November is all over the place, so don’t be discouraged if you find it hard to concentrate or complete the task at hand. It’s a month of many distractions, some of which are confrontational, and a few of which are quite surprising. If you’re feeling scattered and uneasy, you’re accurately taking the social temperature. There are so many astral interactions that you could feel like staying under the covers until December, or at least until Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, Mars is at the helm of many of November’s planetary patterns, and the reason that is unfortunate is that it simultaneously translates into a get-up-and-go attitude and an anything-goes attitude to get the job done. But the problem is once you arrive at wherever it is you’re going, you may have fought so many obstacles to your success that you’re too tired to enjoy it.
As I always advise when we’re in the midst of Martian domination, take a stand if you must, but be aware that self-righteous stands will boomerang almost immediately. Keep in mind as you attempt to make positive decisions about how to handle difficult encounters that instant karma has a way of leveling the playing field and evening the score. I know it doesn’t need to be said, but I’m gonna say it anyway: be kind to your fellow travelers. We are all affected by the confrontational signature of Mars and everyone has a story to tell about what’s happening, especially about who’s right and who’s wrong. Rather than listen begrudgingly, be wise and listen compassionately.
Also, as Mars usually does when it’s leading the way (a role it is quite content with, even if it leads you astray), lots of folks, including you, are likely to feel empowered, and in that rush of confidence, pushing the ambition river may seem the best choice. But it’s not. Forging ahead by pushing harder will likely manifest as being dragged along the bottom of the river bed. Try to refrain from engaging in any sort of ruthless behavior aimed at undermining your competition. Again, bad behavior will backfire with detrimental, and most likely long-lasting, negative results.
The good news about Mars is its vitality, and if you can harness that energy field, you can turn November into a month of accomplishment. Again, if you can’t align wholesomely with forward progress, it really is better to stay under the covers.
The other good news about November is that its turmoil has the potential to provide opportunities for transformation. (Yes, I know: do we really need another month of growth opportunities? Well… like it or not, we have one.) Being aware of those opportunities for growth and taking advantage of them requires noticing your reactions when things don’t go your way and avoiding either a belligerent attitude or a victim mindset.
Tantrums won’t work and neither will ultimatums. Being thoughtful and conscious of the consequences of your choices will yield much better outcomes. Being willing to discard inappropriate attitudes or expectations that won’t support peaceful negotiations is a good first step toward positive results. Next, and most importantly, align your ambition with your highest principles—that’s the way to work toward long-term, beneficial effects. Sounds like a no-brainer, but the temptation to fight with who and what isn’t working over the way you would like things to work is ever-present this month and that makes it harder to hike the high road. Nonetheless, the high road is the only road that allows a means of steering clear of dicey situations and complications that will only make you weary.
There is also a lunar eclipse on November 19. As longtime readers of this column already know, I don’t think eclipses are ever good. They are disruptors of the normal flow and they reveal things hiding in the shadows. I know—we can only wonder what more could possibly be revealed (something we’ve been wondering for years). But more will come to light. Lunar eclipses are all about practical matters and this one is along the Taurus/Scorpio axis, which means that money matters will play a large role in the effect of this eclipse. The other thing to keep in mind is that an eclipse shadow extends six weeks before or after the actual event. So we are in it all month long.
Here’s the breakdown:
Week One: November 1–7
November opens with a separating Sun/Saturn square that began on October 25, was exact and separating on October 30, and lingers until November 5. This is a serious, sober interaction that tends to encourage separation as a way of managing differences as it simultaneously leans toward a judgmental attitude that needs to blame and punish. So many people find it easier to assume a victim position rather than taking responsibility for their part in whatever the particulars might be. I’m not suggesting there aren’t victims—we all know there are. But many situations can be solved by the recognition that all the participants contribute to the whole and that if all are willing to own their part, the situation doesn’t have to end in a standoff.
November also starts with an ongoing Sun/Uranus opposition that began at the end of October, is exact and separating on November 4, and lingers until November 10. This is a fractious combination of energies that feeds the need to break free from whatever enslaves, and whether those bonds are physical, financial, mental, emotional, or in some cases spiritual, this square signifies rebellion against those controls. It’s the freedom-fighters astrological signature and we can see its influence as many of the resistance movements take a stand and will not be silenced.
A Mercury/Saturn square that begins November 7, and is exact and separating on November 10, ends November 13. This is also a fractious planetary interaction that insists on learning the difference between fact and fiction, as Mercury symbolizes all mental processes and Saturn symbolizes reality. Of course, we’re already embroiled in the battle between fact and fiction, and unfortunately, there’s no end in sight for the battle, which has boiled down to the “big lie” that has assiduously planted more seeds of destruction. As you encounter those who seem eager to foster fiction, take a breath, recommit to the truth, and try to be patient. Some of us just can’t tell the true from the false.
Fortunately, a Mercury/Pluto trine provides the potential for deep intellectual diving. Pluto pushes Mercury to probe beneath the surface of everything, but it can be used to explore ideas that disturb and disrupt both individual and collective equilibrium. It’s a good planetary combination to align with, especially now that we’re banning books, although no one can ban the ideas contained in those books (yet). This positive interaction began on October 30, is exact on November 2, and lasts until November 6.
The truly troubling undercurrents of the month begin on November 3 with a Mars/Saturn square. This pernicious influence is exact and separating on November 10 and it persists until November 19, adding a bitter, harsh frequency to November’s already problematic days and nights. This square can be brutal and destructive and often manifests as tests of strength, physical as well as psychological. Try not to succumb to the desire to fight for your point of view. I’m not suggesting wimping out and turning passive. I’m simply advising that this Mars/Saturn square is an extraordinarily tough interaction that could land you in situations that don’t have an easy out—and uber-aggression isn’t the solution.
The next day, on November 4, a Mercury/Mars conjunction begins; it’s exact on November 10 and lasts until November 16. This conjunction signifies an active mind and the power of thought, so if you are attempting creative visualization, this is the planetary signature for making it so. It’s also likely to make minds race, but its power can be harnessed and put to good use sorting through a wide range of details. Use it to prioritize and organize your time and energy. Remember: the month is driven by Mars and that translates into more than a modicum of ambition. This conjunction can be put to good use in realizing your goals.
And speaking of creative visualization, a Sun/Neptune trine amplifies the potential of that practice because it fosters active imagination. This positive interaction begins on November 6 and is exact and separating on November 12, lasting until November 19. While this trine is positive, it can also provide an atmosphere of hypersensitivity, so be wary of your surroundings and try not to put yourself into situations that might trigger addictive appetites. Also, pay attention to your dreams; they are likely to be quite vivid and filled with interesting imagery and information.
Week Two: November 8–14
The planets continue to be busy during the second week of the month. On November 9, a Jupiter/Sun square stretches the boundaries of good humor as it sucks the joy out of the air. Jupiter rules humor, good fortune, expansion, and excess, so don’t be surprised if during the next two weeks, as it squares the Sun, which signifies spirit and life force, gallows humor feels like a better choice for a laugh than slapstick or sophisticated stand-up. This square is exact on November 15, ending by November 20, when the Sun moves into Sagittarius, Jupiter’s ruling Sign, offering the potential of a cheerier mindset—yours and others. But I wouldn’t expect difficult areas to lighten up right away.
Difficulties of every variety are likely to persist, given that a Mars/Uranus opposition exacerbates the already toxic polarity that has insinuated itself into daily life. This opposition begins November 10 and is exact and separating on November 17; it’s finally over on November 25—something we are all likely to be thankful for. The reason for that gratitude will be self-evident once the influence lifts.
This is another pernicious combination of planetary energies: Mars symbolizes assertion as well as aggression and Uranus symbolizes the unexpected as well as the need to rebel. Mars signifies physical energy; Uranus signifies erratic energy patterns—think uranium and then think Geiger counter. Also fold into this dynamic opposition that the Sun/Uranus opposition ends on November 10, just as this next Uranian opposition begins. Mars/Uranus also feeds the need for rebellion, so be prepared for rebels, with or without a cause, to be even more adamant about their need to break free from any shackles that keep them tethered to restrictions of any kind.
Much as I tend to align with freedom fighters, this opposition bumps things a bit too far and that stretch could result in conflicts, big and small, individual and collective, and given that a portion of our personal and collective psyche is already on alert for the next cultural, political, or economic battle, this opposition excites an already unsettled air. During the duration of this opposition, do your best to avoid any unnecessary confrontations, and if you feel compelled to engage in a fight, before you start swinging, check your intentions. Negative intentions won’t yield positive results—in the prickly climate of November, instant karma will actually be instant.
Week Three: November 15–21
A Mercury/Neptune trine begins on November 15, is exact on November 18, and ends on November 21. While this positive interaction is short lived, it does provide the potential for the ability to think below the surface of any situation. Yes, it does stimulate imagination, making fantasy a strong influence in forming a worldview, but it simultaneously supports compassion and empathic reasoning and perception through that view. Use this influence for inspiration and let it inform your creative efforts as well as your point of view.
The lunar eclipse on November 19 occurs at 27° Taurus/Scorpio—so for all those born in the last degrees of those signs, you’re likely to feel the power of this eclipse quite keenly, and for those born in the final degrees of Leo and Aquarius, you’re like to feel it too. When the Sun overshadows the Moon, practical matters tend to overwhelm all other concerns. As mentioned above, the effect of an eclipse—lunar or solar—can be felt six weeks prior to or after the actual event, which means that the entire month of November, in addition to the actual planetary interactions stoking the intensity, is an emotional rollercoaster as we struggle to deal with an eclipse effect that feels as if it is aimed at suppressing or repressing potent feelings, some of which might be best left unexpressed. So expect to feel as if you’re managing lots of emotions, many of which need to remain hidden until the atmosphere settles down—which could be well into the new year.
Week Four: November 22–31
Two influences end the month:
(1) A Venus/Pluto conjunction begins on November 30 and is exact and separating on December 11, and lasts until the first week of January 2022 because all December, Venus slows down in preparation for her retrograde phase that beings on December 19. (More about Venus Retrograde in December’s column.) This conjunction has the power to fuel compulsive feelings of love. It is generally characterized as fanatical feelings, fueled by a strong power of attraction and it can be quite intense, especially if you are the object of affection and you’re not similarly inclined. Unrequited love is always awful, but it is never an excuse for forcing yourself on another. This inclination toward obsession is also likely to coalesce with all the differing points of view vying all month long to be the dominant one. Try not to get embroiled in any kind of relationship, personal or political, that disregards and disrespects the feelings and convictions of others.
I realize that I often voice the idea of not letting your feelings get the best of you. But the second influence of November and one that carries on for the entire month of December is:
(2) the Saturn/Uranus square that tightens its grip all November and December, is exact and separating on Christmas Eve, and takes us into the New Year just in time for the United States Pluto Return in February of 2022. This square signifies the dissolution of the status quo. I can hear you thinking “so what else is new?” But what is new is the friction symbolized by this negative interaction that aggregates, builds momentum, and intensifies during November, a month that offers little if any healing salve to soothe the weary soul. (More about this Saturn/Uranus square next month.)
November is a restless month: unsettled, and disrupted by anxiety, specified or unspecified, which triggers nervous systems, individual and collective, making it hard to find moments to relax. Do whatever it is you do to soothe your nervous system, but try to keep it healthy. And when possible, please try to help your fellow travelers cope with and manage their anxiety. Meditate together, share meals, safely socialize. We need each other right now, and when we recognize that need, it feels good to commune with others.
Sun Bursts: If you know your Ascendant and/or your Moon Sign, read that too.
Aries March 21-April 19
Mars is in your Solar House of transformation, where all month long it stimulates change—lots and lots of change. Some of the shifts are uncomfortable, especially the ones that challenge your authority and expertise. But if you can contextualize these difficult moments as opportunities to refine your leadership style, you will look back on this Martian phase with a deep appreciation of what’s possible when you are willing to grow.
Taurus April 20-May 20
Mars spends November in your Solar House of relationship, so be prepared to feel its presence and intensity in all your partnerships, personal and professional. Also, anticipate that this Martian focus will shed a light on your relationship with yourself. There’s no need to feel oppressed by this emphasis and every reason to embrace the process as a way of transforming stale habits with significant others into healthier, vibrant ways of relating.
Gemini May 21-June 21
Mars is in your Solar House of health and service, inviting you to contemplate how you can better take care of yourself as you simultaneously consider how you can improve your care of others. This doesn’t have to be a difficult process, but it will require you to put aside any resistance to change or sluggishness in implementing healthier habits. But you’re no slouch when it comes to realizing what needs to shift, even if it takes a confrontation to get you moving.
Cancer June 22-July 22
Mars transits your Solar House of self-expression all month, making it almost impossible for you to hide away. It won’t be easy trying to hold back your opinions or refraining from sharing your ideas. So rather than resist this Martian push toward greater personal creativity, allow it to inspire you. Examine all your projects and interactions from as many viewpoints as possible and you could surprise yourself with satisfying results.
Leo July 23-August 22
Mars spends November in the deepest sector of your Solar chart—the Solar House of the home, so be prepared to experience its presence as an irresistible urge to change things around. That urge could include an actual move, but it could also include painting rooms or simply moving the furniture to create a new look. If you’re not interested in home improvements, you could renovate your inner home with new meditation techniques or a new yoga practice.
Virgo August 23-September 22
Mars transits your Solar House of communication and all its might is likely to be present in conversations with anyone who will listen. Some of those discussions could turn testy but only if you refuse to take in the big picture and realize that almost everyone will be experiencing the same intensity. You are a natural peacemaker and most of the time calming things down is your default setting, so do your best to practice nonviolent communication. You’ll be happy you did.
Libra September 23-October 22
Mars spends all of November in your Solar House of resources and that translates into money matters, and it makes no difference whether you have a little or a lot. As you move through this Martian process, try to keep in mind that money is never—absolutely never—a true way of measuring personal value. As you examine or confront your financial situation, be sure to also take an inventory of all the other resources you have at your disposal.
Scorpio October 23-November 21
Mars is in your Sign, transiting your Solar House of personality, and it puts you solidly in the leadership role all month long. Embrace this phase with the willingness to be powerful—it’s your birthright and you’re comfortable being in charge. But don’t forget to be vulnerable, and by that I mean as you are wielding your power, pay attention to the effect you have on others—especially significant others, personal or professional. They need you to be wise and powerful, and while that is possible, you need to own your role.
Sagittarius November 22-December 21
Mars spends the month in your Solar House of psychology and its presence could turn into the urge to brood about everything that’s gone wrong—past, present, and future. Okay… take a deep breath and then be determined not to use this as an excuse for self-recrimination. Mistakes are always made—that’s one of the ways we learn and grow. You may need to make amends to anyone you may have harmed, but above all, don’t harm yourself with negative thinking.
Capricorn December 22-January 19
Mars transits your Solar House of community, which means you could find yourself spending more and more time with friends and neighbors, sharing your skills and talents with others who are likely to be in need of what you have to offer. Don’t hesitate to follow your spirit: if it looks like the community will benefit from a shared garden, get busy organizing it. Pay attention to the ideas of others and when possible help them to organize and actualize their ideas.
Aquarius January 20-February 18
Mars is in your Solar House of recognition, otherwise known as the Solar house of profession, and as it transits that house all month long, you can expect to be dealing with professional and career matters. Yes, there are details that need to be worked out and yes, again, you are going to run into some opposition, but the benefits far outweigh the difficulties. Assume a positive attitude and you’ll turn any conflict into a win-win for everyone involved.
Pisces February 19-March 20
Mars spends the entire month in your Solar House of belief systems and as it transits that sector it stimulates a process of review about what’s true for you and what isn’t. Embrace this phase and allow it to reveal what you need to let go of and what you need to strengthen. This is about marrying your highest principles to your everyday, regular routines and while this may not sound like a big deal, it is—you’re creating greater congruity between what you know to be true and how you manifest that in the world.