November is an in-between month, neither marked by pretty autumn leaves nor festive holiday lights and steep snows. It serves as a pivotal turning point, though, a month of preparation for the darkest months ahead. This energy can feel ominous to some; while for others is a natural reminder that the time to turn within is nigh upon us.
We only need to look to woodland creatures burrowing into
the ground, storing nuts and securing their underground dens sheltering them
from fierce weather to come. November’s ruling
planet Pluto leads the charge. I call it the bulldozer of the zodiac. Like the sign it rules, Scorpio, it digs beneath
the surface, turning over both treasure and trash, bringing everything up to be
seen in the light of day.
Scorpio is not fun, glamorous energy. But it is mysterious. It is an instigator and investigator,
stirring the pot, seeking to get to the bottom of the matter, our lives to
assess exactly what we have in the way of resources and what makes us
tick. Scorpio’s key phrase is: I Desire.
It rules the big guns in life:
power, sex, death, secrecy, transformation, shared resources, taxes and
joint finances, psychology, metaphysics and the realm beyond the veil.
Good luck trying to pull the wool over a Scorpio. Its intuitive spidey senses and X Ray vision
are legendary. It sees straight through all,
scanning, sifting, assessing. If a Scorpio determines your motives are less
than what you claim, its backlash depends on how big a scam you tried getting
away with. Scorpio is no fool. Like a stealth bomber, you might never see
its sledgehammer coming, but you will certainly feel every inch of the impact.
Likewise, the beginning of November holds pristine
insight. Most likely it may take the
form of pure, clear feeling about a person or situation. Alliances between four planets in water signs
show us with unparalleled clarity what is actually happening, even deep beneath
the surface where the bodies are buried. Watch for missing pieces, clues in
long-unsolved mysterious cases to surface.
This is a time of revelations.
And with Messenger Mercury now in Sagittarius, we tell the
truth about our findings. Adding fuel to
the fire, Motivating Mars joins Mercury in Sagittarius on November 4th, turning
up the flames of honesty. In fact, there
is no possible way to shade the truth now.
Sagittarius rules the law; so grifters, con artists and scammers will
get away with nothing, especially under the spot light of the Full Moon the
very next day on Wednesday, November 5th.
If you’ve been awaiting justice, whether legal or karmic,
now is your time. But for anyone trying
to pull something underhanded, the first week of November is nothing short of
lethal. So don’t, just do not try to
game the system now. It will backfire
bigtime and you will be shown for what you are.
The very next day, Valuable Venus joins the melee
scrutinizing and deep diving as she moves into Scorpio on Thursday, November 6th. Here, Venus brings home the bacon, keeps a
secret or a few, and let’s be honest: is
very, very sexy. Her intuition shines in
Scorpio; she really knows what’s up despite the appearances of things, most
notably indicated by Pluto in Aquarius.
Venus and Pluto are dug in hard, refusing to budge during
this second week of November. Neither
want to give any ground. Look to where
you might be resisting change or adaptation in your own life. The world at large is certainly showing us
ample examples of unwillingness to budge an inch let alone meet opposing
parties halfway.
Take heart, by Thanksgiving time, however, when Venus will
align to the Saturn-Neptune duo in Pisces and Jupiter in Cancer the Crab. This planetary magic wand forms a tidal wave
sweeping us along a very strong current.
You will have little choice but to surrender to where it takes you. So be careful how hard you resist at the
beginning of November. Ask: is this the hill you really want to die on?
Before the end of the month rolls around, Messenger Mercury
has a few tricks up its sleeves. On
Saturday, November 8th the communication planet turns retrograde
motion until the day after Thanksgiving, November 28th. This Mercury retrograde phase comes with some
distinct advantages and also some downsides.
The upside is holiday shopping. Mercury is the connector planet and rules
transactions, all of them, including transportation and commerce. So it is more than ok to delay your holiday
shopping until the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Use November to make your list and check it
twice. Then hit the stores or computer
keyboard for Cyber Monday for retail sales and deals. Take advantage of the timing to really enjoy
your turkey and stuffing!
The flip side of Mercury retrograde timing is travel. Allow for plenty
of extra time when traveling, either by car or plane. Mercury retrograde is notorious for travel
delays and communication snafus. If you
are traveling by car, choose off peak hours to get ahead of the pack. When traveling by plane, arrive at the
airport extra early to check in, check baggage and move through security. For any travel mode, watch for unavoidable
weather delays.
The day after Mercury’s reverse motion, Generous Jupiter
shifts gear. This makes for the fourth
sequential cosmic movement in as many days.
Should you feel disoriented or out of sorts during the first ten days of
November, there is good reason. We
typically do not feel Jupiter’s directional movement; however, in combination
with Messenger Mercury’s reversal, the inclination to slow down, take care and
deliberate a bit longer than usual will feel natural. Follow your gut. There is no need to race ahead. Those trying to do so now will have to redo
their work later on at the beginning of December.
We enter a relative period of quiet during mid-month as the
planets settle down until late on Tuesday, November 18th when
Mercury backs into Scorpio. Here, the
messenger planet reviews our finances, taxes, gender matters, power dynamics
and estate plans. The next month can be
a highly revelatory time until
Mercury re-enters Sagittarius in mid-December.
Talk about digging up ghosts from the past! This is not necessarily a negative thing.
Yes, you may hear from your ex again; the tax man might come
calling; but they might be reaching out to make amends, or let you know there’s
extra money owed to you. This is an
incredibly karmic phase. Mercury is
scouring the depths, diving to the bottom, the back drawers and hidden closets
reviewing situations long left for dead.
What it finds now will unlock answers and information intentionally
hidden. No more.
Watch what Scorpion Mercury brings up to the light now. Take careful notes, especially as we approach the New Moon in the wee hours of Thursday, November 20th. Sun, Moon and Mercury, representing our will, emotions and mind, are virtually enmeshed, on top of one another. In Scorpio, they point to a big purge, a massive excavation and revelation of what must be dealt with and transformed once and for all.
For many, it will not be pretty.
The trio aligns to Jupiter in Cancer the Crab and Taskmaster Saturn and
Neptune in Pisces, cleansing and clearing out for good any remnants of what
will not hold going forward. It can feel
like a one large rinse cycle, big flush, or tsunami washing away the irrelevant
bits and constructs we or society has clung to so tightly, resisted letting go
of. A word to the wise: these will not stand any longer. So do yourself a favor and just release your
grip.
Carefully set your intentions. Hand write 3-5 goals you seek to manifest
over the next month or season. Then
safely set a light.
Then, just like that, the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. As Mercury finishes the final days of its
retrograde cycle, take the opportunity to tune in and turn inward. What does your heart want you to hear? There are plenty of days ahead to get your
task list done; but for now, use the cozy family time to refresh and reset
yourself.
Both Messenger Mercury and Taskmaster Saturn, lord of dharma
and karma turn direct motion over the Thanksgiving weekend, November 28th
and 29th. By Monday, December
1st we are full steam ahead.
Time to buy holiday gifts, book travel, purchase large ticket items such
as cars, homes and appliances, sign significant documents. And oh yes, do not forget the most important
thing: to live life fully and
unapologetically as yourself!
Of Special Note:
The 3 Wise Women is off and running! Our community is about to celebrate its first anniversary. Join us! We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern. For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other. To enroll: www.cathyripleygreene.com
Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast. Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners. Tune in and listen through Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes: www.hilaryharley.com
