This lunar month sees the Moon/Sun conjunction in the adventurous sign of Sagittarius, reminding us that our lives are a journey in an unknown territory. Exploring the wonder around us, expanding our knowledge and broadening our horizons is an innate aspect of human nature: we grow thanks to our ability to make correlations, to see patterns, to create maps.

Sometimes we forget that everything we know about nature, the universe and ourselves comes from an impulse, a need, a vital curiosity. It comes from the desire to find answers and the ability to meaningfully organize the information we gather through our senses, our interactions with others and our studies.

The Sagittarius/Gemini axis describes this process of constant gathering and elaborating information, and the student/teacher interaction that is at the core of education. Therefore the new Moon in Sagittarius is a good time to start teaching or begin a course of higher education. This is exactly the right moment to open our minds, read and study because we are living in a world that is becoming more interconnected and interdependent every day.

Sagittarius is a sign oriented towards the future but it is also respectful of traditions. It recognizes the patterns connecting all aspects of reality; it is a spirit not revolutionary but evolutionary, which grows in connection with its roots. This lunation could be the time to make the best use of this characteristic, so as to see what can be done to consciously evolve and make the world a better place.

The trine of the new Moon, with innovative and groundbreaking Uranus in Aries, will energize all our projects and our need for change; if we are unable to express those ourselves, we will project them onto external ideals or leaders that will act in our stead.

The grand trine of Pluto, Jupiter and Mars, which are all in Earth signs—Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo—indicates that the “materia prima” is emerging from the breaking down of the obsolete structures of society. It acts like a fertilizer, a nutrient for the soil in which our projects can grow. However, Jupiter retrograde in Taurus and Mars transiting in Virgo, are an image of the necessity to slow down and to take stock of our actions. This means that new opportunities have to be seized wisely, cultivated with care and attention, and be patient—nothing can change overnight.

Saturn is approaching the end of its transit in Libra, a sign ruled by Venus, and since the value given to art in society is a sign of the degree of its civilization, we should ask ourselves about the role of art in the 21st century, not only as a commodity, or as an investment: in the midst of all this social, economical and political turmoil, what can artists contribute?

The harmony of Saturn sestile Venus in Sagittarius, and trine Neptune in Aquarius, represent a powerful connection between artistic imagination and its concrete manifestation. The spiritual, ethereal and evocative dimension of Neptune finds in this trine an easier way to connect with the logical realism of Saturn; the intermediation of Venus helps too.

Our historical period reminds us of the beginning of the 20th century, when Kandinsky wrote “Concerning the Spiritual in Art,” published in 1911—exactly 100 years ago. For Kandinsky inner necessity is the principle of art, the foundation of forms and the harmony of colors. His ideas on spirituality can be seen as dated; however it could still be useful to re-visit this book, to see if we might not discover something new even today.

Another example of the role of art and spirituality as a transformative element in society is the life and work of the visionary educator and philosopher Rudolph Steiner, also active in the early years of the last century. Joseph Beuys’ work, itself heavily influenced by Steiner, has led to the modern understanding of Steiner’s perspective on art, and a recent exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, “Rudolf Steiner and Contemporary Art,” is a perfect example of the spirit of our time. We are now living a similar moment in history, even if “history doesn’t repeat, it rhymes,” as my astrology teacher used say. There is always something to learn from past and recent events.

Mercury rules mental activity writing, speaking and all means of communication: vehicles, computers, and of course the media. From the 24th November, seen from the Earth, Mercury seems to move retrograde and will return direct on the 14th of December. In these three weeks we can experience various disruptions in communications; this means that we must pay special attention as our regular routines may encounter some obstacles. Since Mercury is transiting in Sagittarius, this is the area of our chart where it could be better to tread carefully and debate over decisions that will change our course of action. All adjustments should be made in the coming weeks as they will be advantageous in the latter part of December when things return to normal.

December is the month of the winter solstice, when the light begins to increase and days become longer. It is the rebirth of the life force. The chart of the solstice is very powerful this year, and the strongest point of this configuration will be Venus in Aquarius, at the apex of a T-square with the opposition of Jupiter and Saturn. Idealistic, innovative but impersonal values will meet the challenge of a confrontation between the old and cautious Saturn in Libra and the jovial and optimistic Jupiter, at zero degree of Taurus. Venus rules both signs and is also at ease with the water bearer, Aquarius, so in a way she is the master of all games: long live Aphrodite.

A few days later, on the 24th of December, a new Moon cycle will commence on Christmas Eve, a new beginning in powerful conjunction with Pluto, that will blossom in the new year: the long awaited 2012!

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