Exploring consciousness, planetary cycles, and the extraordinary relationship between ourselves and the universe.
Have you ever experienced a situation that seemed perfectly clear to you, only to discover later that there was an entirely different perspective you hadn't considered? Perhaps you misunderstood someone's intentions, made assumptions about a circumstance, or found yourself reacting emotionally to something that turned out to have very little to do with you personally. These experiences can be fascinating when we begin to consider how much of our reality is shaped by our perceptions, expectations, beliefs, and the countless influences that contribute to our understanding of the world.
We tend to experience life through a relatively narrow window of awareness, interpreting events according to what we have learned, what we believe, and what we have previously experienced. Our minds are continually organizing information and constructing meaning, often without our conscious participation. We develop a sense of certainty about how the world works, who we are, and why things happen as they do. Yet every so often, something challenges that certainty and invites us to consider that the story we've been telling ourselves may represent only a small part of a much greater picture.
As we move through November, I find the current planetary activity particularly interesting in relation to these questions. We've just experienced a New Moon in Scorpio on November 9, while Mercury and Venus are approaching the end of their retrograde cycles. Saturn and Neptune remain retrograde in Aries, Uranus continues its retrograde journey through Gemini, and Pluto is now moving direct in Aquarius. From an astrological perspective, these movements offer a fascinating collection of themes surrounding identity, transformation, relationships, perception, and our connection to the greater whole.
What Are We Being Invited to Reconsider?
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio is traditionally associated with revisiting our thinking, communication, and interpretations, particularly those involving deeper emotional patterns and beliefs. Scorpio invites us to look beneath appearances and consider what may be influencing our experiences outside our immediate awareness. When we think about how readily our minds create explanations for what happens around us, this symbolism becomes especially meaningful.
Consider how easily we can become convinced that we understand another person's behaviour. Someone withdraws from a conversation, and we interpret their silence as disapproval. A colleague questions our decision, and we experience it as criticism. A family member responds differently than expected, and we begin constructing a story about what they must be thinking. In each situation, our response may be influenced by experiences from years or even decades earlier. What feels like a reaction to the present moment may also involve old emotional associations, beliefs about ourselves, and expectations we have carried forward without ever consciously examining them.
Venus retrograde in Libra brings another dimension to this exploration, particularly through our relationships. Libra is associated with balance, fairness, harmony, and the ways we interact with others. Yet fairness can look remarkably different depending on whose perspective we consider. Two people may participate in the same relationship and each feel that they are contributing more, being misunderstood, or carrying an unfair share of responsibility. Each person's experience is filtered through their individual history, expectations, and understanding of what a relationship should look like. When we become curious about these different perspectives, we may begin to recognize that the dynamic unfolding between two people contains far more information than either person's individual interpretation.
With Mercury and Venus both preparing to turn direct on November 13, there is an interesting symbolic transition from reflection toward integration. We might consider what we've been learning about our own perceptions and relationships, and whether some of the conclusions we've held so firmly deserve another look. What beliefs have we accepted without question? What familiar emotional responses continue to influence our interactions? How often are we defending an interpretation simply because it has become part of our understanding of who we are?
The Ego and Our Place Within a Greater System
Saturn and Neptune, both retrograde in Aries, offer another fascinating perspective on these questions. Aries is associated with the individual self, identity, independence, and personal will. Saturn symbolizes responsibility, boundaries, maturity, and the structures through which we organize our lives, while Neptune is associated with intuition, imagination, ideals, and the dissolution of boundaries. Together, their symbolism encourages us to consider the relationship between our individual identity and everything that exists beyond it.
Our ego plays an important role in helping us navigate life as individuals, but it can also become deeply invested in maintaining a particular understanding of ourselves. We identify with our beliefs, accomplishments, responsibilities, relationships, and the roles we have learned to play. We may consider ourselves the responsible one, the caregiver, the successful one, or the person who always has to hold everything together. Over time, these identities can become so familiar that we rarely consider how they developed or whether they continue to reflect who we are becoming.
How much of our identity actually originated with us? Our families, ancestors, cultural environments, collective experiences, and even the historical period into which we were born have all contributed to our understanding of ourselves. Beliefs about responsibility, security, relationships, success, and personal worth may have been established long before we had the awareness or opportunity to question them. We may spend much of our lives expressing patterns that emerged through our participation in systems extending far beyond our individual experience.
This is one of the aspects of the Macrocosmic BodyMind philosophy that I find particularly fascinating. We exist within a dynamic, interactive relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm, the individual and the greater whole. We are continually influenced by our environments (yes, as far out as the planets!), relationships, experiences, and collective patterns, while simultaneously influencing those very systems through our own participation. When we begin to recognize this interconnectedness, our personal experiences can take on an entirely different meaning.
Pluto's movement through Aquarius adds another interesting layer to this exploration. Astrologically, Pluto is associated with transformation and the examination of deeply embedded structures, while Aquarius represents community, collective consciousness, and the larger systems connecting humanity. We might use this symbolism to contemplate how the beliefs and patterns operating within our families, communities, and societies influence our individual experiences. What we perceive as a deeply personal struggle may also have connections to collective expectations, inherited beliefs, and patterns that have been perpetuated over generations.
What Happens When We Expand Our Awareness?
There is something extraordinary about the moment we recognize that an experience contains more possibilities than we initially understood. Perhaps we've spent years believing that a particular situation reflects something about our worth or abilities, only to discover that our interpretation was influenced by an old belief. Maybe we recognize that another person's behaviour is connected to their own experiences rather than being a personal judgment of us. Or perhaps we begin to appreciate that a recurring pattern within our family has been influencing our choices in ways we had never consciously considered.
These discoveries can change our relationship with an experience, even when the external circumstances remain the same. We may find ourselves less attached to defending our position, more willing to consider another perspective, or better able to recognize the difference between what is actually happening and the meaning we have assigned to it. This doesn't require us to dismiss our feelings or ignore the reality of difficult circumstances. It simply invites us to remain curious about the many influences contributing to what we experience.
I think one of the most valuable qualities we can develop is the willingness to question what we believe we already know. There is tremendous possibility in recognizing that our current understanding, however meaningful or convincing it may seem, is continually evolving. Each new perspective can contribute something to that understanding, and every experience offers an opportunity to become more aware of the dynamic relationship between ourselves and the greater world.
As Mars and Jupiter move toward their conjunction in Leo on November 16, astrologers associate this combination with expansion, enthusiasm, confidence, and the courage to explore new possibilities. I rather like that symbolism as we approach the end of the year. After a period of examining familiar patterns, beliefs, and interpretations, perhaps we can become curious about what possibilities may emerge when we're willing to look beyond them.
An Invitation to Explore Macrocosmic BodyMind
These are some of the fascinating concepts we'll be exploring together in the upcoming Macrocosmic BodyMind course in Kelowna, December 5 & 6, 2026.
Throughout this two-day class, we'll examine the relationship between individual consciousness and the greater influences that shape our experiences, including planetary symbolism, astrological signs and houses, belief systems, and the dynamic interactions between the macrocosm and microcosm. We'll also explore the 21 minor chakras and their significance within the BodyTalk framework, along with the Chinese Clock and its traditional associations between organ systems and cycles of time. Each of these provides another perspective through which to contemplate the relationship between the human bodymind and the larger rhythms and patterns of the universe.
We'll also spend time exploring how the ego influences our perceptions and personal interpretations, and how becoming more conscious of these influences can allow us to approach familiar experiences with greater curiosity. These concepts become particularly interesting when we begin to recognize how our individual patterns interact with those of our families, relationships, communities, and the collective systems in which we participate.
What I especially enjoy about this material is the opportunity to move beyond intellectual discussion into practical exploration. Throughout the class, we'll alternate between instruction, discussion, and hands-on application, giving students opportunities to experience the concepts through their own awareness and develop greater familiarity with incorporating them into their BodyTalk work. I always appreciate the unique perspectives and questions students bring to the classroom, because our collective exploration often reveals connections and possibilities that none of us might have considered individually.
If you've been feeling curious about the greater influences shaping our experiences, questioning familiar beliefs, or wanting to deepen your understanding of consciousness and the interconnected nature of life, I'd love to have you join us. Whether it's your interest in astrology, the body's energetic systems, the principles of consciousness, or the practical application of these concepts within BodyTalk, Macrocosmic BodyMind offers an opportunity to explore some truly fascinating relationships.
Macrocosmic BodyMind
December 5 & 6, 2026
Kelowna, British Columbia
Learn more at 8potential.com/macrocosmicbodymind.
As we move toward the end of the year, perhaps we can carry a little more curiosity into the experiences that unfold around us. The next time something challenges our expectations, brings forward a familiar emotional response, or causes us to question what we believe, we might consider the possibility that there is more taking place than our immediate awareness can recognize.
And perhaps we can return to a question that continues to fascinate me:
What changes when we stop asking, "Why is this happening to me?" and begin asking, "What is unfolding here, and how am I participating in it?"
When we begin to recognize ourselves as participants in an extraordinary, interconnected universe, the possibilities for expanding our awareness become as fascinating as the experiences themselves.
With curiosity,
Sherry Gilbert
Infinite Potential
8potential.com
P.S. This photo was captured on November 7th, 2026. Featured bright in the crescent waning moon is Venus, shining brightly!



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