SCORPIO NEW MOON - 30 October 2016

Exact at 5.39pm GMT, 1.39pm EDT!

Compared to the Moons we have experienced in recent times this one is quite gentle in comparison, although that being said, it is not without a certain quiet, potent power! This is Scorpio we are talking about after all, the sign that asks us to dig deep into our psyches and souls and face the truth, even if we don’t like what we see. With the Sun, Moon and Mercury in Scorpio at the moment, not to mention Black Moon Lilith and Juno, the goddess of marriage and partnership, we are certainly being encouraged to confront our shadows and allow ourselves to be truly open and honest so that we can achieve a greater intimacy within our relationships. Not to mention that in order to be honest with another human being we are of course required to be honest with ourselves. Emotional honesty can be quite painful, as it brings up things we might prefer to deny, such as shame, guilt, fears, trauma and deep emotional wounds.  As such, it can seem so much easier to just gloss over the parts we don’t want to confront in ourselves and keep them buried, hidden from view, brushed under the carpet. However, just because things are hidden it doesn’t mean they’re not there! In fact, their power over us grows and distorts the more it is suppressed.

Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, the planet of the soul, power and transformation, so this New Moon holds the potential for some deep soul work which can help us to move forward on our path and evolution. The Nodes of the Moon are also being positively aspected by the Sun, Moon and Mercury, so if we are willing to do the work and dive into our own personal underworlds we have a chance to come up with some hidden treasure! It takes courage and a lot of trust to bare our souls and let ourselves be vulnerable with another person and allow them to truly see us, but we are rewarded with a deeper intimacy that comes from knowing that there is nothing left to hide. So often, what we think is our deepest, darkest secrets or shame is actually not that much of a big deal to someone else. We are definitely our own greatest judge! Not only that, but once they are shared they start to lose their power over us. They’re not lurking in the shadows anymore, covered up and encrusted with shame, guilt, lies and denial. We’ve allowed the light of awareness and compassion to shine on them, and suddenly they don’t look so scary or hideous anymore.

Scorpio comes after Libra, the sign of relationships, and takes the whole concept of relationship to a much deeper level. With Scorpio we connect to others on a soul level and merge with them, sexually, emotionally, spiritually and/or materially. When we fully surrender and merge with another we experience a “death” of our individual self as we create something bigger than the two of us.  This could take the form of a partnership, collaboration, community or intimate relationship. Scorpio asks a lot of us, as she rules the themes of trust, sexuality, intimacy, soul, death/rebirth, transformation. When we trust another we run the risk of betrayal. When we love another we run the risk of losing them. When we dive in and join forces with another we run the risk of losing ourselves. These are the themes we are working with during this New Moon, when we have the chance to dig deep, let go, trust and show our tender underbellies so that we can make a leap forward on our journeys. This is a time to shed the old skin and emerge all shiny and new, albeit a little bit more vulnerable!

Neptune in Pisces is helping out this process by forming a harmonious aspect to the Sun, Moon and Mercury during this New Moon. Neptune spiritualises whatever planet he comes into contact with, and so we could find that we experience some very deep connections to others during this time, as we are able to see beyond pretence and glimpse one another’s true essence and spirit; their divinity. Neptune dissolves boundaries, and combined with the merging and soul searching nature of Scorpio, we could find ourselves truly feeling what each other is feeling and experiencing true compassion, soul connection and unconditional love. This is a very helpful aspect to have, as it softens the edges somewhat and helps us find heartfelt empathy and understanding for ourselves and others. Neptune represents unity and is that part of ourselves that knows that we are all one and that what happens to one happens to all. Neptune is currently sitting right on top of the South Node of the Moon, so we have a chance to recognise any blind spots or sabotaging tendencies that we might be bringing forward from our past. It is time to tell the truth instead of lying to ourselves or others. This is how trust is built. It is also time to let go of being the victim. Everything that has happened so far has happened for a reason. All is unfolding exactly as it should.

Saturn and Venus are joining forces in Sagittarius during this Moon, which could take a variety of forms. We might be forced to take a long, hard look at our relationships and decide whether they are based in reality. We may find that we need to examine our beliefs about ourselves and relationships and recognise how they sabotage us and prevent us from having what we so dearly want. We may make a deeper commitment to our partner or relationship, or it may go up to the next level. A conjunction can go either way, so Saturn conjunct Venus can either make us fearful or inhibited about relating or can somehow make it more tangible, honest and real. It can either make us feel constricted and held back or can make us feel like it is a stable base for us to operate from and spring out into the world. One thing is for sure, and that is that Saturn does make things very real and will ensure that we are experiencing the truth of one another rather than any kind of illusion or pretty picture. This definitely lines up with the rest of the chart for this Moon. It seems that we are being invited to be utterly authentic and truly allow ourselves to be seen. This, of course, means that we have to be willing to see ourselves.

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun and Moon, at 8° Scorpio, is “A calm lake bathed in Moonlight.” Dane Rudyar says of this symbol “A quiet openness to higher inspiration…. a surrender of two personal egos to the inspiration of transcendent feelings which are essentially impersonal. Love expresses itself through the lovers, for real Love is a cosmic undifferentiated principle or power which simply focuses itself within the “souls” of human beings who reflect its light. The same is true of the mystic’s love for God. … a moment comes when all that really matters is to present a calm mind upon which a supernal light may be reflected.” With Scorpio, still waters run deep. It seems that this moon is asking us to take a long hard look inside, both at ourselves and another. We have the opportunity to look below at what might be hidden beneath the surface and also to face what is mirrored back to us through our intimate relationships. It does seem as if there will be amazing rewards for being brave enough to face our shadows and bring what is hidden there out into the light. As I said, Scorpio asks a lot, but it is definitely worth doing the work!

“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word “love” here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth.”

 James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

Much Love

Amy

xoxo

Artwork: The Mask She Hides Behind – Sarah Riches

My website: http://www.amybirdartandastrology.com/