In 2026 giving thanks seems more important than ever. Clearly we are living in wildly chaotic times, and it helps to remember we chose to be here and bring our light and love to this time.  The gift of this life and our opportunity to bring loving kindness to ourselves, each other and these times has never been more important.

Due to travels and other unexpected events I didn’t get much time to write insights for the November Celestial Timings. I will add to this as time presents and meanwhile the videos below on the cross-quarter and Pluto are worth seeing or revisiting if you have already seen them.

Nov 01 All Saints Day Last Quarter Moon 9°Leo 26
Nov 02 Moon conjunction Mars and Jupiter visible in the morning sky
Nov 04 Sun conjunction retrograde Mercury in Scorpio
Nov 07 The November Cross-Quarter Moon conjunct Retrograde Venus in Libra visible in the morning sky
Nov 08/09 Scorpio New Moon 16 Scorpio 53 close to Zubenelgenubi
Nov 11 Veteran’s Day
Nov 13 Mercury and Venus station Direct On this Venus Day celebrated in many ancient cultures as a time to honor the Goddess https://cayelincastell.com/what-is-up-with-the-number-13/
Nov 15 Moon conjunction Pluto and Mars conjunct Jupiter
Nov 19 Mars trine Chiron and Sun square Mars
Nov 20 Moon conjunction Neptune and Saturn
Nov 21/22 Sun enters Sagittarius
Nov 23 Sun trine Neptune
Nov 24 Gemini Full Moon 2°Gemini 20′ near Uranus and the Pleiades
Nov 25 Sagittarius Sun opposite Uranus in Gemini and Mars enters Virgo
Nov 26 Thanksgiving and Moon enters Cancer at the Center of the Sacred Hoop of Stars.
Nov 28 Venus opposite Chiron
Nov 29/30 Sun trine Saturn
Nov 30 Moon conjunction Jupiter and Mars

Annual November Highlights

In the old Roman Calendar, November is the ninth month. Novem means 9 and was so named when the calendar year began with the Spring Equinox in March. As I shared last month – our current calendar begins in January so the months are no longer numbered according to their names.

Plus, July and August are named after Julius and Augustus Caesar and fall in the summer because that was the most desirable time of year so instead of shifting the months to match their numbers July and August stayed in the summer and the last 4 months of the year no longer match their number by name.

November also features the Cross-Quarter exact on November 6/7 but now celebrated on November 1 as All Saints Day a Roman Catholic observance devised as a way to discourage pagan cultures from their unholy ways of celebrating the dead.

November 2 is All Souls Day a Catholic holiday reminding all souls still in this world to live a holy life, while also praying for the souls lost in purgatory. In more ancient traditions Nov 2 honors the Dead. In Mexico and parts of the Western United States, Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead celebrations date back at least 3,000, surviving the Spanish Conquistadors attempts over 500 years ago to eradicate this Meso-American tradition.

Many other cultural traditions have also used this seasonal timing when the plants are dying and preparing their seeds for rebirth to honor and remember the ancestors, those who have died, and all who have come before. It is a time for celebrating and recognizing the cycle of death as an important part of the cycle of life.

The ancient Celts celebrated this cross-quarter time as their New Year’s point called Samhain usually on the New or Full Moon closest to the astrological cross-quarter (the Scorpio New Moon is on November 01 and the Taurus Full Moon is November 15).

This cross-quarter is a time when the veils between all the worlds, especially the world of the living and the world of the dead, are thinnest.

The Celts believed this timing was most powerful for looking into the future and for accessing other worlds more easily. This was (and is) a time to go within and seek guidance from the ancestors for the coming year. This was celebrated as a night of High Magic for those attuned to the mysteries, celebrating death and rebirth, endings and beginnings, and that which is yet to come.

It was believed that this timing when worked with consciously helped to set the pattern for the coming year. More about the November Cross-Quarter and how the Sun is with Zubenelgenubi creating a Star Gate to a New World. https://cayelincastell.com/the-swing-between-the-worlds-at-the-november-cross-quarter/

November 1 is All Saints Day, a Roman Catholic observance honoring their Saints who reside in Heaven. Also in the Catholic tradition Nov 2 is All Souls Day reminding souls here to live a holy life and to pray for the souls lost in purgatory. In more ancient traditions Nov 2 honors the Dead. In Mexico and many parts of the Western United States, the celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) dates back at least 3,000 years and has even survived the Spanish Conquistadors attempts over 500 years ago to eradicate this tradition.

Many other cultural traditions have also used this seasonal timing, when the plants are dying and preparing their seeds for rebirth, to honor and remember the ancestors, those who have died recently, and all who have come before. It is a time for celebrating and recognizing the cycle of death as an important part of the cycle of life.

The ancient Celts celebrated this cross-quarter time as their New Year’s point called Samhain usually on the New or Full Moon closest to the astrological cross-quarter currently happening on Nov 7. The Samhain cross-quarter is when the veils between all the worlds, especially the world of the living and the world of the dead, are thinnest. The Celts believed this timing was most powerful for looking into the future and for accessing other worlds more easily.

This was (and is) a time to go within and seek guidance from the ancestors for the coming year. This was celebrated as a night of High Magic for those attuned to the mysteries, celebrating death and rebirth, endings and beginnings, and that which is yet to come. It was also believed that this timing when worked with consciously helped to set the pattern for the coming year.

November 30 begins the Sun’s passage below the constellation known as Ophiuchus. This is because astronomers redrew the constellations in 1928 so that the feet of Ophiuchus are seen resting on the ecliptic (see image to the right and the slide on the next page) It is the factor that has given rise to astronomers telling us there are 13 signs, basically saying astrologers are wrong. In reality they are creating 13 constellations along the ecliptic or path the planets travel. There could be any number of constellations along the ecliptic depending on how the constellations are drawn.

The 12 signs however are based on seasons and these seasons move through the constellations. The challenge is the seasonal signs and the constellations share the same name and that is what creates the confusion. See Article about why there is NOT a 13th sign.

That is why based on how the constellations were redrawn in 1928 the Sun is said to travel through the constellation of Ophiuchus a.k.a The Serpent Bearer from Nov 29 to Dec 17 by astronomers. However, it is important to note that during this time the Sun is also still traveling through the body of the Scorpion.

Ophiuchus, or Serpentarius, is known as the Serpent-holder, the Serpent Bearer, the Serpent Wrestler, or the Snake Charmer, because he is usually depicted holding the snake constellation Serpens.

Ophiuchus has also been identified with Aesculapius (Asklepios, Asclepius), the ancient Greek physician who learned the secrets of bringing the dead back to life from a serpent. And the caduceus is linked with imagery or mythology. (see image to the left)

In times past, the physicians or healers were the witch doctors, shamans, medicine men/women, herbalists etc. Their aim was holistic healing of mind, body and spirit. They used herbs, potions, charms, incantations, exorcism, magic, divination, dreams and prayers, in their means to establish the cure.

In the temples of Aesculapius the healing process began with looking at the night time dreams of the patient or images that were gained from other altered states.

Other imagery connected to Ophuichus and Serpens is kundalini (a Sanskrit word meaning ‘coiled up’ or ‘coiling like a snake’). The cultivation and management of this life-force has been the aim of these healers who ulitilized drumming, trance, chanting, hallucinogenics etc. to facilitate intuitive diagnostics and the cure.

Each year while the Sun is passing below Ophiuchus, the dreaming doorway is being illuminated. Setting an intention to receive dream messages especially related to questions and issues of health and wellbeing are highly recommended. https://cayelincastell.com/the-serpent-bearer/

Scholars feel that that the name Asklepios as described in Homer’s Iliad may come from the Greek askein gives us the word ascetic, a hermit or monk, from Greek asketikos, asketes, ‘one that exercises or practices’, from askein ‘to exercise, train’. The –epia, –epios, in the name Asklepios is variously translated ‘gentle’, ‘kind’, ‘calm’, ‘soothing’.

Ophiuchus, as the Serpent Bearer may well be reminding us of the importance of Kundalini, life force energy and our the wholeness or healing that comes from a healthy relationship with this energy.

November Meteor Showers

The Leonids Metero shower isn’t a particularly strong meteor shower most years, however in 2002 it was spectacular with about 3000 meteors in an hour blazing across the sky.

We won’t have a repeat performance of that magnitude until 2099 when the Earth again passes through a dense strand of debris shed by the meteor showers parent, 55P/Temple – Tuttle.

Moderately spectacular displays of this meteor shower bring about 100 meteors per hour and that is expected to happen again in 2031 and 2064.

The Leonids meteor shower peaks on November 17 and will have a few fast streaking meteors between three and 5:30 AM local time.

The Northern and Southern Taurids are also happening this month. These meteor showers have low rates of meteors but many of them appear as fireballs that are magical to see. If you ever see one of these fireballs it will likely be memorable.

The Northern Taurids reach their maximum on the night of November 11 and 12 with a waning lunar crescent Moon suggesting visibility will be good if you have clear skies. These Meteors radiate from about 1° south of the Pleiades.

The Southern Taurid peak on the night of October 29 and 30 with a Full Moon dimming prospects of seeing these meteors however this meteor shower remains active until November 20 radiating roughly 12° south west of the Pleiades.