Samhain 2024

Into the Depths: New Moon in Scorpio 2024

New Moon @ 9 degrees Scorpio 35'

November 1, 2024

5:47 AM PDT

8:47 AM EDT

November's New Moon in tropical Scorpio coincides with Samhain (aka Halloween), a significant Celtic/Pagan cross-quarter day to honor, remember, and give offerings to the ancestors and those who've passed on. The meaning of Samhain and Halloween fits neatly within the Scorpio archetype, which derives some of its symbolism from the venomous, nocturnal arachnid.

Scorpio is a sign of reality's unseen and sometimes culturally subjugated depths. It connects with the shadow and the underworld. It has ties to a high level of emotional and psychic depth and intelligence. Scorpio also has shamanic, psychological, and mystical qualities that connect it with mystery, ecstasy, and terror. Experiences that bring us to the edges and the depths in both positive and negative manifestations fall into the Scorpionic domain.

As the first New Moon free of eclipse season and occurring before the Mars/Mercury retrograde storm in December, this is a better lunation for implementation and initiation. With the Samhain/Scorpio element, perhaps also for magic or rituals too. With Mars' close opposition to Pluto (it will revisit twice more due to its upcoming retrograde from early December through late February), this is a powerful New Moon for tapping into the unconscious terrain for healing, insight, and psychic integration.

A water grand trine between Mars, Neptune, and Mercury represents a synergistic flow of emotion, creativity, intuition, and tangible access to the numinous. This New Moon is a fertile portal for implementing anything we want to go deep into or intensely feel and experience. In its negative manifestation, there is such heightened emotional power that reason and common sense might get left out of whatever processes or experiences consume us.

The Mars-Pluto opposition can also reflect the less pleasant aspects of the Mars archetype and bring to the surface issues you will find yourself confronting and transmuting through the start of next year. Anger, frustration, and grief can represent some of the more tumultuous terrain we might be moving through to make space for what's emerging. Acknowledging obstacles that block willpower can bring you closer to the source of particular frustrations or setbacks.

As often with Mars, there is a conflict over the proper use of will, force, and self-assertion. Consider areas where pulling back might be more effective or where you need to push yourself more. The dissipation of motivation to pursue specific ambitions or goals might represent hitting a dead end with something no longer suited for you. Mars' ongoing opposition to Pluto through the new year transition can help align the primal and spiritual will to connect more clearly to those essential desires and how to claim them best.