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). Location for all mundante charts is set for the Great Pyramid at Giza; the choice being strictly arbitrary in any case. 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 2016 World Forecast Highlights (38 8-1/2 x 11" illustrated pages); focused, amplified and elaborated with details for the month as appropriate. The full version of my 2016 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 or debit card. Orders for the 2017 edition (still $75/$50) may also be phoned in, or placed direct from your own PayPal account page to rnolle@astropro.com – or by using the AstroPro PayPal order page. Just remember: as always, the 2017 edition will be embardgoed until December 31, 2016. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis starting on that date.

"Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore, so do our minutes, hasten to their end."
-- William Shakespeare
 

The Skinny

The second (of three) full moon SuperMoons this year – and by far the closest (biggest) – sets up another extraordinary level of solar-lunar tides rippling through Earth’s atmosphere, seas, and crust this month. (On a par with the October SuperMoon, if not surpassing it.) Consequently, we can expect a remarkable increase in extreme storms and tidal surges, and notable seismic activity (M5+ earthquakes and powerful volcanic eruptions) during the November 11-17 SuperMoon shock window. There’s a strong solar storm signal coming up early this month as well, connected with the superior (far side) Sun-Mercury conjunction back on October 27. What does a Sun-Mercury conjunction that happened last month have to do with this month? And what might this mean for you and me, quite apart from what it heralds for Mother Earth? Let’s get down to it, and lots more as well.

November’s Geophysical Shock Windows

November opens in the wake of the October 30 new moon, which anchors a geophysical shock window extending from October 27 through November 2. Watch for an above normal run of powerful storms (high winds, heavy precipitation, scattered flooding), moderate-to-severe earthquakes (M5+) and volcanic eruptions during this period. The M 6.5 Italian quake on October 30 is a prime example in the seismic category, falling on the exact date of the new moon; along with the eruption of Turrialba in Costa Rica and a throng of heavy weather (from killer storms in Egypt and India, to copious rain in the Bay Area and Northern California as well as the US Northeast). That’s what I’m talking about.

To be sure, Earth is a dynamic planet, and has a lot of all these events going on at any given time. So we have to set certain standards for distinguishing notable events. I look only at earthquakes of Magnitude 5 and higher, for example; and even that threshold yields 1,565 quakes in 2015, which works out to 4.29 M5+ temblors per day on average. But I’m talking about an extreme concentration of stronger than usual disturbances, centered on certain dates. It’s not as if nothing happens outside these dates; only that there’s an above-average concentration of very strong events at such times.

After several decades of study, I have come to the conclusion that every new and full moon anchors a geophysical stress window with its accompanying spike in tidal surges, powerful storms and notable seismic activity – typically within plus or minus three days of the exact celestial alignment. (Sometimes the window gets expanded a day or two, if there are other lunar factors involved: e.g. the Moon crossing the celestial equator or reaching maximum declination.)

SuperMoons and Psyches

The October 30 hangover is just foreplay. November’s major soli-lunar shock window is especially potent, primarily because of the SuperMoon full moon on the 14th melds into the November 7-13 solar storm signal that traces back to the October 27 superior (far side) Sun-Mercury conjunction.

Sun-Mercury alignments herald a peak in solar storms (M and X-class solar flares), coronal holes and CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections), as well as geomagnetic activity (Kp 5 and up geomagnetic storms). In the case of an inferior (near side) Sun-Mercury conjunction, which won’t happen again until December 28, the solar storm window extends from three days before to three days after the actual conjunction. However in the case of a superior (far side) Sun-Mercury conjunction, the central point of the solar storm window occurs two weeks after the conjunction – because that’s how long it takes for the Sun to rotate around so that the point on the solar surface where Mercury was at the moment of the conjunction is now facing Earth. Add 14 days to the date of the October 27 superior conjunction, and you get November 10 as the central point of the solar storm window. Allow for the three days either way span, and you get a window that runs from November 7 to 13 this time around.

Dumping Gigawatts of extra solar energy into Earth’s atmosphere, magnetosphere and crust not only stirs up and intensifies the geophysical disturbances described earlier – but also increases disturbances in electrical systems and networks (power and communications infrastructure, satellite constellations, etc.). The human nervous system is likewise vulnerable. Adding to the individual and collective stress is the geophysical turbulence. As described on page 34 in the full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights:

"Next up in the fall SuperMoons train is the November 14 full moon at 22° 37’ Taurus, the closest, biggest, brightest full moon of the year, which suggests an unusual outbreak of strong storms and seismic activity (including volcanic eruptions) during this particular SuperMoon stress window. With this in mind, even though I don’t live anywhere near (nor plan to visit) any tidal basins, volcanoes or seismic hot spots during the November 11-17 SuperMoon shock window, I still plan to make sure the bottled water, canned and dried foods and other emergency supplies are ready to hand; just in case. That said, it doesn’t take more than a cursory glance at an astro-locality map for the November 14 SuperMoon to see the target zones for this event. They include eastern Siberia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, eastern Australia and New Zealand, as well as Greenland and the eastern tip of Brazil (under the longitudinal lines in the map). Horizon arcs draw a bead on Mexico, the western US and west central Canada; plus, northern and eastern Europe, Egypt and the Middle East."

The selection just cited omits (but implies) reference to extreme tides, something for coastal interests to keep in mind during any SuperMoon shock window. And remember: just because you might not be under one of the astro-locality lines in the above map when the SuperMoon hits, that doesn’t necessarily mean you get off scot-free! SuperMoon is astronomical in scale, and therefore planet-wide in scope. Having your emergency kit ready to hand is always a good idea when this alignment makes its appearance.

This one will be a sight to see, as the great, big, glorious full moon rises in the east at sunset. But Earth’s atmosphere, magnetosphere, seas and crust are not the only systems stirred up by the combination of solar, lunar and other factors described above. The human psyche also responds to several of these factors – both individually and collectively. The SuperMoon full moon alone is enough to raise the conflict level in human interactions. There will be tension in the air, a highly charged emotional polarity that ups the odds for conflict and confrontation; restlessness, fitful sleep and vivid dreams. Keep a cool head, as best you can. Stay focused on what you’re doing while you’re doing it – and watch out for the people who lack focus and attention.

The above-mentioned scenarios will likely figure more prominently in the personal lives of people born under significant planetary placements (and other horoscopic points) around the degrees emphasized by the SuperMoon: 23° of the fixed signs, in other words (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius). If this applies to you, then you’re more than usually likely to be dealing with a short fuse either directly (within yourself) or indirectly (in the people around you). Get a grip, steer clear of trouble and conflict as best you can. Think safety! (Check your chart for the degrees indicated above to see how close this comes to you.)

Fear & Greed

Once more, there’s a lot of economic instability and financial system turbulence at work this month, making the equity markets more than usually susceptible to panics. Neptune remains within a degree of its November 20 direct station all the way from mid-September (when it was still in square aspect to Saturn) into mid-January 2017. Melding into this same theme is Jupiter’s square to Pluto, exact on November 24 – but within a degree from the 19th through the 30th, with the new moon squaring the lunar nodes and Neptune (on the south node), and Venus conjunct Pluto. It’s a combination that speaks of fear, paranoia and panic in the political, cultural and economic realms. Rabble rousing, mass hysteria and the madness of crowds . . . a good time to get to the sidelines in the markets, lest you get trampled by the panic-struck mob.

Saturn’s waxing square to Neptune earlier this year set the stage for all this. It’s a configuration that points to disenchantment with traditional articles of faith, be they religious, political, social, cultural, etc. Scandals associated with fraud (financial, moral) and betrayal are woven into the fabric of this development. Strong institutions more and more lose their hold on the loyalty of the people, who feel they have been betrayed one time too many. This growing global dissonance has already made its mark on the news of the world since late 2015, and will only increase throughout 2016. (The British Brexit referendum and the Trump and Sanders insurgencies in the US political parties are clear representations of this trend.)

While global in scope, this will have great impact on the outcome of the 2016 US Elections in particular, occurring as they do under the auspices of the Saturn-Neptune square. (You read the election outcome last year, on pages 36-38 in the full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights, right?) It’s also a sign that financial institutions and economic engines are in a fragile state. Oil and banking are two focal points for this, but they’re far from being the whole enchilada. Mining and manufacturing generally lead the list of vulnerable sectors. The global economy stands at the brink of recovery this year, but it’s not a firm footing – more like a teetering. Two steps forward, one step back: that’s the pattern this year. By and large, 2016 will be a good year to cash out, take your profits safely off to the sidelines, and let the turbulence pass you by. Definitely a stock picker’s market, not fit for index players. Nervous? Take your money and go home!

It’s well past time to recognize that as I predicted in last year’s forecast, most of 2016 will feature a lot of political and geopolitical conflict, a kind of crescendo to the Uranus-Pluto square cycle that began with the Arab Spring raising the specter of war both civil and international. February brought the start of a new Mars Max cycle, to fan the flames of five years of conflict. While this kind of conflict is a story in its own right, it combines with the Saturn-Neptune square to shake political and economic confidence, making markets and other financial institutions quake and swoon.

Collapse? No. (Close, but no cigar!) But fall, yes – outright panic for a time, even. If your own financial horizon is long term, there are good buying opportunities to be had, as the sellers crowd the exits. The usual suspects in the "sky is falling" crowd are prophesying a financial Armageddon of course. But what else is new? Don’t they warn about the end of the world once a month or so? One day they’ll be right – but it won’t be this month. Instead, this is a shudder and swoon; but it’s not the crack of doom. Short of a direct and outright, mano a mano major power war, that is . . . and there’s no sign of that this year. (I’m talking about more than the many proxy wars going on currently.)

If your horizon is short term, then you want to sell before you get caught in the stampede for the exits. I’m expecting a quick 5-10% pullback (maybe a bit more); and then a slow recovery. What else can anyone do with their money, after all? Nobody pays any kind of interest, so short of precious metals the only game left is the artificially inflated stock market – which grows your money right up until the collapse, albeit erratically. If you can’t keep your eyes on the screen and your finger on the trigger, then just sell and step aside for a while . . . and then buy back in at a discount, and continue the ride.

The Dark of the Moon

The new moon on the 29th anchors the last major geocosmic shock window of the month. It’s a window that opens on the 26th, and carries on into December 2. This particular storm cycle looks to be more potent toward the end, from the November 29 through December 2, thanks to the Moon’s south declination peak on the 1st. By now, you should know what to expect: amplified seismic activity (M 5+), heavy weather and volcanic eruptions, of course. Eyes to the skies, ears to the weather radio!

As always, these cautions apply to Planet Earth as a whole, since the sky, seas and crust are all subject to the tidal effects of the new moon. But you might want to take a closer look at the Sun-Moon horizon arc zone across southern Mexico, the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the US and eastern Canada, southern Greenland and the north of Iceland; as well as Scandinavia, Russia and India. And then there are the Sun-Moon meridian arcs rom easternmost Siberia down through the western Pacific across New Zealand in the east, and crossing the UK, Spain and Portugal and western Africa in the west. Keep an eye to the sky, an eye on the news - you'll see.

Acknowledgments

All mundane astrological charts as well as eclipse and astro-locality maps are set for the Universal Time (UT) of the event, and calculated and produced using Esoteric Technologies’ Solar Fire Gold Version 7.0.8. Charts are set for the location of the Great Pyramid - a purely arbitrary choice, since location is irrelevant to these charts. Unless sotherwise noted, sky map images are screen captures from the Pocket Universe or Star Rover apps 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 the QuakeFeed ör Quake 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/message 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com