November Forecast

Astrologically, the end of October was a rollercoaster. Sincethe sun entered Scorpio, planets have turned on their heels, ingressed,regressed, and eclipsed one another in one of the more tense and intenseastrological periods of the entire year. If you’re reeling, you’re not alone.

Scorpio season is a strange time for such change. ThoughScorpio is associated with transformation in some schools of astrology, it isalso fixed in nature. Though the impulses to transform and to remain fixed seemcontradictory, transforming is far different from adapting. Though not all transformationis permanent, it requires a certain decisiveness to occur, a commitment togoing from one thing to another. Scorpionic energy is embodied in the courageit takes to reject a fixed status quo in favor of the unknown.

The midpoints of all fixed signs mark the midpoints of eachof the four seasons, the moments halfway between equinoxes and solstices. Atthese moments, the character of a given season is typically holding fairlysteady. In Scorpio season, the days have notably shifted in length, but not somuch so that they feel extreme. The weather, typically, holds steady. At thesemidpoints, we still vividly remember what has just passed, but we also begin tosense what’s coming in the air. This year, the moment takes on specialsignificance as the final eclipse of this season, a total lunar eclipse inTaurus with a tight conjunction to Uranus for good measure.

The term I most frequently use to describe eclipses is “unpredictable.”There are some standard, typical significations (shout out to my friend who’sgetting fitted for contacts during this eclipse season), but eclipses can beincredibly hard to predict. And arguably, confidence in the outcome of aneclipse is almost like a challenge to the fates to throw you for a loop. Thoughthey are symbolically malefic in character, on a personal level, theirmanifestations can run the gamut from devastating to absolutely magical (ofcourse, not always so extreme). And in the season of fixity and transformation,the potent energy of an eclipse has the potential to radically shift dynamics.Whether or not you want to make big moves, the current astro-weather may notleave you with much choice.

The lunar eclipse on November 8th marks itself as at or nearthe end of stories that have been playing out in a major way since around Mayof this year. Hopefully, this period offers some resolution to the problemsthat have plagued us since then. While the astrology right now may not feelcomforting, astrology always offers a reminder that all cycles end, ebbing andflowing into one another in a natural exchange. Sometimes new problems replacethe old ones, but at leat there’s change.

As Saturn and Mars both change direction, there’s a sense oftension almost vibrating in the air right now. With both malefics moving slowlyfor the entire month of November, the message is clear: you can’t give your allto everything. This month is about deciding what to grind through and what youneed to shelve for the time being. And in some cases, it means dusting off oldskills or stories, taking them down, and seeing whether some previouslyabandoned thought or skill might be just the solution needed.

After the heaviness of this eclipse season, the end of Novemberhas a scintillating energy that particularly lends itself to fresh perspective.Starting on the 12th, Mercury and Venus will be within 3º of one another andwill continue traveling together through the rest of the month. They begin inScorpio, passing over a square to Saturn. Saturn is holding a lot of weightright now, coming off of their last domicile retrograde period before shootingstraight off into the mystical waters of Pisces. As Mercury and Venus overcomethem, they offer an opportunity to talk it out and get deep. What’s the onething you haven’t wanted to say out loud? When there’s nothing left to lose,you might as well just name it.

This heaviness quickly changes its character on this 16thwhen Venus enters Sagittarius and Mercury follows around 24 hours later. InJupiter’s home, Mercury can feel a bit discombobulated, but that disorientationsometimes allows them to stumble on brilliant, unconventional ideas. With arecently domiciled, stationing Jupiter in Pisces in charge, the sheer volume ofpotential bright ideas is at an all-time high.

The end of November and the beginning of Sagittarius seasonare defined by this merging of Mercurial and Venusian energies seeking unifyingtheories and quick resolution. However, both planets will make an opposition toretrograde Mars in Gemini by the end of the month. While many excitingpossibilities may be offered, all that glitters is not gold, and Marsrepresents a stumbling block in the way of satisfying resolution.

Whenever Mars and Venus make an opposition, Mars is eitherretrograde or stationary, giving Venus the upper hand. This opposition is lessof a wrecking ball and more of a small but noteworthy red flag. With whatevercomes up at the end of the month, pay attention to what doesn’t seem to beadding up. If something seems too good to be true, it may be. It’s certainlyworth taking a second look.

If I had to distill the astrology of November to a single piece of advice it would be this: take care of what you can, no more and no less. You can spin out of control trying to align yourself with the flow of the universe or clear the path months and years down the road. Let November be about the here and now and what needs to happen in order to make life the most livable in the immediate present. And trust that you know best what that is.

About the Author

Adina (she/her) is a lesbian jewish astrologer currently based in Texas. She holds a BA in Folklore and Mythology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and is currently earning an MA in clinical psychology with a focus on Spirituality, Mind, and Body. Adina’s astrological practice explores the relationship of the self to the personal, interpersonal, structural, and cosmic in a way that fosters self-compassion and deep exploration. Adina is an active consulting astrologer, and she has presented on astrology and fatness at the Emerging Astrologers Summit. When not astrologizing, Adina loves binge-watching television, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and crocheting.

You can find Adina online @adinarising and on her website.