Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Your Denizen of the Dark for November is Gator McKinley! He’s the former front man for the dearly departed LA band, Coffin Draggers and an exemplary Scorpio.
I asked Gator which of the Scorpio stereotypes he thought applied to him and which ones didn’t. In his answers were all the elements of selective secrecy and acute awareness of mortality that are so characteristic of his sign.
“That all depends on what version of the stereotypes we’re talking about. I have heard so many different things over the years. If it’s the one about Scorpios being passionate lovers, well then that one is true! I’m also very emotional and soft hearted, but I can be firm, stubborn, opinionated and very staunch! I like being in the public eye, but at times I just want to be in the shadows. There are times that I want to be surrounded by loads of people such as in clubs, but as of late I mostly enjoy just staying home with my dogs. They are getting older and I want to spend as much time with them as I can before they move on.
I often hear that Scorpios are mean. I do not feel that I am mean. I can be when need be, but most of the time I feel I am kind and helpful. Unfortunately I often get taken advantage of by being kind and helpful. I do think there are differences in October and November Scorpios. I was going to comment further on this, but I have chosen not to.”
Gator described how his passionate nature is as rooted in music as it is in – ahem – other areas of his life.
“I was raised in a musical family. My mother, father and sister all played music. It was always around me. Stupidly, though, when I was very young and stubborn I didn’t want to take piano lessons. I have always regretted that. I played saxophone and trumpet in school and then moved on to guitar. Then all of a sudden in 1985 I discovered the upright bass and that has been my main instrument since. I have a very weird relationship with music. Some other musicians I know don’t seem to understand me. I really enjoy playing music, but if something does not feel right I don’t want to touch it. I listen to several types of music, but I mainly listen to Classical but, not all forms of it. I tend to lean more toward strings and sad melancholy sounds. But it’s not just that either, I don’t really know how to describe it, but certain sounds move me and make me feel very emotional. I come from a very distant Irish heritage and when I hear old Irish folk music something stirs inside me and I tend to cry.”
Gators impressive honesty carries into his discussion of the now defunct band, Coffin Draggers, once a fixture in the Los Angeles goth/industrial music scene.
“Coffin Draggers are dead. It was a band that I really loved and was very passionate about. It was a part of me. It let me be someone that I may not have been otherwise. I gave that band everything but, it betrayed me. That is probably not the type of answer you were looking for, but that is all I can give on Coffin Draggers at the moment.”
On the contrary, in this astrologer’s opinion it’s a perfect example of the clear and candid sting that comes from the Scorpionic courage to see truth in the dark. Thanks so much, Gator. Happy Birthday.
And now, for your ‘Scopes!
Aries
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Communication and companionship support your most daring efforts this month. Let the optimistic attitudes of the people around you get under your skin long enough to suppress the cynicism that’s been growing on you like a fungus. On both the 16th and the 23rd you will find yourself rubbing elbows (and maybe other body parts) with the rich and powerful. Keep your eyes peeled. Even though Halloween is over, most of the heavy hitters will still be traveling incognito. If you pay close attention, you’ll see through their masks and turn casual encounters into strong alliances. Stay sharp.
Taurus
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
November feels to you like it is moving in fast-forward, but time always flies when you’re having fun! Adventure and excitement impose themselves on your customary sense of peace early in the month. It’s not at all unpleasant. After Thanksgiving your to-do list gets rather lengthy, as people look to you to take charge. Delegate responsibility to trustworthy minions and resist the temptation to do it all by yourself. Don’t worry. When they’re handing out medals you’re still assured to get the biggest, shiniest one.
Gemini
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It’s been an intensely frustrating time for The Twins during which the logic and reason you so highly esteem proves about as effective as a surgeon’s scalpel trying to incise the surface of the ocean. Mercury, your planetary ruler, shifts into retrograde on the 23rd, bringing more confusion into the mix. Emotions are messy and they don’t make sense. The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be. Continue to fight it and you’re fucked.
Cancer
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
What’s yours is mine, what’s mine is theirs, and what’s theirs is on loan from somebody else. Resources, both shared and private, are the focus of this month. Giving of yourself must become a more conscious practice, lest you spend it all on the unworthy. Getting what you need is a whole lot easier if you know what you plan to do with it. Look beyond your material needs, as well. Time and energy prove immeasurable, especially when the almighty dollar is becoming less mighty by the minute.
Leo
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If someone is kind enough to let you know there’s an enormous booger hanging from your left nostril, skip the righteous indignation and just say thanks. Some truths are hard to take and November is riddled with particularly prickly ones. The 23rd triggers stale, old issues that have lain dormant since April. The smart thing to do is shut up and listen. Otherwise, you know that whole Emperor’s New Clothes thing? Yeah, that would be you.
Virgo
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Mars muscles into your sign on the morning of the 10th, waking you up with loud reminders of how much needs to get done and how little time there is to do it. Good thing your astrological superpower is efficient organization! Mercury, your planetary ruler, stations direct on the 23rd so, expect the usual technological inconveniences he tends to dole out. As on top of your game as you always are, I’m sure you’ve already backed up all your computer files and taken your ride in for a tune-up, right?
Libra
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Stop obsessing over tiny imperfections for just a second, would you? Look up from the microscope long enough to notice that things seem to have taken a very positive turn in your world. Hope and optimism flow in symbiosis with structure and discipline. How lovely! It’s the perfect time to make big-picture choices and let the smaller details fall effortlessly into place. Your job is to leave them the hell alone while they do that. Can you do that?
Scorpio
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Happy Birthday to the darkest, gothiest sign in the zodiac! November promises to be a month of synchronicity and auspicious chance for you. It will seem at times that the whole world is conspiring to help you. Maybe it is. Either way, it’s best to not question and just go with it. If anyone has mastered the secrets of bending Fate to his will, it’s you. Even Mercury’s retrograde, which begins November 23rd, will be comparatively painless. Try not to laugh to loudly at the rest of us poor saps.
Sagittarius
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Since you’ve been planning your birthday celebration for at least a week, already, you’ve certainly found strategies for getting around some of November’s impending suck. You’re going to have to fight for a good time as schedules. obligations and responsibilities pile up to overwhelming proportions. Luckily, your talent for finding fun in the least likely of places will surely land you in the midst of guerrilla festivities while the boss is tied up with a conference call.
Capricorn
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Woah, chill out there, Stressypants! I have seen more of you Sea-Goats in my office during the last week than I have in all the years I’ve been practicing Astrology! Here’s why your usually skeptical self is suddenly all up in my grill: Pluto. Yes, I know he’s not a planet anymore but, that doesn’t make him any less of an eruptive influence. He’s in your sign, he went from retrograde to direct motion in September and recent triggers from faster-moving planets are making it uncomfortable to be you right now. Things will improve in late December. Until then, just try not to kill anyone.
Aquarius
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It’s a great month for Water Bearers. On the 9th, Neptune stations direct in the late degrees of your sign and the big philosophical picture re-emerges from the disjointed details that threatened to overwhelm you since May. Mars moves out of opposition to your sign on the 10th, ending his irritating influence on your general sense of peace. The 22nd is where you get the super-bonus points, however. That’s when the sun moves into a supportive sextile to your sign and lovely lady Venus makes the same angle to your traditional ruler, Saturn. It’s about to get a whole lot easier to get things done.
Pisces
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
So, there’s this little non-planet called Chiron and although he’s only an asteroid, once in a while his influence is rather noteworthy. Such is the case in your sign, this month. On November 10th, Chiron’s direct station in the first degree of Pisces presents unique opportunities for healing deep, personal wounds that you thought were long gone. You do have the option of continuing to ignore them but, if you have the balls to face them, you may perceive these ancient injuries in a whole new light. You might just find out that they gave you superpowers.
About Forest
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Forest is available by appointment for personal astrology and tarot readings. To make an appointment, visit her website: NuiCobalt.com or call 818-906-8263.