the new moon at 26’19 scorpio is exact on saturday november 18th 2017 at 3:42am PST, commencing a new lunar cycle that is focused on the depths and diving deep! this new moon is lunar samhain (the new moon in scorpio is always lunar samhain- pronounced sow-en)- which is an exceptionally potent time. samhain is the dark sun time during the wheel of the year. the sun is getting lower and lower in the sky, the nights are getting longer and the days are getting colder. this is a time to turn within, restore, regenerate, reflect, introspect, complete and/or release whatever we may be holding onto from the last year. the veil between the worlds is thin during samhain season- as our outer senses are asked to pull in so that our inner senses can awaken more. like a bear getting ready to go into the cave and hibernate- the season happening from now until yule (winter solstice 12/21) is a time to die in preparation for the rebirth that is to come at yule.
this is a powerful scorpio lunation- in the sign of all the taboo topics of society: sex, death, money, power and control. these are the things people are obsessed with or afraid of- and the scorpio time of the year is when we are asked to face these obsessions and fears so we can get into right relationship with them. those things we chase after addictively or run away from in reactivity- scorpio helps us to navigate our own depths and shadows so that we can stop reacting impulsively but instead relate to this shadow material with more consciousness.
right now we have quite the party in scorpio- with the sun and moon at the time of the new moon, but also the dark moon in scorpio starting thursday the 16th at 12:19am PST (the dark moon itself began on the 14th at 5:12am but the dark moon in scorpio began on 16th when moon moved into scorpio). this is actually the most potent dark moon of the year (the 2nd one or perhaps equal to this one would be the dark moon in pisces)- and is an EXCEPTIONAL dark moon to work with. the dark moon is typically a time to let go, release, renew- but that is also what the new moon in scorpio is about. so this portal between dark moon and new moon is a time to take your letting go deeper. to fully commit to letting go of that which no longer serves you- be it attitudes, energies, people, places, things. be like a bear and take only what you need with you into hibernation. letting go of baggage can bring a sense of loss and grief but also a sense of renewal and freedom that comes afterwards.
in addition to the sun and moon in scorpio we have venus and jupiter- the lesser Benefic and Greater Benefic- who just aligned with each other on 11/13/17. these are the two Lights and the brightest planets (outside of the sun) that we can see in the night sky. the ancients saw them as translating a lot of Light and hence their name ‘Benefics’. yet as i wrote yesterday on my Facebook post- these Lights are in the sign of darkness and shadows. dark does not mean evil but it does mean it’s in the Dark. we cannot see it if we stay on the surface and we cannot see it if we avoid seeing our own shadow or the shadow of the world/others around us. with venus and jupiter shining so brightly in scorpio- we have the mantra ‘the brighter the Light the darker the shadow’ opearting. being willing to SEE TRUTH and SPEAK TRUTH and LIVE TRUTH requires a deep commitment to SHADOW WORK. as without, so within- so the more you work on seeing yourself clearly the more you will be able to see others and the world around you clearly. from this clear seeing place the Truth can set us free. we have to remember that venus/jupiter in scorpio gifts only come in when we are willing to GO DEEP and get into SHADOW material. first our own shadow- then the shadow around us and/or in others.
and of course last but certainly not least we have vesta who just moved into scorpio on 11/16- so the priestess asteroid Goddess who is super focused and aligned with her deepest purpose is now in this deep, watery sign of the abyss. with all this scorpio energy our willingness to dive deep is our super power! and it’s the only way we will navigate this deep time with grace, ease, humor and joy ;)
the new moon is trine chiron and quincunx uranus- triggering the uranus/chiron semisextile that has been in effect from 2009 to 2021. these two are moving in time with each other right now because churn’s orbit is closer to uranus than saturn right now (he has an odd orbit that swings between saturn and uranus). major opportunities for healing, awakening and wholeness are possible thanks to chiron! but we have to be willing to be woken up, shaken and stirred to bring to the surface the unacknowledged shadow that is coming up like pus in an old wound that won’t heal until we expel it and bring it all to the surface. again not an easy time on planet earth and yet it is SO NECESSARY.
with the new moon in scorpio and uranus in aries- mars is important in the new moon chart (he rules both signs). mars is in libra- the sign of partnership, balance and harmony. this is a sign he is not very comfortable in as he rules the opposite sign of aries. at best mars in libra uses his energy to find common ground and work with others. at worst mars in libra becomes a pacifist, doesn’t take a stand and sweeps things under the carpet. well mars is about to square pluto (the other ruler of the lunation) on sunday the 19th at 4:15am PST and in the coming weeks he will also quincunx chiron and oppose uranus (exact 11/30-12/1) so more wake up/shake up energy is incoming in relationships and the balance of life. wherever we have swept things under the carpet, turned a blind eye, played nice so avoid confrontation or change- this astrology will certainly challenge those default mechanisms. harnessing the mars/pluto energy to do the work of transformation, to face the shadow and call out the shit (in ourselves first and then in others/the world around us) is key!
as pluto is the ruler of this lunation and rules all the scorpio placements (sun, moon, venus, jupiter, vesta) as well as uranus, eris and pallas in aries- he is important to pay attention to. he is just now separating from his conjunction with juno- the asteroid Goddess of partnership and marriage- which occurred on 11/11. in capricorn he has been exposing the shadow and toxicity of patriarchy and with juno the old ways the feminine has shut down and just taken the bad behavior and assimilated and internalized the patriarchal energies is in the midst of radical and irrevocable change. of course lest you think patriarchy mens men and feminine means women- there are patriarchal women and feminine men. we all have all the archetypes within us- and our inner work is actually about integration of these fragments which contributes to the capacity for the collective to integrate them and become more whole and awakened.
massive change is happening! old structures are falling down, the ways in which we have just stuck with the way things have always been even if they have not been healthy or life affirming are exploding right before our eyes. this is necessary destruction as new life cannot take hold in a wasteland of death and toxicity. and just like doing a parasite cleanse (which i happen to be doing right now)- all the yucky stuff will come up and out and it will seem to get worse before it gets better. yet if we stop mid-transformation and say ‘this is too hard- it’s too painful’ we will miss out big time.
the key right now is to have good practices that ground you- meditation, yoga, hiking in nature, cuddling with loved ones. also having grounded, Kindred Spirits in your life that you can turn to for support and understanding is so necessary. being willing to go deep and resource yourself with therapy, shadow work, dream work, herbs, essential oils, extra sleep, nourishing foods and lots of water is recommended.
as jung said “one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of Light, but by making the darkness conscious’. this deep time of the year but also this very deep time of our collective evolution is a call to make the darkness conscious. the more of us committed to this work the better it is for the planet. ‘shadow work is the path of the heart warrior’ (also jung). let us all rise in Love knowing that at first Love brings up everything unlike itself for the purpose of healing. deep healing is possible right now but it requires we move through a deep, cathartic death process (metaphorically speaking). stay the course!
dark moon/lunar samhain blessings sent your way…
~divine harmony
p.s. i leave you with ellias lonsdale’s star sparks meditation for 27 scorpio. we are at a crossroads where we can choose the path we navigate personally and collectively. ‘are we ready to die that deep and care that totally?’ which egg will you choose?
STAR SPARKS
by ellias lonsdale
Scorpio 27 Three blue robin eggs
We meet here three divergent futures. They lead off in such different directions that it is hard to tell that they came from the same source.
The first future is the common one. There is a merging within the collective at the utmost intensity. Diving to the bottom of what everybody is feeling, experiencing, and up against, the direction becomes wherever those around us need to go. We become simply the carrier of the shared future. We know how to bring the destined outcomes to life through us. We are society’s child, the one who fits every picture.
The second future is dark and black. This involves giving the self over to the common need in a much more blind and self-negating way. This is so very tempting. We want our scape goats, the ones who go wrong. There is an attraction here to the dark. Yet all the while, the soul is innocent. It is karmic theater, dramatizing where we all are stuck. Anything to reveal the hidden meanings, and make sure that nobody can forget.
The third future is the bright one. This takes a fusion with what is intended, what is emerging, what is possible. This attention lights up powerfully. It is a huge motivator. We can go through all the world changes and find a better way to be. Yet to track with this future requires us to cut through the collective illusion fiercely. For the sake of everybody, we are called to discover that lost path through. It is right there awaiting us. Our ego-self is squarely in our way. It’s massive. The good of the world as a living future calls us onward. Can we find our way to the third future, are we willing to die that deep and care that totally?