On Wednesday, November 11, 2026, a slender crescent Moon, just two days after the New Moon of November 9, spends the entire day among the stars of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. It is a perfect reminder that the 13th sign is not a theory: it is a real stretch of sky that the Moon, the Sun and the planets cross again and again.
The Moon's monthly visit to the 13th sign
The Moon circles the zodiac in about 27.3 days, moving roughly 13 degrees a day against the background stars. So every month it passes through all 13 zodiac constellations, Ophiuchus included. This time it enters the Serpent Bearer at about 02:30 Greek time on November 11 and moves on to Sagittarius (December 18 – January 19) around 15:40 on November 12. Along the ecliptic, Ophiuchus spans almost 19 degrees, nearly three times the width of its neighbour Scorpio (November 23 – November 29), the shortest sign of all.
A close brush with Antares
Just before dawn, at about 06:40 Greek time, the Moon passes very close to Antares, the red supergiant that marks the heart of the Scorpion. Seen from the centre of the Earth, the two are separated by little more than a fifth of a degree, less than half the Moon's own width. From parts of the South Pacific, including Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, the Moon actually covers the star for a while. Astronomers call this a lunar occultation, and occultations of Antares repeat month after month in a series that continues until 2028.
From Greece the close pass happens below the horizon, but the thin crescent itself is easy to enjoy: look low in the southwest about half an hour after sunset, and you will find it a little higher and a little fuller each evening.
Asclepius, the Serpent Bearer
The ancient Greeks saw in these stars Asclepius, son of Apollo and the greatest healer of myth, holding a huge serpent that winds across the sky as the constellation Serpens. He became so skilled that he could even bring the dead back to life, and in the end Zeus placed him among the stars. His feet rest just above Scorpius, and the ecliptic, the path of the Sun, runs right between his legs. That is why the Sun spends about 18 days in Ophiuchus every year and only about a week in Scorpio.
In 13-sign astrology, people born under Ophiuchus are linked with curiosity, wisdom and a gift for healing, themes explored in depth in the book Astrology of the 13 Signs of the Zodiac.
The Sun's turn on November 30
The Moon's visit is only a preview. On November 30, 2026, at about 07:40 Greek time, the Sun itself crosses into Ophiuchus (November 30 – December 17) and stays there until December 18. Anyone born in this window was born under the Serpent Bearer, whatever a newspaper horoscope may say. If you are not sure which constellation the Sun was really in on your birthday, you can Find Your True Zodiac Sign in a few seconds.
So on Wednesday evening, step outside after sunset, look to the southwest and greet the young Moon in the 13th sign. It is the same sky the ancient astronomers watched, and it still tells a richer story than the familiar twelve-sign zodiac.
Vasilis Kanatas, Delphi, November 2026
