Planetary Pile Up in Scorpio!

At the time of writing this newsletter the Sun has just entered Scorpio, and as it does so it joins three other planets already moving through that sign: the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury. Four planets in one zodiac sign at any one time is a strong emphasis on the energy of that sign, but as if that wasn’t enough, these four will be joined on October 24th, by Venus and Mars, making a grand total of six celestial bodies grouped together in the sign of the Scorpion! For anyone with a birthday in the early degrees of Scorpio especially (i.e. within the next week or so) this places a huge emphasis on thinking about where you are now and where you want to go next. Scorpios can read more about what’s in store for them this month by following this link: www.star-maps.co.uk/horoscopes.asp#starsign But what does this planetary pile up mean for the rest of us?

Scorpio and its characteristics
To answer that question, let’s first have a good look at the characteristics of this fixed water sign. The fixed signs, Scorpio, Leo, Taurus and Aquarius, as their title suggests, tend to like to stay with what they know. In their pure form they may be reluctant to embrace change and therefore earn themselves a reputation for being somewhat stubborn - or determined, to put a more positive spin on things! As the sign of fixed water, Scorpio is especially determined not to let too much change where emotions and relationships are concerned. It is a sign which feels things very deeply and intensely, not that you would necessarily know it, as it is not particularly demonstrative or forthcoming in its emotional expression, mainly because of its instinct for self-preservation. This comes from the innate knowledge Scorpios have that life is a game of chess: to win you must protect your own interests and outwit your opponent with superior strategy. This entails keeping your cards close to your chest (to use another gaming metaphor) rather than letting your opponent know how you are feeling or what you truly want. Survival of the fittest is the name of the game, and driven by a strong gut instinct, killer analytical powers, together with the determination to achieve his goal no matter how long it takes, Scorpio is better qualified than most to make it first past the post.

Scorpios are expert at seeing through veneer and finding just what it is in other people that makes them tick – or what they are trying to hide. This doesn’t mean the traffic is two way, though, as Scorpio is very wary about letting anyone get close to them, at least until they’ve passed the most intense scrutiny and probing. Should you pass muster, you become a friend for life. Close ties are strong with this sign, and blood is thicker than water: but then if you’ve passed into Scorpio’s inner circle you are considered as family anyway. Just make sure you watch out for that ubiquitous sting in the tail: betray a Scorpio and you will feel the full thrust of it. At best this means you cease to exist in their eyes, at worst, you learn first hand the meaning of revenge.

Balancing emotions with objectivity
Phew! This all sounds quite scary. Remember that people very rarely embody the energy of only one archetype, and we all have all of the signs in our chart, albeit each one emphasised to different degrees. You are unlikely to meet anyone with a purely Scorpionic nature. In fact for someone with a birthday in Scorpio it’s more about embracing the positive aspects of emotional connection whilst also learning to “do” the opposite sign, Taurus, that is balancing this with objectivity and groundedness. Scorpio is there to remind us that there are deep issues in life, that all in the garden cannot be perpetually rosy or we would live in a bland emotional cocoon. We grow and develop strength of character through some of our more intense and difficult experiences in life, a fact that Scorpio knows only too well.

Are you ready to face the Scorpio Challenge?
During this time of the year when we are moving from Libra, which encourages us to cultivate harmony and understanding in our lives and relationships, to Scorpio, we should bear in mind the lessons of Pluto, modern ruler of this sign. As the Lord of the Underworld, Pluto symbolises the potential for us to be plunged into the depths of despair, or to be faced with challenges we think at the time we will surely not survive. We have all experienced times of being taken into our own personal hell at various levels, and being asked to give up that which we think we can least do without. But once we have passed the test Pluto presents us with we are allowed to come back up into the sunlight, and we find that we have brought with us something remarkable: a treasure that we did not know we previously possessed, something which enriches our lives immeasurably. The challenge for all during the Sun’s passage through Scorpio is to dare to face our demons. Are you living your life in a meaningful way? Do you take pains to honour your values and passions positively? Are you true to yourself and in your relationships with others? Answering these challenging questions is important not just for Scorpio, but for us all: the rewards for doing so can be profound.

Stop press! Astro-news – what’s going on in the sky right now?

Saturn/Jupiter – clash of the Titans!
On October 25th, we see a clash of two planetary titans, as Jupiter makes a challenging aspect to Saturn. These two planets represent opposing principles: Jupiter is growth, expansion, and in its extreme form boundless excess, whereas Saturn represents restriction, boundaries, rules and duty. In practice, it’s no bad thing having these two principles coming together to balance each other out, and it’s considered fotunate to have a Jupiter/Saturn combination in the birth chart as it can represent the combined principles of “controlled expansion”. The Jupiter/Saturn cycle is considered an important one in financial astrology, and this point marks the “first quarter square” of the current cycle. This signals the point where tension can arise and adjustments may be required in global economic terms. The cycle in total lasts 20 or so years, and the last new cycle began in early 2000 in the sign of Taurus. As Taurus is associated with security, money, and property amongst other things, these areas are where the glitches could well start showing themselves over the coming weeks.

Mercury Retrograde - get your house in order.
On Saturday 28th October, Mercury, planet of communication, business and commerce appears from our viewpoint on earth to turn around in its tracks and start moving backwards in its orbit. This phenomenon, known as “Mercury Retrograde”, happens approximately every four months. It marks a period of about three weeks when we get a chance to do some housekeeping: getting neglected paperwork in order, reviewing strategies in our work and in our lives in general, and rethinking our plans for the coming months. It’s not, however, considered a good time to be making important decisions, so avoid signing big contracts or making large purchases during this time. For more on Mercury retrograde periods, along with the effects of retrograde Venus and Mars, see my article “Better Business Decisions with Astrology” on the articles page

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