Shedding Skin: November 2020's New Moon in Scorpio

What is a New Moon?

A New Moon represents the beginning of the lunar cycle when the moon is conjunct the sun and invisible to the human eye. New Moons are a good time for fresh starts and new beginnings. It is a good time to start a new project or make a radical change. It's also a good time to find clarity on what you want, and release what no longer serves you. The effects of a New Moon generally last for about two weeks, up until the next Full Moon.

With the New Moon in Scorpio, we can expect new beginnings related to both intimacy and power.

It may be helpful to think back to what was going on in your life during the Full Moon in Taurus or the Full Moon in Scorpio six months ago, for certain themes may be repeating themselves.

Whatever intentions you set now should come into fruition by the time of the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on November 30th.

Those with any personal planets or angles between 18 and 28 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) will be most especially affected by this New Moon.

November 2020's New Moon in Scorpio

What happens when you mix the emotional qualities of water with the aggressive and competitive planet Mars? You get Scorpio. Traditionally, this sign didn't have the best reputation. This is especially true of the Moon, where it is in it's Fall. For example, 2nd-century astrology, Vettius Valens describes those born under this sign as being, "tricky, base, thieves, murderers, traitors, incorrigible, destroyers of property, connivers, burglars, perjurers, covetous of others' property, accomplices in murder, poisonings, and other crimes, haters of their own family..." While this is obviously extreme, it does make some sense that a sign depicted by a venomous animal wouldn't be described in very positive terms, and yet in modern astrology, in addition to being "sexy," "intense," "powerful," and "mysterious," Scorpio is ironically described as being the most honest and loyal. In fact, Scorpio seems to be the sign everyone wants to claim as their own. How can a sign be characterized in such vastly different & polarizing ways?

Well, at least in modern astrology, Scorpio is seen as a symbol of transformation, and this makes sense when we consider the behaviors of the animal itself. When a scorpion grows too big for its body, it literally sheds its own skin and grows a new one, a process they undergo about six times before reaching adulthood. During this process, which can take up to 12 hours and requires a lot of energy, the scorpion, once protected by its hard exoskeleton, becomes extremely vulnerable. With this in mind, Scorpio can be seen as a symbol of evolution and rebirth, as much a symbol of creation as it is destruction, as much a symbol as of vulnerability as it is self-protection. Thus, November 15's New Moon in Scorpio may have many of us going through our own 'molting' process, as we shed the things we've outgrown to make room for the new and improved us.

It's also interesting to note that this New Moon takes place in the third decan of Scorpio, which is ruled by Venus (according to the Chaldean order of the planets) and the Moon (by triplicity). These are two of our solar system's most emotional planets, with Venus more focused on the relational side of things. This gives the upcoming New Moon a theme of addressing our darkest feelings and transformation or rebirth in relationships, with a particular focus on romance & intimacy.

The New Moon will be making an exact sextile to the Great Benefic, Jupiter, at 23'15 degrees Capricorn, bringing out the more positive qualities of this Mars-ruled Water Sign. Scorpio's focus, loyalty and capacity for deep intimacy are highlighted, as well as it's ability to separate fact from fiction. The influence of Jupiter makes us feel happy & optimistic and it puts us in a light-hearted enough mood to face our shadows without freaking out. The New Moon is also sextile Pluto at 22'15 which gives us insight into what's behind the scenes, while Jupiter helps us to see the bigger picture. Pluto's influence on the Moon helps us to understand the motivations behind the reactions of both ourselves and others, so that we can transform and grow. The New Moon will be more widely sextile Saturn as well, at 27'06 degrees Capricorn, which provides us with the detachment and emotional stability necessary to overcome whatever challenges we face.

Meanwhile, Venus, planet of love and beauty, will be sitting at 22 degrees of it's home sign, Libra. Venus in Libra stimulates our desire for harmony and closeness with another. With Venus opposite Scorpio's ruling planet, Mars, at 15'14 degrees of Aries, which it also rules, there is bound to be tension. This could be sexual tension... passionate & hot, but also indicative of a hot/cold, love/hate, on/off dynamic. However, this could also be internal tension. Mars in Aries wants to fight while Venus in Libra wants to keep the peace. We may struggle with the balance of being considerate & understanding of others while also needing to stay true to ourselves and stand our ground when necessary. Interestingly, Venus is exactly square Pluto, Scorpio's co-ruler in modern astrology, as well, and by extension, Jupiter. This is more of that passionate but at times toxic energy. With Venus square Jupiter, our need for validation is heightened and there is a possible danger of idealizing others as well, seeing only the good and not the bad. We might over-do things from a place of neediness and this could have disastrous results. Venus square Pluto is often an indicator of jealousy, possessiveness and distrust; it might be hard to control our urges or hide our emotions and this could lead to self-sabotage and impulsive behavior that we may regret later. However, Venus is trine the North Node at 21'20 degrees Gemini, showing that there's growth to be found in this. The key is to learn how to properly communicate our feelings with our partner rather than give in to petty behavior.

Mercury, is now direct, at 5 degrees Scorpio and heading into its last in a series of oppositions with Uranus at 8 degrees Taurus. Unexpected secrets are likely to be revealed, especially involving things from the past. We may finally have a revelation about something we dwelled on while Mercury was still Retrograde or if we've been wondering whether or not to reach out to someone from our past, we may now feel inspired to. People may reveal their true feelings out of the blue. This fits with the general themes mentioned in the second paragraph of this article; about letting go of our defenses and embracing vulnerability.

Conclusion

Essentially, the Full Moon on November 14th/15th will have us embracing vulnerability and shedding the things we've outgrown in order to make room for the new. With Venus in hard aspect to both of Scorpio's traditional and modern rulers, this is especially true with relationships, which might be difficult at this time, but those difficulties can be transmuted if both people are able to communicate with each other in a healthy way. The New Moon's exact sextile to Jupiter and almost exact sextile to Pluto makes this a positive time overall, conductive to transformation & growth, and a good time for setting intentions.