November is about checking in with what feels too concentrated in our bodies, emotions, and psyches. As we move through Scorpio season, Hollis encourages listeners to examine what emotional and energetic burdens need to be released in order to create space for renewal and deep healing.

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Today, we're going to be talking about the lunations of November. As we dive into these lunations, I want you to keep in mind the deep healing work that you might be avoiding. I know that sounds heavy right from the start, but I feel like we all have at least one thing lingering in our bodies, minds, or psyches that needs tending to—something tender, something that requires extra attention, sweetness, and real kindness to unearth, sift through, process, and compost.

We are in Scorpio season, which is a perfect time to settle in with those parts of ourselves that we tend to avoid or overlook. The lunations this month, in particular, really support this kind of deep shadow work.

Let's get right into it. The first lunation of the month happens on November 1st. These days—around Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos—are often imbued with a sense of reverence for the dead, for who and what has passed. There's also a focus on rest and looking at the parts of life that require letting go, yielding to the larger forces of this life, this planet, and the generative cycle we find ourselves in as human beings.

As we step into the month, I want you to think about what you might be unnecessarily holding onto. What might be holding back your life force energy from fully thriving and feeling restorative in this world? What burdens are you carrying that you can compost, put down, or, for lack of a better term, let die? Of course, we can do this anytime of year, but this season especially encourages us to set things down, make space, and reclaim life.

So, as I mentioned, the first lunation of the month is on November 1st—a New Moon at 9° of Scorpio. Scorpio energy is all about regeneration, transformation, and deep healing. It's a fixed water sign, and I like to think of it as the part of the ocean that's very still, with not much surface movement, yet always recycling, shifting, and supporting life. Water is never fully still; it has to move, melt, freeze, or change in some way.

When Scorpio energy isn't at its best, it can be fixed and rigid, like an ice cube—hard to break through. But at its highest expression, it's about deeply regenerating those parts of us that seem still or static, places that can be difficult to penetrate. This New Moon is a fantastic time to focus on those areas that have become rigid and need healing, inviting life force energy to flow through them so they can be released and transformed.

I like to think of the places in our bodies that feel stuck or tense as concentrations of energy. It's not that there's no energy there—there's just so much intensity that, when released, it rushes through the body, almost overwhelming us. It can feel like a lot to go into those spaces, but the release is powerful and necessary.  

Almost like massaging out a knot, it can feel painful at first. But once you get into those spaces and open them up, inviting more blood flow and allowing the energy that was stuck to flow into the rest of your body, it's incredibly healing, generative, and transformative—which is exactly what Scorpio is all about.

So, I invite you to start thinking around this time of the month about the intentions you want to set for your own inner healing. What are you ready to physically shed? What is weighing you down, even if it’s just energetically? It could be a past experience that you're ready to work through, forgive, or let go of—or, as I’ve said before, compost. What is truly ready to be healed and transformed so that you can regain that energy? So you can step into a more evolved version of yourself—one that holds what you’ve experienced in the past, acknowledges it, but only takes what you most needed from those experiences, leaving the rest behind.

The ruler of this New Moon is Mars, which is currently in Cancer. Mars is going to be in Cancer for quite a while. It's about to station retrograde later in December, moving from Leo back into Cancer. We’ll be focusing on this area of life for a while—through February, March, April, and even into June of next year due to this Mars transit.

Mars is the archetype of the warrior, the planet that charges forward after what it wants. But in Cancer, Mars is either softened or a bit disillusioned by emotions. Normally, during the Scorpio New Moon, Mars would encourage you to take concrete, passionate action in pursuit of what you desire and want to fight for. But because Mars is in Cancer, there might be an overemphasis on the emotional quality of this New Moon, which could be cathartic. If you choose to do deep shadow work around this time—and I recommend you do—it might bring up big emotions, maybe even heat in the body.

So, I invite you to enter into any healing work around this time with some cooling practices in your back pocket. Perhaps you could incorporate water into your practices—drinking lots of water, or even taking a cooling bath rather than a heating one. Anything that helps your body find equilibrium is beneficial because there's potential for becoming overly emotional during this period. While this can lead to a big release, which you might really need to move forward on the path you want to take, it’s important to stay grounded.

Also, if we don't enter into this with intention, it can become a bit inflamed. So, know that this is a time to do the deep work, but allow it to have a quality of flow rather than agitation, obsessiveness, or manipulation. We want to approach this thinking, "How can I move through this with grace so that I come out transformed in the most easeful way possible?"

That’s the New Moon on November 1st. Again, I encourage you to reflect on what you're ready to take action around, especially in relation to your own healing. Feel through it, and pay close attention to your body during this time. If you tend to overheat, definitely use all your cooling remedies, whatever they may be.

This New Moon is at 9° of Scorpio, so if you have any planets around 9° of Scorpio, or in the other water signs (Cancer or Pisces), you might feel really supported in your healing right now. However, if you have planets at 9° in any of the other fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, or Aquarius—you might feel a bit more agitation or friction in doing this healing work.

This work may happen organically. You might experience a moment where a feeling arises, or an experience shifts something subtle in your consciousness—and that could be the work. You don't have to enter this New Moon with a big ritual (though it’s an excellent time of year to do so if you feel called). You can simply move through your daily routines and find the healing you need there.

Now, let’s talk about the second lunation of the month, which is a Full Moon at 24° of Taurus on November 15th. This brings me back to the theme of composting because when I think of Taurus, I think of composting energy. Taurus season is springtime, when the sun is in Taurus, and it's all about the things we’ve seeded that are ready to be integrated into the earth, to nourish it. In return, that nourishment helps create something new. And what do we do in springtime when we’re working with the earth? We work in the compost.  

This Full Moon, which has been building since Taurus season back in April and May, represents a culmination of something in your life that you've been growing or building. Taurus is an energy all about practicality, productivity, and stability, so there’s something that has been moving forward step by step, and it’s now reaching a point of release or fulfillment.

What’s important about this Full Moon is its emphasis on "the work" because the ruler of the Full Moon, Venus, is in Capricorn, another Earth sign. Capricorn is all about effort, long-term vision, and commitment to the long game. So, there's likely something in your life—not necessarily related to your daily work—that you've been steadily dedicating yourself to. This is now reaching a point where you can finally say, "I did this. I built this," and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

It could also be a moment where you realize you’ve been rigid or fixed in some area of your life, and now you're ready to create more space. This Full Moon is closely aligned with Uranus, which has been in Taurus for the past eight years, shaking up the area of your chart ruled by Taurus. Uranus wants to invite more freedom into this part of your life, encouraging you to disrupt old patterns and create space for new energy to flow in.

Perhaps the Scorpio New Moon two weeks prior helped you shift your perspective on something in your life, your personality, relationships, or career. Now, you may be ready to release the rigidity and embrace what feels good. Taurus, ruled by Venus, is all about aesthetics and luxury—not just in the traditional sense but also in following what feels good. It could mean treating yourself to something indulgent, like a latte instead of home-brewed coffee, or simply going for a long walk because it feels right.

So, what in your life right now is making room for more of that feeling-good energy? How can you tap into your personal sense of luxury? You might even find yourself daydreaming about ways to invite more of that pleasure and joy into your life.

As we approach the holiday season, a time that can be stressful and busy, consider what has felt harsh, stiff, or rigid. During this Full Moon, ask yourself what you can give to yourself to create a little more space and ease. This is your opportunity to compost what’s been weighing you down and tap into the same sense of flow that we embraced during the Scorpio New Moon a few weeks ago.

This whole month is about checking in with what feels too concentrated in our bodies, emotions, and psyches. How can we invite more generativity into those spaces? As we move through the final part of the year—November, December, and even into early 2025—there are some challenging things we’ll be grappling with collectively. The more we enter those tough spaces, conversations, and relationships with rigidity, the less likely we are to find healing and pleasure. But if we approach them with sweetness, a desire for transformation and flow, we might come out the other side with a deeper sense of healing and stability, rather than feeling stuck or rigid about how things should be.

We’re working with two fixed signs, Scorpio and Taurus, both of which carry qualities of healing, relationship-building, and generativity. I encourage you to relax the fixity around what you think needs to happen, or what you’ve been holding on to—old ideas, beliefs, or ways of being—and instead, invite more possibility for transformation and connection. I know it’s easier said than done, but we are all capable of it if we create a little more space in our minds and hearts, focusing on connection rather than division or separateness.

As a reminder, the Full Moon at 24° of Taurus on November 15th might bring a sense of pleasure and release, especially if you have planets in Virgo, Capricorn, or Taurus at 24°. If you have planets at 24° of Scorpio, Aquarius, or Leo (the other fixed signs), this may feel more intense, requiring a bit more work to find connection and sweetness. But once again, I encourage you to think less about what needs to be held, especially in the body. When we’re stressed, we tend to constrict, brace, and hold on. This month, pay attention to when that happens in your body—remember, the Moon rules the body—and consciously invite breath, flow, ease, and release. This could be a great time for self-care: getting a massage, drinking plenty of water, and doing movement practices that feel gentle and easeful. All of these can help counterbalance the intensity of the times.

Also, with the Scorpio New Moon energy still present, this is a wonderful time to connect to your ancestral lineage. Consider what your ancestors did during tough times and how they managed to navigate through difficulties. What healing or transformation would you ask for if you could call it in from your ancestors, through to you now, and even for future generations? Maybe try a meditation to connect with them and hear what they have to teach you about healing and transformation.

That wraps up November. I wish you all a beautiful month full of healing, rejuvenation, and the release of tension to invite more energy into your life and body. Next month, December, is the final month of the year, and it’s going to be a big one! We have three lunations—a New Moon in Sagittarius, followed by a Full Moon in Gemini, and finally, a New Moon in Capricorn to close out 2024, just before we step into 2025.