Grace McGrade is an intuitive astrologer and priestess based in Los Angeles. She is the host of the podcast Bitchcraft: Spirituality for Bad People. For more astrology, read her guide to rising signs and moon signs. Read an overview of what 2024 has coming up for us this year here.
November opens in an inferno of intensity: Scorpio season has begun, and the only constant is change. The sign of the Underworld insists that we confront our shadows, as unresolved feelings bubble to the surface, revealing innermost desires. Scorpio is a relationship-oriented sign but doesn’t exhibit the social niceties or superficiality of Libra. This is where we meet jealousy, revenge, obsession and a desire for control. It’s the sign of Sex, as Scorpio rules the energy we share with others, energetically, interpersonally and even financially. The Sign of the Scorpion wants us to feel deeply and insists that we are permanently altered through relational experiences. It wants us to surrender the depth of our emotions and kiss the void, only able to reemerge once we have harnessed a sharper understanding of the truth.
Truth continues to be an underlying theme for all of November, beginning with the Scorpio New Moon on the 1st, which provides us the courage to face what we previously may have avoided. This is the time for rogue investigation, reclamations of personal power, and intentions for deeper levels of intimacy. The following day, Mercury enters steadfast Sagittarius, enlivening our appetite for self-righteous debates. We are generally good-humoured, philosophical and opinionated, with little concern for the small details. Mars adds some fuel to the fire as it moves into Leo on the 3rd, exaggerating power struggles and dramatic displays of affection. Either way, extreme reactions may run rampant, particularly in the days following the US election.
We begin to curtail our impulses when Pleasure Planet Venus enters Capricorn on the 11th, taking on a more grounded and pragmatic approach to interpersonal matters. We want lovers who suit up and show up, craving relationships with longevity and integrity. The Full Moon in Taurus on the 15th accentuates a need for lasting security and illuminates where we have been stagnant or ignoring our own values.
Pluto says its final goodbye to Capricorn and gives its undivided attention to Aquarius on November 19th. As the planet of destruction and renewal, Pluto spent the last nine years exposing the shadows of hierarchy, government, and the thirst for status that defines Capricorn. During these years, the relentless drive to “make it” revealed cracks in the systems we once trusted. The Sea Goat’s energy – focused on climbing the ladder – left us questioning whether those heights were worth the sacrifice of integrity, as power became both a tool and a trap.
Pluto’s move into Aquarius on the 19th shifts our gaze toward the future, ushering in a collective hunger for revolution. Thankfully, we’ll close out one of the most gruelling career and financial cycles of our lives. But Pluto in Aquarius brings new challenges. It confronts us with the darker sides of the digital age, igniting fears around technology, bio-engineering, groupthink and even spirituality. Aquarius, the forward-thinking sign of innovation and global connectivity, reveals where we’ve followed misguided ideals or fallen victim to herd mentality. This era could see major disruptions – issues with social media, privacy, internet outages and shifts in alternative energy sources. Expect hidden truths to surface, especially in areas tied to tech, cults and scientific discoveries. With Aquarius’s penchant for eccentricity and outlandish ideas, we might see conspiracies morph into real-world events, as absurd and surreal political landscapes take centre stage.
Hope is on the horizon as the Sun ingresses into Sagittarius on the 21st, amplifying our appetite for answers. Sagittarius requires boundless horizons and complete freedom and encourages us to ditch outdated outlooks and look for new terrain. Ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarian energy is all about what we believe in. While this can drive us to mountaintops to ponder philosophical questions, we can be dogmatic, opinionated and arrogant in our outlooks. Caution is advised when Mercury stations retrograde on the 25th, forcing us to examine whatever is extreme or excessive about our worldview.