We’re between eclipses, Jupiter is back in Pisces, Saturn and Pluto are freshly direct, and Mars Retrograde is in full effect; the season’s more dramatic transits are moving right along.

The beginning of this week looks to be centered around the theme of letting go, whether this means saying goodbye to something or someone that’s been important to you, or whether it means releasing baggage and pain. Venus, the Sun, and finally, Mercury, will all cross through the South Node, long considered to be a point of disintegration, and to some astrologers, of karmic release. As much, we may see release and even temporary absence of these planetary signatures, perhaps a purification leading to a rebirth of heartfelt connection, of primal identity, of discerning analysis.

This may all be prompted by an encounter or encounters with figures of authority, as each planet will also first make an antiscial connection with Saturn in Aquarius, who is moving forward and imposing order where it is needed. Today sees Venus stopped at Saturn’s checkpoint before diving into the abyss, and of course, the Sun and Mercury will follow suit. Shortly after clearing these two hurdles, the Saturnine red tape and the South Node’s annihilating black hole, each planet will then need to pass through an opposition to Uranus, a challenging current which demands that each of these planets reignite and adapt in the wake of being unmade.

These transits may not be easy to parse apart, and are more likely to be felt as a single process or ordeal. (Or not at all! As ever, mileage will vary depending on how each transit hits your chart.) To recap: Venus, the Sun and Mercury will, in turn, get checked by Saturn, turned to a pile of dust by the South Node, and then get zapped back to life by Uranus. And this is all a lead-in to the big lunar eclipse in Taurus on Tuesday. But we’ll get there.

Between today and Thursday afternoon (11/3,) the moon in Pisces will be casting a supportive trine to this array of planets in Scorpio, which may make the exact conjunction of Venus and the South Node a bit easier. Any requisite processes of release around matters of love, money, values, or social connection will likely go gently, with some sense of calm. By Friday (11/4,) the moon in Pisces will make the waters a little more choppy, obfuscation and fantastical projections about a project may prove vexxing. This is an expected result of the moon’s conjunction to Neptune and Jupiter, all casting a difficult square to Mars retrograde. Watch your temper, don’t melt down. Saturday and Sunday (11/5 and 11/6) see the moon move through a couple of uncomfortable (but less dramatic) configurations in Aries, reconnecting with our wounds and insecurities, perhaps causing us to reflect on we have the spoons to begin working on them or past them. Sunday shifts the focus to frustrations around power dynamics, secrets, corruption. On a functional level, this may cause reflection on the systems and structures in our hearts and lives and whether there is some house cleaning to do.

By Sunday, all of the Scorpio planets will have passed through the antiscial connection with Saturn (the check-in with authority) and their conjunction to the South Node (dissolution,) and are firmly in the sights of Uranus in Taurus, an agent for revolutionary change, a force of revelation, and a volatile Promethean connection here occurs. In truth, Venus, will have already been partile for this opposition over the weekend, perhaps an early sign of what’s to come. But in my experience, the moon passing over an array like this is really what sets things off, and that will happen on Tuesday (11/8.) Not only is this a lunar trigger, not only is this a full moon, but because this happens on the nodes (literal shadow points which were first calculated to predict future eclipses,) we will be getting a full lunar eclipse in Taurus.

In the life of the native, eclipses are thought to draw focus away from the point eclipsed and toward the place where its opposite lies in the chart. So to tie things back to where we began, imagine a huge influx of vitality being thrown at those planets from the beginning and what they represent. Because this involves Uranus, it may involve a bolt from the blue, an event or shift in thought that is undeniable and profound. This will be especially true for those with planets or sensitive chart points around 17 degrees of fixed signs. More thoughts from my write-up on Scorpio Season:

“…this may speak to the sudden removal of something substantial element in life…Those planets in Scorpio conjure pessimism, cynicism, sardonic commentary. They loathe pretense, they prefer to focus on what’s important, what’s deeply held. That’s the kind of current that’ll be left in the wake of this eclipse. Mars is still the ruler of those planets, and it may be a natural progression of his retrograde that makes certain people in life, or certain parts of yourself, throw the brakes on and say ‘enough is enough, let’s cut the shit and hash this out.'”

Now, the current prevailing doctrine is that the effects of an eclipse may manifest up to six months (!!) after the actual celestial occurrence. I have a feeling this one will hit quicker, or at least, be perceived more quickly and clearly. Firstly, Uranus tends to have that exact effect. Secondly, to add another scoop of weirdness onto this pile of Rocky Road ice cream and nitroglycerin, we also have Mercury’s cazimi. Planets that get too close to the Sun are said to be weakened, drowned out by its light – not that any of these planets in Scorpio, being checked by Saturn and the South Node, needed any more wearing down – it’s almost not worth mentioning in that context. But on Tursday, Mercury will be exactly conjunct the Sun. If anyone reads this thing on the regular, they’ll remember the big deal I made about Venus’ cazimi just a couple of weeks ago.

Essentially, it means that in the midst of all this chaos, Mercury will have a clear open channel, a moment of perfect reception in the eye of the storm. And this just so happens to be the same day as the eclipse. So: eyes wide, ears open, senses sharp. Be on the lookout for clues as to which way the winds of your life are shifting. Even those with very dull and limited intuition should feel the dust kicked up by this volley.

Be well. Until next Hump Day!