Dancing with the Desire Body: New Moon in Scorpio

By Isis Ward

In ancient times, this is the beginning of the new year. We release the old with thanks (yes, even for the hard bits) and get ready for what comes (ideally not so many hard bits). During this transition, this thin veil time, what can we expect? The skies flavor all of our lives with the same spices, but how they hit our birthcharts will make one person’s experience more or less pungent than another’s. Here are the basic flavors for the month:

November’s New Moon resides in Scorpio—this time conjunct Mercury and retrograde Venus. In other words, we are all feeling the desire body with a fierceness. We are not big on small talk. We are not all that flexible. In fact, we are willful and well on our way to becoming crab cakes if we don’t achieve our desires or if we perceive others acting against our interests.

We are more likely to focus on what our egos want, rather than wait for Divine Grace to step in and show us our path. We are not stuck in willfulness or ego, however. Neptune and Mars square the big Sun Moon, Venus Mercury conjunction. Here is our dance card for the month This tension between our spiritual goals and the desire body invites us to seize the truth with passion.

Venus retrograde shakes her hips and gives a “come hither” glance over her shoulder, inviting us to revisit our delicious desires. Mercury in Scorpio evaluates them ruthlessly, pointing out that it is time to get serious about what we want to create.

What if we were as passionate about being impeccable with our word as we are about chocolate? What if we could pray for and act for the healing of the air and ocean with the same fury with which we curse the traffic?

Mars in Libra forms an unusual Grand Trine with Neptune in Aquarius and the North Node in Gemini, pulling back some of Mars’ usual force and rechanneling it into compromise, new ideas, new communication to benefit the greater whole. Alas, that this happens before an election is hopeful, but no guarantee that folks will take advantage of this urge.

Saturn is also retrograde in Gemini, harrumphing about, trying to figure out if a new outlook is worth making actual change. He stumps up and down, weighing the benefits and losses and not making a solid decision.

In our own lives, we get to experience all of these forces like an internal play. Venus, the femme fatale whispering, “remember when;” Mercury, the inner child becoming an angst ridden teenager seeking a cause to live for; Sun and Moon, masculine and feminine, ego and emotion coalescing into a passionate spark; the old general, Saturn, trying to keep up with the good he sees in change, but lost without his old behaviors and problem focused imaginings; Neptune, the New Age prophet chatting everybody up about free love, earth healing and social justice ; and Mars, usually out for his own fun and profit, soaking up the higher consciousness and trying to figure out how he can save the planet while making a buck for himself and the local homeless shelter.

Meanwhile, two heavy hitters, Pluto, the Angel of Death and Jupiter the well-heeled coyote trine eachother, communing like long lost buddies, dishing out opportunities left and right, for those brave or crazy enough to take them.

As with any intense work of art, the skies invite us to examine our lives, our passions, our truths and seize the opportunity to break the habit of false comfort.

This month, we get a Lunar eclipse on the full moon in Taurus. The Earth comes between the Sun and Moon as the oppose eachother. This is a tremendously magical time for setting intent, creating a new life lived from passion. Pluto and Jupiter will continue to trine eachother, creating incredible opportunity for manifestation (as does a full moon in Taurus).

By ancient calendars, Tuesday, the 19th is the first Full Moon of the year. Gift yourself with music, movement and prayers for healing the planet. Set goals for the next thirteen moons and share them with others, letting your spoken word lend them power. One way or another change is coming; choose to act with it in grace.