| Posted Sunday, November 4, 2012 |
NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Your Guide to Planetary Energies for
November 5 to 11, 2012
By Pam Younghans |
Photo: Auroras over Sørkjosen, Nordreisa, Troms, Norway on October 14 (photo by Tor-Ivar Næss)
MERCURY AND NEPTUNE take
the headlines this week. Both planets change their direction, giving us
some interesting and at times confusing energies to play with.
First in line chronologically, we have
Mercury going retrograde on Tuesday. If you're not familiar with the
meaning of the word "retrograde," it's an astronomy term that describes
the apparent backward motion of a planet through the zodiac. The planet
doesn't literally go in reverse -- it's just an optical illusion seen
from Earth that occurs when we are "passing" other planets in their
orbit.
It's a lot like when we're driving on the
freeway at 60 mph and pass another car that's going 55 mph. As we're
driving past the other car, that car looks like it's going backward. Of
course, it isn't -- it's going nearly as fast as we are. But the visual
effect is clear.
ASTROLOGICALLY,
when a planet "stations" (changes direction), there's a subtle shift in
how that planet's energies work with us. A planet that goes retrograde
encourages us to approach certain areas of our experience more
internally, rather than trying to control them externally.
Mercury represents our logical thinking and
planning processes. When Mercury is direct (moving forward), thinking
and planning are more linear and seem to follow (mostly) expected paths.
Mercury retrograde supports us in being introspective and taking the
time to review where we have been. It does not tend to support our
putting new processes into effect.
WHEN MERCURY goes
retrograde, our thought processes tend to take more circuitous
routes. We often find this reflected in our external lives through
needing to take detours into unfamiliar or unplanned territory. Usual
roadways and communication methods may be blocked or delayed. This is
the reason astrologers usually warn against starting new projects or
signing important papers while Mercury is retrograde.
We are also encouraged to see life more
symbolically than literally while Mercury is retrograde. It's a little
like "Alice Through the Looking Glass," where the world can seem
topsy-turvy if we try to process events intellectually or logically. As
astrologer Bil Tierney writes, with Mercury retrograde, "we need to look
below the surface of life more often for answers and not accept
everything at face value."
HERE IN THE U.S.,
we have national elections on Tuesday, the same day that Mercury goes
retrograde. It will be interesting to see what effects that may have on
the election process. At the very least, we would expect some confusion
or delays in seeing results. It will also be interesting to observe
timelines for resolution of those problems or delays -- Mercury will
station direct again on November 26, and then will finally move beyond
the "shadow zone" of the retrograde phase on December 14.
The last time Mercury stationed on an
election day was in 2000, the year of the Great Confusion, when Bush and
Gore were candidates for president, and there were delays and problems
in counting ballots. Let's hope we move through this week's election
more gracefully than we did 12 years ago.
IN CONTRAST,
Neptune is wrapping up its retrograde phase and will station direct
next Friday. Neptune represents our spiritual and creative expression,
and so we are completing a five-month review phase (since June 4) of
some aspect of our spiritual growth or creative process.
This week, we will be working with Neptune's
"station effect." When a planet is about to change directions, it slows
its motion to a standstill, focusing its energies in one location of the
zodiac. This means that during the week before and after a planet's
station, the effects of that planet are multiplied.
The metaphor I often use to explain the
effect is that of standing on a platform in a train station. As a train
arrives, the vibration increases until the entire platform may be
reverberating. While the train is in the station, the sound and
vibration are at their strongest. When the train starts to pull out,
that effect slowly recedes.
WE ARE STANDING on
the platform this week, watching and feeling the Neptune train pulling
in. Neptunian traits and issues -- both positive and negative -- will be
emphasized throughout this week and next: heightened spiritual
perspectives and idealism, but also escapist tendencies and lack of
initiative; intuition and compassion, but also indecisiveness and
hypersensitivity; imagination and creativity, but also deceit and
evasiveness.
How we choose to utilize this heightened
Neptune influence is, of course, up to each of us as individuals. In the
most positive, we can use this time to reconnect with our spiritual
core, to realign with our creative muse, and to allow ourselves to be
guided intuitively to our next steps. This is about surrender -- not as a
form of capitulation or self-sacrifice, but as a component of trusting
the unfolding of our lives and knowing that All Is Well.
Blessings,
Pam
NorthPoint Astrology Blog: For occasional postings on astrological and metaphysical topics, please visit http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/-- I look forward to your comments!
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Highlighted Aspects
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[size=9][size=9]Tuesday: Mercury stations retrograde 3:04pm PST; Wednesday: Mars square Pallas Athene; [size=9]Thursday: Jupiter trine Venus; [size=9]Friday: Mars opposite Vesta, Neptune sesquisquare Venus; Friday: Neptune stations direct 11:53pm PST; Sunday: Uranus sesquisquare Sun[/size][/size][/size] [/size] |
About the Journal |
Astrologer Pam Younghans
writes this weekly NorthPoint Astrology Journal based on planetary
influences and guidance received. Her hope is to offer perspectives and
insights that will assist you in utilizing current energies to enhance
your life experience.  |
Astrology Readings |
To request a personal astrology reading, please e-mail Pam at pam@northpointastrology.com.
Or, see the "Readings" page at www.northpointastrology.com
to learn more.
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