For creative, eccentric, and bold Aquarius: Here’s what you can expect to enjoy, work through, and receive throughout the month of November.

The Moon, ruler of the emotional shadow self, begins the month in Scorpio. This celestial domain prioritizes intuition, hidden moves, and power flow. As a sliver of the waxing crescent Moon swings into opposition to your ruling planet, Uranus, the stars call you to prepare for a release of previous beliefs or ideas. Uranus retrograde has been turning up the chaos for the past few weeks, and with that comes a fair amount of discovery and release. Shedding what’s no longer needed is a necessary part of growth.

By November 7, your ruling planet forms an auspicious trine with a still-growing crescent Moon. With the preconceived notions we once held gone, there’s room for something new. This lunar phase promotes planning and preparation. Allow yourself to explore different emotional or mental pursuits. Outline even small steps toward a long-term goal. Mental clarity and sharper foresight abound. A challenging square two days later, on November 8, suggests these endeavors won’t be effortless. Opening yourself up to the unfamiliar requires strength and perseverance through the uncomfortable.

Conflict will ease around November 11, when Uranus joins a favorable sextile with the waxing gibbous Moon. The waxing gibbous tends to be one of the trickiest lunar phases to navigate as the cosmos forces us to assess what is and isn’t working in our lives with inescapable honesty. A positive alignment between your ruling planet and the Moon indicates a cosmic boost through obstacles that may lie ahead. One notable event to keep an eye out for is the full Moon in Taurus on November 15. 

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Full Moons are potent enough on their own, but this one proves especially powerful for you as it conjoins with your ruling planet in Taurus. Lunar placement points to security and stability. Under the helpful glow of the full Moon, find small but meaningful ways to make yourself feel more at peace emotionally or physically. Tying up loose ends in a broken relationship, investing in the protection of your home or well-being, or setting firm boundaries with stressful or draining connections are all excellent ways to capitalize on this energy while it’s here.

The Moon’s conjunction with Uranus retrograde adds somewhat of a surprise element, pushing back against expectations and challenging beliefs and values. As the conjunction combines these celestial bodies’ energies, prepare for some second-guessing or self-doubt. These momentary hesitations offer a valuable opportunity to reaffirm your priorities, whether or not that means following through with what you were doing just before the pause. Lean into the exciting energy your ruling planet can bring to new or unfamiliar situations. If anyone is capable of handling the out-of-the-norm, it’s you, Aquarius.

The likelihood of a challenge increases on November 17 when Uranus forms a direct opposition to the Sun. Egos can balloon as Uranus’ rebellious, at times indignant energy combines with the Sun’s dominance over our sense of self. However, when kept in check, this alignment provides ample grounds for tremendous growth and success. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of a shake-up to knock something worthwhile loose. Trust your instincts, but never underestimate your need to learn.

The Moon helps increase these feelings of reflection and education as it forms a favorable sextile with Uranus retrograde. In its waning gibbous phase, the Moon calls us to look back on the previous weeks’ events and determine what cosmic guidance they have to offer. Does this feel like a green light? Or are the lights a more hesitant yellow? You have more time than you think. There’s no need to rush. You can use all the hindsight you can get as the managerial last-quarter Moon forms a challenging square with your ruling planet. What could have happened had you just waited a moment longer to react? 

The day before Mercury retrograde begins, on November 25, Uranus and the waning crescent Moon form a harmonious trine in Taurus and Virgo, respectively. Two grounded Earth signs, this alignment suggests a need to get your head out of the clouds and look at a situation realistically. When the universe lays its cards out before you, you’d be wise to take them as fact. Listen when people show you who they are. Pay attention to nervous gut feelings. The upcoming Mercury retrograde will only exacerbate these cognitive dissonances, so it’s better to deal with them sooner rather than later.

Mercury retrograde begins the following day on November 26, inviting a greater likelihood of communication breakdowns, technological mishaps, or issues with travel- or education-related expansion. If possible, avoid making significant purchases or commitments during this time.

This celestial period can make it more difficult to get the full picture of an interaction or sequence of events. With Uranus under Taurus, it will be even more challenging not to give into stubborn pride or previously held beliefs. Exploring all possibilities is the M.O. of your ruling planet’s retrograde period. This is an opportunity to evolve, not a punishment for being wrong. There’s plenty of silver lining to look toward, Aquarius.

Your ruling planet ends the month in direct opposition to the new Moon. A shift in the connection you feel toward the most intimate areas of your life—where you live, the people you hang out with, and so on—might be likely during this time. As easy as it might be to imagine the worst-case scenario, consider all the ways this cosmic energy could manifest. On the one hand, you might find an emotional change toward something you once enjoyed. This, of course, can bring about feelings of sadness and loss. But this could also manifest by way of exciting new developments in these same areas. Oftentimes, we often think we have the former when we really have the latter.

Remember, the new Moon is also a time for rest and recalibration. Give yourself time to navigate the change-ups of the last few weeks. Acclimate to new surroundings, physical or emotional. This will become less jarring with time, but it’s certainly a test of your patience until this happens.

Thus concludes your monthly highlights. For more specific celestial analyses, make sure to read your daily and weekly horoscope as well. Good luck, Aquarius! See you next month.