Sun entering Scorpio: Life, Intensified

An Aries Wheel (all 0 cusp) chart of the Sun entering Scorpio

Mercury having entered Scorpio only a few days before the Sun does is a clue to 'think ahead.'

And if that's true, by inference or implication, the Sun's entering into Scorpio on October 23rd at 12:36 (+00/UT) may well mark a change of feeling, a change of attitude, a shift in situational dynamics, preferences, goals or responses. These may happen to you, and to those around you. They may be aimed at you, or completely cut you out of some loop.

As seen marked by green lines in the horoscope above, there are two 'circuits' of activity which are in action at this time.

One is a grand trine - an ongoing flow of actions or energies - between Moon in Taurus (values, security, worth/self worth), Ceres in Capricorn (caretakers of process) and Juno in Virgo (directed action towards a purposeful or useful goal). All figures in this 'sealed' figure of the grand trine are in early numbers of respective signs, telling us this is about what you or others are doing. Or not doing, of course.

Many people think of grand trines as wonderful simply because they require no effort to keep in motion. But what if you had a grand trine representing inertia? Or what if a grand trine spelled a giant problem barging about breaking up your life?

Astrological figures have no feelings. They are neither innately good or bad. Things are what we make of them - and in the case of grand trines...including the one pictured here, what is already in motion as you come to the moment or event...such things tend to stay in motion.

UNLESS....

Unless what?

Unless some external force is brought to bear - astrologically speaking. In other words, typically the ongoing 'grand trine' situation needs an 'out' ...something which interrupts or 'short ciruits' the ongoing flow. Through that planet/symbol (or incident) things change and  we are able to improve our lot, get a lot done - or maybe escape problems, boredom or simple habit.

And let's face it...even the best of habits can use the occasional freshening up!

With this particular grand trine in earth signs, the 'ongoing' subjects are occuring in reality and involve real things, real assets, real challenges and real necessities.

And you may be wondering why I'm bringing this grand trine up. After all, it doesn't involve the Sun, right? No, it doesn't! The Sun's Scorpio ingress is involved in a whole different configuration - one called a 'magic rectangle'....

 

...but since the Moon is one of the corners of said magic rectangle, the Sun moving into Scorpio is a sign that ongoing situations now stand to be changed. 

How?

Through our handling matters fearlessly (Scorpio), thoughtfully and not merely passionately (Scorpio), by involving ourselves in societal forces (North/South Nodes), by calmly standing up for ourselves/standing our ground (Moon in Taurus) and by aiming at functional ends which uphold moral AND societal standards (Pluto-Ceres-North Node).

In other words, from now until November 22nd when the Sun moves on into Sagittarius we will do ourselves a service by keeping the level of rhetoric/hysteria/intentional force low, relying instead on facts. This sounds strange when we are talking about Scorpio but all things Scorpio are far more successful when we base our choice of method and procedure based on fact rather than passion, yearning, longing or lust. 

Example: when you choose the right lover based on who they really are (as opposed to some lustful impression of the moment), you stand a far better chance of building a happy and profitable relationship than you ever would otherwise. 

Make sense?

Just so we're on the same page here, this doesn't mean  lust as a sensation or emotion of a moment is bad. Lust, whether part of intimacy or strength of motivation which drives you towards some goal is real and has its purpose. But that purpose is personal...and Scorpio is interactive. In being the polarity sign to Taurus (what we want/need in order to feel safe, secure, worthy and comfortable), Scorpio tests our ability to take what we want and our ideas on how to get there and risk that through revealing them to someone else.

Hence, the vulnerability we so often feel in Scorpionic situations.

In and through those risks, Scorpio asks that we weather attempts to change our opinions - most of all of ourselves and what we think of as valuable.

Thus we encounter the power struggles so common with Scorpio.

The more wildly and defensively we react, the more power we are giving up. Not over others, but ourselves; by definition, being on the defensive is not the position of our power.

And so in the end we come to realize that it is by not getting emotional or lustful or defensive...it is through thinking things through and interacting thoughtfully that we not only make gains, but forge bonds of trust and potential. It is understanding, not emotionality which affords us the chance to harness, focus and fully utilize our power.

The Scorpio control we need, seek and have the opportunity to gain during planetary passages through Scorpio (and wherever Scorpio is in our charts) is thus over ourselves, not some other person.

    

El Coloso by Goya

So...looking at the magic rectangle, we see in it two chances labeled 'opportunity'. One involves the Sun. And because that aspect leads into one of the three points defined by the Moon's grand trine, THAT tells us that by embodying all the Scorpio qualities and rules we've just been talking about in changing a status quo...

...put simply, that works.

It will not work merely as a matter of will however. Remembering Saturn has just entered the shadow of its 2011 retrograde and is in Libra tells us a lot.

First, Libra is the sign the Sun was in as the Moon came to full phase only hours ago. And Saturn remains in Libra though the Sun moves on.

Saturn being ruler of Capricorn, it rules that Ceres-Pluto-North Node the Scorpio Sun has an opportunity to affect...or be effected by. And Saturn is exalted (very strong) when in Libra. In a challenging square to the Nodes (north and south) at both the Full Moon and Sun's shift into Scorpio, this Libra Saturn represents the stress between ourselves and our world - our greater social and societal public world and our 'inner circle'  private world.

Parts of it are working. Parts of it are not.

But remember...though we tend to think 'it's them' or 'it's me,' any time we are talking Libra, Scorpio or Sagittarius we're really talking about where the rubber meets the road: the dynamic of intersecting. 

That part we cleanly have input to.

Capricorn, on the other hand, is a 4th quadrant sign. So like Aquarius and Pisces, it's worldly. This is the world and how we interact with IT. 

So....! Will you go out and create the interaction? Will you do it based on thoughtfulness or passion? Will you stamp your feet and make stump speeches or will you simply point out what will work and what is functional and what the rules are - or not?

That is pretty much your choice as of this moment and until the Sun reaches Sagittarius come November 22nd. You can be emotionally reactive. You may well feel very vulnerable. Life situations will tempt you to abandon yourself to this or that passion.

What will you actually do? 

A Full Moon in Saturn's Shadow

The Full Moon of October 23rd (tomorrow) takes place at 1:38 (+00/UT) at 29 Libra. And this is but a few hours after Saturn moves into the shadow of its upcoming 2011 retrograde.

That's a whole interesting astrological mouthful right there.

For one, any time we see a lunar cycle tied to anything having to do with Saturn, it's at least a subtle suggestion that this is a connection between our most personal life (the Moon) and our worldly life, the world, or things we need to do or get done (Saturn).

That what Saturn is doing at the moment is entering the shadow of its 2011 retrograde? That tells us two things. The first is that what happens from here until Saturn goes retrograde is likely to take longer than we think to play out or come to fruition. The other concerns those of us who have something of 'note' happen as this transition into 'shadow territory' happens. Those who have 'events' marking this moment are given a pretty clear indication that the process itself OR what it means to you will take time to unfold.

That Saturn is in Libra tells us that the standard Libra list is the venue for these processes or life adventures - how you deal with others (and thus how they deal with or receive/reject you) is all about how you present yourself or what you do to them. Remembering that Libra is about the scales, any sort of 'connection' is about creating a 'balance.' Where there is no balance, the scales will tip, situations will get 'out of whack' and someone will feel things aren't 'in line' (balance).

So the issue is not about 'good' or 'bad': the question is whether standards and aims are 'evenly aligned.' They don't have to be alike, but they need to have equal merit or quality.

This all gets a little harder because this year Saturn is passing through Libra's 2nd and most emotional decanate (degrees 10 through 19). So 'sobriety' is on the menu - and how you deal with that (or tend to hear that) will color a lot of how you tend to think 'things are.'

 

 Saturn's orbital period of 29.46 years echos

that of the Moon, which is 29.53 days long

  

If you're someone who likes people to be up and happy all the time, look out. If you're someone who likes to have everything your way at your pace, expect rebuffs. Saturn in Libra's 2nd decanate is about life's give and take as experienced emotionally.

And yes, given that Saturn will move on out of Libra's 2nd decanate come October 2011, you can try to 'tough it out.' But seeing that Saturn represents maturation (and the necessity to mature) you will only be short-changing yourself if you don't try to learn about yourself through what goes on during these coming months.

That said, back to present tense. Saturn hitting this mark is a subtle 'sounding of a gong' which being that it's being sounded at 10 Libra really emphasizes the sense we each have at some level that we are 'the outsider' or 'alone' or 'misunderstood' or even 'maltreated.' And when we draw the dotted line from there to a Full Moon presenting at a degree (29 Aries) about the 'art of being human'...

Whether you see this as literal art, or the figurative 'artfulness' we each face and are challenged by through our everyday relationships, this is really entirely about our relationship to self. This is a Full Moon which, by construct and implication, will force us to connect to who we are. And aren't. It will test our willingness to own up to what we need to do against what we merely like to do. It will emphasize the necessity to work and transact with others, even if they aren't on your 'side' or don't share your views.

With 29 Libra being a critical degree, this moment may well be one of emphasis. Twenty-nine degrees of any sign is always intense (that being the definition of the astrological "critical degree") and this one being Libra, the issue is all about that Libra balance. Seeing that Libra is airy and theoretical, right here trumps might, though that may not be popular.

 The Full Moon (source: NASA)

Given that Full Moons are when matters (and yes, tides) come to their highest point and by implication are emotionally (Moon) highlighted ('in fullest light'), this one is also flavored by a Black Hole.

Black Holes being indicators of an 'alternate reality,' with this one being conjunct the Sun (in opposition to the Moon/our feelings) there is definitely some suggestion of 'a different point of view' implied with this event.

Is it this then a moment when some door opens to a new and different reality in our lives? Or is it about someone confronting us with a different/differing point of view - a moment of conflict?

With Libra (Sun and Saturn) ruled by Venus and Aries ruled by Mars, we get an immediate sense of 'creation' and possibility. Something 'wants' to 'come of' what's going on now. But how does it work? How can we best use this dynamic?

For that, we have to get real with ourselves. Venus is in a personal degree - so this is about what we do or how we do it and whether that gets us where we want to go. Positioned in a degree which carries with it a whiff of   'deprivation' and emotional reflexes learned early on in life, that Venus is also retrograde says dealing well with this moment requires understanding what is habit or a 'repetition of emotional' habit - or even possibly that not liking to see, hear about or deal with hard feelings.

Not up on Venus retrograde? Here's the blog link.

Considering Libra is the signature here, that means yours, those of others, or how your actions, attitudes or choices possibly exacerbate certain dynamics, creating resistance and/or enmity in others which comes back to haunt you.

Mars is meanwhile positioned at 26 Scorpio conjunct fixated Eos and leap-before-you-look Icarus. Considering any 3rd decan (degrees 20-29) indicates something worldly which is not in our control, does this mean your leaping out there and going after what YOU want can cause trouble? Maybe yes. Does it mean that others going after their own aims without any regard to you (or possibly anyone else) can engender bad feelings? Yes.

The point here is that it's the polarity, the polarization, the extremes of position or assertion or presentation or attitude which are probably generating whatever is at hand. And that means that however good OR bad things are right in this moment, this like as not, is merely the 'crest of the tide.'

Considering realities instead of allowing ourselves to be swept away by any surging ocean of emotion of the moment is probably good. Where all is well, enjoy it but don't be careless - Venus in retrograde can prompt splurges of many kind which we then live to regret at leisure.

Then again, if life seems to be raining disasters, don't think all is lost. Full Moons can be heights of delight and then again they can represent someone else deliberately trying to get your goat.

Those who own their feelings while also recognizing the 'underlying drives' will of this moment pave a path forward which ultimately ends in a moment far different than this one.

But it's all in how you handle the situation - and that all starts with you. In but a tick of the cosmic clock the Sun will shift into Scorpio, changing the emotional landscape. So do you bet your life on this moment?

Maybe yes. But only if you're a gambler with wings of far better construct than those of wax Icarus wore when he flew too close to the Sun, only to have his support melt away causing him to fall to his youthful doom. 

Feel all you like, but save time for thinking. Saturn's framework around this moment of mortal process tells us we are in for a reshaping which can benefit us if we will allow ourselves to recognize we need to grow into our structural - not emotional - strengths.

Mercury enters Scorpio: The Power of Thought

 Frozen ice lake in Ulriken-Bergen, Norway (cropped)

photo by Sveter

As Mercury moves into Scorpio at 9:20 (+0/UT, adjust to local time) it's time to start thinking in Scorpio terms and to recognize those Scorpio mannerisms which are now all around us and in the minds of others.

Scorpio is a water sign. It's thus all about our emotions. It's a fixed sign, too - and fixed signs are all about our ability to understand and in learning to tolerate however much we don't understand, to operate productively in spite of whatever insecurity or fear that provokes.

In opposition to Taurus, sign of security, values and self worth, Scorpio tests where we are with regards to those very issues.

So now our thoughts turn to our security, and what we value. Others may question our self worth or do things which amount to tests of our self worth.

Given that, you may ask why the photo of a frozen lake. The answer is this: when emotions (water) become 'fixed'...what does that equal? It equals ice. And this image of Scorpio as ice is an important one to keep in mind. So powerful is this image that when an astrologer finds a horoscope which has no planet set in any earth sign, Scorpio's sheer strength of durable, devoted  feelings and rock-solid loyalties are what they look to next.

This starts with the idea that ice can be thick enough to bear our weight - thus Scorpio is a sign which represents an opportunity. If and where we are able to rise above (and stay above) our own level of fear and/or whatever negative emotions are at hand (symbolically, all the water below the ice) we will be able to literally 'walk on water.' 

Certainly Scorpio is known for passion. But it's also known for feelings which are 'cold as ice.' Decisions arrived at under a Scorpio influence, provided they are arrived at through a 'conviction of correctness' which is not corrupt...those decisions can 'bear weight' - the 'ice' of Scorpio will support them.

At the same time, Scorpio is the plus and the minus of passion: it is dominance and control, it is vulnerability and surrender. Yet on either side of this equation lies the responsibility to own what you do. Being knowingly vulnerable is very different than simply giving up. Domination as a display of arrogance and desirous power is very different than the power of the guardian protector and 'take-charge' leader.

Remember, we're talking Mercury here. So we're talking about our mindset and our ability to think. So during the three weeks or so of Mercury's transit through Scorpio, maintaining control of ourselves and knowing 'what lies below the ice' - in our lives, in our minds, in situations and in the intentions and actions of others - that's  important.

During any Scorpio transit there's a marked tendency to project or focus on 'the other side' rather than to think through one's own rationale and dynamic.

And yet, the key to this sign is like that of all 3rd quadrant signs...whether a planet is transiting Libra, Scorpio or Sagittarius it is the process of interaction which is actually at stake. You need to know your own side, yes. And understanding someone else's point of view is vital too. But it's where and how the two sides meet up which is now the focus. What happens there will define success or setback, advances or costs.

That Mercury enters 0 Scorpio in the company of asteroid Lilith (that which we don't like facing in ourselves) and Panacea (making peace) gives us a clear picture that first and foremost, we need to cope with ourselves. Who we are and what we bring to any moment is all about how we deal with being who we are, how well we understand ourselves and the level of emotional responsibility we take for ourselves.

By implication, some level of peacemaking needs to go on now...and in all likelihood, we will need that in situations of the moment.

Left behind at 29 Libra is asteroid Child; it's apparently time to do a little more growing up.

In opposition stands Kallisto - a literal 'bear' of an image which represents our ability to go through and get past our own 'beastly' or 'animalistic' qualities (past or present) to the point where we can become a star and stand as a constellation in the sky by which others can guide their lives and future.

 The myth of Callisto, for whom is named the asteroid Kallisto,

ends with Callisto being turned into a prominently placed star in

our night sky. Is this a warning or inspiration? Probably both. 

Ursa Major - the Big Bear/Big Dipper - is the constellation which is

now Callisto's home. As photographed from Kalalau Lookout in 

Hawaii's Kokee State Park by Wikipedia contributor Gh5046,

the Great Bear's 'dipper' reminds us to 'contain' ourselves even

while realizing that given earth's precessionary cycle, everything

changes. Today's 'hard solution' may have to evolve - as life does

- slowly but surely, in time becoming something totally different.

 

 Whatever these next few weeks hold, they depend on us - on our ability to tolerate and even grow through those things which challenge us most, including how those things are tested by our interactions and society at large.