Astrological Forecast: November 2019

I will be the first to admit I'm never exactly excited for a Mercury retrograde (it's my ruling planet after all) which technically stations on October 31st... a scary Samhain and Halloween indeed! However, with the inner planets transiting through Scorpio, there will be several sweet sextiles with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, and beautiful trines with Neptune in Pisces. November presents incredible opportunities for transformation and claiming our personal sovereignty. While Neptune goes direct towards the end of the month, casting a haze over the collective consciousness, there will be plenty moments of clarity throughout November... but it will ultimately be up to us whether we choose to take these insights to heart, or slip back into denial or delusion.What surprises me most about November is that I'm actually looking forward to it, despite the inevitable bumps along the way. It is also the third year in a row that I will be participating in National Novel Writing Monthand I'm fully planning on directing these powerful energies into my writing. Whether or not you participate in National Novel Writing Month, having so many people all around the world dedicating themselves to their craft casts a collective wave that anyone can ride to propel their own creative or writing pursuits forward. I'm encouraging all of my creatives out there to take full advantage! While Mercury retrograde is notorious for being a bad time to start something new, it can be an excellent opportunity to refine or finish an old project, and really, what aspiring novelist hasn't had stories swirling in their head for months or even years? Thankfully, I'm incidentally working on the same novel I began writing two years ago... Yep, I have written over 100,000 words over the past two years, and still haven't finished my book. Here's to hoping this will be the year that I have the first draft of my novel completed!

I think we also need to address that Mercury retrograde is not truly a "bad" thing. By design, Mercury will show us the areas of our lives that are no longer working or are in need of improvement. Your car breaking down on your commute to the job you secretly hate may actually be the universe conspiring to get you to reassess your situation and realign your course. Mercury retrograde will never prevent you from reaching your purpose, and is in fact meant to help you perfect and achieve it. Of course, we usually don't have the luxury to work with the energy of the cosmic cycles in a capitalist society. Perhaps I will make a "Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide" one day, but for the month ahead, just think of Mercury retrograde as an exercise of surrendering control and practicing flexibility.

As per usual, I will disclaim that this astrological forecast is a general overview. I highly recommend that you refer to the transits in your own natal chart to reach a deeper understanding of how these planetary movements may affect you personally. Anyways, without further ado, here are my notes for November 2019:

Happy Scorpio Season! Sagittarius season commences on November 22nd.

- Mercury went retrograde in Scorpio on October 31st. Yes, this is technically October, but will be in full effect for the majority of November. While Mercury retrograde may manifest with more delays or misunderstandings than usual, please refer to the post above for how these obstacles can actually serve us. Keep your plans open and expect them to change!

- Venus enters Sagittarius on November 1st. Venus, the goddess of love, has an admittedly strained relationship with the independent, freedom-loving archer of the zodiac. Yet, as with many unusual pairs, these two can compliment one another in unexpected ways. Venus in Sagittarius is a great time to let go of old relationship woes and get yourself back out there, especially if you've been contending with a broken heart. While this transit is not renowned to forge lasting connections, it can bring in something new and exciting for sure, perhaps even someone you would consider "exotic." Also a great time to manifest travel opportunities!

- Mars in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn on November 5th.  A greater demand for shifts in power structures. Words may take on a pointed edge--and there will be little patience to just sit with it. Conflict may show up in the form of power struggles, especially around career or life purpose.

- Sun in Scorpio sextile Saturn in Capricorn and trine Neptune in Pisces on November 8th. Saturn in Capricorn sextile Neptune in Pisces on November 9th. Mercury in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn on November 10th. Despite Mercury being retrograde, this is excellent time to refine our dreams into long-term plans. A powerful yet dreamy energy. “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” - T.E. Lawrence

- Sun conjunct Mercury in Scorpio on November 11th. An enigmatic charisma radiates off the collective. A great time to "come clean" or have a deep conversation—you'll feel better afterwards! As Mercury, representing the mind, transits across the Sun, illumination may also occur as messages, insights, and intuitive or spiritual downloads. Scorpio reveals truth in a potent and transformative way.

- Full Moon in Taurus on November 12th. An excellent opportunity to ground should you find yourself thrown by the intense waves of Scorpion energy. Stability is not found in the accrual or hoarding of material possessions and wealth. Write down what you are grateful for and detach (part with) from the things that no longer hold intrinsic value to you. Abundance is like breathing. You will only harm yourself by holding your breath. Let go and let in.

- Mars in Libra sextile Jupiter in Sagittarius on November 12th. A nice chance to recover from the Mars-Pluto square on November 5th, this is a mostly positive aspect. Be honest with yourself before assuming long-term commitments or obligations, however, as these energies often stir us to make promises we cannot actually keep--especially with Mercury retrograde!

- Sun in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn on November 13th. Mercury in Scorpio sextile Saturn in Capricorn and trine Neptune in Pisces on November 13th. Even more powerful aspects! Are you ready to transform? This Sun-Pluto sextile can spark transfomation Again, there is a strong undercurrent directing us towards making our dreams into a reality with this Saturn-Neptune trine. Some of us may have an insight or a revelation that we can use towards our work or purpose.

- Venus in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces on November 14th. Again, the energy of this month may lend itself to short-lived or unlikely romances. You may not be seeing a partner or romantic interest clearly. Beware not to use love as an escape or a drug.

- Mars enters Scorpio on on November 19th. Mars is its second native sign (the first being Aries) and can evoke your inner-badass. A potent energy energy for transformation--channel this energy wisely and you can change your life for the better!

- Mercury goes direct in Scorpio on November 20th. While there is much rejoicing, I will disclaim as I always do when Mercury stations direct: post-shadow can actually be the period of time when our miscommunications or misunderstandings become apparent. Mercury retrogrades can get murky, and we may actually believe we are on the same page with someone else, only to realize we wrote down the wrong dates or came to totally different conclusions! Neptune going direct on November 27th only adds to the haziness during this time. On the other hand, we may discover we were actually more in agreeance or aligned with someone we were in conflict with. Mercury in Scorpio can sometimes have an unpleasant sting to it, but it definitely drives a conversation right into the heart of a matter.

- Sun enters Sagittarius on November 22nd. A thrilling season for adventure, spirituality, and expanding our horizons. I always thought of the Scorpio-Sagittarius cusp as the phoenix aspect of Scorpio--a flaming rebirth. A chance to catch your breath and feel alive! A time of looking forward.

- Venus conjunct Jupiter in Sagittarius on November 24th. A lucky boon for love, money, and all things Venus! Especially with Jupiter making itself very comfortable in its native sign Sagittarius. 

- Mars in Scorpio opposite Uranus in Taurus on November 24th. A spirit of recklessness may instigate conflict or drive a wedge. Out-of-character conflicts may occur. How do you normally relate with anger? Do you have a short fuse? Or do you deny and repress your frustrations? Expect yourself to deviate.  

- New Moon in Sagittarius on November 26th. Set yourself free! A great time to expand your horizons and challenge your previously held limits. An excellent time to manifest travel opportunities or pursue higher knowledge.- Venus enters Capricorn on November 26th. Let's just be honest, through Sagittarius to Aquarius season, traditional romance is not exactly in the air. However, Venus in Capricorn is "power couple" energy. Some of you may be in store for an office romance, but what is sexier than a person works to achieve their goals? A bit of hard work and dedication during this transit can also really pay off financially--its time to reach for that raise or promotion you've been wanting!

- Neptune goes direct in Pisces on November 27th. Neptune has been retrograde in its native sign Pisces since June 21st, and is the fourth of the outer planets to return direct in the past couple of months. Neptune is a malefic planet that can obscure the truth. While Neptune direct isn't generally something we celebrate, it can prove to be a great reprieve if reality has been overwhelming. Don't forget what has become clear to you since June, it is easier to slip into denial when Neptune is direct. It may also be more tempting to relapse into old addictions or dysfunctional behaviors—especially if these were resolved around the time Neptune went retrograde. Neptune can teach us to appreciate the mysterious and unknown. This Sagittarius season is an especially wonderful time to dream of the future... just don't stagnate into passivity!- Mercury in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces on November 28th. A lot of clarity coming through following the Mercury retrograde. Again, think of this as a window of insight as Neptune swings back into its forward-trajectory and veils our sense of certainty. Strong and clear intuition during this aspect.

- Venus in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus on November 28th. Remember the potential boons we just went over with Venus entering Capricorn on the 26th? Uranus in Taurus can really bring in some new and exciting opportunities--for vocation and possibly romance. Venus works very well with its native sign Taurus, so this trine can be especially powerful.- Mercury in Scorpio sextile Saturn in Capricorn on November 30th. We may finally overcome whatever delays or obstacles we experienced earlier this month during Mercury retrograde. Get serious about the future! While there was on emphasis on making plans for the past month, this transit feels like a great time to finally start executing them!