_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Going Within: Scorpio
Love hides in crevices
that go unnoticed.
It dangles from the worn threads
of faith that drop from
religion’s coattails.
It lies in splinters, beaten by the
club of family strife and the slow
decay of relationships.
It stares wistfully from outside
the shattered windows of illness
and mortality.
And lies amidst the debris left behind
in silken cobwebs by spirit’s door,
and in breath-less moments
when the body can do no more.
It even lurks in moments
of anger and hating,
Love hides in crevices,
unperturbed and waiting.
– Bruce Silverman
Greetings at the end of Scorpio season, on the brink of the New Moon. As I sit down to write, a sweet chorus of birds surprises with an in-between-rains serenade, the sun burns suddenly bright through the haze, and the slice of sky from my office window offers a brief glimpse of blue through the clouds. It’s the way of ‘fluid’ Water sign Scorpio and early winter alike, dipping in and out of extremes, rain and sun, birdsong and silence.
In my case, the fluidity shows up as making final edits of the text of my Dance of the Archetypes book, in between client sessions, while also dealing with a ‘big deal’ leak in my home’s water system, which has made of my carport a ‘bubbling spring!’ (This the name of an important kidneys point in Qi Gong, located beneath the balls of the feet!) The waters of the deep are clearly calling for my attention—I get the Scorpio memo! And, given all that’s going on in my court, I will need to limit this month’s sharing to mostly New Moon ruminations.
First, some observations about the Water element we are ‘steeped’ in astrologically these days. Taking a brief respite from my work, out on a walk earlier, I noted a van for The Sump Pump Guys parked in front of one house, two plumbing trucks parked by another, and was reminded me of another neighbor who had mentioned she has had a sump pump installed beneath her house. And, there’s the friend who just reported their water pipe leakage in her basement. I am not alone, it seems with water issues! And, having written thus far, the rain is back, and pouring buckets, further emphasizing the excessively watery nature of this season.
Bruce Silverman’s poem above points to the Scorpionic waters—to the types of pain we face when discouraged by life’s harsh turns, whether relational, in illness and death, or overtaken by fierce emotions. But I appreciate how he points to love, ever hiding in the crevices, like the spider (a Scorpio totem, symbol of the feminine) hidden in the window frame, unperturbed, waiting to be seen. Because in the end, Scorpio’s often difficult deep diving is done in the name of renewal, truth, and rebirth. And what is deepest and truest within us, that which needs courageous excavation, is entwined with our love.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scorpio New Moon
Here in early winter we find ourselves in partnership with the depths-probing Water sign, Scorpio, with the Sun and Moon conjunct at 28° on the New Moon of November 19 (in the US). A Scorpio New Moon is always a time of inward turning, of going after the hard stuff, being with strong emotions, and intensity. But this isn’t just any old Scorpio New Moon! For the Sun and Moon are conjunct as well with retrograding Mercury, and Black Moon Lilith, with Venus nearby at 16°.
Given that retrogrades incline us towards review and reflection, Mercury Rx in intense Scorpio is the inward explorer par excellence, determined to excavate buried truths—be they traumas unconsciously kept down due to resistance in facing them, or latent gifts and gems that have been heretofore uncomfortable being ‘seen.’ Scorpio is known for keeping its deep vulnerability and passions hidden behind a cool, “I’ve got this” exterior.
With Mercury governing communication and news (or gossip), we shouldn’t be surprised that parts of the hushed Epstein files have, under the Scorpio beams, finally being released in the news, with promises of more hidden secrets, illicit sex, and evidence of subterfuge by the key players involved—a field day of Scorpio material!
Astrologer Pam Younghans frames the Mercury Rx situation as follows:
With Mercury being retrograde, this New Moon asks us to revisit “facts” that we thought we already knew and had processed. Mercury in perceptive Scorpio is determined and even preoccupied with getting to the truth of a situation, even if the journey takes us through emotional swamplands. Still, we need not fear getting stuck in the mire; remember that in mythology, Mercury was the only immortal—other than Hades himself—who could freely enter and leave the underworld.
Indeed, Mercury’s presence in this mix will hopefully offer us access to detachment, given how the god Mercury’s winged feet keep him aloft, so as not to get stuck in the quagmire of deep feelings.
Also significant at the New Moon is the grand trine in Water signs, which signals a lot of receptive feminine energy flowing through us (on top of all the Scorpio), deepening our intuitive capacities and access to inner ways of knowing, such as through dreams, creativity, and the imagination. The trine consists of Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn-Neptune in Pisces, and Sun-Moon-Lilith-Mercury in Scorpio, all round 25°, so if you have planets near these points, your sensitivities will likely be heightened. This need not be a bad thing! Be listening for inspirations.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reclaiming personal power
Black Moon Lilith, a more esoteric placement in the sky determined by the Moon’s furthest point from the Earth in its orbit, is associated with the reassertion and claiming of “dark” feminine power. It is considered dark because the energy’s impulse is, like that of the witches in the “Burning Times,” unafraid to challenge norms, confront fears, and reclaim personal power. Given that Scorpio and its ruler Pluto are already concerned with issues of feminine power and powerlessness, Black Moon Lilith here adds a significant ‘kick’ to the already potent New Moon signature.
Venus in Scorpio joins the fray as a truth-teller in relationship, but also can resort to dramatic, or underhanded and manipulative methods to get what she desires. It’s good to be wary of such tendencies, whether in others or oneself, and stay conscious in our communications with intimates.
One final ‘kicker’ of this New Moon is the tight opposition from Uranus (the rebel who asserts for freedom) in Taurus. Expect surprises, revelatory encounters or emotional releases, and above all, take care to not rush into things. Uranus opposing Scorpio can be impulsive and unpredictable, but can also add more capacity for detachment and insight, with Uranus being the ‘higher mind’ octave of Mercury.
Given the multiplicity of planets and points joining the two luminaries in Scorpio, overall there is a particularly strong emphasis this lunar cycle on courageous, honest contemplation that involves being present with whatever is arising. It’s a potent time for shadow work.
And for Scorpio, which can tend towards wanting to control, a key medicine is that of letting go, of allowing things to unfold as they will. When we engage with radical acceptance, as falling leaves meeting the ground, that which we release becomes compost for the new that will arise in spring.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shake it out!
Given all this intensity and sensitive water energy, it’s important to remember to ground in our bodies and ‘shake it out,’ perhaps with a period of vigorous standing shaking (as is done in Qi Gong), or dancing, to keep all the inner juices flowing and prevent stagnation.
Here’s a song by Michael Franti, Everybody Ona Move, which includes the lyrics, “I rock black scorpions,” and “I like my bass louder!” Given its somewhat topical connection (the stinging scorpion being totem of ‘lower octave’ Scorpio, and Scorpio being inclined to turn up the volume on things!), I figure I have the green light to share its driving rhythms with those of you who need release of the Scorpio variety.
If this is not your style, no worries! In the spirit of musical diversity, I dare you to not find a smile on your face, if not a wiggle and a groove, or some chair dancing, while watching Taylor Swift’s classic hit, “Shake It Off!” With her Mars-Pluto conjunction in Scorpio, her lyrics point to relationship drama and the “liars and dirty cheats of the world,” putting her smack on Scorpio point. (Pluto is the modern ruler of Scorpio, and Mars its traditional ruler. Both are known for passion, desire, and the draw of sexuality.)
Letting up a bit on the drama, the Sun is poised to join Mars in Sagittarius on November 22, leaving Mercury and Venus still engaged with Scorpio work. So it feels apt to close with an excerpt from my book that pertains to how both the Scorpio and Sagittarius archetypes are seekers after Truth, while in different respects.
Scorpio asks us to surrender to the truth of that which causes pain, as part of healing and regeneration. At its best, it stands ready to face down, feel, and excavate repressed traumas, unafraid of opening to the suffering that such truth may impart. Sagittarius, in contrast, is after a transcendent, over-arching truth, one that can guide our lives by grounding it in our hearts and in our seeing, perhaps first encountering it in high places—whether these be a mountaintop, a meditation cushion, or a seat of advanced learning.
May your search for truth these coming weeks, in both deep and lofty places, inwardly and without, be blessed with courage, self-compassion, and discernment. And may you stay grounded in the spirit of Sagittarian joy and hope!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________