On November 26, 2019 at 10:06 AM (EST), there’s a New Moon at 4° in the sign of Sagittarius. While Mercury is finally moving forward by the time this New Moon rolls around, it’s still in its post-retrograde “shadow” phase. During this phase, which lasts from November 20th through December 7th, Mercury retraces its steps, bringing up any lingering changes or repairs that need to be made or situations overlooked to our attention for resolution. New Moons mark the very beginning of the Lunar cycle, signaling a period of Action and Fresh Starts. But while Mercury remains in its post-retrograde shadow, our thoughts will still be lingering—almost like a hangover, a ghost in your toilet or an idea you just can’t shake. 

The New Moon on the 26th is a great time to vanquish our inner demons as we confront our need to break free of any confining person, place or thing.  Sun-Moon in Sagittarius can easily make us nervous, irritable, impatient, rebellious and creative. It’s a dramatic combination as it causes us to want to break free from all that is mundane and routine, look for new adventures, experiences and get (back) in touch with our ideals. Bring on the Vision Quest, Bungee Jump, Have an Ayahuasca Ceremony, Bow to the Sun Gods, Burn Sage. Go to Guam and find that hidden waterfall. Immediately. Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t fence me in, no questions asked.

This New Moon is reminiscent of the New Moon in Virgo we had on August 30th—both in Mutable signs and in tight aspect to both Mars and Uranus. It has similarities mostly in its self-centered, myopic focus on ourselves, with relationships of all forms are eschewed and neglected, almost as if everyone and everything feels like a potential “ball and chain,” leading us to lash out at those closest to us. But in order to have healthy interpersonal dynamics, we must balance the fight for whatever freedoms we need while respecting others’ needs and any long-standing commitments we’ve made to them, as well as to ourselves. In any case, haste has the potential to create a lot of waste. So from now until the Full Moon in Gemini—the last Full Moon of 2019—on December 12th, it’s best to tread lightly and carry a big stick (or whatever).

Sun-Moon Inconjunct Uranus: Don’t Stop Me Now

The New Moon in Sagittarius Decan 1 is restlessness, chatty and curious, though its inconjunct to Uranus adds to it a uniform, categorical kind of impulsivity. Decisions are “yes or no”; people are “good or bad”; everything is “black and white.” We want to start fresh but only the most extremes will do: we need a new job, new relationship, new identity, new life. 

Uranus and Sagittarius represent wisdom gained through both collective and personal experience. But whether we travel to Guam on a moment’s notice, suddenly “announce” that we’re moving out, propose marriage or run away to some kind of deserted island, we must keep our “need for speed” in check now. Because in reality it’s about wisdom gained through inner reflection and external observation that will chart our next course of action. Transformation, however, doesn’t take place overnight but slowly over time. This is why we say “People never change.” This is a reflection of the impatience and frustration we feel now, as we must be patient, integrating our need for personal freedom without blaming our significant others, jobs or outside circumstances.

We could be taken by a sudden desire to travel overseas or even move house—whatever makes us feel “free” is what we’ll feel the need to pursue. The only thing to remember is that not everything can change, and we must have some foundation, lest we risk overreaching out of sheer impatience, as both Uranus and Sagittarius have to do with speed and abundance of activity. 

While of course there’s the joy and exuberant confidence as well as the nervous tension and grandiosity characteristic of Sag, too much change too fast, like action without enough planning or forethought, can be a very treacherous thing indeed. One example of this is the people we’ve had in our lives for so long that we’ve allowed a dynamic to emerge in which we feel trapped. This could affect both our personal and professional lives, so whether it be a boss, colleague, best friend, boyfriend, family friend (you get the gist), someone is feeling not only restricted but ready to rumble. 

Mars Opposite Uranus: Shadowboxer

With both the Sun and Moon in Sagittarius, we’re looking to expand our horizons, diving headfirst into new experiences. And while this is a great time to shift our focus from introspection to experience, from the past to the future, the propensity to act impulsively and erratically is so strong that we could easily and unwittingly get in our own way. This is due to the intense Uranus influence, which in many ways sets the dominant tone of this New Moon, with Mars at 4° of Scorpio in exact opposition to Uranus retrograde at 3-4° of Taurus. 

Mars’ opposition to Uranus retrograde in Taurus by shows that there may be an impulsive acquisitiveness that comes with this New Moon. The desire to acquire may be awakened for some, inspiring us to fight whatever it is we need to make visible changes to the status quo and bust out of any ruts in which we may’ve been stuck. And because the Mars-Uranus opposition involves Taurus and Scorpio, known as the “money signs” of the Zodiac, we may be battling for financial freedom either professionally or personally. 

Any Mars-Uranus Aspect—particularly a tense one like the opposition—represents sudden, sometimes violent accidents. Lil Wayne has Mars-Uranus in exact conjunction in his birth chart, in Sagittarius no less, and he accidentally shot himself with a gun. JFK had a natal Mars-Uranus aspect in his chart as well, also involving the Fixed sign Taurus and his 8th house of Death and Transformation (Scorpio). When this aspect was activated by transit he too was the victim of a gunshot wound ending in one of the most infamous, untimely and violent (Mars) deaths that shocked (Uranus) the entire nation. 

While actual physical violence is an extreme manifestation of Mars-Uranus aspects in general, the Mars-Uranus opposition, with the chart for New York City showing Uranus retrograde in Taurus in the 3rd house exactly opposing Mars in Scorpio in the 9th house. This becomes even more significant when we observe that not only is the Midheaven at 9° of Mars-ruled Scorpio but it marks the exact midpoint between Mercury and Mars, both in Scorpio. This is definitely a verbal confrontation, likely a heated one, with a boss, parent, spouse—anyone who has “a say” in our lives. 

Whoever we lash out at now is someone we perceive as a direct threat to our independence. But before we unleash any Scorpionic tongue-lashings on anyone we suspect of infringing on our civil liberties (how very dare they), we might want to consider our own role in the conflict. The dual feelings of guilt and frustration dominate now, and while some kind of conflict is inevitable, self-honesty is crucial if we want to make the most of this New Moon. Because unless we free ourselves from whatever/whoever/wherever is (or seems to be) keeping us down now, we’ll only end up engaging in petty tete-a-tetes, tweets or insulting random strangers, whether we straight up yell or glare silently as we stuff our faces with Freedom Fries. 

In fact we may be somewhat of a shadowboxer now, as Mars in Scorpio is about past hurts and bottled anger. Uncompromising in its demands, this aspect certainly has a “shoot yourself in the foot” kind of energy, inspiring us to do or say things we later regret but ideally learn from. But as Mercury in its post-retrograde shadow period retraces its steps through Scorpio until December 7th, awakening old feelings of hurt and woundedness, its trine to Neptune seems to step in to effortlessly soften the delivery of our message.

Mercury trine Neptune: Compassionate Words

With all the potential for violence and impulsivity, Mercury at 14° Scorpio, approaching an exact trine to Neptune Retrograde at 15° of Pisces, offers a welcome reprieve. Because Mercury only recently returned to forward motion and Neptune, in turn, is at a literal stand-still as it moves out of its own retrograde phase now, this aspect will have a much longer effect than it normally would. Thus in many ways the potency of this Mercury-Neptune trine bestows us with a much-needed dose of imagination, compassion and emotional sensitivity. 

Mercury-Neptune aspects can of course encourage wishful thinking, brain fog, deceit or, at worst, delusion. But with this aspect heavy in the atmosphere, it serves as a much-needed “yellow light,” allowing our intuition to guide us if we can tap into it long enough. We may be flooded with insight regarding any miscommunications, misunderstandings or plain old mistakes we made during Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow phase and/or the retrograde period itself.

Whether we want to “correct” these or not will depend entirely on our free will. If we feel put upon or restricted by the demands of others, we’ll feel an urgent need to break free. Yet we must also ask ourselves: what and who is it that’s led us to this feeling of servility? 

Though such a question may be unpleasant to entertain initially, not asking it may ultimately be worse, especially if/when we find ourselves in more and more frustrating interactions. And while sudden disruptions will certainly come up, if we make the choice to be honest with ourselves, there’s a rare opportunity for self-awareness and positive change now. A little soul-searching goes a long way, awakening  us to whatever is holding us back but also has the added benefit of preventing resentment, as we intuitively navigate surface level obstacles and perceived roadblocks by looking at the root of our frustrations, in turn helping us “look before we leap.” 

 Saturn Sextile Neptune: Positive Potential

In addition to the intuition and empathy bestowed upon us by Mercury’s perfect trine to Neptune, the lingering effects of the final Saturn-Neptune sextile (still in effect because of Neptune’s currently “station” at 15°’57” Pisces), casts a veil of positivity and benevolence over this New Moon. As well, Venus at 0° Cap is in a separating, out-of-sign conjunction to Jupiter at 28° Sagittarius in this chart, suggesting a sense of love and forgiveness that allows us to move forward rather than dwell on the past. This is exactly the purpose of the Saturn-Neptune sextile aspect: to spur us into creative action by grounding our ideals so that we can build a foundation wherein our visions for the future are supported and inspired. 

With the heavy Uranus influence in this chart, most importantly, the exact Mars-Uranus opposition in Fixed signs Scorpio and Taurus, a well-placed Saturn is typically the antidote, providing a healthy dose of reality and structure to our ideals. In the chart for New York City, Saturn is well-placed in its home sign of Capricorn conjunct the Ascendant of the chart in the 1st house. 

The Sabian Symbol for 4-5° of Sagittarius—the exact degree of the New Moon—is “An Old Owl Up in a Tree”: the owl, like the Sagittarian symbol of the centaur, is known for its wisdom, sitting high above the trees in stillness and observation. In Director David Lynch’s famous television series Twin Peaks, for instance, it’s always “The Old Owl Up in a Tree” that seems to know something, leading the protagonist into the darkness of the woods only to fly away the moment before a “sudden” yet inevitable discovery is made. 

The Owl represents the paradox of discovery: initially we feel safe following the owl, relying on it to open our eyes to some unknown secret or truth, only to have it suddenly fly away. In many ways it relates to the necessity of cultivating an inner steadiness, so that we can address our obsessive-compulsive need for freedom while maintaining a level of dignity and self-restraint in our dealings with others (Jones, Marc Edmund. The Sabian Symbols in Astrology. Aurora Press, 1993). 

As much as we might want to go overboard, bust through the gates, burn down the house, charge the castle and declare our will, desires, freedom, etc. to anyone who will listen now, what grounds us is our ability to play the long game. Because if we think about our goals not just in the short-term, we’ll most definitely lose out now, as shifting our focus from long-held frustrations with certain, ahem, “situations” to a deeper reflection on how (and why) we’re in them is ultimately what’s useful. 

So before we make a mad dash, we must recognize that doing things for others need not consume us now, but whether we run away or run amok it’s all in the name of Freedom. But before we fly off the handle it might be worth asking: “What’s really going on here? What (or who) is it that’s leading me to feel restricted? Is it really X “person/place/thing” I feel angry at and thus guilty toward, or is there a pattern here? 

The takeaway is: we want our freedom, particularly from someone, most likely someone who has some form of authority or power over us, and we’re ready to wage war. But before we end up embroiled in the Fight That Never Ends, remind yourself to think before we act now: because we’re only free of restrictive circumstances once we free ourselves of our personal, emotional burdens.