Dear reader,
The New Moon in Scorpio is here. As always, if you haven’t already, I invite you to round out the old lunar cycle, which began on October 10th and ended earlier today, with some gentle reflection.
✎ What was here for you?
✎ What are you grateful for?
And if you might like to do this together each month, you can find out all about the Balsamic Moon Circle here.
In the heart of fall
Today’s New Moon comes two days after the Scorpio Cross-Quarter, which marks the halfway point between the Libra Equinox and the Capricorn Solstice and brings the height of fall here in the Northern Hemisphere. We’re now in the darkest three months of the year, until the Aquarius Cross-Quarter.
The Fall Cross-Quarter is the “Balsamic Moon” and “night” of the year, when the light fades and darkness deepens. Leaves wither and fall off the trees, the old year winds down, and something in us, too, must die for something new to emerge in the spring.
You can always find the dates and energetic signatures for all eight yearly stations of the Sun here. I hope this helps you align yourself with the sacred rhythms of our home planet and our home star.
Guided by the New Moon in Scorpio
The Moon renewed itself at 16 degrees of Scorpio today, November 9th, at 8:02 am CET, and with it, our emotional depth, self-honesty, and inner strength, which have been under review since Venus, the planet of relationships, went retrograde in Scorpio on October 3rd, followed by Mercury, the planet of communication, on October 24th. After these past few weeks of deep inner work and emotional composting, the New Moon offers a welcome reset.
Mars, the planet of action, who rules Scorpio and this lunation, is in fiery Leo, squaring the New Moon. Mars is empowered by exchanging signs with the Sun in Mars-ruled Scorpio and affirmed by sitting with Jupiter. This combination gives us an audacious and adventurous spirit and helps us make big, bold moves.
At the same time, with Mars and Jupiter at the South Node of the Moon — a rare alignment that’s in effect for most of the month, peaking between November 14th and 16th — we’re asked to relax our will, go with the flow, and trust what’s in our hearts instead of seeking approval and applause.
Mars and Jupiter also sit in a supportive sextile with retrograde Venus in Libra, who gently softens our will and invited us to lean into tending our relationships, embracing interbeing, and focusing on creating balance and harmony — especially in the Libra parts of our charts.
Shortly after the New Moon, Mercury and Venus both turn direct within hours of each other — also rare. Mercury stations at 5 degrees of Scorpio on November 13th, followed by Venus at 22 degrees of Libra on November 14th. (If you have planets or angles at those degrees, this may be an especially important turning point for you.) With Mercury and Venus moving forward again, we’ll start to gain momentum, too, albeit slowly, after an intense period of introspection and integration.
Bear in mind that Mars has already entered its retrograde shadow (Mars will be retrograde at the beginning of next year). So this isn’t a time to push forward or force things to happen. Instead, let things unfold in their own time.
If you get up early, about an hour before sunrise, you might be able to see Mars and Jupiter draw closer and closer together high in the southeastern sky, and Venus low in the east. Mercury will join Venus later this month, reemerging from the Sun’s glare.
The New Moon in Scorpio & you
To work with the New Moon in your own chart, find the house where you have Scorpio, the sign of the New Moon. It shows where you’re ready for a new beginning — and where you’re invited to focus your energy, work through your fears, and trust the strength that lies within you.
If you have any planets or angles at or near 16 degrees of Scorpio — or Taurus, Leo, or Aquarius — or if you’re in a Scorpio profection year, this New Moon may pull on you more.
The best times to set your New Moon intentions are from November 9th at 8:02 am to November 10th at 12:25 am, and from November 10th at 9:35 am to November 11th at 8:02 am CET (convert to your local time here). As always, I invite you to write down what you wish to bring into your life this month — guided by the wisdom of Scorpio and the themes of your Scorpio house.
✎ Where does it hurt?
✎ What nourishes you when days grow too hard?
✎ What truths are you uncovering?
✎ What do you burn for?
✎ What’s most important to focus on now?
Until next time...
I’m looking forward to writing to you again as we draw closer to the Full Moon in Gemini on November 24th at 3:53 pm CET. It marks the halfway point of this lunar cycle and the peak of lunar light, when, with a little luck, what we seed at this New Moon comes into bloom.
In the meantime, you can take the questions from this newsletter with you on your walk, into your journal, or wherever else feels right. I hope they tickle you and help you weave yourself into the mystery of this Scorpio New Moon.
A note on time zones: Everything here is listed in Central European Time (CET), so depending on where you are in the world, it could be a day earlier or later. You can easily find your exact local time using the links.