Nov 20, 2023 | by Daniel Giamario |
Saturn headlines this week with
- a close Lunar alignment
- almost simultaneous to the Lunar first quarter “quadrature”
- and the Saturn square with the Sun a few days later.
The waxing moon is conjunct and just below evening star Saturn at 7:45am PST on Monday at 00Pisces43. It can be viewed in the early mornings and late evenings, now approaching its own “quadrature” with the Sun on November 22. Quadrature is a favorite term used by astronomers, meaning 90degrees or one-fourth of a circle, i.e. the well known “square” of astrologers. The Moon itself is at its first quarter quadrature of 27Aquarius51 at 2:50am PST on Monday.
I find the synchronization of the Saturn and Moon squares with the Sun to be fascinating, as well as being a message. From a visual perspective, this kind of quadrature lets us know that both Saturn and the Moon are near the top of the ecliptic at midnight. Saturn, at magnitude 0.6, is still among the stars of the Water Bearer Constellation, about two fists above Fomalhaut of similar brightness.
Saturn and the Moon have always been the cosmic timekeepers, the latter for the fastest and the former for the slowest cycles perceptible with the naked eye.
As Dane Rudhyar put it, and I frequently refer to, squares are “crisis in action”. It’s a time to be “at the effect” of events. What matters is our response! Saturn teaches us through limitations and boundaries, with the intent of maturation and forced awareness of objective reality. Pisces is primarily about empathy, compassion, and self-abnegation. Its shadow is martyrdom, over-giving, and taking on the sorrow of others and the world. Its redemption is in including one-self as being worthy of grace and mercy. Don’t leave yourself out!
Saturn can have a double mission here. It can, on one hand, attempt to block the feeling function and harden hearts. Or the tension itself, the reality of personal and collective events, can forcibly break down the wall, and open us to the natural grief and sorrow that is being engendered. Saturn and the Moon can be liberators of our deepest feelings if we surrender our egoic fortress.
Venus
At magnitude -4.3 Venus dominates the morning sky, rising a good two hours before dawn. She is in her throat chakra portal, imploring us to employ right speech and communication. Unblock your desire to share how you feel, but try to do it with compassion and understanding, including being able to really listen.
Mars
On Saturday, Mars was exactly conjunct on the other side of the Sun, in the Underworld, in Scorpio, balanced on the Scales. Mars will be in his Underworld phase until January 8, 2024. What version of the Scorpio god will be showing up? Is it a surrendered and vulnerable version? Or an angry vindictive one? If this initiatory process for the archetypal masculine is not accomplished, it will all be played out on the world stage!
Jupiter
Now dominating the late evening and morning sky, Jupiter is setting before dawn at a brilliant magnitude of -2.8. Beginning the week at 8Taurus14Rx, he still is in the stars of the Ram constellation and is gathering strength for the highly anticipated and rare exact conjunction in Taurus with Uranus in April 2024.
Mercury
Quite out-of-bounds (24S52) at 15Sagittarius, Mercury is now technically an evening star, about 17degrees from the Sun, but not a great apparition for being easily seen. Mercury reaches Galactic Center on November 29.