The Evolutionary Alchemist & The Shadow Shaman
October 23 - November 21
"I am not a person to be pressured - by anybody or any nation”
- Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
On October 23rd, The Sun enters the powerful sign of Scorpio where it will stay until November 21st.
The word Scorpio or Scorpius means Scorpion in Latin. In Greek mythology, one popular story begins with Orion, son of Poseidon and Euryale, the lover of Eos and goddess of the dawn. Orion was said to be a giant and the most handsome man on earth. Orion had many enemies but his main ally was his hunting-mate Artemis. He often made misogynistic gestures and bragged about them, speaking of his conquests with Eos and even killing all the animals on the planet. Artemis, usually very swordlike, found Orion good looking but her brother, Apollo, did not find Orion’s antics funny. Apollo went to Gaia and they decided it would be in Earth’s best interest to kill Orion. They decided to send down a golden scorpion to kill Orion once and for all. After the scorpion killed Orion with its deadly sting, they placed him up in the sky for his brave act of service representing the cycle of death and rebirth. In the sky today you will see Scorpio setting in the east just as Orion is rising in the west, embracing their disdain or distance from each other.
Another aspect of Scorpio in mythology can be seen in Pluto, God of the underworld, daring to possess all he desires. Possession is a strong theme in the vibration of Scorpio in that they can never be possessed; they would rather self-destruct than to submit to another.
The constellation that rules Scorpio, Scorpius, can be identified in the night’s sky in early summer by the bright star called Antares. Antares means Anti-Ares (Aries) or the other Mars. Suffice to say that this star could go to war with war itself which is the type of energy propelling the heart of the Scorpio constellation. The Mythology of the Scorpion can teach us much about the lower more primal vibrations of this sign, but to look for the evolved and higher energy, we must start with Pluto and its vibrational makeover of the Scorpion.
Scorpio is ruled by Pluto in modern astrology and is ruled by Mars in traditional astrology. Pluto was discovered in 1930 as the 9th planet from the Sun. Recently, Pluto has been taken down from its planetary pedestal and deemed to be a dwarf planet, although its presence in our current astronomical climate is undeniably potent. In astrology, Pluto is considered an outer planet, having a distant yet powerful presence in each generation taking about 20 years in each sign. Pluto has a wide orbit that takes 248 years to complete, making it the slowest moving planet. It is an icy planet with a moon nearly as large as itself orbiting its cold, magnetic atmosphere. Pluto rules over power, exposing secrets, regeneration and alchemy. It is said that during heavy Pluto transits, the negative efficacy of power plants and power structures can be revealed and when in conjunct with Neptune, a nuclear disaster could take place. Pluto is here to remind us that in order to progress, we must transform from within. Pluto acts like an onion, peeling away the layers to get to the root of an issue, and will peel until a mystery is unveiled. The Phoenix energy that emits from the high vibrational scorpion can only be mastered by fully succumbing to Pluto’s wishes of total destruction and transformation.
Scorpio rules the 8th house in astrology which is the most complex house in the chart. Traditionally the 8th house was the house of life after marriage ruling a mature period of time where there is a movement towards deeper connection and vulnerability. The 8th house rules sex, death, the occult and joint finances. Typically, the 8th house in the chart will describe the approach one has towards psychological upgrades and their ability to share resources. The sign on your 8th house cusp will describe the energy that surrounds death, healing abilities, sex, the occult, shared finances, and solving mysteries. The tip for this house is to look deep into the shadow and to trust in your own vulnerability in order to reap the magic contained within this house. It is within this house that all mysteries of the universe become the symbols for self-discovery and ritual magic.
Scorpio is the 2nd water sign in the Zodiac, building on the emotionally sensitive sign of Cancer. Scorpios have a lot of growth to do in order to access their alchemical powers. They often start off as the Scorpion that can be the outsider and loner, however in this phase they would rather sting themselves than submit to another. The second phase is when they become aware of their power and start to use it to gain wisdom and insight into the meanings behind things. In this phase they become the eagle or hawk that can see behind the motives of others and from there can manipulate and gain significant power in the world. Many Scorpios stay in this phase out of societal conditioning; it is here that they can become economically and socially powerful but will potentially burn out if they don’t continue to face their personal demons. The art of facing the shadows and depths of despair within themselves can usually bring about an alchemical maturation that can move mountains. One common problem for Scorpios is when they become depleted, they could also become depressed and unable to ask for help. Usually Scorpios are self-healing and strong, but sometimes they just can’t keep going in this often-twisted world. When the Scorpio has burned away the extraneous noise and can tune in deeply to the abyss of magic within them, the begin to emerge as the Phoenix, rising from the ashes of their melted ego. It is here the Scorpio can become truly confident in their abilities as a healer, alchemist, shaman, and witch. Scorpio represents the full maturation of the witch during a time period where the veil is thin and the spirits are ready to play.
You can recognize a Scorpio by their intense stare and subtle magnetism. They usually have one or more striking features and beautiful smoldering eyes. The Scorpio gains the interest of the single people in the room almost instantly, for the Scorpio has something no one else does: a real and raw power. People can’t understand why, but they can’t help but fall in love with the highly dynamic and mystical energy the Scorpio invokes. Their style tends to be casual as they prefer to work behind the scenes but if they get the chance to dress up, it will be leather, chains and bright red or black lipstick. They can seem to see directly into your soul while slowly pulling you into their orbit. Scorpios do not let people talk down to them and they are usually surrounded by a small coven of loyal friends who have passed their ethics test. The Scorpio can see the motives of others and can sniff out false compliments and praises pretty fast. It is their confidence that they have spent their life building and refining, so no matter what stage of Scorpio they are entertaining, they are not looking for your input or advice. In a group, they will stick with people that they know until they receive their internal green light to open up to someone new. Relationships are a big responsibility for Scorpio, so they do well having fewer but higher quality friends so as to not burn out. Scorpios have a lot to offer people and another reason they stay away from superficial gatherings is because they tend to light up unhealed shadows in others. Because of this, they have learned like their Cancerian cousins to create a boundary around their social availability. Scorpio has two moods; one is under construction which means under the blankets, and the other means under pressure or ready to create something new.
The Scorpio child is sensitive, shy around new people, mature, and extremely moody. They become subconsciously affected by the level of love and attention they receive and at the same time they require much discipline and care. They will fight and manipulate more than most signs but they will also win over the hearts of the entire table of adults you have over for dinner. Scorpios are often only children or at least they feel that way. This could be because they often require a lot of “grown up” care and desire to grow up more quickly than the other signs. They may start asking about credit cards and death surprisingly early in life! They won’t want to play much with children their own age unless they get to be the “boss”. In their early nature, they need to be healthily activated in their ego but need to be put in their place tirelessly which makes raising a Scorpio a challenge. They have so much on their minds that they can forget about the simple or small tasks. They may be working or reading books at all hours but cannot be bothered to go join in the sports with the neighbors or watch their siblings. They prefer to be alone or to be in a more emotionally safe environment. The best advice for raising a powerful Scorpio is to shower them with love and affection but also let them know you are in charge and that you are a powerful authority in their life. They secretly want their caregivers to demonstrate power by constantly testing them. Parents remaining in the authority role is challenging but it is what the little Scorpios soul craves and it will inhibit reckless outbursts later on! The emphasis on early childhood for the Scorpion is massive because they have many transformations ahead of them and will want to make sure they don’t accidentally sting themselves with self-sabotage from their subconscious wounds.
Scorpios are said to be one of the most complex signs in Zodiac because the concept of Shadow is often misunderstood. The Shadow in someone usually is surrounded by fear and needs to be pierced, played with and eventually identified and healed. Embracing the Shadow is part of the mature soul’s journey and isn’t always readily accepted among our current reality. If a Scorpio finds themselves among emotionally self-aware people, they have a higher chance of achieving connection as they continue to be seen as an authority or at least as an expert in their field. If they are stuck in their stinging phase, they could easily fall into obscurity and become isolated and lonely accidentally hurting many around them in their bouts of addiction or rage. The darkness that may surround them is usually just moths to their flame as their self-sabotage and ability to fall into moments of despair are part of the often gut-wrenching journey that this sign is incarnated to experience. Their own bright energy can be dulled and stifled if they cannot build healthy self-esteem to rise above their own shortcomings. The challenge should they accept it is to meet their higher selves and work on a path towards evolution. When they team up with their higher selves, they co-create radiant flowers that grow around their aura to reflect their potent power.
Scorpios are here to transform and to hold the energy for massive breakthroughs within and around themselves. Much like their dual shapeshifter cousin the Gemini can transcend polarity of light and dark, the Scorpio can hold space for alchemical upgrades to occur, lifting us beyond our thought induced comas. One thing they will be naturally aware of is their strong ability to connect and plug into the shortcomings and potential of another and create specific rituals and healing treatments to allow for energy upgrades and major healing to occur. High magic, sex magic, reiki, shamanic healing, spiritual clearing and sound healing are some of the few favorite modalities among Scorpios. Scorpios may very well have a beautifully loaded arsenal filled with magical tools to promote higher healing to all who meet them. They are able to keep one foot grounded in earth and their opposite hand reaching into the heavens as they drop heavy and medicinal poetry assisting to bring down feminine energies needed for earth to be able to better function. Their love of their craft can become a healthy or unhealthy obsession depending on their mindset.
The Scorpio is ruled by their sacral chakra energy that contains divine feminine wisdom, passion, and emotional chords. The Scorpio craves vulnerability and an energetic match to their intensity. With all of these wonderful gifts brings some challenges and mysteries. The divine feminine holds secrets and the keys to power but only after several go rounds of shedding layers of the inner demon snake. Once activated, they can become easily drained as their energy is functioning way beyond that which can be seen in the physical realm. It is because of this that Scorpios can be felt long after they are contacted. Scorpios tend to mesmerize those around them because they have learned how to effectively listen, taking notes and remembering all of your emotional needs. The Scorpio is so largely aware of the vast scope of emotional soup they are dealing with that they will often have to coerce themselves to leave their sanctuary and head out into the real world. But once they do, they will have the attention and respect of whatever it is that they want, which is usually quite a lot. Many Scorpios can lean into the Mars energy and accomplish a great deal especially in areas like finance, tax, the stock market and military. In the New Age and with the discovery of Pluto, Scorpio has become fully awakened and primed to achieve personal power and awareness that can alchemize someone’s trash into treasure.
Scorpios are here to transform and if anything or anyone is holding them back from their continual growth, they will experience a sting of sorts. Scorpios are looking to merge in relationships just as Libra, but they also desire to constantly evolve together which can be tough especially if the Scorpio is vibrating at the earlier developmental stages. When Scorpio is in their Eagle or middle phase, they tend to be unbearable to date, as they have tunnel vision in their lives and tend to put their relationships on hold. It isn’t usually until they have arrived at their Phoenix stage that they can truly begin to allow their full capacity to merge and to move in new and profound directions based on their strong ability to connect with their truest heart’s desire. They can be overly possessive or a bit jealous but they become more transparent as they mature. If you are dating a Scorpio, be sure to rely on yourself for a strong sense of grounded-ness because the Scorpio has enough that they are trying to work with in the feminine and they are looking for a protector and an ally. On the flip side, many Scorpios represent their Mars energy and love to dominate sexually and be the protector of others, especially children. Either way, the Scorpio wants to be met with an equal amount of passion and intensity. Scorpios feel emotionally validated by the other water signs; Cancer and Scorpio and make great long-lasting bonds that can evolve into a majestic waterfall; cleansing them both so they can continue to grow together. Taurus, their astrological opposite, is incredibly helpful and can keep up with their intimacy and loyalty needs quite well. The Scorpio can learn to ground themselves into the earthly delights of this world through the partnership with Taurus. Scorpios will attract most every sign they come into contact with so it’s important that Scorpio learns to say no early on, otherwise they will lose steam or become derailed by the moronic shallowness that is modern dating culture. They tend to draw people in to their auras and can use their intense intuition to stay away from those who will waste their time. They often look innocent, but usually they are the ones that people are intimidated by. The Scorpio simply wasn’t meant to indulge in the false power narratives of the traditional couple and wants to push the envelope to create dynamic evolving energy with their partner.
Scorpio gets its bad reputation because the mystery that surrounds them. People love to scoff at that which they do not understand. The Scorpio isn’t here to win the favor of all; they have a mission and it is a powerful one. They are also here to build strong and long-lasting bonds with family and friends. Scorpions are serious students, teachers and bosses who have have earned their power and deserve to be respected for it, and tend to take their craft very seriously so don’t even think of calling them or interrupting their flow. They can withdraw for long periods of time in order to re-calibrate their emotions of which could write a library worth of books. One thing is for certain with Scorpio: they thrive on self-actualization and self-discovery as a means to overcome anything. Many have so much work cut out for them; they can make it easier by deciding they never need to explain themselves to those who can’t see them. Whichever archetype the Scorpio decides to embody, they will create a vast array of gifts for the divine feminine and the powerful Phoenix to dance together and create something completely new. Their need for evolution will be their single most important urge to follow in order to keep their auras bright and their health optimum.
Scorpios came to earth to transform everything they touch, starting with themselves. They represent the full maturation of power and self-actualization. They are the archetypal mature and elder witch or shaman. Just like their representative tarot cards reflect, the Scorpio can represent the metaphorical death that takes place before something new begins, and the judgement that can ride in on the waves of truth, bearing cataclysmic knowledge from deep soul diving. Along with Gemini, they are the bridge between worlds and can create alchemy out of thin air when they have integrated their shortcomings into potent magnetism. Magnetic and driven by their clairvoyant mind, they become the archetype of the Phoenix. In an ever-evolving world, we should support our powerful Scorpio friends and assist them with their giant tasks by evolving ourselves out of our old stories and begin to embody a higher evolution of awareness so that we can assist in the process of healing humanity. The Scorpio reminds us to see within ourselves that which we project into the world.
Cody Channel is a holistic healer, evolutionary astrologer, massage therapist, and reiki master, as well as an electronic musician and sound healer. Find her on Instagram @codychannel or her website www.codychannel.com and read more of her entries on our blog Esoteric Insights.
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Read more on astrology, horoscopes, occultism, magick & ritual on our blog, Esoteric Insights!
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