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Monthly
Horoscope:
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
November 2008
Look who’s talking! Crabs everywhere emerge from their shells in November, enjoying some long-overdue fun and flirtation. Romance and self-expression color the beginning of November, as the Sun, Mars and Mercury visit your outspoken, passionate fifth house. Get out for some dates, dancing and dinner, or pick up a creative project again. It’s time to express yourself!
Your loved ones will celebrate this coming-out, as you’ve been pretty internal for the past few months. That changes on November 2nd, when Neptune ends a five-month retrograde (backward) period in your private, intimate eighth house. Since June, you’ve felt extra vulnerable, with a few old wounds being poked by people you thought you could trust. Figuring out who was truly on your team may have been a losing battle, and any breakups or fights reawakened layers of old pain from your past. Neptune gave you an opportunity to heal, but you probably did so in a cocoon-like state.
If you started a new relationship this year—as many Cancers did—Neptune brought you closer than ever to your mate. However, you could have felt so far out of your comfort zone that you temporarily shut down! The overwhelm should pass now, helping you settle into a comfortable glow together. The eighth house also rules debt, large amounts of money, real estate and legal matters. The fog now lifts in any of those areas for you, too.
Either way, at month’s end your entire approach to relationships and commitment is going to change radically—and permanently. That’s because Pluto, planet of deep transformation, moves into a new sign for the first time in 13 years. On November 27, Pluto leaves your sixth house of health and service, and enters Capricorn, your seventh house of committed partnerships. It will stay here until 2023, causing a slow but sure evolution in your approach to relationships.
Let’s first talk about the cycle that’s coming to a close. Pluto is known for dishing out harsh, seemingly unfair lessons that force you to reckon with your “shadow side” or face your demons. From 1995 until now, Pluto may have challenged your health as a way of signaling a deeper internal issue—the mind-body connection was strong for you, Cancer. If you put on weight, struggled with stress, or grappled with an illness, your mental and emotional state could have been the cause. (We recommend checking out Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life for an interesting look at this theory.)
The sixth house also rules servants and assistants, and you may have felt like the underappreciated workhorse at times—always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Establishing a routine or steady work could have been challenging, too. Just when you thought you were “in there,” something came along to knock it all apart. Gossip and complaining could have colored your friendships, putting you in a negative mindset. Hopefully, you learned under Pluto’s influence to deal with perfectionism and its paralyzing influence. Taking care of yourself with proper diet and exercise became an essential skill for many Cancers, too.
When this cycle ends on the 27th, it’s time to turn your attention to relationships. Your martyr days are over! Cancer, in the past, you may have won allies by letting people unload their complaints on you, but any health issues you’ve experienced could be from misplaced guilt or shouldering other people’s burdens. If you’ve been carrying others at your own expense, it’s time to seek equal partnerships where power is evenly distributed. At times, you may need to be uncomfortably assertive, dealing head-on with dominating people who don’t really have your best interests at heart. You may get a flash preview of this around the November 13 full moon in your house of groups and friends. If a friendship or affiliation has come to its natural conclusion, cutting ties could be necessary.
The seventh house is ruled by democratic Libra, and with Pluto’s fighting spirit, you’re called to stand up for what you feel is fair. Although you’re often in the middle of warring factions among friends and family, you’ll become much more vocal about wanting peace. You’ll be less the diplomat and more likely to draw a line in the sand. They call it boundaries, and you won’t believe how good they feel.
Cancer, when you first realize how much you’ve suppressed to be a “good sport,” you might feel angry. Let the emotions come up, but don’t get stuck there. You will soon become skilled at putting together the right ingredients for balanced, healthy relationships. Trust that it will all work out.
In spite of its slow movement, Pluto is an extremist. You will not be able to ignore its impact on your most important relationships. If you’ve been suffering in an unfair or imbalanced partnership, you’ll face a crossroads: harmonize or hit the road. Some Cancers will break up or divorce during this Pluto cycle, making way for much more fulfilling, empowering partnerships. Others will get married or land major contracts—so exciting! Heed our advice and make sure you set up an equal give-and-take before you sign on the dotted line. Hide nothing and make sure you can truly be yourself. The right foundation is so important, and now is the time to build a solid one.