The Courage to Release and the Power to Transform
The Courage to Release and the Power to Transform
New Moon in Scorpio
November 9, 2026 | 16° Scorpio
Growth is not always comfortable. Sometimes it requires us to leave behind something familiar, confront a truth we have avoided, or let go of an old version of ourselves so that something new can emerge.
One of the interesting things about human nature is that we can fear our own potential almost as much as we fear our weaknesses.
We say we want change, but when the opportunity arrives, we often resist it. We become attached to our routines, relationships, beliefs, and the stories we tell about ourselves. Even when those stories begin to limit us, they provide a sense of security.
Spiritual growth asks us to recognize when we have outgrown an old story and become willing to step into a larger one.
This is the deeper teaching of the New Moon in Scorpio.
Scorpio is associated with transformation, death, rebirth, and renewal. Its lessons are rarely about remaining comfortable. Instead, Scorpio encourages us to look beneath the surface, recognize what is no longer serving us, and find the courage to release it.
This New Moon occurs at 16 degrees Scorpio, forming a square to Mars in Leo, Scorpio’s traditional ruler. Mars is also traveling through its retrograde shadow. Pluto, Scorpio’s modern ruler, is direct in Aquarius and forms a trine to Uranus retrograde in Gemini. Mercury retrograde in Scorpio also forms a square to Pluto.
Together, these planetary influences bring attention to unresolved emotions, old patterns, resistance to change, and the possibility of seeing our lives from a different perspective.
There is a great deal happening beneath the surface, and that is exactly where Scorpio prefers to operate.
Still Waters Run Deep
Scorpio is a fixed water sign. Water represents our emotions, intuition, and inner experiences. The fixed quality gives Scorpio determination, endurance, and the ability to remain focused.
Imagine that mysterious person at a party who sits quietly, observing everything while revealing very little. They notice the conversations, the subtle exchanges, and what is not being said. They are taking everything in but keeping their own thoughts and feelings private.
Scorpio has a remarkable ability to hold emotions close. There is strength in its privacy and an ability to endure difficult experiences. But there is also a challenge.
When emotions are continually held beneath the surface, they can begin to build pressure.
Think of water that has nowhere to flow. Over time, it becomes stagnant.
Our emotional lives can work in a similar way. We may hold on to resentment, disappointment, anger, or grief because we are not ready to face what those feelings represent. Eventually, what has been buried may find its way to the surface.
This is where the planetary squares accompanying this New Moon become important. In astrology, a square represents tension between two energies. It often brings attention to something that requires adjustment or action.
With Mars in Leo squaring the New Moon, we may become more aware of where pride, anger, fear, or the desire to remain in control has prevented us from moving forward.
Mars represents our drive, desires, courage, and ability to act. In Leo, it can bring questions of personal pride, recognition, and the need to express ourselves.
Scorpio prefers to keep its emotions private, while Leo wants to be seen and acknowledged. This tension may reveal a difference between what we are feeling internally and what we are expressing outwardly.
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio squaring Pluto adds another layer.
Mercury represents our thoughts, communication, and the way we process information. Pluto brings us into deeper psychological territory, where we encounter issues of power, control, and transformation. Together, these energies encourage us to examine the beliefs, conversations, and emotional patterns that may be influencing our decisions.
Scorpio wants the truth, even when the truth is uncomfortable.
And sometimes the most difficult truth to acknowledge is the one we have been avoiding within ourselves.
Outgrowing Our Own Stories
One of the teachings explored in Essential Spirituality is that personal growth requires us to overcome our own resistance. We often think of growth as becoming stronger, wiser, or more capable. But growth also requires us to give something up. We develop stories about who we are based on our experiences, relationships, accomplishments, and disappointments. We begin to identify with those stories.
Perhaps we see ourselves as the responsible one, the strong one, the caretaker, or the person who always puts everyone else first. Maybe we have convinced ourselves that we are not capable of something because we failed in the past.
These identities can become so familiar that we stop questioning them.
Yet the person we were five or ten years ago is not necessarily the person we are today.
Our experiences change us. Our priorities change. Our understanding of ourselves changes. Spiritual development asks us to become open to those changes.
There is a beautiful idea in these teachings about moving from a closed truth to an open truth. A closed truth says, This is who I am. An open truth allows us to recognize, This is who I have been, but I am still growing. We do not have to remain loyal to an outdated version of ourselves simply because it is familiar.
This is where Scorpio’s symbolism of death and rebirth becomes meaningful.
The death we associate with Scorpio is often psychological or emotional.
It may be the ending of a relationship, the loss of an identity, a change in our priorities, or the realization that something we once believed is no longer true.
These experiences can feel like loss because we are leaving behind a part of ourselves. And before we make that change, growth can look like sacrifice.
We can see what we might lose, but we cannot always see what we might gain. Only afterward do we sometimes recognize that what we were afraid to release was the comfort of remaining the same.
Consider the snake shedding its skin. The snake does not hold on to its old skin because it once provided protection. As the snake grows, the skin becomes too restrictive and must be shed. Human beings often struggle with this process.
We hold on to relationships, habits, beliefs, and identities long after we have outgrown them. Not necessarily because they are good for us, but because they are familiar.
The Power of Elimination
One of Scorpio’s most important lessons is understanding the value of elimination. We often associate growth with adding something to our lives.
More knowledge, more experiences, more possessions, more accomplishments.
But sometimes growth is not about what we gain.
Sometimes growth is about what we are willing to release.
My yoga students hear me say nearly every week, as we begin to awaken from Savasana, to gently roll onto the left side before returning to a seated position.
I often refer to this as the side of digestion. Throughout our practice, we move through twists, breath, and movement. We create space in the body, encourage circulation, and become more aware of areas where we may be holding tension.
I find a beautiful connection between the body’s process of digestion and Scorpio’s symbolism. Our bodies take in what nourishes us, absorb what is useful, and eliminate what is no longer needed. Elimination is essential to maintaining balance.
Now consider how often we struggle to do the same thing emotionally. We hold on to resentment from years ago. We replay conversations that cannot be changed. We carry disappointment, anger, and grief without giving ourselves the opportunity to process those experiences. Sometimes we even hold on to an old version of ourselves because we are afraid of who we might become without it.
Just as our bodies need to eliminate waste, our emotional well-being requires us to recognize and process what we have been carrying. Scorpio teaches us that holding on is not always a sign of strength. Sometimes the greatest expression of strength is knowing when to let go.
The Space Between Endings and Beginnings
There is something especially meaningful about the darkness of a New Moon.
The previous lunar cycle has ended, but the light of the new crescent has not yet appeared. We are standing between what was and what will be.
We cannot yet see what is beginning. This is a powerful metaphor for spiritual growth. There are times in our lives when we recognize that something needs to change, but we do not know what the next chapter will look like. We may have outgrown a relationship, a career, a belief, or a way of living. We know that we cannot return to exactly who we were, but we are not yet certain who we are becoming. That space can feel uncomfortable. We naturally want answers, direction, and reassurance. But transformation does not always provide those things immediately.
Think of a seed beneath the soil. Before anything becomes visible above the ground, important changes are taking place below the surface. The darkness is not empty. It is part of the process of growth. Scorpio teaches us to become more comfortable with these periods of uncertainty.
Revisiting What Remains Unresolved
This New Moon also carries themes of reflection and reconsideration. Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio, Mars is moving through its retrograde shadow, and Venus is revisiting Scorpio territory. In astrology, retrograde periods invite us to review experiences, decisions, and patterns from the past. We may find ourselves thinking about an old relationship, revisiting a conversation, or recognizing a familiar emotional response. Something we believed we had moved beyond may return to our awareness. This does not necessarily mean we have failed to grow. Spiritual development is rarely a straight line. Sometimes we revisit the same lesson with a different level of understanding.
Pluto’s trine to Uranus adds another dimension to this process.
Uranus is associated with awakening, change, and the ability to see beyond established patterns. Pluto represents deeper transformation. The trine suggests an opportunity to recognize possibilities that may have been difficult to see before. We may begin to understand ourselves and our circumstances from a broader perspective. But awareness is only the beginning. Growth happens when we allow that new understanding to influence the choices we make.
The Wisdom of Scorpio
Scorpio is often described as intense, passionate, secretive, and powerful. But perhaps its greatest strength is its capacity for renewal.
The phoenix is one of Scorpio’s most meaningful symbols. It represents the ability to rise from the ashes of what has ended and begin again. Yet even the phoenix must pass through the fire before it can rise. Throughout our lives, we experience our own versions of this process. Nature reminds us that this is a normal part of life.
The leaves fall from the trees. The earth becomes quiet. What appears to be an ending is also preparation for another season. There is wisdom in recognizing when something has completed its purpose.
Under this New Moon in Scorpio, we are invited to look at our lives with greater awareness. To recognize where we have become attached to the familiar.
To acknowledge the emotions and experiences we have been carrying. And to understand that we do not have to remain the person we once were.
We can honor our past without allowing it to determine our future.
We can appreciate what once served us while recognizing when it is time to move forward.
The courage to grow is not always found in holding on. Sometimes it is found in our willingness to release. Transformation does not always mean adding more to our lives or becoming someone entirely different. It can be the act of letting go of the stories, expectations, and identities that have become too small for us. Because when we release what we have outgrown, we create space for something new.
Aries Rising — Shared Resources and Intimacy
This New Moon brings attention to shared finances, emotional attachments, and the deeper connections in your life. Releasing the need to control everything may allow greater trust and intimacy to develop.
Taurus Rising — Relationships and Partnerships
Your closest relationships are asking for greater honesty and awareness. You may recognize where old patterns, expectations, or fears are preventing a relationship from growing.
Gemini Rising — Health, Habits, and Daily Routines
Take a closer look at the habits and responsibilities that shape your everyday life. Releasing routines that drain your energy can create space for greater balance and well-being.
Cancer Rising — Creativity, Pleasure, and Self-Expression
This New Moon encourages you to reconnect with what brings you joy. Let go of the belief that everything you do must serve a practical purpose, and allow yourself more room for creativity and pleasure.
Leo Rising — Home, Family, and Emotional Foundations
Changes within your home or family life may encourage you to examine old emotional patterns. You are being invited to create a stronger sense of security that comes from within rather than depending entirely on external circumstances.
Virgo Rising — Communication and Beliefs
Pay attention to the stories you tell yourself and the words you use to express your experiences. A shift in perspective may help you release an old belief that has limited your growth.
Libra Rising — Money, Values, and Self-Worth
This New Moon brings awareness to your relationship with money, possessions, and personal value. Consider where you may be seeking security through what you have rather than recognizing the worth you already possess.
Scorpio Rising — Identity and Personal Growth
This is your New Moon, bringing an opportunity to redefine how you see yourself and how you move through the world. An old identity may no longer fit the person you are becoming, and you are ready to make room for something new.
Sagittarius Rising — Rest, Reflection, and the Subconscious
This New Moon invites you to slow down and examine what has been happening beneath the surface. Time spent in quiet reflection may help you recognize emotional patterns that are ready to be released.
Capricorn Rising — Friendships, Community, and Future Goals
Your friendships, social connections, and long-term aspirations come into focus. You may begin to recognize which relationships and goals support the person you are becoming and which ones you have outgrown.
Aquarius Rising — Career and Public Life
Changes in your professional life or sense of purpose may encourage you to reconsider what success means to you. Releasing an outdated definition of achievement can open the door to a more meaningful direction.
Pisces Rising — Beliefs, Wisdom, and New Perspectives
This New Moon encourages you to look beyond familiar ways of thinking. Through learning, travel, spiritual exploration, or new experiences, you may discover that a belief you once held no longer reflects your understanding of the world.
Join Us October 30th — Into the Dark
October 30th | Into the Dark Half Moon Yoga | Vin to Yin Includes Personalized New Moon Reports
As we prepare to enter the transformative energy of the Scorpio New Moon, join us at Half Moon Yoga on October 30th for Into the Dark, a special Vin to Yin yoga experience.
We will begin with movement and gradually transition into stillness, creating space for reflection, release, and renewal.
Each participant will receive a personalized New Moon Report to explore how this Scorpio New Moon connects with their own astrological chart.
Come as you are. Move, breathe, release, and make space for what comes next.
Much Love
Lisa (proud Scorpio)
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