Mercury-North Node: A Scorpio Confluence

Planet Mercury as photographed by Mariner 10
(photo credit: NASA)

As something of an 'oh, by the way...' as we get our New Moon in Libra, Mercury conjuncts the North Node.

Now, maybe you remember a couple of weeks ago when Saturn did it's Node-conjuncting thing? I mentioned it in passing - the dates being affected were September 11th through September 20th.

And I don't know about you, but that turned out to be one real mind-cruncher of a time for me. And well they might, as the lunar nodes - north and south - represent an 'intersecting' of our lives with life around us.

Physically the nodes are where the Moon's orbit around Earth intersect the path of the Earth around our Sun...as diagrammed here...

...thus, since the Moon is our 'intimate life' - be that either our 'feeling life' or life as an individual as juxtaposed against everybody else in 'this life' (aka on Planet Earth)  - or as a moment in our life against the whole OF our life.

It's a conceptualizing of Moon/Earth cycles against Earth/Sun cycles as an important personal version of the microcosm versus the macrocosm thing.

So when Saturn, the energetics of which create 'earned growth' (aka rewards) and limitations (depending on how we use it) encountered the nodal influence, that was worth noting. And like I say...I had one heck of a week. Much emotional fur did fly and I thought at one point that I was going to burst like an overfilled water balloon being attacked by a porcupine.

It wasn't pretty. But it was very Scorpio and served to advance the 'Scorpio eclipse cause' (one shudders to think) which is all about situations which will dredge out that which affects us most scarily.

With Saturn (being ruler of Capricorn and primary ruler of Aquarius) we would tend to experience these energetics in a worldly place...maybe in business, maybe through our societal connections, maybe through income. And then we had to add in wherever our personal Saturn is - which with me is in Scorpio and the 7th house.

So yes, I had a kerfluffle with someone I feel close to. No, the relationship is not physically intimate, but the emotional connection feels intimate and it was neither of our finest moments. Both parties met up with their Saturnine "OMG!!!" quotients.

Like I say, it wasn't pretty.

At that point in time, Saturn and the North Node were at 8 Scorpio, a degree which evokes both our intelligence and our blind spots - which given human nature, can cause problems.

(Ahem. Point made?)

This time, Mercury is the...uh..."activating factor." (Is that a nice enough way to put it?) Mercury in Scorpio can be the heart and soul of penetrating insight. Then again, it can be the urge to penetrate somebody (or something) without concern for the niceties of getting permission.

This may work well for psychics, intuits and empaths, but let's face it, the reality of this reference is all about the fact that our (nodal) relationships...or our (nodal) relationship to the world could be in for some slow burn time. There's likely to be a lot of 'headaches' of the emotional and entangled kind. Anywhere or everywhere where we either ARE mixed up with others or where we SHOULD be mixed in with others (physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, etceterally...) is the venue.

And noooooo, it's not "them." The situation which arises may ask (in true Scorpio style) that you interact with them, or that you absent yourself from them (which is a reverse-quotient form of interacting) but the one thing we cannot do is assume that this is just about us.

It isn't. There may be some temptation to think of your life as some mental desert island, but that would be a Scorpionic mistake. No matter what we'd like to think, Scorpio is never just 'about' us. What it is, however, is about OUR ability to tolerate and deal with interactive dynamics (particularly those which foster emotionalism or emotional reactions).

All our vulnerabilities arise when prodded with a Scorpio stick. (Or stinger, take your pick.)

Given that this is Mercury we're talking about here - the venue is thought-choice-communication. With the North Node in play, it's what you should do on the HUMAN level, not what you "should do" on a societal level. We often get these things turned around, but since Scorpio falls before (societal) Aquarius in zodiacal order, it's pretty plain that the quality of person we ARE contributes to the building of the society which provides for us and everybody else.

To neglect dealing with our Scorpio issues, therefore, is to bring a 'lesser evolved' version of ourselves to the societal party - or to relationships or our job or whatever else - and thus to diminish the quality of everything.

Oh yes...one other thing to think about here: the less we are able to grapple with our Scorpio 'stuff,' the greater the likelihood that we will associate with other people who are incapable of dealing with their Scorpio 'stuff.'

Like attracts (and likes) like, remember? And thus - say in a workplace - the insensitive boss who is incapable of connecting with others hires the insecure employee and try as they may, the whole of the company structure (and its product) slowly decays.

Decay is, after all, a Scorpio word. 

At it's best, this is a day when you could really have a great 'clearing of the air' with yourself or somebody else. You could establish - or rewrite some 'rules of the road' in your life or for what you will or won't accept in any kind of human(e) relationship - business or personal, platonic or intimate. Errors can now be mended and feelings rekindled into passion IF (you knew there was an 'if,' right?) ...if and ONLY if we are willing and able to be honest.

Starting with ourselves, that is...but that has to be transferred out there at least for contemplation. And that's where the Scorpio Factor comes in. As I have said before and will no doubt say many times again, Scorpio tends to manifest as situations which daunt us and scare us and provoke much anxiety (and from there, trouble and problems of every kind) not necessarily because of what somebody else is going to do or not do. No, the real issue with Scorpio is how we feel about ourselves, and whether our self worth and self respect and sense of satisfaction and inner security is able to risk being known. Or whether we can risk having someone disagree with us.

There are those among us who are addicted to agreement. The whole idea of someone not agreeing with them gives them hives. This is not about having a preference - this is about needing others to 'be like me' or think the way that we do.

That's a sign of Scorpio problems. Scorpio is all about brokering agreements with everybody and anybody based on learning who they are and finding common ground (if there is any) and if not, figuring out what everybody can work with.

The successful harnessing of Scorpio requires give and take - which is why its negative aspects include control, possessiveness and jealousy.

On the Beach -- Two Are Company, Three Are None

(woodcut by Winslow Homer, published in Harper's Weekly, August 17, 1872)

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HOWEVER...even there, it's all a matter of who we deal with. As pointed out in a conversation I had with a friend rather recently (or at least quasi-recently) there are ways to exert control and have it be entirely well received.

You just have to pick your areas of control and find somebody who doesn't want to control 'that.' Successful marriages are built on this sort of thing and it's why the old saying 'opposites attract' has some real and substantial merit.

This comes more into focus as we think through what Mercury in Scorpio is all about - which at it's base is inherently about the ability to negotiate.

This is just a one day transit, but it's worth trying out if you're in need. It's also a day when communications are likely to stick with you, and when important pieces of mail (or email) may show up.

The degree of this conjunction is 7 Scorpio, a degree which is all about learning how and where to be vulnerable in order to explain one's rationale of position. 7 Scorpio is thought of as a mysteriously powerful degree, though people who have it active in their natal chart will like as not be quick to explain it's not a bed of thorn-less roses.

The secret here is to look beyond the obvious, the norm and the externals to the true nature of gift, of potential and of quality. And with the North Node in this degree for the whole of October...AND the whole of November...AND half of December...evidently we all need to do the North Node thing and do what we should - not necessarily what is easy.

The timing of all this - not to mention how it involves the North Node brings up our current eclipse season. Considering this is happening in Scorpio, the November solar eclipse (at 11 Scorpio) is the likely metaphysical reference, implying that as part of our 'eclipsing' of our old self, the considering of relationship factors and the nature of our relationships...maybe even our success with relationships...is part of this process.

And that makes sense, when we think about Scorpio. We cannot have a truly meaningful relationship with anyone without some risk. Without being willing to invest something and through that investing, be vulnerable to our own sense of whether we're secure with our Self.

That Saturn is sitting at 10 Scorpio (in conjunction with this meetup) asks that we own our emotions and acknowledge them, but mind them as well.

But as we say all that, let's be aware of what the North Node is - or rather, is like. The North Node is like riding a bike up a very big mountain (think Everest) and nobody likes their North Node work. Unfortunately for us, this is the metaphysical equivalent of eating your veggies before you get dessert...and don't go into any of that 'I don't like broccoli' hoo-hah, because the universe doesn't care.

The North Node is the heart and soul of maturing in our own eyes. Through taking on the tasks described by your North Node, you empower yourself...and lore tells us that only to the degree that we invest in that empowering do we allow ourselves the true and fullest measure of meaningful success.

So, maybe you want to think about it?

Or talk about it?

This is a date which in particular focuses on relationships. Relationships new, old and in particular, phases of relating which - in particular - call upon us to find the courage to be honest - and vulnerable - with our Self.

I know I talked some about this the other day. But it's so important - and so likely to get pushed aside because of how hard it is to do and the many other things which are of concern at the moment that it bears remembering.

And yes, discussing. So maybe if I discuss this with you, you'll discuss it with yourself - and with whomever else really matters.

That's the crux of the thing: how we relate to relating.
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