Voices in your body coming through on the radio
The union of the snake is on the climb
Moving up it's gonna race it's gonna break
Through the borderline
— Duran Duran
The November moon always feels a little like the calm before the storm. The Melbourne Cup marks the beginning of the 'silly season' as the weather begins to get a bit better (well, for Melbourne anyway), daylight savings begins, and sense of the end of the year becomes truly palpable. This moon shifts us back into a yin time, as we prepare for the hustle and general craziness of December.
The image is of the serpent, an animal that evokes all sorts of emotions and fascinations amongst all human cultures spanning all epochs of time. The way it moves, slithering around, became a metaphor for the way this energy moves. Not only that, but the aspect of it shedding its skin became a potent alchemical symbol for change and transmutation. This is why it was a symbol associated with medicine and Asklepios, the ancient Greek deity of healing. In Greece as well as China, there was always a link between physiological healing, and the healing of the mind, emotions, and spirit.
In astrology, the serpent represents the expansive element of Fire in its beginning, emergent form. The Earthly Branch is called 巳 Sì, and signifies an energy of 'preparing for ripeness'. Consider the young fruit on trees as they grow, before they are ripe and able to eaten. We see the potential of what will come, but further transformation is needed before we can reap such harvest. So what happens during this month is a good indicator of what will come when summer is in full swing.
This gentle fiery energy is tempered by the vibration of the Heavenly Stem 癸 Guǐ which represents the element of Water. Being yin-water, the metaphor here is of the pond or the rain. After having held the energy and nurtured the new life deep within it (yang water), here the holding energy softens and there is a more softer nurturing energy that begins to gather and coalesce ready for the new life force to emerge.
So the beginning of summer for 2018 is going to be expressed as a tension between the polarities of Fire and Water. The tension is not challenging as such, as it is complementary. This is the 'push-me-pull-you' effect of wanting inwards-directed nurturing coming up against the natural tendency to expand outwards into the light.
Fire and water must have made you their daughter
— Free
Just like in Western astrology, the affects on the individual are determined by how it relates to your birth chart. In Taoist astrology, we look at the relationships formed by the Heavenly Stems & Earthly Branches.
Note: SH = Southern Hemisphere, NH = (Northern Hemisphere)
Heavenly Stems - in this case, 癸 Guǐ , yin water - are compared to what is called the 'Day Master' in your chart. It could prove to be a challenging month for anyone with a yin-fire Day Master. However, those who have a yang-earth (戊 Wù) Day Master will find themselves supported for next month.
The energies of the snake (yin-fire) will benefit anyone born during March & July (SH) / September & January (NH), while those born in February (SH) / August (NH) can potentially have a highly transformative month.
Those who were born in April or August (SH) / October or February (NH) will find it challenging.
Those born in February (SH) / August (NH) may still feel a lot of edges arise through any transformation (it won't be an easy transition into whatever you're moving into), and those born in August (SH) / February (NH) will find this the most challenging.
If you would like more details on your Taoist Astrology chart, and find out about your Day Master and the elements of your Stems & Branches, I invite you to contact me and I can draw up your chart and give you a detailed, personal reading.
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Listen to the HI-FI MIXTAPE: FIRE & WATER soundtrack.
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