of increased confidence in the world, leaders need to be careful on November 21^st and the next few days. The Sun enters the sign of Sagittarius on November 21^st and forms a square to Neptune a couple of days later. After that time period, more clarity occurs.

Be careful not to take risks for the next couple of days. Also be careful with any negotiations. Even if you try to get all the facts, you won’t find them. It’s not that people are outright deceiving you. They may not have all the facts themselves.

When Venus in Capricorn forms a sextile to Saturn November 23^rd, it can be a good thing since Venus is in the sign of Saturn. It means that you can see what’s important to you. You don’t have to fool yourself into doing things that don’t matter in your life. You may even understand that it’s a good thing to put yourself first.

When Ceres forms an opposition to Uranus retrograde on November 24^th, it creates the energy of a cardinal grand cross. Once again the energy of the Uranus retrograde/Pluto square is activated. It’s difficult to find ways to compromise. Everyone wants to do things which support their agenda. They are willing to fight for what they believe in. However, these arguments can lead to economic problems or social unrest. There will be a lot of tension in the world today.

While the tension in the world may not impact you directly, you’ll feel this tension in your personal life. You’ll need to hold on to your beliefs. At the same time, you’ll need to show respect for other people. Perhaps it’s best that you let go of people in your life who don’t support you. At the same, other people may feel that you aren’t supporting them and decide it’s time to end the relationship. If you need any nurturing, you won’t find it today.

The environment is also under stress at the time of the cardinal grand cross created by Ceres. Regulations protecting various species or lands are under attack. Accidents may occur which injure the environment can occur. If accidents occur, it’s because people were going too fast and didn’t take safety measures to protect the environment.

On November 25^th, Ceres forms a quincunx to Chiron and Mercury forms its third conjunction to Saturn. Mercury formed the first conjunction in direct motion on October 8, 2013 and the second conjunction in retrograde motion on October 29, 2013. With both these aspect occurring on November 25^th, it’s important for you to take a look at your life and decide what goals to set that can make life easier for you. While you may want to hold on to certain situations because they are comfortable, those situations may not be the best for you. You really need to move yourself out of harm’s way. Because Mercury and Saturn are in the sign of Scorpio, you’ll be able to focus on your goals and achieve more than usual. While any negotiations that occur at this time are very intense, you’ll find they are important if you want to find ways to express your true self in the external world.

As the month of November draws to a close, Ceres forms a square to Pluto, Mercury forms a trine to Jupiter, and Venus forms an opposition to Jupiter retrograde on November 28th. The day may feel like a see-saw of emotions.

With Ceres forming the square to Pluto, you really need to understand what’s important to you and find ways to maintain your sense of personal power. You don’t want to compromise to the point that you lose your individual sense of being.

As Mercury forms the trine to Jupiter retrograde this is the first aspect that Mercury did not form in October 2013. It came close to forming the aspect so you may have felt it. But Mercury turned retrograde on October 21, 2013 at 18 degrees of Scorpio and Jupiter was at 20 degrees of Cancer. This turning retrograde before making an aspect is called refranation in astrology. It means that what you expected to happen didn’t. Perhaps that’s why the Republicans thought they would win with closing the government. They felt the energy of the potential trine, but it never materialized. On the other hand, they ended the debacle on October 16, 2013. Perhaps they knew that they couldn’t win after all. It does make one wonder just what that potential, never realized, aspect held for the world.

So, when Mercury forms a trine to Jupiter retrograde on November 28^th, this is the only time that Mercury will form this trine. There is no series going on and the energy of the Mercury retrograde in Scorpio is finally resolved. Perhaps for the first time in a few months you are finally feeling optimistic. At least you are seeing some things in your life coming to a resolution.

As Venus forms the opposition to Jupiter retrograde you may also understand the real costs of various projects that you need to undertake. You may also understand what is valuable in your life and how to hold on to that value as you move into the future. An opposition between Venus and Jupiter retrograde is not a bad aspect if you realize that it’s important to pull back a little and not rush into the future with unrealistic expectations. This aspect really does help you understand how to express your inner motivations in the external world.