October has brought some significant changes to the sky, including the recent exaltation of Jupiter (10/18), the dispersal of the exchange between Venus and Mercury which was active from 10/08 until 10/24, and the incoming transit of Mars to Scorpio (early this morning). November will bring even more focus to Libra and Scorpio, as well as a number of notable retrogrades.

Some important dynamics to be aware of, as we finish out the month and head into November:

Jupiter’s exaltation in Cancer lends some much needed to support to the sky overall as well as a specific kind of spaciousness that only the most benefic of all planets can provide. Jupiter rules the space element, and his strength provides an opportunity for the restoration of healthy space on all levels, which generally translates to an increase in peace—in oneself and between people—and optimism, as well as general improvements in health, especially mental and emotional.

Jupiter will support any natal placements in Cancer as well as Scorpio and Pisces through his aspect. This means that all of the water signs are being buoyed by the beneficence of this planet.

That is the bigger pictures inside which the smaller i.e. faster moving transits are occuring.

November will see a lot of planetary movement between Libra and Scorpio. Additionally, Saturn will be coming out of retrograde after many months of backward motion which very nearly took him back into Aquarius. Just days before Saturn goes direct, Jupiter will ‘turn’ retrograde.

This means that even as some parts of life (governed by Saturn) begin to make forward progress after delays that may have began in July, other areas will slow down and experience reversals—even potentially the falls from high places that can result from exalted planets turning retrograde.

Jupiter will not come out of retrograde until the middle of next March, so be prepared for slow movement in the areas of life Jupiter is influencing: both collectively and in your natal chart. In early December he will retrograde back into Gemini, where he will remain until early June of next year.

A rundown of the transits for November:

• Mercury in Scorpio 10/24-11/23

  • Mercury in Scorpio supports research, occult studies, deep conversations and learning related to language and writing. Mercury will have the aspect of Jupiter for his first go in Scorpio, which is especially supportive of deep education, learning and meaningful communication.

• Mars in Scorpio 10/27

  • Mars is at home in Scorpio, and supports his internal objectives: cultivating psycho-spiritual strength, harnessing willpower for the purposes of personal transformation, and generally fighting the spiritual and personal battles that Mars in Scorpio is so capable of tackling. Mercury’s conjunction and Jupiter’s aspect make this a very well resourced Mars, suggesting powerful resources (from Jupiter) and skills (from Mercury) for the Mars-influenced areas of our lives.

• Mercury retrograde 11/09-11/29

  • from 11.09-11/23 Mercury will be retrograde in Scorpio. He will also be conjunct Mars and with the aspect of Jupiter for the duration of this portion of his transit. Any Mercury retrograde does have the potential to delay and complicate the areas of life that he rules, such as communication, commerce and finances. But from the Vedic perspective a retrograde planet is also taking care of necessary details, which is why it is moving slower. So this can be a time when care is taken with communication, you can tidy up your financial life (particularly debts) and tackle any neglected details in the realm of business. The aspect of Jupiter will support the success of all of this, while the influence of Mars can bring an exacting and technical edge to Mercury’s expression.

• Venus in Libra 11/2-11/25

  • Venus is at home and very content in her own sign Libra. This is the externalized energy of Venus (as opposed to the other Venus-ruled sign Taurus, which expresses Venus’ internal, receptive energy) and therefore supports relationships of all kinds, pleasure-oriented experiences, engagement of the world through the senses, and advancement of ‘culture’ in any way. Essentially, it is a great time to simply be out in the world and enjoying oneself. The aspect of Rahu can tempt one to take this to extremes, so take care to maintain balance (the never-ending task of Libra, anyway).

• Jupiter retrograde 11/11-3/10

  • This retrograde is particularly significant because Jupiter has been in his sign of exaltation. An exalted planet is as if in a high place, which is why it can lift us up. When it goes retrograde it technically reverses the exaltation, which means that a fall can happen. It is good to remember that retrograde planets only appear so from our position here on earth. In reality they are not actually moving backwards. So events can appear to be working against our favor, or delayed or obstructed, but in the larger scheme of things they are still moving things forward. In this case avoiding hanging on too hard or getting caught up in details related to Jupiter-ruled areas of life (purity, conscience, space—particularly in the areas of home)

• Mercury in Libra 11/23-12/06

  • Mercury in Libra is in the sign of a friend, but his placement in the natural 7th house of relationships can be confusing for his youthful energy. This transit can provoke a feeling of not being ‘good’ at relationships or having the skills required for them. The aspect of Rahu for the duration of the transit can also create dishonesty or a tendency to manipulate language. On the positive side, it is great for technical writing!

• Venus in Scorpio 11/25-12/19

  • Venus in the sign of depth and transformation tends to deepen relationships and make the physical aspect of romantic relationships take on more weight and substance. For part of this transit, Venus will navigate the heat of both Mars and Sun, which can create some conflicts and intensity around desire.

• Saturn direct 11/27

  • Saturn’s apparent forward motion should be a relief for anyone ruled by Saturn (Capricorn and Aquarius rising) and for any part of your life influenced by Saturn via house lordship or archetypal connection. Archetypally, Saturn is associated with building projects, manual and physical labor, health problems (especially those that are vata related- link), and all manner of limitation and separation. If you felt like you’ve been unable to make any meaningful forward progress over these last few months, you should notice a different as Saturn begins to gain momentum again, in Pisces. And until the beginning of December he will have the helpful aspect of Jupiter from Cancer, which provides extra support for true growth in these areas.

• Mercury direct 11/29

  • Mercury will turn direct in Libra and very shortly thereafter move again into Scorpio, with 3 other planets, bringing many of that sign’s themes into early December, which is a subject for next month!

More specifics on dates for this month:

Read more