These days before the New Moon in Scorpio have a powerful undertow. They send us into our own soul depths. Scorpio pulls us into the shadows. And that's where we find our "demons"...fears, resentments, obsessions, deep wounds and private rages. The promise of Scorpio is that we can be masters of the dark, and transform what's toxic. We can even find the seeds for something new there. The journey through personal darkness takes patience, courage, surrender, faith, forgiveness and love. The dark and total magic of Scorpio makes this particular New Moon so very powerful.

It's made more potent, with Scorpio's ruler Pluto coming into a square to Saturn (in Libra) on Saturday (the 15th). This drastic slow moving mash up is likely to be demanding of a higher level of ethics, especially with those in powerful positions. It means we have to come clean with what drives us. The Scorpio New Moon allows us each to check our motives, and root out any of own places where we're morally careless. This especially shows up now in relationships, where power games can have explosive consequences.

In a "heads up" recently, James Gilliland of ECETI.org wrote that with such craziness afoot these days, we each have to master our own dark side, not just the light. He wrote, "The old Cherokee tale about two wolves fighting inside one is white and focused on love, joy, bliss and cooperation the other dark focused on selfishness, judgment, anger, separation, competition etc is being played out. The one that wins is the one you feed. If a large percentage of your thoughts are focused on fear, separation and againstness you are feeding the dark wolf." The pressures of the Saturn-Pluto square, will likely intensify and expose whatever has been driving you. It's wise, then, to be careful about which beasts you're nurturing.

When you know your own shadows, there's nothing to fear by looking within. You are less vulnerable to manipulation by outside forces that play on your emotions. And when you've integrated something huge and scary, like an old wound, it becomes a felt part of your character. You carry that wisdom with you, and you can show others the way out of the dark. So this New Moon is a time when true magic can happen, the kind of deep healing that alters your internal psychic landscape. It seems off to say "enjoy" these days of the dark. I'll just say I hope it's rich and transformative for you! The New Moon is exact on Monday, November 16th at 2:44 pm EST.

• New Moon in Scorpio (themes)
• New Moon Rituals

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Whether it means anything or not, the date 2012 is becoming a fixation point for fears about the near future. The movie 2012, opening tomorrow, might be seen as our worst fears dramatized. Stephen Colbert has called it "a mindless orgy of destruction porn." Seems like a bad time for an end-of-the-world blockbuster, with so many at the edge. Is it harmless entertainment? Or could a film like this be bad for your health?

In a video about 2012, British cosmologist Jude Currivan says fear, whether from real or imagined events, makes us weaker. She says, "When we fear, neurologists say stress hormones are released. And when the anxiety is sustained, other hormones are released that are toxic to the immune system." Currivan is part of a group of visionaries that launched World Shift 2012 and a global declaration of emergency. Just as John Cusack said recently, these well-known thinkers say it's about consciousness, and the need for a quantum leap. Right now, says World Shift endorser Jose Arguelles, we've got a chaotic global consciousness, and that's what's mirrored back to us. He says 2012 is a kind of initiatory gate, and that the Mayan elders say the choice -- between love or fear -- is up to us.

Another endorser, Deepak Chopra says the choice is being made already, and that's leading to "two worlds." He says, "One world moves ahead by inertia from the past--like a massive luxury liner drifting at sea--while the other steps into the unknown--like a child entering the woods for the first time." It does seem that many people are waking up to humanitarian values, with a sense of urgency that propels them to act. Chopra says the old world is broadcast through major media, and I would add a lot of entertainment. But that the new world is growing stronger, as more people choose to commit to being part of the planetary emergence.

Jude Currivan says the emergence is the return of the feminine, which is happening in a big way. She cites ancient wisdom traditions that honored the sacred marriage within (the male-female in all of us). That's supported more now that Saturn has gone into Libra, the sign of balance between the genders. Writes Currivan, "The full inclusion of the heart-based feminine attributes of caring, compassion, empathy and cooperation within our collective organizations and societies is urgently needed."

It does seem like humanity is at a crossroads. We can probably thank Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius for the emergence of a new kind of global awareness. There are organizations like Humanity Healing that coalesce around the simple idea that we are bound by our common humanity. I'll never forget the unprecedented global moments of silence after September 11th, that to me, offer hope that we can come together quickly. It's about peeking above the frightful visions about the future, and daring to believe that humanity can make another choice.

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Stephanie Gailing, author of Planetary Apothecary is back with specific wellness tips for this moment in time. She writes about the coming Pluto-Saturn square (November 15) -- right before the New Moon in Scorpio -- as a time to marshal the force of the inner healer. She writes that "a positive manifestation of this planetary alignment is the ability to forge a structured and realistic approach to connecting with the wealth of our inner resources, including our healing powers."

Scorpio aims for total change from the inside out, and we can feel an extra drive to go deep for healing. But Stephanie says it's also time for deep rest, and being wise about what's stirred up.

• Scorpio Rx Wellness Tips by Stephanie Gailing

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Astrologers are walking a fine line trying not to scare the pants off people, but also giving the coming aspects the gravity they're due. I'm talking about the build-up to the Cardinal Cross of 2010, the tensions of which start to tighten on November 15th with the Pluto-Saturn square. Since Pluto is a major player here, any casting ahead needs to take into account that there's an element of the unknown. It's not unlike the mystery of death itself, which Pluto brings on symbolically. When Uranus in Aries comes into play in 2010, we may be startled at what emerges....the thrust of new life that starts a brand new cycle. It's a collective death and rebirth, with all the agony, pressure, exhilaration and so on that goes with that.

And these slow movers in tension with each other is likely to bring a sense of relentless pressure, punctuated by surges into radically new ground. And since the destroyer Pluto is in the mix, the scenarios could be extreme, with long trials that rearrange our lives. How this will play out for each of us, depends on how well we handle extreme stress and change.

Yesterday, I came across an article by evolutionary astrologer Maurice Fernandez who writes that our very foundation is about to be shaken up. In his article, Time of Radical Shift, he describes how to ride the waves with patience, a flexible attitude, and by learning to let go. It resonated with me, and he's allowed me to share it here with all of you. On what's ahead, he writes, "Redefinition may occur in different fields: you may change vocation, relationships, location, mindsets, to name but a few. New people will move into your life, current ones may leave. New ideas and projects will develop and you may feel inspired to completely reinvent yourself! The cards are re-shuffled! This is a time of an awakening, a revolution...an internal and social revolution."

The article comes with practical suggestions like taking time out of the intensity loop, taking good care of your immune system, nurturing supportive ties with family and friends, and seeing this as an adventure. It's an inspiring read and I'm hoping it'll give you a boost too.

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The movie 2012 opens this Friday, and from what I've seen, looks to be a special effects montage of mass death and destruction. This is Hollywood's offering of what will happen in 2012, and it's sure to play on some peoples survival fears.

But the star of 2012 doesn't see that kind of end for humanity, but an end to the old ways of being. During a recent interview, he talked about his own views of 2012, saying, "Do you know the book, "The Return of Quetzalcoatl"? That book, I think, is a little more in line with what I think will happen; a shift in consciousness. That seemed to be more of what I think will happen rather than an actual end of days." He's referring to the book by Daniel Pinchbeck, whose site Reality Sandwich is a hub for what's emerging that's vibing on this new consciousness.

From my own explorations into this, that's what I've come to also. And that Earth is calling us back to her as Source, not a resource and there may be natural disasters in the transition. The breaking down of what we've built up -- a part of the Pluto in Capricorn cycle -- can feel like a catastrophe. But also that there's an infusion of new cosmic energies as we enter the Age of Aquarius the waterbearer, with water being consciousness washing over us. Is that why so many have had dreams of catastrophic floods? My sense is that the apocalypse is the end of linear time, so that "time" ends as we have known it. We wake up to ourselves as multi-dimensional beings, even as those barriers fall and we start living in the timeless now. What are your thoughts on 2012? Do you think you'll see the movie?

• More articles on 2012

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Today's half Moon begins the letting go in earnest, as we head toward the powerful New Moon in Scorpio (November 16th). At the half Moon, the Sun (in Scorpio) is in square to the Moon (in Leo), forming a square that can be cathartic. It can help you dislodge what needs to be released. The waning Moon is a time of decreasing energy, and unwinding. It's a descent into the dark, allowing you to surrender yourself for the transformation.

You might start thinking about any New Moon Rituals that will bring symbolic power to the changes you're calling in. A theme today is self-respect (Leo) and being able to give your whole self to what you're passionate about (Scorpio). It's identifying what stubborn shadowy patterns keep you from expressing your gifts. It's taking a courageous look at the root of insecurities, powerlessness, defeatist attitudes. With formidable Scorpio in abundance now (Sun, Mercury, Venus), you can unravel these beliefs that keep you in bondage. And make the sometimes tough choices that come with needing to let go, in order to grow.

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The igniter Mars will be in Leo for the rest of the year, and I see this as a gift to those of us struggling with stagnation, depression, low energy and apathy. Mars in Leo reminds each of us that we've got star quality. It's an antidote to the epidemic of sameness that robs us of our unique identity. It's the pursuit of deep passions, not just tacking on superficial "flair" that's meant to satisfy our need for self-expression.

If you're in a job that's "not you," it's a good time to make bold moves toward work you love. It may be something you don't dare do. But Mars in Leo can embolden you to act on those impulses, and build on that momentum. Look to your personal history reaching back into childhood, for what made your heart sing and how you shined. It's shaking off the feeling of being an automaton or drone worker, and celebrating who you are as a one-of-a-kind individual. And as trend watcher Gerald Celente has forecasted, identifying what makes you unique is a key to surviving the coming changes.

The Moon is in Leo through Tuesday, making the mood lighter all around. What makes you feel happy? How can you bring more of that into your life? It's a simple thing, yet a gift we often don't give ourselves. You can start now, by being generous with yourself, and noticing what brings you joy. Then, finding a way to do that....

When the love planet Venus is in Scorpio, it's time for secret meetings under the covers. Today through the end of the month, Venus takes us into the deeper dimensions of relating, where we say, "tell me how you really feel." But it can seem like the stakes are higher, so there's guardedness until you're sure. It's the atmosphere of mystery, veiled beauty, the volatility of passion, obsession and erotica.

You might become mesmerized by someone, and feel strangely bound to them. This can be a time of fixations that entangle you in the psyche of another. And it can also lead to being engrossed in your art or other work. In the binding, you discover a core truth about you and your relationships. It can be a cathartic time of being turned inside out together.

Today, the Moon is in Cancer, adding to a sense of wanting to retreat behind a private fortress. Being married to a non-English speaker -- a Hungarian -- we have our own language that's brief and to the point. The word for today is what we say at night after dinner, when we're starting to settle in. Cozy!

The well-known NYC-based astrologer Shelley Ackerman and celebrity disher extraordinaire has a new show on Blogtalk radio! It's on tonight (8 p.m. EST) and it's called, KarmicRelief® with Shelley Ackerman and Friends. Tonight is "Episode 2" with guest Madalyn Hillis-Dineen, Chair of the (NCGR) National Council for Geocosmic Research. They'll be talking about "post-election fatigue" (an Obama backlash?), this week's transits and yesterday's shooting in Texas. They'll also talk about the big meeting of astrologers in February of 2010 for the NCGR conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Shelley says one reason she's doing this on blogtalk is the allure of being her own producer. She's got Uranus (technological bustin' out) in the 10th house (career). She also told me, "with transiting Pluto on my Capricorn Moon (and now Saturn in Libra involved), it's time to take action and provide a space/forum for the authentic voices of my friends, colleagues, and people I admire to speak in more than 30 second sound bites."

You can also catch the archive of the Debut show with Elsa Panizzon of ElsaElsa.com (the first astro blogger) and Debbie Frank, the British astrologer to the stars (including Lady Di). Says Shelley, a Libra Sun, about the forum of live radio, "Bottom line: Blogs and articles are terrific, but nothing beats the prana of a conversation." So true, Shelley, and best wishes for all that's authentic and life-infusing with your show!

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I want to give a shout out to Michelle Lessirard of New Moon Journal, whose recent post, Dances with Chickens, caught a current, and resonated widely. It hit on the Scorpio hot topic of what Lessirard calls "taking out the trash" and coming out of hiding, so we can claim our true power. And now, as we spiral into the New Moon in Scorpio, Michelle is offering an affordable Teleclass to in anticipation of this powerful New Moon (on the 16th).

Writes Michelle, "The universe is asking all of us step up so we can easily live our Brilliance as healers and soul-o-preneurs."

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