Are we there yet? Well, no. We haven’t arrived yet. The difficulties are complexifying and getting internalised. The dark moon of November is holding on to its’ mysteries, not to be revealed for now. However, there is movement under the surface. Dark secrets and deep feelings are becoming the seed of a new imagination. But an aggressive and an explosive time keeps going on. It will embed itself in the new moon. It is in effect becoming a dark side of the soul. The New Moon takes place on 13 November, 2023, at 09:27 GMT, and at 20 degrees and 43 minutes of Scorpio.

We talked about how the full moon in Taurus a couple of weeks ago brought to light disputes with history to them, and the materialisation of past conflicts culminating in new acts of aggression. Passions are inflamed and logic is outstripped by lustiness. We are still dealing with the Taurus-Scorpio axis in the zodiac and in our charts. And it is a new beginning with a sting to it. It is sparked and empowered by a cazimi Mars in domicile and electrified by an opposition to Uranus in Taurus. So, we have Sun, Moon and Mars conjunct in Scorpio, Mercury in high spirits taking aim and looking to organise the future in Sagittarius, while, finally, working harmoniously with Venus, in socially focused Libra. The ground will shift and shake. But in Scorpio it will be silent – for the time being.

Indeed, we have The Fool right in the middle of the spread. We are entering new territory, new ground (with this particular new moon in Scorpio) for several reasons. For a start, this is the first new moon in Scorpio in the last couple of years, that it is not an eclipse. The nodes have moved on. The drama has moved elsewhere. The south node has moved to Libra, the sign behind Scorpio, to clear a new part of the chart. Something has died and is giving way for something new to be reborn. It is the Mars cazimi. The death of Mars, ruler of this lunation, and the rebirth of Mars (Mars being a god, of course, doesn’t ever really die). So, The Fool is starting her journey just as The Hero’s Journey has begun. This is a powerful moment in our lives where the seeds of a new realisation, a new focus, and a new story line is starting to take shape. We wont know what it means and how it will unfold yet.

But we have some indication from The Hermit. The Hermit, with his humble lamp lighting the way ahead, supported by a stick, tells us about the value of patience as a source of wisdom, and further amplifies the darkness that surrounds our own emotional condition. Every attempt at denial of our reality will be futile. But there is a snaking, if complex way ahead. The Hero’s Journey – our own journey – starts in unknowingness. In some part of our lives we will have to discover things from the beginning. A lot will be about self learning as The Hermit signifies our own internal wisdom is a strength to rely upon. This new moon finds Saturn at zero degrees of Pisces. Our maturity and wisdom is exalted. We are entering a time when our own faith in the future that things will be good in real physical terms, and that a slow pace, dominated by soul searching, is ahead of us and that we should go with the flow of it. If ever there was a time to focus on self care on the physical and emotional level, seeking counselling or psychological support to deal with dark thoughts of conditions of pain and fear, this is it. We are at it with the new moon in Scorpio. And with Venus now empowered in Libra, we can see the beauty and justice of that approach. The Hermit encourages us to believe in our selves and to trust in help from others. We need to recuperate and fortify before the fresh start we are about to make. It’s also the quietness of being centred in order to achieve our goals.

But externally, there will be trouble. The Seven of Wands shows us that we are dealing with several competing demands. We are fighting on many different fronts having been caught out unaware and by unexpected turn of events. Our attention may be dispersed. Even success can be too overwhelming as we go forward. We could be overstretched or overcommitting, and then struggle to perform at our best. We will have to gather our forces and prioritise in order to avoid getting depleted or confused by the sheer volume of work, people, situations, commitments and everything that is thrown at us. Quite honestly, sometimes we do not know which way to turn. But all the energies tell us that it is time for introversion and reflection, if we want to preserve our integrity and for long term success in what we have set out to do. It’s time to get back to centre.

Both The Hermit and The Fool – in their own different ways – indicate that we are about to make a new start. A big fresh new start that will shake us. The new moon and the Mars cazimi tell the same story. As the big planets slowly turn from retrograde into forward motion in the next couple of months the reality will present itself in more obvious ways. For now, we are still grappling in the dark. This is a very powerful inceptive time in our lives and we should not rush into it. We don’t have all the facts yet, we do not have enough experience, and our knowledge is still developing. What we do have is the formidable strength of initiating something with electrifying internal power, and the resilience and perseverance to stick to it. This is a fixed sign Scorpio powerhouse moment, when our our subconscious is activated above all else.

Flavia