If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget about it. This is real astrology for the real world, not some mystical mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble word salad. If it's real astrology for yourself that you want, you can get it by phone or in print. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT, aka GMT). Also please be aware that, while I never change a forecast once it's published, I do post errata to acknowledge typographical errors and the like.

PLEASE NOTE: This month’s forecast incorporates elements of (and refers to) my complete 2014 World Forecast Highlights (41 8-1/2 x 11” illustrated pages), focused, amplified and elaborated with details for the month as appropriate. The full version of my 2014 World Forecast Highlights is available in hard copy by mail ($75) or as a PDF document by email ($50). Orders may be phoned in (toll-free from anywhere in North America to 800-527-8761) and charged to any major credit card. PayPal orders may be placed direct from your own PayPal account page to rnolle@astropro.com – or by using the AstroPro PayPal order page.

Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?
-- L.M. Montgomery
 

The Skinny

I’ve been snowed under with client consultation calls and report orders throughout October; leaving me with only enough time to cover the essentials of November for you here and now. It all comes down to three major themes and a couple minors, as I see it.

In the major category is Jupiter’s retrograde station. It’s exact at 22° Leo on December 8 - but effective within a degree either side of that point, i.e. from November 19 through January 2. All things Jovian are starting to loom larger in our lives, as the Giant Planet and our Earth move in on their mutual close approach. This peaks with Jupiter’s perigee (close approach to Earth), viz. the February 6 Sun-Jupiter opposition at 17° 37’ Aquarius-Leo. So what’s meant by ‘all things Jovian’? Pomp and circumstance, wealth and generosity, the grand and glorious. Think royalty, opulent traditions . . . and gold (and other precious metals). Watch for gold to make a turnaround and head up again in that November 19-January 2 station window.

The December 15 Uranus-Pluto square at 12° 36’ Aries-Capricorn is, like the December 8 Jupiter station, a slow-moving celestial phenomenon. It stays within a degree of exact all the way from mid-November well into April. This is no flash in the pan, it’s a long term trend – one that’s been in effect on and off since 2011, and doesn’t really fade away into early 2016. It’s not new, but it’s tightening up and becoming more prominent now.

You’ll know the Uranus-Pluto square at work when you see intensifyiing social, political, economic, scientific and technological innovation and revolution. This is not Sleepy Hollow stuff. It’s jarring at best. You’ve seen it in the Arab Spring, the uprisings in Ukraine, Thailand, Egypt and the like – and the wars that have been cropping up since 2011 the same way their historical analogs did in the 1930s, when this alignment last appeared. We all look forward to a time of peace. We need to look beyond 2016.

The Mercury Max that began on September 21, the last such cycle of the year, finally concludes on November 1 when the little planet reaches its maximum elongation west of the Sun. This is the time when Mercury, in its morning star phase, rises farthest ahead of the Sun. From this point forward, the speedy little Sun-grazer leaves Earth farther and farther behind, until it disappears behind the Sun as seen from our home planet.

This is the time in Mercury’s orbit when the little Sun-grazer comes up from behind on its inside track around Old Sol, catching up and then passing the Earth. From our perspective, Mercury grows brighter in the sky as it nears us, until it gets lost in the glare as it crosses between Earth and Sun.

Mercury Max, incidentally, is not to be confused with the astrological lore about Mercury retrograde, the shadow and storm periods, etc. Mercury Max is a real astronomical phenomenon that happens in the heavens – not an unthinking tradition that people pick up from books and lectures. See my article on the subject for details.

The five key points in the Mercury Max cycle – see below – mark times of solar storminess, give or take a few days. This means that November continues the trend of strong solar outbursts that marked October, as forecast. Regulars know what to expect: electromagnetic disturbances, strong solar flares (M and X-class), elevated geomagnetism (Kp=5 and up), and the resulting fritziness in all electrical systems and infrastructure, from power grids to satellites to computer networks – and that most intricate network of all, the human nervous system.

2014 MERCURY MAX

Max-E	S-Rx	CNJ SU	S-D	Max-W
JAN 31	FEB 6	FEB 15	FEB 28	MAR 14
MAY 25	JUN 7	JUN 19	JUL 1	JUL 12
SEP 21	OCT 4	OCT 16	OCT 25	NOV 1

Max-E = Mercury Maximum Elongation East of Sun (Max Begins)

S-Rx = Mercury Retrograde Station (Retrograde Begins)

CNJ-SU = Sun-Mercury Inferior Conjunction

S-D = Mercury Direct Station (Retrograde Ends)

Max-W = Mercury Maximum Elongation West of Sun (Max Ends)

The big three aside, there are a few lesser but still notable themes. One is the Mars-Pluto conjunction of November 10 at 11° 55’ Capricorn: the iron fist in the titanium glove, the best defense is a good offense. Want peace and quiet? Wait. This is within a few degrees of exact all the way from the 5th through the 15th. Danger, conflict and loss are afoot at so many levels, from the personal to the collective; from domestic violence to mass murder and riots and revolution all the way to terrorism and military conflict. A good time to keep a low profile, if you can.

Last but not least there are the geophysical shock windows associated with the full moon on the 6th and the new moon on the 22nd. These are times, give or take three days in each case, to watch for a notable increase in strong storms with high winds and heavy precipitation (and subsequent flooding); also a notable flurry of strong seismic activity, from moderate to severe earthquakes (M5 and up) and headlining volcanic eruptions. I’m not expecting anything in the eclipse or SuperMoon class, mind you – but strong geophysical activity nonetheless. Be ready!

Acknowledgments

All astrological charts as well as eclipse and astro-locality maps are calculated and produced using Esoteric Technologies’ Solar Fire Gold Version 7.0.8. Unless sotherwise noted, sky map images are screen captures from the Pocket Universe app for iPhone, or produced by Starry Night for Windows; storm tracks are screen captures from The Weather Channel app for iPhone; and earthquake maps are screen captures from Quakes Pro Earthquake Alerts app for iPhone.

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)

Richard Nolle, Certified Professional Astrologer consultations/orders (AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa) 800-527-8761 data/fax 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com