New Moon in Scorpio--October 26, 2011

This New Moon occurs at 12:56 PDT and the Sun and Moon meet at 3 degrees Scorpio. There is little in the chart of this timing to kick up much dirt so I will focus on the mysterious energy of Pluto, Scorpio's planetary ruler.

Scorpio is a fixed mode water sign. The three water signs all find their orientation in the emotions, but because Scorpio is in the fixed mode there is power available to manifest through will and desire more than action and a tendency to focus primarily on the self. Thus a typical Scorpio individual will be secretive and a bit of a lone wolf.

What's actually going on is that wherever Pluto shows up in our charts, our natal charts or by transit to them, there enters a deeper view of life, an introduction of strong self-preservation concerns, a door into the deeper realms of the collective subconscious. Issues of life and death, sexuality and personal power seem more intense and real wherever Pluto is found.

Its realm is that part of planet earth that is below the surface, thus an erupting volcano could be a fitting symbol of Plutonian release of inner tension. In my collage for this New Moon I used a flowing lava field for the ground at the bottom. I named this art, "Persephone." She is the Goddess who rules the Underworld along with Hades.

Here's the short version of how that came about: her mother, Demeter, also a Goddess in her own right (who ruled the earth's fertility), kept her daughter hidden away during her childhood so when she came into puberty she was very innocent (and beautiful, of course). One day as she was picking spring flowers in a meadow there was a big crack in the earth and Hades popped out of the Underworld (his realm) and kidnapped her, taking her down to his home below. Meanwhile her mother couldn't find her and her grief caused a kind of death in the world of living things. This was not working out so eventually a deal was made between Zeus and Hades that Persephone be released for most of the year so that there could be a fertile cycle for life-giving plants.

And the reason for this need for compromise was that Persephone had eaten some pomegranate seeds that Hades offered her, thus she was obliged to stay in the Underworld for at least some block of time each year. In my collage she is eating from the pomegranate in the upper right corner. I depict her naked to symbolize her innocent youth. For me pomegranates have a very female and sensuous symbolism due to their juicy, blood-colored seeds. The blue part of the collage comes from Carl Jung's art taken from his Red Book, a personal journal of art and writing published a couple of years ago for the first time. I chose it because it shows both dark and light as integrated, rather than conflicting opposites.

In this New Moon chart the conjunction of the Sun and Moon is in harmonious aspect to both Neptune and Pluto. For me this supports the idea that this special day will be a portal for opening to energies that are transforming, deeply insightful, emotionally intense and highly intuitive. This is one New Moon that deserves our time in quiet meditation to allow messages from our Higher Self to come through.

Topics for consideration when framing intention for the coming month: how are we using personal power? are limiting fears being acknowledged and felt? can we practice equality and intimacy in close relationships? do we attract others capable of intimacy? how are we using our will-power,? are we comfortable with our sexuality? are our true desires being allowed acknowledgement? are our personal boundaries healthy or defensive?

If you are able I recommend you look at your own chart and see where 3 degrees Scorpio falls by house and in aspects to your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars). In my case, for example, the Sun/Moon is exactly trine my Pisces Sun and falls in the 8th House of death, sexuality, and psychic or occult interests. This tells me that I am likely to feel aligned to the power of this day and should make every effort to capitalize on it.

In closing I'll say that Pluto is not a planet to fear but its way of operating can be challenging. It can offer courage and a willingness to feel the human story at its depths, which include both its dark and light aspects. To me this suggests a practice of forgiving acceptance of ourselves and others and the courage to love the truth.