The Cosmic Story: Scorpio New Moon, October 30, 2016
Entering the Cauldron of Regeneration
The Sun entered the sign of Scorpio on Saturday, October 22, 2016. Leaving behind the airy social realm of Libra, we now plunge into the dark watery realms of the Unconscious. As we worked to balance our inner and outer lives in Libra, now we come to the point where we have to let go of what no longer serves us. This requires that we turn within and look at those emotions which keep us imprisoned in our pasts.
As we face our inner darkness, the world outside is also growing dark. The Sun moves lower into the southern hemisphere, bringing them the warmth of Spring and coming Summer, while leaving us in the North with fading light, shorter days and colder weather. Nature is letting go of its life as the year dies.
Just after this intense New Moon we'll be celebrating Samhain, the last Gate of the Wheel of the Year. At Samhain, the old year dies so the new year can be born. The veils between the world are very thin, and the spirits of the dead are very close to us. We celebrate Samhain, Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, the Day of the Dead, All Saints Day and All Souls Day to honor our ancestors at this transitional time.
The great goddess who embodies the energies of Samhain is Hecate, most ancient Goddess of the Triple Crossroads, Queen of the Witches and Guide and Protector on the road to the Underworld. She stands at the Crossroads with her two torches and her black dog at her side. She can see the past, the present and the future and while we each have to choose our path, she lends us one of her torches and sends her faithful companion to guide our steps into the mystery of our future selves. For more about Hecate: http://ladywisdomchronicles.blogspot.com/.
Scorpio New Moon
Scorpio is often considered the most powerful sign in the Zodiac, and those who incarnate as Scorpios, some of the most powerful souls. For Scorpio's initiation is pivotal to our soul's growth, which is to die to be reborn again. For anyone living under patriarchy, where we have been disconnected from our feminine, soulful consciousness, death is the ultimate test to our unconscious Ego. We have been taught to fear death as a punishment or an end, rather than as a transition, a change that will give us back eternal life. And so FEAR is the Gatekeeper we have to face as we sink into the dark, murky emotions from past lives which keep us stuck in old patterns of disconnection, betrayal, horror and hurt.
It's interesting that the American elections are always held during the Sun's transit through Scorpio, signaling a transition of power, a transformation of our collective lives. Indeed, that's also what Scorpio is about. Power. The ruling planets of Scorpio are Mars and Pluto. Pluto, or Hades, is the Lord of the Underworld, ruling the unconscious depths within us. These depths can lie quiet when we live by ourselves, but they get stirred up when we relate to others. And that's why Scorpio also rules intimacy, the emotional sharing that's necessary for a deep, rich life. And Mars the Warrior is what is needed to give us the courage to face those emotions.
Scorpio is concentrated emotional power which propels the energy of evolution, and so it is the repository of unconscious instinctual drives, old emotional patterns and attachments and the compulsive tendencies that we bring with us personally and collectively from other lifetimes as well as from our early childhood. These old emotional wounds keep us stuck in fear and suspicion. Jung called them the Shadow. They are the parts of us that we can't see about ourselves and which we tend to project onto others instead of taking responsibility for ourselves. The Shadow is alive and well in our culture at the moment. Perhaps the very obvious examples we see in the news will help us deal with our personal Shadows.
When we operate out of these unconscious patterns, we tend to use emotional manipulation, defensiveness and vindictiveness to get our way. This is the lowest form of Scorpionic energy, the unconscious energy of survival at all costs. The Snake often symbolizes this aspect of Scorpio, although its transformation is possible with the shedding of its skin—or our unconscious Ego drives. In many ways, snake is best seen as our instinctual wisdom so perhaps the better symbol is the Scorpion, which will sting itself in its frenzy to sting the other. We've seen this kind of lower Scorpio energy in some of Donald Trump's attacks on women and minorities instead of admitting his own mistakes.
Scorpio has three symbols because it concerns the process of transformation, and three is the number of process. The unconscious residue from other lifetimes which eats away at us is symbolized by the scorpion. Once we begin to recognize our Shadow and can name it, the symbol shifts to an Eagle. And Eagle is the highest flying bird, able to see far and wide. Like Great Spirit, it gives us an overview of our lives. Eagle Scorpios can look at and name their Shadows, but they can also repress those shadowy instincts and certainly not talk about them! They use their will power to keep those negative instincts in line.
But that's just a step to the third part of the process: the death of old habits and complexes. The re-integration of those repressed emotions and instincts then give rise to a new birth, which is symbolized by the phoenix, who burns up old karma and arises out of the ashes with a new, spiritual vision. This is the initiation of Scorpio. To go through all the tests that life brings us and learn from our mistakes and find the meaning of what it is we are sent here to learn.
The two ruling planets of Scorpio are Pluto and Mars. Pluto, as Lord of the Underworld, contains the raw primal power of evolution, the unconscious urge to be more than we believe we can be. We can't stop Pluto's energy of transformation—we have to give over control and roll with it. Pluto exposes what is dead and decaying within us as well as within our society. And then he wants to throw it in the cauldron of transformation so we can use that energy for new life once it's cooked enough.
Mars is our desire nature, our ability to go after what we want, our will to achieve. As Aries' ruler, he goes out into the world to conquer it, to become 'somebody'. In Scorpio, Mars becomes a tightly focused laser with the ability to turn within and use its willpower to achieve its goals. This is the energy we need to face our Shadows and dance with them until they yield the golden energy within them.
So with this Scorpio New Moon, we have a chance to plant a seed of power, the power to transform what is dead into soil for new growth. It is a time of letting go and shedding our old skin (that Scorpio Snake).
Scorpio New Moon October 30, 2016
The Scorpio New Moon occurs on Sunday October 30th at 10:38am PDT/ 1:38pm EDT/ 5:38pm GMT.
The Sabian symbol1 for the Sun and Moon at 8* Scorpio is: A dark lake bathed in Moonlight; a powerful dragon slowly rises from the water. This beautiful and intense symbol speaks of the power of the unconscious to inspire us through the imagination. It reminds me of the dwarf king's initiation in Guy Gavriel Kay's magnificent Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. In this story of the end of an age and the defeat of an ancient evil, Matt Soren, the true king and Kaen, who has ruled the dwarves in Matt's absence and who has gone over to the dark side, must throw their creations into the magical lake on Full Moon night. The guardian spirit of the lake is a Dragon of great antiquity and power, who arises to choose which candidate is worthy to be king. Like Matt, we too must give our offerings to the Collective Unconscious and see what arises from that exchange.
Mercury, which entered Scorpio on October 24th, is conjunct this New Moon. Mercury in Scorpio has strong emotional intelligence, able to see below the surface and strategize its next moves. There's a strong will here and an ability to communicate its vision to others. The Sabian symbol1 for Mercury at 10* Scorpio is: Dinnertime at a beautiful old home; the father says a prayer and breaks bread. This image of gathering together, sharing food and blessing the meal helps us remember what is important in life. The blessing unites us with higher consciousness, shaping the mundane into the magical.
Both rulers of this Scorpio New Moon are in Capricorn, the sign of our collective culture. While Pluto has been swinging his cosmic wrecking ball back and forth, bringing down rotten structures and dead weight, Mars is working to preserve what is still useful. Mars in Capricorn is happy to focus on what needs to get accomplished and does it. Mars here exhibits leadership and experience, taking responsibility for his actions.
On the day before this New Moon, October 29th, Mars in Capricorn will square Uranus in Aries, perhaps setting off some unpredictable chain of events, especially regarding the US election. Personally, watch out for accidents because this energy is intense, dynamic and erratic. Freedom to be you clashes with the need to take responsible action. Mars has set off the Uranus in Aries/Pluto in Capricorn square throughout this past month, so if you've been feeling the Bern again, try to find ways to turn your ideals into action. On the day of the US elections, Mars is at 29+* Capricorn, signaling a responsibility to act thoughtfully and conscientiously before Mars slips into Aquarius at 9:52pm PST. That means, “Go vote!” Whether or not you're happy about your presidential choices, voting for members of Congress is even more important.
The Sabian symbol1 for Mars at 23* Capricorn is: A soldier receiving two golden medals for bravery. When we stand up for our principles and do the right thing, people take notice and we become examples. This is the perfect time to stand up for our ideals, even without getting those medals!
The Sabian symbol1 for Uranus at 23* Aries is: A woman in a summer dress is carrying a precious veiled burden. New life is possible when we know what's important and precious. This is a great image for the protesters against the Dakota Pipeline. They are holding the space for the Water. Water is Life!
Also on Saturday, October 29th, look for the Venus/Saturn conjunction in Sagittarius, making this day even more intense. When Saturn and Venus join together, we often feel unloved and unappreciated, as well as frustrated that we can't connect to what we love. (Donald Trump has a natal Venus/Saturn conjunction in Cancer, so he might be feeling this one very strongly, since it also is near his Moon and South Node in Sagittarius.) It may feel like you can't get what you want—as the Rollings Stones sing it, You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find you get what you need!
The Sabian symbol1 for both Venus and Saturn at 15* Sagittarius is: Ground hog, out of its winter sleep, looks for its shadow. This is a image of prophecy, the foreshadowing of events and the willingness to believe in the possibilities presented to us. So put your intuitions to the test today and trust yourself!
The New Moon, and most especially Mercury, trine Neptune in Pisces, opening us to the Collective Unconscious and its deep stories and ancient songs. Meditate and listen to your imagination today to discover what deep soul longings want to be reborn within you. The Sabian symbol1 for Neptune at 10* Pisces is: The aviator sails across the sky, master of the high realms. This seems to echo the energy of the Scorpio Eagle, the ability to see further and deeper than usual. So attune yourselves to higher wisdom and find that new perspective that will give rise to a better future for yourself and for all of us. Don't doubt yourself!
It's time to step into our personal as well as our collective Darkness with courage and a willingness to 'take Death as your adviser' as don Juan advised Carlos Castaneda.
Have a blessed Samhain/All Hallows. Ask advice from your ancestors and face the unknown with courage.
Sweet Darkness -- David Whyte
When your eyes are tired
the world is tired also.
When your vision has gone
no part of the world can find you.
Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.
There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.
The dark will be your womb
tonight.
The night will give you a horizon
further than you can see.
You must learn one thing:
the world was made to be free in.
Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
~ David Whyte ~
(House of Belonging)
1. Steve Eardley, The Revised Sabian Symbols.
