October 21st ~ 28th
“Proserpine” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
True transformation occurs only when we can look at ourselves squarely and face our attachments and inner demons, free from the buzz of commercial distraction and false social realities. We have to retreat into our own cocoons and come face-to-face with who we are. We have to turn toward our own inner darkness. For only by abandoning its attachments and facing the darkness does the caterpillar’s body begin to spread out and find its light, and beautiful wings begin to form. ~ Julia Butterfly Hill
After Venus delves into the heart of the Sun this weekend, they both gallantly brave the darkness together when they enter the sign of Scorpio. This is the sign in which we courageously retreat into our cocoons, face all those inner demons, laden with attachments, habits and fears that we tamped down under some rock somewhere. And just like the caterpillar, this is also where we find that light that allows those beautiful wings to grow. And so words like transformation, purification, and healing are also associated with the sign of Scorpio.
And when the Sun escorted by Venus enter Scorpio, they set the stage for the New Moon Solar Eclipse on October 25th at 2º of Scorpio. This is a partial eclipse which will be most visible in Northern Europe, Russia and parts of Asia, including Iran and Pakistan. Don’t be fooled by the word ‘partial’. This is still an eclipse, asking us to make sacrifices at the altar in order to establish the new beginning implied by the New Moon. This is a South Node attending Eclipse, meaning that something is needing to be eclipsed, released or let go of, in order for a whole new beginning to occur.
As I write this the Prime Minister of Great Britain has just stepped down. The Taurus/Scorpio axis is often primarily concerned with the economy, and the South Node in Scorpio can speak to a lack of confidence from the economic powers that be. Upon her resignation she stated: “I recognize given the situation I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative party.” The wheels of the Eclipses are set in motion weeks in advance, and the ramifications can be felt for months after.
This Eclipse along with a stationing Mars can explain any weariness, or feelings of exhaustion and depletion. It also gives us permission to withdraw where necessary. In our own lives we could find ourselves compelled to face things that we would much rather not have to. These could be our own fears come to life, or some sort of unavoidable reality. Or simply having to face our own attachments that are no longer valid for who we are now. In order to make a more effective beginning and fulfill our purpose we are needing to release those things that are no longer sustainable and supportive, and might actually be preventing us from growing and evolving.
If the eclipse at 2º of Scorpio hits a sensitive area of your natal chart it can be felt weeks in advance for you as well, and the ramifications of whatever changes they bring can continue for months after. These are turning points in the year, attempting to bring us more in alignment with our destiny. As a result, they can sometimes feel chaotic and unpredictable, like we are free falling in time and space. The North Node eclipses, like the Lunar Eclipse on November 8th can feel excitable, while the South Node eclipse like this Solar Eclipse on the 25th can render us exhausted. And the time between the two eclipses can feel like a vortex in which time warps converge with endings and beginnings. And all we can do is walk through the veil between the eclipses to the other side.
Scorpio in and of itself is a sign of transformation, of birth, death and rebirth. This is the time of year when Persephone is called back down into Hades’ lair, leaving her mother Demeter to roam mournfully throughout the earth in search of her lost daughter. All withers and dies in the throes of her sorrow. It was Hecate, the crone of Winter, the goddess of Experience and Wisdom, who finally informed Demeter of her daughter’s fate. And so it is that we are all being asked to go within, and meet our own inner Hecate, our innate goddess of experience and wisdom. And therefore Scorpio is also a sign of revelation and discovery.
Many frown on the idea of setting intentions on the day of a Solar Eclipse. Especially one which is in alignment with the South Node of the Moon. However, never are the Sun, Moon and the Earth in such perfect alignment than they are on the days of the Eclipses. And although we may decide to leave intentions for a later date, we can honor the Eclipse in other ways. Scorpio season is a time in which we traditionally honor the ancestors. Try creating an altar to honor your ancestors: offering them flowers and delicacies to honor their memories. Play with some new form of divination on the New Moon, which might help you to connect with your intuition: runes, the tarot, tea leaves, the I Ching, or a new favorite oracle. And then ask yourself honestly and humbly in the dimmed light of the Eclipsed Sun, What is it that you are being asked to release, in order to move forward on the next step of your journey?
The Saturn Station
Just before the Solar Eclipse on Tuesday, Saturn will appear to station, or stand still. It is preparing for its direct motion once again. When Saturn finally appears to be moving forwards again, that forward motion is reflected back at us. Obstacles that were previously blocking our progress are removed allowing us to finally move forward with our goals and objectives. And those things that were previously put on hold or delayed, are now able to proceed again. Hopefully during the retrograde phase of Saturn which began in early June, we were able to work on some of the kinks in our plans. This will now allow us to move forward with a much clearer objective.
It cannot be understated the conflict implied by the Saturn/Uranus square. The square was almost exact in early October, and will be brought to a head with the Lunar Eclipse on November 8th. This is where the forces of freedom, including free markets, come up against the need for control and stability. But what it can also create is an untenable situation in which things have become so stretched that they are no longer sustainable.
Mercury has now moved well out of the shadow of its own recent retrograde phase, and will be trine Saturn as it makes its station this weekend. Mercury/Saturn weather is pragmatic, clear, decisive and strategic. This is an aspect for map makers and path finders, and people who like graphs and spreadsheets. Look at the facts. Know what resources you have available to you. Be clear about what you want and are able to achieve. This clarity will serve you well as we continue to move through the marshy wilderness left behind by the Mars/Neptune square and the unpredictability of the current eclipse season and the Saturn/Uranus square.
There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind. ~ Hannah Senesh
For this week’s horoscopes, and for the Solar Eclipse for your sign, click below: