Astrological Insights for Nov 1-15th

Saturn Turns Direct

November begins with a slowed-down Saturn getting ready to turn Direct on the 4th. Saturn has been in retrograde since June 17th. Just before it turns Direct, it will become stationary on the 2nd and 3rd. The first three days of the month may feel more like getting through molasses before Saturn turns Direct and starts moving with forward motion again on the 4th. 

Saturn goes Retrograde once a year for about 4.5 months, its motion is slower than the orbit periods of the inner solar system planets. It takes approximately 29 Earth years for Saturn to complete one revolution around the Sun, the same cycle that brings our first Saturn return as we approach age 29. This is the time in your late twenties when Saturn returns to the exact place it was in the sky at the time of your birth and resets your course to become more refined on your path and life purpose. Life circumstances will change if needed, depending on one’s level of grounded direction and alignment on their path of manifesting adulthood. If you are over 30 years old, think back and see what changes happened when you were 28-30. If you’re not 27 yet, then you have this still to come, and if you don’t know what you’re doing with your life, the changes during this period will help you sort it out. 

If one has placed the wheel of their life on an axil with an authentic sense of purpose, such that their worldly actions are truly a reflection of their care for life manifesting… then the Saturn return cycle can stabilize and support that calling. Suppose a young adult entering the Saturn return cycle is looking only for fun or is lost and not interested or able to initiate a true sense of purpose and calling. In that case, the Saturn Return period tends to be fraught with challenges as Saturn demands we cultivate grounded, purposeful intentions. 

Saturn influences the aspects of your life that relate to the realities of being human on this Earth. In the most basic terms, it’s how you create the structures that allow us to sustain our lives. It’s the drive inside of you to put forth the effort towards building the things in your life that allow you to have a fruitful living - the career/job, financial income, home, food, etc. Saturn’s rulership is Capricorn, the Mountain Goat that steadily makes its way up to the top, doing the hard work that’s required to be successful. 

Saturn is not so much connected to our Soul’s desire, which is where our creativity and joy can be easily activated, but it tunes us into the level of thinking that arises from doing the hard work in life so that we can have the things that bring us joy. I am not saying this is the only way to create success or joy, but this is Saturn’s way, and we all have a Saturn energy living inside us at varying degrees. The key is not to get bogged down by the forces of this planetary influence that may have you asking yourself: “Is this good enough?” and  “Am I good enough?”. The answer is “yes,” but a Saturn invasion into your psyche can make you feel like you must keep working harder to achieve this “enough” -ness. Stemming from these internal voices are fears and insecurities about how you show up in life or about life itself. 

The power of Saturn is that in making your way through the fears and insecurities and overcoming them by restructuring your thinking, behaviors, and patterns comes incredible personal growth and success. This brings me to an important understanding about Saturn in our lives: if things aren’t working out for you, a good Saturn transit will restructure things to set them right. Depending on how far you were off your course or your level of attachment to how things were (even if not good) determines how challenging a Saturn transit to upright things will be. ​

11/4/23
Saturn turns Direct 

Currently, Saturn is transiting through Pisces and is turning to Direct motion on November 4th after being in Retrograde since June 17th. As previously mentioned, anytime planets move in and out of Retrogrades, their transition causes the planet’s appearance, from the Earth’s view, to come to a standstill (stationary) before shifting directions. It’s like the planet is in a holding place before changing directions, and with Saturn, this will occur on Nov 3rd and 4th. 

Saturn’s influence in our lives has a level of slowing things down, and when it’s stationary, it’s better to just be with the flow of the day instead of trying too hard to make things happen. 

With Saturn being retrograde for the last 4.5 months, any structures you have been changing may have taken longer than anticipated to see results. Or perhaps you have felt like you have been in the same process for a while and wondering when things will shift. It’s important to recognize that when things take longer to get worked out under a Saturn influence, all the details have been tweaked, i’s dotted, t’s crossed, and the result is typically solid - a stark contrast to rushing to the finishing line haphazardly. 

As an astrologer, I am always including Saturn transits in my readings as they show the area of life where things are changing or being called to do the work to create new structures. More presently, you can see what part of your life has been influenced by Saturn’s retrograde motion since June.

If you’ve been in the midst of changes in your life, such as home renovations, moving, job shifts or new career decisions, changes in your community/friends, intimate relationships, family, or greater changes within yourself, etc., and feeling like it’s slow going, the forward motion of Saturn beginning on the 4th, starts moving things again. However, for most of November, Saturn’s forward motion is progressing slowly. By the end of the month and into December could start to show things are finally coming together.  Such processes will likely really gain momentum in the new year, around the time Saturn gets out of its Shadow on Feb 6th. 

When Feb 6th, 2024, rounds the corner, you can look back on the last seven months and see how all the internal and outward directed efforts were worth it with whatever major structure required your allowance for change in 2023.

11/9 - 11/12
Mercury Square Saturn

Days after Saturn turns Direct, it will come into a more challenging Square aspect with Mercury during the 9th - 12th. This planetary configuration focuses on where you may find difficulty around how your mind operates, your thought patterns, and how you engage in conversations. During these days, it will be helpful to slow your communications down and allow yourself more time to process what you’d like to say. The Square aspect between Saturn and Mercury may make conversations more challenging, and it is harder to formulate all your words quickly, as you might want. These aren’t the most optimal days to schedule a meeting or to resolve conflict with another. I recommend waiting until after the 12th to have these conversations if possible. 

However, If you find yourself in must-needed negotiations, meetings, or having a heart-to-heart talk, keep this Saturn/Mercury dynamic in mind. Remember, Saturn can bring out fears and insecurities. In connection with a Square with Mercury, struggling to find the confidence around speaking can show up, and you may be called to shift some internal patterns so you can access your voice with more self-authority.  

As Mercury influences your mind and when it’s in a challenging aspect with Saturn, it’s possible that more negative thought patterns could pop up during the 9th - 12th, getting you mentally down. If you find this happening to you, recognize that these are simply thought patterns that can keep you feeling bad about yourself if you let them. The square aspect urges you to wake up, see how your mind is being influenced by negative thinking, broaden your perspective, and create new thought patterns. Perhaps easier said than done, but it is a helpful way to work with the Mercury/Saturn Square dynamic. ​

11/10 - 11/14
Mars opposing Uranus

Mars and Uranus move into opposition during the 10th - 14th, opening up more active and assertive energy in and around you. When Mars and Uranus influence each other, you may be more quick about your movements with how you bounce around your day or even behind the wheel. Mars is our get-up-and-go planet. From an astrological perspective, when we feel what we want to do, Mars is the impetus to make it happen. With Uranus’ need for change, novelty, and renewal in the mix, movements become more sudden or erratic as its influence can have us feeling the need to create more freedom - physically and expressively. 

When these planetary energies are in opposition, they can feel like opposing forces inside you that need integration. From Nov 10th - 14th, you may notice more nervous energy running through you that can have you jumping from one thing to the next without clear intention. Accidents, including vehicles, are more prone to happen with Mars/Uranus transits. If you notice yourself in a more heightened, frenetic, or labile emotional state during these dates, then consciously slow yourself down and become more mindful of your needs and how you approach your present moments to meet those needs. 

Some of this Mars/Uranus energy overlaps with the above timing of the Saturn Square Mercury transit, potentially adding more tension, even frustration, to the mix. These dynamics could generate abrupt or curt communication: saying and doing things in an attempt to vent irritations.  It may be helpful to take care and exercise compassion with yourself and others with these possibilities, especially on November 11th and 12th. Again, these are good days to tune in to your state of mind. Notice if you’re feeling urgent to break away from situations (even when driving on the road) that are frustrating. Slow down and get intentional. In personal and collective affairs, this planetary transit can be a potent time for abrupt changes.  
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With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based
on your astrology birth chart and life situations.

Astrology readings with Laura can help you:
~ Align with your unique talents and opportunities
~ Move through life's challenges more intentionally
~ Gain a new awareness of major life changes
~ Know when is the best time to take action 
~ Find clarity on self-limiting patterns ​​

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