Planetary news this week, and catching up:

As many of you know, I took a bit of a writing sabbatical this fall. I expected it to last through the end of the year, but I found I was eager to get back to my life as planetary oracle. Staying closely tied to the movement of the planets is a more powerful support to me than I thought, and if I only learned this one thing in my sabbatical it was well worth it!

There have been no major planetary alignments during this time which made it easier to take a writing break. Without major planetary alignments the faster moving planets become more noticeable, but their influences tend to be less cataclysmic in nature and the effects do not last as long. That said, we had eclipse season in October followed shortly by Scorpio season in November, and the intensity was definitely ramped up. (Not to mention the new war in the Middle East.)

Mars in focus. Over the past week the Sun, Mars and Ceres aligned in the Mars-ruled sign of Scorpio: a combustible combination which may have caused some disruption in your life. The Sun leaves Scorpio for Sagittarius on Wednesday and will be joined by Mars later in the week, so you can expect the energies to lighten up a bit as we ease into the expansive Sagittarius season of adventure.

Full Moon. The Moon will be waxing into fullness this week in anticipation of the Gemini Full Moon early Monday morning. This Full Moon opposes Ceres and Mars as well as the Sun for some heightened fiery intensity. Sagittarian fire is very different from Scorpio fire which is emotional and not afraid of conflict; under the influence of Sagittarius we are driven more by yearnings of freedom and less from frustration.

The Gemini/Sagittarius polarity is one of the easiest to manage – both signs are hungry for knowledge and learning and resist any efforts of containment or restriction. On Sunday and Monday we can most easily use these Full Moon energies by looking ahead and devising exciting plans for new adventures to expand our horizons.

Here’s what else you need to know this week (Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, here is a time zone converter to adjust for your locality.)

Monday November 20. The week begins with the Moon in Aquarius for just a few hours during which it will form some irritating aspects before slipping into Pisces around 9:30 am. A harmonious solar aspect to Pluto shines a light through any darkness, though, making this an overwhelmingly positive day.

Meanwhile, Mercury and Chiron align to aid in our ability to think through difficult situations and fosters healing of all kinds of problems. Moon square Mars 4:38 am, square Sun 5:49 am, Moon enters Pisces 9:29 am, conjoins Saturn 10:44 am, Sun sextile Pluto 4:26 pm, Mercury trine Chiron 10:08 pm, Moon sextile Jupiter 11:19 pm.

Tuesday November 21. You can expect to feel pretty cheerful on Tuesday, but the Pisces Moon doesn’t really support clear thinking. It’s a good time for creativity and the kind of woolgathering that fosters creativity, especially around 1-3 pm. A harmonious Mars aspect to Pluto, in effect all day and into Wednesday, helps to energize us to take action in ways that support our personal growth and evolution. (Moon square Mercury 2:15 pm, Mars sextile Pluto 8:17 pm, Moon sextile Uranus 8:35 pm.)

Wednesday November 22. Two planetary bodies change signs on Wednesday for a noticeable shift of energies into fire: The Sun enters Sagittarius as described above, and the Moon enters Aries. Last week and over the weekend we had the fiery combustion of the Sun and Mars in Scorpio, but Scorpio is a sign of emotion and fire which can feel very uncomfortable for many of us. The entry of the Sun and Moon into fire signs helps to amp up our enthusiasm, motivation and drive.

The Moon is generally harmonious on Wednesday, but a stressful Venus aspect to Chiron could reveal tension in our interaction with others if there are any hidden triggers that are keeping us from achieving rewarding relationships, and a solar aspect to Saturn builds today which could put the kibosh on our plans and make us wait. (Moon conjunct Neptune 3:45 am, Sun enters Sagittarius 9:02 am, Moon sextile Pluto 9:28 am, Moon trine Mars 10:09 am, Venus opposite Chiron 11:44 am, Moon enters Aries 12:19 pm, Moon trine Sun 12:34 pm.

art by Holga Jen on Etsy

Thursday November 23. That Sun/Saturn aspect culminates early on Thursday but some frustration will remain due to some lunar aspects which aren’t satisfied with holding back. These influences will ease by evening but with this being Thanksgiving in the U.S. and many of us spending time with challenging family members some caution may be required.

With Mars moving into Sagittarius early Friday those fiery influences will help us break through any blocks which may have stood in our way on Thursday. (Sun square Saturn 4:46 am, Moon conjunct Chiron 3:26 pm, Moon opposite Venus 5:57 pm, Moon trine Mercury 10:51 pm.)

Friday November 24. Friday morning we will likely feel pretty energized with Mars newly in Sagittarius and the Moon still in Aries, a nice combination of fire without too much stress. Around noon EST we may experience some disruption under a Pluto influence, followed by the Moon shifting into Taurus for greater stability.

When the Moon is in Taurus we are less motivated to be active or to confront difficult situations. Until the Moon enters Gemini on Sunday evening we may want to stick close to home, especially with a Saturn aspect building on Friday to culminate on Saturday. (Mars enters Sagittarius 5:14 am, Moon square Pluto 12:40 pm, Moon enters Taurus 3:28 pm, Moon sextile Saturn 4:59 pm.)

Saturday November 25. With Saturn squaring Mars today we may feel thwarted if we try to accomplish too much. There may be a pull between our desire to be comfortable in our situation and an urge for a change. The I Ching says “Perseverance Furthers,” a good guideword for today. (Moon conjunct Jupiter 4:42 am, Mars square Saturn 11:57 am.)

Sunday November 26. Sunday (EST) is relatively tranquil with just a few easy aspects to the Taurus Moon. The Moon moves into Gemini in the early evening and is energized by Mars a little later, preparing for the Gemini Full Moon very early Monday morning. Gemini craves interesting things to think about and do, so this will be a good time to make some plans for the coming week.

(Moon conjunct Uranus 3:02 am, sextile Neptune 10:42 am, trine Pluto 4:51 pm, Moon enters Gemini 7:39 pm, square Saturn 9:22 pm, opposite Mars 11:07 pm.)