S O H O S C O P E S: SCORPIO SEASON (OCTOBER 23rd to NOVEMBER 22nd)
Welcome to Scorpio Season, the zodiac’s darkest, most fascinating sign. Ruled by belligerent Mars (ancient astrologers called this heavenly body “the Knife”), there is an excessive energy to Scorpio, under whose cosmic influence we may find ourselves extra strong in our opinions, more sexual in our desires, increasingly fatal in our attractions, and obsessive in our pursuits. Ok, maybe Scorpio’s season won’t be that excessive, but you get the point: prepare for an intensification in our individual and collective lives, especially after the balanced nature of Libra season, from which we’ve just emerged.
In terms of element and modality, Scorpio is fixed water. Where fellow water sign, Pisces, is all wishy-washy and overflowing, Scorpio energy tends to stew on things. You might find yourself fixating on slights more than usual over the next couple weeks. Obsess, instead, on a work project with new found vigour. This is the good version of Scorpio–intensity around planning and executing our strategic vision.
Finally, Halloween occurs during Scorpio season for a reason. This is a sign related to all things occult, witchy, erotically outré. Indulge such impulses somewhat, just don’t make your house too dark and haunted over the next few weeks.
SCORPIO
Power month, babes. Your ruling planet, caffeinated Mars, is enjoying Scorpio season at “home” in the Selfhood sector of your chart. Whenever a ruling planet is thus auspiciously placed, its positive valences (for Mars that means more energy, libido, focus, ferocity, loyalty, and courage) become supercharged around issues related to ego, self-esteem, motivation, confidence, and intensity of conviction. Mars ultimately wants to do battle (it is Planet War), so think of this placement as one to fight for yourself, your goals, your opinions, your sense of what’s right. With the Sun also illuminating your Selfhood zone all season, anticipate your valorous deeds to be better seen by others. A New Moon in Scorpio on November 13th is your best day for strong willed resolutions.
SAGITTARIUS
Lovely Venus has just shifted into precise Virgo, where, until November 8th, it will be parading through one of the most prominent parts of your chart, namely your zone of career, fame, and recognition. Venus-in-Virgo is about showing more love for little things–like the details at work that separate the merely good from the great. Your Sadge nature tends toward a kind of free-wheeling, carnivalesque, big picture adventurism (and that’s to be commended), but align with Venus-in-Virgo for the next couple weeks and focus on the trees instead of the forest on the job. It’s through this kind of microscopic attention that career opportunities might present themselves.
CAPRICORN
On November 4th, Saturn, your stern ruling planet, wakes up from a sleepy retrograde halfway through Scorpio season. Whenever a planet is retrograde its influence isn’t as crisp or sharp. For Saturn, that means less discipline, order, and desire for hard work. This wobbly version of Planet Taskmaster ends early November. It will emerge stronger from its retrograde in the Communication zone of your chart, which deals with writing, community, and siblings. Now is a time to get your poetry and prose for work and for pleasure into shape and ready to send to supervisors, thesis advisors, publishers. A non-retrograde Saturn in the Comms zone helps bring organisational clarity and structure to the blob-like mass of our thoughts, paragraphs, arguments, and verse.
AQUARIUS
You’re ruled by stern Saturn, a slow-moving planet quite unlike, say, the fleet-footedness of Mercury, Venus or Mars. Because of its tortoise-like pace, we need to pay attention to Saturn’s comparatively rare astrological motions. Heed, therefore, November 4th: Saturn emerges from a retrograde transit and starts going “direct” in the Money zone of your chart. Retrogrades tend to stymie a planet’s influence. In the case of a Saturn retro, we can expect less discipline, order, and desire for hard work. But this compromised Saturn returns mid-way through Scorpio seasons to its usual, demanding ways. For you, that means a boost of discipline around finances, earning potential, and budgetary acumen. If before November 4th, money matters were feeling a bit wobbly, now is the time to start saving, thinking of longer term goals. Saturn auspiciously placed is perfect for such ends.
PISCES
The Sun-in-Scorpio lends our lives an obsessive energy, since, well, Scorpio is our most obsessive sign. With this cosmic interrogation light irradiating the Knowledge and Spirituality zone of your chart this season, it’s time for you to get more serious about spiritual practices and/or theoretical books on topics that pique your interest. If you’re in University, this is a month for getting ahead of the curve on a paper due at semester’s end. If you’re out of school, think about classes online to broaden the knowledge base requisite for your career. Indeed, some Scorpionic obsession can be a good thing, when it comes to research or putting in place the discipline necessary for spiritual growth. A Scorpio New Moon in your Spirituality zone on November 13th betokens the strongest date of the month for fixating on a mantra, yoga pose, or verse from a sacred text that could lead you to Nirvana.
ARIES
Your ruling planet, rambunctious and randy Mars, is ensconced in the Red Light District of your chart, also known as the 8th House of Sex and Intimacy. Mars energy has to do with libido and lust, fighting and fornicating. And when it’s placed in the Intimacy sector of our charts, these libidinous impulses get amplified. Expect more energy for liaisons, assignations, dating, dalliances, and love-making due to this Mars transit. But, as is always the case with astrology, also prepare for the transit’s shadow side. Mars can bring conflict. When it transits our Intimacy zone, we can find ourselves not only more apt for amor but also anger toward a partner. Your nature tends toward doing things your way. And Mars in the Intimacy zone can further entrench this attitude. But intimacy doesn’t work in solo-mode. Intimacy is about sharing fantasies and desires. Try that, instead, Ram.
TAURUS
Your ruling planet, ritzy Venus, activates your House of Fun and Romance until November 8th. Lucky you. There is no part of the natal chart that Planet Love enjoys or thrives in more. This makes sense. The Romance zone is about recreation, night life, art, creative pursuits, and amorous assignations, all of which dovetail in some way with Venusian themes related to beauty, desire, and love. The next few weeks, therefore, betoken a time to get off the couch and into the discotech, museum, or tavern to mingle more. On November 8th, Venus moves into your zone of Routine, Work, Health, and Chores. While this isn’t as great of a placement, try nonetheless to bring Venusian energy to your desk at work or find joy in a new beauty regimen or workout routine.
GEMINI
Your ruling planet, chatty Mercury, dips into witchy-woo Scorpio for a couple weeks to start this season. There, it will be activating your zone of Routine, Health, and Diet. Mercury-in-Scorpio can be super precise, mincing, and anal. When energising the Routine zone of your chart, therefore, this transit could manifest in obsessiveness around calorie counting, exercising, reps at the gym, schedules, etc. For your mutable air nature, this Mercury-in-Scorpio placement can be a bit of a drag—but maybe you need a bit more order in life? Work with the transit, as much as possible. On November 10th, Mercury thankfully flits into fun-loving Sagittarius, where it activates your Partnership zone. Sagittarius is an expansive sign and Mercury a communicative planet. As such, you may be more prone to make bold pronouncements to a love interest or put forth grandiose mission statements to a business partner. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, though.
CANCER
With steroidal Mars and the obsessive Scorpio Sun lighting up your Romance zone this season, you’ve got a lot of cosmic energy impacting themes related to recreation, procreation, and creativity. Mars, especially, brings libidinal swagger, but it can also lead to confrontations. Both boudoir and your local bar might feel extra spicy, accordingly, as you find yourself sassier, friskier, and fresher than normal with others. Your ruling planet, the moody Moon, will be new in Scorpio on November 13th, where it also activates your Romance zone. Here, you could emotionally fixate on a love-interest (checking texts too much and fretting). Meanwhile, a full Lunar Eclipse in Taurus on Oct 28th in your Friendship zone augurs a difficult day for friends or social networking. Eclipses are disruptive transits–-you might make a new buddy around then, or lose, temporarily, an old one.
LEO
This could be a bit of a hibernation month for you. Your ruling planet, the regal Sun, is camped out in the shadowlands of Scorpio, where it will be activating the private Home zone of your chart. Scorpio is also intensely private, so you have a double whammy of introspective energy impacting you. Moreover, this part of the chart deals with fathers and father figures. Given that confrontational Mars will be likewise transiting the Home zone, there could be some anger management issues arising around dad, home-life, property, and such. If you live with someone, Mars might make you a somewhat prickly roommate, too, over the next few weeks. Factor that into your calculus. All that said, let’s try to see the positive, as well. Scorpio Sun+Mars bring gusto and drive, which could betoken a yen for re-arranging, renovating, or improving something about your hearth.
VIRGO
Until November 10th, focus on communication. Why? Well, your ruling planet, Mercury (speech, words, contracts, commerce, exchanges) will be in Scorpio, activating your Comms zone. So, you have a double dose around expressing yourself, writing, and speech-making. What’s more, Mercury+Scorpio+Virgo forms a holy trifecta of attention to detail, so this is a very good moment to look at the way you’re using words with the aim of making yourself even more precise. Social media, messaging, branding: all could benefit from this transit. While this is time to make your words razor sharp, you might, by the same token, come across as razor sharp to others (in a negative way). You might need to hone your apology skills, accordingly. On November 10th, Mercury moves into optimistic Sagittarius, where it powers up your Home zone. Mercury so placed portends enhanced creativity on how to make your space livable.
LIBRA
Until November 8th, Venus, your benefic ruling planet, transits a slightly cumbersome part of your chart, namely the House of Secrets, Confinement, and the Unconscious. Here, Planet Love could have you looking for romance outside of a more stable relationship. Indeed, there is an “undercover lover” quality to Venus so placed. Is it worth acting on this kind of tryst-making? Far be it from the Stars to judge. Just know, however, that on November 8th, Venus enters your House of Self, Ego, and Identity, where life is bright and where past secrets can come to light. All in all, Venus in the Identity zone betokens one of your best transits of the year to shine, to love, and to be loved.