The Scorpio Path

The following is an exerpt from New Millenium Being: The Scorpio Path by Guru Rattana, Ph.D

WHERE'S MY SCORPIO?
Not everyone has planets in Scorpio, but the energy of Scorpio is part of everyone's birth chart. There are three ways to identify where and how the Scorpio energy plays out in our lives. (1) Locating the house or houses that contain Scorpio, helps us identify the arena in life where we confront our Scorpio issues. (2) Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, so the sign and house location of our natal Pluto also indicates how and where we confront our dark side, as well as claim our inner power. (3) The 8th house is the house or territory ruled by Pluto and associated with Scorpio. Any planets in our 8th house are immersed in Scorpio issues and power.

All of the above help us identify how and where we confront our deepest fears, long to express our most profound desires, repress or deny our truth, quest for our inner power and wish to shine our light. In mythology, Pluto was both the God of the Underworld and the God of Wealth. *(2) And herein lies the secret of Scorpio, Pluto and the 8th house. Our real treasures are hidden even from ourselves until we dig deep into our psyche. The excavation process involves facing our fears and our shadow, ferreting out the truth that lies buried in these distortions, exposing these misperceptions, and claiming the hidden gifts that long to serve the Light.


SCORPIO - THE SECOND WATER SIGN
Scorpio is the second water sign. There are three zodiac signs in each of the elements. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces represent water or the emotional body. They each teach us how to express and master the water element. Cancer teaches us how to nurture. Scorpio instructs us how to create through attraction. Pisces shows us how to be devotional.

"Like all water signs, Scorpio finds a natural habitat is the world of feelings and instinct. Its emotional reservoir is incredibly strong, since its fixed nature is resistant to easy movement, allowing the watery element to seep into rarely accessed depths where it is not easily stirred, processed or purified." *(4) Scorpio's unexpressed emotional energy is the source of both inner torment and dynamic magnetism. Even a "perfect childhood," cannot prevent young Scorpio from being disturbed and troubled by its deep emotional rivers.

SCORPIO'S EVOLUTIONARY JOURNEY
IMMATURE MATURE
Denial acceptance ->awareness
Distrust -> trust
Black and white thinking -> see things the way they are¸ embrace all
Double standards ->non-judgment
Addiction to drama ->intense engagement in real life
Commotional emotions -> connection to the pulse of life
Inner torment, troubled -> strong emotional core
Overpowering fear and anger -> inner truth, insight
Exhaust self with efforting -> magnetize opportunities
Downward spiral to depression -> focus on the Light and transformation
Deceitful -> ability to recognize deception
Corrupt -> naked honesty
Controlling -> inspiring
Manipulative -> strategic thinking
Need to control -> ability to surrender
Power struggles -> profitable and meaningful collaboration
Desire for control -> desire for highest good
Annoying poking at -> offer penetrating wisdom
Fear of dissolution -> able to hold on to identity and oneness
Manipulate -> collaborate, merge
Stuck -> flow with natural cycles
Isolated and alone -> deep intimacy with transformative powers

SCORPIO'S BASIC NATURE
Scorpionic energy is intense, driven, secretive and protective. Scorpio is committed, real, and in no way flippant or superficial. Scorpio's emotions run deep, are strong and passionate and not easily expressed. *(5) Scorpio is not relaxed or easy going within itself or in relationships. When Scorpio withdraws and detaches to engage in its own personal process, it can appear to be cold-hearted and leave a partner "with an acute sense of abandonment. " *(6) Scorpios are loyal, "take their responsibilities seriously, and respond positively to trust that is sincerely invested in them." *(7) Ultimately, however, even in relationship, they must follow their own path.

Scorpio is insightful, sensitive and philosophical. Through its powerful personal magnetism, Scorpio draws people and opportunities to itself. It learns the hard way that efforting is exhausting and many times counterproductive. Its motivating will strongly influences others in relationships and positions of power. Scorpio's ability to persevere usually guarantees its success.

Scorpio shies "away from positions that involve long periods of being the center of attention." Scorpio's territory is underground. Bright "light is stark and inhospitable to them. Although they enjoy pulling the strings of influence, they prefer to do so behind the scenes or in a way that ensures their personal privacy is preserved." *(8)

THE FUNDAMENTAL DYNAMICS OF SCORPIO
Scorpio's powerful and subterranean reservoir of emotional energy makes it sexually magnetic, charismatic, enigmatic and resilient, with an imperturbable reserve of will to back up its fixity of purpose. This feminine, nocturnal and autumnal sign should never be underestimated. It has a tendency to be defensive, a predisposition to intensity and an icy detachment that makes it difficult to comprehend.

This feminine sign carefully guards and internalizes its energy. Scorpio is a worldly-wise sign that operates through emotional and instinctual gut reactions. Taking advantage of its magnetism, it allows its energy to attract to it. It is capable of probing to the depths of any problem, exposing and eliminating whatever is superfluous and artificial. Its penetrating emotional and psychic sensitivity, ability to penetrate superficial gloss, and its almost compulsive ability to focus on a problem allows it to get at the root cause and offer a meaningful solution. *(9)

In mythology Scorpio plays the role of guardians, custodians and protectors, whose power comes from its cool and calculated focus. The ability to remain undisturbed by external distractions frees it to concentrate on strategic defense.

Reminding us that archetypes represent and bring into focus the extremes of that theme, Scorpio can be a master of deceit as well as a master at recognizing deception, superficiality and facades. Scorpio delivers us to a deeper level of truth by penetrating to levels of reality most of us prefer not to even contemplate. If we want real communication with Scorpio we have to be totally honest and direct. Scorpio can't be fooled, and it doesn't waste its time on pleasantries. *(10)

SCORPIO IS OUR INNER MARS
In Vedic astrology both Aries and Scorpio are ruled by Mars. Aries, the active, externally oriented _expression of Mars, is open, direct and indulges in the bravado of war and competition. Scorpio is the internally oriented _expression of Mars. Scorpio does not make open war, seldom initiates attacks, and carefully holds its power in reserve. Covert, secretive, silent and stealthy, Scorpio is more preoccupied with strategic defense, and neutralizing the enemy through infiltration and ruse.

Scorpio helps us understand where our inner Mars got repressed, suppressed, shamed and damaged -- where our deep emotional reservoir got blocked, stuck, disoriented and wounded. Scorpio teaches us that it is definitely better to examine the anger that we don't want to admit than to live our lives as wounded warriors. To live powerful, courageous and independent lives we have to examine our shadow so that it will not draw us into either victim or victimizer roles. This examination is a natural part of our developmental process.

If we ignore, deny or try to suppress our fear and rage when we are young, these unresolved emotions become deep conflicts and breed self-hatred. We unconsciously act out these repressed emotions until we acknowledge and make peace with them. If the emotional energy of our inner Mars/Scorpio is misdirected we feel troubled and drained of energy. When our inner Mars is not marginalized, its energy can be directed toward a mission.

When our emotional energy can be consciously directed to what we love, we can feel vital and strong. Instead of feeling like we are struggling against an antagonistic, hostile unidentifiable force, we feel supported by a deep confidence, strength and wisdom within ourselves. The gift of Scorpio is to uncover and empower our core emotional strength, which gives us the capacity for enduring patience, unquestioned determination and a natural resilience to meet all life's challenges with grace.

THE SYMBOLOGY OF SCORPIO'S PATH
No sign of the zodiac reveals or determines our level of consciousness. Each can be expressed in the most childish immature way or at the highest level of self-mastery. Our level of maturity and mastery is determined by our willingness and ability to learn our lessons and grow into adult expressions of our embodied soul. The possibility of all levels of mastery exists for each sign. And each has its challenges that we must both face and embrace.

The symbology of Scorpio offers us a chance to evolve from the scorpion, to the phoenix to the eagle. Our ability to ascend the ladder of evolutionary _expression of this energy depends on acknowledging and accepting our dark side. Scorpio's core experience gets it in touch with the fact we humans are capable of demonic expressions. Scorpio teaches us to get in touch with this primal energy and figure out how to work with it. If we try to repress this energy and cage the beast in our subconscious, it will subtly, or not so subtly, manipulate our reality. It will control our life and how we project, attract and manifest in the world.

SCORPIO TELLS US THE TRUTH
Scorpio and Pluto tell us the truth. Some one has to do it! Or we will remain forever stuck in our denial and illusions! When we really pay attention to what Scorpio is showing us, we can find it appalling how we lie to ourselves and each other. It takes only a few hours in front of the television to be sickened by the depths of depravity and perversion that humans are not only capable of but actually indulge in. It is shocking how our whole culture revolves around a superficial bubble gum reality and how we buy into it as gospel truth. How could we not see what we are doing? The degree to which we see, why don't we ask why? Why don't we care? Why don't we do something about our low level of consciousness and existence?

To protect our sanity, we may limit the extent to which we torment ourselves with the atrocities and idiocies that systematically organize our political and economic lives. Making a business out of fear and gore is one of the major ways those in power control our minds and emotions. Buying into the deception is not the way out. But escapism and denial don't deliver us from evil either.

Some forms of denial can be used as protective mechanisms against the tyranny of political propaganda. How much "truth" about the human condition can we bear? How much violence is healthy? At what point do we feel overpowered by the forces in power and simply turn off the tube and live our lives the best we can? What perception of "reality" simply fosters an attitude of victimization, allowing us to continue wallowing in our stance of disempowerment?

How many facts are needed to motivate us to take responsibility and work together to create alternatives?

SCORPIO DIRECTS US TOWARD THE LIGHT
Although Scorpio is totally cognizant of the dark side of human nature, it doesn't encourage us to get caught in the claws of negativity or the muddy pools of the subconscious. The Scorpio archetype shows us a way out of the pit. Scorpio acknowledges the darkness, but directs us toward the Light. In fact, Scorpio teaches us that the only way out of the darkness is to turn our vision toward the Light. Of course, it isn't all that simple to extricate ourselves from our darkness, but Scorpio demonstrates that it is both possible and ultimately very rewarding.

Scorpio shows us that everything exists - good and evil, black and white, the wicked and the pure. If everything is possible, then what do we do? We have to make a choice. Responsibility is the stepping stone of Scorpio's deliverance from the under world.

Scorpio teaches us that the Dark and the Light both exist. One is part of the other. We are always evolving to higher levels of Lightness. Our path is to bring Light into darkness, to expose, not deny. To embrace, not condemn. To accept, not judge. To give up being a victim and take responsibility for our own lives.

SCORPIO HELPS US GET REAL
Getting real for Scorpio is accepting our evolutionary journey and getting thoroughly involved in the process - (1) witnessing our dark side, our less than optimal behaviors, and the extent to which we live robotic and unconscious lives, (2) acknowledging how our inner reality creates our outer reality, (3) learning how to let go of sub-optimal behaviors, beliefs, programs, (4) consciously engaging in the death and rebirth process of our own psyche, (5) always keeping in mind that there is a higher truth in the universe that expresses through our self, and (6) questing to embody this pure _expression of our soul.

Scorpio lets us know that we can transform dark into light. But there is no quick fix or simplistic route. We have to take our physical and emotional bodies with us into the light. Evolution is not a mental, out-of-the body experience. Most people have no idea what to do with their emotional energy, which explains why we expend it in perverse activities, squander it in fear and anger, and try to sublimate it to not feel out of control.

Scorpio reminds us, again and again, that emotional energy can be denied only at our own expense - illness, crime, torment and meaningless existence. We have to patiently and lovingly transform and transmute our emotional energy that is buried in sensitive wounds, deep hurts, nagging dramas and obvious scars. Transcendence happens only after we have given up our need to control, judge and punish and have surrendered to the highest good. Scorpio does not let go easily, but let go it must to rise above the ashes of the past.

SCORPIO'S X-RAY VISION EXPOSES THE TRUTH
Scorpio has the uncanny capacity to see things exactly the way they are. Scorpio's X-ray vision unmasks facades and exposes whatever lurks in our subconscious. There is no hiding from Scorpio's penetrating gaze that uncovers our deepest secrets and exposes our debilitating self-deception. "Scorpio is like a prism through which the whole spectrum of good and evil becomes visible." *(11)

Scorpio exposes the dark side of human existence - cruelty, violence, murder, sexual perversion, dominance and submission, the forbidden and the taboo. Scorpio is magnetically drawn to experiences that the light-hearted don't dare to even contemplate. Scorpio does not hide under a façade of social acceptability. It excavates our buried secrets and unabashedly exposes them.

Scorpio is able to observe, acknowledge, and even immerse itself in horrors, identify how we have buried ourselves and lost our way, and then reveal truths that can liberate us from the quagmire of corruption and depravity.

DENIAL AND PROJECTION
Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, is the rooter router in our birth chart. Pluto performs the same function for the collective consciousness. Both Scorpio and Pluto's mission is to make us aware of how our unconscious manifests in our lives. Their task is to show us how our internal state of affairs determines both our personal and collective realities. When we cooly observe ourselves and others, we can clearly see that what we do, how we behave and how we relate are all determined by our inner state of being. Nastiness, aggression, defensiveness, kindness, compassion are all generated inside ourselves.

Our internal state determines our outer reality through an interrelated process of denial and projection. We use denial to protect our conscious awareness from seeing uncomfortable truths and facts that threaten our ego identity. Denial is a conscious or unconscious defense mechanism that refuses to acknowledge qualities, feelings, beliefs, motivations, desires, wants, needs, attitudes and facts about our self, others or the world. What we deny can be either true or untrue.

Projection is the result of denial and is made possible by the fact that our internal reality impacts our external reality. What we deny is externalized through projection. Whatever we are unwilling to recognize in our self, we see as a problem or a threat coming from people or circumstances outside ourselves. The tricky part of projection is that our illusion can become a reality because we draw to us what we most fear or dislike. Our projections create our reality whether what we believe is real or true, or not.

The first step in releasing ourselves from the denial/projection trap is to recognize what we are doing. It is both Scorpio's and Pluto's job to deliver us from denial. No one really enjoys this part of the maturation/empowerm ent process, but it is required to quit sabotaging ourselves and to move toward self-mastery.

One very important thing to remember is that we can deny both our positive and our negative attributes. And our denial can be both accurate and fallacious. Poverty consciousness is rooted in false assumptions about universal abundance. Low self-esteem is founded on inaccurate beliefs about our own merits and worthiness. To get the maximum benefit from this Scorpionic overdose, we need to be aware of how we underestimate ourselves, limit our success and settle for less than we deserve. For many people negative beliefs often cause more damage than hubris and ego trips.


PLUTO IN SAGITTARIUS - MORALITY AND IMMORALITY
Pluto's passage through Sagittarius from 1995 to 2008 is in the process of exposing political corruption and religious inconsistencies. And more is yet to come. Pluto in Sagittarius is making us aware of how both religious and political extremism create distrust and wars. And how both are a product of denial and projection on a mass scale. Both our personal and collective unconscious are up for deep scrutiny and cleansing.

The question of morality and immorality falls in Sagittarius' s turf. It's Pluto's and Scorpio's job to show us the source and impact of this type of evil vs. good thinking. The first reality check is to observe that evil vs. good thinking creates polarization and division. It doesn't take much observation of the current world situation to note that both "the sacred and the secular are now profoundly disturbed and in conflict." *(12)

Polarized thinking positions everyone into one of two categories - either (1) with us or (2) against us. Polarization is a "Way of seeing the world - as a clear division into absolute and simplistic black and white versions of good and evil." *(13) (Saturn opposing Pluto between 2000-3 provoked polarized thinking.)

The political ruse for fostering polarized thinking is that the real reasons for going to war - expanding power, control and dominance over people, territory, and resources - can be eliminated from the discussion and effectively denied. Anyone who makes these arguments is shunned into the "evil" category of not supporting the soldiers or the country.

The problem is that, once categorically "defined and polarized, good and evil inevitably morph back into each other." *(14) The preachers (political, religious and corporate) of moral authority fall prey to their subconscious lust and greed. Denial and projection play out in illicit sexual encounters, lining of pockets and kickbacks. Pluto and Scorpio expose foul play and all levels of lack of integrity. There is no place to hide in Pluto/Scorpio territory. The secrets leak out. There are mirrors everywhere we turn.

PRACTICALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OFFERS US A SOLUTION
Moral codes of conduct and ethical frameworks are ideals that we may aspire to, wish for or use as a model to live by, or employ to judge others and ourselves. This is Sagittarius territory. In Scorpio's terrain we simply look at the impact of polarized moralistic thinking on how we create our reality. Unlike Sagittarius, Scorpio is not idealistic. Scorpio is pragmatic. Scorpio knows that morality is "vulnerable to hypocrisy, and Scorpio hates hypocrisy." *(15)

Scorpio has no illusions about the dark side and how we deceive ourselves. Scorpio serves us well by telling us the truth exactly the way it is. The sensitivity of the Scorpio archetype to the dark side is useful and relevant because it "offers a way out of the moral quagmire of empty posturing and sanctimony, not to mention outright lies and deceit. Distinctions between 'good and evil' are certainly not erased and may occasionally be highlighted in Scorpionic consciousness, but here the gates between those contrasting fields of moral judgment are flung wide open. .. Scorpio ferrets out the hidden truth that apparent good often contains seeds of evil, and gross evil may at times spark profound goodness." *(16)

Scorpio is the practical and emotional application of Libra's neutral mind. Libra must learn to be neutral to help compensate for its naiveté. Libra doesn't quite have the guts to face what Scorpio embraces. However, without the neutral mind, Scorpio's heightened psychic and emotional sensitivity can be a trap instead of a gift.

Scorpio sees and accepts things exactly the way they are and is neither shocked nor surprised by human behavior. The Scorpionic lens does not view reality from the perspective of right or wrong. In a pure observational mode, it understands how polarities and extremes are not separate and in fact often morph into each other. Scorpio's nonjudgmental, amoral view is one of its strengths.

Scorpio does not base its action on moral principles or judgments. Scorpio operates from the ethic of effectiveness. "Scorpio wants to gather power, conserve and concentrate it, then use that intensified power to maximum effect. Morality has nothing to do with it." *(17)

PLUTO EXPOSES GRADUAL CORRUPTION
We have just begun to witness the results of the penetrating probing of Pluto in Sagittarius. The next month of concentrated Scorpio energy will uncover more of humanity's dark side - corruption, moral authority betrayed, falls from grace and public disgrace.

Public scandals grab our attention, partly because we are relieved that those violating pubic trust finally get caught. But there is another reason and it has to do with denial and projection. We are relieved that we did not get caught, that our silent participation in collective corruption is not exposed.

Most of those who eventually get caught do not start out as intentional criminals or planning to be thieves of public coffers. They gradually allow themselves to be corrupted by the temptations of money, sex and power. The moral breakdown of a government, corporation or society is a collective affair. Many people contribute through their passiveness and denial mode of existence, finding it more comfortable to be not counted than to participate. We contribute to collective corruption through subtle non-action and "invisible loss of integrity." *(18) We remain silent not to displease others or endanger our position. We let our need for security, social approval, wish to please and gain influence serve as rationalizations to cover up our lack of courage.

Pluto exposes the collective responsibility for society's dark side. Pluto shows us how our individual psyche is related to group dynamics. Like an insidious, "invisible radioactivity that slowly poisons," our fear, anger, hatred, intolerance, good and bad moralistic thinking gradually poison our emotional environment. Like a psychic "Geiger counter, Scorpio is especially sensitized to these poisons." *(19)

Imaginary threats are created in our subconscious from "fear and hatred of the other because of what we deny in ourselves." *(20) "Pogo - We have met the enemy and he is us."


TRANSFORMING THE DARK SIDE THROUGH ACCEPTANCE
Scorpio's sensitivity to the dark side does not invite us to succumb to or to indiscriminately play out our primal urges. It simply lets us know that they are there and that we are at choice as to how to use this energy. Scorpio simply informs us that we are capable of anything and have the potential to express everything from utter depravity to the highest states of grace.

Conscious Scorpio does not live in denial, which is possible because of its ability to use its laser-like perception to penetrate to the truth, perceive motivations, accurately reveal, understand and access our true heart's desires. The real question is how do we elevate our consciousness enough so that we can become aware of our own dark side and how we participate creating both dysfunctional personal and collective realities. How can we reach authentic maturity and not "remain in suspended childhood or arrested adolescence, merely posing as adults."? *(21)

Scorpio teaches us that authentic transformation is not easy, never neutral and an on-going cyclical process in which decay and death are an integral part of renewal and rebirth. We have to experience our dark side to get in touch with the energies that make fear, hate and destruction possible. The shift has to take place within ourselves. We are transformed by accepting what is without judgment, viewing our past as part of our empowerment training, and allowing ourselves to reunite with our highest expressions.

SCORPIO'S PARADOX AND LESSON
When we get to Scorpio, we become aware of the fact that we have to figure out some way to process our emotions. We also realize that we usually store our unprocessed emotions in a certain place in our body. As our default receptacle of thoughts that we don't want to feel or even know about, this area of our body becomes our weak point. Two of the most common disposal areas are our shoulder/neck/ upper back and our belly/lower back.

Scorpio is the "fixed" modality of the water signs. The fixed signs - Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius - are both the most stable and the most stubborn. The fixed _expression of the water element manifests literally and symbolically as "long-accumulated sediment, water trapped by the coldness of ice or the heaviness of mud." *(22) Water in these murky and solidified forms can be moved only with great force and effort. This helps us make sense of Scorpio's qualities of intensity and control.

However, the need to control is the one thing that Scorpio must learn to give up, if it is move forward on its path of self-mastery. As with the other archetypes, the gut focus of the unconscious _expression of the sign, makes sense, but it is the Achilles heal that must be transcended. Within the paradox are both the lesson and the means of liberation.


ATTUNING TO NATURAL RHYTHMS AND CYCLES OF NATURE
To achieve self-mastery, Scorpio has to let go of control. Letting go and surrendering to (1) the innate flow of energies within the body, (2) the progressive unfoldment of the soul, (3) the natural cycles of nature and (4) the rhythmic pulse of the universe all are essential for Scorpio to uncover, know and embody the truth.

When we relax our body, we can experience and attune ourselves to the rhythm of our breath through our physical vessel. Our breath is our primal connection with the cycles of our soul, nature and the universe. As we return to the natural rhythm of our breath and our pulse in our body, we awaken to deeper levels of truth. The truth is that all levels of existence unfold in evolutionary cycles. Scorpio's power comes from the ability to tune into natural cycles, to patiently let them unfold and then to respond at the most appropriate time. Scorpio's secret and challenge is to release the need to control the uncontrollable and to give up the equally unproductive tendency to resist inevitable change.

Scorpio has the uncanny ability to attune its primal being with natural and universal energies. When it synchronizes the pulse of its soul with the pulse of the universe, it can participate in the cosmic unfoldment as an astute and highly proficient co-creator. The faculty that was used to try to control can now be employed to focus the mind, to be attentive to shifts of energy and to be aware of the most opportune moment to take action.

Scorpio knows the truth of natural cycles - decay, death, birth, growth, regeneration, decay, etc. It also knows that attuning to the natural flow is the best way to "let Thy will be done," which guarantees the highest outcome of any situation. Scorpio's challenge and power lie in the ability to let go and allow the flow of all levels of cycles starting with the breath.

SCORPIO'S PATH - LETTING GO DEEP WITHIN
Scorpio is able to get in touch with what is stuck and why we can't let go and move on. Scorpio uncovers the deep programs of fear, anger and sadness that block our flow and impede our power. Only visceral emotional letting go, can end the inner torment. Scorpio can go beyond surface appearances and withdraw back to the source and root causes of our destructive habits. Scorpio is in touch with the primal power that alchemically either creates or destructs. This transformative force can neutralize and eliminate all resistance.

The Scorpionic evolutionary dance unfolds through continual "attraction, creation, destruction and regeneration. " *(23) This never-ending process can be painful and exhausting for the unconscious ones who do not understand, accept or know how to deal with the active dynamics of transformation. Manic/depressive highs and lows involving uncontrollable passion and raw pain can wreck havoc with an uninitiated psyche that is constantly exposed to the distress of agonizing emotions.

The disquieting and harsh emotional energies that defy rational interpretation lead the unconscious Scorpio into an inner hell from which it seems to have no escape route. Scorpio is however inexorably drawn to both confront and deal with its demons. Scorpio's deep insight is that what we suffer from, we contribute to creating. And herein lies our power to reverse a downward cycle and turn it around. Empowered by the truth of co-creation, Scorpio engages itself in the process of regeneration and rebirth to deliver itself to freedom.

Scorpio represents our initiation into the sacred mysteries of life and evolution. The soaring eagle represents the elevated Scorpio which by freeing itself from the muck of unprocessed emotions is now able to use this liberated energy to fly to great heights. Scorpio's symbology -- the scorpion, the phoenix (rising from the ashes of its own nest turned into a funeral pyre), and the eagle - portray a transformative spiritual quest. Scorpio is committed to a purposeful and transformational journey. Ultimately Scorpio will be redeemed from its fallen earth-bound follies and spiritualized into the heights of self-mastery.

SCORPIO'S MAIN LESSON - LET GO OF CONTROL AND TRUST
Scorpio's main lesson is to learn that real power is not achieved though control and dominance. To learn this lesson, Scorpio must let go, accept things the way they are and work with what is. When we really let go at a visceral level, we discover the rhythm of our body and being. Scorpio's path is not only to experience this deep level of being but to TRUST it.

The path of the Libra is to attune our mind to the Divine channel. Unconscious Libra simply ignores the existence of this neutral channel. Similarly Scorpio's path is to attune our emotional body to our soul channel. The emotions are the communication mechanism of our soul. In our unconscious state we not only ignore the communications of our soul through denial, we block and distort their _expression. Whereas our mind needs mental purification, our physical and emotional bodies need emotional purification.

Any form of control blocks the free flow of our emotional energy. Our emotions not only deliver information from our soul, they are a critical part of our manifestation mechanism, and they can be a source of deep satisfaction. Control is counter productive to probing for the truth. We have to give up control and let go to investigate the depths of our being and to get in touch with the flow of our soul. The more we let go, the more treasures we find. The same applies to relationships - any attempts to control or dominate others simply prevents us from knowing another's truth, beauty and gifts.

As we release our stranglehold, we get in touch with natural rhythms and cycles. We find out we can't control the deepest level of our being, others or nature. And we don't want to! Everything and everybody has its own life flow that plays out independent of our interference. We can make our life miserable trying to control or we join the flow and enjoy the seasons as they unfold. Scorpio eventually finds out that following the current of life's river is infinitely easier and more pleasurable than pushing against it.

Scorpio has the innate capacity to know its own energy and blend it with prevailing energies. As we let go of our limiting individual agendas, we can use our acute sensory awareness to notice the play of energies, tap into them and work with, instead of against them. Scorpio teaches us to hold on to the essence of our goal and trust the big river of life. With our higher purpose in place, we can release obsessions over particulars, bypass obstructed routes and be open to the most effective and efficient way of getting to our final destination.

WHY CAN'T WE LET GO? -THE FEAR OF DEATH
Let go. Surrender. Trust. We are all familiar with these concepts, yet we hold on with dear life to things, beliefs, ideas and the past with a tenaciousness of a pit bull. The grip is so tight, we are simply unable to relinquish control. Usually we can't even identify what we are holding on to. But we can't let go of some unidentifiable force that controls our will. The most basic force preventing us from letting go is the fear of death. We may be eternal souls, but we live in human bodies. Our primal instinct is to struggle for survival and to do what it takes to stay alive. When we are not conscious of the fact that our soul will not die when we leave this physical vehicle, we hold on even stronger to our physical reality.

Our primal gut reaction to fight for our life is strengthened by the innumerable ways we are imprinted from the womb on with struggle and "death threats." Our Scorpio experiences lead us through many mental, emotional, and sometimes physical, near-death experiences, where the outcome is a transformational death. A part of us dies so that we can live fuller, freer lives.

One important thing to remember while we are working with ourselves to let go, is that we have to let go at a physical, emotional, cellular level. Letting go, surrendering and trusting are visceral experiences, and require more than mental training. We must cultivate in-the-body experiences where we realize at a core level that something lives no matter what - we will not and cannot die.

The meditation to attune to our natural rhythms outlined below can facilitate the process of letting go. Chanting divine mantras are also powerful tools designed to imprint the truth of our eternal reality in our being.


ACCEPTANCE IS SCORPIO'S MASTER STRATEGY
Acceptance of things exactly the way they are is Scorpio's master strategy. Scorpio knows that acceptance of the present moment is the secret to knowledge. The basic problem with denial is that it breeds ignorance. In denial we are not in touch with the reality of the moment, which prevents us from knowing what to do and how to move forward.

Guilt, shame, grief, regrets, judgment, disappointment, lack of forgiveness and wishful thinking all preclude acceptance and deep connection with the energies of the moment. In non-acceptance we are preoccupied with either the past or the future. Our mind is immersed in dissatisfaction with what we or others have done or with what has happened. Or we are preoccupied with what we wish to happen, with feelings of anticipation, instead of feeling and loving ourselves (mind, body, breath) and our life at this moment. Past or future-directed anger, fear, frustration and hope all temper our emotional energy and cause it to create future moments that are also not to our liking.

Scorpio teaches that we can live a passionate, committed and powerfully creative life only if we connect with things and ourselves exactly the way they are. Scorpio knows that everything changes and evolves. Life unfolds in a beauty so deep and profound that we don't want to miss one exquisite moment. The more we appreciate the wonder of the moment, the more meaning and satisfaction we will experience and co-create.

FROM MANIPULATION TO MEANINGFUL MATURITY
Immature Scorpio likes to provoke a reaction or instigate conflict by taking advantage of others' vulnerabilities. These cheap thrills to demonstrate dominance are destructive and succeed only in annoying and alienating others. Manipulation is a misdirected use of Scorpio's power. Scorpio's tendency to manipulate and use others only fosters stagnation, rigidity and fear of loss within its psyche. The result is that Scorpio feels isolated and insecure.

The more rigid our internal structure, the more we shut off opportunities for interacting with others in meaningful ways. We miss the chance to discover others' value and lose our own feeling of self-worth. Scorpio has both the awareness to perceive hidden talents and the ability to inspire others to access their gifts and live to their full potential. Contributing to others' transformation is transformational for Scorpio as well. Directing its power to helping others enhance their own power makes Scorpio feel worthwhile and valuable and promotes the meaningful connections that Scorpio desires.

Unidentified and unexpressed inner emotional turmoil in the form of anger and impatience can make Scorpio secretive, defensive and vindictive. When Scorpio can get in touch with these hidden motives and agendas within itself, it can contribute to others by sharing and revealing the secrets that help them also transform their lives.

Scorpio's strong survival instinct can make it distrustful, feel emotionally isolated, and prone to engage in battles for power. Although Scorpio thrives on intensity, it ultimately wants to experience serenity and peacefulness within and in relationship this lifetime. Taurus is the polarity that can help Scorpio achieve this balance.


FROM MANIPULATION TO MERGING
Scorpio has a tendency to create roles of control and dependency. Fearing loss of control or being controlled builds walls that make intimacy impossible and result in frustrating isolation for both partners. If Scorpio shuts down and does not participate fully, its relationships can remain stagnant or deadlocked. In either business or intimate relationships, Scorpio can transform stuck situations if it is clear within itself about its motives and intentions. It must also be upfront with others about what needs to be done to transform existing circumstances.

Scorpio has the capacity to engage in deep, intimate and highly rewarding relationships. To participate in mutually beneficial relationships, Scorpio must first give up its need to compete for power. Power struggles not only alienate others, they squander energy by directing the power of desire toward maintaining control. Scorpio has the capacity to share and merge resources with others in order to create powerful business enterprises resulting in significant financial gain. Scorpio can also connect on deep psychic levels, which makes authentic Tantric sexual relationships possible.

Scorpio must learn that manipulating others to demonstrate its power or to create dependencies is counterproductive. To find the depth and intensity in relationships that it seeks, Scorpio must commit to its own purification and emotional growth and promote this dynamic transformation in others. Scorpio seeks the stimulation of change and requires risk and mystery for fulfillment. The only way to experience this radical level of intimacy in relationships is to personally and in partnership be committed to continual renewal, ongoing transformation, sharing of power, and freedom to be totally honest and authentic. A deep dedication to spiritual and emotional liberation is key.

INTIMACY CAN LEAD TO SELF-MASTERY
As Scorpio releases its desire for power over others, it achieves a level of integrity that makes it possible to transform itself as well as others. Scorpio has to feel unrestrained within itself to open up to the powerful connections possible in truly intimate relationships. Scorpio has to feel free to play a defined leadership role to be effective in business relationships Ultimately Scorpio must surrender its personal power to a higher power and trust the transformative nature of authentic partnership in order to co-create relationships that are mutually beneficial and fulfilling.

Scorpio possesses the innate skill to work with creative sexual energies for mutual regeneration and transformation in intimate relationships. *(24) To engage at these profound levels, Scorpio must feel secure enough within itself to confront the inevitable challenges and to undergo profound levels of purification, death and rebirth. Giving up selfish and secretive motives and risking and trusting true intimacy are required. To release the fear of being dissolved by merging with another, Scorpio must be able to hold on to its own soul identity and divine connection. Fear-based psychic defenses must be replaced by an invulnerable power to retain oneness within, which is pleasurably expanded and strengthened by union with another.

A profound sense of our own individuality as well as a deep respect for the individual uniqueness of others, serves as the basis for intending and creating freedom for oneself and others in relationship. This releases us from expecting or depending upon emotional fulfillment from our partner. It also allows us to commit to and support each other's process of self-purification required for continual regeneration and renewal. Trusting the universe and the potential power of relationship can greatly facilitate our experience of meaning and fulfillment in potently unfolding relationships. In the end, continually surrendering to the unknown transforms our fears into the dynamic realization of self-mastery.

SCORPIO TOUCHSTONES
What I feel is what I project. What I project is what I create.

Experience creates attitudes. Attitudes create feelings. Feelings create projections. Projections create reality.

Everyday I go deep inside to experience profound peace and strength. Today I create an experience and attitude of trusting and surrendering to the Infinite. My projection is covered by surrendering to and trusting the highest good for all.

I may see the worst, but I always trust the highest good. I know and accept that everything changes. I release the tendency to get stuck and choose to move on with the evolutionary flow. I let natural forces and the Universe carry me across the deep ocean of the unknown.

I live by continuously surrendering/ dying to the unknown.


MEDITATION TO ATTUNE TO OUR NATURAL RHYTHMS
Let go and surrender - sounds like a great idea. The question is - How is it possible to let go and surrender to the unknown? The reality is that the human psyche will not let go unless it has an experience of what it is surrendering to. A belief, a good idea, even the truth are not sufficient to convince our body to let go of control. We can nurture the possibility of letting go by getting in touch with the innate flow of energies within our body. We can begin by attuning to the cycle of our own breath.

Let go, allow the flow of the breath in your body. Note where the breath and the energy stop and start.

Do a kundalini yoga exercise for 1-2 minutes, for example, spinal flex. Then be with your breath in your body. Be with the experience of the breath slowing down and eventually coming back to a stable rhythm.

Notice the relationship between the rhythm of your breath and the state of relaxation or stress in your body. When we are able to relax our body, we can experience and attune ourselves to deeper levels of the rhythm of our breath through our physical vessel.

For 3 to 5 minutes, consciously slow your breath down to 4 or less complete cycles per minute. Then be with your breath as it breathes through your body. Be very attentive and note the difference between consciously controlling the breath and simply being with it as it breathes. This is the difference between control and letting go.

Our breath is our primal connection with the cycles of our soul, nature and the universe. As we return to the natural rhythm of our breath and the pulse in our body, we awaken to deeper levels of connection with our own truth.

This exercise (adding your own personal variations) can be used between the exercises of any Kundalini yoga set. Be sure to be especially attentive to letting go and surrendering at the end of the set and after any mantra or breathing meditation.

The goals of this exercise are to

(1) to release the need to control the breath
(2) to surrender to the natural cycle of the breath
(3) to experience that there is a natural rhythm within yourself that you can trust
(4) to experience that you will not die if you release control of your breath
(5) to monitor your resistance, to allow it, to feel how it feels in your body, and through acceptance feel your body let go and relax even a little bit
(6) For one precious moment - enjoy letting go and relaxing in your own body.

MANTRAS ELEVATE OUR ATTITUDE
The recitation and chanting of mantras change our attitude, perspective and beliefs. Our continual practice eventually creates an experience of the Truth of our undying nature. Chanting or listening to any divine mantra*(25) will send a message to our body that it is safe for us to relax, let go and surrender to the unknown. Mantras nurture our emotional body so that we feel safe. Mantras create alignment with universal forces. I remember Yogi Bhajan telling us that the universe is set up for us to win. We just have to be willing to win. Surrendering to the unknown is required. Surrendering to our experience of the unknown in our own body makes it possible.

During this time it is very important to keep our vibration high. Practicing Kundalini Yoga and chanting mantras are designed to raise our vibratory frequency and shift our internal space. Pick a mantra or mantras and keep the sound current going within your being.

REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES

Austin, Stephanie, "Taurus Full Moon, Scorpio New Moon," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #129, Oct/Nov, 2006, pp.103-104.

Bogart, Gregory C., Astrology and Spiritual Awakening, Dawn Mountain Press, Berkeley, 1994.

Gerhardt, Dana, "Mars," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #129, Oct/Nov, 2006, pp. 19-23.

Herbst, Bill, "In Defense of Scorpio's Dark Side," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #129, Oct/Nov, 2006, pp. 29-34.

Houlding, Deborah, "Scorpio the Scorpion," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #129, Oct/Nov, 2006, pp.37-43.

Spiller, Jan and McCoy, Karen, Spiritual Astrology, Simon and Schuster, 1985 and 1988.

Tarriktar, Tem, "The 2006 Scorpio Overdose," The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #129, Oct/Nov, 2006, pp.35-6.

1. Austin, p. 103

2. Austin, p. 103

3. Austin, p. 103

4. Houlding, p. 38

5. Houlding, p. 40

6. Houlding, p. 40

7. Houlding, p. 40

8. Houlding, p. 40

9. Houlding, p. 38

10. Houlding, p. 38

11. Herbst, p. 32

12. Herbst, p. 30

13. Herbst, p. 30

14. Herbst, p. 30.

15. Herbst, p. 31

16. Herbst, p. 30-1

17. Herbst, p. 30

18. Herbst, p. 31

19. Herbst, p. 31

20. Herbst, p. 34

21. Herbst, p. 34

22. Houlding, p.39

23. Houlding, p. 39

24. Spiller, p. 118