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The Astrological Theme for November was Brave New World.

“It’s a book about a dystopian reality

And, it’s an invitation.

Brave: The Courage to Endure Discomfort Without Fear

New: Not Existing Before

World: Humanity, the Planet, Realm of Life”

Read the whole forecast for November here.

The election happened.
Water protectors were attacked by police with water canons in freezing weather conditions at standing rock, and served a notice for eviction.
Musicians Leonard Cohen and Sharon Jones passed away.
Fidel Castro passed away.
Unprecedented rampant wildfires blazed through my hometown and beyond in Western North Carolina.

So.

Here we are.

In that awkward silence surrounded by ambient noise and unbroken ice. Wrangling with inner and outer perceptions. Someone, please, crack a joke.

The Astrological Theme for December 2016 is: Here and Now.

We work with what we got. It starts with Presence of Mind. The ability to remain calm and take quick, sensible action. Synonym: Self-Possession.

What are you present to in this moment? What are you feeling? What do you see? Smell? Taste? Where do you locate yourself? Where do you locate others? What flutters in the back of your mind, at the bottom of your heart? What has someone told you recently that stayed with you? Can you remain here, even now, despite any discomfort?

This month, fear and extreme polarity have increasingly arisen like sizzling flames in the United States populace (Saturn in Sagittarius).

Many have been shaken further awake.

Whatever it is,

Feel it.

And respond.

Last month, I wrote: “We are charged with the formation of a Brave New World. Something we get to dream into being, and create.”

Creation is ACTIVE. Each human being is a Creator with great Sovereign power. What are you going to do? What is within your reach? Some have been calling their local representatives, or continuing to take action in support of Standing Rock. Others have been donating to organizations that are important to them and their values, such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. Others have been mobilizing within their communities, creating necessary safe spaces for marginalized groups of people.

Something is abundantly clear:

The status quo is no longer acceptable.

If we are going to thrive, if we are going to survive, change has got to come.

I am not going to offer a diatribe about the election. But I will contribute a couple of observations that are hopefully useful.

Liminal Space: An In-Between Boundary/Threshold

Someone from the UK raised a pertinent question: In the United States, are people meant to vote for their own good or for the good of the collective?

Seeing as the United States of America was founded on individualism and capitalist principles, this is a meaningful and informative question. As corporations now hold more rights than people and the global climate becomes less stable, these founding principles need to be modified. This is an evolutionary process. We need personal, national, and global identities that are life-giving toward nature and well-being. We know what we are moving from. Do we have a clear sense of what we are moving to?

Civic Education?

Do we live in a democracy? Maybe…

50% of registered voters did not cast a ballot for the Presidential Election 2016.

When I was at the polls, I realized how uneducated I am about candidates and the political process. I haven’t learned much about civics since I left high school. The hippie colleges and progressive towns I’ve been exposed to haven't emphasized civic duty.

Who believes in voting? Older, wealthier, white populations are more likely to think their vote matters. Many people believe voting is an illusion, that the system is rigged, and even if people do vote, their choice is not taken into consideration. Some feel that an old, broken system will never give birth to effective change. Some of those folks attempt to make change with purchasing power and lifestyle behaviors. But what would result if civic engagement was incorporated, too? What would happen if younger and marginalized populations were provided incentive to vote?

Prioritizing Participation

In life, there is no such thing as an innocent bystander. Declining to participate is still participating, albeit indirectly. Focused attention is extremely powerful. By utilizing choice over how we employ our minds and our behavior, we engage our sovereignty as beings.

People in this society are busy and distracted. Private investors who fund politics purposefully keep us that way.

The default is distraction. The directive is to consciously resist distraction, and remain alert. As the world turns and time spins on, it becomes more and more essential that individuals and community cultivate their own sovereignty. It is necessary to step into our power as creator on more levels that we previously have. This is how we become more whole.

Complexity can lead to Fragmentation

Notice this concept: the simple is often the more unified.

There is a lot I can say on this topic, but I believe that would moot the point. Meditate on it.

Necessity of Unity

I believe there’s an old saying, “United we Stand, Divided we Fall.”

Notice how that principle is playing out in your life. Where is there unison/harmony, and where is there conflict? If ultimately, everything is One, then all division is born of misunderstanding, or a creation in the mind. Judgment suppresses communion.

Rather than becoming so tied to our minds that their limits bump up against one another, can we connect through empathy? Using Non-Violent Communication and therapeutic modes of relating can help to illuminate basic similarities and needs between people. Promoting understanding across divides is now becoming an essential survival skill.

People Power

People are incredibly powerful. When great numbers of people align and mobilize for a common goal, magic happens and history can be made. I believe that people with bonded sentiments will always rise. Force and brutality can be wielded against them, but the spirit of their connection and their common cause will never die.

Last month I wrote: “Now, more than ever, we need to connect.” There is no map for how to build connected community in an individualistic society. But resources do exist, and it is time to make more. When we know what it feels like to be held by brothers and sisters and to move as one, little else is desired.

What if in some parallel universe, our desired Brave New World was already manifest? What if in addition to creating it, we could simply REALize (conceive of it, open to it, and make material) what already Is – in the eyes of Divine and inside of every human heart?

Here.

Now.

Presence of Mind.

Meet all of life right where it’s at.

It takes trust; something we need to reinvigorate and fortify in order to carry on. What is something you still trust, even now?

How does Earth meet you, today? What does she have to say?

How does Sky meet you? What does that vast expanse communicate?

Listen, and respond. Make that your daily tithe.

In a time of wildfire complexities, this is the simple solution.

Connect with yourself.

Resist distraction.

Join with others and take clear, sensible action.

And as always, above all,

Love.

Despite and in honor of

It all.

Astrologically Speaking, December Features:

Cardinal T-Square formed now between Jupiter in Libra, Uranus in Aries, Pluto in Capricorn
Dec 1 Mercury enters Shadow at 28 degrees Sagittarius
Sun conjunct Saturn Dec 9 (highlighting Saturn-Chiron upcoming square)
Mars enters Pisces and Mercury begins retrograde conjunct Pluto!! Dec 19 (Mercury direct Jan 8 at 28 Sagittarius)
Winter Solstice
Jupiter opposite Uranus exact Dec 26
Saturn square Chiron Dec 28

Play-by-Play Transit Forecast (All Times Listed in EST)

Dec 1 Chiron stations Retrograde (3:01am) Mars trine Jupiter (10:46pm) Mercury enters Shadow

To turn on one's heel is to make a distinct about-face into a different direction than the course you were currently on. Today, we collectively turn on our achilles heel - the sensitive, vulnerable part of our psyche has a strong influence. Gaze upon what makes a human a human. Part and parcel of exquisite design. Collective efforts can make strides now. Sound beliefs and moral intentions are inherent to success. Look at what is good for the others, and participate in supporting that. None be harmed, do what ye will. For the next 18 days, notice what communications are in your sphere. As we approach Mercury Retrograde, it is likely that decisions and messages will be reversed or at least reassesed - especially in realms of government, business, and structure.

Dec 2 Mercury enters Capricorn (4:18pm)

Set your mind to delineate your ambitions, longterm goals, and business plans. What is absolutely essential, and of utmost importance in your life? To what will you hold yourself most accountable? What responsibilities offer you fulfillment? Rigidity can be a benefit at times; control and discipline can lead to accomplishment. The only thing you can honestly be in control of? Yourself. Hone the master within, able to withstand any storm and survive, heartier, and more fortified than most. There is a deeply spiritual quality infused within patient, sustained determination and self-reliance.

Dec 3 Mars sextile Saturn (7:15am)

Move. With drive and determination towards your goal, make strides. Real, measurable practical actions are favored. Sensible and effective life-construction.

Dec 6 Mars sextile Uranus (10:30pm)

Quick change! Use your impulses. Try something new or weird. Notice what creative energy is afoot today and harness it. Inklings of your own unique imprint on the world are embedded in what inspires you most, and the risks you are willing to take to move forward. Sparkly genius crystal energy of sorts!

Dec 7 Venus enters Aquarius (9:51am)

A taste for the unusual. The new. The reinvented. The untried. The love of humanity. This transit may help us politically to gather our forces in the interests of the collective (we shall see). The definite lesson in this transit? Be yourself. You were meant to be exactly who you are, and you owe it to the world and to this gift of life to be more you. Fresh, innovative, forward-thinking art could save the world. What is art but making self apparent?

Dec 9 Sun sextile Jupiter (4:39pm)

Opening up. No matter where you are right now, what would it feel like to open to it more? Try it on. You may be surprised by the ease that the willingness to open creates. Openness has the potential to increase luck and fortune for you. Widen your sphere. In fact, make an offering towards the sweetness that you choose to be sure awaits you and your loved ones. Scatter rose petals on the path. Don your cloak of innocence and take life as your lover. (Inspiration for Seduction as a Spiritual Practice here) Tragedy and sweetness are equally inherent in life.

Dec 10 Mercury sextile Neptune (3:25am) Sun conjunct Saturn (6:51am)

Since December 2014, we've been working on restructuring our basic belief systems. Today, the Sun illuminates how far we have come during that process, and how far we have yet to go before Saturn exits Sagittarius in December 2017. What fears are highlighted now? What limits and burdens are we rubbing up against? There can be a serious, somber tone, tinged with hints on your path to mastery. Reinvigorate trust and faith in the ever-growing principle of nature. Even contraction is a form of growth. Stand strong. Allow difficulty to fortify you and inform how you can be more mature, more essential, and more of a badass. Spiritual guides and support are always with you and can come in handy, if you call upon them.

Dec 12 Sun square Chiron (2:58am)

Fallibility. Inherent tragedy of human life. Vulnerable sensitivities are opening up; notice what arises. This is a theme we will collective be traversing for most of 2017. In challenge, drifting, confusion, and excessive migration. In benefit, the possibilities are infinite, compassion and empathy ever-increase. Love it all. Life is about healing.

Dec 13 Full Moon in Gemini (7:05pm)

Is tricky. There is magician, coyote medicine here; altering perceptions of reality. Character dramas and plot twists. Smoke and mirrors. What is life without entertainment? Don't believe everything you see. There are many parts and fragments that comprise a whole. Inspect each piece up close, then zoom out. Dance with the many angles of self. How many masks can you wear in a day, in a lifetime? And what does each personality have to offer? Try it on. Emphasize a new pattern of thought. When we change our minds, we change our experience. When we change our minds, we influence the structure of the world. Put your options in a hat and shake it up. Allow the divine rolling of the dice to make its choice. Give it over to a higher power. Sometimes this very act of surrender is what ensures that something truly belong to us. Everything is medicine. This includes mistakes and misadventures. As we dance through divisions, multiplications and dimensions, we befriend the kaleidoscopic nature of existence. The deeper the darkness, the more concentrated the flood of light; when dawn breaks.

For every New and Full Moon, find a forecast and accompanying movement ritual for alignment here on the Qoya blog.

Dec 19 Mars enters Pisces (4:23am) Mercury stations Retrograde (5:55am)

Spiritual motivations; but watch out for a martyr complex. Best uses of this transit: meditation, dream work, service to others, employing empathy. Difficulties with this transit: avoidance, escapism, overly passive behavior, emotional/psychic enslavement to others. Take time for quiet, cleansing, and retreat while Mars is in Pisces until January 28, 2017. Deep inner work is indicated. When Mercury stations, communications and thought patterns can slow to a stillpoint. Today, notice what comprises the foundation of your life. This Mercury Rx period is especially going to influence the purging of latent power structures. Things that are hidden, secret, unnecessarily controlling, manipulative, or taboo will be revealed and/or reshuffled. Slaying demons, inner and outer. Let the decks clear. Reassess after Mercury completes this retrograde period (also January 28), and see what has changed. In transformation periods like these, we can never go back to what existed before. Paving the way for a new kind of innocence.

Dec 21 Sun enters Capricorn, Winter Solstice (5:44am)

The wheel turns. On the darkest day of the year, we sanctify the birth of light. Rest in the darkness. "Turn the light around." When it is dark outside, make it light within. Purify, clarify, and direct your intentions. The winter solstice this year marks tension between what was, what is, and what potentially will be. Old and new struggle without apparent reconciliation. The accumulation of stillness will naturally give rise to right action.

Dec 24 Saturn trine Uranus (7:21pm)

Stability for radical reinvention! Capable of innovative progress. Put wheels and spokes beneath your creativity and watch it roll us into the next wave of being. Useful technologies are being enhanced. Great time to support renewable resource technology in particular.

Dec 25 Venus trine Jupiter (8:23am) Venus sextile Uranus (11:35am) Venus sextile Saturn (1:33pm)

Yummy aspects today! Especially supportive of affections and relationships. The tension between old and new we may have felt during solstice becomes more balanced and relieved. Love big! Embrace sweetness.

Dec 26 Jupiter opposite Uranus (1:35pm) Mercury sextile Neptune (11:19pm)

Big, unpredictable changes are afoot. This transit is reminiscent of ammo flying and champagne corks popping. Loud noises, both warlike and celebratory, directed at anything in particular? Who knows where it's going to land. Leaps forward in technology are available now, and for most of 2017 as Jupiter and Uranus dance opposite one another. Sudden gains and/or losses for humanity. Releasing tension. Focus on the new, the untried, and the radical. If we can conceive of it, it probably won't happen. Something completely different will. Genius, chaos, and madness are close cousins.

Dec 28 Sun conjunct Mercury (1:47pm) Saturn square Chiron (6:05pm) Mercury sextile Mars (6:06pm)

The messenger is in court with the King. What says the scroll? It's a message that will likely be revised and finalized January 20th, 2017. There is a deep transit indicative of karmic healing exact today, and it predominates the astrology throughout most of 2017. Consequences must be dealt with, even if the crimes are ancient. Mourn alone and together. There is a higher calling for heavenly compassion inside and beyond brutal realism. Take refuge in the spiritual connection that runs deeper than anything manifest. (Elias Lonsdale's "Inside Degrees" provides inspiration for some of the content in this post)

Dec 29 New Moon in Capricorn (1:53am) Uranus stations Direct (4:29am)

This New Moon is grounds for the miraculous. Each of us is capable of performing miracles, big and small. Do you believe in second chances? In the story of "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo, an impoverished man attempted to rob a priest. Rather than condemn him for theft, the priest covered for his crime and offered him liberty, under one condition: that he would become an honest man. The man who would have been a criminal became a flourishing philanthropist, regarded as a humble savior for others throughout the remainder of his life. The simple act of the priest offering him a second chance, with direction to cultivate virtue, was enough to shift the course of history for the better. The results? Miraculous and far-reaching. To "deem" means to consider, to judge, or to regard as. Therefore, to "redeem" means simply to reconsider. To change judgement. On this New Moon, can you make space to regard yourself in a new way? Relax any gripping or weight you may carry. Remove unnecessary burdens or criticisms to make way for unprecedented change. To restore virtue to the world, honor yourself, see others with honor, and carry forth in the virtue of compassion's embrace.

Uranus station days (and the week surrounding them) can feel unstable and unsteady. Follow the rocky road, and eat the marshmallows.

For every New and Full Moon, find a forecast and accompanying movement ritual for alignment here on the Qoya blog.

Dec 30 Sun sextile Neptune (6:25pm)

Dreamy and altruistic. Wade in the waters of forgiveness and rebirth.

Dec 31 Jupiter inconjunct Chiron (5:58am)

Somehow today, laughter both hurts and heals. Joy is related with pain. Tears don't discriminate between sadness and celebration. There is sensitivity to being big, to taking up space. Forced smiles help to get you through what's hardest. Moral missions and journeys can benefit your path to wellness. Stay devoted and faithful, and you can help others find the gift in their presence.

Jan 1 Mars conjunct Neptune (1:52am)

Strange magic. Moving in the direction of your dreams, longings, and highest ideals is recommended. Altruism is beautiful, but don't allow others to take unhealthy advantage of you. Enabling isn't healing. Everyone is extra sensitive and porous today. Cleanse your waters.