By Angel Lopez:
November ushers us into the heart of Scorpio season, that time of year where we turn within and take stock of how the outer world has been affecting our inner self. Scorpio rules our deepest psychological core. It connects us to our shadow self, the collection of those pieces that we find terribly shameful or undesirable.
Scorpio is intense. It wants to take us into the depths of ourselves, to shine a light into the darkest corners and expose the shadowed demons that think they’ll give us a giant jump scare.
When we utilize conscious effort, they don’t stand a chance. In fact, we see them for what they really are: the scared little thoughts, ideas, and judgements from our past masquerading now as monsters. And we can give those monsters so much weight that they play out in our external lives. If we’re not aware, we see everyone in a monster mask, coming to get us. This season is a time to transcend this pattern and ascend.
In just the first few days of November, there’s some strong astrological events. The Sun makes a nice angle to the Nodes of Fate, which gives us a nudge to commit to our bigger dreams. We’ll see reminders of who we’re striving to be, and we should take those as opportunities to lean further into laying some foundation for our future selves. Mercury is also beginning three weeks of a retrograde phase, so it’s an even greater time to revisit the deeper questions of “Who are you trying to be?” and “What will you do when you get there?” Mercury retrograde is a time when we must slow down and not make any rash decisions. Take everything into account. If you can, put anything new off and instead revisit old ideas, projects, or beliefs to see if they still hold weight. With Scorpio in particular, it’s a good time to clean out those closets where we’ve buried things that no longer matter. Toss out those leftovers. A new beginning is coming for all of us in January, so now’s the time to release anything that doesn’t belong with the new you that’s on its way.
On November 2nd, Venus gives Scorpio a hug goodbye and makes her way into Sagittarius. She prefers this “good time” energy to that of Scorpio’s intensity, so she’ll have most of the month to lighten up. It can be a time of creative collaboration, of getting to the truth of things but in a fun way. Venus will push us to find partners we can explore with and push ourselves outside the comfort zone of what we think we know. It will be a wonderful time to find a study buddy in an area of interest you both love or to deepen your relationship with a coven of your favorite friends. It’s also a good opportunity to ask questions and not feel stupid for it. No need to be a know-it-all. You’ll draw greater outcomes if you allow those in the know to take the reins and absorb the wisdom. But with that comes opportunities for you to be that guide as well and find enjoyment in that role. The weekend of the 22nd offers a particularly fine time for a celebration, so find an excuse to pal up with people you admire and adore.
Mars kicks off the month with a level of intensity, amplifying some of the Scorpio energy already at play. Especially when it hits a harsh angle to Pluto on the 4th and 5th. We could feel the urge to force change at the expense of being nice. It’s an energy that isn’t always for the faint of heart. We have to do our best to keep our tempers at bay and remember that this too shall pass. And if we speak with kindness, precision, and clarity, as well as just pure honesty, we may find others acknowledging the truth and coming around to your perspective and/or meeting your needs. Mars has been in Libra, which can at times put indecisiveness in the driver’s seat. On the 20th, Mars will move into Scorpio, and we’ll all find it much easier to take initiative again. Mercury will be ending its retrograde then too, so the last week and a half of this month will feel much more full steam ahead.
Jupiter is finishing up its last full month in its home sign of Sagittarius. The planet of luck and abundance is also in charge of our personal growth. We’ve all been learning a ton about ourselves since Jupiter moved into this sign last November. I know for myself, this past year hasn’t entirely felt “abundant” or “lucky” as it’s come with some incredible challenges. But in all, I can say that I’ve moved through them all to a greater level of awareness. I do feel like I have broken through some barriers that childhood trauma built. And I’ve finally moved past some stubborn ways of being that I didn’t even acknowledge as being problems before.
So, use this month to kick down the doors of anything that has stuck around and stood in the way of your own personal growth. And recognize the areas of your life where some sense of luck has tried to show itself. Sometimes, luck is the product of hard work, so be proud of what you’ve accomplished this past year.
Saturn is nearing its dance with Pluto, which hits its exact point in January. But this month, they come close enough to start showing us what all the astrological hubbub is about with this transit. On some level, we are feeling a changing of the guard. Old structures that have existed in our lives for some time are falling away, and we’re being called to begin anew in some way. Whether it be in career, relationship, home life, personal life, or somewhere in between, we must acknowledge the shifts that want to occur. Better to be the one at the controls of the wrecking ball than to wake up to the tower tumbling down all around. These two are meeting up in Capricorn, so pay close attention to anything you have in that area of your chart.
In all, Scorpio season is a time to embrace transformation.
We all must get as comfortable as we can with bringing change into our lives. It’s so much easier to respond to it as it shows up rather than going out of our way to create it. This is the time of year to recognize change as evolution. There are always some growing pains, but overall, we usually see that we’re better off moving along the path than we are just standing still.
Angel Lopez is a film producer, writer, astrologer, and co-host of the podcast, THE SPIRITUAL GAYZ alongside his husband, our Spiritual Guru Brandon Alter. Angel has been studying and working with both tarot and astrology for twenty years. He hosted the astrology web-series, ASTRO TALK WITH ANGEL, and writes the blog ASTROLOGY REALNESS. He has also had pieces published on Upworthy.com and The Huffington Post.
On the film side, Angel produced the Sundance Film Festival award winning film DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, as well as the features THE DINNER and STATE LIKE SLEEP. He also wrote and directed his own short film, I CAN’T WITH YOU, which had its premiere at the 2016 HollyShorts Film Festival, and he recently finished producing filmmaker Justin Simien’s second feature, BAD HAIR.