OUR INTENDED COURSE may meet unexpected obstacles this week. The planet Mars is now square the Moon's nodes (exact on Monday), and will exactly square Saturn next Sunday. Mars represents how we take action to manifest our desires--and with the Red Planet currently in peace-loving Libra, we of course wish for all to unfold with equanimity. But there are first some hurdles to overcome.

As Mars energizes the nodal axis early in the week, issues from the past may resurface, that have the capacity to reawaken old patterns of fear. The South Node in Capricorn tells us that we might once have dealt with similar issues by shutting down, by avoiding our emotions, and by stoically resisting support from others. And yet, the North Node in Cancer reveals that the way to successfully navigate current challenges is to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to trust that all is well (despite appearances), to spend time appreciating the positive manifestations in our lives, and to be flexible and creative in deciding our next course of action.

SITUATIONS that activate these old patterns will continue to unfold throughout this week, perhaps reaching a decision point next weekend when the Mars-Saturn square is at its strongest effect. And yet, that is not the end of the story, since Mars will then move on to square Pluto.

Major developments are likely around the time of that Mars-Pluto square, which perfects on November 5. Since that Tuesday is election day in the U.S., we will want to observe political events through eyes of wisdom instead of responding reactively. It will help to remind ourselves that things often need to fall apart before they can come together in a better way.

THE SUN'S ingress into Scorpio on Wednesday this week underscores that message. Scorpio rules the process of death and rebirth, exemplified by the seasonal cycle of deciduous trees. If we were not aware of this cycle, every autumn we would fear that the trees were dying. But, having lived through many years, we understand that this is a necessary part of the natural cycle of life--and that there are multiple benefits to this process.

When leaves fall to the ground, they create a blanket to protect smaller plants from the cold weather to come. The leafless limbs of the trees then can allow more rare sunlight to reach the ground during winter months, adding some precious warmth to the earth. And, in the spring, those decayed leaves provide fertile soil for the growth of new seedlings.

As Mars squares first Saturn and then Pluto over the next two weeks, it will provide more insights into the long-term effects of the Saturn-Pluto alignment that perfects in January 2020. Just as we in the Northern Hemisphere anticipate the spring about six months from now, we can all look forward to seeing what new growth will occur during the last half of 2020, fertilized by the decaying remains of whatever has fallen as the result of the Saturn-Pluto influence.

NEXT SUNDAY'S New Moon occurs at 8:38 p.m. PDT, when the Sun and the Moon align at 4°25′ Scorpio. This is a very excitable lunation, due to the involvement of rabble-rousing, revolutionary Uranus, which will be at 4°36′ Taurus.

Any time Uranus participates in a New Moon, we can "expect the unexpected" throughout the new lunar cycle. Uranus is known for bringing surprises that disrupt the status quo, requiring that we be flexible and innovative in how we manage our reality. With Uranus in Taurus, the most "earth-bound" of the signs, we may feel that the very ground beneath our feet is unstable. We can tend to be more nervous than usual, and more restless as well.

At its highest vibration, Uranus represents the Higher Mind. It usually requires that we use new and alternative means to interpret our world and to find solutions to problems. One of the higher purposes of any unforeseen circumstances that may arise over the next four weeks is to help us think outside the box. We are also being nudged to expand our consciousness, to be more open to intuitive knowing, and perhaps to work with the quantum field to effect change, rather than exerting purely physical or mental effort.

AT THE TIME of the New Moon, the Sun and Moon are aligned with two fixed stars: Syrma and Omega Boötis. These two stars are part of two different constellations, but from Earth's perspective, they are both at the same degree in the heavens. Activation of these stellar energies brings another layer of potential to our new lunar cycle.

Astrologer Roderick Kidston, in his book The Magic of the Stars, provides these insights:

"With Syrma and Omega Boötis, we have a star each from a great lady (Virgo) and a brawny rustic (Boötis, the Herdsman), working together regardless of seeming paradoxes. There's a lot of real power emanating from this double act. This duo is forceful, sometimes shocking. There is huge creativity here, which may tip towards the frenzied. These stars bring things to light, reveal anything which is damaged or unsatisfactory, and bring it up for the Herdsman's vigorous workout and the Maiden's healing transformation."

To give us a sense of how Syrma and Omega Boötis can manifest their "forceful, sometimes shocking" influence, here are a few noted personages that have a planet conjunct the two stars: artist Pablo Picasso (Sun), dynamite-inventor Alfred Noble (Mars), storyteller Roald Dahl (Mars), reality TV personality Caitlin Jenner (Sun), and poet Sylvia Plath (Sun).

I SENSE a great deal of resonance with the overall Saturn-Pluto process in Kidston's description of these two stars. Pluto is in the process of revealing uncomfortable truths, and showing us the dry rot that has undermined seemingly solid structures. At the same time, Saturn is requiring that we take responsibility for how each of us might be contributing--through thought, word, or deed--to the mass consciousness that has enabled the decay to occur.

Once we have dealt with the core issues that have been at the heart of the dry rot--in other words, removed the water source so that the fungus cannot continue to grow--Saturn will show us what parts of the foundation are still viable, and which must be completely torn down (Pluto). Then, going forward into the later months of 2020, Saturn and Jupiter will help us build a new, stronger foundation that will carry us forward from here.

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: You are in the process of redefining yourself as you navigate new and perhaps unexpected life changes. If you were born in the first half of the coming week, you are in the final phases of this process; if you were born in the last half of the week, you are just beginning this important stage. This is a time of restlessness and an eagerness for new experiences. Allow yourself to try on different hats, and not to fully define your new self as yet. It is through experimentation that you discover the real you, as compared to the persona that you may have embraced for various reasons. You may be dealing with pressure from others to conform to their way of thinking, or you might find yourself at odds with people who you thought were deeply compatible. If relationship issues arise, a primary purpose is to help you know your truth and claim your unique and authentic self. (Solar Return Sun quincunx Chiron, opposite Uranus, sesquiquadrate Neptune)

In Gratitude and Light,

Pam

Highlighted Aspects this Week:

• MON: Venus trine Neptune, Mars square Nodes

• WED: Sun enters Scorpio

• THU: Sun sesquiquadrate Neptune

• FRI: Venus sextile Pluto, Jupiter conjunct Ceres, Sun quincunx Chiron

• SUN: Mars square Saturn, New Moon 8:38 p.m. PDT (3:38 a.m. GMT on Monday)

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