This New Moon invites us to look deep within and purge and transform any habits or unhealthy patterns that no longer serve us. Scorpio is the sign of death and rebirth and isn’t afraid to take a journey into the underworld to find whatever is lurking in the shadows, even if it isn’t pretty! We are invited to confront ourselves and to recognise what subconscious complexes might be running the show and sabotaging our lives and relationships. Scorpio isn’t afraid to ask the uncomfortable, probing questions and eke out the truth, no matter how deeply it may be buried. This is the time of year when we shed some skin, look our shadows squarely in the face and hopefully emerge from the experience with greater self-awareness and carrying a lighter load. This Moon invites us to turn within, dig deep and contemplate what needs to be left behind in the dark of the Moon and what seeds might we plant that will take root and grow over the course of the month.
What is our relationship with power? Do we tend to give our power away to others or do we control or manipulate others to feel safer and more powerful? Where in our lives might we be feeling a sense of powerlessness right now, and what can we do to change this? Are we able to be honest about ourselves and recognise and accept our not so pretty traits and tendencies? Who and what triggers anger and defensiveness in us and if so, what does that tell us about ourselves? What qualities do we find challenging in others that we might need to own in ourselves? What might be passing away during this time, either literally or figuratively? Are we able to let go with grace? Do we have trust issues and if so, where do they come from? Are we able to truly trust and rely on ourselves? Do we fear loss and abandonment or are we able to let people or situations go in a healthy way? Do we have the capacity for true intimacy, or are we afraid to be “exposed” and truly seen, preferring to hide our darker aspects from view? Do we tend to deny that darkness exists in ourselves, our loved ones and reality itself, or do we focus on it too much? These are all good Scorpio New Moon questions!
The Pluto Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn is forming a harmonious sextile aspect to the New Moon, which brings the potential for profound growth and transformation and could help us to see the darkness that exists in the world and within ourselves. Fear is rife at the moment, which certainly has the potential to bring out the worst in people. The combination of expansive Jupiter and powerful Pluto almost seems to be magnifying and exposing the truth, revealing things as they really are and making everything and everyone much more transparent. We can see this in the macrocosm and the microcosm - as within, so without. We are able to see the darkness and corruption in the power structures much more clearly now and must also face and own it within ourselves.This is an inside job! There is so much self-righteousness, judgement and intolerance of other people’s beliefs right now, a lot of which is stemming from the fear that is spreading around like wildfire. However, as the façades are stripped back, revealing the truth of matter, our belief system has the potential for a complete overhaul. It is so important to have an open mind at the moment and a willingness to dig deep beneath the surface to eke out the truth, even if we don’t like what we see.
Neptune is also present during this Moon, as it is forming a harmonious trine to the Sun and Moon, reminding us that we are all in this together and encouraging us to treat one another with kindness and compassion in these difficult times. We just don’t know what the person we run into on the street is going through. Neptune promotes a sense of unity, dissolving barriers between us and reminding us that ultimately we are not as separate or divided as we might think. Neptune is currently building up to a square to the Nodes of the Moon that will be exact on 6 January and is making it very hard indeed to know what the truth is, as it is completely shrouded, with smoke screens at every corner. It is as if there is a veil over the truth right now, which makes it all very confusing indeed.
However, we are encouraged to listen to our gut, trusting our deep inner knowing and finding a way to express that knowing in as eloquent and palatable a way as possible. We may have to sacrifice something personal for the higher good by finding a voice and speaking out, but ultimately we have to stand up for what is right and true, for the sake of humanity and the collective. Above all we must be open to listening to one another with an open mind and heart and without judgement or condemnation. We are all just scrabbling around in the dark trying to find the truth, which is very illusive right now! It is so important to harness Neptune’s superpower and tap into our empathy for one another, regardless of any difference in beliefs.
Mars is very strong during this New Moon, as the warrior planet turns direct on Saturday 14 November after being retrograde since 10 September. Mars is in its own sign, Aries, and could bring some very strong emotions to the surface, including anger, not to mention generally feeling agitated, irritated, impatient, tense and on edge. This could feel especially acute for anyone who has personal angles or planets around 15° of the sign they are in, particularly the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. We may act and react with greater force than usual, and could also make great strides ahead with anything that has been put on hold while Mars has been retrograde. This can certainly bring out our more aggressive, assertive nature, but can also help us to find the courage to do things that we may have been avoiding or scared to face. It is important to be mindful of our reactions during this time as we may be more easily triggered than usual, which could make us angry and defensive.
Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter are also forming a challenging square aspect to Venus, bringing our relationships and finances into focus in ways that might not be easy. Pluto and Venus could bring subconscious complexes into play within our relationships and we may be more compulsive than usual in the way we relate. We could find ourselves obsessing about a lover or our financial situation, and fear could have an adverse affect on our relationships and the flow of energy around finances. We may find that people reveal their true nature and expose themselves as they really are, rather than who they would like us to see. With Saturn square Venus we may feel cut off, lonely and withdrawn, finding it hard to reach out to one another and feeling all too aware of what is lacking in our lives. Fear contracts the heart and cuts us off from one another, so it is very important to be mindful of when fear is arising in us and recognise how it affects our relationships with those closest to us. It is so easy to take our fear and frustration out on our nearest and dearest.
The Sabian symbol for this New Moon, at 24° Scorpio, which sets the tone for the month ahead, is: “Having heard an inspired individual deliver his “sermon on the mount,” crowds are returning home.”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “ The need to incorporate inspiring experiences and teachings into everyday living. Today we hear a great deal about “peak experiences” (Maslow). The great problem facing everyone who has had such experiences is how to assimilate what has been felt, seen or heard and how to let it transform his everyday consciousness and behaviour.If this is not done the experience may turn confusing or toxic and perhaps destructive of the integrity of the person. The “return home” from the high mountain, or from any “upper chamber” of consciousness, may lead to a sense of oppression by the normal realities of existence, or else the soul that has been illuminated may retain enough of that light to transfigure every daily situation. This is the great CHALLENGE TO TRANSFORMATION.” The message of this symbol seems to be that it is all very well having revelations, realisations or insight into what needs to change a transform, but what do we actually do about it in our actual life? Similarly, do we give our power away to those who “know better than us” or can we find the truth from within?
This is a powerful New Moon, that’s for sure, in a way that only Scorpio can be! Scorpio season can often leave us feeling a bit battered and bruised, but the process is a necessary one, as it brings soul growth. If we don’t face our shadows we don’t really know ourselves and our subconscious complexes and wounding end up running the show and sabotaging our life and relationships, with the same unhealthy patterns on repeat, over and over again. We are currently being invited to look at the darker side of existence, both personally and collectively, and to be brave enough to sit with what we find, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. It is so easy to project onto others what we find difficult to recognise or accept in ourselves. The Moon can help us to strip back the layers of denial, revealing the truth behind the façade. Scorpio helps to expose the secrets and lies and isn’t afraid to know the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Painting: The Veil, by Helen Lundeberg