Dear Reader,

November will be a strong month to get things done, and because a slew of retrograde planets are nipping at our heels, it will be important to use the first two weeks of November to your best advantage, for Mercury will be retrograde in Sagittarius from November 25 to December 15.

Mercury brings delays, lost items, and problems with electronics as well as with machines with moving parts. We tend to rush during Mercury retrograde and often do not make the best decisions—it is a classic no-no to sign contracts during the retrograde, unless you feel you will lose the opportunity altogether if you don’t sign.

Gemini and Virgo are the most sensitive to Mercury’s antics because those signs are ruled by Mercury. If you work in publishing or broadcasting or are a writer, editor, fact checker, code writer, or professional, or work in public relations, sales, marketing, or advertising, as well one of the other communications arts, you will feel Mercury’s mischief, too. Mercury retrogrades three times a year, approximately every 12 weeks for three and a half-weeks.

Overlapping little Mercury will be his big brother Mars, soon to go retrograde too, starting in Leo and moving backward into Cancer. Mars retrogrades every two years, and this time he will be out of phase from December 6, 2024, to February 23, 2025, a period of slightly over 11 weeks.

Mars is all about competing well, primarily in business or athletics, and although you will be able to compete during his retrograde, you will find the entire process harder, requiring much more of your energy, time, and money. It would not be the time to launch a major initiative.

When Mars is done retrograding, his lover Venus will go retrograde, March 1 to April 12 in 2025. Venus will start to retrograde in Aries and back into late degrees of Pisces and will be back to full force by May 16.

Venus rules both Taurus and Libra, so they are the most affected signs when Venus goes retrograde. Venus also rules the beauty and luxury industries, so that would not be the time to introduce new product lines in those industries. On a personal scale, do not schedule radical, expensive changes to your appearance (no Botox, fillers, or a completely new way to wear your hair) during a Venus retrograde period. Venus rules love and fun too, but Venus retrograde is not the time to get married or have a big party or luxury fundraiser.

Venus, Mars, and Mercury are the key planets to watch when retrograde for these are the “personal” planets that orbit closest to Earth. They have the greatest effect on us when retrograde.

No planet jumps back to its former strength after the retrograde is over, so Mercury will take until January 2 and Mars until April 30 to be moving at top speed. Even so, things will improve somewhat after the retrograde is over. Give the affected planet a little time to wake up and be functional again—like people they need a little coffee to get going. So don’t jump into new ventures the day after the planet goes direct, but rather give it at least a few days.

Mercury affects shopping, shipping, and transportation—these are all the elements we need over the holidays, but alas, we can expect a lot of delays. It’s important for each of us to buckle down and get going on holiday planning and shopping immediately and not wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Focus on making the recipient happy—not on the bargain price—because during Mercury retrograde, the products you buy may not thrill your recipient. You might want to do a little sleuth work first to see what each person might like by asking those closest to them.

Now you might be wondering why it took me a little longer to post November, so I will fill you in. You may recall that I suffered a flood in my apartment on April 16. It happened suddenly (not my fault), and my contractor told me I would have to move everything out of my apartment, so he could put in new floors and do other work. I would need to be gone for at least nine months.

I was overwhelmed and came down with a terrible respiratory illness immediately. I began looking for an apartment, but Manhattan has a one percent vacancy rate. After two months of searching, I found a cute one-bedroom in my present building and secured a one-year lease.

I have renewed sympathy for you if you recently moved. It’s a strenuous job, both mentally and physically, especially if you need to keep working through the process.

I finally moved into my new little apartment on September 17—the eclipse! (It was the only date my mover had available, proof that you often get backed into working on eclipses.) Big events often coincide with eclipses. About 70 percent of all I own went into storage. It was necessary to carefully decide what went into storage, what got tossed, and what I needed with me.

Here’s where the big surprise happened. I was finally in my new apartment when the phone rang. It was my agent Weedy, in China, who asked, “Are you all settled in?” Yes, I laughed, I told Weedy that I was finally able to breathe. That’s when Weedy delivered her huge surprise.

“Good! You are coming to Beijing at the invitation of Harper’s Bazaar China. (Weedy lives in Beijing and speaks perfect Mandarina and English.) She said, “I’m sending you a business class round-trip ticket to Beijing, thanks to the kindness of Harper’s Bazaar China. If you accept their invitation you will speak to a large group of people on the Sustainability of Love. The Hyatt Regency Hotel Beijing will have you as their guest with all accommodations paid. Your trip will be 12 days, although the first and last days will be spent flying.”

Weedy explained the entire itinerary, who I’d meet, where and when and that “many people want to meet you.”

Weedy told me that I will also speak at the prestigious museum in Beijing about The Year Ahead 2025. Weedy kept listing one event after another. Harper’s Bazaars China and the Hyatt Regency were being so very kind and generous. I was grateful to Weedy, too, for arranging all the details, which she told me took many people working in concert to make this happen smoothly.

Weedy continued, “I know you have always wanted to see the 8,000 Terracotta Soldiers in Xi’an (the former capital of China), so you will see them on this trip! We will fly to Xi’an, stay at a JW Marriot, and the following day see the exhibit—and fly back to Beijing the next morning.

Each individual soldier was different, unique, and beautifully preserved—the 8000 soldiers are guarding the tomb of the emperor. Weedy hired a licensed educator to explain the exhibit in detail. I was speechless.

I asked Weedy when would I go to China? She replied, “in seven days.” Dear reader, you might want to Google “8000 Terracotta Soldiers in China” to see for yourself the amazing artistic feat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=gTbpjCyUd0g

I did accept the offer. It was such an honor to be invited. It was a wonderful trip and busy too, where every moment was used up. I even conducted a workshop with a Chinese Master on aromatherapy. This gentleman studied aromatherapy all his life and has written seven books on the topic. I was eager to learn, and I feel I entered a new world when I listened to Mr. Yao.

My part in the two-day workshop was to explain Western astrology to the large group who had purchased tickets to the event. I also spoke on the Year Ahead 2025. Throughout my trip, translators were at my side. I had no time in my hotel room alone, as I followed a busy itinerary and had no time to write. Weedy had made sure my trip would be productive, so my daily schedule was almost military in its precision. I love Weedy as a sister, as she has represented me in China for 12 years, and this was my fourth trip.

When I got home on October 22, I had a lot of jetlag, but oddly, going over to China from New York I felt very little jetlag. Beijing’s time zone is precisely 12 hours ahead of New York, so when it was 3:00 PM in Beijing, it was 3:00 AM in New York. I didn’t expect to be hit so hard, as I kept falling asleep at my computer. I never knew when jet lag would kick in—it was like ether coming over me.

Once I landed, I had to finish articles for several overseas magazines. I enjoy working with my editors, as each one gives me a unique cultural perspective. By writing for these magazines I can afford to keep Astrology Zone free for you, dear reader.

After sending 8,500 words to Italy and 7,800 words to South Korea, I wrote 40,000 words for you (divided by 12 signs). There was so much to say in November, that most of the forecasts per sign on Astrology Zone run long this month.

I had considered publishing only the summaries, but I felt you would be disappointed with shorter forecasts, so I worked day and night to get these reports to you.

Whenever I see that there will be a new or full moon at or near month’s end or at the very start of the next month, I always write about it in depth in the previous month’s forecast. This way, you will have that information ahead of time—of course, you wouldn’t feel the influence of that lunation until you entered the following month.

I am also writing my app, so if you have the premium version of Astrology Zone Horoscopes ($4.99 a month on Apple and Google Play), you were seeing approximately 80 words per day per sign so you can read for your Sun sign and rising sign (along with any other sign you want to check). When readers ask can you write faster, some forget that I have to be right in what I say and back it up with aspects, and a lot of time and thought goes into each report for you.

Thank you for so enthusiastically embracing my Year Ahead 2025 Astrological Calendar! My fulfillment house tells me that they are flying out the door, so if you don’t have yours yet, you may want to order one. This way you can plan ahead, for I give an explanation on every important day of what to expect, and I remind you on social media. The artwork is stunning, and it is printed on 100 percent thick cotton paper. The cost is $26.99 plus shipping, and you can order it from the home page of my website, AstrologyZone.com.

This week I am doing a live appearance on Discord.com. It will be on Wednesday, November 6, at 6 PM EST, 3 PM PST, and 11 PM GMT. I often stay on for two to three hours, answering individual questions. If you are not familiar with Discord, it attracts a very special community, and the questions are fascinating. In time you will make friends with members of the online community, based all over the world. You will hear me speak to you, and I will hear your voice too (and so will everyone else). You can give yourself a name and an even choose your avatar.

If you are new to Discord, you need an invite to enter, so here it is, and it will expire in a week. Hurry and sign up so that you won’t be locked out. Come into the General Chat Room, #Astrologyzone. Here is the invitation (Discord’s rules, not mine):

 

https://discord.com/events/974368249087160390/1300937786031083560

 

I hope to meet you there! I promise these sessions are lots of fun. During the process of my move I had to suspend my appearances, but I am diving back in and can hardly wait until Wednesday to hear your questions!

Best wishes,

Susan