SCORPIO NEW MOON
Facing the Great Pain. Stepping into the Underworld.
2025 NEW MOONS // NOVEMBER 19TH-20TH
Greetings friends,
This is a rather vulnerable piece for me to publish, but I think it’s important, which is why I’m doing it. I typically begin these newsletters with a personal anecdote or a small think piece, and I follow that with a more analytical breakdown of the moon in question. But as I started to write the one for this installment, I realized that my personal experience is so intertwined with how I translate this moon that it would feel difficult to separate them. I am keeping this introduction brief, but I hope that this newsletter can be a support to you as we navigate this deeply internal and introspective time.
UNBOUND: LILITH IN SAGITTARIUS - LIVE CLASS
Before I get into the bulk of this discussion, I wanted to notify you of a live class I’m hosting in December to discuss Lilith in Sagittarius. The class will be on December 12th, 2025, at 1:00 PST, and it will be held via Zoom. There are only fifty seats available in the live event, so if you know you can’t make it but want access to the class, you can pre-purchase the recording here. The recording will be sent out to anyone who has pre-purchased and all attendees on December 13th, 2025.
Lilith is the wild woman archetype, representing feminine liberation and sexual autonomy. Astrologically speaking, this is a fictitious point representing the dark side of the moon. Lilith takes nine years to complete her cycle through all twelve signs, spending about nine months in each, and over the course of her movement through the zodiac, we examine the complex relationship each of us has with our primal creative and sexual nature and how the expression of it is shaped by culture, socialized roles, and societal expectations. This is my favorite non-planet body to discuss.
In this class, I will share a synopsis of Lilith’s mythology and symbolism, a recap of the teachings that she facilitated in Scorpio, and how those teachings will be integrated into the social conversation she will host in Sagittarius. Lilith represents extremes. In Sagittarius, she will have us contemplating what it means to be truly free and how flexible the truth and righteousness really are. I will also discuss what this transit will likely entail for all twelve signs. At the end of this class, there will be time for questions.
Lilith is an integral figure in the evolution journey of feminine themes and individuals, as she is representative of femininity that is not shaped by a patriarchal structure. Lilith is the untamed devil woman and discusses themes of the taboo, sexuality, primal desire, and hunger for liberation. This point is an extremely insightful body to examine to understand how we can break free from our social conditioning and self-betrayal to access the confidence and authority we need to step into our true potential. I hope you can join me in this discussion.
YEAR AHEAD SESSIONS - ENTER 2026 IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
With the new year quickly approaching, I am excited to be hosting year-ahead sessions once again. I’ve already met with a couple of folks, and the conversations have been electric and energizing. In the year-ahead session, we discuss the major themes and planetary activations that are ahead and strategize how you can best work with them to accomplish your goals. These sessions are designed to provide you with a solid understanding of what will be thematically presented to you over the year so that you can approach each matter with confidence. If you have specific objectives you’d like to achieve in the year to come but are uncertain about what the best course of action is, this session is a terrific place to start.
Each call is between ninety minutes and two hours long and is accompanied by twenty-four personalized moon notes (twelve for new moons, twelve for full moons) that I write while consulting your chart. I’ve received so much positive feedback about the moon notes, as they not only describe what the moon may be presenting to you in the time it is active, but they also discuss how each lunation is participating in larger themes that coincide with longer-term planetary activations. The moon notes are essentially a lunar story of your year. In each note, you’ll receive predictions, suggested practices, and guidance on how to best utilize the moon’s energy.
I’d be honored to help you prepare for 2026. <3
If discussing a whole year in one sitting feels daunting or overwhelming to you, I also offer a quarter-ahead session, which will cover the next three months. This session consists of the same level of detail and care, just for a shorter timeframe. You’ll receive six moon notes with this session.
HERE’S THE BIG PICTURE
One of the strangest things that I have personally experienced in recent months is the phenomenon of it getting worse before it gets better. For the past four years, I have been trying to resolve the aftermath of an abusive relationship that I lived in for two years. The progress has felt meager and, as expected, not at all linear. It’s reached a point of astounding debilitation, and I think paradoxically my aversion to feeling victimized has been a significant contributor to that. All of my issues felt like they were folded up nicely and tucked away for quite a while, but now, they don’t pack away so easily. In the past few months, every time I’ve attempted to have sex, I feel like I’m in an unplanned threesome, consisting of me, the other person, and all of my issues. In the process of my problems becoming harder to ignore, I’ve been forced to really look at them and examine how I’ve chosen a pain that I am familiar with to avoid the Great Pain, the pain that I will inevitably have to experience if I truly wish to be relieved from this weight.
I was rather awkward growing up; I didn’t get that much romantic attention. But as I have grown into myself, I’ve been sexualized by so many people. I understand that many mean it in a complimentary way, but receiving compliments through sexualization can be extremely disorienting, especially when navigating the aftermath of rape. The compound of processing traumatic experiences and being praised for fitting into a sexualized archetype by strangers and peers led me to really identify with my sexual appeal for a few years. And in doing so, I designed a character that made me feel safe. I became hypersexual. I loved being lusted after. I loved being what people expected me to be. I felt reassured by becoming the fantasies that were projected onto me, because becoming them meant I remained in control. If I always wanted what they wanted, I never had to say what I wanted. If I always said yes, then I’d never have to say no.
I continued in this identity and behavioral pattern until I couldn’t anymore. My body knew before I did. I started crying during sex. At first, it was occasional, but it snowballed into a regular occurrence. Initially, it was just a few quiet tears, but the intensity grew with the consistency. Before I knew it, every time I had sex, I was also bawling my eyes out, like running out of breath, eyes burning, shaking type of crying. It was in that process that the whole character decayed and fell away, and the me that lay beneath was so exhausted and afraid. The Great Pain caught up to me. That’s what my past couple of months have consisted of: looking the Great Pain in the eye and not caving into my desire to run away.
This is extremely uncomfortable for me to share in such a public way, but I find it to be essential in some way to the accurate description of not just this new moon but also the current energetic environment we are collectively sitting in. There is a pain that each of us chooses, either consciously or unconsciously, quite frequently, to prevent ourselves from feeling the Great Pain. We might call that pain a coping mechanism, self-sabotage, or a trauma response, but it’s the same thing. Subconsciously, we are always seeking out answers…safety…certainty. And this is why we choose familiar pain, no matter how destructive it ultimately may be. We know it; we know what happens when we submit to it again. And we find a twisted sense of safety in choosing it, despite simultaneously understanding that it’s a slow poison.
The familiar pain we choose is unique to each of us; I would go far beyond my word limit, listing all of the ones that come to mind. That’s where this moon invites us to have an honest conviction to the truth, not for others’ benefit, but for our own. Perhaps your familiar pain appears to be more damaging to others, from a topical point of view; maybe you cheat or ghost or lie when things start to feel a little too intimate. Maybe you accommodate and tend to others, no matter the toll it takes on you. Maybe you choose ignorance and avoid conflict at all costs. We all choose familiar pain to create a sense of safety in ourselves in one way or another. Some are more celebrated than others, but they are all equally damaging to the self. They are all acts of self-betrayal.
This moon is in an interesting position, as it conjoins Mercury, which is currently retrograde, and Lilith, who carries themes around eroticism and liberation. All of these points are opposite Uranus, which has recently regressed back into Taurus for one final conversation about morals, ethics, and how we satisfy and create safety for ourselves. You can read my piece reviewing Uranus in Taurus and discussing what it will illuminate in Gemini here. Uranus upends outdated structures, and with this moon sitting across from it, we are undoubtedly facing a reassessment of what is the best way to stabilize ourselves.
There is a level of accountability that we must hold ourselves to in the weeks following this moon if we wish to reap its benefits, because strangely, the “new beginning” that is offered to us through this lunation is only accessible by choosing to experience discomfort that we have spent months or years trying to evade. With Scorpio governing the underworld, and in consideration of this moon’s conjunction with Mercury retrograde and Lilith, for lack of better words, we may find that we are accepting an invitation to walk through hell at this time. That’s the only way to the other side. This moon is likely symbolic of a climactic point that has been percolating around us since September, although the matters it is pointing our attention to may be things we’ve been conscious of for years. While the vessels we experience through will be different for everyone, thematically speaking, this is pointing to how we manage our pain, heal wounds of the psyche, and transcend unwanted behaviors. It may not be fun or comfortable, but it will be worth it if we can stop resisting the process.
Jupiter recently turned retrograde in Cancer, and paired with this moon’s formation, we may find that many of us are slowing our external pursuits to participate in some very necessary invisible work in the emotional body. Many people are going to be returning to or beginning therapy, or perhaps entering into a more structured healing modality of some other form that will help to reprogram the way they instinctively respond to stress and vulnerability. While this may feel very spiritual in tone, there is a very scientific element to it as well. Collectively, we are being guided to create a new baseline for the nervous system to operate from, as we have all likely come to realize that we’ve been cemented in a state of survival for many years. We are likely realizing that, while our responses to this stress are diverse, survival is something we can all relate to, as it is the root of many of our issues.
This is a moon to feel the discomfort that we’ve run into time and time again and choose differently. The results of our doing so will not be instantaneous. But it is in each moment of choosing a different response that we begin to rebuild the emotional foundations we are standing upon, piece by piece, into structures that are truly nourishing and supportive. We are in a regeneration process that may feel slow and exhaustive, but if we wish to truly escape the emotional prisons and cyclic patterns we are all too familiar with, we must surrender to the process. This moon is like breaking a bone that has healed improperly so that it can be reset. There’s really no way to avoid the pain, but one day, further down the road, when the cast comes off, we will have so much gratitude that we dared to embark on the healing process. And likewise, whatever face the Great Pain wears, there will come a day when you look back to now and celebrate that you had the courage to look it in the eye. I wish you well in whatever journey this new moon is sending you on.
xx, Aspen
Note: Read rising sign for primary messages, sun and moon signs for additional insight.
ARIES, you may find this moon is representative of a different set of values that you’ve integrated into the way you emotionally connect with others and utilize your resources. Perhaps a promise that was made is finally being fulfilled, or a due is finally being paid. This moon may involve finally breaking a habit or learning how to harness a feeling or emotion that previously was out of control. You may find yourself honing your sexual energy in a way that feels more conscious and intentional. Examine any intensity you are faced with with curiosity—what is it trying to tell you?
TAURUS, a partner or commitment may evoke uncomfortable feelings in you during this moon, but there’s value in examining why. This moon may offer you the opportunity to renew a commitment to someone or something, but the renewing process may require a great deal of honesty and vulnerability. This is a beneficial time to self-examine how you engage in partnership or committed matters so you can assess how you may be continuing to participate in or perpetuate unhealthy dynamics by avoiding an uncomfortable truth.
GEMINI, this moon may bring to light an unhealthy coping mechanism that has become integrated into your daily life structures and may inspire the reconfiguration of your life structures so that they can be more of service to your personal and professional objectives. You may be realizing that there is a need for you to simplify your responsibilities, as trying to accomplish too much at once may be starting to strain your body. You might notice that you’re becoming better at noticing and listening to your body’s cues under this energy. Or perhaps you’re seeing financial or material blessings as a result of an intentional period of rest and restructuring your emotional relationship with resources and work.
CANCER, you may be learning to celebrate the intense part of yourself through this new moon, which may allow you to cultivate a stronger relationship with your authentic identity and creative spirit. You may be putting yourself out on display in some way, either through self-expression or in a romantic setting, and while this may feel uncomfortable, it will likely prove its worth through the development of a more genuine community. You may be making unconventional changes to your appearance or may care less about how you are perceived by others, which may mean that you will not come across as socially agreeable as you once did. There may be some fallout in your life as you embody a more truthful iteration of yourself, but this moon encourages you to remember that if it doesn’t remain in alignment with you as you grow, then it likely wasn’t intended to stay.
LEO, this moon highlights learned patterns of emotional stabilization that you’ve utilized since childhood to keep yourself feeling safe in close relationships. Your methods of creating stability in relationships may involve you sacrificing your own needs and priorities, which may cause you to drift away from your own dreams and ambitions. This moon may have you stepping away from a dysfunctional but familiar way of making yourself feel secure in pursuit of something more sustainable and supportive of your individuation process and authentic embodiment. This may feel dangerous to your nervous system, even though it is not. This is a favorable time for you to soothe yourself by being what you typically seek out in or try to provide for others.
VIRGO, this new moon may involve you discussing an uncomfortable matter that you’ve tried to avoid, as it likely involves a topic that brings up guilt, shame, denial, or discomfort of some form that you’d rather not feel. This new moon encourages transparent communication, meaning that there may be something you could stand to acknowledge that you’ve been trying to distort, even if your doing so hasn’t been malicious. Whether this involves you needing to bring up your own dissatisfaction, or it is pointing to you taking accountability for wrongdoing, this new moon reminds you that there’s power in facing and honoring the truth, even if it may not involve pleasant feelings at all times. This may also be an invitation for you to take a realistic look at how you are exercising your conscious energy over the course of the day. If your habits have been yielding dissatisfying results, it may be time to reevaluate.
LIBRA, this moon may entail you sacrificing immediate satisfaction in order to prioritize the pursuit of a bigger objective that is only accessible through effort and time. You may be realizing that for others to effectively help you, you first have to help yourself. This is a valuable time for you to assess how your actions are aligning with the things you say you value. You may have to step away from things that you desire to cultivate a more nourishing environment for them to be sustained in. It may be helpful for you to realistically examine what a true loss is versus what is a conscious pause; this may save you unnecessary grief.
SCORPIO, this moon may illuminate realizations within you that are not new to you in the slightest, but they may finally feel approachable. You may be accepting something that you’ve been trying to distort the reality of in order to preserve yourself from experiencing anguish or grief. Perhaps this pertains to a commitment or partnership that is no longer giving back to you in the way it once did. You may be reckoning with a truth that is difficult to accept, but upon making peace with it, you may find a sense of calm that has not felt accessible for quite some time. This may not be a time for action, but you may finally come to terms with what you must do to alleviate unnecessary pressure.
SAGITTARIUS, you may be noticing new examples of intimacy being brought into your awareness, which may feel contradictory to previous definitions of intimacy. You may feel a heightened connection to your intuition and gut sense, which may be a helpful tool for navigating emotional matters at present. This moon may reveal secrets you have kept from yourself as you enter emotional environments that feel very vulnerable, but you may be able to free yourself from subconscious programming that has kept you in a state of emotional defensiveness. While you may feel as if you’re traveling through a wormhole during this moon, there’s an invitation for you to soften and observe. Have faith in the unseen.
CAPRICORN, this is a moon to examine how you may ostracize yourself from communities that you may actually be very aligned with. There is an invitation for you to not sit in feelings of alienation for too long if they arise and to instead allow them to inform you about what inner narratives you may have about what you think your role in society or social groups is “supposed” to be. There may be accelerative opportunities around you that you are blind to because of rigid beliefs about who you are supposed to be for others, which may be missed if you do not choose to see from alternative points of view. This moon encourages you to sift away expectations for yourself that have resulted from a previous necessity. What burdens are not yours to bear?
AQUARIUS, this moon may involve you making a sacrifice for your future by reckoning with a perceived failure. You may find that you face feelings of weakness or brokenness under this lunation, but it will be important for you to see above the guise of these experiences, as they may be pointing you toward a more fulfilling path by showing you what is dysfunctional in your current methods of pursuing success. This may feel like a step back from making progress, but you may find it helpful to redefine what progress means to you. Perhaps you are pulling away from professional or material definitions of progress to partake in work that is emotional and hidden. Your doing so may be what allows you to accelerate faster and more efficiently toward your bigger life objectives later on.
PISCES, this moon may signify the dissolving process of a belief that has unknowingly restricted you from feeling content and present in your daily experience. Perhaps this moon is testing your faith in some way, and you’re being invited to have faith in unseen things, even if the matters you have had faith in up until this point have not unfolded in the timeframe that you imagined. There may be opportunities that are forming around you that currently appear to be obstacles or losses. Perhaps you have missed or been denied something that you thought you would receive. This is not a time to grieve lost opportunities too much; there may be something you’re being prepared for or protected from that you can’t materially see.