Step 11- The Resurrection-Scorpio and Sagittarius Season
November is the 11th month, the 11th step in the Hero’s Journey, “the Resurrection”. This step and month is all about the final test that we can overcome. The reference to the “resurrection” is about facing the truth about things in our lives that need to be dealt with. When we stand in front of the moment of truth, we may experience what feels like death and rebirth. Okay okay! I can hear the moans and groans now. Another test?! What?! How much more can we endure?!
Let me offer this perspective,
Death of something is an act of surrender so that Life can begin.
Life and Death live on the same axis. We cannot have one without the other. The biggest test we may face is trusting that when a truth is forced upon us, then by surrendering will be able to manifest something better than we imagined.
The quote I am choosing for this month comes from C. S. Lewis:
“You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”
Consider that the Sun is in sexy, mysterious, and Mars/Pluto ruled Scorpio (the essence of death and rebirth) until the 21st when it moves into adventurous, faith based, optimistic Sagittarius. Scorpio wants to form strong bonds and hold on for dear life. Once strong bonds are formed, a heavily Scorpio influenced person does not take “letting go” or surrender easily. One of the life lessons for Scorpio energy is surrender and flow. Look at your natal chart and locate Scorpio (the glyph looks like the letter M with a tail pointing outwards). The house it occupies represents the area in life that needs to have surrender and flow. The area of surrender is where we can find our greatest source of power. It is where we can experience the alchemy of transformation and transmutation because we are not fighting against ourselves. If we are able to stay in a fluid and flexible state (not easy as Scorpio is a fixed sign) then we are able to navigate the areas in life that we have little to no control over.
The other theme of November is feeling as though we are going through extremes. Scorpio energy needs to experience the highest of highs and lowest of lows in order to transform the mundane or stagnant energy. This is where we may feel we are going through our fiercest tests. The tests may show up as a crisis in consciousness or literally a crisis in our lives. Whatever it may be, please remember that we have been practicing for these times. If we have been doing our work and showing up the best we can, then we will be ready for anything.
Remember too, that
this is not about perfection, it is about striving for excellence and making adjustments along the way.
We are coming off of a powerful and magical full moon in Taurus as we begin the month. This full moon was canoodling with Uranus and most likely offered us all a sudden upgrade to something in our physical and/or psychological world. Mercury is still retrograde until November 3rd and making an exact square to Saturn. The first week of November gives us plenty of time to adjust to the newest downloads we may have received or settling into a new idea of what this next phase of reality will look and feel like to us. We may begin the month feeling as though we are being forced to follow rules we don’t like or want to follow, especially during this time of a pandemic and flu season. This is part of the surrender and flow theme.
We can find equanimity when we pick and choose the battles that are worth fighting,
and allow the process to continue to unfold. Keeping the big picture in mind as we make decisions can help us avoid trivial arguments and mishaps.
We may wrestle with feelings of self-doubt when conversations and connections do not go exactly how we thought they would, or the person on the receiving end misinterprets or resists what we are offering. There is a good indication that we may have the conversation all thought out in our heads, but when it comes out of our mouths we withhold what we are really wanting to share out of fear of rejection or judgment. Of course, we are dealing with extremes this month so the opposite could be true, where we blurt out something we never intended to come out of our heads or mouths. As we know, we can’t take something back once it is said. So the practice of forgiveness and conscious communication is going to be a tool we may use often.
November 9th, Mars in its final days of retrograde will oppose Venus bringing an issue regarding relationships, values or finances into the spotlight. We may feel driven or motivated to force an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved. A rule of thumb during these days is to remind ourselves that
if the relationship is more important than the subject matter, we will avoid making it personal or taking it personally, and give the situation the benefit of the doubt.
A wonderful mantra is “The Universe always has my back.” Remember too that some things just take time to get revealed or worked out, so paying attention to the process will give us more wisdom and growth to handle the next moment when it arises.
We have our third Jupiter, Pluto canoodling on November 12th, and this configuration is sure to bring us an expansive wealth of information, maybe even money or powerful opportunities that we can capitalize on. It may come at the perfect timing with all that is going on. I am curious to see if we will have election results by then or if we are going to get them on Friday the 13th when Mars stations direct in Aries. This second week of November is sure to be one for the history books as well as a powerful time of truth telling. I would say that more than ever the Serenity Prayer will be said by many of us.
This set up for a powerful new moon in Scorpio on the 14th/15th (depending on where we are in the world) is giving us the opportunity to plant new seeds of intention for the area in our lives that we need to create stronger bonds and allow ourselves to be more vulnerable and trusting. Not an easy thing to work with if we haven’t learned how to trust ourselves first. This is where the Scorpio intuition will serve us well. Listening deeply and feeling strongly in our hearts and bodies will inform us of the more subtle energy and information that we need to address anything that gets revealed. It will allow us to speak a truth that is coming up from within us instead of basing our truth on external factors. The external can be molded and manipulated, while the internal is clear, strong, and steady.
The Sun and Moon will sextile Jupiter and Pluto during this time giving us the extra boost of power we need to face any situation, or energize our new moon intentions.
I would offer that our closest relationships, both personal and professional, will deepen during this time. This kind of bonding can give us the support and stability we need to take some calculated risks as we move away from the new moon and into a Mercury opposing Uranus on the 17th. We may feel more powerful during this time and suddenly decide to put some action behind our words. Remember that we can always adjust if we aren’t satisfied with the results.
The Sun moves into Sagittarius on the 21st giving us more hope and optimism for the future, and that we can believe in something good again.
We may also begin the process of facing the truth about ourselves or a particular situation, and like pulling a thread on a garment, things unravel. This unraveling could cause us to face a deep fear or wound, and yet when we begin to take it apart and shine light on it, we realize that fear itself is a tool we can use for greater enlightenment. If we can study and learn about this fear or shadow we can know how to block or avoid the punch altogether, and make our mark on the situation from a place of truth.
Sagittarius is represented by the Archer and carries the energy of adventure, honesty, and candidacy. Those with Sagittarian emphasis in their chart often have “foot and mouth” disease. Speaking and espousing beliefs and philosophies can often come across as preaching or dogmatic.
Knowing our audience is important, as well as the concept that often it isn’t WHAT we say but HOW we say it that determines how the information or truth lands.
Aim well and true when shooting the arrows of Truth as there may be things to clarify or clean up afterwards.
We finish the month with Neptune, our planet of compassion, sensitivity, deception, and illusion moving direct in its home sign of Pisces, followed by a full moon lunar eclipse in Gemini.
I would imagine (very Neptune of me to say) that we will be ready to connect, communicate and disseminate information and learning with anyone and everyone who will listen. By tapping into our dreams, subconscious mind i.e. the imaginal realm, and creativity we can receive more pieces to a puzzle we are trying to solve.
This Gemini eclipse carries the theme of releasing thought patterns and old mental constructs that have kept us disillusioned about someone or something.
An area where we may have felt deceived or blocked by disbelief and doubt could finally reveal the truth. This may be that final test we pass so that we can truly step into the new reality we want to create.
Eclipses are wild, unexpected, and seemingly random. I doubt any of us will be able to plan for what arrives at our door. It could be a wonderful surprise or shocking disruption. Eclipses are meant to shove us out of status quo or our comfort zones. If this Gemini eclipse isn’t directly affecting you, then be prepared to support a loved one or co-worker through it. Consider this an “anything goes” kind of energy.
Remember too that with eclipses there is often a finality and very often the situation does not present itself the day of the eclipse. We can experience the theme of the eclipse a month before or after as well. It will be most interesting to see what happens in the world especially when we look at the themes from June as this was our first eclipse in the signs of Gemini/Sagittarius. We may have to revisit those themes in order to finally put them to rest. I say this as an encouragement for all of us who have been plagued or dealing with an issue since June.
Our curiosity will be ramped up during the eclipse time, and instead of looking for the answers we seek, we may just find the right questions to ask.
Remember the quote from C.S. Lewis, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” The life we are creating requires us to face and own the truth about ourselves and our situations. It is a matter of life and death. If we continue to live a lie, we slowly die inside, and if we are willing to die or surrender to the truth, then we can truly be the most authentic version of our current selves.
Living an authentic life is where we as human beings truly come alive.