October 25 6:49 AM EST
This is a complex, powerful, and exciting new moon solar eclipse. The Taurus/Scorpio eclipse cycle began one year ago- during Scorpio season 2021, and fully took hold when the nodes of the moon moved into Taurus & Scorpio in January 2022. Since then the general collective energetic focus has been on the primary themes of this polarity, the axis of materialism and transformation. Taurus is the acquisitive sign of the zodiac where seeds planted in Aries (“the beginning”) grow and flourish, hence it is associated with crops, food, abundance, springtime, fertility, currency, money, and possessions. On the opposite end of the spectrum we find Scorpio and the business of transformation, transmutation and decay which occurs at the end of this organic cycle. At the end of the autumn harvest, materials return to the soil, there is death and a breakdown of what is no longer useful so that it may eventually fertilize the new after the period of winter rest and hibernation.
And so here we are now, with a powerful new moon solar eclipse in Scorpio, heralding that it is time for us to engage with the PROCESS of decay and transmutation in a new way. Eclipses, after all, are full UPGRADES to our “way of being” with the energy of that sign. And, in fact, this is our FIRST solar eclipse in Scorpio since 2014, since the eclipse last November was a full moon lunar eclipse in Taurus (*the next lunar eclipse in Taurus will be in 2 weeks time on November 8, 2022). We have all had massive changes in our lives since 2014. And what some of those changes have taught us is how to navigate CHANGE itself. Who are we in the face of change? Of unpredictability? How do we respond when the ‘stable goalposts’ of our lives seems altered in some way? And perhaps most importantly- is there a better, more empowering way that we can navigate these transitions?
It is fascinating, and of utmost significance, that the sun and moon- at 2 degrees of Scorpio- are EXACTLY conjunct the planet of love, beauty, balance, harmony and resources, Venus. If that list of qualities sounds familiar to you that’s because, indeed, Venus is the ruler of Taurus. So here we have highlighted the massive importance of these Taurean values, even as we are navigating the shadow worlds of death and uncertainty in the Scorpio domain. We must always remember that opposite signs are two sides of the same coin. They cannot be properly understood without reference to the other. And here we are reminded in no uncertain terms that HOW we navigate change, transition, darkness and uncertainty depends highly on HOW we are “using” our Venus.
The most low vibrational aspects of Venus/Taurus are glutinous, self-absorbed, vain, greedy, and unyielding. There is a sense of using the inherent magnetism of the planet and sign for purely selfish and egotistical reasons. And of having a larger appetite, in all manners, than most any other sign. When this is how Taurus/Venus is expressed in our lives, it can be no surprise that changes/transitions/loss/unexpected circumstances are resisted and unwelcome in the extreme.
However, high vibrational Venus/Taurus is aware that it’s access to radiance, abundance, and all it desires are gifts from Source/God/universal Consciousness that cannot be forced or cajoled (nor can they be “cut off”) but merely aligned to in reverence for, and harmony with, the True Source of All Things. This is the “Earth Mama” expression of Venus/Taurus in harmony with their surroundings and the world around them and thus in a state of reciprocity to their True Needs.
We are all being asked to make this shift in our lives right now. The more we depend on “the old” to “give us what we want and need” (ie. money, attention, comfort, stability), the more we may falter. We are in a period of transition where it is important to align to the ‘highest aspect’ of ourselves, our True Selves, who does not live in Fear of not having enough, but rather is open to receiving what is needed and offered in the moment, and does not strive or demand for more than is necessary. Then a true and sincere feeling of Abundance is able to take root in our lives. That is what keeps us on kilter during stormy seas, and can provide a shining North Star in the dark night.
Scorpio is associated with “the dark night of the soul” experiences of human growth where we realize that we must move on from old ways of beings into new ones. Sometimes these periods of profound transformation are brought about through introspection, but often they are catalyzed by loss or trauma. We realize we simply cannot be on this old “cruise control” any longer, the cost is too high. But since we are unsure what these “new ways of being” are- we are understandably as humans, frightened and trepidations. We are rather like children at the beginning of this process, nervous and afraid, waiting to learn and be shown the way. But the pay off is worth it. Eventually we do connect the dots, get the lessons, have practical real world experiences that we “meet in new ways” and hence are ushered forwards in our path of growth. Eventually we gain clarity and confidence, and at the end of it all there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we re-emerge (in Sagittarius) with wisdom and a renewed zest for life. (*notice how this could be the plot synopsis for 50% of films).
But first we must recognize that we WANT to do things differently, and that in fact it IS POSSIBLE to do things differently. We must stop being on stubborn cruise control (Taurus) and be “teachable”, and open to change from the inside out. The two rulers of Scorpio are Mars and Pluto, and they preside over this process. Interestingly, at this eclipse they are nearly exactly inconjunct each other and BOTH are stationing. When a planet is stationing it is still in the sky and on the degree where it is about to/or has just changed direction. In this case, Pluto came OUT of retrograde on October 8 at 26 degrees of Capricorn. Mars is now slowing down and ABOUT TO go retrograde on October 30 at 25 degrees Gemini. Stationing planets are highly potent. And the inconjunct is an aspect of dis-ease. Not antagonism exactly, but discomfort. The two planets are not “reading each other” very clearly and they may have different agendas.
Indeed, the signs of Capricorn and Gemini, where Pluto and Mars are located, are very different in their orientation and needs. Pluto in Capricorn is asking us to reflect on what we have learned (especially about Capricornian matters such as business, longevity, durability, structure) since it first went retrograde on April 29th. Since then- what lessons have we learned in these areas that we can apply now? As is usually the case with Pluto, the answers may not be obvious. But any amount of reflection in this direction will be useful. By contrast, Mars, about to go retrograde in Gemini, has gathered a tremendous amount of information since it first entered that sign on August 20th. Gemini is the intellectual juggler and master multi-tasker. Now, with Mars about to go retrograde (until January 12), we are about to be plunged INWARDS so that we can DISCERN which of this information is actually worthwhile, valuable, fruitful, and productive for us.
As we can see, Mars and Pluto are on different wavelengths right now. But a general desire to separate out what is useful from what isn’t is what unites them. And this all comes back to Venus- our values and sense of inherent abundance and worthiness- and readjusting those barometers to help us navigate life, and change, in a more empowered way. When we can TRUST ourselves that we can choose wisely, and navigate the path ahead of us in integrity, even if it is in the dark, then our capacity to handle the unknown is significantly stronger. In fact we may find ourselves making bold choices, following instincts we had heretofore sublimated and rejected. Scorpio encourages us to know and embrace and listen to all parts of ourselves and turn those once shadowed or rejected parts into allies and sources of wisdom and power. This is the true juice of healing and transformation.
We are also aided in this rather intense process by a breezy air sign grand trine. Mars in Gemini is trine to Mercury in Libra and Saturn in Aquarius. This is most fortuitous, as it helps us “see the forest for the trees”. While our focus is undoubtedly inwards, watching our steps carefully, making sure we are choosing, one step at a time, what truly serves us- even if that is an unfamiliar path. We are also aided by a sharp acuity of mind and attunement to ‘higher thought’. We could have major brainstorms. “Talking things out” – only with those we TRULY trust (this is a Scorpio eclipse we are talking about ;))- can provide great benefit. At its best this air sign grand trine can cut through to the heart of things and express them brilliantly and eloquently. In lower vibrational mode, it can add even more of a “too much of a good thing” vibe. The eclipse is, after all, conjunct sensual Venus, and already has some hedonistic hallmarks. The air sign grand trine can become, like the name implies, grandoise, and get stuck in over-intellectualizing or staying on “random” ideas or tangents too long. Scorpio wants us to see what ever comes up, process it, and eliminate the old or the waste. It does not want to discuss ad nauseum. This can be just another, different, way of “holding on to things”. So being watchful of that when it comes up and ‘bursting the airy bubble’ will serve us well.
Overall we can see rapid transformation in our lives, and in our psyches, with this eclipse if we are willing and open to it. Choosing a new path is not for the faint of heart. Even if that new path is simply a different way of dealing with our everyday frustrations. It asks us to take our self-responsibility and self-awareness to a new level. But the rewards are well worth it. And often, when Venus is concerned, they involve our finances and our relationships. Venus here is showing us that and reminding us that we can have different outcomes in those areas when we make powerful, internally guided, adjustments. And is bringing us happy evidence of our positive steps. That happy evidence is in the form of an improved sense of worthiness, abundance and peace in our lives. It sounds counterintuitive that we may find this in the dark unknown but that is the great paradox and mystery of life, and of the Scorpionic underworld. Venus reminds us that we are indeed worthy of having this improved sense of our own capacity to meet life in a way that brings joy, and to navigate inevitable bumps in the road without capsizing. If we are open to giving it a try, and since the impact of eclipses can reverberate for months and even years, the adjustments we make now can have profound and far reaching implications in our lives.
*art by @ohqalbis
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