Holistic Networker

Autumn brings the end of a year many thought would never come. What a pleasant surprise! This season is all about checks and balances. It is time to see where the money is and where it needs to go. Saturn is strong. Although he wants an audit and a budget, even he cannot stop the financial spending and debt. However, Saturn is the wisdom of time and this season he is in the news and he is traveling with Rahu, the eclipse point, where even the wise old accountant is prone to lose his head to the demands of the nation. There is talk of war and there is war somewhere, but for this season it’s all about the money. Keep a watchful eye for exciting surprises.

October begins with stress regarding change. The Sun triggers the Uranus-Pluto square. The Sun moves quickly so it is a flurry of energy or light on a situation where change is coming. It is big and deep and many do not want it to happen. You might feel it in your own life. If you happen to have planets around 15 degrees of Virgo, Pisces or Sagittarius in your Vedic chart, then you already know this feeling. The first week of this month is just a reminder that you cannot stop change so you had better find a way to welcome it. If you are ready to throw down the gauntlet, then turn to the wisdom of Saturn. Go slow and deep so you can see the wise path. Saturn promises that wisdom is available for all if only we turn toward it with compassion. Yes, I do mean compassion for “those” folks that drive us up the wall. You see Saturn sits in the eclipse path and there is nothing like the grab of Rahu, the dragon’s head, to remind us where we lose our peace of mind. This transit began in September and continues through the end of the year. So take note when you do lose your inner peace to thoughts of frustration, impatience and anger. When do you go to war right between your ears? You have an arsenal of thoughts at your disposal, but what triggers you to shoot thought missiles? Allow for unexpected allies. Strangely, we see them on the world stage as Assad and Putin promise chemical weapons will be destroyed. Do you think this will happen or will you shoot down hope?Pluto Square Uranus offers the Power to purge: This month we begin with Uranus and Pluto just 1½ degrees from making an exact square. A Square equals stress in astrology. This is a relatively rare combination, however, it will last for at least 2 more years. This month, we begin with the Sun opposing Uranus and Squaring Pluto. Read the dates carefully. We all get to participate. The Sun is the ego so it can get very personal…grins. Uranus and Pluto are innately unpredictable. They bring personal and transpersonal stress and the opportunity to rise above anxiety to liberation [Uranus]. However, we get there by purging, in some way, the old “crap” we’ve carried for years [Pluto].

The Moon triggers this combination approximately every 7 days starting on the 4th and includes the 11th, 17th, 24th and November 1st. These are the perfect days to experience the power to purge our perceptions! We bump into situations and, yes, people that trigger the urge to flee or to fight. And, yes, it’s all about perspective and how we look at them and us. I hope you are onboard. It’s an exciting ride!

Mercury goes retrograde on the 21st and goes direct on November 10th. He spends the entire time in the constellation Libra. He also spends a great deal of time in the lunar mansion Swati, which is philosophical, practical and artistic all at once. I lovingly call it the Martha Stewart lunar mansion. She does what she loves very well and has managed to make a fortune doing so. She was humbled by her stay in prison and talks honestly and with pride about mopping floors there. All the while, she was rebuilding her body and her business. Wow! That takes a focus that few of us can know. However, this month and next we get to clear out the clutter that stands between us and what we want to do well. Are you in? The other lunar mansion is Vishaka. This mansion isn’t just about doing something right; its focus is on Dharma or doing the right thing. Mercury and several other planets will pass through this mansion during this month and next. It’s a good thing!

Love and Money are tentative this month and the Market may reflect that caution. There is plenty of talk about the budget in the news and at the dinner table.

November is a lot about business and the arts. Does this sound like an odd combination? Not really. We begin the month with Saturn still strong and faster moving planets join him to carry forward creative ideas that were begun in September. Are those about love, war, or the beauty of life? In many respects it is the luck of where you happen to be and the gift of perspective so you can enjoy it. If you don’t like your life, then turn on the nasty news of the world and let the reality of how bad it could be help you shift to how good it is. Do you say your life is too limited? Then take time to look carefully at the gifts you were not grateful for yesterday or perhaps ever. Do you feel that is hard work? Saturn’s best rewards follow tenacity and, yes, Saturn is the wisdom of manual labor. If your room or closet is a mess, then clean it up while you listen to an audio book of someone who you know is wise. Pretty soon your thoughts will move in a more positive direction.

A total Solar Eclipse on the 3rd: Its path travels from the eastern coast of Africa, Saudi Arabia and Egypt all the way east to the Atlantic coast of the US and the Northern half of South America. This area is in the news and the connection between the US and these nations is part of the headlines this week, this month and beyond. That may not sound like news, but a total eclipse is always a wonder to behold and draws attention to the nations and continents in her path. I hope this attention is positive and enlightening. If not, then let’s hope it is uniting. A solar eclipse is simply the time when the Moon is positioned just right to block the light of the Sun. It’s all about perspective! Eclipses often appear with change.

Mercury spends another month with Saturn. Watch what you say because you will be called upon to act on your promises. Yes, that is true for politicians, too. This is a tough time for politicians who promised everything and delivered little. However, it is also time for all of us to notice what we’ve promised and where we need to take action.

Mercury turns direct on the 10th. Ideas and cash start to flow. Mercury is a business planet. Think mercantile, but remember that Mercury will cross budget-conscious Saturn this month, too. Things are moving. This actually kicks off a period where we can easily spend too much and then regret it. Hold onto your receipts.

Jupiter goes Retrograde and looks over his shoulder. Jupiter teaches us and he virtually stands still this month. When the great guru stands still and is retrograde, then he takes time to look back and to learn from the journey. He is a storyteller.  He’s not the quiet, old, curmudgeon Saturn. Instead he looks at life and people and loves to share his experience of them and with them. This month he lingers in the lunar mansion Punarvasu. No matter where it falls in your chart, the journey is along the path that returns you to the light.

Venus will cross Pluto, learn, and then come to face Jupiter directly.  Jupiter looks back at the people and experiences that helped create his story. Now, he looks at his relationships with love and money: He watches Venus as she is seduced by Pluto. She crosses Pluto on the 15th, but began her journey to meet the cathartic planet on the 1st. Pluto is a daunting planet. He is all about cleansing and is compelling. You know that you are having a powerful Pluto transit when you notice that a distant voice is calling you. It reminds you that you aren’t peaceful and that there is a wobble in your ride through what appears to be an ordinary time in your life. You think you’ve got it handled and figured out. You are so compelled with confidence that you take a big leap. Then you notice that things were not as you planned. Perhaps the contract wasn’t done well. Perhaps that romance wasn’t as solid as the passion that propelled it. Often you think you are walking through a door with plenty of room only to realize that it slams shut or takes you down the rabbit hole and you are faced with a mad queen and you try to find your way out. However, ultimately, Jupiter stationed in the heavens helps us learn and leaves us with a great story about the journey. Just remember- Venus and Pluto are a dance and Jupiter helps us embrace the lesson and, ultimately, find the good stuff from experience. This is more personal if you have a personal planet triggered by the Pluto-Uranus square. However, we all get the Jupiter.

My favorite analogy of big Pluto transits is symbolic: You are sitting on the shore of a river. Things are fine, perhaps a little boring. Then you hear a little voice that urges you to wade in. It feels great; it’s cool and maybe a little squishy. You go deeper and enjoy the embrace of the water. However, when you try to go back to shore, you find that cannot. You are caught in an undertow. There is no way to fight it. You are not going back. Pluto is the planet of death. You face your mortality or that of your situation. Finally, you take a deep breath and let the current carry you down and back up. Thrilled with excitement and appreciation for life, you are so alive or maybe enlightened that there is no going back. You might find your way back to that spot on the bank, but there is no going back to where you were before this transit.

This month Venus crosses Pluto on the 14th and she squares Uranus, too. Remember these outer or transpersonal planets will stress each other for at least 2 more years! However, now we get the gift of Venus, the planet of love and money, venturing into Pluto’s powerful purging presence. There is no better time to enliven your marriage or to get excited about an investment opportunity that feels right in your heart. With a solid Saturn and Mercury, there is also no better month to learn from the past. Pluto comes with risk. What seems riskless may not mean a riskless journey. Listen deeply to what or who is calling you. Know that there is risk and a part of you wants it. However, there is no risk-free day in this life in a body on terra firma. That is true. As Venus pulls away, she finds the Jupiter pathway back to the light. Jupiter is expansive.

Does this mean we’ll lose love and money for the sake of growth and enlightenment? It could happen. The aspect often moves through us as awareness. We see what our past experiences were trying to tell us all along. We are lovable even when we are with someone who is powerful or wealthy. We trust the journey and we know that risk is part of life and loss is another name for awareness. This combination helps us see that if we are ready to go, then we’ll go…or they will. However, when we are together, then there is no point to have one foot out. For the record, I have seen as many clients fall in love as out of it during the Venus-Pluto unions. However, Jupiter slows the journey down so we can live and love while we learn.

On the 21st, the Moon crosses Jupiter and they smile on Venus. As she pulls away from Pluto this combination might just be the warm hand or invitation that helps you know that you are not alone. What looked like a loss or seemed like a mistake is slowly turning into an opportunity.

On the 28th, Venus faces Jupiter and there is much to be grateful for. If you have a personal Pluto story, then you will notice that an exciting chapter begins here.

Where the Money Flows: Saturn is slow and steady. Mercury has us rethinking investments. The combination could be unusually cautious this month and into the next.

How the Love Grows: This is a little dicey. Venus has pulled away from the other personal planets. She’s off on her own. You may see couples take a little time apart. Maybe one is traveling for work or a vacation. Even if they are living together, you might just want to sleep in another room for a bit just to see what it’s like to hear nothing, but your own breath. That actually helps you grow together, but this is a tentative time, with more to come in November. Be gentle with one another…and respectful!

December: Mars triggers Pluto and Uranus the week before Christmas. Notice when you feel stressed or even threatened. There is no better time than now to take note and ask if it is reasonable to be on edge. Be aware. Mars made this aspect on July 20, 2012, the day of the Aurora Colorado Movie shooting. If someone is unusually edgy, then take heed. This is not the week to fight for that spot in line or on the freeway. It also is not a good time to ignore a disgruntled employee. I suspect we will hear more about the Colorado shooting. We should not ignore a threat and neither should our nation.

I know it’s the holidays, but resist the temptation to complain about security at the airport. If there was ever a time to be cautious, then it is the week of the 21st. There are unstable people in the world, which can lead to accidents or worse.
Security and caution are worth delays and should turn a threat into just that: words and not actions.

The economy is big news and “We the People” have had to make some sacrifices to keep things going. However, we are making them, we are working together and we are at the dusk of one year and about to enter the dawn of another. Mars to Pluto says that we have cleared out our old beliefs and that we often did so reluctantly. Those who are best able to bend will see the gifts sooner, but we all understand that this life and this year were and are great gifts.

Venus turns Retrograde on the 21st. Look back at November’s theme regarding Venus, Jupiter and Pluto. Venus moves into the constellation Capricorn and appears to stop at 5 degrees. She’ll slowly move backward until early February where she’ll stop within 1 degree of Pluto and move forward. If there was ever a time to heal, then it is the end of this year and the beginning of the next. As Venus moves backward, we look back on our lives and realize it’s not just about love and money. In this section of the heavens we explore creativity, spiritual enlightenment and the arts. We look back at our fears…creativity requires courage. We notice where we lost courage and what our expectations are or were. This is true for love and money as well.

Venus lingers in the lunar mansion of Utar Ashada. The animal symbol for this mansion is a mongoose: It kills the poisonous snake. This is part of the cleansing. We often say: “Pick your poison!” During December and into January we cleanse instead. This section of the heavens is peaceful and Venus helps us cleanse: There is no better time to change the way you eat and to notice your response even as you read this. If you aren’t “attached” to food, then look at something else like alcohol or even exercise. Notice whatever you know you do to excess and feel you couldn’t let go of easily. Oh, it might even be your phone!

When Venus turns retrograde the social networking sites are filled with folks trying to reconnect. Don’t be surprised if a long lost love or friend appears on your page. Most of all, Venus retrograde slows down desire and increases a longing for love.

The last week of the month is a jump start of New Year’s Resolutions. There is a general push and a desire to be free of addictions and, yes, these include that wonderful food of the holidays. This is a great week for shopping the sales, but even better to move your body.

Mercury joins the Sun in Mula on the 26th through the 31st: Why am I making such a fuss about the last days of this month? Mercury, the verbal planet, is also the way we analyze things. He’s with the Sun in a dark or moody lunar mansion. It is literally a self-destructive combination. Add that to the Moon on Rahu and that is a cocktail that could lead you down a dark hole. It’s all about being a wise steward of your thoughts and too much alcohol does impede judgment. Why go there and need to apologize tomorrow? If you happen to be the recipient of someone’s rant, then do your best to try to anchor it in reality and try to feel the pain without too much blame.

How the Love Flows: It is reflective and slow. You may meet someone from your past or simply find the joy of your own peaceful thoughts. They may even allow you to fall in love. However, this month things are slow and you enjoy the simple pleasures. What makes your heart smile? I’m not asking for a list; just a simple pleasure or gift of time that helps you know that you are loved.

Where the Money Goes: It goes shopping, but the week before Christmas there’s a collective reality check and shopping slows as we get really creative with our time and our gifts. Investors are cautious.

Lucky you this Season! If you happen to have a personal planet at 22- 29 degrees of Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius or Aquarius in your Vedic chart, then you are getting some attention. Call it luck, but it comes from years of hard work. You may have a new vision of your work. If it’s Saturn that takes Jupiter’s ideas, then perhaps you‘ve learned something about the way you think. If it’s Mercury, then it may affect how you perceive luck or prosperity and even the story you are or want to tell. This transit lasts all season for folks with a personal planet in these zones, but we can all reach for that knowledge and experience. Will it happen to you or will it move through you? On some level you have to open the door to a fresh story of your own.

Cynthia Novak is a professional astrologer. She can be contacted at metro 817-261-2984. Read Cynthia’s daily astrological message at HolisticNetworker.com or Cynthia’s website www.cynthianovak.com Hear Cynthia’s talk entitled, “Astrology & You” at 11:30am on Sunday, October 13 at the Wellness Expo in Addison.