MARCIA SACKS

The New Moon is on Wednesday, November 23 at 4:57 pm CST in 1° Sagittarius.  This New Moon is adventurous and playful and its warmth in a fire sign makes it good for the social side of Thanksgiving.  Also on Wednesday, Jupiter is at its station direct at 28° Pisces. Jupiter is relatively close to Neptune at 22° Pisces. This combination is beneficial for the start of the holiday season. Jupiter symbolizes generosity of spirit and an appreciation of the religious and philosophical aspects of all the winter holidays. Neptune at its best is attunement to the Divine. 

​The expansive quality of Jupiter combined with the idealism of Neptune can trip us up when we try to achieve perfection in producing the perfect holiday experience for ourselves or others. As my guru advised us many times, "We are not living in the realm of perfection." You may find, as I often do at a multi-course holiday meal, that I forgot to serve a dish I'd planned -- and found it the next day in the oven or fridge. Yikes! But no one noticed and everyone had plenty. 

Gratitude is a powerful spiritual path. A Kriya friend of mine recently shared this reflection before meals from Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh: 

Just in one piece of bread, we can be grateful for the sun, rain, earth and the farmer that grows the grain. The people who manufactured the machines that harvested it. The mill that grinds the flour. The transport to the bakery. And so on for every bite of food, and everything else in the miracle of this life that sustains us.
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Thanksgiving blessings!

There will be a Lunar Eclipse on Tuesday November 8 at 5:02 a.m. in 16° Taurus.  This Lunar Eclipse is conjunct Uranus which signifies sudden and unexpected changes. In Taurus, these changes are likely to occur in the areas of real estate and banking. Keep a close eye on your personal finances. You might find yourself with a restless urge to spend, especially on electronics or new inventions.

Being flexible mentally can help you to be open to the new ideas and sparks of genius that Uranus aspects bring. As usual, it's best to wait a week after the eclipse to process new information before taking action.

The Lunar Eclipse and Uranus are squared to Saturn. We've been dealing with the Saturn/Uranus square for the past two years so it's nothing new. The eclipse just intensifies it for a few days both on an internal and external level.

​Here are a few thoughts to consider:

Saturn is limitation, constriction, and sometimes obstruction. Uranus is the urge for freedom, sometimes rebellion. Watch your own emotionality each time you see these symbols in the news and in your own life.

Are we resisting something new or rebelling against a longstanding pattern? Are we playing the role of the parent? Are we the rebellious child? Are we being too extreme in our plans or too conservative in our decision making? How do we approach the future?  Saturn resists the future. Uranus loves the future.

Can these planetary forces work together? Seek balance between discipline (Saturn) and freedom (Uranus). Appreciate things from the past while finding gratitude for the new. Most importantly, learn from your life experiences. This square is starting to separate so in a week you will begin to feel more relaxed and less at odds with others.