Scorpio Solar Eclipse October 23, 2014

On Thursday, October 23rd, at 2:57 PM on the west coast and 5:57 PM on the east coast, the Sun, Moon, and Venus will all move, within less than 12 hours, from the airy sign of Libra into the deep, dark, waters of Scorpio.   It’s a powerful shift in a short period of time.  Mercury, the messenger, lags behind in Libra for a couple more weeks after turning direct on Saturday, October 25th.  Our emotional matrix is once again being scrambled as we experience this second eclipse this month.  It is being scrambled under mysterious, but deliberate influences that seek to make us more receptive to some critical, life-enhancing change.

This is unusual astrology – the Sun, Moon, and Venus all changing from the sign of Libra into the sign of Scorpio in less than 12 hours.  Libra and Scorpio, though adjacent signs, are light years apart. Where Libra made it possible to exact peace at any price, and to maintain appearances, Scorpio’s not “playing ball” so to speak. The dark goddess wants nothing short of total destruction with no possibility of returning to the “old ways.” Most likely you’ve felt the influence of this change of energy as a from of “psychic whiplash.” One minute everything is going along well. The next minute you’re in a different, darker world, afraid and alone. Or you’re stuck with the dawning realization that you have only painful options from which to choose and may be under the delusion that not choosing is the only way out. This eclipse, its challenges and its gifts, are connected to a period 19 years ago when an eclipse at the same degree and sign occurred. If you think back to that time period maybe you can identify the connection.

Scorpio, for all her bad press, is the life-giver.  She destroys what’s sucking the life out of you and your relationships in exchange for a sense of urgency and new life. The famous astrologer Steven Forest has a unique way of defining Scorpio energy, through the following “high drama” scene:

“You lie in your sleeping bag, rigid as a corpse.  The desert sun creeps higher, threatening to turn the fillings in your teeth to molten gold.  One move and you die; a scorpion stands motionless on your belly. Tension in your marriage, critical politicking in your profession – yesterday those thoughts crowded your mind.  They were the center of your world.  Today, with that Scorpion standing on your belly, only the awesome intensity of the present moment remains.  Everything else – all pretense, all vanity, all ambition – is ripped away. Only essentials remain. A mind, naked and alert, focused sharp as a cut gem, stands ready to live or die.”

Maybe the life or death scenario isn’t this physical for you, but on some deeper, emotional, psychic level, this may be the choice you face – to live or die.

The Sun/Moon/Venus/Hertha alignment, exactly at the 0 critical degree of Scorpio, is symbolized by “A Sightseeing Bus” – a vehicle that transports us effortlessly through some structural or cultural influence we take no responsibility for. We’re simply “along for the ride.”  This symbol alludes to a type of irresponsibility that allows us to put some aspect of our life on “automatic pilot,” as we sit back and relax.  Lack of critical thought has us mindlessly transported through interactions and scenarios that we notice but do not act upon. As the eclipse closes in, there is more than a hint of collective passivity where environmental destruction is a concern. Hertha is an asteroid named after an idol worshipped by heathens who perceived her as “Mother Earth.”

As the messenger of the eclipse chart, Mercury’s influence is colored by the Sabian Symbol “Two Men Placed Under Arrest” signifying consequences.  Anti-social behaviors previously denied or unrestrained, are being exposed, intercepted and immobilized. Mercury’s opposition to the South Node indicates patterns of destructive behavior that were allowed to progress through the assistance of “enablers” – those who stood to gain something by failing to stop dangerous, destructive patterns.

Scorpio penetrates through layers of charm, lies, denial, and distraction to get to the root of the problem. A couple months of prior Libran influence leaves little doubt that obscuring layers are “piled on thick”.  But Scopio’s x-ray vision sees through it. The problem is what to do about the newly clarified mess.  As Mercury continues to retrograde for a few more days, making decisions “set in stone” seems ill-advised.

Mars, the traditional ruler of Scorpio, signals types of action that can now be taken. In the sign of Sagittarius, there is the need to grow and expand perspectives, to consider what has previously been denied, to face the truth, and to be a force for good in a larger world. (An interesting side note is that Mars aligns with the Galactic Core of the universe, the black hole that is a concentration of gravitation force, thought to keep the entire universe bound and connected. It emits radio frequencies that tend to radiate brilliant insights concerning a return to a way of life that is kinder and more humane.)

Scorpio intensifies seductiveness. Amidst any personal drama, there is a call to use your own intensifying seductive power in service of something that is much larger. In fact, this is my suggestion for any intentions you set at the time of the eclipsing New Moon.  Wherever the eclipse falls in your natal chart is where you are experiencing intensified seductive powers capable of influencing the flow of events way beyond the confines of your own personal life.

If the eclipse falls in your

1st house – Your appearance, style and approach is highly seductive.  Others see you as being powerful, embodying power, and exuding a mystique that draws them in and makes them vulnerable to whatever you’re selling.

2nd house – Money and resources bend to your seductive charms.  In service of a cause you could be a highly effective fund raiser.

3rd house – You have a seductive way with words that heals relationships particularly with neighbors and siblings.  You can change closed minds through what you say and write.

4th house – Your have seductive nurturing powers capable of healing emotional insecurities and rebuilding crumbling foundations.

5th house – Children and artists are drawn to your child-like innocence.  Your influence in the direction of love and creativity is profound within these two groups especially.

6th house – Seductively you draw in whatever needs to be purified, simplified, or improved.  You can make self-discipline appear sexy.

7th house –  You have seductive power over clients, partners, and spouses.  Your influence is in the direction of balance and beautification

8th house – This is the house of uber-seductiveness.  Wielding power in the most effective and balanced ways possible for whatever cause you serve is your forte.

9th house – Your high-mindedness and optimism is incredibly seductive.  You can expand perspectives and change beliefs

10th house – Your are the seductive leader, competently taking charge and leading in whatever direction you choose.

11th house – You are the seductive group member or friend able to persuade in any direction you choose

12th house – You can use your seductiveness to persuade, through art and selfless service, the need to let go of old destructive ways.

E-mail me to clarify the position of this eclipse in your chart if you don’t know.

dark night of soul

3 Comments

  1. mary:

    “Mars aligns with the Galactic Core of the universe, the black hole that is a concentration of gravitation force, thought to keep the entire universe bound and connected”.
    True except for the last part of the sentence. Galactic core keeps ‘our galactic group’ (not the entire universe) bound and connected to it’s gravity.
    There is another ‘dense thing’ called the ‘great attractor’ at around 14 degrees Sagittarius (no one know whether it is a black hole or something else) which is slowly drawing everything, including the galactic center into it.

  2. mary:

    Holly,
    This is amazing…I must share this with you.
    As i was typing that comment about the ‘great attractor’, a battery operated toy in my son’s room played itself. I checked the room thoroughly and it was clear no other normal physical activity in the room could have caused it.
    I ran the chart for the moment for my location. And bang; The IC (the gravity point) is conjunct the great attractor at 14 saggi!
    Per astral scientists, the great attractor is supposed to have MEGA electro-magnetic energy inconceivable and out-of-the-scale compared to levels presently known to us.
    My natal NN is right there at 14 Saggi. No wonder i am tuned to it and intrigued by it.
    Thanks for prompting the MOMENT….:)

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