Hello everyone, and welcome to my analysis of the 2016 Scorpio/Taurus lunar cycle & astrological overview of themes for both October and November.

Last month in October I did not have the chance to write a full article due to hosting the Star Spirit Movement Retreat (which was awesome, by the way!!!) But October was a super-charged month – brimming with much change and action! The Libra/Aries lunar cycle that encompassed the New Moon on September 30 and the Full Moon on October 16 was highly social, transformative, and a powerful initiatory point for the year-long transit of Jupiter in Libra. In October we saw the arrival of many long-awaited but nonetheless quick shifts and an abundance of social-connection oriented activity.

In the energy of October, we got a full dose of Jupiter in Libra’s influence and primary message for 2016 & 2017: To honor our RELATIONSHIPS and CONNECTIONS as the measure of truth.

In the whirlwind of October, no matter what was happening in any interaction I was having -- positive, negative or neutral -- the message from spirit kept going back to “the relationship.” Remember the relationship, was the whispering. The situation doesn’t matter. It’s about the relationship.

This came up again and again when considering the one-to-one relationships in my life -- from business partnerships, to family, to students, clients, visitors, and beyond. It was a consistent, gentle reminder that at the central core of all that we do and all that we exchange of others (money, knowledge, love, etc) the thing that holds it together in the end is not the transaction of goods, time, or even kindness – but the quality of the bond between two people. And in that, we each have a responsibility as individuals to recognize the value of harmonious interactions with others in our life as GREATER than momentary quibbles or grudges. It is the RELATIONSHIPS and our efforts to harmonize with and care for one another that determine positive outcomes and govern the genuine health and happiness of daily life.

To succeed in relationship is to recognize fluctuations and work with them – knowing when a boundary might need to be set, yet in the same moment, when to back off and allow. So often in our current cultural paradigm we are hung up on the policing and commanding of other people in our lives and we lose sight of the necessity to let things rest & reset. Without intending it, we add fuel to the fire and get lost in a war we didn’t mean to start fighting due to our impatience and desire for instant gratification.

There are many things that can be resolved through peaceful allowing. Every negative emotion that is directed towards us by another person is not necessarily a call to arms. Sometimes, it is a time when we need to be still and allow the other to ventilate. Sometimes, harsh behavior is a hidden call for attention and help, a veiled concern, a defense mechanism, an expression of isolation or frustration, etc… I feel that the energies of the times are asking us to become more sensitive to the true emotion underneath our day-to-day interactions. What rises to the surface is only one layer of truth, and often the most superficial. What people show first are usually responses that arise from conditioning, past experience, and expectations. Dig deeper. Feel what is really being said. Respond to what lies beneath, not just what you hear with your ears.

Harmony in relationships from a Libran perspective is truly an art form. It requires the ability to perceive and work from a nuanced space. It is knowing that every action need not evoke a response – and that a response need not be direct to be effective.

Consider this example: Let’s say someone in your life approaches you in an intense way – they might even be putting you in the line of their fire whether or not you are the culprit for this upset energy. If we respond from Libra’s opposite archetype, Aries -- the warrior energy – we might be inclined to immediately demolish this person out of impulsive anger and irritation. If we respond from Libra’s shadow – where we feel at odds with ourselves and uncertain how to choose sides – we might even take a passive-aggressive approach – smiling on the outside while crafting a devious revenge plot on this inside. Wearing the façade of being “cool” while internally seething.

But there is something to be gleaned from the fact that the planet that is in its exaltation in Libra – meaning a planet which has special strength in a sign – is Saturn. Yes, Libra’s ruling planet is Venus – the planet of relationship, romance, refinement & luxury – but with the subtle connection of Saturn here, we can understand that inherent to the archetype of Libra is also a sense of wisdom, control and dignity. Libra, in its most pure quality, teaches us how to receive, redirect, diffuse and dissolve adversity with loving kindness.

We might ask ourselves: Why is this person upset? Am I really the one they are upset with? If so, what offering of peace can I make? If not, can I remain calm enough to offer reflection? Can I step aside and dodge the force of their attack while remaining unaltered in my own integrity of truth? Can I suggest another perspective in a non-forceful manner, with no expectations? Can I allow myself to relinquish the any need to control others – their reactions, behaviors, etc… and seek a peaceful solution? And the absolute key to it all – Can I be controlled enough in myself to understand and respect the value of grace & good timing – Waiting for the right moment to act or speak. In the meantime holding no emotion (allowing them to pass through … not encouraging their festering) or negative expectation?

Honor that honing the skills of peacekeeping in our personal lives is important right now. The influence of discord, upheaval, and anger is strong and it is easy to allow ourselves to be triggered. But we must always ask ourselves – is it worth it? What is gained (and lost) through angry exchanges, emotional dramas, etc? It’s high time we start acknowledging our desire to fall into these snake pits for what they are: distractions from what it is we know deep down we should be doing with our mind energy – which is to be creative, evolutionary, and inclusive. We do not need permission, or even the “on-board”ness of others to achieve this. In fact, to the contrary – those that walk in the path of their truth will find true partners. It need not be a fight, or a demand. And so the irony of the Libra archetype is that in order to harmonize with others we must first recognize our individuality. Our interdependence is one that stems from individuals in their strength operating together. The need to “agree” is not the first step or always necessary. If we can let go of that, we might find a greater capacity for compromise and our needs more fully met by others. True partnership is the authentic union of two whole individuals in freedom and trust.

Anyhow – that was a pretty long reflection on the October energy, but it was a reflection that I feel is of perennial importance and will be relevant for the year as our journey with Jupiter in Libra continues to unfold. This is a time to strengthen ourselves through CONNECTION and LOVE.

Now -- diving into the realm of the Scorpio phase, the energy of the autumnal release and drift into darkness is upon us. What I see/feel is that this is a time to consolidate the forces that drive us, to move forward with the plans we hold dear, and let go of our grievances in the process. We must look forward towards the health of our lives with foresight -- going beyond primal impulse urges and striving toward a deeper evolution. We actually have a great opportunity in this moment to work positively with the subconscious, and untangle the roots of our addictive behavior patterns, no matter how they manifest. This is the season that is celebrated in Western esoteric traditions as the time when the veils between the spirit world and the human world are the thinnest, thus this is also a time when we can receive great insight from the spiritual realms regarding our forward progress.

I write over and over in this blog about how letting go is the key to productive development at this time. Scorpio is a sign that, at its highest level, embodies the concept of letting what is destined to be, to be. Scorpio is empowered by the killing of the ego’s control-oriented survival urge – which is often the most difficult thing for the Scorpio aspect of ourselves to grok. Scorpio archetype grips, and controls, and strives for power over something in order to ensure its life-force… but in this gripping and controlling, we also limit our capacity. The Scorpio well is actually bottomless… which is frightening if we’re concerned about falling into it. But if there is no ground to hit at the bottom, what is there to fear, really? Must we always know everything to be secure? Can we embrace the mystery of life? And accept the possibility that if we surrender, we may have the chance to experience life in a new way? That a narrow tunnel is not our only destiny?

When we open to the broader vision of our life – we might later have the opportunity to understand the structure we desire to put around things. But if we obsess over every detail of the planning, and attempt to micromanage every outcome, we may be undermining the greatness that is trying to come towards us! This is the time of visioning and building… but it is a process that ebbs and flows. It does not arrive all at once. There are steps, detours, and rest stops.

What we are doing this month of November is assimilating meaning and applying the knowledge that we have gained to the situation. The dynamics of control vs. no control underlie our present perspective and subconsciously direct us if we are not careful. I am feeling it is important to remember that the master is within us – and to consciously seek the higher wisdom that is available to us. If we open ourselves to hear, we are in a position to create deep and lasting change – and develop a more personal relationship with the nature of spirit and our true self.

We live in a time of restructuring and repatterning. This is very much visible in the chaos of the outer world – but the true work of repatterning begins with us as individuals. During this time we vacillate between feeling like “we got this” and feeling like everything is completely out of our hands -- and many people, in my observation, are subconsciously leaning towards the latter. A hidden quality of Scorpio is highlighted by its opposite sign, Taurus – and that is a deeply felt need for security and reassurance. Taurus finds these things through the physical world (am I fed? Do I have shelter? Do I have enough money? Am I comfortable?) – but for a Scorpio this must be found through trust in self on a primal, pure instinctual level. What I am sensing is that the consciousness of people has not fully embraced that a repatterning/restructuring is possible. There is a great deal of uncertainty and hesitation, though the desire for change has been well established. What I feel is that November is an opportunity to go full on into divine trust and see what we are made of.

The sense of "security" that is found within the Scorpio archetype is the unflinching knowledge that no matter where we are and what is happening, we are, at our deepest core, unshakeable and undamageable. In order to arrive at this space we must be willing to unhinge ourselves from the many subtle grips of fear and sink into a deep trust and knowing that all is well and all will work out as it should. We can have control of ourselves and our lives without needing to BE IN CONTROL. There is a subtle but important distinction between the two. The dance of November will be finding that delicate balancing point between determining where change and structure is needed while still remaining free. Know where you are, and respect the sovereignty of the dynamic wheel of fortune that surrounds each of us in collective and individual ways. Do what is necessary, and also heed the greater governing intelligence of mystery. This energy is about anchoring INWARD in order to direct & manage (not control or try to drive) the outward.

The Full Moon in Taurus is to occur at 22 Taurus, the degree of the master builder. The energy of this moon has an unrelenting and somewhat confrontational feel. Alliances have strong relevance and will speak a great deal into the processes underway at this time. Heed the input of October’s flow and maintain dignity, composure, and acumen. This is the time to APPLY all the philosophy, compassion, and beliefs that are passed around and spoken about, in a steadfast, even, and determined manner.

I can’t seem to emphasize enough that it is all going to come back to our personal integrity and self development. What I feel very strongly from this particular cycle through Scorpio is that we must empower ourselves through self discipline when it comes to how we respond to the world around us – recognizing the subtle differences between emotions rising up from hidden doubts or conditioned expectations – and those that are truly “straight from the gut.” This is a time to really work on crystal clarity in alignment between mind & spirit, because when we are in integrity here, our consciousness has much more power of focus to create the substantive shifts that we are making at this time. So, if nothing else, it is a good time to get to know your psychological distraction patterns really well and aspire towards greater clarity of thought and action. Really explore the possibilities of the inner will… With it, you might find yourself able to move previously immovable mountains. This is the true power of our integrity, as it is integrity alone that can cause true transformation.

We are in for a very interesting time this coming month, and I am curious to see how it all plays out in the worlds inner and outer, and look forward to the opportunity to go in and go deep.

Much love.