View this post on Instagram

 

Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed.

~

The snake is a symbol often depicting fear and discomfort, evoking a sort of need-to-keep-a-safe-distance-from feeling for fear of its power and mystique.

It is an image often associated by religious fear propaganda: Eve and Adam in the garden when the supposed first sin of humanity was enacted by the feminine herself, tempted into lustrous seduction by the snake, and as the story goes, cast out of love and separated from God.

The snake itself is a sentient, belly-to-the-earth being, humble in its prowess and in service of the earth herself. The snake can slither, it can bite, and it can announce its presence with audible sounds of a more menacing quality. The snake is a mystical creature gravely misunderstood in its literal, mythological, and symbolic powers.

Throughout these Covid-stained times, the snake has been a symbol of so many—whether they know it to be true or not.

Two years ago now, as a collective, we were all “bit” by a global snake—the virus. Individually, many suffered the bite of the snake through the following years and on various levels—some more than once. What ensued was the beginning of the end of a long cycle of deep purging, the shedding of skins, and transformation. Eventually, this allowed healing to come through the now more open, available space.

Astrologically speaking, the snake is often associated with Scorpio energy, the lower-middle vibrational energy of the multi-imaged zodiac sign, of which the scorpion or snake is the lower, and the eagle or phoenix is the higher. We have seemingly been in a collective purgatory for some time now—in snake energy. Not quite yet the eagle/phoenix. But, as many know, both life and our phases of growth are not so linear—they are more of a spiral. We spiral out of one form and into the next, then out again, and back into another.

Scorpio is the alchemist, representing the death of one form and the birth of a new one. Scorpio is associated with death and rebirth. Transmutation. Depth and intensity of feeling. It is a water-sign ruled, subconscious dweller, swimming in the depths of life. Deeply psychic and intuitive. A secret-keeper with an internal world of mystery.

Standing in the light of this full blood moon—during the the lunar eclipse in the sign of Scorpio on May 15/16 at 25 degrees of the water sign—we see our reflections staring back at us. Who are we now? Who have we been? What have we let go of? And where do we still need to surrender our heavy attachments? So many questions. And there don’t seem to be clear or concise answers right now.

Perhaps it’s because we have been granted time and space to reflect, review, and reassess our priorities and needs moving forward, thanks to Mercury going retrograde on May 10 in the air sign of Gemini, the twins, its home ruling sign. It then transits into the grounded earth sign of Taurus before it moves back into Gemini. Mercury traditionally rules our communication, technology, and travel. When it goes retrograde (a slowing down), the energy is asking us to also slow down. It’s not something we need to fear, or that dooms us. What if, instead, it was a gift? A time to slow down and look over our lives to see what’s working and what is not.

When Mercury is in Gemini, our minds may feel extra active, sorting through all the intellectual debris and stimulation of these last few months. We also have an increased ability though to be adaptable, flexible, and open to seeing things differently, including ourselves. To get curious about our own internal process and where we desire to go. To get curious about the emotions brewing beneath the surface. Curiosity is the anecdote to fear and judgment, after all. The more curious we can become, the more ease and flow we will inevitably find.

When Mercury moves into Taurus, we may need to get even more still to re-examine our beliefs and how we are using our minds (or being used by our minds). Are they guided by our values now—not five or 10 years ago, or even a year ago, but now? What beliefs and values do we want to align with? And can our actions toward that alignment be simple and grounded?

We have been in eclipse season since the first solar eclipse in Taurus on April 30. Eclipse season, much like Mercury retrograde, does not need to be feared—unless, of course, we fear our own inevitable evolution. We are meant to change, and all parts of our energy are meant to keep transforming. In fact, there’s little we can do to stop this process. Life is death, and death is life. We grow and wither. We become and unbecome. We blossom and decay.

Scorpio energy has been ruling the south node (what we are leaving behind) these last few months, with its opposing sign, Taurus ruling the north node (where we are going). This lunar eclipse and full moon in Scorpio is amplifying this energy, with the sun in Taurus and the moon making a conjunction to the south node in Scorpio. It’s as if the universe is giving us all a triple dose boost of support to say: “Are you ready to surrender what’s been gripping its energetic teeth into you?” Oftentimes, we think there is so much to do to let go. To purge. To cleanse. To do all the rituals—the fire burning or plant medicine ceremonies. But this Taurus north node energy is the invitation of simplicity. What if all we had to do was be willing to surrender? To loosen our clenching fists (our mind’s gripping of our story, fear programming, and conditioning)?

Life can be simple, Taurus says. And it can be simple by first connecting with our value systems, with where we are truly aligned moving forward. With the relationships that nourish us whole. With the foods, the rest, the care, and the home that nurture and care for us. With the deep knowing that we belong here. We belong here because we are here. And we are the divine children of the universe, here to live a life of bounty and abundance. And yes, life will happen. Suffering will happen. But how attached are we to our suffering? This is the question we are asking ourselves while sitting with this heavier Scorpio energy.

Scorpio energy can be the most grand alchemist—if they are willing to surrender their attachment to their own suffering. If we are willing to become naked with life again, and to say, “I don’t know where this is going, but I am willing to trust it because it feels good, and my heart feels alive here.” Does it mean everything is going to work out perfectly? No, but maybe once the dust and chaos of letting go of the life behind us settle, the picture—why things had to transpire the way they did—will become even clearer.

We are so ready to welcome in more life. To welcome in deeper roots. To welcome in our soul’s longing. With Saturn squaring this full moon, he asks us to get serious about our heart’s deepest longing. To get clearer on where we want to go next. To start setting the foundation for future building. Because in the end, the inner and outer work we do will pay off.

We also have Pluto in retrograde until October 8. Pluto is Scorpio’s traditional planetary ruler. Pluto rules death, rebirth, transformation, and power. There’s a deeper invitation these next few months to shed layers, to grant ourselves permission to transform and to reconnect with our power—maybe even by feeling the opposing end of the spectrum, powerlessness, and realizing our true power cannot be given or taken; it just is.

Jupiter has also recently transitioned into the bold and courageous sign and fire-starter, Aries, a move that hasn’t happened since 2010. Jupiter in Aries is a kickstart, a blasting off, a ready-or-not. It’s positive energy to get us moving forward with courage and boldness toward our next creation. It’s full of take-charge, act-now-think-later attitude. Aries is the self, the individual, while Jupiter rules expansion. Perhaps it’s a deeper invitation into letting the true, authentic, sovereign self we have been reclaiming the past few years to lead the way. Preceding this benevolent transit, Chiron (the wounded healer) has also been in the sign of Aries. We have been knee-deep working through our own various shades of wounding in regard to our relationship to the self, to our bodies, to our roots. The work was messy. It was intense as f*ck. We didn’t think we would make it out alive.

But, we are here now. And Jupiter in Aries says to us, “Are you ready to expand from a more solid, stable, truer sense of self?”

This Scorpio full moon and lunar eclipse is a time to sink deeper, below the surface. To sink into the mud of the earth, to bury and burrow ourselves in the womb of the mother. To allow the light of the sun in Taurus to nourish us back into wholeness—because we are whole. We have always been whole. We only forgot we are.

Yes, in life, there is death. There are endings we didn’t see coming. And, there is new life we didn’t know was here for us until it swoops us into its arms and rocks us in ecstatic bliss of divine reunion. What if endings could be felt in all their emotional intensity and depth, and we still knew ourselves as whole, never separate from love in its entirety? What if nothing we’ve ever done could separate us from this love? Never cast out. Only cast further in. Like a fishing net cast out to sea, gathering up the nourishment we need, letting whatever is in excess slip through the holes.

And trusting this process is not ours to carry. Maybe, it’s just a stepping stone to where we are going next.

Back into wholeness. From death, there is rebirth, and we don’t always get to dictate the timing of that. But knowing that nature is wise—and we, too, have that wisdom interwoven within us—can guide our evolution.

With this full moon and lunar eclipse, let us find wholeness in all the fragmented parts of ourselves—spiritual and human alike. Find wholeness in the death cycles. Allow the letting go to be an opening up—to greater love, to greater freedom to be who we are. An opening to greater ease of welcoming in this next iteration of life, by first honoring the emotional undercurrent and tending to ourselves with devotion and care.

We are worthy of love. Worthy of care. Worthy of tender, loving presence. Let your tender heart call you in. Deeper into the cavern of love’s abiding presence, the inner sanctuary and eternal home we can return to any time, any place. Here is where our wholeness is remembered.

 

More on the current planetary happenings:

Mercury Retrograde isn’t Personal. Until it is!—Your Sign & this Problem Planet.

5 Tips to move through Big Surprises this Full (Blood Red) Moon. {May 15}

~