On Saturday, November 21, 2020, the Sun moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius, and the 3rd and final phase of Fall begins. What began with Libra at the autumnal equinox and was consolidated during this past month of Scorpio must now be carried forth into Sagittarius and be released, and to pave the way for the winter season that will begin next month in Capricorn.
So it is this year, as every year, that we enter Sagittarius Season. From the fixed, watery, yin essence of Scorpio, we are called forth into the mutable, fiery, yang essence of Sag. During the month of Scorpio, we all were called to go deep into ourselves and our relationships, to explore our own underworld, our own unconscious realms. And now we must emerge from that process, hopefully with a sense of having been transformed in some significant way, and now can move forward into the renewing light and fire of Sag, which can help us convert the emotional energy of Scorpio into the spiritual energy of Sagittarius. So we will feel this energy shift.
As always, we want to get a sense of what the sign is about elementally. So with Sag, we have mutable fire — so this is a fire that wants to spread like a wildfire — it’s contagious, it wants to propagate its passionate ideas, it wants to shout its inspirations from the rooftops. It wants to share its deep understanding of the amazing phenomenon of the natural world. It wants to explore the expanses of the cosmos and discover our purpose and the meaning of life. This is Sagittarius — yang, mutable, fire.
The symbol of Sagittarius is the Centaur — half man, half horse — one of the three “dual” signs of the zodiac (along with Gemini the Twins and Pisces the two Fishes). Having the lower half of an animal, Sagittarius is thus connected to and rooted in the natural world. It has a fiery, instinctual nature. It is associated with the laws of nature — natural law as opposed to man made laws. But its upper half is human, and so it seeks to draw upon its roots in nature’s wisdom to inform and express a more human-centered wisdom. It is thus associated with spirituality, philosophy and cosmology. Sag is always seeking to understand how we as individuals fit into the “big picture” of the Universe.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter. The planet of jovial expression and magnanimous expansion is right at home in the sign of the Centaur. The philosophical openness and high-mindedness of Sag offers the perfect abode for Jupiter’s gregarious energy. This is a time of the year for us to explore our fun-loving and adventurous side as well. There’s a reason all the holiday parties take place during Sag Season — we’re all feeling rather gregarious and eager to spread some seasonal cheer.
But of course, Sag Season 2020 will likely be a different story in this year of COVID19. Thanksgiving will be scaled back. There will be no holiday office parties, no festival of lights, fewer tree trimming occasions or holiday cookie baking sessions. So how are we going to channel all of our usual seasonal Sag gregariousness? Well, like every astrological season this year, we are being forced to refocus, re-channel and reconsider our “normal” way of doing things. All of our cultural customs, our seasonal habits, our tried and true ways — are being called into question at this time, and likely for some deeper purpose.
And Jupiter — Sag’s ruling planet — is part of the equation, as it has conjoined with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn for most of this year, creating a “power trio” configuration that has really disrupted the social order of things. This has been the Great Capricorn challenge of 2020. And as we begin the month of Sag, we find Jupiter in very close conjunction with Pluto, bringing its expansive potential to Pluto’s transformational power. It’s a symbol of the need for big changes that are felt across the whole of society. And 2020 has certainly emphasized that symbolism, hasn’t it?
This year, we will have to be more creative than usual in spreading our holiday cheer. We will be challenged to refine our philosophical outlook on the entire notion of the holiday season. With the situation as it is, many of us will be more likely to question the true spirit and value of the holidays. What is really worth celebrating? With the stark contrasts being presented by the economic challenges of a global pandemic, we might rightfully begin to question the rather unconscious assumptions that have led to an increasing commodification of Christmas in our modern world. We’ve long since decoupled the Christmas traditions from their connection to the seasonal cycles. Sag Season 2020 may be an optimal time to return to our more natural roots.
We might consider replacing some of our socially-oriented traditions with something more focused in nature. While close social contacts will logically be limited by COVID19, the opportunity to get into the great outdoors and commune with nature is ever more present. In ways, it becomes our only option. So rather than be depressed by the limited options, press back. Let’s get out there and embrace nature’s open spaces. Rather than tie a dead tree to the roof of our car and plant it in our living room for a month, why not go out into nature and commune with the trees of the living forest on a regular basis? Sag Season is the perfect time for fall hikes into the woods or in a local park, where we can see and feel the rhythm of nature as it is changing and preparing for the winter season to come. It reminds us that Sag is a mutable sign, it signals this changing of seasons. So get out there and breathe some fresh air. This is the true nature of Sagittarius. And such a return to nature could offer us just the kind of physical, emotional and spiritual boost that we all could use as we move to close out this rather trying year.
This notion of experiencing the outdoors is also supported by all those planets in Capricorn right now — which is an earth sign. There’s a real calling to be grounded and earthy at this time. If we can find a way to reformulate our personal philosophy and outlook on life, and start to create a better vision for our future, based on the necessary changes this year has thrust upon us… if we can learn to adapt and be agile… if we can tap the deeper wisdom that is being offered within this situation, the silver lining hidden beneath the dark cloud of 2020… then we are channeling our highest embodiment of the Centaur, were doing our Sag right!
Neptune in Pisces—dreams of past & future things
Now, there’s another aspect this month that involves Neptune in Pisces — which is in and of itself a pretty dreamy configuration. And we’ve been under this spell since back in 2012 when Neptune first entered Pisces. And it will stay there in its own sign until 2025 — so this is a long lasting “generational” type of transit. But during this month it will be squaring the nodes of the Moon, which simultaneously represent our past and our future. So we may find ourselves doing a lot of daydreaming this month. We might be really nostalgic for the past, or we might find ourselves musing about future possibilities, or both. Because the nodes of the Moon always move together in opposition — with the south node representing our past, and the north node representing our future. And with the south node in Sagittarius, it’s likely that the pull of the past will be felt a little more strongly, we may be more nostalgic, more longing for days gone by. Especially when the Sun comes around to join the south node on December 10th. We’re really going to be torn between our vision… or “re-visioning” of the past as opposed to our new visions for the future.
And with this square from Pisces in Neptune, there may be some confusion, some doubt, some ambiguity and uncertainty. What’s true? What’s false? Who can be trusted? Who is trying to deceive me? Neptune often provides more questions than answers — at least on the surface of things. But we’re being asked to kind of swim in this sea of uncertainty for a while, and learn to trust our intuition and tune into our higher Self, that deeper voice inside us — not the nagging chattering monkey-brain voice… no , no no… the other one. The one we only can hear when we learn to quiet the incessant voice of the ego. And this is the goal of meditation — which, by the way, is a really good practice to undertake during this configuration. Because there is a deeper message, a more profound download waiting to be accessed here. We’re getting a chance to learn spiritual lessons about our past, and to begin to sense a different path forward towards the future. This is happening for all of us as individuals, and it’s happening for the collective as well.
Now, because the nodal axis, the south and north nodes of the Moon — are in Sagittarius and Gemini respectively, that means that both the new moon and full moon that will occur during Sag season this year, will be eclipses. Both the New Moon in Sagittarius on November 20th and the Full Moon in Gemini on December 14th, will be lunar eclipses — which means they will be even more powerful. And, they will be enhancing and highlighting this t-square to Neptune in Pisces that we’ve been talking about. So truth versus deception, past versus future, dreams versus realities. This dichotomy is even further highlighted and amplified.
And during the partial eclipse on the new Moon on November 30th, Mercury will also be conjunct with the Sun & Moon in Sagittarius, so this will kick off what will likely be a particularly verbal and information-heavy lunar cycle. Any time we have Mercury with the Moon, it tends to really stimulate that egocentric, chattering monkey-brain of ours. Which can crowd out and confuse our higher mind. So we all may be a little scattered during this time — and perhaps for this entire month. Because this Sagittarius/Gemini axis is really about sorting through the information, it’s about separating out the true “signal” from all the “noise.” And right now, things are quite noisy in our information environment. Between the news media and social media, and the political discourse, and the pandemic numbers, there is a lot of misinformation being disseminated. There is a lot of distraction and misdirection going on. And our heads are going to be spinning with the complexity and overload of it all.
So I really wanna emphasize the need to find your own clear channels of information this month, and to seek out and formulate your own truth. What are the deeper philosophical, spiritual or religious truths that you hold sacred? What is the highest moral standard that you choose to live by? What are your guiding principles? This is the perfect time to revisit and reread some of your most cherished religious, spiritual or philosophical texts. Or to listen to or watch anything that offers you insight, guidance, wisdom. Because we’re really gonna need some of that “chicken soup for the soul” in order to survive this Sag Season.
And then, go and share that insight, share that wisdom with friends, and family and loved ones. Let that be the gift you give this holiday season. Be generous with yourself, be generous with others. Because that might be worth more than any commodified tokens of your affection this year. Let’s get back to what it’s really all about. The season of Sag, the season of jovial Jupiter — spread your love, spread your joy — obviously from safe social distances. But find clever and creative ways. And seek to elevate yourself above the common, the petty, the trite, the selfish, the fearful. Move towards your highest truth. You’d be really surprised how such a subtle shift in your perspective can change your entire outlook on life. So, on that note, I wanna wish you all a safe and happy holiday season… and a joyful and inspired Sagittarius Season. Sat Nam.
