The Astrology of November 2023
Waiting to Exhale
The month of November begins with us slowly recovering from October's blindsiding eclipses. The Moon represents the masses when we're talking world transits, and affective states when we're talking subjective experience of the moment. These posts typically focus on the subjective experience as the scope of work pertaining to mundane astrology is immense if one seeks to properly employ astrology and do justice to the reality of events currently unfolding as well as their history.
So, when it comes to the Moon, and what Luna's condition suggests for the qualities and tones we may be experiencing, it's worth emphasizing that we enter the month with a beleaguered and bedraggled Moon.
Moving slow. Waning in light. Descending across the ecliptic and down into southern declination and latitude. This isn't the regal Queen of the Night ascending high and bright in the sky with a glorious spiral of stars trailing in her wake. This is a Moon that's sticking clinging to the horizon, desperate to disappear and find renewal.
This is an Uncle Moon who is dragging ass. Haggard af after back-to-back doubles at a restaurant that just lost a dishwasher and a line cook.
Ongoing Cycles
Lunar Cycles
We enter November wrapping up an eclipsed lunar cycle. October 14th saw the first Solar Eclipse in Libra since October 3rd of 2005. (Yes, that's right. Even though the lunar nodes nearly 19 year long cycle means that eclipses visit a given axis every 9-ish years, the last set of Aries/Libra eclipses had only Lunar Eclipses in Libra.) Alternatively, the October 28th Lunar Eclipse at 5° was the final eclipse in the Taurus/Scorpio cycle.
Given the transition in the location of the soli-lunar tension, and the fact that the Solar Eclipse was on the Moon's South Node, there was likely a major ending featured in October. Whether of a relationship, a way of viewing or thinking about relationships, your sense of self or identification with a particular community or way of being - whatever ended is unlikely to be restored. The Scorpio New Moon is likely then to highlight for us what it is that we are willing to exert effort or fight for in our relational lives. As well as the energetic resources we've got available for doing so.
Mars / Sun Synod
The previous Sun/Mars cycle draws to a close as the Sun marches nearer to Mars. If the Moon is our haggard uncle coming off a double-double full of trouble, then this Mars is like Odysseus coming back home rougher for the wear of those epic exploits.
Transit Highlights
- Venus at 25° Virgo opposite Neptune at 25° Pisces
- Saturn stations direct
- Venus enters Libra
- Sun/Mars conjunction at 25° Scorpio
- New Moon in Scorpio
- Mercury, the Sun, and Mars all enter Sagittarius
Weekly Overviews
Week #45: November 5th - 11th
Overall the week presents us with quite a few challenges. It's easy to get lost in rumination and dwelling on disturbing and shadowy figments of our imagination. Of course, there's plenty that's real that's quite disturbing to agitate the heart and mind - hopefully into action.
That action may look like directing the power of your voice to lead by example and be the change your want to see in the world. Especially if you're well-supported and positioned. Or, it might look like quietly persevering and gathering up the determination to get back up again.
Thursday the 9th:
Mercury enters Sagittarius
Mercury in Sagittarius is an absolute delight. Something about thoughts moving faster than the human form can keep up with leads to the most insightful salads of words. It's a real talent in the folks who possess such a placement natally.
For the rest of us, Mercury in the first face of Sagittarius has a special talent for getting the message across. Which can't always be said for the remaining two decans. And if you thought that you hadn't heard the words retrograde or shade recently enough - have no fear! Mercury will traipse on into the pre-retrograde shadow before the end of the month.
Saturday the 11th:
Mars at 21° Scorpio opposite Uranus at 21° Uranus
The opposition of Mars and Uranus is typically volatile and explosive. Those explosions could be useful - like plyometric exercise, pretty like fireworks, or destructive acts of war.
To learn more about the daily transits at play this week, click the link below to check out Skyvibe Serial #45:
Week #46: November 12th - 18th
New Moon. New Mars. Somehow, both a rebirth and a pregnant pause.
Click here to read about the week ahead in detail.
Monday the 13th:
New Moon at 20°43' Scorpio
Luna shakes off the last dregs of the Taurus/Scorpio eclipse cycle after October 28th's Lunar Eclipse at 5° Taurus. The next few aspects of the Moon (opposition to Uranus, conjunction with Mars, and square Saturn) suggest that there's still more slogging it out to be done.
Friday the 17th:
Mars at 25° Scorpio trine Neptune at 25° Scorpio
Mars cazimi (conjunct) the Sun at 25° Scorpio
The combination of Mars and Neptune is more positive than some might give it credit for. If ideal Mars indicates our drives and ambitions, and Neptune our dreams and imagination, then the easy synergy of the two is actually a beautiful thing to behold. That it occurs just hours before Mars is renewed in the heart of the Sun is something else.
The conjunction of the Sun and Mars marks purification of our passions ("while we're feeling them"). Mars is our ability to soldier on, our willingness to defend ourselves, the energy we have to pursue the ambitions that motivate us. The Red One symbolizes fury, fighting, competition, violence, and aggression. Mars is also an essential ingredient for butchers, bakers, brewers...
Learn more about the Sun-Mars conjunction at 25° Scorpio by clicking the link below
Week #47: November 19th - 25th
But also a Sun experiencing malefic enclosure. Mid-month makes no false promises of frolicking in the Sun. Instead we're tasked with mustering up courage, determination, tenacity, and a willingness to try even when it might feel desperate, pointless, or futile.
Tuesday the 21st:
Mars at 28° Scorpio sextile Pluto at 28° Capricorn
Pluto is in the very degree which exalts Mars, and Mars forms a somewhat tenuous but supportive aspect with the planet of power, obsession, and the transformation the combination of those two forces begets.
Wednesday the 22nd:
Sun enters Sagittarius
Venus at 15° Libra opposite Chiron at 15° Aries
When the Sun enters Sagittarius celebratory festivities are not far behind. Even the Sag'es who don't celebrate birthdays or holidays for religious reasons still tend to find themselves in a happy mood. Lucky for the rest of us, the joy and levity tend to spread efficiently.
Venus opposite Chiron continues to tease out the threads of the 8(ish) year long transit of Chiron through Aries. That Chiron tends to indicate the collective wounds that are up for healing is plainly evident - in Aries those wounds have to do with individuation, independence, inter-dependence and relationship, and the ways our baselines for approaching connection are shaped (or mis-shaped).
Thursday the 23rd:
Sun at 0° Sagittarius square Saturn at 0° Pisces
The last aspect that the Sun made was the conjunction with Mars. Therefore the square with Saturn marks the closing boundary of a window of malefic enclosure for the Sun. While the approach into this aspect is likely to feel weighty and diminishing to our physical and emotional vitality, the exit ought to feel like a huge relief.
Friday the 24th:
Mars enters Sagittarius
Mars is a hot a fiery planet that does best in a cool, wet, nocturnal sign. Which Sagittarius isn't. In the armed and bestial sign of Sagittarius Mars is motivated to take a stand. The "highest good" manifestation of such energy would see that energy supporting direct and ancillary actions to put an end to global support of genocides and the militarized states which perpetuate and facilitate them.
Saturday the 25th:
Mars at 0° Sagittarius square Saturn at 0° Pisces
Mercury enters the shadow zone
This day is likely to feel like a wrench in the gears. Mars is the gas and Saturn is the brakes. Mercury is tasked with navigation. Put 'em all together and we get disruption, delay, and detours that are will be part of the background for the rest of the year.
You can read more about the moods, I mean movements, of the Moon, in the weekly forecast. The forecast is available for members of the website - free and paid.
Week #48: November 26th - December 2nd
As far as the broad brushstrokes are concerned, the end of the month is pretty quiet. Which is fair enough, and likely welcome after the bumpy ingresses into Sagittarius for Mercury, the Sun, and Mars in earlier weeks.
Monday the 27th:
Full Moon at 4°51' Gemini
Mercury at 24° Sagittarius square Neptune at 24° Pisces
If you were wondering about what it's going to be this time for Mercury's December retrograde cycle - it's likely to begin here, just a couple days after Mercury enters into the notorious pre-retrograde shadow zone. Aka, the part of the sky Mercury's going to do their triple pass through. Your imagination is likely to present you with a dreamy distraction, or consternating confusion.
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