Today is Friday, Oct. 21, 2011. The Moon is in Leo all day, and is conjunct Mars, suggesting some combination of anger, passion or creativity. Be aware of being angry at women, or your mom. Tomorrow morning it enters Virgo and makes a conjunction to self-critical Transpluto, newly in that sign. Keep an eye on your thoughts — especially if you did, in fact, get angry at your mom — and learn what you can without beating yourself up. The week’s big news is that the Sun enters Scorpio this Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2:30 pm EDT. We all know the Scorpio stereotypes: intense, mysterious, emotional, sexual, vindictive when crossed. But as with most things, reality is more complex and nuanced than a series of catch phrases; and this Scorpio season is a powerful one.
For one thing, the planets that were all clustered in Libra are making their way into Scorpio, one by one (although Saturn will hang back in Libra for another year). They won’t cluster up in quite the same way as they just did, since Venus and Mercury are already halfway through the sign and the Sun and Juno are just arriving. But as each one enters Scorpio, it makes a trine to Chiron in Pisces and then opposes Jupiter in Taurus. This means we can track the themes of healing, sex, money and our values as they shift planetary nuance in these weeks. In particular, an astrologer named Willow, of Willow’s Web Astrology, notes that this means the theme of valuing (Taurus) and undervaluing of our soul energy (Scorpio) is prominent.
Undervaluing something powerful can lead to difficulty down the road; far better to understand the power early on, so one can use it responsibly and creatively. Frances Sakoian and Louis S. Acker have this to say about Scorpio in The Astrologer’s Handbook: “Because Scorpios act with all their power, it is of utmost importance that they set out on the proper course from the start. They never deal with life superficially, and whatever they become involved with is generally of serious consequence. Sometimes their desire to do everything perfectly makes them unable to delegate responsibility, so they overwork themselves, seeking perfection in all details.”
The takeaway for all of us, whatever our Sun sign, is that these next few weeks are to be used very consciously. Barriers to consciousness abound these days, but they can be permeable if we are willing to let them be. Steven Forrest, in his book Inner Sky, writes:
Happiness comes, in large part, from getting what we want. And we feel what we want, never deduce it. Scorpio knows that.
It is always that way: death just makes the principle stand out more starkly. Always, if Scorpio is to live each minute as if it were his last, he must create a perfect alignment between his feelings and his actions. And to accomplish that, he must destroy whatever walls prevent those feelings from entering consciousness.
As mentioned, allowing consciousness is key. But Western culture is not particularly well conditioned to deal consciously with much of Scorpio’s realm. We’re tweaky about money to the point of self-destructive dysfunction; we don’t ‘do death’ with much grace, instead tending to fight it before it happens and then decorate the hell out of it with expensive metal boxes, satin and marble urns after the fact; sex is generally dealt with in contradictions of glamorizing, shaming, and denial — all at once. No wonder most people hear “I’m a Scorpio” and think, “Ooooh — be careful with that one! Scary!”
It’s an unfortunate undervaluing of what can be an incredibly rich, rewarding sign. But it asks us to work, and to face ourselves. Elizabeth Jones writes:
This sign often brings up our fears because of its power to delve below the surface and reveal our secrets and shadow aspects of self. Yet to transform and grow, we must enter these places. Pluto, Scorpio’s ruling planet, has a penetrating and purging effect, helping us to see what we’ve carefully hidden and kept secret from our conscious mind. What it ultimately wants is for us to retrieve these aspects of self and bring them to the Light, so that they no longer “run” us unconsciously. In doing this we can rediscover and experience our wholeness. This whole process better assists us in accessing the higher vibrations of this powerful sign: creativity, passion, fearlessness, courage and healing deep wounds. Thus, our own frequency and vibration are raised.
The creative and healing potential is reiterated by Willow in a recent post:
Scorpio is a healing energy. It intuitively knows where the trouble is and gets right to work, divining and digging to trigger multi-layered release points. It isn’t just treating symptoms, either. Scorpio knows it’s either go deep or go home, and it puts forth immense stores of energy to go to the mat for people, driving right to the root of the problems that keep them locked up, inauthentic, programmed, and less effective than they could otherwise be.
Scorpio digs the poisoned thorns out — and if it’s masterful enough, it gets all of it. No joke.
But Scorpio’s mastery is also it’s downfall. Here’s where the betrayal aspect of the sign comes into play. Scorpio is a liberating energy, an almost magical transformer of all things oppressive and stagnant and intolerable — and its emotional, psychological and psychic currency is woefully undervalued. Quite often, it’s used and abused with little to nothing offered in return. It’s left holding the bag with nowhere left to put the shit.
What Scorpio does is mostly in the energetic realms, and because so few people have developed the sight to see this type of energy work, people take it and run. Often, they take it and run right back into the same unhealthy patterns and dynamics Scorpio was expending so much energy to extricate them from in the first place.
That’s one of our biggest challenges, perhaps, this Scorpio season as the Sun trines Chiron. The trine is a flowing, easy aspect, for sure. But it’s up to us not to take what we learn and flow right back to where we started, caught in a loop of old pain. We need to move forward with our awareness; or perhaps more accurately, go deep enough that we come out the other side. There are other aspects to help with that, most notably Mercury in Scorpio square Mars in Leo. Mars is the other ruler of Scorpio — this aspect has some serious mojo. Squares are known for their internal tension and leveraging power, and we’ll be looking more closely at this one next week as it heats up. We’re likely to be receiving some important messages from within; get ready to listen, to go deep and to allow the flow of transformation to truly work.
Looking for insights on how this week’s astrology affects your personal Sun and rising signs? Try out Planet Waves Light, our streamlined horoscope service. For deeper cultural context and astrological investigation, the premium Planet Waves subscription includes the same horoscopes, plus extensively-researched articles on Fridays.
This was a helpful article. So good to hear positive info on Scorpio. I’ve noticed that Scorpios, Leos and Saturn often get a bad press astrologically, for their ‘lower level’ unconscious attributes, with all the positives being thrown out of the window along with the bath water.
This info opened up a whole new layer for me and my 4th house Scorpio, plus has confirmed thoughts about my new boyfriend’s chart. He has Neptune conjunct NN on the ascendant in Scorpio and our relationship is healing very deep parts for both of us. Interesting.
Too tired to say more or read more of the comments but really wanted to acknowledge this. Many thanks!
Happy birthday (early) Kelly! Hope you get to do something fun!
Love this season :). A New moon smack on my birthday and I feel like I have won the lottery-but I’m happy to share.
cont’d…
She was a triple Scorpio.
I fell in love with a Scorpio girl once. We could be in the busiest party and feel completely peaceful and unseen, as if in some magical envelope. I never met anyone so full of contradictions. So peaceful yet so unmovable. So unconditional and gentle and humble, yet so hot and seething. She listened so much to me, and later in our friendship, I listened to her. She was the first person I felt completely confident with. Alas, we never dated and now she is married. But I am just thankful for that time with her.
In All the Talk, from Joyce Pace Byrd
In all the talk of transformation,
no one prepares you to be alone,
without scaffolding, out of step,
misunderstood, maybe reviled.
No one confirms how right
or smart or special you are.
They are puzzled, unsure
whether to talk with you
or turn their backs.
No one warns you,
when you discover the music
that has called you all your life,
not to grieve when others
do not hear it or feel it.
Nor panic when
you are lighter than air
as you shift from three dimensions
to four; when you find yourself
aloft, steering by heart alone.
You are not prepared to feel
vulnerable, almost without skin,
when you encounter your truth.
You feel small, and lost,
or perhaps whole, or even holy.
Either way, you must pay the price.
You must pass through terror
if you wish to come alive.
You must step into emptiness
to find the ground that holds you.
B.C. –
I just watched your honey badger video and laughed so hard that tears are still streaming down my face!! Thanks for posting that.
The healing energy of Scorpio; I could write books about how my Scorpio sun husband has helped me in my healing. He is amazing and so caring.
Eric:
“Scorpio Moon is a different critter — we will cover this some time next week.”
Is it next week yet??? !!!!
Every comment here deserves a deep bow in appreciation. I thank you.
MC/Sun/Moon/Chiron in Scorpio. What each of you has shared I resonate with, have been there and every other where….a water world where I can effortlessly flow and/or be towed under, willingly or with the fight of my life. Berating myself for not knowing, and confronting when I do. Not understanding the ‘middle’ way was always here because I didn’t know I could use a wide-angle lens, or maybe better put, didn’t know it existed.
For me, your sharing represents strength, sensitivity, compassion and the ability to own more than one shovel! And that translates to being here, showing up and being human. In my opinion, we are all contributing in some small way to being the best humans we can be amid confusion, fear, and ‘when are we ever going to be valued’. Every stumble, every ‘drop off the cliff’ episode is required, whether we like it or not. It’s a part of our learning curve and what we do with that learning. It took a long while to learn to value myself first, and it wasn’t easy, but it allowed me to focus less on wanting it from others. When that happened, ‘the bags’ didn’t pile up, but I’ll admit the shit is still sometimes evident.
I turn 62 in November. To all Sun in Scorpio birthdays, may humor and curiosity bless our journey.
Donna
Much here to ponder for a Scorpio Sun (27 degrees; solitary in the 3rd house, opposite MC and Earth). I often find that Sag resonates more for me, and appreciate as well Virgo rising with a 12th house Leo Moon – tames much of the Scorpionic tendencies at times. I also find that age has tempered the Scorpio in me, but may that is just the lingering effects of second Saturn return. Way, way too true for me on the overwork (also over-involvement), and ineffectual delegation, resulting too often being left holding that bag of shit – “used, abused and accused” as one astrologer friend has said. That has left this Scorpio exhausted and depleted of soul energy. (Wonder how that is related to my recent posting about being a solitary, and the current relationship astrology? Guess that’s my weekend meditation.)
But, through the astrology I am learning to balance, to see another side and to let go of the details in going deep that others find so tedious. Needless to say, in these times of superficial simple soundbites that usually beg the question, those with the Scorpio laser focus and depth diving tendencies are being driven mad. I have also learned in recent years to step aside from others’ dramas, recognizing as noted by Kelly – I don’t have to take another’s bag of anything. Over a decade ago, another friend said to me “you don’t always have to be right.” So, that lesson for me means that not all challenges are mine to “fix.”
I am hearted and embolded by the comments about the healing energy of Scorpio, the liberating aspects that when employed in creative balance are meant to be shared. I am eagerly anticipating what will unfold at PW this Scorpio seasons, as it is my first “fulltime” journey through it here. Thanks to all, especially the Scorpions, for much experience, knowledge and wisdom shared.
JannKinz
I love all the Scorpio Love here. Truly special stuff.
Hugs all,
HS
The problem I feel, is that Scorpio is born into some karma within the family which they must clean up first and heal. If the family unit is a ‘microcosm’ of our larger collective family, than we serve something inherently larger. In doing so, and this can take years, the expectation is to maintain the new change for everybody (referring to the family) and you get impaled into something that requires as much energy. The work is done but unplugging others is harder than tackling the original assignment. Patience needed to carry out that part of the work requires nerves of steel, there are bullets to be dodged. It is so multidimensional, the energy is so refined and delicate, that Pluto’s cyclical regenerative strength is an added bonus just to be calm. I can ‘sense’ without a shadow of a doubt how each and every person can and will use this energy. And, how quickly it can enhance things! Measuring up whether it will go to waste or be put to use and what it will undoubtedly take out of me is the virtual Scorpio world. Chiron in Pisces is changing something about where we put ‘the waste’..
B.C.: I have a very slow computer and dial up so I can’t see the video you reference, I’m sure it’s great though. Lacking the ability to see the video, I sometimes think the animal for Scorpio should be a rhinoceros. Many times I feel nearsighted, huge, tough, belligerent and generally hard to deal with, snorting and stomping up on my dainty hooves at those who pester me.
Hazel,
I don’t think Hickey is saying that individual Scorpios or Scorpio-types are either angels or devils, but rather that the Scorpio energy is either laser-focused on liberation and healing, or on corruption and enslavement, one or the other. I tend to think she’s right about that.
Of course, sometimes liberation hurts. To paraphrase the Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger video, “Scorpio don’t give a shit.”
I nominate the honey badger to be the new Scorpio mascot! Watch it, it’s perfect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
Taurus 41: I had a Taurus boyfriend years ago who called me “my little nitro” because a little of me went a loooong way and he said I could probably take down a mountainside, like nitro glycerine. I still have that kind of energy, but I use it differently because I’ve learned there are other options. I don’t really agree with Isabel Hickey saying we’re only one or the other with no in-between, everybody is some of each and it’s where you focus yourself that makes the difference. Many scorpios I’ve known haven’t realized that there IS a choice because of that laser focus we have. But once you zoom out your mind from that ultra microscopic view, you can see a bunch of options and it makes you, and your life, much more interesting. I think part of the bitchiness of scorpios is that their minds are tired of being so damn focused without end and they long for a better view, they just don’t realize yet that they control the mental lens they look through. It’s a relief to know that there are other ways to do things, think about things, treat people, think about yourself. This probably doesn’t help you, sorry you’re playing with nitro, my ex used to tell me to “LIGHTEN UP FOR GOD’S SAKE” and then he’d go away for a few days, maybe that would help, don’t know, but it worked for us, you don’t need to carry a bag that’s not yours either, you know.
Scorpio Moon is a different critter — we will cover this some time next week
xef
“Always, if Scorpio is to live each minute as if it were his last, he must create a perfect alignment between his feelings and his actions. And to accomplish that, he must destroy whatever walls prevent those feelings from entering consciousness.”
This little Scorpio sun definitely resonated with that statement – the second I don’t know what my feelings are about something, I tend to panic. “Go deep or go home” indeed – I suspect full tilt may be my only gear! But I can’t imagine it any other way because the ride is just too interesting and illuminating.
Scorpio moon here, first house Pluto. And here I am holding a bag of shit that is both mine and someone else’s, from a long, recently ended relationship. Though the idea is to remain friends, I’ve been the only one committed to processing and healing the old wounds. It has been terribly frustrating. But you’re right, Hazel. Once I’ve done my part, I don’t have to keep carrying around the rest of it.
I think the key for Scorpio is not to stagnate in the depths, not to get “bogged down,” particularly in score-keeping. Scorpio always knows the score, and when it identifies with an ego, that’s a problem. The best way to work with the energy is to let it keep transforming beyond ego, to keep going deeper and deeper until you come out the other side. You have to give yourself wholly to the process and be willing to die, metaphorically (maybe even literally). Otherwise the pent-up energy gets angry and explosive and vitriolic. I think of Isabel Hickey’s characterization of Scorpio as “devil or angel — and no in between.”
Interpersonally, we know the Scorpio energy evokes both fascination and terror in a lot of people. What phrase did Eric use recently in reference to a tendency Nessus elicits, “Approach/Avoid”? But I think we Scorpio-types tend to revel in our power a bit too much, sometimes. We like being provocative (what a thrill!), and then gripe about how it hurts or scares others. In other words, the betrayal mentioned above is often self-engendered.
I’ve found it’s better to check the Scorpio energy with compassion (for both self and others), to attend to our own business first, and let others seek us out, as they inevitably will. It results in less warfare when we give our mojo only when asked (preferably begged), or when divinely inspired to do so.
I literally clicked onto Planet Waves minutes after hanging up from a phone conversation with my mom where there was a lot of anger. Wow… spooky.
I learned that despite my wanting to be Buddha about it all, I still have hurt/anger every time I talk with her. Learned also that it triggers in my mother so much hurt/anger when I point out, “My choice, my story is not quite the same as yours.”
Kept saying to her, “I don’t want to argue with you. If we want to talk about this stuff, I think we need a 3rd party to help us.”
Here’s hoping for some interesting insights and healing as planets/Scorpio trine Chiron/Pisces.
PS: Knew a lot of Scorpios, included my dad and men I dated (oy). Intense folks indeed. Glad to be reading about another side of Scorpio I wasn’t familiar with. Mille grazie, Planet Wave folks!
Kelly and Hazel1, thank you for speaking your heart. I too was burdened from a small boy first with emotional garbage from my father. Then at 19, taking up the helm as a support for my mom, which had it’s great moments (we’re close and she’s a good teacher for me) but was also an isolating factor and created many issues that I struggled with peaking when I was about 35. So, there’s been a lot that I’ve taken on, unfairly. Now at 38 (and my Solar and metonic return on the Nov10) I’ve learned, grown, reclaimed so much of what was lost or neglected. And emerging from what was I feel was a collision course with my own premature death (or mental illness), I can say now that all is not lost – and I mean that for anyone going through similar challenges.
Thank you Planet Waves team, I’m so grateful.
HS (Libra rising, Scorpio Sun, Taurus Moon)
Taurus here with Moon in Leo–GF Aries with Moon in Scorpio. She is bat-s”@! Crazy. She is the epitome of every negative trait one hears about Scorps. Of course, with 6 natal signs in Taurus, perhaps I am a wee bit sensitive to my opposite sign’s vibes?
I’m with you, Kelly, if we’re left with a bag of something, and it’s not OUR something, then we don’t have to carry it around for somebody else. We don’t have to take it all on, even though we may be strong enough to handle it. Our strengths can be used for more interesting and productive and creative things. (Scorpio sun, rising, Lilith, Neptune, possibly more, don’t know).
I put a (SuperGrin) on the end of that and it didn’t show… no offense to any Scorpios 🙂
The only Scorpio I have are in Neptune(4 degrees) and Jupiter(22 degrees).
That’s about as much as this Leo can handle
Thanks for this – really! Resonates deeply with my Scorpio sun (Capricorn rising, Virgo moon and lots of Scorp elsewhere) – esp the image of holding the bag of shit – which seems to have been my single biggest role the last two years or so. The castaway woman holding a heavy bag of shit. I think that may be my meditative image for the weekend!
I’m really feeling the skies at the moment. Trying to own that part of me that launches headlong into things and realise that I don’t have to go full tilt at everything – an important lesson. I know my faults only too well but really much of this year has been about being less defensive and more proud of those qualities of creativity, passion, sensitivity, freaky intuition, fearlessness and healing touch that seem to piss other people off so very much! Hang in there fellow Scorpios!
” Quite often, it’s used and abused with little to nothing offered in return. It’ s left holding the bag with nowhere left to put the shit.”
This is the only thing that makes me sad about my being a Scorpio. But, through Astrology I have come to the realisation that I don’t have to take up every challenge. For this, I am eternally grateful.
Simply wonderful (Scorpio rising and moon, oy vey) – thank you! xx