November 2023 Important Dates
AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's November Forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock. Recap of last month is extensive and has been moved to the end of the post.
We're going into this month right off the back of a lunar eclipse, which astrologically sets the tone for November.
October 28th Lunar eclipse:
The Moon at 05Taurus opposes Jupiter at 05Scorpio, while Mercury (10♏) is conjunct Mars (11♏), opposing Jupiter (11♉). This is the last of a series of eclipses on the Taurus/Scorpio axis over the past 2 years. Thus this signals the culmination of a series of events and end of a chapter in people's lives. Austin describes it as an epilogue--one last thing that modifies what came after it--as the nodes have already moved on to Aries/Libra. Chris brings up how Taurus lunar eclipses have coincided with high-profile cryptocurrency crashes (Lunacoin in 2021, FTX last year), and Austin points out the FTX CEO's upcoming trial and sentencing. Taurus signifies both currency and food; the spike in cost of basic necessities worldwide is part of this story. Eclipses are the end of one era and the beginning of another: "the king is dead, long live the new king!" This has played out literally with UK monarchs in the 20th century. The Scorpio-Taurus eclipses have also occurred with increased labor actions. We'd like to think Jupiter's presence on this eclipse is an ameliorating factor, but the December 2019 eclipse "ruined" Jupiter's chances of helping us (Austin's words), so don't count on it.
Mars opposite Jupiter is tension between war and peace, both in our personal lives and world events generally. Even when these planets work together, Jupiter enables Mars's combativeness. Formicus writes in that in martial pursuits, Mars aspecting Jupiter indicates full legal and social support for aggression.
November 4th - Saturn stations Direct in Pisces This will intensify Saturn's significations in Pisces. Saturn entered Pisces earlier this year with nautical disasters, and with Mars in a water sign as well Austin advises us to keep our eyes on the seas. Saturn in Pisces also connotes poisons in the water and sources of water drying up. If there is water, it's not of the right type or amount for sustaining life. In nativities, this station signals the final Saturn return for those born under Saturn in late degrees of Aquarius (Chris suggests an orb of 3°).
Just before Saturn stations, Venus opposes Neptune on the 3rd; soon after Mercury opposes Uranus, with Venus trining Pluto on the 6th. Venus may want to bring us peace, but Neptune's tendency to dissolve boundaries bodes ill for human beings. Mercury-Uranus keywords include disrupted communication and jarring messages. This all happens after Jupiter in Taurus opposes the Sun in Scorpio on the 2nd, shining a light on a lack of basic necessities.
November 8th - Venus enters Libra The Moon enters Libra soon after Venus, activating the ingress and bringing us a good day in the bad week. Domicile Venus will have the strength to help balance us. After Mars's trampled through the Scales, she can help us balance and cool off, especially with the South Node copresent. She sextiles Mercury around the 15th as well, easing communication and bringing harmony to previously polarized talks.
November 10th - Mercury enters Sagittarius Though he initially confronts Saturn, Mercury approaches a sextile to Venus, definitively ending his copresence with Mars. Though Mercury is in detriment, he's optimistic, especially in the first decan of Sagittarius, which he rules. Mercury runs into a barrier wall with Saturn, his optimism immediately quashed, but after changing direction is able to bring some small victories. While the greater structure must be endured, we can do a few things to make the situation better.
November 11th - Mars opposite Uranus The Sun opposes Uranus around the same time, with the Moon following soon after.
November 13th - New Moon in Scorpio
Usually we expect relief with the first New Moon after an eclipse, but with a Sun-Moon-Mars conjunction opposite Uranus, things are gonna be intense. Mars-Uranus is an especially explosive contact, and an opposition is the most tense aspect. Calls for freedom are intense and combative. However, once the faster planets pass this Uranus opposition, we'll have seen the last unexpected stick of dynamite. The upcoming Mars-Sun conjunction is far from calm, but it is expected.
November 18th - Sun conjunct Mars in Scorpio (cazimi) This happens opposite Uranus, trine Neptune, and sextile Pluto. As with other planets, this is a renewal of Mars's 2-year cycle, resetting the paradigm for Mars matters. Mars has his domicile in Scorpio, bringing intense tenacity, even if we may not want it. Distressingly, Chris has found this aspect to historically coincide with shootings and bombings. Austin has identified engineering developments, water-based natural disasters, and setting a new direction/paradigm in ongoing conflicts (though not new wars starting).
Mars cazimis in Scorpio don't happen that often; this is the first one in 32 years (the preceding was 32 years before the most recent, and the next one out was ~60 years before its successor). Hot-headedness, special forces (especially in Scorpio), and ambition or daring are some keywords. To quote a song by Sun-Mars conjunction native Nelly, "it's getting hot in here, so"...put on your blast-proof gear. Other Sun-Mars natives include Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine, politician Robert F. Kennedy, and controversial investigative journalist Nancy Grace. This is a very powerful reset with Mars in domicile, and in a fixed sign. It has the most staying power and determination.
November 22nd/23rd - Sun enters Sagittarius
November 23rd/24th - Mars enters Sagittarius Soon after he squares Saturn. He's also under the beams of the Sun (invisible) from the cazimi well into December, and takes longer than any other planet to emerge from beneath the rays. Thus the meanings of Mars's journey through the underworld won't be apparent all at once.
November 25th - Mars square Saturn Something that normally happens quickly hits a wall and has to slow down suddenly--this aspect aligned with COVID lockdowns and the discoveries of new variants. The theme of this month: there will be some initial attempts to speed ahead, but we'll run into insurmountable obstacles we have to accept. Mars square Saturn is still fully operative when we encounter our next lunation of the month.
November 27th - Full Moon in Gemini
Still close to the Sun, Mars (02♐) opposes the Moon (04♊), forming a T-square with Saturn (00♓). Additionally, the Moon's ruler Mercury (24♐) squares Neptune (24♓) exactly, bringing muddled communication or even outright deception. Thus Mercury, the Moon's ruler, is not much help to her. Neptune doesn't bring hostility and bad news to Mercury like Mars did, but makes it difficult to see clearly. Think of a goldfish's (purportedly) short memory. Full Moon in Gemini wants to go fast, but Mercury-Neptune confuses the direction. Overall this is a rather difficult lunation.
November 30th - Auspicious election for the month (not pictured)
Around 1-2AM local time, with the Ascendant around 6° of Libra, giving you Venus in the first house in a night chart (a very potent place for her). Note that the South Node is conjunct Venus (though Spica nearby affirms our aspirations). The Moon is domicile in Cancer in the 10th house, separating from a sextile to Jupiter (07♉) and applying to a square with Venus (24♎). This gives us two very strong rulers in the first and tenth houses, good for aesthetic situations and public image. With Saturn in the 6th house, it's not recommended for matters involving people you employ or matters of illness. This election takes advantage of our domicile benefic Venus, and is at the end of the month to give as much distance as we can from the difficult Mars & outer planet configurations.
October Recap: There were 4 major earthquakes in Afghanistan, 2 of which coincided with the Mars-Pluto square on Oct. 7th, and the next two on the 11th and 15th clustered around the solar eclipse in Libra; the WHO estimates 100,000 people need humanitarian aid.
In the US, a shop that offered Tarot readings in Pennsylvania was threatened by police, citing anti-fortune-telling laws. There are quite a few similar laws still on the books across the country that are rarely enforced...until they are. 20 years ago, metaphysical bookshops were being raided by police, with their lawyers citing freedom of speech and religion to exonerate them. As Saturn approaches Neptune in Pisces and Neptune prepares to exit the sign, we can expect a backlash against astrology. No rising tide lasts forever; what's it going to look like when this tide breaks? Austin advises viewers to be careful how they represent the craft and not to take for granted that we can talk openly about it right now. Chris urges astrology organizations to prepare for litigation and pushback from skeptics and religious crowds alike.
The Pluto, Mars, and South Node activity last month heralded difficulty or conflict, which we've seen most prominently with the warfare in Palestine and Israel. Eclipses feature heavily in this history. The timing of recent major events has aligned strongly with the Mars & Pluto movements: Mars squared Pluto exactly on the 7th-9th, Pluto stationed on the 10th, Mars entered Scorpio on the 12th, and there was a solar eclipse in Libra on the 14th. (A/N: After this episode was recorded, the second (lunar) eclipse occurred today, October 28th, with the blackout and ground invasion in Gaza). Our hosts had stayed metaphorical last month in predicting asymmetric conflicts or excessive strength with Mars-Pluto last month, and in Indian astrology Mars-Ketu (SN) conjunctions indicate one who acts as if possessed by rage, which is how even supporters have characterized Netanyahu's actions.
Going into more detail on this:
