November is an “8” universal month [11 (November) +6 (2022) = 17 = 1+7=8] in a “6” universal year. The numerology of 8 can be found within its shape – if you turn an 8 onto its side, it becomes an ouroboros or infinity sign. 8 months inevitably represent the highest highs and the lowest lows, sometimes one day right after another. On the 8 path, all experiences are combined into a strange mystical soup – 8 demands strength, perseverance, and a great deal of discernment and pathfinding.
The numerological energy of the number 8 is in alignment with the astrological outlook for November which implies drastic changes, intense planetary weather, and a moodiness to the air that may feel extreme even for Scorpio season. If you are “in it” during the month of November, you are right on time.
The Set Up
November begins on a bit of a rough note. We will be midway through an eclipse season that is activating our waning square between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus. The Sun, Mercury, and Venus will be closely packed in Scorpio, Mars recently retrograded in Mars, Jupiter has just moved back into Pisces, Saturn and Uranus were mentioned above, Neptune is in Pisces, and Pluto is in Capricorn. By month’s end, the Sun Mercury and Venus will have moved on into Sagittarius and Jupiter will have stationed direct in the last degrees of Pisces. Don’t expect to exit the month as the same person that entered it – it is just that kind of a month.
The Nitty Gritty
All eyes are on retrograde Mars as we enter November and move deeper into Scorpio season (a sign that is co-ruled by Mars). When Mars is retrograde, it may feel like there are a million things that need doing but no energy to propel forward motion. This is going to be further accentuated by Mars in Gemini’s propensity to just hang out and talk about it (rather than making a decision, getting to work, or really much of anything constructive). Depending on your personal chart (most likely especially your own Mars placement by sign, house, and aspect AND your personal relationship with Mars energy) you may find this incredibly infuriating or more of business as usual.
This is echoed by the fact that the planets don’t make a single significant aspect that does not involve fast-moving Luna until 11/05. This is a week to schedule less and expect to miss deadlines. It may feel like the entire world is out of spoons or out of gas. There will be no escaping this energy – you just need to live with it. This is going to make some people angry (I’m looking at you, Aries). Expect some destruction and temper tantrums for the people who can’t sit still until we start to acclimate to Mar’s retrograde. When a planet stations (changes directions) it slows in speed dramatically. When that planet dictates the speed at which the world moves, we feel it that much deeper.
What do you do when the energy itself feels uncomfortable? Mars is a personal planet which means that anybody who is perceptive or sensitive to planetary energy will notice its effect on our lives. Expect and plan for domestic disputes – whatever that means for you. Mars is most mollified by our planet of beauty and grace, Venus, his counterpart – but she’s not having an easy time of it either. People may be extra testy about a roommate neglecting the dishes, or – since Mars is retrograde in Gemini, people may get really bent out of shape about what an/other is saying.
Gemini speaks out of turn. It is their way. One could say that it is the price of entry for having a Gemini in your life. Maybe the words need to be said. Maybe somebody has been holding back a truth. Or, again, sometimes people are just assholes. This is where the need for discernment in an 8-month comes in – that is, if it makes a difference as to why somebody said something.
Or can you just not handle anybody who says something that you disagree with?
Maybe it’s your trigger and not anything that they said wrong at all. We are in the depths of eclipse season, after all. The half moon on 10/01 will play in conjunct with testy Saturn in Aquarius and activate a fixed t-square between Saturn, Uranus in Taurus, and the Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Scorpio – an energy that will carry through until our Taurus lunar eclipse on 10/08.
Something has got to give but the fixed signs are notorious for assuming that everybody else around them needs to change, but, never them. Saturn needs to hold on to what was, Uranus is willing to throw it all away to make something new, and our personal planets are going to (you guessed it) make it personal. You might notice that (in many ways) Mercury and Venus can be considered stressed all month through varying challenging aspects with our difficult/painful planets and asteroids (Saturn, Uranus, Pluto, and Chiron). This will be outwardly reflected in life at large in some way but it will also show up in our personal lives.
One of the deep truths that people like to avoid is that when there is conflict in life, everybody has a part to play. We’d rather invoke the blame game and always make it about what Others have done to Us. Sure, this can absolve us of some responsibility but the deep and very real question that we need to ask ourselves in the first week of November is: should we? Maybe you weren’t the aggressor. Maybe you did everything right in your own mind. But you still had a part to play – we all do. With all of our personal planets stressed (the sun and the moon through the eclipse cycle, Mercury and Venus through this tough t-square, and Mars by retrograde), we are all going to be in the wrong in some way.
This isn’t about a guilt trip, this is about awareness and accountability – very strong fixed sign ideals. The big flex during this time is showing up and leading by example by owning your own culpability in your own life. If you are being honest about your own flaws, you are giving your Others a choice: watch how they respond and act accordingly. If they throw it all on you, you have your answer. It may not be the answer you want, but it will be the truth. This energy peaks during our Taurus full moon on 11/08 but won’t dissipate all that much as the Sun opposes Uranus in Taurus on 11/09, and then Mercury and the Sun square off with Saturn on 11/10 and 11/11.
There is an air of accountability about this all. You have to meet this energy where you are but if you can’t take accountability for your own life, this is the time to explore why and if this is something that you can work on changing.
The Sun, Mercury, and Venus are very close to each other in the sky which means that we are getting a lot of immediate repeating aspects all month long as they first oppose Uranus, then square off with Saturn, then trine Neptune, then sextile Pluto, and finally trine retrograde Jupiter. That means that three of our personal planets are making aspect with all of our transpersonal planets, so you know that something big is afoot. What is happening in November is profound and it is worth holding space for it and actually taking the time and energy to observe and live in it. Checking out during this time will be a huge detriment to your self-development.
Venus is the first of our personal planets to enter Sagittarius on 11/15 which will start to lighten the tone of the month some. Mercury follows on 11/17 and the two meet up in conjunction on 11/21. When we move from Scorpio into Sagittarius there is always an air of giving up some level of control for personal freedom – this may rise close to the surface as the second half of November progresses. Scorpio holds on too tight, Sag sometimes doesn’t hold on tight enough – there is a balance to be found here. Love people enough to stay, but give them the space to grow. You can see that this is a pain point (Mercury and Venus will make trines to Chiron in Aries on 11/24 and 11/25) – Aries chronically chooses freedom over connection – that is a way, but is it the right way?
Retrograde Mars in Gemini wants to try all of the ways, maybe thrice over, and make a decision about it later (see also: never). You may just have to let things be what they are until a later date when things become clearer. It isn’t the easy way, and those that are stuck in the fixed sign black and white always/never thinking will certainly flounder here. Where can you just make space this month? Where can you just sit with where you are and experience it?
The Sun enters Sagittarius on 11/22 and we have a new moon on 11/23 which is a beautiful chance to get and stay curious about our own lives. Sagittarius wants to learn and explore, like its astrological opposite Gemini, but Sag often has a purpose. With the new moon, the eclipse energy will begin to wane and we may finally get a chance to understand what this cycle has brought up for us. The big flex will be to explore and honor what has come with nonjudgmentally of yourself and your others. Again, the more fixed you are in your thinking, the harder time you will likely have with this.
Remember: everybody is on their own journey. If you are controlling an/other to keep yourself comfortable, this is your divine reminder to stop and tend your own garden. As we head further into freedom-loving Sag season, those people are likely to slip their collars anyway, don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
At month’s end, we’ll get the first big crunch of our Mars retrograde cycle as Mercury opposes retrograde Mars. Know that in early December, Venus and the Sun will follow. Expect some untruths (if not outright lies) to rise to the surface during this time and respect the process. 2022 is going to end with a fourth Mercury retrograde, so in truth, these lies are right on time. Whether you are the liar or the lied to, again, be honest about how you contributed to this situation. And then make the changes needed accordingly.
11/01: Half moon in Aquarius
11/05: Venus in Scorpio opposed retrograde Uranus in Taurus
11/07: Venus in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius
11/08: Eclipsed Full Moon 16° Taurus, Sun conjunct Mercury
11/09: Sun in Scorpio opposed retrograde Uranus in Taurus
11/10: Mercury in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius. Venus in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces
11/11: Sun in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius
11/12: Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces
11/13: Venus in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn
11/14: Sun in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces, Mercury in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn
11/15: Venus in Scorpio trine retrograde Jupiter in Pisces, Venus enters Sagittarius
11/16: Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Jupiter in Pisces
11/17: Mercury enters Sagittarius
11/18: Sun in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn
11/19: retrograde Mars in Gemini square retrograde Neptune in Pisces
11/20: Sun in Scorpio trine retrograde Jupiter in Pisces
11/21: Mercury conjunct Venus 07° Sagittarius
11/22: Sun enters Sagittarius
11/23: New moon 01° Sagittarius, Jupiter stations direct 28° Pisces
11/24: Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries
11/25: Venus in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries
11/28: retrograde Mars in Gemini trine Saturn in Aquarius
11/29: Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Mars in Gemini, Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Saturn in Aquarius