Highlights for Nov. 8-14, 2021: Tests of Strength, Moments of Rest

Tests of Strength, Moments of Rest

Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.

Tests of strength

Mercury and Mars come together in Scorpio this week (Nov. 10, 4:56 am PST), and our powers of observation and instinct have never been stronger. It’s the right time to put good ideas into action, because those ideas are based on careful consideration and a dash of x-ray vision.

As Mercury and Mars square Saturn (Nov. 10, at 9:04 am PST and 3:14 pm PST, respectively), though, you’ll face tests of strength and endurance – both mentally and physically. If you’ve really thought things through, trust yourself; you’re working on something that’s worth fighting for.

Move toward the future

At the First Quarter Moon (Nov. 11, 2021, 4:46 am PST), action is required – and that takes courage. This one pits the Moon and Jupiter together in Aquarius against the Sun in Scorpio and Uranus in Taurus. Courage and vision are in generous supply, but it can be especially hard right now to get people to agree on which vision to work toward, and how.

Keep trying, though. This First Quarter furthers a plan that was conceived around the extraordinary New Moon of Feb. 11, 2021, with six planets in Aquarius. Throw yourself into a long-range, revolutionary venture that was conceived then; the work you do now will come to fruition around the August 11, 2022 Full Moon in Aquarius.

Move toward the future

The Sun in Scorpio makes one of two annual trine aspects to Neptune this week (Nov. 12, 2021, 8:24 am PST). It’s a generally favorable aspect that lends itself to a few pleasant days (one before and one after the exact aspect) of spiritual rejuvenation. Since the Sun represents the ways we create, re-creation – time to simply be and to play – is vital to keeping our creative energy vibrant and healthy.

The Sun is on the Sabian symbol 21 Scorpio, A soldier derelict in duty. But then, maybe your commitments or duties are out of step with your ethics, spiritual beliefs, or simply your need to step away and rest. So find a minute or two for recreation during this action-oriented week. Relax near the water, enjoy music, catch up on sleep, and engage in spiritual practices. This week is a good one for a spiritual retreat. It needn’t be anything formal, fancy, or expensive; just a bit of time set aside for meditation, relaxed pleasure, and re-creation – some time to dream a new you.

The burden of silence

There’s a story we tell about ourselves, starting from our earliest experiences and encompassing all the milestones up to the present day. The experiences we choose to highlight in that story – and most importantly, the way we frame ourselves as hero, victim, victor, or loser – are up to us. As Mercury, the storyteller, moves into an opposition with Uranus (Nov. 13, 2021, 7:57 am PST), it’s time to change the way we tell that story.

Mercury is in Scorpio, which keeps matters close to its chest – but as it connects with Uranus, maybe it’s time to experiment with being a bit more open! Uranus prefers to lay all cards on the table, and information will want to be shared now… so you might as well do it intentionally, instead of blurting something out (or having your secrets exposed) at an inopportune moment. Besides, Uranus on 13 Taurus, A porter carrying a mountain of heavy baggage, suggests that maybe you’ve been wanting to put down the burden of silence for a long time.