November will see Jupiter returning to his own sign of Sagittarius after 12 years. We can expect life to feel more optimistic with Jupiter’s benevolent energy managing the difficult space where Saturn and the South Node have been transiting for most of 2019. Jupiter, the greatest benefic, is sure to bring protection, prosperity, luck, and good fortune to everyone in the areas which are impacted by Sagittarius in your chart.
Jupiter Enters Sagittarius from November 5 till November 20, 2020
The benevolent Jupiter, who we call Guru, will change signs on November 5, 2019, moving into his own fire sign of Sagittarius. On average, Jupiter spends about 12 months in each sign, making his entire circuit of the Sun in about 12 years.
On March 29, Jupiter crossed out of Scorpio and into Sagittarius. Events that occurred around that time may resurface as they may require further effort and attention. In early April, Jupiter assumed retrograde motion and crossed back over the gandanta zone into Scorpio on April 23. The retrograde motion of Jupiter continued until August 18 and since then, we have seen forward moving Jupiter gathering speed as he heads toward his own sign of Sagittarius.
Throughout the summer, with the tight Saturn/Ketu conjunction in Jupiter’s sign, plus the retrograde energy of both Jupiter and Saturn, we may have been heading toward what seemed like a breaking point. If the chips have not yet fallen, they may begin to tumble as Jupiter moves into his own space, joining Saturn and Ketu. While we may feel a temporary plunge into difficulty or chaos, the movement of Jupiter into Sagittarius will ultimately restore stability, truth, righteousness and growth to an environment that has been subject to destruction. While this has been quite challenging on a practical level, the deep drag through the muck has exposed corruption that can now be addressed and cleansed.
Jupiter’s timeline for this transit through Sagittarius is as follows:
- Jupiter enters Sagittarius on November 5, 2019
- Venus joins Jupiter, Saturn and Ketu in Sagittarius November 21. Exact conjunction of Jupiter and Venus is on November 24
- Sun and Jupiter conjoin at 12° Sagittarius December 27, 2019
- Jupiter and Ketu conjoin at 14° Sagittarius January 6, 2020
- Jupiter enters Capricorn (joining Saturn) on March 29, 2020
- Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn May 13, 2020
- Jupiter returns to Sagittarius on June 29, 2020
- Jupiter direct at 24° Sagittarius on September 12, 2020
- Ketu moves out of Sagittarius and into Scorpio on September 23, 2020
- Jupiter exits Sagittarius for Capricorn on November 20, 2020
One note of caution is that Jupiter is moving rather quickly at this time, over twice the speed of his average motion. This could cause a sense of urgency or insecurity that may not necessarily need to be heeded. Be aware of this energy coming from Jupiter as he dashes through the tight squeeze of the gandanta and into his own territory, which will be the scene of much planetary activity in the next couple of months, including an eclipse pair in December/January. Take time to deliberate and analyze before making Jupiter-related decisions, which could be regarding children, financial management, education or whether to grow certain segments of an enterprise. We will be better equipped to connect with Jupiter’s positive energy after January, when Jupiter moves past Ketu and Saturn moves out of Sagittarius into his own sign of Capricorn on January 23, 2020.
For this approximately ten weeks, consider carefully what feels intuitively right to discard or separate from while at the same time observing what feels intuitively right to pursue, nurture and grow. This combination of Jupiter, Ketu and Saturn in Sagittarius is also receiving the aspect of exalted Rahu from Gemini. Opportunities could arise and fade away quickly. It may be difficult to know what to do and we may be susceptible to confusion coming from too many choices. Be ready to hold on or let go at the drop of a hat. We must learn to ride through the rough patches of life with grace, balance and detachment.
Please see the video talk related to this transit, where I briefly describe the impact on all the zodiac signs:
Retrograde Mercury Enters Libra on November 7
Mercury is retrograde in November, having assumed retrograde motion at 4° Scorpio on October 31. Mercury reverses into Venus’ air sign, Libra, on November 7, stepping away from Venus with whom he has been sharing space closely for months. Mercury’s retrograde motion will give him an exact conjunction with the Sun, who also occupies Libra at this time, on November 11.
This proximity to the Sun puts Mercury into a state of combustion, which can make it difficult to access Mercury’s communication skills. By November 18, however, enough space will have emerged between Sun and Mercury, returning Mercury’s voice and ability to apply his intelligence.
After the Sun departs Libra mid-November, Mercury is left with Mars, in Libra. Mars and Mercury together in Libra could be effective partners in pushing through creative projects, including writing or design projects, especially in the case of things having been pushed back “to the drawing board.”
While all other planets are currently direct, indicating good forward motion in general, the first two weeks stretch in the first weeks of November could see us having to do some editing and re-working. Have patience and use this opportunity to make sure things are on the right track, preventing future problems due to oversight.
During Mercury’s transit in Libra, it is receiving a very tight aspect from exalted Rahu who currently occupies Mercury’s sign of Gemini. Rahu has become even more powerful due to his transit through Ardra nakshatra, which he rules. The end result is that there is a bunch of static being created around Mercury, so it may be difficult to get a clear message out or to receive the proper information or data around this time. It is best to wait at least a few days after Mercury resumes direct motion.
All of the planets will remain in direct motion until Mercury initiates another retrograde cycle in mid-February 2020. This could be a busy time for building relationships, setting plans into motion, business deals, writing projects, educational pursuits and networking. Get to it, but again, with Jupiter running at top speed and Mercury running even faster, it may be a good idea to deliberate along the way too.
Prabhodhini Ekadashi – Chaturmas Ends, Vishnu wakes on November 7
“Chaturmas” means “four months” and began on Devshayana Ekadashi, this year on July 12. During this period of time, it is believed that Lord Vishnu sleeps and certain actions are avoided, such as marriages. It is interesting that this corresponds with the Sun transiting the signs Cancer through Libra, the 4th through the 7th natural signs of the zodiac and that Mercury, a planet that corresponds with Lord Vishnu and his forms, is considered to be in a state called “marana karaka sthana” while in either the 4th or the 7th house of a chart, meaning the planet is somewhat disabled from acting normally due to experiencing a death-like state.
The Sun is past its point of debilitation by the 11th day of the waxing half of the Moon’s cycle during this month, which “wakes up” the divinity once again as we begin our next “day” in the cycle. Whatever you may have been dreaming about for the past four months could be ready to see the light of day in some form. The time to partner up and begin creating something new has come.
Ekadashi means the 11th day of the lunar cycle. In some traditions, a five-day fast begins on this day and concludes on the 15th day of the cycle at Kartik Purnimaa (full moon), when the Moon is full in or near the constellation of Krittika, which is known as the Pleiades. This month in the calendar is considered very auspicious and the culmination of some important festivals and religious observances.
Mars Transits Libra from November 10 till December 25
Mars enters Venus’ air sign, Libra, joining Mercury and Sun on November 10. As mentioned, the energy of Mercury added to Mars can be quite productive, especially when we exercise patience and some prudence. The first ten days of Mars’ transit through Libra is marked by an equally passionate exchange of signs with Venus, who will be in Mars’ water sign of Scorpio through November 20, which is also the day that Mercury resumes direct motion.
The last ten days of November, with Mercury direct and sharing space with Mars, could be well spent by really applying energy, power and resources to current undertakings. Things that are already in motion could be well supplied with enthusiasm and energy to further agendas and plans.
Rahu is still exalted in Gemini and his aspect is hitting the sign of Libra, along with Aquarius, as Rahu’s aspects mirror Jupiter’s, who affects all signs of the same element from where they are placed. Even though Mars doesn’t tend to be viewed as a social butterfly, if there’s any time we can get him to come out and play, it will be during this period, between mid-November and the end of December. This is a good time for networking, strategising and synthesising creativity with practicality. Build it and they will come.
Full Moon in Aries in the nakshatra of Bharani on November 12
Around 3 pm UTC on November 12, the Moon becomes full at 26° Aries in the nakshatra of Bharani. As always during full Moon, the Sun is positioned in the opposite sign, Libra, and is joined by Mars, aspecting his own sign of Aries.
This is a strong Moon moment, as Bharani nakshatra is lorded by Venus and located within Aries, lorded by Mars. At the time of the full Moon, these two planets, Venus and Mars, are enjoying a powerful exchange of signs, which should be supportive for relationships, mental well-being, and almost any kind of creative or building project.
This is also known as the Kartik Purnima. Although this full Moon is a couple of hours away from reaching Krittika space, since it is so close, we still consider it Kartik Purnima, even though the Moon’s exact moment of fullness comes in Bharani. Since this moment occurs before sunrise, it is still considered Monday by the traditional reckoning, which is also the Moon’s own day of the week. This further strengthens this Moon, who is reflecting the light of the Sun.
Sun Transits Scorpio from November 16 till December 16
The Sun has a much better relationship with his friend Mars than Venus. Moving from Venus’ air sign, Libra, into Mars’ territory of Scorpio will help the Sun, who we rely on for truth, clarity and self-definition. Additionally, by moving out of Libra, the Sun escapes the aspect of Rahu, which can also tend to confuse or muddle the pure intentions of the Sun.
Scorpio is co-ruled by Mars and Ketu, the south node of the Moon. With Mars in Libra and Ketu in Sagittarius, they are squeezing their own sign on either side. It may be helpful to take time out of the normal daily routine and inject some deep self-reflection. Activities supported by the Sun’s light in Scorpio include introspection and meditative activities, deep cleansing, poetry, journaling, overcoming negative habits, and resource management.
Venus Transits Sagittarius from November 21 till December 15
Recently re-emerged in the evening star form, visible in the western sky after sunset, Venus moves through the challenging degrees of the gandanta between Scorpio and Sagittarius on November 21. Let’s watch Venus work the room as she glides into Jupiter’s fire sign, not the most comfortable place for Venus, who will also be moving past Jupiter, Ketu and Saturn just prior to the holiday season.
Venus is concerned with conduct between people, which ranges from friendships to diplomatic relations. Sagittarius doesn’t tolerate corruption or untruth for long, due to Jupiter’s lordship. While Jupiter and Venus aren’t friends, they are considered to be the two great teachers. In this, they are united in their purpose, to bring clarity to our minds and guide us toward truth, joy and fulfilment.
If we see Jupiter and Venus as one team and Saturn and Ketu as another, we may be witnessing the tide of growth, positivity, creativity and love (Jupiter and Venus) coming to wash over the corruption, negativity, destruction and distaste that has been exposed through the past year by the close conjunction of Saturn and Ketu.
Venus exactly conjoins with Jupiter on November 24 at 5° Sagittarius, with Ketu on December 3 at 16° Sagittarius and with Saturn on December 12 at 25° Sagittarius. By December 15 when Venus moves into Capricorn, she moves freely ahead of the pack. This is a great period of time to clean things up: homes, relationships, creative projects, scholarly requirements, education plans, and religious organizations.
New Moon in Scorpio in the nakshatra of Anuradha on November 26
The Moon joins the Sun at 10 degrees of Scorpio around 3 pm on November 26 in the nakshatra of Anuradha, bringing us another still point as the nourishing Moon reaches a moment of vulnerability. As November comes to close, a lunar cycle also ends and begins anew. This is a good time to choose rest and contemplation.
This combination of Sun and Moon in the enigmatic territory of Scorpio occurs in the nakshatra of Anuradha, lorded by the planet Saturn. While the Moon finds its debilitation point at 3° Scorpio, once past that point, conditions improve for the Moon, but this is still some dangerous territory with influences of Saturn, Sun, Mars and Ketu all influencing the Moon.
At this new Moon, we should take a pause, as the energy of transformation is extremely ripe. Deep transformation usually requires some detachment to completely change course, so choose wisely; there is no need to discard resources or spend them mistakenly. With Jupiter having moved signs, we enter into a new Jupiter cycle for the next year, keeping in mind that Jupiter will be interacting with the agent of ultimate transformation, Ketu, through next September, when Ketu moves from Sagittarius to Scorpio and its counterpart, Rahu, moves from Gemini to Taurus.
