text:
.. Main Page
.......... Scorpio Profile
To Find a Particular Word or Phrase Within This Page - Hold Control and Press F
-- Articles 36 - 40 Added April 2000 --
Over the years, some 'real' astrologers have wrote me and told me that most of the Scorpio material I've assembled is light-weight, mass audience stuff. You know the stuff, dark, brooding, sexual charged, vengeful, Scorpios blah blah... It was the only material I had been able to get hold of and if I'm honest, I'd have to say that the profile was aimed at a 'mass market'. So, to address this discrepancy I've added new articles, (in particular 36 to 39) which are.. what would you call them.. Heavyweight. They are professionally written by notable Astrologers, Psychotherapists, and other luminaries. These articles are serious reading. Make sure you have a dictionary handy :-)
None Scorpios may find a few of the articles of interest. Article 38 has quite a bit about Taurus as article 37 has about Aries. Taurus, Leo & Aries are given some space in article 36. Astronomy types - see Article 39.
Article 20 - The Love Connection Chart - Vibrations With Other Signs. Works For All Signs.
Article 22 - An In-Depth Article Which Also Looks At The Mythic Origins Of Scorpio.
Article 23 - Profile, What Your Really Like, The Game Of Love.
|Article 25 - My Personal Astrology Profiles - Get Yours Free.
|Article 26 - A Small Piece On The Origins Of Scorpio.
|Article 27 - Numerical Rank Of Scorpio Births By Field Of Eminence - (What Are We Best At.)
|Article 28 - General Scorpio Description.
|Article 29 - An Excellent Article.
|Article 30 - Scorpio - The Eighth House.
|Article 31 - Scorpio Traits.
|Article 32 - General Profile.
|Article 33 - An Excellent Piece - Quite In-Depth.
|Article 34 - Meditation For A Scorpio - Really Funny!
|Article 35 - Out Of 8,800 Votes, Scorpios Are The Sexiest Sign. - (Opens in a new window)
|Article 36 - Beyond Reason: The Scorpio in Your Chart - By Jeff Jawer - Superb Article.
|Article 37 - The Challenge of Scorpio: Anger, Power and Transformation.
|Article 38 - Pluto Pathology (Part 1) - Sex, Death, and Power: A Scorpio Triumvirate.
|Article 39 - Light Out of Darkness - The Stars of Scorpio.
|Article 40 - The Scorpio Phase.
The Love Connection.
Ever felt sparks fly when you meet someone new? What makes us "click" with others? Or how about those people you just can't relate to? Find your compatibility vibration on the grid with love, friendship, family and business relationships. Understand more about the sun sign vibrations from 1 through 7 through the explanations below.
The vibrational numbers on this grid correspond to the relationship between the signs.
The 1 Vibration:
The 2 Vibration:
The 3 Vibration:
The 4 Vibration:
The 5 Vibration:
The 6 Vibration:
The 7 Vibration:
Copyright Knowledge Web, Inc.Too Hot to Handle?
Just for a bit of fun! Do you sizzle or are you a wet fish? Find out more about yourself, friends and family with the grid by matching the signs with keywords!
3 = High, 2 = Medium, 1 = Low
THE MYTH OF SCORPIO: This constellation is intimately connected with the constellation Orion. According to the myths, this giant creature was sent by the gods to chase and kill the great hero, which is why you'll never see them in the sky together.
PERSONALITY: The passionate scorpion is just full of secrets, but those tempers can smolder. Your water-oriented sign rules secrets, sex, and observation.
The ruler of Scorpio is Pluto. Prior to the discovery of the ninth planet, Scorpio was ruled by Mars, which is still considered co-ruler. The sign of cosmic purpose, Scorpio is considered the success sign. Self contained and self centered, concentrated Scorpios usually succeed in what they set out to accomplish.
Scorpions are known for their intense and powerful natures. They are willful, proud and calm with an electrifying undercurrent of seething intensity. Purposeful and animated with force, they project a magnetic personality.
Their demeanor is dignified and reserved, affable and courteous, and many have a gaze that is both direct and penetrating. Their secretive natures make them natural detectives. Many Scorpios possess a suspicious outlook, and need to know the reasons behind everything. Scorpio does nothing in half measures. An all or nothing attitude permeates their entire life. When fixed on something or someone, the scorpion perseveres. Scorpio never settles. Life is meant to be lived to the fullest or not at all.
Their sensitivity, and pride allow them to be easily hurt, quick to feel insult or injury, even when none is intended, and easily roused to heights of anger. An angry Scorpio is a sight to see. Unlike Leo, who can have a temper tantrum and five minutes later be quite himself again, Scorpio seethes, and doesn't give it up.
When they harness their abundant energy constructively, their self-confidence tempered with shrewdness, and their ambition coupled with generosity toward others, they excel at whatever they undertake. Scorpios are demanding of others, but never ask someone to do what they would not do themselves. They can be fanatically focused and work till they drop, and ask the same of those around them. No middle ground for a Scorpio, all or nothing.
Scorpio imagination and intuition are excellent. They possess refined critical perception and strong analytical ability. In addition, they seem to demonstrate a natural healing power. These abundant gifts allow Scorpions to penetrate the most profound subjects. They are serious folk, but quite charming to people they like, and when social events call for it. Their tragic flaw is their immense pride. Once wronged, once Scorpio's pride has been diminished, the game of courtesy is over.
Their inner intensity can result in the ice-cold restraint and detachment of the surgeon, the concentration of the research scientist and the heroism of the soldier. Any profession in which analysis, investigation, research or dealing with the solving of mysteries are present appeals to Scorpio. Police and detective work, espionage, the law, physics or psychology are attractive professions to the Scorpio. As writers and orators they excel. The Scorpio character is the one you see up on the podium delivering "fire and brimstone" speeches. They succeed because they communicate the power of their convictions.
Mythic Origins. Within a mythological context there is much that can be understood about the Scorpio personality. Look towards the constellation Scorpius, and you shall see one of the greatest stars visible to the human eye. There, at the very heart of the great scorpion is brilliant Antares! This red giant, some four hundred times larger than our own sun, rivals even close Mars for the eye's attention. Such intense energy burning at the center of this distinct constellation corresponds well to the driving passions, which rule over those born in this period.
An important, though little known chapter in Scorpio lore is the placement of the Eagle in polarity to the Scorpion. Most Scorpios, if they dare be so revealing, would confess of an ongoing internal conflict between two distinct aspects of their nature. For individuals with a strong Scorpio influence, this may feel sometimes as a civil war of the self. This is not an abnormal psychological state. Here can be found the echoes of the earliest understandings of the Scorpio character.
Scorpions are creatures, which crawl along the ground, seeking out the hidden spaces. They are a mystery to humanity, shrouded in fear and misunderstanding. Left to there own devices, they are comfortable in the low-lying realms of the world. If provoked, however, they will strike with a deadly vengeance. The Eagle soars. On great wings this ruler of the wind rises above earthbound limitations. From this lofty perspective, the Eagle sees a world others may never dream. The bird of prey also strikes a swift and deadly blow. Yet, unlike the Scorpion, the Eagle has the ability to soar beyond. Within the spirit of every Scorpio resides this dual nature.
Some people see things as they are, and ask why?
Scorpio, The Scorpion (~October21st-November 20th): Fixed, Water, Feminine, ruled by Pluto (co-ruled by Mars). Identifying Phrase: "I Create."
Keywords for Scorpio:
Where Libra makes the first efforts toward co-operation, Scorpio seeks to take advantage of its relationships with others. Scorpio, I know, has a reputation for manipulation, but if it is a sin, it is one of which we are all guilty. The key to understanding Scorpio is the phrase, other's resource. Other's resources include institutions like banks and insurance companies. Pooled resources, combined forces make the many stronger than the lone eagle.
Scorpio is connected to the genitals and the reproductive systems. One of the purposes of sex is the pooling of resources for the continuation of the species. We all do it, but Scorpio is just more familiar with its workings. Scorpio arrives at the peak of the autumn season. Thoughts of winter survival demand immediate attention. Most leaves have fallen, to nourish the soil for springs to come. Harvest is in and we must decide what we need, what we possess and how to get what we require with what we have. Scorpio represents death, but also life; it is the sign of degeneration and regeneration. Part of life is elimination. Scorpio eliminates the unnecessary so that life may flourish.
What you're really like...
Scorpion, the intense, emotional and possessive. You tend to overwork; you seek perfection, have tremendous staying power and will see any matter through to the bitter end, regardless of sacrifice.
You despise weakness in yourself or others. You are, on the other hand, generous and compassionate and will fight for the underdog and believe in expressing yourself with unfiltered truthfulness. You are highly secretive and extremely intuitive. Your eyes are penetrating and magnetic.
You are a loyal friend or a vehement enemy. You are powerful and intense where feelings are concerned. You have the ability to poison yourself through your own emotional vindictiveness. You have a strong constitution. You also push yourself to the limit, only to recuperate rapidly and begin the whole process again.
You do not try to attract attention by your appearance, however you do like good clothes and are careful about the way you look. You choose garments of lasting quality and a sophisticated nature.
The Scorpio Male...
SCORPIO & TAURUS: You both value long-term unions and will to work at it.
SCORPIO & GEMINI: The Illusive, fickle Gemini will drive you to distraction.
SCORPIO & CANCER: Cancers are attracted to your strong, demanding ways.
SCORPIO & LEO: This connection can lead to crimes of passion.
SCORPIO & VIRGO: The Virgoan has difficulties with your sexual leanings.
SCORPIO & LIBRA: You would likely end up spying on this social butterfly.
SCORPIO & SCORPIO: Sexually compatible but suspicion will be a problem.
SCORPIO & SAGITTARIUS: This alliance is a waste of time for both parties.
SCORPIO & CAPRICORN: Mentally and physically you match up well.
SCORPIO & AQUARIUS: Why bother. Your values and lifestyle are too different.
SCORPIO & PISCES: This is not bad. Truly an erotic sexual combination.
Your sign is among the most intense of all the signs. Change is hard for Scorpio, the only fixed sign of the water signs. You are very determined and driven by goals, but while persistence is your forte, flexibility is not. Don't try to control too many elements in your life recognize that some events will have a life of their own. Your water element makes you feel the impact of events deeply. Don't take setbacks personally.
Your Metabolism: High.
Intense, driven and often secretive, Scorpio needs an outlet for your powerful emotions more than any other sign. You can be obsessive, and have an "all or nothing" determination about whatever you do. When Scorpios decide to diet, they can go overboard. This can be harmful if it leads to yo-yo dieting or an eating disorder. Still, whatever a Scorpio puts their mind to, they usually accomplish.
Your Biggest Asset:
Your unwavering determination and commitment to success in all things.
People who waste time socializing at the gym. You have no time for that you're going for the burn!
Don't be so inflexible, dear Scorpio. Life often calls upon us to dump what we're doing and go to Plan B.
In 1999, the demanding, "karmic" planet Saturn will be touring your health sector, so if you've neglected your body, you may see the writing on the wall. Head to the doctor and dentist for a check-up. If you have a chronic health problem, Saturn will help you locate the right doctor for your condition.
These three examples are of course personalized to my own Scorpio details. They will give you an example of what to expect. You will need your time and date of birth and place where you were born. More details on each of the Free profiles in each section.
The three profiles take up quite a bit of space so I've put them on a separate page.
The Original name of Scorpio was Typhon the serpent. Same name as the snake in the garden of Eden. It was represented by a snake swalling its tail. Creating a circle representing eternity, creation and death.
The second sign of the Zodiak was created by cutting Typhon in half, creating the Nemian Lion (Leo). Between the two was placed the Babylonian Whore (Virgo before she was a virgin). The claws of Scorpio were the "eye for an eye" claws of justice before the last sign Libra was constructed.
This is the numerical rank of Scorpio births by field of eminence as listed in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropaedia, 1974 edition. If you wish to see other rankings, click on the picture to go to Expac.
--- Scorpio Numerical Ranking ---
October 23 - November 21.
The Sign of the Inspector.
Passionate, Determined, Energetic.
Color: Dark Red.
Scorpions like to study what makes people tick. Their goal is to unravel the deepest mysteries of the unconscious, to challenge any possible fears, and finally to make their actions correspond perfectly with their feelings. As the sign of death and regeneration, Scorpios can destroy and create with the same intensity of passion. In this vibration all reality- even death- is felt and accepted unblinkingly. It is almost as if Scorpio natives have decided to live with an intensity based on the knowledge that any moment might be their last.
Scorpios have a firm sense of determination that often turns into a form of devotion to whatever it is they need to do to get what they desire. Scorpios know what they want and they have the courage, willpower, and drive to get it, or the pride, self-control, and stubbornness to live without it. In fact, Scorpio is the sign in which self-control is most intense. No other vibration is as relentlessly committed to facing reality, no matter how gloomy that reality might be.
Secretive, extremely intense are seldom soft-hearted or overly sentimental, they feel that life is a difficult game in which they have to hang tough in order to win. But that doesn't mean its natives are devoid of compassion, Scorpios are intuitive and inspirational, and very protective of people to whom they are attached. Few parents are more devoted to their children than Scorpio parents. Scorpios are very dependable and are very prone to live up to any commitments that are honestly made. Scorpios have a great deal of animal magnetism. People are drawn to them. They are the most sexually secure of all the signs.
This is the sign of extremes. Scorpio people are variously described as powerful, weak, independent, clinging, passionate, and cold. Clearly, you are a bundle of contradictions encompassing the best and worst in human nature.
The key to your personality is intensity. Magnetic, emotional, capable of exerting tremendous force, your strength is hidden in the depths. In the sign of Scorpio the element of water is fixed, and image that suggests an iceberg or a bottomless well. You may appear impassive, sometimes unapproachable, but turbulent passions are always rolling underneath, invisible on the surface.
You need a positive avenue of expression - in career or love or creative achievement - or your feelings turn inward, become imprisoned, at times even destructive. More than natives of any other sign, Scorpios live at a high pitch of emotion. Its negative aspects are brooding, jealousy, resentment, even vengefulness. The positive aspect is your unswerving dedication once your emotions are engaged. The Scorpio energy, drive and endurance are legendary. Above all you seek you give your life a meaningful pattern, to find a deeper purpose.
You have a philosophical turn of mind and may become interested in religion and the occult. Your sixth sense enables you to intuit things before they happen. You are blessed with a native understanding of the human heart and a great awareness of life's secrets. All the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) tend to be psychic, but Scorpios delve into the powers of the mind that others are afraid of. This is the Zodiacal sign of birth, sex, death and regeneration - areas of human existence in which a person confronts the mysteries of the universe. Many Scorpio natives are brilliant doctors, surgeons, scientists, and spiritual leaders.
The complexity of your mind make's it difficult for you to skim the surface; you must uncover what lies beneath. Whenever you are studying a new subject, learning a language, hunting down a fact, or just reading for amusement, there is a quality of penetration in the way your mind works.
Your relationships are usually complicated. This is not surprising when you consider that you can be simultaneously generous and affectionate, violent and unpredictable. In your sunniest moods there is always a hint of an imminent change in the weather. You are also deeply loyal to friends but are also intensely jealous and possessive. You cannot tolerate the thought that anyone you love might have a yearning or even a simple yen for anyone else. With you, it is usually all or nothing. Moderation and emotional restraint are not in your emotional vocabulary.
You never forget a kindness and try to repay it handsomely. Conversely, you never forgive an injury and will wait for years to get even. In fact, most of the time getting even isn't enough - you want vengeance. It is strictly not advisable to do harm to any Scorpio. You may make a dangerous enemy, for you are as subtle and as deadly as the symbol of your sign.
You are a fierce competitor, though often you manage to conceal this from others. You file away pieces of information, facts, names and don't hesitate to use what you know if the occasion arises. When you spot a weakness in a rival you move in quickly for the kill.
You are adaptable, able quickly to change your formidable energies into new paths and to embark on an entirely different career. Confronted with disaster, you will try to turn it into success. Practical and shrewd, you believe in tangible immediate goals, and your single-minded concentration on getting what you want is formidable.
Clever with money, conservative about spending, you have an excellent chance to amass wealth. In business, you tend to accomplish things first and announce then second. By the time an opponent is aware of your progress, it is a fait accompli.
Your nature makes you subject to obsessive drive, which can be resistant to reason. You will dominate and control anyone who lets you. Suspicious and wary, you are reluctant to trust your heart to anyone, but once you do, you love deeply.
Too many astrologers, in describing the sign of Scorpio, forget to emphasize how loving, generous, kind, loyal even gentle a Scorpio can be. Many idealists who adhere to high principles and have a great positive force for helping others are born under this sign.
What all Scorpios have in common is intensity of feeling. Emotion not only rules, it characterizes you. You are passionate in love, and passionate about everything in which you become involved. You are an individual painted in vivid colors; There is not such thing as a pastel Scorpio.
The Eighth House is the place of things held in common. It is all about joint resources, the sharing of these resources and fair play in sharing. It is also about what happens when these things become the focus of a dispute or when we fail to respect others with whom we share this world. This house governs mercantilism and banking all economic resources. It is the house of "big money" and it is here that we find billionaires, plutocrats and all Old Money held collectively by families and dynasties. Look to this house to find inheritances, legacies and lotteries. Here we find the collective sharing of wealth through taxes and the collective protection of wealth through insurance. Here too are those resources of the Earth which are the source of wealth gold, silver, minerals, oil, forests and all those things offered so freely by Mother Nature on which we humans set a price. And, when that price is too high, War is never far off.
This is the Scorpio House. Possession is nine-tenths of the law and it is in this house that questions of ownership and rights to property collide with the darker sides of human nature and we find possessiveness, jealousy, covetousness, envy, revenge and murder. War writ small. It is the house of Death and Resurrection. But it is not material resources alone that might be either shared or withheld from sharing. We can share our bodies in the act of sexual union pleasure for pleasure. Or we can trade pleasure for money in prostitution. Or we can refuse to share and commit rape instead. Bloodlust how apt! Or we can open up our souls to the divine and share ourselves with God. Here the ego is transcended and the soul learns something of the mysteries of God. It is the house of prophecies, occult magic and divination. It is the place of the numinous....
Here we discover our desire to know the future both our own and that of our larger society and we have answered it with a collection of mechanisms of divination. But always remember, when experimenting with these techniques, that they open only one very small window into the great beyond. Cherish whatever insight is gained from these; then think how much greater was the insight of the people who devised these systems and seek that in oneself. That is the imperative of this house: to seek out and merge with the Deity and be transformed by the experience. It is a personal journey that should be made by every one of us.
Courtesy of: http://www.aquarianage.org
Back To Article Index
An enigmatic and powerful presence. Has self-assurance, a keen, analytical gaze and succinct, forthright opinions. Often disconcerting but never dull.
Determined, aggressive and shrewd, you are rarely passive or neutral about anything. Deep, often quite secretive and reserved, you are at times jealous, resentful and even vengeful. Your recuperative powers are remarkable. You are a truth-seeker; you have keen judgment and penetrating insight, and these qualities enable you to exercise a great deal of authority over others. Science, medicine or any field of intrigue are right up your alley. Willpower and persistence are your strong points, and although you are somewhat reticent, when prodded you can become outspoken and direct.
You are aggressive, outspoken, enthusiastic and combative. You love to take chances and can be somewhat accident-prone. You may have a chip on you shoulder and come on too forcefully, making others angry. You are strongly physical and need a partner who can match you stride for stride. "Think before you speak" should be your motto.
You see life as a means of self-discovery through trial and error. You seek shared experiences at every opportunity, and you have an easy, charming, gracious and impersonal feeling for humanity. You have a deep need for everyone to like you and have a natural courtesy, charm and diplomatic manner; your emotional well-being depends upon approval of others, and so you are eager to please. You tend to live for the moment and you run the scale of highs and lows with every shift of events. You are friendly, easy-going and popular, but if you use this position negatively you can be capricious, fickle and critical. Because you easily succumb to flattery, you must consciously develop self-reliance and learn how to say no. You must curb your tendencies to indolence and flirtation.
Your sense impressions are strong aesthetically; you feel a need to serve beauty. You experience the senses through the mind, and you evaluate the facts, but you do not criticize or analyze them. The Libra mind is more contemplative; you build great ideas, but you are not always ready to act on them. For you judgment is more important than execution. Decisiveness is not usually a strong quality with this placement, but your illusive sweetness hides a great strength. You have a fondness for music, poetry and the arts. Although you have some ability in these fields, you usually prefer to appreciate rather than perform. Affectionate and good-natured, you are often in demand in social circles. The people around you affect you, and your love life depends on how much you are appreciated. Partners are important to you since you work best in conjunction with others, and because you are dependent on their reactions.
You are critical, skeptical and at times even secretive or suspicious. You are set in your opinions and it is difficult to convince you to change your mind. You are shrewd, forceful and apt to be too incisive with tongue or pen. Either you can needlessly wound others, or you can turn that sarcasm into an exquisite wit. This investigative and probing position is good for any of the healing professions; it is also good for chemistry, photography, detective work, occultism, research and big business. Your mind is deep but rarely charitable; your determination is boundless and your mentality is so fixed that you can overcome all obstacles to get what you want.
Emotionally idealistic, you are also light, humorous, sociable and even flirty. Demonstrative, friendly, sociable, outgoing, you love freedom. You have many friends and are objective in your personal relationship. You are honest, and your tastes and morals are traditional. You prefer the classical approach to the ultra-modern. You enjoy the outdoors as well as sports, travel, pleasures, fun and gambling. You like people who are philosophical or concerned with education. You may marry a foreigner. With difficult aspects, you can be too breezy, fickle or pleasure seeking. You may be too frank in expressing your feelings, or you might try to impose your beliefs on others.
Your nature is affectionate, warmhearted, congenial and fun loving, and you don't like to think of the seamy side of life. You enjoy family life but need and expect independence. You may lack ambition to do much with your abilities and talents because everything comes to easily to you.
Your keywords in life are "I create." Scorpio represents the hidden, stagnant marsh waters that must be cleansed by the free-flowing waters of life. Scorpio rules the generative system; the creative fountain of all physical life. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, and its symbol is the Scorpion. Scorpio is a Water sign, passionate and intense.
Scorpio is the mystery sign of the zodiac. It is the death sign and the sign in which the battle must be fought between the soul and the personality. The personality has to die. Devil or angel, there is no in between. Either black or white.
The high soul seeks the high way, And the low soul seeks the low, And in between on the misty flats The rest drift to and fro. THAT's SCORPIO.
There are no Scorpios found on the misty flats. It is the only sign that has three symbols indicating the tests that embrace the three-fold personality. Mental, emotional and physical levels are all involved. The Scorpion is the lowest symbol of the sign who, rather than forego the pleasure of stinging, will sting himself to death; the eagle, symbol of the bird that can fly closer to the Sun than any other; and the phoenix bird resurrected from the ashes of the dead self. Transfiguration and resurrection must take place throughout your life.
Scorpios have a very strong reserve and are not easily understood. There is so much that lies hidden beneath the surface. You command respect from acquaintances due to your strong, quiet exterior, but you have to earn the respect of those close to you. There is tremendous creativeness and great resourcefulness within you. You can be sarcastic and it can be deadly if you use it vindictively. You have a supercritical nature about you and a tendency to pass judgment upon others. Your stubbornness causes problems in relationships. Relationships call for equality and a responsibility you prefer to avoid. Pets are good for you because you can be their masters and won't have to relate to them on an equal basis.
Scorpio is the sex sign of the zodiac and Scorpios have strong passions that need regenerating. There is a tremendous pride in this sign that will not allow any emotion to ruffle the surface of your true nature. Your emotions don't show up on the surface very easily. You have tremendous strength and power when you rise above personality reactions.
Scorpios are truly powerful when they do not seek power for self, but seek to be used by the power to heal and bless others. Your goals are reached through service, purity, compassion and humility. When you serve others and forget yourself you are truly dynamic. Your regeneration lies in learning to be cooperative and outgoing toward others.
You are adept at sensing what is going on beneath the surface, especially in business dealing and intimate relationships. You seem to have "inside knowledge" to influence or to manipulate, to corrupt or to purge, to harm or to heal.
You have a penetrating insight that no other Sign has. You're able to bring to the surface what's causing the trouble in any situation. You have an awareness of what sex is for and what it is about. You can really get to people's feelings and desires. You thrive in a crisis and you achieve more when the going gets rough.
Your power can appear as a magnetic charm that can be totally disarming, or as downright cruel, trampling others and striking unexpectedly. You can raise others from the depths—or hurl them down there! Behind this power is a kind of nuclear energy that allows you to drive on through the night, literally or metaphorically. You also like to test your grit by indulging in the lowest levels of life experience, and then coming up not only intact but positively regenerated. When you let go and allow someone or something in, a magical effect, an alchemical release occurs as your 'sting' is transformed from a defensive or self-destructive weapon into a healing lance.
You are a transformer that lives through desiring. Many astrologers consider the sign of Scorpio as the most powerful of all the signs of the zodiac. Pluto, the ancient god of the nether-world, death, and regeneration, exerts its influence very strongly on those born under this sign.
Scorpios are know for their intensity and passion. Their drive in life is improve the status quo through their actions and to change the world for the better, provided that they can temper their own desires. Scorpios are staunch defenders of justice and will fight to the end for causes they believe to be just. They are idealistic and are guided by the highest principles. Scorpios never get into anything "half-way".
Scorpios live their life in extremes. They can be at the same time powerful and weak, independent and clingy, passionate and cold. They hide turbulent and temperamental urges beneath a confident exterior. They are prone to being possessive and jealous, and their relationships are often stormy. Their unpredictable nature and their intense feelings often lead others to keep their distance, but if Scorpios are given a chance, they can prove to be loving, generous, and fiercely loyal.
Scorpios can prove that strong emotions can be channeled positively. Scorpios are passionate about everything that they become involved in, including romance.
8th House This is the house of generation or regeneration. It represents regeneration by the enlargement of your viewpoint, both spiritual and mental. It also represents death, both in the physical sense, as well as in the death of anything irrelevant in our lives and could include relationships and values. This house rules the psychic. Every eighth house operation is a celestial messenger in disguise. In the wake of an eighth house storm there is always a rainbow if we lift our eyes to see it.Back To Article Index
Picture yourself near a running stream. Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool, mountain air. No one knows your secret place.You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called "the world". The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
The water is crystal clear.... You can easily make out the face of the person you're holding under the water.
Scorpio, the sign with the stinger, is adored and feared, desired and reviled. Why does this sign evoke such intense responses in many people, even those who know little about astrology? It is the season, I think. You know, Halloween, the Day of the Dead, falling leaves, shrinking days. Scorpio is a reminder that things must die so that others may be born. It is a remembrance of our mortality and the impossibility of cheating death. It is sex and death, clinging lovers in the dance of life, the passion of connection that leads to conception, the urge to merge that brings babies, the natural rhythms blotted out by electric lights and medical technology.
Scorpio is seen darkly because it touches so much that we reject. We want sex, but have been told that it is impure. Death beckons us all, but is denied in cellophane-wrapped America, a culture of the young in permanent denial of the wisdom, degeneration, and transformation of old age. Scorpio is also about power - oh yes, that too. It's about the exchange of emotions, feelings, and dollars, of time for money that we call work. Yet we turn our eyes away from the exchange, wanting but not watching, desiring without understanding.
We're in denial, too independent, wanting open relationships, modern relationships, negotiable partnerships with reasonable limits. But what are the limits of love, of passion, of the Soul? Why must we draw such clear lines of separation when that very separation is an illusion itself, the Cardinal Illusion that we are separate individuals, when we are truly bound together by our common humanness? Scorpio threatens us because we have forgotten that we are not apart, that we are connected to one another and everything else. Call it God, Goddess, Spirit, Nature, the All, whatever. It is Scorpio whose waters descend into our cracks and crevices, separating us from the separations and reminding us that we are One.
Describing the ways in which Scorpio works in one's chart and life is not easy. The reason is that there seem to be two distinct ways in which Scorpio expresses itself. There is the introverted Scorpio energy, closed, repressed feelings, and fear of self-expression and power. The extroverted Scorpio energy, however, is a powerful force for change, showing itself as passion and intensity. There are some astrological clues, of course, as to which is more likely in a given natal chart, although we can certainly change patterns during the course of a life. First, the overall tone of the chart is a useful guide. If there is a strong emphasis on outgoing signs (primarily Fire and Air) or planets (Mars, Sun, Jupiter), the extroverted side will probably dominate. If, however, the chart is characterized by Water and Earth or heavy Saturn and Pluto placements, Scorpio is probably going to withhold its secrets and feelings.
Other keys are the conditions of Scorpio's ruling planets, Mars and Pluto. Ruling planets, those most closely associated with a particular sign, provide rich detail about the most likely forms of its expression. For example, a Scorpio with Mars in Leo may take more chances than one with Mars in Cancer. If you have Scorpio on the cusp of the 2nd house of money and resources, Mars in exacting Virgo may indicate a more careful and self-critical approach to these matters. But, if Mars is in adventurous Sagittarius, an individual may take more risks with money and resources.
The influence of Pluto is also quite important here, but its slow movement through the zodiac (over 243 years) means that it can stay in a single sign for over 20 years! Pluto's sign, then, is a less personal (and reliable) guide to Scorpio's expression. Instead, note the aspects that Pluto forms, as well as its natal house placement. If someone has Pluto in a harmonious sextile to the natal Moon, he or she may be confident about dealing with crises and change. Pluto square the Moon, however, may require years of deep personal work (or just the grace of God) to overcome its fundamental distrust in the nurturance of life.
Astrology's rulership scheme helps us weave together seemingly disparate pieces of the chart. A person might have Scorpio on the cusp of the 4th house. Intense, perhaps hidden, issues may have dominated family life. If the ruler, Mars, is in Capricorn in the 6th house, then work, health, and adjustments to daily tasks may be key issues. If that Mars is harmoniously connected with Venus or the Moon, positive social skills, female influence, or emotional awareness are tools that facilitate a more comfortable relationship with one's family. If Mars (or Pluto) is in primarily stressful relationships (hard aspects such as square or opposition) with key planets, the early life challenges may be more difficult (but not impossible) to overcome.
When we jump around a chart with rulers, we're going to come across contradictions. Ease and stress are not separate experiences, but two ends of the same spectrum. Most of us are strong sometimes and weak others, confident in some situations, shy in others. The astrologer's job is not to determine the absolute truth, but is, rather, to describe the ingredients of the personality in such a way as to show meaning, inspire hope, and help in the release of the client's full potentials.
Releasing potential is an essential quality of Scorpio. However, most of us do not express the full force of our powers. The likely source is a distrust of power itself. This is another basic Scorpio theme. Many of us have been taught that power corrupts. We often have models of this kind of abuse of power. But it is powerlessness that corrupts. It is the fearful and the weak who are cruel to others. When we truly feel powerful inside, there's no reason to belittle others. Scorpio, measuring the exchange of energy between people, has a great deal to do with power. If we do not trust ourselves with power, the Scorpio expression in our charts is likely to be indirect, covert, and more damaging than helpful. But, if we have confidence in our judgment and are, therefore, allowed to influence others, power flows freely and safely.
One of the rules of nature is that energy is alive. The repression of it, as in hiding one's power, is costly. The first cost is loss of access. We cannot use our influence for the good if our fear of its improper use is too strong. For example, with Scorpio on the cusp of the 3rd house of communications and perceptions, a fearful parent may have repressed your communication. She or he may have taught you how to use sarcasm to avoid direct expression of your feelings. You may have experienced fear that you would be punished for saying the wrong things. Scorpio's accountability may have been excessively harsh coming from a wounded parent or older sibling. So, you may not trust your own words. You do not communicate at your highest level of potential. You see so much that you are afraid to talk about.
Confident Scorpio on the 3rd consciously uses its power of speech to emotionally connect with others. Perceptions are profound, but not negative. It's the investigator who is interested in understanding, rather than the one who is looking in the dark corners for evidence of your crimes. If Scorpio is there to punish, power will be abused through dominance or turned inward. It's expensive to repress power. Not only do you and the world miss its positive potential to touch, help, and heal, but, when forced inward and muzzled in the unconscious, power turns toxic. Pockets of desire, encapsulated in fear and swallowed in the darkness of the unconscious, can be breeding grounds of disease.
Scorpio needs something to chew on. It's quite paradoxical because it is a fixed sign of transformation. Scorpio is about death and rebirth, not one constant state. Maybe we're frozen like deer in the headlights when faced with desires beyond the level of reason. Beyond Reason, that's a good name for Scorpio. Libra, the previous sign, is about reason. It is the balanced mind, the Cardinal Air sharpened by the perfect equilibrium of detachment and connection. Libra is the first sign of partnership, the first to see others as equal. The journey of individualization that began in the spring with Aries is turning back toward its origins, the universal. We seek ourselves through others.
Libra lights the way. It is reasonable, clear in the mind. But Scorpio takes us beyond the mind. We descend into the body, into our emotions and primal feelings, the lower chakras. If Libra is the sign of relationship, Scorpio is its consummation. The idea of union in one's mind is much different than the consequences of the act itself. Libra opens a door to connection by way of the mind. Scorpio takes that connection deeper and, somehow, below the level of reason. Libra is about being fair. Scorpio is about survival. It is the force that allows the lion to eat the zebra. Survival operates below the level of fairness in an intellectual sense. It is not an idea. Scorpio is not an idea. It is a state of being, the space between Libra's open door to sharing and Sagittarius's search for intimacy beyond the personal level.
Scorpio is the sign opposite Taurus. Sweet, simple Taurus child of mid spring, fat and round, contented in your garden of senses, this is your Earth. I, Scorpio, have to share it with others. You just eat. I count how much food is left to take us through the winter. Scorpio, traditionally, was the time when the flock was culled. After the last harvest the animals would be measured against the food stocks. If there wasn't enough food for the animals, some would be chosen for slaughter. Scorpio is the time for measuring collective resources and eliminating what is unessential.
Scorpio is square Leo. The Lion has only to think of itself. The rest of us are audience. Fire creates of itself. Water, however, remembers. It has the feeling of history. After Libra, relationship-sensitive Scorpio cannot put on its show without carefully measuring the audience. Consequences are big for Scorpio. It cannot ignore its effects on others. It doesn't have the luxury to be naive like Taurus and Leo. It is in the second half of the zodiac, where others exist. We are accountable to one another. Scorpio is the wet spot where Libra ideas descend into physical contact, the ground zero of relationships.
Scorpio is square Aquarius. Values have shifted from survival to possibility. We have survived Scorpio's cauldron, flown high with Sagittarian ideas, agreed on rules in Capricorn, and now create together in Aquarius. Fiery Leo's individuality is defracted through the lens of millions. The network of minds meet at common frequencies and paint images of the future. Aquarius's brilliant city in the sky, though, is fueled with Scorpio's desires. The electronic web in which we live seems so far from the primal savanna, but survival is always there for all of us. If the lights go out we'll be looking for food and shelter, not the mouse and keyboard.
In the fixed quartet of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, it's Scorpio who has to keep score. The others are not accountable in the same way. They are not about the meeting at the crossroads of life and death, sex and money, healing and hurting, that is Scorpio. This place of emotions where ideas and matter meet, cooking in the stew of personality - the power of this place is compelling . . . and frightening. Emotions aren't necessarily reasonable or comfortable. Desire makes us vulnerable.
Remembering one's innocence is helpful. We are all simple somewhere. We are all naive some place. This means that we are not manipulating there. We do not and cannot harm others or ourselves with rampant desires and power trips.
Scorpio needs to remember its innocence. If you have Scorpio on the 11th-house cusp, it is possible for you to be in a group without trying to manipulate it. In a state of self-trust you can have an open but powerful connection with others. Your desires and fears are not yours alone, but are one part of the human symphony. If you are innocent the channel can open with less distortion. Your personal story doesn't muck up the potential good that can come out of this dynamic within groups. The emotion is there, but it is not distorted through fear of one's desires and power. The door is open.
A key to using Scorpio energy, then, is trust . . . trust of oneself, trust of the world, trust of the process of change. It is about trusting that life grows from death, that there is movement in the universe. Without this we get the withholding model. Scorpio becomes a place of shameful secrets, not magical ones. It is about emotions that are compacted, turned inward, and frozen with fear. Trusting Scorpio is passionate, engaging, healing, and erotic.
Scorpio by House
I strongly recommend that you consider all of the signs present in a house to fully understand its meaning. If Leo is on the cusp of the 4th house, the door to family is through this sign, but, if the entire body of Virgo is present, an understanding of its meaning will considerably broaden the description of home and family. There are many house systems; there are astrologers who interpret house cusps with orbs and those who don't. Relatively small errors in birth times will change cusps (one degree every four minutes, on average). This gives you additional ruling planets to consider. If you have Sagittarius on the 6th cusp, its ruler, Jupiter, will be examined, but Capricorn is also present, so a look at its ruler, Saturn, will add more meaning. It is worthwhile to explore different house systems and approaches to reading houses to get the most information possible from a chart.
1st house: With Scorpio here you may look upon the world with suspicion. Measurement means being guarded until you are ready to plunge. You watch and gather emotional information below the level of consciousness. Your job is not to be sweet (although you can be), but to swim through the nether waters that connect us all. You may have been taught to tame your emotions, but tiny bubbles gather and turn to lava, followed by an eruption. You may be tough on yourself, acutely aware of the shadow forces lying just below the surface. It can be helpful to welcome your dark side, the discontentment, jealousy, and doubt that can propel you forward if you accept its purpose. Psychology is a natural here. Exploring yourself and your motivations is more helpful than judging and rejecting them.
2nd: Your greatest talent is the ability to get to the source. You needn't hold the obvious reins of power. Your gift is knowing how to combine disparate forces, to turn lead into gold. Where others see loss, you can see opportunity. Value your complexity. It's not just a barrier against unwanted intrusion, but the key to your magical powers. You can be objective about what others have to offer. This enables you to help them make the best of what they are. Measure your talents without cruel judgment. What you need is a good obsession to find the path to self-worth. You can extract all there is to get from your field of interest.
3rd: Where others see the obvious you see the hidden undercurrents. Your skills of observation may have been honed in a childhood when you were not encouraged to talk. So you watched and learned more than other children your age. Your words are not mere decorations, space filling, or ear candy. You want to be heard as attentively as you listen. Communication is about change, about moving others to feel or see what has been hidden. Finding potency in the sounds, the silence, and the nuance empowers your message. The depth of the connection is more important than facts, but it is useful to remember that sometimes the simple truth is truly simple.
4th: The mysteries of adult issues like sex, power, and death were close to you during childhood. Innate awareness of the shadow side may have put an early end to feelings of innocence. Ideally, your family was rooted in psychological inquiry and bonding based on healthy feelings. However, sometimes this position is about unhealthy matters of control and secrecy at home. The 4th is the foundation of the chart. Scorpio here reminds us that you do, indeed, take yourself seriously. Beyond appearances lies a person with a pipeline to the center of the earth. The passions are beyond measurement, but perhaps rarely seen by others. A public calm belies the wariness you have, but this can also be your protection - the ability to deal with crises without making a scene.
5th: Play is serious business for you. No distractions are allowed when you're in the game. Your intensity may make it difficult to compete without trying to crush the opposition. Ideally, though, you give it your all. Passion for action can take you beyond the bounds of reason, but that's what Scorpio is all about anyway. Affairs of the heart are not taken lightly either. Your heart is not feeble, nor are your desires. This can be about the erotically-charged child, but personal expression may be seen as shameful, so hiding one's desire is not uncommon here. The power can feel so strong that you resist showing it. Carefully directing your force enables you to make a creative impact. You are able to turn discarded materials and ideas into new creations.
6th: Tasks are taken on with passion. The work that works best is that which you find compelling, as if you can't live without doing it. Sometimes this position indicates someone who feels forced to do her work. It can be about external pressure and repression. But, in the best situation, it is about work that has to do with digging in deeply to facilitate change or deal with crisis. Management issues may arise here, as the appropriate use of power on the job can become an issue. Concentration can be a strength, as there is often an ability to deal with considerable discomfort to get the job done. Health and hobbies are also 6th-house matters. A regular routine of cleansing and regeneration is ideal. Resentment can be a cause of illness if not addressed openly.
7th: The desire, conscious or not, is to have a powerful partner, one who helps you overcome your natural resistance to change. You may attract strong individuals who try to remold you. The paradox is that the other can be a person of strong desire, but who is also withholding. The issue for you is to take back the power and recognize that you're here to help change others. Relationships touch fundamental issues of trust and control. A willingness to share your fears with someone able to do the same can be helpful, as long as that's a stepping stone on the path of change. Relationship is not about making you safe. It's about taking you further into yourself with the help of someone whose force is equal to your own.
8th: This is Scorpio's natural house, so the core issues of sex, death, and transformation may be more familiar to you. You are a guide to body, mind, and spirit. You are here to take others beyond their boundaries to reveal all of their resources. It's possible that this house will be projected and you'll seek others to fill you with their desire and lead you to change, but it is for you to penetrate the fears and go beyond the known world of comfort and familiarity. Intimacy is about rediscovering your Soul through intense union. Dispassionate partners need not apply. You may be at your best when others are in crisis. This can be very useful for healers and helpers of all kinds. Getting and giving the most without any negative exploitation is one of the challenges here.
9th: While interested in the meaning of all things, a little skepticism may be natural to you. If the teacher is charismatic enough, or passes your tests, you can become a totally committed devotee. Your beliefs are not casual, nor are they disconnected from the real choices that you make in your life. You may have encountered religious extremism or punishing judgment when younger. This position is often of someone who rejects religion only to rediscover faith in a new and more powerful form later. You're not likely to be playful about your beliefs. These are not mere ideas or acts of faith, but concepts held in the very cells of your body. When you teach, it is with the fullness of your being. When you travel, it is not as a tourist, but as someone who enters into the very marrow of the place visited.
10th: There are really two possible positions for you professionally - either you are in control of your career or under the thumb of the oppressor. Scorpionic passion works for you when channeled into socially acceptable forms. You have the intensity that allows you to be a force for change in your chosen field. Without focus, however, feelings are repressed and resentment is a possible outcome. Professions that deal with healing, crisis (physical, emotional, or financial), and reform are appropriate. It is vital that you feel you have the right to your place in the world. Without this permission it is unlikely that your energies will be channeled effectively. Although cool on the outside, you are going to measure the public's responses to your actions. You can be a great leader when the pressure is strong. Create your kind of pressure by choosing the challenges that will move you. Without this focus lesser issues can bog you down.
11th: This can be the position of the social or political zealot. You may be the loyal friend, the passionate comrade, the revolutionary. You don't need a large circle of friends as trust is more important than sheer numbers. Popularity, when it comes your way, is often due to the intensity you bring to group settings. You're not usually out to impress people, it's the cause that counts. You could find yourself attracted to groups that aren't in the mainstream. It's not your job to support the status quo, but to question it. You may have the ability to see your cause take a terrible defeat, then rise again from the ashes. It's typically Scorpionic to be strongest with one's back against the wall. In any case, your respect is likely to go to those willing to invest all they've got. Teammates who hold back are likely to earn your criticism.
12th: Identification with society's outcasts is a quality of the 12th house. When Scorpio is here this may be even more evident. You have the ability to find strength in terrible circumstances and, thus, are a powerful ally of the weak. But you may find it less easy to show your strengths openly, saving your force for the most desperate moments. This can sometimes make it uncomfortable for you to see yourself as the one with power. You can feel like the underdog even when you hold all the cards. Another element here can be a deep mysticism and attraction to the occult, healing, and metaphysics. You're not going to hold conventional views about reality, but are rather a person who can be a guide between the worlds.
© 1999 Jeff Jawer - all rights reserved
Jeff Jawer has a B.A. in "The History and Science of Astrology" from the University of Massachusetts. He is a well-known counselor, speaker, writer, and co-founder of AFAN and UAC. Jeff is Vice-President of Astro Communications Services (www.astrocom.com), as well as a counseling astrologer . You can contact Jeff via e-mail or see his StarIQ website .
Article Courtesy of: The Mountain astrologer
by Ray Grasse and Linda Puffer.
"Still Waters Run Deep"
Twentieth-century astrology has helped to re-vision our attitudes toward the signs and their representative energies. It is particularly helpful to view these energies in terms of polarities that exist not only within our psyches but as universal principles operating at all times and in all manners of manifestation. Every sign has its positive and negative aspects, all dependent on whether one expresses those energies with conscious awareness. Unconscious expression leaves room for more negative consequences. If we accept that the psyche of every individual contains all the signs and their corresponding polarities, we quickly realize that, regardless of whether we have a planet overtly "marking the spot" for us, everyone has Scorpionic energy. That is, we all must come to terms with the challenges inherent in Scorpio, particularly as expressed through anger and its shadow, resentment.
Scorpio within the Chakra System. - (Click Here To See Table - Opens in a New Window)
The third chakra within this symbolic ladder is called, in the Sanskrit, Manipura, and is associated with the element of fire and the planet Mars. The struggles of will, forcefulness, and power are experienced most intensely at this level. This chakra represents the level of the "inner warrior," who must achieve balance of the fiery energies to truly experience spiritual mastery of the psyche's powers. This level also relates to the development of ego awareness, and thus it is here that we clarify personal boundaries and forge our own unique definition of self versus other. (Note that within the houses of the horoscope, it is the Aries house, the Ascendant, that we most closely associate with the defined ego-self.) This chakra has its defensive side as well, for with the awakening sense of me comes the fear of other - and the consequent realization that me can be destroyed. With Eros comes Thanatos: with life comes the awareness of death. Martian energy is therefore crucial, both for the awakening of awareness and the activation of self-protection through assertiveness, i.e., establishing walls or boundaries. This would also include the excessive aggressiveness associated with unhealthy territoriality.
Feminine Fire/Masculine Fire.
On the other side of this chakra is Scorpio, representing a more internalized expression of the Mars energy. Whereas the Aries side concerns the directing of force outward into the world, the Scorpio side reflects a more compressed, concentric channeling of energies that can be envisioned as the spiraling power of a whirlpool or vortex pulling energy inward. For some esotericists, the subtle contrast between the Arian and Scorpionic expression of Martian energy is aptly symbolized by the male and female genitalia: the male genitalia thrusting outward and the female energy drawing inward. For this reason, Scorpio may be thought of as the "feminine Mars," in contrast to the more "masculine Mars" symbolized by Aries.
Of these two, Scorpio's power is at least equal to what is expressed outwardly by Aries, but with compression it may become even more forceful. One need only think of the way that pressing down on a metallic spring increases its power to understand how dynamic the forces of compression truly are. Indeed, the coiled symbol astrologers use to depict Scorpio itself calls to mind something of this compressive, spring-like process. It is this very aspect of Scorpio, as the internally compressed and directed Mars force, that makes it so powerful and, for many, so potentially problematic.
At its most constructive, Scorpio possesses the discipline and investigative single-mindedness to explore the inner planes and manipulate the inner forces that it understands so well. Esoterically, Scorpio is the zodiacal principle associated with the magical will (especially when Leo accompanies Scorpio in the horoscope). It is the energy of mystics, occultism, and magic. Those with strong Scorpios have an incredible will and can move mountains when they put their mind - or, more precisely, emotions - to the task. In some older astrology texts one finds the seemingly odd notion that among the various symbols associated with Scorpio in ancient times was the camel. This was because of its ability to travel across the deserts (the desert of life) for long stretches of time sustained solely by the water contained within it - a pithy illustration of the principle of "fixed water" and the great tenacity and drive that accompany Scorpio's ability to contain emotional energy.
Scorpio's capacity for penetrating beneath surface appearances is what gives it the detective-like ability to investigate any mystery, unlock any truth. Leaving no stone unturned, Scorpionic probing can pierce to the heart of any matter and unveil that which has been concealed - whether this be a metaphysical enigma, a buried archeological treasure, or a politician's dirty laundry!
At its most destructive, however, this same compressed Martian energy can turn back on itself in a destructive way. Thus we have the symbol of the scorpion stinging itself with its own tail, making it the only zodiacal animal that can actually kill itself. Here, the Martian force festers, becomes infected, and picks at its own wounds so compulsively that they never heal.(1) Nor is it simply anger that becomes problematic with the Scorpionic process; any emotion or thought, when compressed or repressed, assumes added power at a subterranean level that can sooner or later erupt into consciousness. Those of us who have played the game of trying not to think of something - be it a white elephant, a monkey, or any other nonsensical item - know only too well the power of repression and compression. The mere fact of holding in too much - whether it be childhood-based traumas, sexual energy, or any carefully concealed fact about one's life- can take a serious toll on one's mental or physical well-being. As one popular saying expresses it: "You are only as healthy as the secrets you keep."
This is the great tightrope of Scorpio: if one works with these powerful energies in a healthy way, they can be utilized to bring about personal transformation and rebirth, or confer remarkable powers of healing. Conversely, if one is unable to use them in a healthy and positive way, they can be most destructive, not only to themselves but to everyone around them. Scorpios and Scorpionic energy can be either distorted, manifesting as the scorpion, or spiritualized to become the eagle, where those potentially lethal energies are utilized in a devotional manner toward self-actualization and the appropriate expression of great power.
Resentment - The Scorpion's Poisonous Sting.
Yet, of all the emotions they deal with, it is the struggle with anger that most often characterizes Scorpios' own accounts of their recurring life challenges. One way of better understanding this problem is to consider the idea that every sign has its own addictions or "drug of choice," and that spiritual growth has much to do with controlling, transmuting, or entirely breaking with those particular patterns of behavior (addictions or compulsions) and learning to master the energies of that sign. For example, the "addiction" of heavily Geminian charts will tend to be ideas, or compulsive communication; for Taurus, material security; for Capricorn, status or over-achievement; and so on as we go through each sign and come up with an example to fit this model.
For Scorpio it can be argued that the drug of choice is resentment, the more destructive side of anger that has been repressed. Resentment feeds on itself in much the same way that heroin addicts must feed their addiction. We've all known those individuals who repeatedly put themselves in situations they can feel angry about, e.g., work or romance, because of the perverse (irrational and likely unconscious) "pleasure" they then derive from bathing in the toxic juices of resentment that they've created for their "fix." While one can argue that anger has its constructive side, resentment is much more insidious and therefore more damaging; one would be hard-pressed to describe any rationale for resentment being "good" - ever. The English poet William Blake expressed something of this problem in his poem, "A Poison Tree":(2)
A Poison Tree
I was angry with my friend:
And I water'd it in fears,
And it grew both day and night,
And into my garden stole,
To be sure, not all Scorpios indulge in this behavior, any more than all Gemini's gossip or all Aries engage in fistfights! Yet such extreme examples can sometimes serve as useful reminders of the subtler challenges facing those who encounter these energies. In fact, because we each contain all the signs and planets within us, we are all subject to the challenges - and strengths - of Scorpio. Depending on where Scorpionic energy is tucked into our charts/psyches, we all will deal with this issue in varying degrees of intensity or extremity, depending upon how well-aspected or afflicted Mars and Pluto are, and how obscure or obvious the house and sign placements are. (See Jeff Jawer's Article on this page for a more thorough discussion of Mars, Pluto, and Scorpio in the personal horoscope.)
A case in point concerns one of this article's authors, who has Scorpio on the cusp of the 12th house, with no planets in that sign. During the writing of this article the author realized that a concurrent Pluto square to a stellium of personal planets was forcing an unexpected confrontation with long-buried anger and resentment hitherto considered resolved or even non-existent. The synchronicity of this could not have been more timely nor less profound, and the author has definitely begun to work with Scorpio from a new (and humbled) perspective.
Transforming Anger and Resentment.
The first of these methods is that of forgiveness. If resentment represents Scorpio's primary Achilles' Heel, then the key lesson of this sign may be about letting go, of loosening the grip of long-nurtured hurts on one's soul. Forgiveness can mean many different things, and for most of us it may very well be an unexamined concept first instilled through religious tenets or strictly defined by our families and cultures of origin. On an occult level, however, forgiveness is often described as the powerful neutralizing of negative force fields within the chakric system, a literal clearing away of parasitical thought forms that weigh on the subtle body like barnacles on the hull of a ship. With this in mind, it is useful to consider several different ways of working with forgiveness, although these are not the only ways.
First, forgiveness can be a way to deal with anger through visualizations and guided imagery that help us to let go of the heaviness that comes with anger held onto far past the point of its "shelf life." In The Egyptian Book of the Dead, there is the moment when the soul reaches the underworld and must face the judgment of Thoth who determines what its final disposition will be in the afterlife. This determination is made by weighing the heart against a feather on a balancing scale. If the heart is "too heavy" the soul cannot proceed; whatever is being held onto within that heart is an impediment to any further evolution of that soul. If the heart is lighter than the feather, it is a heart without sin and worthy of redemption. In terms of one's own experience, one might reflect on all those individuals who have ever been a source of resentment, or even hatred, throughout one's life. Then one might spend time in meditation pouring forgiveness and compassion toward each of these personalities until one feels the emotional "charge" associated with each of these figures gradually lessen in intensity. (An especially helpful forgiveness exercise can be found in Stephen Levine's excellent book, Guided Meditations and Visualizations.) (3)
Yet some would argue that forgiveness, in and of itself, may not necessarily uproot the source of deep-seated angers or resentments. This brings us to the second of our methods for transforming the shadow energies of Scorpio. This approach centers around the view that transformation truly comes about only as a result of a deeper experiential understanding, or "unlocking," of those turbulent emotions at their energetic roots. The intent is to investigate the emotional problem in an honest and open manner, probing into the true source of the feelings underlying the psychological states. In so doing, we defuse their obsessive or addictive qualities. This is not about analyzing an emotion. Rather, one allows oneself to truly experience the "felt" sense of one's anger and resentment at their core while remaining the conscious witness. Though this process can be undertaken with the guidance of an experienced therapist, it is also possible to engage in this investigation by oneself. Perhaps the most powerful method along this line is the widely-acclaimed "focusing" technique pioneered by Eugene Gendlin, which distills many of the most effective elements of classic therapeutic methods into a simple, step-by-step approach. (For those interested in learning more about this uncanny therapeutic approach, the best book is still Gendlin's own work on the subject, which is entitled, appropriately enough, Focusing.) (4)
A third approach for dealing with the anger and resentment of Scorpio is that of "transmutation." Here, the emphasis shifts to taking the essential energies of the Scorpio experience and channeling them into alternative and more constructive modes of expression. On a more mundane level, for instance, some astrologers find it helpful to suggest to clients with an abundance of Scorpio energies (natally or by transit) the usefulness of finding outlets for such energies through some form of vigorous exercise, lest those energies bottle up and pose greater problems. On a more mystical level, some have used rituals or visualizations for transmuting these same energies into higher, more spiritualized states of awareness.
A case in point: One young Scorpio of our acquaintance described a mini-enlightenment he once had during a nearly overwhelming bout of resentment. Having lain in bed for hours one night, seething over a spiteful comment directed at him by his girlfriend, he finally decided to try using a powerful meditative visualization learned while studying Tibetan Buddhism the previous year. In essence, this involved channeling his intense feelings into a focused meditation on a particular "wrathful" deity, which served to redirect those feelings without suppressing them. After several minutes he suddenly found himself awakening to a profound realization of the inherent sacredness and luminosity of all phenomena - even those very angry emotions he was beset by. In other words, the intensity of his troubling emotions provided the very fuel necessary to reach "escape velocity" into a more transcendental perspective on his condition. Needless to say, techniques of this sort are best undertaken under the supervision of an experienced meditation instructor, rather than strictly on one's own.
Ultimately, the core of any effort to harmonize the powerful energies of Scorpio lies in the compassionate acceptance of one's own emotional nature. From a healing perspective, forgiveness is about integration. We cannot integrate what remains unconscious. Furthermore, when there is polarization, we need to find a way to hold both positives and negatives consciously until we recognize what it is we need to integrate in order to heal, to become whole. When we can bring conscious awareness to what is being obscured or distorted by anger, we contact the essential authentic self's feelings of fear, hurt, and vulnerability that have previously not been acknowledged. With this acknowledgment - witnessing - arises the possibility of releasing those feelings, of transforming anger and resentment.
The enlightenment and self-growth that are revealed when one seeks to generate self-acceptance rather than self-rejection are some of the most profoundly soul-making gifts of Scorpio. When we reject another, we are rejecting our own self. The fruits of Scorpio grow from the deepest sources rooted in the psyche. What we nurture those fruits upon, be it unexpressed bitterness and secret resentment, or sincere openness and compassion for ourselves and others, determines the way in which we meet the challenge of Scorpio to not succumb to the fruit of the poison tree.
References and Notes.
1. Occasionally one sees instances where this process of Scorpionic "tailspinning" plummets the individual so deeply that it gives rise to its exact opposite, with what might be called the "Phoenix effect." Here, the individual hits rock bottom only to rebound from the ashes totally transformed, in a way that other signs may not experience as a result of being more even-keeled in temperament. Despite its admitted efficacy, most of us would no doubt opt for more judicious and incremental methods of personal growth.
© 1999 Ray Grasse and Linda Puffer - All rights reserved
Ray Grasse is Associate Editor of The Mountain astrologer and author of The Waking Dream: Unlocking the Symbolic Language of Our Lives. He is currently completing a book on the symbolism and dynamics of the Aquarian Age. He has been a practicing astrologer for 25 years and can be contacted at (630) 933-8519.
Linda Puffer is a poet and a professional massage therapist particularly interested in the mind-body connections between emotions and the transformative healing powers of conscious awareness. She also may be contacted via The Mountain astrologer. Article Courtesy of: The Mountain astrologer
Article 38 - Pluto Pathology (Part 1) - Sex, Death, and Power:
Due to the length of this article - 12,000 words. I've placed it on a new page. This will open in a new window leaving you here. Just close the new window when you've finished.
Article Courtesy of: The Mountain astrologer
Each spring as the Sun approaches the Celestial Equator at the vernal equinox, it emerges from its journey through the great curve of water flowing from Aquarius's Urn and the West Fish of Pisces, then starts its slow climb north of the Celestial Equator. Crossing the cords that bind the Fishes, it moves through the legs and belly of the Ram, cuts through the shoulder and horns of the Bull, and reaches its highest northerly point at the summer solstice where Orion's upraised club and the toe of Castor, the northern Gemini Twin, meet in the Milky Way. Then it gradually ambles southward, through the Twins' waists and the Beehive Nebula in the shell of the Crab, piercing the Lion's heart and the Virgin's southern wing until, at the autumn equinox, it comes to the Celestial Equator once more, then dips below it into the mysterious southern netherworld of the sky. After it has skimmed Spica, the "spike" of wheat in the Virgin's left hand, it travels just north of the somber realm of Centaurus and his speared victim Lupus, the ancient "Beast of Death,"(1) journeys through the Scales (once the claws of the ancient greater Scorpion), passes under the feet of struggling Ophiuchus, the Serpent-Bearer (whose waist is circled by the great snake Serpens), at the same time cutting through the shoulder of the powerful, poisonous Scorpion, which Ophiuchus eternally attempts to crush with his left foot. The Sun reaches its nadir in the sky, the winter solstice, where the sting of the Scorpion and the Sagittarius Archer's arrow tip, just 6° apart, take aim at each other. Precisely between them lies mysterious black hole Sagittarius A, at the cloud-obscured Galactic Center. (Astronomers might sneer at this account, reminding us that it is the Earth, not the Sun, that makes this journey, but on an instinctual, psychological level, the Lord of Light is the bringer of enlightenment to humanity, and his "apparent" journey through the zodiac is, to the collective unconscious, his travail on our behalf.)
The Tropical SIGN of Scorpio
New students of tropical astrology who call themselves "Scorpios" are often surprised to learn that at the moment of their birth the Sun was not traveling through the constellation of the Scorpion; it was, in fact, journeying through the stars of the Scales of Libra! And "Sagittarians" discover that their solar path was actually through the elemental energies of the sky-Scorpion and his bane, Ophiuchus, the huge Serpent-Holder. Before the Sun reaches the original figure of the Scorpion, it travels through the 210th-to-239th degrees of the ecliptic, starting at the stars of the hem and feet of the Virgin, and passing through the Scales of Justice. This span is where the tropical sign of Scorpio now lies. Besides the Virgin and Scales, it also takes in the influences of the "Sphaera Barbarica" - that is, the powerful ancient figures that lie above and below the ecliptical zodiac: Centaurus, the great spear-carrying Centaur of the southern skies, Lupus, the Hostage or Victim (speared by Centaurus), and Crux, the Southern Cross, a figure created in the 1500s from stars that had been the hind-hooves of Centaurus; these lie below the Sun's path. Above the ecliptic coils the head and upper body of Serpens, the great snake held by Ophiuchus, and Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, sometimes called "The Crown of the Serpent"(2) because it lies just above its head.
The Tropical SIGN of Sagittarius
Our tropical sign of Sagittarius (240th-to-269th degrees of the ecliptic) now cuts through the original dark Scorpion and includes Ophiuchus/Serpens in its dominion, for the feet of the massive Serpent-Bearer stand upon the ecliptic, making him, quite properly, part of the zodiac; thus all who call themselves "Sagittarians" are not only sidereal Scorpions, but "Ophiuchans" as well! Above, upside down and head-to-head with Ophiuchus, hovers Hercules, the Strong Man, but there is an enigma here, for in very ancient times this was not the popular Greek hero, but rather a mysterious figure called Eidolon, "phantom,"(3) Gnyx, "kneeler,"(4) and earlier still, on the most ancient cuneiform tablets, Lugal, "king."(5) Some think these stars may represent Gilgamesh, hero of the earliest known Near Eastern legends. Other Sphaera Barbarica figures of tropical Sagittarius are Draco, the Dragon, coiled high in the north around the pole, and Ara, the Altar, below the Scorpion's tail.
These strange combinations - the sign of Scorpio combined with the ancient Libra Scales/Scorpion's Claws, and the sign of Sagittarius combined with the original sky-Scorpion/Ophiuchus, all of them allied with their "barbaric" associates-in-longitude - may seem confusing at first, but knowing their energies and mythologies actually enriches and enlightens interpretations of horoscopes.
Scale-stars of Sidereal Libra, Now Overlaid by Tropical Scorpio
The zodiacal Scales between the Virgin and the Scorpion were, in ancient times, the claws of the huge, powerful Scorpion that lay in wait for the Sun at the autumn equinox, from 4380 to 700 B.C.E. Yet the earliest Sumerian texts also mention Zib-Ba-An-Na, "Balance of Heaven"(6) here, so even in the most archaic records the Scales and Claws combined. Nonetheless, these stars were Chelae (Claws) to the Greeks and Romans until the time of Julius Caesar's calendar reform in 46 B.C.E., when they were identified as Jugum, yoke (of a scale-beam) or Librae, Scales; after that, the three terms (Claws, Scales, Yoke) were used interchangeably.(7) Ancient Mesopotamian boundary-stones with carved constellation figures show a Scorpion holding a circular figure (Sun? lamp? altar?) in his claws. The seventh month was called, in Akkadian, Tul-ku, "Holy Mound,""Holy Altar," or "Illustrious Altar,"(8,9) associated with the building of the Tower of Babel, a ziggurat surmounted by an altar. In the "Tablet of the 30 Stars" ("of very high antiquity . . . at least to the third millennium B.C.E."), this was the 22nd lunar mansion Etena-mas-luv, "The Lord of the Foundation of Brickwork."(10) (Approximate tropical span of Libra Scales [epoch 2000]: 7° Scorpio - 1° Sagittarius.)
It is interesting that the Claws/Scales were associated with the Tower of Babel, because some with natal positions here are still trying to create a "stairway to heaven." Antoni Gaudi, architect of the famous Sagrada Familia church of Barcelona, had Jupiter here, and Sir Christopher Wren, who designed 51 churches (among them the Cathedral of St. Paul) to replace those lost in the devastating Great Fire of London of 1666, was born with the Sun, Venus, and Neptune in the ancient "Illustrious Altar." When the cornerstone of New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine was laid in 1892,(11) Uranus and the South Node were here. For others, the task lies closer to sidereal Libra's Scales of Justice - bringing sacred law down to Earth. Jeremy Bentham, 18th-century jurist and reformer, had Saturn here; it was the South Node of Ibn al-Faradi, 10th-century judge, and Mercury and Jupiter of Ibn Khallikan, 13th-century judge. Closer to home, three of the current Supreme Court Justices - Rehnquist, Ginsberg, and Souter - have the Moon here; it is Clarence Thomas's South Node and MC, and John Stevens's and Stephen Breyer's North Node; and in 530 C.E., one of the once-every-77-year apparitions of Halley's Comet, the written Talmud was completed and Emperor Justinian issued the Codex Vetus,(12) a code of civil law - the comet's perihelion occurred just north of star Gamma Libra in the North Scale.(13)
SPHAERA BARBARICA: Outlying Constellations of Tropical Scorpio
The great figure of Centaurus, the Centaur lies below the ecliptic. Though not visible in most of the northern hemisphere, he is a familiar sight to those farther south. Originally Centaurus was a combination of man, bull, and horse, the Akkadian Gud-elim, "The Horned-Bull," Semitic Kusarikku, "Strong-Horned-One."(14) It is probably this figure (rather than Sagittarius) that was associated by the Greeks with Cheiron, King of the Centaurs.(15) Two ancient engraved gems each showed a winged, horned (bull-headed?) human with a horse's body, clutching an animal in both hands.(16) These beasts-who-are-clutched have become, in the modern charts, Lupus, the Wolf, no longer grasped by the Centaur but dangling impaled on his spear, "officially" a separate constellation. This unhappy figure was not originally a wolf; in the earliest texts he was the Akkadian Ligbat, "Beast of Death," to the Greeks Therion, Wild Animal or Beast,(17) whom the Romans called "Victima" and "Hostia,"(18) who was always combined with Centaurus. (Approximate tropical span of Centaurus [epoch 2000]: 13° Libra - 29° 30' Scorpio. Span of Lupus: 17° Scorpio - 7° Sagittarius.)
There is an early reference from the 8th century B.C.E. that Cheiron "first led the race of mortals to righteousness, by teaching them the solemnity of the oath, propitiatory sacrifices, and the figures of Olympos."(19) This wise centaur was an instructor of heroes; kings sent their sons to his cave on Mt. Pelion to be taught hunting, horseback riding, survival skills, courage, and honor.(20) Among his pupils was Apollo's son Asclepios (Aesculapius), the "father of medicine," represented in the sky by Ophiuchus.(21)
Symbolically, the centaur is the antithesis of the knight: half-man, half-horse, representing irrational instincts uncontrolled by spirit.(22 )The man-beast combination limns the contest between man's lower, animal instincts and his higher nature of human virtue and judgment, the conflict between the savage and benign,(23) and the eternal human struggle with evil.(24) Yet there is innate wisdom inherent in the instincts of animals, and Cheiron was an exception to the wild, crude character of most centaurs. Turning alternatively to the possibility here of an ancient man-bull combination, a minotaur, as a man with the head of a bull, has a similar symbolism, representing the dangerous dominance of animal instincts, savage passions,(25) dark destructive forces that work invisibly.(26)
Pablo Picasso, who was obsessed with the image of the minotaur and made it a frequent subject of his paintings, was born as the Sun aligned with Lambda Centauri.
The wolf, symbol of fierceness, evil, and devouring (thus gluttony), once stood for stiffnecked people, because it was thought that a wolf could not turn its neck. A despoiler of flocks, rapacious, cruel, crafty, bloodthirsty; yet to Scandinavians and Teutons, the wolf was a steed ridden by Odin/Wotan, a bringer of victory. To Romans and Egyptians it symbolized valor and guardianship (a wolf nourished Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome).(27) In the constellations Lupus hangs, speared, carried on the lance of Centaurus as a sacrifice to be placed on Ara, the fiery Altar. Animals impaled on lances allude to vices that must be overcome.(28) A lance exemplifies valor, virtue, war, power, strength, victory over evil, divine wisdom piercing ignorance.(29) It seems to be the cruel task of those born under Centaurus to carry out, or experience, the karmic penalties of the Scales of Justice, for the people and events here are "punishers," implementing apparent "fated" destinies. Military leaders who oversee vast, cruel battles have positions here, as well as others who hold the fate of thousands, even millions, in their power.
Conquerors Pompey the Great, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Generals Patton and Rommel had the Sun here; it was Alexander the Great's Jupiter, Garibaldi's and Zhukov's Saturn, Duke of Wellington's and Marshall Joffre's Midheaven, Kublai Khan's and Stalin's Venus, Mao Ze-dong's and Lawrence of Arabia's Mars. The sinister Lavrenti Beria, head of the NKVD, supervisor of Soviet purges, had Jupiter here, and it was J. Edgar Hoover's Saturn. Centaurus's presence is felt in many of history's most terrible massacres: Jupiter and Pluto at the Rwanda genocide and Hebron massacre; Sun, Uranus, and Venus at the Guyana massacre, and Venus at the Babi Yar slaughter of Jews; Mars and Saturn at the massacre of the Huguenots in 1672. At the Lunar Eclipse of March 12, 1933, the month Dachau Concentration Camp was established, Centaurus culminated at the site. It was Saturn (conjunct Midheaven at Washington, D.C.) at the Solar Eclipse of September 18, 1838, whose path of totality ran through the U.S.: this was the year of the "Trail of Tears" when Indians were sent on a forced march on foot in mid winter and thousands died. It was Uranus at the massacre of Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1890.
All is not grim darkness in this part of the sky! Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown was said to be Ariadne's bridal crown of flowers, a gift from her bridegroom, Dionysus. The name Ariadne may come from the Sumerian Ar-ri-an-de, "High Fruitful Mother of Barley," or Ariagne, "most pure."(30) Ariadne's bridal crown is an ambivalent symbol - the bridal wreath represents the flower of virginity, but also takes on the symbolism of the funeral or sacrificial wreath as dying to an old life and beginning anew. In many cultures it is customary for a bride to wear a crown; it usually is considered a sign of her virginity and elevation into an esteemed new condition.(31) Flowers are symbolic of transitoriness, of spring, beauty, the brevity of life, and the ephemeral nature of pleasure.(32) Manilius, a poet and astrologer in the time of Augustus, went happily overboard: ". . . the child of the Crown will cultivate a garden budding with bright flowers . . . he will plant pale violets, purple hyacinths, lilies, poppies which vie with bright Tyrian dyes . . . he will entwine different flowers and arrange them in garlands . . . stems he will crush and distil mixtures therefrom, and will flavor scents and unguents which give off a mingled fragrance . . . his heart is set upon elegance, fashion and the art of adornment, gracious living and the pleasure of the hour . . . such is the endowment prescribed by the flowers of the Crown."(33) To my surprise (the sign of Scorpio not generally being associated with flowers), when I began asking clients with Scorpio planets whether they liked gardening and flowers, there was always an enthusiastic response! (Approximate tropical span of Corona Borealis [epoch 2000]: 7 - 25° Scorpio.)
A client, whose idea of heaven was to be up to her elbows in rich soil and earthworms, was born as Coronae Borealis culminated; Dr. Edward Bach, the bacteriologist and pathologist who created the Bach Flower remedies, had Mars aligned with Nu Coronae Borealis; Audrey Hepburn, known for her fashion sense and love of gardens (she narrated a documentary series on Great Gardens of the World), had the South Node aligned with Sigma Coronae Borealis, in Ariadne's wedding wreath.
Far below the Scales, Crux the Southern Cross gleams, smallest of the 88 "official" constellations. The first European explorers who dared to venture into the far southern seas discovered new and alien star-patterns; frightened by their strangeness, they were reassured to see a bright cross of stars and took it as a sign of divine protection. Soon astronomers were treating it as a separate constellation, apart from Centaurus. Centuries earlier Al-Biruni had written that this asterism could be seen from Multan, India, 30N12, where it was Sula or Shula, a Beam of Crucifixion,(34) a rather remarkable presage of the later Crux. A cross stands for a union of opposites, the spiritual (vertical) inter-penetrating the world of phenomena (horizontal), hence its significance as a metaphor for agony, struggle, and martyrdom.(35) (Approximate tropical span of Crux [epoch 2000]: 1- 13° Scorpio.)
In 312 C.E., a struggle for dominance of the Roman Empire led to a final military confrontation between Constantine and his rival Maxentius; before the battle, by his own account, Constantine experienced a vision of a great cross of light in the sky and the words in hoc signo vinces: "by this sign thou shalt conquer." With the letters Chi, Rho - the Greek monogram of Christ - on his soldiers' shields, Constantine won the battle of Saxa Rubra (Milvian Bridge)(36) on October 28, 312 C.E., and became the first Emperor to accept Christianity. Neptune, planet of visions, was aligned with Epsilon Crucis in the Southern Cross.
Stars of Scorpius and Ophiuchus, Now Overlaid by Tropical Sagittarius
On ancient Euphratean cuneiform tablets, the sky-figure of Scorpius was Gir-Anna, "Scorpion of heaven," and Gir-Tab, "seizer-and-stinger." A fragment of the archaic Euphratean planisphere reads Kakkab Zalbat-anu ana kakkab Girtab dikhu, "The star Star-of-Death (Mars) the constellation of the Scorpion faces"(37) Although it is one of the most beautiful constellations, the sky-Scorpion was considered "ill-omened,"(38) marking approaching winter cold, darkness, and death. Capable of surviving in temperatures ten degrees below zero, or conditions of extreme heat - some have even survived a nuclear explosion - scorpions are arachnids, inhabiting cracks, holes, and hidden, secluded places. Active at night, they have become associated with secrecy, envy, treachery, evil, darkness, malevolence, torment, and death.(39) Like snakes, which shed their skins, scorpions can shed their carapaces, an ability associated with rebirth and renewal. Some South American tribes consider the scorpion a maternal figure, because, when danger threatens, the female takes not only her own young but those of other scorpions on her back to carry them to safety.
Above the Scorpion, sharing the ecliptic, stands the huge shamanic figure Ophiuchus struggling with Serpens, a great snake, while attempting to crush the Scorpion-of-Death underfoot. An ancient Babylonian tablet lists a constellation Nutsirda, "Prince-of-the-Serpent," called in Semitic Namassu, "The Reptile,"(40) the Sumero-Akkadian An-u-gie "Lord-of-the-Underworld"(41) which presided over dead bodies and disease.(42) The Greeks called this constellation Asklepios (Aesculapius, son of Apollo), and claimed him as their God of Medicine.(43)
As a symbol, the serpent is at once malignant and sacred, dreaded and beneficial. Moving without legs or wings, it symbolizes all-pervading spirit; penetrating crevices, it is man's inner nature and conscience. Underground, in touch with the omniscience and magic possessed by the dead and powers of the dark underworld, it is "master of the bowels of the earth," symbolizing the dark forces of mankind, antithesis of the Sun and the powers of light. Its ability to shed its skin gives it the aura of immortality and the power of eternal renewal. It not only stands for guile, deceit, cunning, malevolence, evil, and corruption, but also primordial instinctual knowledge, power, fertility, potential energy, upsurging life-force, a penetrating spirit that both animates and maintains, the source of all wisdom and healing.(44) The familiar staff of Aesculapius, entwined by a single serpent, was in prehistoric times a pictograph representing the Great Goddess; in Crete the Goddess was portrayed with snakes held in her hands, and a serpent on a pole was worshipped as a god of healing in Canaan and Philistia.(45) The serpent-coiled "Staff of Aesculapius" is still the primary universal symbol of the medical profession.
Together, the Scorpion-of-Death and Serpent-bearing shaman Ophiuchus underscore the theme of this area of the sky: issues of life or death, dread illness and healing. On the dark side, these stars have more than their share of villains, murderers, and historic monsters with the power of life or death over millions, such as Hitler's SS Chief Heinrich Himmler (North Node, Uranus, Midheaven); Captain Alfredo Astiz, "Angel of Death," torturer and murderer of Argentina's "Dirty War" of the 1970s and 1980s (Mercury); and Chile's notorious dictator Augusto Pinochet (Sun). But the Scorpion does not hold all the cards: the great figure of Ophiuchus/Aesculapius comes to the fore (and to the rescue!) with some of the great figures and events in the history of medicine. (Approximate tropical span of Scorpius [epoch 2000]: 1 - 29° Sagittarius; Ophiuchus: 1° Sagittarius - 6° Capricorn; Serpens: 14° Scorpio - 16° Capricorn.)
Dr. John Snow, the epidemiologist who found the cause of the 1854 London cholera epidemic, had Uranus and Neptune here, as did Dr. James Paget, one of the founders of the science of pathology, and Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, discoverer (or rediscoverer, for the ancient Greeks knew of it) of the principle of antisepsis in 1847. It was the North Node and Moon of Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, and the Pluto of physician-astrologers Nostradamus and Jerome Cardan, as well as inoculation pioneer Dr. Edward Jenner. Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of a polio vaccine, had Venus here, and it was the Moon and North Node at the announcement that the vaccine was safe. Holocaust survivor Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu, developer of RU486 and an anti-aging pill, was born with Sun, Venus, and Saturn in the Scorpion/Great Physician. The Scorpion and Serpent-Bearer culminated at the Mars-Jupiter (with Saturn) conjunction of March 2, 1345 C.E., cited as the cause of the Black Death by the astrologically-adept Faculty of Medicine of the University of Paris.(46) At the start of a terrible Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia, the New Moon (square Saturn) of August 6, 1793 had Scorpius/Ophiuchus rising there. On July 29, 1878 the dark totality of a solar eclipse's path ran directly through Memphis, Tennessee:(47) two weeks later a devastating epidemic of Yellow Fever ravaged the city.(48) The eclipse chart at Memphis had Ophiuchus/Serpens/Scorpius rising. Dr. Carlos Finlay, who made the discovery in 1881(49) that mosquitoes were the carriers of Yellow Fever, had the Sun, Mercury, and Mars here, and Dr. Benjamin Rush, famous for his work in the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 ("Moschetoes," he wrote in his journal, "were uncommonly numerous")(50) was born with Venus and Jupiter in these longitudes.
SPHAERA BARBARICA: Outlying Constellations of Tropical Sagittarius
A small surviving fragment of an Euphratean planisphere lists Sumero-Akkadian Kisal-Bat-Ala, Babylonian-Assyrian Kisallu-Iabiru, "The-Ancient-Altar-Below."(51) This is Ara, the Altar beneath the Scorpion's tail, toward which Centaurus carries Lupus. Manilius held that Ara rising would "shape those who served in temple worship."(52) (Approximate tropical span of Ara [epoch 2000]: 18° Sagittarius - 1° Capricorn.)
Martin Luther was born with Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune aligned with the Altar; it is the Moon and Mars of Billy Graham, and the North Node of St. Bernadette, St. Thomas Becket, and Bahai founder Abdul-Baha. It is the Dalai Lama's Ascendant and St. Jean de Brebeuf's South Node; Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, had Jupiter here. When St. Vladimir of Kiev chose Christianity for his pagan Rus in 988 C.E., Neptune aligned with Ara.
Hercules, the Strong Man - a tablet of the Assyrian creation legend gives: Akkadian: Mul Lugal, Babylonian-Assyrian: Kakkab Sarru, "The Constellation of the King," and Gilgames sarru gitmalu dainu Annunnaki, "Gilgamesh, giant king, Judge of the Masters-of-the-Underworld."(53) To the early Greeks this was Engonasin, The Kneeler, or Eidolon, Phantom.(54) Though Aratus (315-245 B.C.E.) calls him "The Kneeler," there is a record associating this figure with Herakles (Hercules) as early as the 5th century B.C.E. (The name Herakles derives from the Phoenician Harekhal, "Traveler."(55) Manilius claimed that this constellation produced daredevils,(56) and in combination with the natural adventurousness of tropical Sagittarius, a number of intrepid travelers and explorers are born with planets here.
Dr. David Livingston, who, as physician, explorer, and missionary, combined the energies of Ophiuchus (medicine), Hercules (travel, daring), and religion (Ara), had Uranus and Neptune aligned with all three (when he disappeared in Africa, he also fit the "phantom" tradition!); it was explorer Henry M. Stanley's Jupiter, Saturn, and Ascendant. Sir Edmund Hillary, first to conquer Everest, had the North Node here, and it was Charles Lindbergh's Ascendant. Arctic explorers Roald Amundsen (South Node), Richard Byrd (Venus, Jupiter), and Robert F. Scott (Saturn) fit the pattern. Captain James Cook was born with Mercury, Venus, and Mars under Hercules; it was soldier/explorer William Clark's Jupiter and Neptune. Missionary Father Junipero Serra, combining religion (Ara) and travel (Hercules), had the Sun, Mercury, and North Node here.
The Two Scorpios
In this mysterious portion of the sky, home of "the two Scorpios," we have two apparently very different tropical energies (tropical Scorpio, Sagittarius), yet it can be seen that they have much in common, for the Scales, which tropical Scorpio overlays, were originally the Scorpion's Claws holding an altar, and the sky-Scorpion (above fiery Ara), which tropical Sagittarius overlays, still seethes beneath the 9th sign's cheerful surface of mutable fire. It is important to realize that the tropical and sidereal zodiacs combine their effects.(57) This 60° segment of the sky offers passion, urgency, intense commitment, a longing for justice, lust for adventure, and a strong esthetic sense; but perhaps most important of all, with its Cross, Altar, Bridal Wreath of flowers, and skin-and-carapace-shedding Scorpion and Serpent, it is a place of beauty, transformation, renewal, hope, and redemption.
References and Notes:
Chart Data and Sources
Kublai Khan: Morris Rossabi, Kublai Khan, His Life and Times, University of California Press, 1988.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine cornerstone: Cathedral booklet.
Byrd, Stanley, Amundsen, Abdul-Baha, Dalai Lama, Salk: SS, MMD (Sabian Symbols, Marion Meyer Drew); Garibaldi: Barbault; Joffre: Gauquelin; Audrey Hepburn, Hillary: "personal"; Joseph Smith: EA, NN (Evangeline Adams, Notable Nativities); Serra: The Spirit of Serra by Thomas Cullen: all from Marc Penfield, 2001, The Penfield Collection, Vulcan Books, 1979.
Dr. John Snow (March 15, 1815, York, England): World Who's Who from Antiquity to the Present (Brooklyn Public Library phone ref.).
Justice Souter: "McEvoy quotes mother's friend," Astro-Analytics Newsletter.
Ibn al Faradi, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Khallikan, Wren: Encyclopaedia Britannica, University of Chicago, 1965.
Gaudi, Pompey, Ranjit Singh, Zhukov, Pinochet, Brebeuf, Rush, Jenner, Semmelweis, Paget, Finlay, Beria, Fleming, William Clark, Livingstone; Massacre of Huguenots (Aug. 23, 1672, 9:00 p.m. LMT, Paris): Encyclopaedia Britannica Micropaedia, 17th Edition, University of Chicago, 1981.
Saxa Rubra: David Eggenberger, An Encyclopaedia of Battles, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1967.
Trail of Tears, Wounded Knee (Dec. 29, 1890, 9:50 a.m. MST, 43N08, 102W22): Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston Inc., 1971: pp. 7, 416-418.
Baulieu: Dec. 12, 1926, 4:30 a.m., Strasbourg, France: AA data: Cardan quotes BC in March 1995: from Marion March.
Rwanda massacres (started April 6, 1994): New York Times, April 8, 9, 1994.
Codex Vetus, St. Vladimir, 988 C.E.: Bernard Grun, Timetables of History, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1982, pp. 38, 122.
Hebron Massacre, Feb. 25, 1994, 4:00 a.m.: http://geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/9593/hebron2.htm
Dachau: http://members.aol.com/zbdachau/history/eng1.htm
Dr. Edward Bach (Sep. 24, 1886, Mossley, Eng): www.ax.apc.org/~bapera/bach.html
Astiz: www.derechos.org/lidlip/astiz.txt (Nov. 8, 1951, Mar del Plata, Argentina)
Justices Ginsberg, Breyer: www2.cybernex. net/~vanalst/supreme.html
Rodden, Astro-Data I:
St. Bernadette: Luc de MarrŽ, from "birth record given by Choisnard in 'Language Astral,' 1922, p. 18."
Rodden, Astro-Data II:
Cook: p. 284: J. M. McCan in Dell Horoscope, Nov. 1979 (among others); Lindbergh: p. 330: SS and others - later confirmed; Graham: p. 330, later corrected to 3:30 p.m. EST; Luther: time corrected to 10:45:29 p.m. LMT; Lawrence of Arabia: p. 326: DD; Mao: p. 335: DD; Stalin: p. 372: correction cites Great Russian Encyclopaedia, 1974 for Dec. 21, 1879 NS; Wellington: Lockhart quotes Raphael's Manual of Astrology; Patton: Dewey, "from family bible"; Rommel: Gauquelin, corrected to 11:14 a.m. GMT; Himmler: Gauquelin; Alexander the Great: pp. 260-261 (July 17, 354 B.C.E., Pella, Macedonia): Die Astrologie, June 1927: DD; J. Edgar Hoover: "data from him in a letter"; Nostradamus, p. 346: Kraum "data from his friend": DD.
Rodden, Astro-Data III:
Cardan: Giralmo Cardano: Book of My Life, trans. Jean Stoner, 1930, p. 4.
Anita Hill: Rodden, Data News #32, 12/91.
All astrological positions were calculated on Mark Pottenger's CCRS Horoscope Program: AGS Software, Orleans, MA 01988.
© 1999 Diana K Rosenberg - all rights reserved.
Article Courtesy of: The Mountain astrologer
The Scorpio Phase involves a process of purification by fire, or death. It can be experienced in one's life as a time when significant demands are being made upon you emotionally that require or demand you to move DOWN into a depth of feeling that opens you up. The level of emotions are primitive and intense, and as one writer puts it, in Scorpio "to go up, you have to go down". It involves the necessity to give up the sense of you in any way being in control of 'your life'. You are in a sense controlled by forces greater than you and, in some archetypal sense, out to destroy you if you are incapable of 'submitting' to the process of ego death that is required. These experiences may happen in any kind of actual life circumstance.
Two examples are the completion of graduate school in which the student was completely overwhelmed with the final requirements for completing his degree. It felt to him like a mythic struggle to submit to the final necessities, involving a level of self transcendence unknown to him at the time. Another example is a person who, during the Libra Phase, discovered he had a disease that he felt to be potentially life threatening, and at a minimum, reducing his expectations of long, healthy life. This moved him into an intense emotional process that brought him down into primitive and base level fears that involved a tremendous submission and self transcendence to move beyond.
A further description of this phase is that you struggle to come to terms with some of your most basic fears, with circumstances and conditions that threaten you very fundamentally and emotionally, that bring up your most intense vulnerability and sense of overwhelm. It is your struggle to reorient away from being controlled by your reaction to these demands and perceived threats. The sense of threat and struggle or potential disaster can be quite overwhelming during this phase. The archetype of Scorpio is associated with great forces in nature that tend to overwhelm the sense of individual existence, such as sex and death. You will find yourself in situations where the demand upon you (often prior to the mid-point) is very intense and often seems to be quite overwhelming.
The larger environment of your life, i.e. your relationships or just life in general, appears to be threatening to you, appears to be demanding more than you are willing to give. What is being demanded seems to devalue you greatly. At the midpoint you make a "break" from this demand and/or threat toward a more self determined incarnation that is not as susceptible to the intense fears and sense of overwhelm you may be experiencing. At this time life demands great sacrifices in order to incarnate this new direction, just as it did after the midpoints of the Taurus and Leo phases. It is very difficult, yet you have no choice, there is no going back after this break with the past and toward that something new, as yet unexplored. Those things in your environment that appear to be making such intense and unyielding demands upon your very self-hood can range from work/career situations and persons in those situations to health issues which may fundamentally threaten bodily existence, or appear to. The experience is of your present sense of selfhood being overwhelmed, even "killed" or threatened to the point of extinction. At a minimum it may be the experience of your sense of selfhood being fundamentally disacknowledged.
This phase is the opposite of the Taurus phase and can be seen as it's complement in many ways. These two phases are often experienced as the most difficult personally during the seven year cycle because they have to do with such intense struggle with being acknowledged by your environment and/or with discovering and struggling to incarnate your 'truer' values. They both demand a self transcendence, an incarnation of 'spiritual' strength at a very basic level. You must choose to grow and to not allow these forces of despair or threat to overwhelm your greater intelligence and understanding.
Top Of Page