November is a busy month astrologically. We’ll see two planetary stations, a solar eclipse, and two planets shifting into signs where they’ll remain for some months.

When planets station, they appear to stop moving in the sky and stand in place.  It’s as if we’re being asked to stop and take notice of the planet and all it represents. To boot, this month’s planetary stations occur the days prior to the full and new moons, giving them additional intensity.

First Neptune stations, on November 9^th, the day before the full moon. Neptune symbolizes our dreams, our desire to reach beyond the ordinary, our ability to be compassionate and help those who are suffering, and our capacity for sacrifice.

The difficulty with Neptune is that our idealistic yearnings can become so rarified that they exceed what we can realistically hope to attain and, in the process, we become disillusioned. Another problem is we can so enjoy our imaginings that we remain in the realm of illusion and never act.

The second planet to station is Mercury, messenger of the gods, on November 24^th, the day before the new moon/solar eclipse. Mercury symbolizes our ability to communicate, our siblings, but also our rational minds and how we make connections and put together ideas. It’s our linear process, in stark contrast to Neptune’s dreamy, non-linear process. 

So November wants us to stop and pay attention to our wildest dreams and ideals (Neptune), as well as to examine how we think and what we say (Mercury).

Neptune is further activated this month by Mars. Unlike Neptune’s mystic dreamer, Mars represents our inner warrior, which fearlessly goes after what it wants. While these planets dance across from one another, we are being called to act on our ideals and dreams. What is it each of us needs to do to achieve something dear to us, and are we willing to fight and make sacrifices to bring it about?

On a collective level, you can see this energy in the Occupy Wall Street movement in which personal ideals are being paired with action, and those involved are sacrificing their comfort, and in some instances safety, to bring about their vision of the future and to champion those who they feel have been disempowered.

On a more personal level, with Chiron tied the Mars-Neptune opposition, it’s time to look at how our private wounds prevent us from going after our greatest desires. And this can be challenging, as Neptune doesn’t particularly like facing hard or ugly truths; it would rather lose itself in the daydream of something better and bury its head in the warm sands.

If you want to explore this area, here are some questions you might ask:

• In what ways am I crippling myself? Do I tell myself that I am undeserving or not talented/good/capable enough to have what I want?
• What is it I fear? Is my fear justified or do I prefer to dream from the comfort of my armchair to avoid risk?  If so, where do I need to draw on my courage to opt for aliveness rather than status quo?
• Am I blaming others for my inaction? Am I really so disempowered that I can take no step forward? Can I let go of feeling like a victim (of others, of circumstance, etc.)?
• Do I fear I’ll be ridiculed? Is it safer to keep my dream alive and imaginary than it is to let it wither under the scrutiny of others?

The clearer you can become on these questions, the more able you will be to take a few steps in a more fruitful direction.

Around the Taurus full moon on November 10^th you may find yourself or others touchy and out of sorts, as the full moon ties into a fixed cross with Mars and Neptune. Sensitivity is particularly heightened during this moon, so you may be easily hurt or angered, a breeze against your skin feeling like an assault. Taking time to nurse your wounds and nurture yourself is important during the week of the full moon, especially for the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

As folks will tend to be hypersensitive and over-reactive during this period, you will fare better if you operate from a place of compassion and understanding. This is easier to do if you ground yourself – regular meals, enough sleep, and quiet time. Taurus moon takes care of those who take care of themselves.

Starting early November, Mercury, messenger of the gods, moves into the sign of Sagittarius and remains here until early January 2012. Sagittarius is interested in the big picture, not the details, and Mercury, which loves to collect data and specifics, is at a disadvantage in this sign.  In practical terms, this can make the holidays – and all the planning around them – a little more messy.

On November 12^th, Mars moves into Virgo, the sign of service and work, where it remains until July 2012.  This underscores our larger theme of needing to take practical action in the real world. Virgo demands we get things right and fix that which is flawed, and it doesn’t hold much stock in grandiose ideas that can’t be applied.

By Thanksgiving, we have all the serious players of this month – Neptune, Mercury, Mars – activated in the heavens.

First, Mercury stations and goes retrograde on November 24^th.  Mercury retrograde periods are great for reviewing paperwork, organizing your office and revisiting and finishing old projects, but they can be challenging periods for communication with others. With Mercury in Sagittarius, this is doubly so.

Vital details can be overlooked or we can speak before we think, placing foot squarely in mouth. We also can get attached to our worldview and slide into proselytizing. Add the stress and the busyness of the holidays, and communications can become complicated.

The best strategy during any Mercury retrograde is to double check your calendar, confirm travel plans, and repeat directions and instructions to ensure you’ve grasped them. Then call on your humility and largess if you’ve misunderstood someone or someone has misunderstood you. Remember, Mercury prefers rational, linear thinking and problem-solving. If the train jumps the rails – be it your dreams or your Thanksgiving plans – getting upset or jumping to conclusions won’t get things back on the tracks. This is harder said than done with the sensitive Neptune – Mars opposition in play.

The day after Mercury turns retrograde, on November 25^th, we have a new moon and solar eclipse in Sagittarius. Solar eclipses tend to bring tension and heightened emotion, and this new moon adds challenging aspects from Mars (tension, frustration, anger) and Neptune (confusion, hypersensitivity, escapism) into the mix.  

So, again, be kind to yourself and others and err on the side of generosity. Acknowledging that we’re all feeling a little touchy will go a long way to smoothing the rough edges.

Ideally, you’ll use the last week of the month to review your goals and realign your actions to better support your long-range vision. The new moon in Sagittarius has a gift for vision and Mars in Virgo the knack for harnessing energy into practical action for self-improvement. Do some stocktaking.  Use the Mercury retrograde period for self-reflection. Take an inner quest: suss out your larger values and where your life falls in line and where it falls short. By mid-December, when Mercury goes direct, you’ll be much closer to a strategy that aligns you with your dreams, your truth, and the world around you.

Below are stone recommendations for those of you who want to support the incoming month. If you know your ascendant, the sign rising on the horizon at the moment of birth, read that sign. Otherwise, just look for the sign associated with your birth month. 

If you are interested in exploring your gifts, direction and purpose, please contact me to set up a personal consultation, which will be based on the exact moment of your birth. I can be reached at michelle@heavenlywriting.com or at 800-604-0299.

ARIES:  You’re in the process of breaking free and stepping into a new life. Make sure you’ve done your due diligence around your finances and long-term planning. It’s easy to slide into impulse buying, so be disciplined when shopping. Impatience  Gemstone: Jade

TAURUS:  Sometimes the easiest way to get what you want is to ask for it. If there is tension at home, air out any wounded feelings, especially at the start of the month. You may be distracted at work, so have a trusted colleague look over important work.  You may need to bring something to a close toward the month’s end. Gemstone: Amazonite

GEMINI: If people are making you a bit crazy this month, take a deep breath. You’re heading into an eight-month period during which you need handle a lot of family details, which can be stressful. A problem-solving approach will serve you best. Delaying will just increase the pressure. Gemstone: Citrine

CANCER: You may find it difficult to stay on task at work this month, as you’re being pulled in a thousand directions, and your responsibilities at home may seem endless. Friends are a bright spot, so make time for them. Spending a little time each day in prayer or mediation provides respite and a sense of gratitude which will fortify you.  Gemstone: Angelite

LEO: One dream may be fading and another growing brighter. Over the next eight months you may need to hone your language or spend time reworking old mental patterns to genuinely step into this new direction. Creativity abounds, but be open to constructive criticism to make the most of this period.  Gemstone: Lapis

VIRGO:  Home and family may feel bit frenetic this month, though you’ll find there’s much to enjoy if you just go with it rather than try to fix it. Until next July, your energies are best spent focusing on yourself and initiating action. Movement comes from pushing for what you want, but don’t expect others to come to your aid. Gemstone: Red Jasper

LIBRA: Through next fall, you have an opportunity to come into your power and become an authority. The catch is you have to take on the responsibility, too. November enables you to state your wants and needs in a way that excites others about the possibilities inherent in your ideas. Only you can speak up. Gemstone: Apatite

SCORPIO:  Resist the urge to spend this month, as it could easily get out of hand. Instead curl up with your significant other and get clear on what matters to you both and where you’d like to be in a few years. If you find yourself obsessing about an issue, ask yourself if it really matters to the big picture you just mapped out. Probably not, so let it go. Free up your energy to focus on what you want to create.  Gemstone: Amethyst

SAGITTARIUS:  What kind of relationships do you want and how you communicate your desires to others? Home, where you feel you belong, your family of choice – the foundation on which you stand – will morph over the next 14 years – so take stock this month. Listen to the feedback you receive from the world, especially in your career, to correct course over the next eight months. Gemstone: Smokey Quartz

CAPRICORN:  You may feel like everything happens behind closed doors this month or that you’re slightly out-of-step with the season: wanting to hole up when you’re required to make an appearance.  Don’t isolate, especially the first half of the month, when opportunities can come through chance and friends. Tie up loose ends, admit where you’re being your own worst enemy, and prepare for a new start in December, when you’ll begin revising your long-range plans. Gemstone: Rose Quartz

AQUARIUS:  Ground yourself in your values, set your sights on your high ideals, but limit the scope to that which is doable. Soon you will go through an eight-month period of release and closure. So, clean house. Determine what is baggage and restrictive, and let it go. Does it align to your dream of the future?  If you’re unsure, the answer is no. Gemstone: Black Onyx

PISCES:  Focus on what you want to do in the world and the possibilities inherent in that vision. Soon you will need to dissolve some part of you which no longer feels real or in line with whom you are becoming. If those around you react strongly, remember you only see a fragment of the whole. Remove the sting of their words and listen for the “hard data” in their feedback to find what you might otherwise miss.  Gemstone: Emerald