Pre-Retrograde Previews & The Election
This Week’s Astrology Nov. 4 - 10
Last week was a lot, and next week looks similarly jam-packed. But this week sits somewhere in the middle—a breather, astrology-wise, with just a couple of key things going on. That doesn’t mean it’ll feel light, though. We’re in the thick of Scorpio Season (so, emotional intensity, secrets, transformation, etc.), plus there’s the U.S. election on Tuesday, which amps up the tension. Even so, we’re getting a cue to sit back and process. Why? Because two major retrogrades are about to come knocking.
Now, if you don’t know the retrograde drill: in astrology, retrogrades have three parts—pre-retrograde shadow, retrograde, and post-retrograde shadow. During the pre-retrograde shadow phase, a planet starts moving through the degrees it’ll later retrace in retrograde, giving us a sneak peek of what themes, gaffes, and “lessons” the retrograde will cover. On Thursday of this week, Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow phase in Sagittarius. Now, Mercury Retrograde doesn’t officially begin until Nov. 25, but come Thursday, we’re probably going to see some of Mercury Retrograde’s tricks. Again: pre-retrograde phases gives us a preview of the gaffes we may see, the lessons we might learn, and the details we need to pay closer attention to during the actual retrograde phase.
Because Mercury doesn’t function optimally in Sagittarius, it already brings a few gaffs and tricks. So from Thursday on, you might have a few foot-in-mouth moments, tech glitches, or embarrassingly in-your-face email/text typos. But more than likely, we in the U.S. are going to hear LOTS of furor and misinformation about votes. Why? Because Mercury is the planet of communication and accounting, including the counting / tallying / adding up of VOTES. On top of this, Jupiter is retrograde in (mis)information-loving Gemini, which exaggerates everything. (To be clear, I am not an election denier; I trust in the U.S. voting system. However, I do think this pre-retrograde shadow may exacerbate the election denialism that is already swirling about, especially if Trump loses.)
Then there’s Mars, the planet of energy, action, and motivation, which entered bold Leo on Sunday. Mars isn’t just significant for this week because it’s in Leo, or because it’s the traditional ruler of Scorpio season; no, Mars also just-so-happens to be in its pre-retrograde shadow, preparing to go retrograde on December 6. Which means we’re in for a double retrograde slowdown, with both Mercury and Mars in shadow as of this week. Translation: from here through early January (for Mercury) and even into April (for Mars), the pace won’t be as fast or forward as we might like. There’ll be moments to pause, reconsider, and hang back.
The good news? Monday’s astrology offers us an opportunity to get our sh*t together. The Sun in Scorpio trines Saturn Rx in Pisces, bringing reality, practicality, and hopefully common sense to the forefront. Then the week wraps up with Venus squaring Neptune Rx, which brings an ache for an escape; it’s dreamy, elusive, and boundaries might be a little porous. (Btw, Mars in Leo horoscopes drop soon, as do Mercury in Sagittarius!) Anyway, that’s the gist, here’s the actual astrology:
Nov. 4 – Sun in Scorpio trines Saturn Rx in Pisces, 12°
Nov. 7 – Mercury in Sagittarius moves into pre-retrograde shadow phase, 6°
Nov. 9 – Venus in Sagittarius squares Neptune Rx in Pisces, 27°
Nov. 4 – Sun in Scorpio trines Saturn Rx in Pisces, 12°
The Sun in intense Scorpio gets some chill discipline from Saturn retrograde, making this a great day to dig deep and work on something meaningful. (It’s also a great day to buckle down and vote, if you haven’t already!) Saturn’s retrograde in dreamy Pisces helps you ground those big visions and mysteries into something solid and real. It’s a go-ahead to set long-term plans or boundaries without the pressure to finish them immediately. I like this astrology in particular for sobering up and doing the work—whatever the “work” is—or for just getting real about something, and grounding your emotional intelligence in practicality…
Nov. 7 – Mercury in Sagittarius enters pre-retrograde shadow, 6°
Starting today, Mercury’s pre-retrograde phase begins, which means foot-in-mouth moments or extra-loud gaffes are likely to kick up soon. Why “extra-loud?” Because Sagittarius is a very loud fire sign. Communication gets looser in freewheeling Sagittarius, so expect more than a few wild—ie: why-did-I-let-that-slip—statements and/or a few scatterbrained moments. Mercury in Sagittarius is fun and adventurous, but remember: Mercury retrograde isn’t far off, so think twice before you go on a truth-telling spree…
Nov. 9 – Venus in Sagittarius squares Neptune Rx in Pisces, 27°
And here’s the dreamiest, most delusional transit of the week: Venus squares Neptune. It’s romantic on the surface—and may act as the perfect antidote to any and all craziness Mercury pre-retrograde brings about—but it can also blur the lines between what’s real and what’s pure fantasy. There’s charm and allure galore, which makes it great for diving into a creative work, but it’s easy to get lost in a story or see what you want to see. Perfect for romantic escapades or creative inspiration, just don’t rely on rock-solid facts (because they’re hard to find)...
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