Take a look up at the sky. What do you see? If the night sky is clear, you might see the Moon and stars. In the morning sky, you can see Jupiter and Saturn. You might catch a glimpse of Mars in the evening sky, just after sunset, early in November, and later as the month goes on.

Humans have watched the skies for millennia. Perhaps forever. It’s in our blood. Over time, people from many different cultures have noticed and catalogued a correlation between celestial phenomena and worldly events. Astrology is a body of knowledge that takes into account this ancient wisdom. It is the oldest science, the mother of astronomy.

Over time, we have learned that some aspects, or alignments of planets, tend to bring challenge and obstacles. Others suggest harmony and ease, things falling into place— an interplanetary “kiss!” For everything there is a season, and we need both challenges and kisses. Without obstacles, our lives would be stagnant; we might never change. Without kisses, things may never settle down.

November’s forecast promises some of both. One sweet interplanetary kiss, alongside some nasty tangles.

November 1-6
Trouble starts early in November. First, Mars is still retrograde. On November 1, there’s a new Moon in Scorpio. Not a bad thing, necessarily, except that it occurs in a square aspect with grumpy, moody, pessimistic Saturn. New Moons bring new ideas, new projects. And Saturn brings a lot of work to be done. The Sun moves straight from the New Moon and collides with a fixed t-square already forming between Mars, Saturn and Neptune. Fixed signs signal an unwillingness or inability to change course— opposing needs collide, and the result is stressful for us all. Something unexpected disrupts your plans on Friday and Saturday as Mercury squares unpredictable Uranus. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the weekend off. Otherwise, gain an advantage by taking the time to listen to others before you talk. Willingness to compromise could score you points, or at least keep you out of the fracas.

And if you’re one of those ultra-driven, work-til-you-drop types, give some serious thought to the cost in terms of your health and well being.

November 7-13
A little window of niceness appears in the afternoon on Monday the 7th, and lasts until Tuesday morning, as sweet Venus kisses abundant Jupiter. Here’s a little window where you can find some agreement, get the signature you need. Yes, we’ll take that after last weekend. Tuesday afternoon, the Moon plucks the strings that brought last week’s stress and tension. Could be disagreements at the polls, or someone fiddles around with ballots on election day.

Wednesday the 9th, we’re back on track, and things are copacetic once again as Venus carries optimistic Jupiter’s light to inventive Uranus— a good time to find solutions and agreement. It’s as if everyone has been arguing about option A and option B, and suddenly an option C appears that nobody had considered before. Make sure you make some room in your schedule to back up your hard drive, because Mercury retrograde begins on Monday.

November 14-18
Tuesday the 15th’s Full Moon occurs very near to the spot where Mars changed direction at the beginning of the current retrograde. Full Moons bring out emotions, whether they are conscious or unconscious. Leave your guns at home! And stay away from dangerous people and places. What I do know is, despite a friendly trine between Venus (love) and Mars (action) lasting from Tuesday through Thursday, tension is building as Mars approaches a square to Saturn, which will be exact on Friday the 18th. Mars square Saturn is a signal of massive frustration, accidents, and explosions. Be extra careful behind the wheel this week. Fight if you must, but compromise if you can. An understanding and forgiving attitude will make your life easier.

November 19-27
That Mars-Saturn square was a doozy, wasn’t it. The bad news is, Mars and Saturn are both moving veeeerrrryy slowly right now. So that square’s going to hang around for a while. And the Moon is going to twang it every time she passes through a fixed sign— which happens to be every Monday from now through early January.

The good news is, there’s a kiss appearing on the horizon, that will build in power until it’s exact on November 27: Jupiter trine Uranus. Both of these are freedom-loving, visionary planets. Reinhold Ebertin, whom I reference a lot in this article, calls this the “thank the Lord” aspect, signaling sudden changes of luck, fortunate turns in life, sudden recognition of the truth. However, as this is a time of such stress and tension, the truth is bound to be painful for some. With Mars and Mercury both in retrograde, it’s a good time to go through your old files, review notes, letters, contracts, writing or art projects. Something that blew past your awareness in the past may help you find the answers you are looking for. As always, when Mercury is retrograde, double check all of your work, get a second opinion, and leave room in your schedule for delays, errors, and changes of plans.

Be sure to listen to Lance Ferguson’s forecast for November, which will be available at no charge on November 1. He always has good ideas for dealing with the bad and taking advantage of the good.

November 28-30
The Moon is in the balsamic or “clearing out” phase— this is the best day of the month to quit any bad habits, clean out the refrigerator, and clear your desk in preparation for a new Lunar cycle. November 28 is touchy. Something may surprise you out of the blue— it could be a problem with your car, computer, or other gadget— as the Sun squares shocking Uranus. That second cup of coffee may have you feeling like jumping out of your skin. Easy does it on Tuesday as well, as the Moon crosses Saturn and Neptune.

Mark your calendar!

The best days for your top priority plans are November 10, 12, 24-27.
Days to take it easy are November 1, 2, 5-8, 16-18, 20, 21, 28, 29.

Also noteworthy are the days when the Moon is void of course (v/c). These are days when we feel disconnected, out of focus, and drifty. Matters you initiate and decisions you make on these dates tend to take unexpected turns, or come to an inconclusive result.

November’s Moon v/c dates are November 2, 5 (am), 7, 9, 11, 18, 23, 28 (am), 30. Check an ephemeris or astrological calendar for more info.