Empty of holidays, full of potential
Horoscopes for Hodesh Cheshvan 5780
Chodesh Cheshvan is sometimes called “empty” because there are no holidays, but the secret to this Ma’adin/Mars-ruled month is that it is full of hidden potential. Cheshvan’s Tribal ruler Menashe hid his identity while acting as an interpreter between his father, Yosef, who himself was disguised as the prime minister of Egypt, and the brothers when they came to buy food during the famine. Scorpio, the zodiac sign of Cheshvan, employs secrecy and subterfuge in the service of ultimate truth and the greatest good. The energy of deep investigation and uncovering hidden truth is powerful this month!
Kochav/Mercury’s retrograde in Scorpio through November 20 probes into what is hidden, and revisits facts you thought were solid, but which now need re-checking. Looking deeply into uncomfortable or even unpleasant matters is important now and will yield longterm positive results for everyone involved. A crisis in continuity of authority and confusion around leadership roles is possible when Shabbtai/Saturn in Capricorn sextiles Rahav/Neptune in Pisces on November 8. Beautiful illusions or dangerous delusions are likely when Noga/Venus in independent-minded Sagittarius squares dreamy Neptune in imaginative Pisces November 14. The full Taurus moon November 12 illuminates our relationship with Mother Earth. Tzedek/Jupiter’s station at the galactic center November 15-20 focuses attention on humanity’s largest communal issues and demands confrontation with deniers who control valuable resources without caring for our collective future.
One of Scorpio’s symbols is the phoenix, which self-immolates and rises from its own ashes to a new life. Like Menashe who used pretense to achieve reconciliation, this is the month to use every means possible to recreate yourself anew. The only ones who will come away from Chodesh Cheshvan empty-handed are those who prefer the superficial to the deep, and those who fear letting go to experience truly transformative change.
“All’s fair in love and war,” and this Mars-ruled month asks if you’ll fight for the love you believe in. Your ruling red planet Ma’adin (Mars) in peace-loving, harmony-seeking Libra through November 18 gives way to Mars in intense, passionate Scorpio on the 19th. The gloves come off: no more playing nice or diplomatic maneuvers, especially with Mercury in retrograde Scorpio. Beware of wounding words: fighting fair isn’t half as important to you as winning, but consider the possible damage left in the wake of battle and try to achieve your relationship goals without instituting a scorched-earth policy.
Reveling in earthly delights will be your favorite activity while lustrous planetary ruler Noga (Venus) lingers in expansive, exuberant, all-ornothing-at-all Sagittarius through November 24, conjunct Tzedek (Jupiter) and supersizing your appetite for all things pleasurable. The full Taurus moon November 12 beckons you to fill your heart, your freezer and your bank account with non-perishable treasures. Change-agent Uranus in Taurus opposite Mars in Scorpio November 24 moves the needle from conformity to unconventionality in original, surprising ways. Tribal ruler Issachar’s secrets of discerning the times reveals how to have your cake and eat it too: perfect timing is everything.
Planetary ruler Kochav (Mercury) in retrograde Scorpio through November 20 brings secrecy, subterfuge, and sub-rosa investigations. Like tribal ruler Zevulun you’ll revisit the highways and byways of your travels, both literal and figurative, searching for what you may have left behind. Tempted to revisit the crossroads where your ways diverged, and where the path not taken might have led? Mercury’s trine to Neptune November 25 re-imagines a better ending to the story you’ve been replaying in your head for the longest time. You can heal the past with self-forgiveness and a clear vision for the future unimpeded by regret.
Moon-ruled Cancer is generally comfortable during watery Chodesh Cheshvan, though retrograde Mercury in mysterious Scorpio has you investigating your own deepest feelings about survival of the fittest vs. the qualities of mercy, which you truly believe must not be strained. Your sense of personal responsibility as well as your own vulnerability to an unstable environment peaks not with fear but with courage when the full Taurus moon November 12 brings out the earth mother warrior. “Save our home” takes on global activism dimensions to tribal leader Reuven’s celestial descendants. Lead the way to healing with your tender, sensitive heart.
Tribal Ruler Shimon’s legendary passion is easily aroused during Chodesh Cheshvan, and your charm quotient is almost off the charts with Noga/Tzedek (Venus/Jupiter) in joyously hospitable Sagittarius. Be very aware of your own powerful presence and innate strength and realize how intimidating you may be to the shyer and quieter ones around you. You’ll want to be gracious and turn your dazzling spotlight on others at the full moon in Taurus November 12. Generosity is always your loveliest adornment. Accumulated wisdom dispensed with grace at the last quarter moon in Leo November 19 raises your reputation and value.
Summon Gad’s tribal troops with Kochav (Mercury) in retrograde Scorpio through November 19: you’ve got a lot of sorting, sifting, measuring and deciding to do around issues of your immediate environment. You’re looking for clues and conducting a forensic investigation of your resources to determine what is “mine” and what is “ours.” You’ll have to decide if taking a chance on a big dream is really doubling down on a bad bet when Mercury trines Neptune November 28, and that’s going to take discernment. Partnerships bring more to the table than what can be weighed and measured November 20-21.
The full Taurus moon November 12, coupled with planetary ruler Noga/Venus in Tzedek/ Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius, almost guarantees both exceedingly good times and the tendency to over-indulgence this month. The square of sensual Venus to dreamy Neptune November 14 is so enchanting you may forget altogether that you have either a budget or boundaries. Whether you fight or give in, the pursuit of or the struggle against pleasure’s unpleasant consequences occupy you through November 25, after which Venus in pragmatic Capricorn will ask to see the bill and scold you for it. Original, creative solutions to practical matters appear November 28.
Retrograde Mercury in Scorpio through November 20 has you re-examining your recent choices with microscopic precision and this has you feeling a little like you’re driving with the emergency brake on. Tribal ruler Menashe disguised as a servant was a secret interpreter between Yosef and his brothers in Egypt; you may interpret secrets this month and decide whether they should be made public or kept private. Ma’adin/Mars in Scorpio from November 25 makes up for lost time, re-energizing and renewing your basic life-force and recalibrating your values and priorities to align with your truest self and most pressing needs.
This is the last month of ruling planet Tzedek/ Jupiter in Sagittarius, where it’s been since last November. It’s up to you to wring every possible blessing from this transit, which occurs only once every 12 or 13 years. Tribal ruler Benyamin’s restoration to his brothers sparked the immense joy of togetherness we celebrate on Tu b’Av; this month is your personal version of that same level of joy. Noga/Venus in Sagittarius is always ready for fun; square Neptune November 14 tests the quality of your dreams for sustainability. New Moon in Sagittarius November 26 begins a new life cycle.
Tribal ruler Dan’s function is the fierce protection of borders: guard your own boundaries against usurpers and check your assumptions about who is in charge November 1-2. Misunderstandings around issues of authority around November 8 with ruling planet Shabbtai/Saturn’s sextile to Neptune in Pisces which may feel confusing. Full moon in earthy Taurus November 12 invites you to ground yourself and embody calm, loving patience. Life takes a turn for the sweeter November 25 with Noga/Venus’s entry into Capricorn; you may be in for a flash of brilliant originality leading to development of your own unique ideas November 28.
First quarter moon in Aquarius November 4 opens a new personal growth cycle. Modern planetary ruler Oron/Uranus’s long retrograde in Taurus has seeded new ideas and fresh dreams: now determine which ones are viable in the fertile soil of your fresh start. Your cares are global and your focus on the macro rather than the micro, but take time for self-care November 15-20. Your tendency to make choices based on what works for the greater good may undermine your personal health and well-being goals: there should be no daylight between what’s good for humanity and what’s good for you.
Run swiftly like your tribal ruler Naftali into the arms of unimpeded sweet togetherness November 5-7 but watch impulsive actions November 14; you won’t have a big picture view of the entire situation until after modern planetary ruler Rahav/Neptune stations direct November 27, signaling your readiness to make important decisions you’ve been mulling since mid-June. Retrograde Mercury in fellow water-sign Scorpio through November 20 inspires fact-checking and re-running the numbers on offers you’ve received to calculate whether they really add up for the better after all the details have been factored in. Vote yea or nay with your feet!
The writer and multi-media communicator Lorelai Kude began her career as a professional astrologer in the 1980s. She holds a bachelor’s in journalism from San Francisco State University and a master’s in Jewish Studies from Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union, where her thesis topic was astrology in Jewish cultural history. Find more of her work at astrolojew.com