November is a “1” Universal Month in an “8” Universal Year. [11 (November) + 8 (2024) = 19 = 1+9 =10 = 1+0 = 1]. 1 is the number of beginnings, but it can be a very lonely number. Often when we start a journey, we must walk up on the path alone. This is well represented by the astrology of the month which includes Pluto’s final ingress into Aquarius – THE astrological moment of the decade. Things are changing, quite quickly now. Have you prepared?
The Set Up
We begin November with the Sun and Mercury in Scorpio, Venus in Sagittarius, Mars in Cancer, retrograde Jupiter in Gemini, retrograde Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, retrograde Uranus in Taurus, and Pluto in Capricorn. This is a month of big change as every one of our personal planets will change signs or retrograde: the Sun enters Sagittarius, Mercury retrogrades, Venus enters Capricorn, and Mars enters Leo. Additionally, as mentioned above, Pluto will enter the sign of Aquarius, ending a 20-year cycle of Pluto in Capricorn. Saturn will also station direct.
The Nitty Gritty
All eyes are on Pluto, Mercury, and Mars all month long. Pluto will enter Aquarius, Mercury will station retrograde, and Mars will enter Leo and deepen its pre-retrograde shadow. It’s worth noting here that Mars and Pluto are the co-rulers of Scorpio, our Sun sign for most of November. This may be the deepest hollows season we’ve seen in quite some time.
Pluto
As our farthest dwarf planet, Pluto has a long and uneven orbit around the Sun. It will be another 248 years before Pluto reenters the sign of Capricorn, at which point we will all be dust. For this reason, Pluto has an evolutionary effect on humanity; like its namesake, Plutonium, it is associated with the unraveling of the very structures it comes into contact with. These last fifteen years that Pluto has been in Capricorn have shown us the underside (and the unraveling) of governments, financial systems, and political structures of all kinds. Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn in 2008 coincided with the crash of the US housing market and a deep financial recession.
Pluto is a reminder that no man-made structures or systems can withstand the erosion of time. That in the end, the empire of Rome fell. That the great civilization of Minoa was taken down by a volcano. That nothing we create can beat out the destructive power of time itself.
Pluto is so far beyond our understanding and certainly completely beyond our ability to control. As the planet of death and transformation changes signs, all we can do is stay aware and prepare. This isn’t meant to be all doom and gloom—change isn’t inherently bad, though it can often be destructive. It is just best to realize that as this shift happens, our whole world will change. The best that we can do is change with it.
Pluto was last in Aquarius from 1771-1798, and the world has changed so much since then that it is difficult to predict how Pluto will show up in this new way in the years ahead. It’s worth noting that while Capricorn rules institutions, Aquarius rules society groups, clubs, and social organizations. We can assume that, to a greater or lesser degree, these will get the same Plutonian treatment – that which no longer serves us (but we are holding on to beyond its time) will likely be eroded somehow. What astrologers know for sure is that it will shape the fabric of our lives, and we will never be what we were before.
The Lights: The Sun and the Moon
Life will return to a more regular routine as we move farther from our lunar nodes. The Sun spends most of the month in Scorpio, where it will square off with Mars in Leo, trine Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, and oppose Uranus in Taurus. It is worth noting that both Mars and Saturn are our Lesser and Greater Malefic planets, and Uranus is a crap shoot at best. This is likely a warning that our world will feel quite unstable during the month – which is already indicated by Pluto’s shift in signs. It could be worth renewing your general protections and staying aware all month long. Things won’t necessarily go poorly, but there is a higher-than-average chance that they could.
If your life is already in a precarious position, I would consider working magic towards stability early in the month. See also: keeping your job, keeping your housing, not getting your car repossessed.
Our new moon is on 11/01, which will bring a strong and deep Scorpionic edge to the month as a whole. Scorpio, ruled by both Mars and Pluto, can have quite the reputation for its sometimes bad behavior. We all know the story of the Scorpion and the frog and the adage that it is “just in the scorpion’s nature” to sting even when it has promised that it will not. Mars is deep in its pre-retrograde shadow, and Pluto is in transition, so this will likely be a murky and troubled Scorpio season.
If you need to keep everything inside and keep it all to yourself, know that you are right on time. Then, ask yourself if it is helpful or healthy for you to be so insular.
The big flex all month will be to ask for help when you need it, which Scorpios generally find very difficult.
The new moon, exact at 09° Scorpio at 7:47 am EDT, is a 7/8 new moon.
8 (Scorpio moon) + 8 (Scorpio Sun) = 16 = 1+6 = 7.
7 (Scorpio new moon) + 1 (November 2024) = 8.
Seven can be a conflict number, but it is more of a conflict of the mystical variety. It can sometimes indicate a deep calling of Ah-Ha moment. Eight is the number of the ouroboros and indicates that fate has taken another spin at the wheel – what goes up must come down, and what goes down will eventually rise again. This will be a highly mystical new moon, befitting our mystical fixed water sign. Though most of us can acknowledge that the veil doesn’t just “thin” at this time of year as many have claimed, this is deep, liminal, other-worldly energy that is very befitting for Samhain, Día de los Muertos, or All Saint’s Day; however you choose to celebrate.
Our Taurus full moon on 11/15 will be much more energetic as it will conjunct Uranus within 1 degree. This is a day to lie low and avoid anything that might explode, erupt, or catch ablaze in any fashion – people included. Uranus is a disaster waiting to happen, and Taurus is our fixed earth sign – we are almost done with this transit, for which we should be relieved. For now, stay aware and dodge the avalanches that you can. Uranus is like 15 shots of espresso straight to the brain pan – people will be jangly and very out of sorts.
Saturn will also station direct on that day – somebody will have to pay the piper. Do not neglect what is yours during this time because it will bite you in the ass really damn fast.
The moon, exact at 4:28pm EST at 24° Taurus, is a 1/2 Full Moon.
2 (Taurus mon) + 8 (Scorpio Sun) = 10 = 1+0 = 1.
1 (Taurus full moon) + 1 (November 2024) = 2.
One is the number of beginnings, a nice callback to our “1” Universal Month—there is room to work here. Two is the number of connections, either growing together or separating apart. This whole month has an air of starting over, but this date (through 11/19, when Pluto enters Aquarius) is the best day to do so.
On 11/21, the Sun enters the mutable fire sign of Sagittarius, signaling the waning energy of our Autumn season. Sagittarius will feel lighter and more playful after a tough Libra season and an extra dark Scorpio season. The Sun makes a few final contacts as we round out the month as it sextiles with Pluto in Aquarius, trines the North Node in Aries for the very last time, and then trines Mars in Leo. The beginning of Sagittarius, at least, is a much-needed breather from the hard work we all have had to put in.
Mercury
Again, we are on the cusp of the year’s third and final Mercury retrograde. This Mercury retrograde will occur from 22°-06° Sagittarius starting on 11/25 and ending on 12/15. Mutable and fire signs (Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Venus, Mars, and most especially Mercury) will be most affected by this retrograde, but as one of our personal planets, it affects all of us.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind about this retrograde cycle:
- Mercury is in its exile in Sagittarius, which is the opposite sign to Gemini, the sign of Mercury’s domicile – this will make this Mercury retrograde especially uncomfortable and touchy
- Mercury’s retrograde will overlap with Mars’ retrograde on 12/6. This shows that how we think (Mercury) and act (Mars) will be in flux from the beginning of Mercury’s retrograde all the way through to the end of Mars’ retrograde next year.
- Mercury will square off with Saturn in Pisces three times during its retrograde cycle – this shows us that something about our Mercurial presence needs to evolve during this time; perhaps we need to take better accountability for what we say and how we say it.
- Mercury will also oppose retrograde Jupiter in Gemini thrice – this will likely play a big role in this retrograde cycle as Mercury is in Jupiter’s home sign (Sag) while Jupiter is in Mercury’s home sign (Gemini)
I will write a post about Mercury’s retrograde separately from this, but standard Mercury retrograde advice applies here. Mercury retrograde is not bad or wrong – in fact, it happens 3 to 4 times every year. What it is a chance to reevaluate and refine our lives. Certain aspects controlled by the planet Mercury (communication, technology, and travel, most specifically) can go haywire during the retrograde – it is believed that this may give us the space to think and consider in between doing. If you see Mercury’s machinations as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than an inconvenience, the retrograde will not only run much smoother, but you will gain a lot more from the experience.
The side effect of this upcoming retrograde is that Mercury will remain in the sign of Sagittarius for three times the amount of time it usually would, putting a strong focus on the struggles faced when Mercury is in exile. Communication may be especially problematic during this time as we see people adopting the rigid Me First (and maybe Me Only) attitude that often accompanies an immature Sagittarius presentation. The big flex during this time will be to stop, listen, and consider somebody else’s perspective, even if it differs vastly from yours.
In its pre-retrograde shadow, Mercury meets up in a square with Saturn on 11/12 and an opposition with Jupiter on 11/18 – these are our first pings of the greater story that will unfold during this retrograde cycle.
Venus
Venus is at most a minor player in our November skies. It enters Capricorn on 11/10 which puts it somewhat at odds with our many personal planets in Sagittarius (Sun and Mercury) and Leo (Mars). Venus isn’t particularly well placed in the craggy wilderness of our cardinal earth sign that would rather work than play. This infers that empathy and kindness – both aspects Venus brings to the table – may be in short supply all month long.
Venus makes harsh cardinal squares to the lunar nodes on 11/14 and Chiron in Aries on 11/27, and a sextile to Saturn in Pisces on 11/22. It’s worth noting here that as the only Venusian aspects of the month, these are all rough ones. This further indicates that Venus will not be at her best all month.
Mars
Mars’ pre-retrograde shadow will deepen all month long as it creeps along through the last degrees of Cancer and early degrees of Leo. As this continues, we may begin to see the pitfalls of its future retrograde cycle begin to unfold.
Before Mars exits Cancer, it opposed Pluto in Capricorn for the last time. Remember here that Mars WILL oppose Pluto twice more (once in retrograde and again in forward motion), but in both cases, it will be on the Leo-Aquarius axis. In a month with many endings (and many beginnings), 11/03 is a big one. Where you fall on this scale (endings or beginnings) will depend greatly on your life circumstances. This might be a rough time for anyone with personal planets at the end of any cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn).
I feel like we all see these signs so much as forward-moving because of their cardinal nature, but because they put so much effort into their lives, they can be especially prone to the sunk cost fallacy. Sometimes, you need to give up what you thought your life would be like so that you can fully step into the life that you actually have. This may be an ongoing lesson for these cardinal types (and maybe some early fixed sign types, too) as this rough opposition unfolds during this Mars retrograde cycle.
This also happens during Scorpio season – the sign ruled by both Mars and Pluto. Watch out for ill-planned power grabs of all sorts – both your own and those of others. Perhaps (almost definitely) you need not to hold on so tightly. Pluto demands that we move on, even if we aren’t ready.
Mars enters Leo on 11/03, and we have a new set of problems to uncover. Here, Mars meets up in trine with our North Node in Aries. Again, Mars will trine the North Node three more times, but when that happens for the third time, Mars will be in Cancer and the North Node will be in Pisces. This is an interesting astrological double whammy because Plutonian energy is so far beyond us that it can seem in many ways to be the hand of fate – and the North Node is the literal hand of fate in our skies. What is happening now is happening for a reason – even if it is uncomfortable.
As we well know, humans rarely change from a place of comfort. Mars trines the North Node on 11/17, which may be our first hit on what needs to change so that we can move forward with our lives. I think collectively, many people have felt very stuck since March of 2020, and as this whole Mars retrograde unfolds over the next seven months, we will finally see a way forward. But this is the long game, and you may not have all of the information yet.
Beware of quick fixes or false promises during this time because Mars can’t really show up to do the work until after it exits its post-retrograde shadow in May of next year. Stay aware, make small adjustments, and start planning now.
Saturn
Saturn exits its retrograde at 12° Pisces on 11/15 during an intense Taurus full moon. Saturn is not at its best in the mutable watery sign of the fish, and this can allow us to hide from the Real Shit that needs doing in our lives (the immature Pisces specialty). ESPECIALLY when Saturn is retrograde and not holding us to account. The problem is that Saturn is the Lord of Consequences, and Shit ALWAYS comes due in the end. The days around the full moon may be a real wake-up call to people who are shirking on the work in their own lives, and some of those people are Monsters when they wake up. We’re talking total meltdowns – projections, accusations, and emotional abuse.
This is the time to have boundaries made of pure steal and to hold the line with everything you’ve got. If it’s not yours, don’t let it cross that line. You may want to help a friend out, but that doesn’t mean you should be carrying their burden for them. If your help allows someone to avoid their own responsibilities, it isn’t helping; it’s enabling. Someone – maybe someone with a lot of Pisces in their chart – or someone who loves a person with a lot of Pisces in their chart – needs to hear that one during this time.
Sometimes, things need to fall apart.
Looking Ahead
We will enter December with Mercury in retrograde and Mars moving ever closer to their retrograde on 12/06. With the holidays looming, facing two major personal planet retrogrades is hard, but here we are. This might not be the fun, happy holiday season people want it to be, especially if you come from a more difficult family system. See if you can set yourself up for success during November BEFORE things really start to hit the fan in early December. Maybe do your holiday shopping early if you can’t handle crazy Christmas crowds, as they will be especially bad this year (sorry, retail workers). Or schedule less time with your family with some ninja boundaries. The sooner we know and recognize that things will get rough, the more time we have to prepare.
The Details
11/01 – New moon 09° Scorpio
11/02 – Mercury in Scorpio trine Mars in Cancer, Mercury in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn, Mercury enters Sagittarius
11/03 – Mars enters Leo, Venus in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries, Mars in Cancer opposed Pluto in Capricorn
11/04 – Sun in Scorpio trine retrograde Saturn in Pisces
11/05 – Mercury in Sagittarius trine North Node in Aries/sextile South Node in Libra
11/07 – Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow 06° Sagittarius
11/09 – Venus in Sagittarius square retrograde Neptune in Pisces
11/10 – Venus enters Capricorn
11/12 – Mercury in Sagittarius square retrograde Saturn in Pisces
11/14 – Venus in Capricorn square North Node in Aries/South Node in Libra
11/15 – Full moon 24° Taurus, Saturn stations direct 12° Pisces
11/16 – Sun in Scorpio opposed Uranus in Taurus
11/17 – Mars in Leo trine North Node in Aries/sextile South Node in Libra
11/18 – Sun in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces, Mercury in Scorpio oppose retrograde Jupiter in Gemini
11/19 – Pluto enters Aquarius, Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries
11/21 – Sun enters Sagittarius, Sun in Sagittarius sextile Pluto in Aquarius
11/22 – Venus in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Pisces
11/25 – Sun in Sagittarius trine North Node in Aries/sextile South Node in Libra, Mercury retrogrades 22° Sagittarius
11/27 – Sun in Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo, Venus in Capricorn square Chiron in Aries