Astrology Of November 2018: The Way We Were

She twists around and around, and around and around again, spiraling down stairs in reflection to levels on the opposite end of the spectrum, the inversion of her twirling descent into the double helix of polarities, upsetting punch bowls as she goes; the splash of pomegranate and plum splatters the cool canvas and another work of art is made, fetching high bids at the auction who’s proceeds filter into cultural coffers. What once emerged goes down and what goes down is bound to come back up, seeking again the light of sparkling flashbulbs and glimmering gowns, chiming chords, cascading notes and shimmering chatter, clinking glasses. In her dizzy state she is unsure if she keep the book of etiquette balanced on her head, but if only she can reach the dancing pole within the pinch point of the pivot she can swing herself around with enough potential to secure accessories to her ensemble as she floats across the dance floor, dashing with decorum. Our heads may spin from such maneuvers, though really it is the world that must reel around us as we pause in the pinnacle of our pleasures and stand straight for a moment to recite to ourselves the recipe of most realized desire.

Piano keys tap and plunge toward the bottom board and then spring back up for more manipulation, the melodies lobbed by the rising seesaw vault over the hairdo’s and hats and headdresses in perfumed silence until they hit the wall and decorate the hall with sonorous reflections that drizzle down the glass and weep like mirthful clowns. We know not how to help them, they laugh and cry and juggle wine bottles and its so spectacular that we watch and wish we could have the coordination to balance our desires so nimbly.

A hush comes over the crowd for a second, their masks trampled beneath their feet, the Hostess enters the party; embarrassed the guests reach for the one they wore but it was lost in the shuffle so they apply someone else's to their face. She plucks us from the crowd and politely asks her to join her in another chamber; she needs our assistance, its for the sake of the whole party. We find a room full of weights and balances on strings, suspended statues of various shapes depicting musical instruments, sports equipment, art supplies, natural objects and various other charms and ephemera. She says the party is all off, its likely to careen into a regrettable affair and we need to reset the parameters. We pull a brass clarinet and the record starts skipping, people laugh and jeer. No, that’s not right. We let it slide back up to its previous position. We gently tug a tiny painters palette and the lights dim and candles ignite, incepting a romantic mood, carts of ripe fruit are wheeled out, a swan glides down the fountain. Yes that’s nice. We reach for a pair of silver scissors but they retract and escape our hand. We look to the Hostess and she smiles. She lets her hair down, slips a slender flute out from her bosom and plays a few sonorous notes. The scissors descend smoothly to her palm. The tempo decreases and the mood grows calm. Dancers pull their partners closer for a slow dance, cheek to cheek. We pull a brass oar and waiters begin to shuck oysters, she sets a laurel crown swaying and champagne is poured, we spin a carved crane and toasts are proposed. People clap in friendship and accord. We’ve done it.

When we return to the hall the trampled masks have become balloons and bouquets, floral and festive. The piano keys roll like like a gentle breeze, dropping in their slots like summer rain. The warmth of the candles caresses our temples and kisses our lips. The Swan throws its head back in delight as its mate emerges rom the water. Balance has been restored.

But this is not so simple. The ball concludes and we amble to our carriages, spending the ride home wondering how our lives can go on as they have with our new sense of balance; we’ve got a new way to walk, and its the way we should have walked all along; the parts of our feet hitting the ground in the right order. We’ve got to pull out our artists’s statements and make some revisions. We light a crackling fire and pour some brandy and pace around our study reviewing the paragraphs we once wrote. Some paragraphs get circled, some sentences get underlined but other whole pages go into the fire, and burn with brightening hearts, our chests thumping excitedly as we come to the core part, the subtext of our mission statement, the Holy Grail we thought we sought which now we know to achieve such ideals only comes after we integrate our recent revelations. We scrawl quick sets of script and insert them in sheaf by sheaf. By morning our patrons might not recognize us, but never matter, this is not for a pittance, this is for a higher purpose. The fire fetches the gold flecks embedded in our eyes and rarifies the retinas, who regard the world with wonder; the brandy pours a river to our heart and circulates new bravado through our ventricles; our pulse quickens, we leap to the table, we call in our comrades, we run to the windows, and call out into the night, the town awakens and comes running, ready to receive the shower of leaflets we have composed; join up, sign here, all aboard, off we go…

We collapse onto the carpet, over excited, needing rest, sleep takes hold, but in dream we’re molded like clay; our subconscious hard at work forming us and our psyche into the image of an ideal self we now know. This is emotionally exhausting, and we require baths and broths and balms along the way. The massage bruises us, grasping deep tissue and squeezing it into shape, but with every wince and tick and jerk and twitch and flash of cold milk that splashes our eyes like a soft blindfold to help us gaze upon the Grail for which we work towards, we become more motivated, and the engine purrs, the beast acknowledges the strap, the doors open and we are able to see the expanse before us, the wide world, the potential for anything, a broad anywhere into which we may let fly our arrow. The thought shakes us, and with a cheerful heart we leave home shedding bittersweet tears.

The Month opens with Venus having moved backwards into rulership in Libra from detriment in Scorpio, opposing Uranus in Taurus on her way over the threshold. We are returning from the territory of raw lusts, down and dirty pleasures, carnal delights and grimy aesthetics to a place of equilibrium and balance, and even though light and darkness here can be arranged in attractive chiaroscuro, the settings on the contrast might be unexpectedly varied for the first few weeks as we get the settings back to a level we like. Here the passions we reacquainted with throughout Scorpio are placed within context and brought to balance in our life, but this can’t occur without temporarily swinging things out of stability. Having her i Libra means we are seeking balance, rather than discord, but we might wrestle with extremes until the settings are secure.

Very early Friday November 2nd at 2am (EST) the Sun progresses into Scorpio’s second decan where we will identify with intense intimacy and orient ourself for deep engagement. As the light of day lessens we shack up for someone to share the night time hours with; whether this is metaphorical or literal. By November 6th the Sun trines Neptune in Pisces, and these intentions toward ravishing rendezvous, vigorous connections, sounding dives and soul spelunkings harmonize with needs for mystical philosophies and unhindered psychological expansion. We find the Moon passing over retrograde Venus here, where the need to return to an equilibrium of pleasure and attraction flows with our tender moods. The Moon being in just the right place to open our emotions to the space weather is a theme throughout the month; so intellect and spirit and emotion is likely to weave and cross and mingle throughout, widening our emotional spectrum; rendering us excitable and inspired at times, and at others overwhelmed and washed in wild waters.

By 9am (EST) on Friday Uranus retrogrades back into Aries, the final innovations and radicalizations to hot rod our identities will occur from here until next spring, referencing the culmination of a process completed by last May and taking place over the past seven years. We might ask who we had become by May 2018?— and what final mods must be made now to complete the process and apply the final touches. Its as if the independent self we’ve been driving around with since the spring was a prototype, and now that its been crash tested throughout a turbulent Mars retrograde sequence, we can roll it back into the garage, make the necessary final chops and weld it together permanently. In this mode Uranus will wait to oppose Venus again when she crosses back into Scorpio next month, and we can face our radicalized identity up against our new equilibrium of love, desire and passion.

A New Moon in Scorpio occurs Wednesday November 7th at 11am, and these themes of intimacy and intensity sow seeds invisibly, incepting a new process of manifestation. Interesting that this occurs at the degree of the star Zuben Elgenubi, a star that was once considered part of Scorpio’s claws but is now in Libra’s scales. This star has a connotation of civic duty and social justice, of the interests of the group over the individual. The Sun visits this degree on this day each year, and this year in particular it coincides with ballots cast. Activity surrounding this star has been mentioned to portend the sacrifice of leaders, and indeed it falls only two days after Guy Fawkes Day, when effigies are burnt of Guy to celebrate the fumbled Gunpowder Plot which would have killed the then King of England, but ties in to earlier rites at this time where fetishes representing the old ills and negative influences of the previous year were cast into the flames to be consumed and destroyed. There is obvious magical potential here.

Jupiter magnificently rolls into rulership in Sagittarius at 7am on Thursday November 8th and brings with him enthusiasm around ideals, philosophies, and the motivation to embark on missions and set out on quests to find promised lands and win holy grails. Opportunities may abound for the next thirteen months, which is much needed after the rough ride of the past summer, and the influx of optimism incites exploration as we will seek to expand our horizons and engage our wanderlust, likely enticing others to join the caravan as we travel. There will be much to say of this over the course of the year, and we will fill our cups to the brim with it right off the bat, as the Moon follows Jupiter into his domicile and conjoins with him by 2pm that afternoon. We need this optimism, we feel ready to see the big picture, and want to race toward ideal places, people and things, no matter how far they may seem; its all part of a mood for adventure which stirs our spirits as well as our mood. Boasting and toasting is likely to ensue as well as big sounding plans inflated. Jupiter enters rulership exiting from tense territory, having crawled from Scorpio’s watery depths in a Grand Trine with both Chiron and the North Node, making for a coherence of or looking on the bright side of various addictions, vampirisms, traumas, old wounds, sore spots, imbalances, hard hungers, insatiable thirsts and so on, from which he escapes into kindled inspirations and optimistic trajectories.

In the morning on Friday November 9th Mercury enters the second face of Sagittarius, a place he has less dignity in and faces his detriment fully. Here it is hard for him to sort the details under the glare of the big picture; belongings get hopelessly jostled and lost while you make the mad dash drive from coast to coast no matter how hard you try to keep the car organized, things get overlooked. Mercury strains to keep up with all the details a big venture like this requires, and tends to mix up the facts for the hopes and leaps of faith. The Moon ushers him in to this space and we feel empathic to his confusion, our own excited emotions becoming hard to sort. By 10:15am Mars trines Venus and an octave of sexual stimulation resonates across the ecliptic. This creative energy is focused on doing what it must to see its conceptual projections brought into manifestation no matter how much that requires a reversion of polarities in what is nice or acceptable; right is left and dark is light and up is down is perfectly fine when operated by the avant garde.

Over the next few days the Sun slips into the third decan of Scorpio (November 12th) and comes to know what the ongoing need for pleasure drives us to do. This is a place that sees the world from a Vampire’s eyes, and is not uncommon to nymphomaniacs and drug addicts. The actions we carry out here are not necessarily that depraved, but as this decan is ruled by the Moon in one system and Venus in another, and extends into Saturn’s bounds, it is here we might stalk the streets continually until we encounter what we want. Once you’ve tasted it you can’t live without it. Having clear understanding of that which we would rather not be deprived of in life is integral to assuring that we can set our lives up in such a way that they be continually satisfying; the Sun here sees this raw reality and accepts it.

Mars leaves Aquarius’ abstractions and plunges into Pisces ambient expanse on Thursday November 15th at 5:30pm, where his normally direct nature dilates in focus to encompass the whole. This might be considered homeopathy versus allopathy in tactics, where action takes on a much more holistic approach, and applied energy diffuses into the amorphous total of the system. Here the high sees of intuition, emotion and imagination are found, a place which engenders compassion, so this Mars, though sometimes feeling like confrontation comes from everywhere and out of no where simultaneously, can sync up to more subtle tides and use natural currents to attack what he must more nonviolently. Having Jupiter i rulership in Sagittarius likely means this is the much more inspired zen warrior or physical artist rather than the paranoid soldier on acid, a fate we were scantly saved from considering Jupiter’s very recent ingress. Again, the Moon catches up and conjoins Mars here, so what we must do with energy in intuitive and watery Pisces we feel a need for, and have emotions about, we might find ourselves needing to do energy work, or to simply approach a challenge intuitively and just follow our gut and wing it. Interestingly, Venus stations direct not long after at 7pm and all of our tastes, our likes and dislikes, our composure, what we value, our social poise and artistic grace is brought finally back into balance. This has perfect poetry, new inspirations kindled, a new sense of adventure, an orientation to what we can’t live without and a willingness to work with available energy and act intuitively are all in the air as we find our center and seek out new cultural meaning and begin bonding with our desires.

Mercury stations retrograde the next day at 7pm on Friday November 16th in detriment square Neptune while Neptune is conjoined by the Moon. It appears the cocktail previously mentioned was enough to have our heads spinning, even if its positive; which it likely is, as Jupiter is in rulership and is presiding over Mercury’s retrograde as well as Neptunes alarming influence. This is certainly a rewriting, editing and reformatting of our language and logic surrounding opinions and ideals at the heart of our mission and how we organize and consolidate our resources and forces toward our goals and our true purpose, and all of this getting hopelessly washed in an abundance of dreams and imaginations and fantasies, although, this is only natural in the wake of so much revelation and eruptions of so much inspiration. We are expanding our trajectories and realizing core factors about what we want, as this is the case we must whip out the plan we had previously drafted and do a major editorial sweep, not just adjusting the details but pouring in illustration and setting it to music and choreographing dancers. This is no longer a rational approach, but one that is an open system, where the facts are just facets of a fractal that is permeated with spirits and great mysterious. As we take everything out of our travel sack and clean it off, and then decide what goes back in and what gets pushed aside, we take the time to carry out an urgent subfumigation and consecration of the items, and allow into the array both power objects and haunted materials, plant allies and familiar spirits.

Mars squares Jupiter on Monday November 19th at 8pm, and again, even though a hard aspect traditionally, Jupiter in rulership with Mars in Jupiter’s domicile likely renders this square a productive tension and a motivational energy where luck, wisdom and insight make itchy mystical tactics and universal confrontation. This is probably us revving up to engage with our passions after they had been filtered and processed the past thirteen months while Jupiter was in Scorpio and are clean and ready to fuel our engines and lubricate our movements as we strive for more spiritual ideals. Mars nears Fomalhaut here which feeds him with the light of mystical poetry.

The following day, November 20th the Sun steps into the grand trine with Rahu in Cancer and Chiron in Pisces, and visions of addiction, the need to let go pains, and insatiable thirsts for resources harmonize on the more subtle end of the spectrum. Watch out here for foreshadowings of the Capricorn/Cancer eclipse series. The Moon sails through exaltation in Taurus now temporarily free of Uranus, so capture all that must be carried to get you through the next seven years of Uranus de-stabilizing the Bull’s sign.

The Sun ingresses Sagittarius on Thursday November 22nd at 4am and is now ready to join Jupiter in focusing on questing, getting out there and taking the show on the road. Here the Sun sets his sights on the ideal and how we might move towards it. Jupiter only a few degrees away can feel his beams quite acutely now, much of his hot air catching fire and burning off.

In the small hours of November 23rd the Moon reaches fullness in Gemini at 2am. Luna happened to catch most of the action front and center on her way to most light so it is fitting that she glows brightest in the sign of exploding blooming curiosity, blossoming information, many perspectives, frenetic communication, and a multiplicity of ideas. There is a lot to investigate and chatter brims with an excited buzz. Mercury, Gemini’s ruler, makes his way back into Sagittarius’ first decan by 7am, where the core opinions of the whole mission are under review. All this talk and influx of new information might have us calibrating our aim at a slightly different target, or perhaps one in the entirely opposite direction. Hunters take notice.

A few days later on Monday November 26th at 2am, Jupiter and the Sun reach cazimi, and the Greater Benefic finds himself in the Sun’s heart, purified, centralized, stabilized, objectives and aims are honed in and realized. We know exactly here what our targets are and what philosophies hold true, our spiritual inspirations are pure, our quests are holy. This happens once a year, but when it occurs in Jupiter’s rulership it is an auspicious moment that only happens under twice a decade. Look deeply into this bright moment of night and see what kinds of inspired pathways it illuminates before you. Mars squares Mercury only an hour later from Jupiter’s watery domicile to his fiery, and the two facets of Jupiter’s extended action, Mars’ intuitive and mystically inspired energy work tactics and Mercury’s editing of ideal principles pulse with motivating urgency.

Only one day later Mercury joins the sun for an Inferior Conjunction, the moment when Hermes hands messages up to us to read from the depths of materiality and the under currents of manifestation, revealing things in the hidden layers beneath, in this case things he found while going back over all the drafts of our mission statement and reworking them. Details we might have forgotten about could get remembered here. Later that day Mars sextiles Saturn at 4pm, bringing a twinge of earthy practicality back into the picture as our engines have been revving with spiritual fire, our emotions have been sloshing around in our tanks and our thoughts flying high for a birds eye view, a minor Saturn aspect reminds us that there are practicalities to consider. But Mars’ improvised approach to action means he is willing to work with whatever demands the territory presents, and so Saturn presents no problem, maybe just a firming agent to remind that our wild rockets will eventually have to prove they can also safely land on the ground. Mercury conjoins Jupiter an hour and a half later, and likely hands in the report from Saturn’s remedial test to the Lord of the House, who is naturally optimistic about the results and integrates the details into the context of the big picture.

Venus steps onto the bends of the Nodes around noon on Wednesday November 28th, nearing an opposition with Uranus she accomplishes on the 30th. We might come to see how the resolved and concluded in how our creative and romantic equilibriums were restored still must be put in perspective with the radicalizations and revolutions to our identities and individuality, and this is something that is more than likely going to play into the shifts that the next eclipse series will bring over the coming year and a half with the Nodes having moved into Cancer and Capricorn. Many changes have been made, we’ve learned valuable lessons about how we use energy, we see the road we must take glowing before us, our tastes have grown nuanced, we’ve remembered desires we had been suppressing, and certain parts of ourselves have been modified for increased power. All of this has bearing on what territory we decide to let go of and what we choose to nurture and grow in the coming months.

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Moon Of Hyldemoer November 2018 Herbal Forecast for Liminal Light

These notes are suggestions for herbal allies to assist with the effects of the cosmic influences of this month. Before imbibing any of the herbs recommended, research what is a recommended dosage, & ask yourself & research such questions as, Does this herb interfere with any medications I am taking?, Does this herb match with my constitution?, Do I really need to take this herb into my body? Be wise: listen to your own body, intuition, guiding spirits & the plants themselves.

Imbibing the herbs recommended is of course only one way of meeting the herbs. There are countless manners of developing relationships with our herbal allies including sitting with the fresh or dry herbs, or a picture/drawing of the herb, making an amulet to wear or have on your altar (adhering to planetary hours/days is important here), visioning or meditating with the plant, & taking an herbal body or foot bath (In this case remember your skin is the largest organ of your body). Use your imagination & listen to the plants, they have been on this planet much longer than we have, are our Elders & have great wisdom to offer.

Jupiter entering into rulership in Sagittarius on Thursday, November 8, at 7 am, begins the offering of expansive & grand adventurous ideas to be set in motion after the crucial Underworld work of Jupiter in Scorpio for the past thirteen months. With this Underworld knowledge gained in Scorpio, Jupiter in Sag, choses the proper arrow & bow & sets his targets. Working with Jupiter this month & in the coming thirteen months of feeling at home in Sagittarius, will assist us is moving towards our grand goals in life. Find where Jupiter as well as Sagittarius lie in your natal birth chart to give you clues as to what aspects of your life this will touch the most.

Some Jupiter ruled herbs people may wish to work with are Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), & Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) can be burned throughout the month & next thirteen to honor Jupiter’s role in ones life.

Hildegard Von Bingen says of Nutmeg, “If a person eats nutmeg, it will open up his heart, make his judgment free from obstruction, and give him a good disposition.” It is a main ingredient in her ‘Cookies that Bring Joy’, along with Cinnamon & Cloves.

Nutmeg is placed in many prosperity workings, ground & sprinkled on green candles or placed on ones altar for good fortune. Placing a wish inside of a Nutmeg seed & burying this in ones yard will bring fruition.

Expansive, cooling, relaxing sour Lemon Balm drives away bad dreams & melancholy. This aromatic perennial offers solace, uplift, & soothing calmness to the nervous system. Lemon Balm has antidepressant anesthetic, & tranquilizing properties that ease pain, inspire feelings of wellbeing & protect against dementia. It is sedative to most people, but is especially relaxing to those whose nervous systems are on hyper alert, run on hyperadrenalism or are dealing with hyperthyroidism. Heart palpitations, high blood pressure & aneurysm have found healing with Lemon Balm. Lemon Balm is contraindicated for those dealing with hypothyroidism, or those taking thyroine, a thyroid medication, & can counteract the effects of certain anti anxiety & sedative medication. Check with ones doctor.if there is a concern. Also Lemon Balm is contraindicated in large doses for pregnant and breast feeding mothers, but in small amounts, Lemon Balm is perfectly safe.

Oh ever talented Dandelion! Traditionally the Dandelion root was made into an infusion to promote psychic powers or to call spirits. Being under the influence of Jupiter, Dandelion offers expansiveness. This prolific ally helps to nourish the nervous system so that one is open to all the multiverse has to offer. Dandelion can be found in lawns that are not sprayed with chemicals, coming up in cracks of the sidewalks in cities, in gardens, & most any sunny spot as it is a voracious, powerful, loving weed. The whole plant is edible & used in medicine making, from root to blossom, & the seeds are used for wishes.

Bringing Dandelion roots into ones diet promotes a strong & healthy liver, which is ruled by Jupiter. Dandelion root/leaf/flower vinegar is useful to promote digestion by stimulating the flow of bile from the liver & gall bladder when taken before &/or after meals. It is an amazing liver, gallbladder & kidney tonic as it clears stagnant energy & toxins as well as strengthens these organs. Because it helps to strengthen these organs that process, transform & eliminate toxins in our body, it also promotes healthy skin. When the liver, gallbladder & kidney cannot do their work, toxins come to our skin, our largest organ of our body, & cause rashes, boils, eczema & psoriasis.

Dandelion’s long, tannish taproot with white, milky sap reaches deep into the Earth’s soil pulling out its wealth of minerals & vitamins & Dandelion then offers to this to anyone willing to listen to its wisdom. This root medicine is offered to us when we eat them in soups, sautés, or rice. This long taproot is a doctrine of signature for Dandelion’s ability to bring toxins, heavy metals, cancers & free radicals from deep within the body & remove these. Dandelion helps to clear that which does not serve anymore, or possibly did not ever serve. The fall dug roots contain ~25% inulin, a plant sugar that assists in stabilizing our blood sugar levels, helps prevent adult onset diabetes & to diminish hypoglycemia. The fresh root can be used as a poultice for the breasts when dissolving tumors, cysts, and cancers. Also drinking 1-2 C Dandelion root tea/day, 40+ drops fresh root tincture 2-3x/day or 2-4 T Dandelion vinegar/day will help to dissolve these.

Astrologer Judith Hill states that Sagittarius coordinates the central nervous system, while Gemini rules this system itself. Dandelion, rich in calcium, assists the nervous system, by supporting the neurotransmitters messengers to deliver communications throughout this system. Rich in iron, Dandelion aids in alert concentration, strong memory & mental clarity. Dandelion fortifies a person, so that depression is lifted & reinvigorates the spirit with vitality. Dandelion’s bitterness dissolves sluggish energy & promotes motivation & joy. Dandelion is a slow & steady medicine, taken over the course of months to years provides a potassium-rich environment that is antitumor as well as anticancer. This potassium rich ally nourishes the blood & encourages a healthy heart. Dandelion helps those struggling with cancer, AIDS/HIV-related dis-eases, Epstein-Barre virus & mono. Its mucilage soothes the digestive tract & promotes healthy intestinal flora.

As Mercury enters the 2nd decan of Sagittarius in the morning of Friday, November 9, being fully in his detriment, one may be called towards Lavender (Lavendula officinalis) for clarity of mind & assuredness. Being ruled by Jupiter, Mercury & the Sun, Lavender will cover much ground here. Aromatic Lavender being at the same time cooling & stimulating is called upon when grieving or feeling depressed or anxious. Lavender lifts our spirits. Drying sprigs of Lavender around the home, sipping Lavender tea often, rubbing infused Lavender oil on ones body will all relieve the stresses of our modern lives. The purple of the flowers also tell of its relaxing, soothing qualities to the brow & head region, where Mercury tends to function from. Hildegard von Bingen says Lavender infused wine stops pain in the lungs, clears excess mucous in the chest & offers “pure knowledge & clear understanding.” Lavender also calms anxiety-caused or hormone-triggered headaches. Continuing on with Jupiter ruled Dandelion will allow one to access the deep taproots of knowing & to transform that which does not allow for growth. These two allies may be wished to be accessed when Mercury is also retrograding in Sagittarius mid month.

Monday, November 12 finds the Sun heading into the final decan of Scorpio, illuminating for us those deepest, darkest desires that we cannot live without. This is exceedingly helpful for us to understand how to work towards fulfillment in our lives. Scorpio & Saturn ruled Ground Elder, also called Goutweed, Goatwort or Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria) creeps over the Earth covering vast areas of ones garden very quickly. This is not the same as our dear Elder shrub (Sambucus nigra) of Elderberry fame, but a low-lying voracious plant with white umbel flowers. Ground Elder has beautiful green leaves that send up these umbels turning into black seeds that reseed as well as spreading by rhizomes, telling us similarly that if our deepest desires are left unchecked, they could take us over. Yet these same desires acknowledged & accessed, can illume all aspects of our lives & provide us with a firm basis to stand on. In the gardening world, this plant is considered a noxious weed that will take over ones garden quite rapidly. This overtaking is true, but if there is a zone on an edge where this plant can thrive without endangering another, this plant holds many virtues. Culpeper states, “This should not be supposed that Goutwort has its name for nothing.” Drinking an infusion of Goutweed twice a day & using the greens as a poultice on affected areas can allay symptoms of Gout, as well as it makes a nutritious potherb & spring green in ones salad. Accessing the fullness of spirit of this plant is recommended for this time.

All forms of Seaweed, especially Kelp, are important to study while Mars enters into Pisces on Thursday, November 15 at 5:30 pm, the Moon also joining. These underwater forests intuitively dance with the ebbs & flows,of the sea, yet have a steadfast, rooted basis from which to course.. Martin Pisces will be assisted by this nutrient-rich,, firmly rooted sea plant that has tai chi style leaf movements, understanding how to thrive while flowing with its surroundings. Venus joins this free form dance by stationing direct in Libra after 7 pm on this day. Welcoming Venus with spritzes of Venusiuan & Libra ruled Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) & fumigations of Vervain (Verbena officinalis) offers a protected opening. A pot of Oatstraw (Avena sativa), Rose petal (Rosa ssp.) & Lemon Balm tea or bath will celebrate ones heart’s journey through retrograde & ready one for the expansion of Jupiter in Sagittarius.

Continuing with the cosmic dance, Mercury stations retrograde in detriment in Sagittarius the following day at 7 pm. This retrograde also squares Neptune in Pisces, conjoining the Moon both benefited by Jupiter in rulership. Retrogrades are seen as difficult with our lives of constant motion, yet they can be a necessary time to reassess & therefore realign. The otherworldly & intuitive nature of this aspect can be called upon with the assistance of continued work with our Seaweeds as well as continuing with our chosen Jupiter herbs.

Heading into Monday, November 19, Mars in Pisces squares Jupiter in Sagittarius. Jupiter in rulership & Mars in Jupiter’s domicile assists this square towards “a productive tension & a motivational energy” with the luck & expansiveness of Jupiter. Mars & Jupiter ruled Dog Rose (Rosa canina), our feral Wild Briar, can be called upon her its thorns protecting, its flowers entrancing, & its hips offering comforting nourishment.

A Grand Water Trine with the Sun in Scorpio, Rahu in Cancer & Chiron in Pisces greets us on Tuesday, November 20 allowing us to continue with the realization of our deepest desires that form us & which desires do not remain true to ourselves & need to be let go. This is an important day to listen for the beginning messages of the coming Capricorn/Cancer eclipse series. As well the Moon is in exaltation in Taurus this day, without the effect of Uranus who is now in Aries for a final stint, before again in Taurus for the next seven years. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) who is a native to Syria, Italy, southern France, & Switzerland, has a strong link with the eyes & ones ability to see & is therefore helpful here. Clary Sage protects this ability of sight & therefore it is often called upon for assistance with meditation & bringing visions. Clary Sage brings self-confidence, uplift of spirit & enhances ones creativity & imagination.

The name Clary comes from the Latin sclarea derived from clarus meaning ‘clear’. Clary Sage is a tall, distinguished plant with large, opposite oval, slightly coarse hairy leaves, with gorgeous whorls of white, pale blue, pink & lilac flowers in a dazzling display that have an intoxicatingly lovely scent.

Venusian Peach (Prunus persica) is another ally here. One can plant a Peach pit imbued with that which needs to be released as well as drink Peach leaf tea, honoring ones digestive system & allowing for any grief of meeting ones insatiable desires & deep wounds, to transform.

The Sun moves into Sagittarius on Thursday, November 22 at 4 am, joining Jupiter helping to illume & bring to the forefront pathways towards our grand ideas. Jupiter & the Sun both rule Olive (Olea europaea) & Bay (Laurus nobilis), both trees of great repute. The Olive tree, of prosperity & protection & expansive thoughts can be placed on ones altar, burned or carried on ones being. The Bay offers divination, clearing & protection. The infused oil of Bay leaves, heated & placed on ones skin, brings relief from arthritic pains. Enlightening Lemon Balm could also be called upon here.

Supporting Mercury on Friday, November 23 as the Full Moon shines in Gemini & Mercury returns to the first decan of Sagittarius will be of benefit. Mace (Myristica fragrans), ruled by Mercury, is the aril of the Nutmeg, a usually hairy or fleshy extra seed-covering, e.g., the red fleshy cup around a Yew seed. Mace therefore surrounding the Nutmeg is like Mercury, is the communicator to the outer world. Mace can be combined with Nutmeg here to enhance Mercury’s workings with Jupiter in Sagittarius.

Monday, November 26, at 2 am, Jupiter & the Sun reach cazimi. Continuing with asking Bay & Olive for clarity & divination, leaves can be placed under ones pillow to access this knowledge from dreams or on ones altar during meditation. Sun ruled Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is another ally here offering illumination & inner knowing from the joining of the Greater Benefic & Luminary. Mars in Pisces squaring Mercury in Sagittarius at 3 am calls for an addition of salt water with floating seaweed on the altar or under ones bod for continued inspiration.

The next day, Mercury realizes an Inferior Conjunction with the Sun. Continue with Rosemary for remembrance & Clary Sage for clarity.

This same day, Mars sextiles Saturn at 4 pm. This adds some earthing energy to the floating nature of Pisces. Call upon this with Nettle (Urtica dioica) that has strong Martian energy but also understand the watery nature, as well as some Saturnine herbs like Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) who carries the water in its rhizomes under the Earth. Both of these are fierce warriors in their own right as well as highly nourishing & moistening for ones body & actions.

Mercury conjoins Jupiter at 5 pm so a continuation of the chosen Jupiter herbs is recommended, especially the Mace & Nutmeg combination.

At the end of November, Venus in Libra is entering the area of the Nodes on the 28th & opposing Uranus in Aries on the 30th. This is a continued look at that which we are releasing in our lives, which has been promoted in the past year, as well as what to look towards for growth & direction. Nutmeg once again here, being associated at time with Uranus as well as Jupiter & the Moon can be a stabilizing force.

Moon of Hyldemoer, Suzanne Stone, Community Herbalist.

This information is not a substitute for a health care practitioner. Not to be reproduced without permission.