November 2018 Forecast

We begin with Venus still retrograde. The Goddess of Love moved back into Libra on Halloween, October 31st, and we may expect the time between the beginning of the month and her station to go direct on the 16th to be the more overt and obvious phase of the retrograde. If you’re going to connect with old loves or rekindle a romance, it’s likelier now than last month.

In addition to Venus, Juno – the asteroid most closely associated with marriage and partnership – is also retrograde until December 23rd. We may see a spark or two fly when Jupiter opposes Juno on the 2nd of November, while Chiron lends a healing hand at the same time. This could be an opportunity to repair a relationship on the rocks, or to find closure for a past romance.

On the 6th, Uranus retrogrades back into Aries, where he’ll remain until next March. While this might energize us to assert ourselves as individuals, it’s mostly going to play out on the collective level. Uranus in Aries brought the return of political strongmen all over the world, and we’ll be learning the results of this through the next five months and beyond. It’s a time of Supercharged Patriarchy, although one that is likely to burn out the patriarchal energy. Watch the news around the 5th through the 8th to see how things are playing out in the collective.

The 7th is the day of the new moon in Scorpio, and it’s one of the important lunar events of November and December, as it’s right at the middle of Scorpio (15 degrees of fixed signs are considered especially powerful). Combined with Uranus’ move back to Aries on the 6th and Jupiter’s leap into Sagittarius on the 8th, it’s likely to be a very charged time – hardly a quiet new moon.

Jupiter in Sagittarius will help to make us more overtly optimistic and to have faith in the future. Yet the shadow side of this placement is political and social polarization. It’s a great energy for seeking the truth, but it can be quite difficult and entrenched when we think we’ve found it. True believers and evangelists of all kinds can get up on the soapbox.

Venus and Mercury play tag on November 16th. Venus ends her forty-day retrograde, but Mercury starts his three weeks in reverse. Around this time, it’s best to be careful with just about everything: communication, technology, transportation, major purchases (especially computers, cars, and luxury items), contracts, business agreements, artistic projects, and social engagements all come with caveats in mid-November.

The full moon on the 23rd is at the very beginning of Gemini. This is typically a fun, sociable full moon, and with Neptune stationing to go direct the next day, it could really be a party. Do make it a party weekend (it’s the weekend after Thanksgiving), but don’t take things too seriously. Neptune stations can make things foggy – great for romance and adventure, but less than ideal for practical matters (especially with Mercury retrograde).

The Sun meets Jupiter in Sagittarius on the 26th, keeping the energy high all weekend and into the following week. Once again: a reminder that optimism and faith can blind us to other aspects of reality and make it hard to see other peoples’ perspectives.

With Mercury also tangling with Mars and Jupiter on the 26th and 27th, we may get wires crossed, and the result could be some cross words. Try to limit texts and other messages that could be misunderstood or misinterpreted, and use the phone or, better yet, talk in person.

As the month ends, Venus opposes Uranus, on the 30th. At the very last degrees of Libra and Aries, this could ignite any tensions that have been simmering in relationships. The need for personal freedom and independence is strong, but so is the need for love and connection. This aspects suggests that we “hold on loosely, but don’t let go”, giving our partners and ourselves the space to be who we are, while also recognizing the importance of others in our lives. Consider what really matters to you, and don’t be overly concerned with the form of relationship or how it appears. For those who are single as well as folks in a partnership, it could be time to break away from routines and try new possibilities.