The New Moon in Scorpio: A Journey into the Shadows

As November 20, 2025, approaches, a powerful new moon rises in Scorpio, inviting us all to venture into the depths of our innermost selves. This celestial event peaks at 1:47 a.m. Eastern Time, positioned at 28°11 Scorpio, and marks the beginning of a profound lunar cycle. Unlike the bright, illuminating full moon, the new moon presents as darkness in our night sky—a blank canvas on which we can paint our intentions and desires. In Scorpio’s mysterious waters, this darkness isn’t something to fear but rather a sacred space where transformation becomes possible. This particular new moon represents more than just the monthly lunar reset; it initiates a cycle that will culminate six months later with a full moon in the same sign, creating a cosmic narrative arc for personal development and emotional evolution.

Scorpio’s energy carries a unique duality, being ruled by both Mars (the planet of vitality and action) and Pluto (the harbinger of death and rebirth). This combination creates a potent alchemical container where life’s most extreme experiences can be processed and transmuted. Adding complexity to this celestial moment, Mercury retrograde enters Scorpio just days before on November 18, creating a triple conjunction with the sun and moon during this lunation. As certified astrologer Rachel Ruth Tate explains, “This lunation creates a powerful connection between the Sun, Moon, and Mercury RX in Scorpio that will leave lasting mental impressions we won’t fully understand until next spring.” The opposition to Uranus retrograde in Taurus further amplifies the intensity, creating what Tate describes as “inevitable catharsis and reanimation.” This isn’t gentle energy—it’s the cosmic equivalent of deep psychological surgery, removing what no longer serves us so that genuine healing can begin.

Hours after the new moon peaks, we experience a Mercury retrograde Cazimi in Scorpio—a rare celestial event where Mercury passes directly between Earth and the Sun, appearing to be “in the heart” of the Sun. This alignment functions as a spiritual purification, particularly powerful in the emotionally intense waters of Scorpio. Tate describes this moment as a mental cleanse focused on processing our past and coming to terms with “what we can sense in the darkness—the shadow side we all possess.” Our shadow represents everything we’ve attempted to exile from our conscious selves—our shameful urges, overwhelming emotions, traumatic experiences, and uncomfortable truths. These aspects of ourselves don’t disappear when we reject them; they simply go underground, influencing our behaviors in ways we may not recognize. The Mercury Cazimi offers an opportunity to bring language to these hidden aspects, making them conscious so they no longer control us from the shadows. “If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘this isn’t me,'” Tate warns, “then take heed, this New Moon in Scorpio is especially coming for you.”

This lunar event encourages us to excavate our personal underworlds, examining the painful or difficult experiences we’ve buried within ourselves. Like archaeologists of our own psyches, we’re invited to carefully uncover these emotional artifacts, dust them off, and examine them with compassion rather than judgment. The beauty of this process lies in its transformative potential—when we acknowledge our wounds and name our demons, we begin to reclaim the energy we’ve used to keep them hidden. Tate emphasizes that “when we recognize a problem and put language to it, that action is half the solution.” However, this doesn’t mean we must immediately solve every issue we uncover. Some revelations might simply be acknowledged now, with deeper healing planned for later. This new moon offers permission to pace ourselves through this intense psychological journey, recognizing that awareness itself is a significant step toward wholeness. While everyone will feel these transformative currents, Scorpio, Gemini, and Virgo natives may experience these energies with particular intensity, as the moon activates sensitive points in their natal charts.

For Scorpios, this new moon falls directly in their sign, creating what Tate calls “a somewhat painful internal moment.” The Mercury cazimi that follows could trigger profound revelations or emotional breakthroughs that feel simultaneously liberating and overwhelming. The challenge for Scorpio isn’t facing their demons—they’re naturally equipped for those confrontations—but rather letting go of the intense emotions that arise, particularly around past hurts or betrayals. “Letting go is especially difficult for Scorpios,” Tate notes, “but you all know that too much bitterness makes a poor brew, and revenge is just the path of least resistance when dealing with negativity.” For Geminis, the challenge comes in trading their natural lightness for emotional depth. Geminis typically prefer intellectual exploration to emotional excavation, using wit and humor to deflect from uncomfortable feelings. This new moon asks them to pause the clever quips and embrace serious introspection. Tate suggests that Geminis can access these subterranean currents through practices like automatic writing or journaling, allowing their Mercury-ruled minds to process emotions in a way that feels natural to them.

Virgos, also ruled by Mercury, will feel the retrograde intensely as it coincides with this emotionally charged new moon. “Be aware that while processing data may be one of your gifts, this flood of emotional data will be a whole lot to process,” Tate advises. She recommends that Virgos clear their schedules for the days following the new moon, giving themselves space to integrate the intense feelings that may arise. Reaching out to trusted friends who can help process these emotions is also beneficial, especially for conversations around childhood experiences or family dynamics. Tate offers a powerful insight for everyone experiencing this lunar event, but particularly for detail-oriented Virgos who may get caught in perfectionistic approaches to their healing: “Most of us are babies having babies, so perhaps true forgiveness of yourself and others is the cheat code, if you can manage to mentally key it in.” This new moon reminds us that embracing our full humanity—shadows and all—isn’t just psychological work but a sacred journey toward wholeness that makes room for both our light and our darkness.

The final new moon of 2025 will arrive in Sagittarius on December 19, shifting our focus from Scorpio’s emotional depths to Sagittarius’s expansive horizons. But before we reach for those new possibilities, this Scorpio new moon asks us to complete our inner work—to face our fears, name our wounds, and transform our relationship with the past. Like the mythological phoenix that serves as one of Scorpio’s symbols, this lunar cycle offers the opportunity to rise renewed from the ashes of what no longer serves us. By embracing the sacred darkness of this new moon, we prepare ourselves for the light that will inevitably follow, carrying forward not just the lessons we’ve learned but the strength we’ve discovered in our willingness to journey into the depths of ourselves.