Rolling the Dice
Mars squares the Lunar Nodes this week (Nov. 24, 2025, 5:32 am PST) at 14º32’ Sagittarius and Pisces/Virgo. Mars in Sagittarius jolts us out of Virgo South Node perfectionism and toward the Pisces North Node’s realm of faith, imagination, and possibility. Even small steps toward our dreams bring rewards—even if they don’t look exactly like we imagine.
That approach of just letting ourselves enjoy the journey forward is a challenge when we’re talking about the North Node, which represents what we’re not that comfortable with yet. And in Pisces, the North Node path is about taking leaps of faith, allowing ourselves to set out on a meandering path instead of a strait one. That’s not always comfortable for those who prefer a prescribed and practical path, which is symbolized by the South Node in Virgo.
But the square from Mars in Sagittarius asks: Do you want to hang on to your calendars and spreadsheets, or does focusing on absolutes risk missing the mark of what the soul is seeking to become? Mars in Sagittarius likes to roll the dice on new adventures, and they could actually take you further along your path toward faith and magic.
Love Story
Mercury conjoins Venus this week (Mon., Nov 24, 5:52 pm PST, 22°45′ Scorpio) on the whimsical Sabian symbol, A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy, merging their magic in transformative Scorpio. Through what we love and how we tell the story of that love, we encounter opportunities for Scorpionic metamorphosis.
What do you really want to become? In particular, what do you want in the area of life represented by the Scorpio house of your chart? As Mercury makes a conjunction with Venus, it might be easier to figure out the answer.
Some of the clues to our desires may be as direct and to the point as we might expect from Mercury in Scorpio. But some will come about through Venus in Scorpio’s deep hunches fathomless knowing.
More – But Not Too Much
Many years ago, after over-indulging in a big Mexican lunch with a couple of margaritas, my husband and I almost bought a house. Every grand adventure seems like an even better idea when you’re under the influence of tortilla chips and tequila.
Venus trine Jupiter (Nov. 26, 2025, 8:31 am PST) feels very much like a big, festive, indulgent lunch, complete with a cocktail and dessert. Venus symbolizes the things we desire, and Jupiter is the planet of “gimme more of that.” With these two casting inhibitions to the wind, watch your spending, especially when it comes to household luxuries – or even households.
Luckily, Venus trines Saturn the same day (Nov. 26, 3:48 pm PST). We did end up putting in an offer on that house, but we eventually pulled out after we came to our senses. Similarly, if you overdo it too much this morning, Saturn will help you sober up this afternoon!
Authority
When Saturn is retrograde in a birth chart, it’s often the sign of a person who grew up with relatively little external authority. Sometimes a parent was missing from the picture, or else somewhat faded, receding into the background. They might have been a latch-key kid, or taken on responsibility for their siblings from a young age.
When transiting Saturn is retrograde – as it is for nearly half of each year – we’re left to our own leadership and authority, to hammer out boundaries, rules, and responsibility for ourselves.
This week, as Saturn turns direct (Nov. 27, 2025, 7:51 pm PST, 25º09’ Pisces), it’s likely we’ll see authorities in our lives – some across the Thanksgiving table – flex their muscles to try to enforce their rules. But during the months of Saturn’s retrograde, we’ve internalized our own rules, our own authority, and will be less inclined to take our marching orders from anyone else.
Moving Parts
I love to travel, but whenever I do, I feel vaguely under siege. It’s wonderful to get a change of scenery, yet I live in constant fear of losing things or leaving them behind, as though I’m moving too fast in unfamiliar surroundings and would lose my head if it wasn’t fastened on.
Sagittarius is the sign of the wanderer, the traveler, and the Sun’s annual passage here is suited to leaps of faith and exploration. But as the Moon moves into its First Quarter, in the easily-distracted sign of Pisces (Nov. 27, 2025, 10:59 pm PST), too many moving parts, too many things changing at once, can knock us off our pins.
The First Quarter Moon always urges us to move ahead instinctively, to take a step forward. This particular one comes with a warning, though – to err on the side of caution, to ask what feels like the right next step, and to avoid doing too many things at once.
Waken, Stretch, and Focus
You know how it feels to stand up after you’ve been sitting still at your desk for a couple of hours, or to awaken groggy from a long, deep nap, or to redirect your focus after being intensely consumed in a task? That’s approximately the sensation of Mercury stationing direct (Nov. 29, 2025, 9:38 am PST) after a three-week retrograde period. After a vexing retrograde period that began on Nov. 9, the signal light turns green, and it’s time to shift gears and move forward.
But it’s not as cut-and-dried as that. The traffic light clicks over right away, but you’ll probably need a day or two to let your mind awaken, stretch, and focus, and to let matters that have been stuck have a chance to unstick themselves.
Genie’s Bottle
I have picked out my dream house. It’s a tiny, dowdy beach house on a desirable stretch of beach in a small, rather remote village on California’s central coast. Let’s say the gods someday saw fit to grant my wish. And that on one wintry, rain-soaked morning, a gigantic mudslide closes down the main highway through town, trapping me in the situation I wished for.
We have our desires, and even if we succeed in summoning them, they can be complicated by hard realities and isolation that we didn’t see coming.
This, in a nutshell, is Venus in magical Scorpio opposed Uranus (the unexpected) in down-to-earth Taurus (Nov. 29, 2025, 6:48 pm PST, 29º05’ Scorpio-Taurus). The desires we’re intent on manifesting could possibly end up cutting us off from connecting with others, and with the world at large. Wishing for a change in our current circumstances might open a genie’s bottle of drama.
The ultimate objective of this opposition is something in-between – a dream that satisfies our desires while keeping us from becoming too complacent. As Venus in Scorpio opposes Uranus this week, it will find a way to demonstrate that even magic has its limitations, and is subject to the visible world’s unforeseen interventions.
The Power of the Song
I was born with Venus trine Neptune, and before my life as an astrologer I was a singer and musician. When I stood onstage to sing, I felt a loving exchange of energy between me and the audience. And if it was an especially vulnerable and emotional song, this connect felt magical, almost healing.
All art has the potential to elevate us, heal us, and bond us more closely with others. As Venus trines Neptune (Nov. 30, 2025, 12:48 am PST, 29º24’Scorpio-Pisces), it’s easier than usual to summon our talents and our loving hearts to create a beautiful, uplifting, and healing bridge between ourselves and others – or maybe one special other.
Exciting Stranger
You can love someone for a very long time, really think you know everything there is to know about them… and then one day, they surprise you. They use a word you’ve never heard them use, or share an anecdote you’ve never heard. And just like that, it’s like being in love with an entirely different person.
When Venus is in Sagittarius (Nov. 30, 2025, 12:14 pm PST, through Dec. 24), we’re enchanted by the novel, different, or foreign. If you’ve spent a lot of time memorizing every square inch of your home and every quirk of the people who share it with you, you may be craving new food, new company, or just a change of scenery. Sagittarius is a vagabond sign, and Venus in this sign loves to travel – literally, or just emotionally.
While Venus is in Sagittarius, we can gain enjoyment from the unfamiliar even if we don’t venture far from home. Try cooking a new dish from an unfamiliar cuisine. Download an app that will help you learn a few phrases in a foreign language. Pore over maps and plan future adventures. And keep your eyes and ears open for those happy little moments when a loved one of many years suddenly becomes an exciting stranger.
Writing and images © 2017-2025 by April Elliott Kent
