Sagittarius Temperance New Moon: November 23
The Sun enters Sagittarius at 3:20AM ET on November 22, the final sign of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Sagittarius season has a special magic with Jupiter presiding over the festival of lights from spiritual and empathic Pisces. Old Jove loves saying YES and can do so more effectively when in domicile. During Sag season, we’re affirmed in our journey outward–the quest for meaning that takes us to unfamiliar places. Yet the Pisces point of focus is inward towards the heart. This blending of fire and water is captured by the tarot card XIV, Temperance, which corresponds to Sagittarius in the Major Arcana. With the movement of multiple planets from Scorpio, and the presence of Jupiter in Pisces, Temperance is the perfect guide to Sagittarius season this year.
After a murky swim through Scorpio, Venus entered Sagittarius at 1:06AM ET on Nov 16, and Mercury followed suit at 3:42AM on Nov 17. Since then, they’ve been kicking up their heels and celebrating the release from Mars' retrograde rule. Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, connected to our spirit, motivation, and belief in what’s possible. New avenues for adventure open up romantically and socially over the next several weeks. We’re not satisfied with hypotheticals with Venus in Sagittarius. The centaur seeks the answers to life’s big questions through journeying. Sag shoots its arrow towards the horizon and takes off; it loves the chase and lives to ride. Although Sag is a philosopher, we learn best through direct experience when Mercury is in Sag. Go, do, and try everything before Venus departs for Capricorn on December 9.
There’s big Temperance card energy in the sky when the Sun trines Jupiter at 10:43AM ET on Nov 20. Sags' are not known for their restraint. In fact, they can be quite impulsive and may suffer from “hoof in mouth” syndrome, constantly saying what’s on their mind without considering how it will land. The Temperance card is about balancing the coarser aspects of the centaur’s nature through moderation in action, thought, and feeling. Sagittarius is a sign that goes to extremes. It's part of what makes them so fun. But the largesse of Jupiter means they can easily get into big trouble in their pursuit of ever greater wins. It's as if there's an angel and a devil on each shoulder, causing them to vacillate between their philosophical/spiritual nature and hedonistic/nihilistic side without warning.
The Temperance tarot card depicts an angel with one foot on land and the other in the water. The angel holds two cups, one in each hand, and is pouring water between them, representing the effortless flow of Jupiter’s trine aspect. Temperance reminds us that our lust for life is part of the joy of living. Life becomes gray and dull without inspiration and enthusiasm. Yet there must be a grander purpose behind our searching or it always ends in the same place. Jupiter’s final pass through Pisces from October 28-December 20, 2022, is concluding a personal exploration that began in May 2021.
Jupiter stations direct at 07°09 Pisces at the Sagittarius New Moon on November 23. Although stationary planets don’t have as much power, this moment ties together the end of Jupiter’s time in Pisces with the start of something new in Sag. Consider carefully what you’re being called to wrap up before the Winter Solstice? Once Jove departs for Aries, it will not return to Pisces again until 2033.
The last day of Scorpio season contains a sweet blessing when Venus and Mercury conjoin at 07°09 Sagittarius at 5:55PM ET on Nov 21. This is a magic moment for connection, conversation, romance, and art. The Sun is still in a trine with Jupiter in Pisces, so we naturally feel in the flow of life. Solutions present themselves effortlessly and we feel inspired in our undertakings. Allow yourself to give and receive without worrying about what debts are owed. Revel in the emotional abundance and let it spark new passions.
The New Moon at 1°38 Sagittarius at 5:57PM ET on November 23, contains this benefic aspect between Venus and Mercury. This lunation is a welcomed refresher after the tumult of eclipse season, when the snow globe of our lives got shaken up. The tiny flakes are continuing to fall into place, but we’re invited to take a soulful rest and asked what we need to move forward. As the eternal optimist, Sagittarius invites us to celebrate the best in people, including ourselves.
The Sagittarius New Moon conjunct Venus and Mercury, helps us to feel expansively alive by bridging us into the motion that's already unfolding. Diversity is the spice of life, and the stockpile of planets in Sag can inspire a restlessness. Luck and games are connected with Jupiter and the 5th house where Venus rejoices. People play the lottery for the chance of having their lives transformed in an instant. Yet humans don’t actually do well with drastic turns of fate. We fantasize about getting everything we want but, most people subconsciously prefer a gradual evolution of circumstances. Worthwhile things develop slowly, and we avoid emotional highs and lows when we abstain from gambling on our future. As any tv show about rich people teaches us, having everything you want doesn’t actually make you happy.
The Mars retrograde in Gemini has been amplifying the static in our minds since October 30. There's a mutable t-square building throughout Sag season. All planets in Sag will oppose Mars in Gemini and square Neptune and Jupiter in Pisces. It’s harder to know and confidently land in one place when our heart/spirit/mind is constantly leaping between a multiplicity of options. Mercury and Venus will oppose Mars at 18° Gemini and square Neptune at 22° Pisces from November 29-December 4. It’s easy to get into head trips during this time. Mars in Gemini makes us obsessively detail oriented and Neptune in Pisces causes confusion. We desire escape but the only doors out are traps or illusions. It's a house of mirrors, and we finally get to see the true reflection when the Sun opposes Mars at the Gemini Full Moon on December 7. It might not be an easy view, but this Moon conjunct Mars will illuminate everything that has been upturned since August 20.
The beginning of Sag season is the most enjoyable, so make the most of this favorable week in November. Mars retrograde in Gemini is moving around key pieces of our minds, reprioritizing our life seemingly at random, but there is a hidden wisdom to this process. If you feel uncomfortable with the endless possibilities remember there’s always a loophole to the problems we face, and Mercury in Sag will find it. Mercury squares Jupiter on December 6, just before entering Capricorn, and Venus does the same on December 9. It may not all go easy, but assistance if available. Hope is waiting on the wings. Support may come in the form of a million little helpers.
The key to all the mutable chaos is patience as the Temperance card reminds us. Historically, temperance has actually referred to complete abstinence. Holding back is safer than barreling forward once Mercury and Venus enter Capricorn. Mars will not station direct until January 12, so delay drawing conclusions until then. Thankfully, Jupiter in Pisces is there when we need succor and support. The best course of action is to let your better angels lead. Provide that tiny boost for someone else and you’ll find the fulfillment you seek this Sag season.