“My heart is warm with friends I meet and better friends I’ll not be knowing / Yet there isn’t a train I wouldn’t take no matter where it’s going.” –Edna St. Vincent Millay (Moon in Sagittarius)

The Sun and Moon are in colorful and risk-taking Sagittarius, the sign of the gypsy, the pilgrim and the philosopher. The archer may not know the meaning of life but he or she knows life has a meaning and is on a quest to find it. Ruled by expansive Jupiter, this adventurous sign will travel far in search of new frontiers; intellectual, physical and spiritual.

“We shall not cease from exploration/And the end of all exploring/Will be to arrive where we started/And know the place for the first time.” –T.S. Eliot (Four Quartets)

All great stories and myths have a central theme; it is the Hero’s Journey; the eternal search for The Self. It is the story of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Parsifal and the Holy Grail, Odysseus, and Harry Potter – and our story as well. Generally no one sets off for a perilous journey when life is cozy and calm; usually there is some kind of crisis, catastrophe, loss (or Pluto transit) that compels the hero (or heroine) to leave the known for the unknown. He or she explores new lands, encounters mysterious people and extraordinary experiences. There are hardships, tests, and conflicts as well as rewards and redemption. Eventually she returns home not changed but transformed. That’s Sagittarius, the sign of the quest, with its driving need to experience things first hand, to dream big and stride forward, sometimes overextending themselves and exaggerating but always with enthusiasm.

“Lay down your burden/Lay it all down/Pass the glass between you/Drink it up/ Place the light before you/Come through the door/The dragon doesn’t live here anymore.” –Words by Colleen Crangie, sung by Susan Osborn

Both Neptune and Chiron are moving forward in kindhearted Pisces. Neptune went direct on November 16 at 04 degrees of Pisces. The Sun and Moon (as well as lovely Venus and Ceres also in Sagittarius) make a square to dreamy Neptune; the veil between the visible and invisible world becomes porous. Messages and signs from beyond the physical realm abound; synchronicity flourishes and new visions take root. Chiron turns direct on November 23. If you’re still holding onto old grievances and grudges or haunted by feelings of failure or unworthiness, perhaps it’s time (as the song goes) to “Let it go, let it go, let it go.” Allow them to dissolve in the forgiving waters of compassionate Pisces.
“Always look on the bright side of life…” –Monty Python

Thanks to unyielding Saturn in relentless Scorpio and the demanding Uranus/Pluto square we’ve all been dealing with serious subject, heavy challenges and some degree of loss. But sometimes we have to lay down our burden, lighten up and look on the bright side. The problems and challenges will still be there but often a shift in attitude and energy has the potential to generate new solutions and a fresh perspective. That’s the gift of this New Moon in the first degree of Sagittarius; it brings some much needed hope, confidence and inspiration. Use the energy of this buoyant and beautiful New Moon to think new thoughts, tell a new story or dream a new dream. What a promising way to approach this holiday season. Love, Virginia

“New beginnings: Though your destination is not yet clear you can trust the promise of this opening. Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning. That is one of your life’s desires. Awaken your spirit to adventure; hold nothing back, learn to find the ease in risk. Soon you will be home in a new rhythm.” –John O’Donohue