May 1st ~ 8th
“Scorpio” by Giovanni Maria Falconetto
Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength. ~ August Wilson
This year, the Full Moon on Friday, May 1st, at 11º Scorpio 21’ makes a square to Pluto, which is stationing at 5º Aquarius 31’. Both the sign of Scorpio, and its modern ruling planet Pluto have to do with transformation and power. And that includes the power that the denizens of the underworld of our consciousness and being have over us. All the things we fear, are ashamed of, are obsessed about, feel like we have no power over has its tendrils in this sign. And Pluto is digging it up even further.
Carl Jung told us that “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.” The Full Moon in Scorpio can help to facilitate that process. There is almost an imperative to do this work this eek. To face the darkest parts of our lives, to make the subconscious conscious, and thereby take control over our own lives and destiny. Until we do so we will continue to be the victims of our own subconscious drives, our secrets, the things we hide from, and thus feel that we utterly powerless in the face of forces that have taken over the course of our lives.
At the Full Moon in Scorpio, in which the Sun in Taurus opposes the Moon in Scorpio we see a dynamic between scarcity vs. survival; the haves vs. the have nots; but also evidence that there is a gradual shift in power. For those who are accustomed to having the power, this can bring a deep feeling of irrelevance and fear, inciting them to hold on as if their very lives depend on this. And they will not let go easily. But let go they must in the face of the evolutionary power of Pluto in Aquarius. Change is inevitable. And it will be.
When Pluto stations it digs in really deep. We become that much more aware of the use and abuse of power. Pluto can show us the power of transformation and healing through rebuilding, regenerating and renewal. But it can also show us how things can also go horribly awry, either by deliberately abusing power, or by ignoring problems and trying to kick them under the rug.
In our own lives, facing our own Pluto is one of the most challenging, but also rejuvenating and freeing experiences we will ever have. And for the 5 months that Pluto is in its retrograde phase, we are being asked to do precisely this: to descend into Hades’ lair, that sacred place where all is hidden but also inevitably exposed. They must be. For by facing our own darkness, shame, guilt, hungers and fears, with utmost honesty and without remorse, we also are given the opportunity to heal.
True transformation occurs only when we can look at ourselves squarely and face our attachments and inner demons, free from the buzz of commercial distraction and false social realities.We have to retreat into our own cocoons and come face-to-face with who we are.We have to turn toward our own inner darkness.For only by abandoning its attachments and facing the darkness does the caterpillar’s body begin to spread out and find its light, and beautiful wings begin to form. ~ Julia Butterfly Hill
We carry these wounds, guilt, shame and hungers in our subconscious, in our bodies as ailments, aches, pains and injuries. But rather than deal with them, we often suppress them, cover them over with a bandaid, or stuff them into a dungeon cell where we hope they will remain undiscovered, and just go away.
However the wounds of Pluto can not be healed until they are revealed for what they are. Then once discovered we are asked to go down deep to the very root of the problem and make us aware that they exist. If you are not conscious of the compulsions, the fears, or the hungers that drive you then they will be unconsciously played out in our lives in less productive or even destructive ways. Once these inner wounds are revealed, we are then asked to seek help. Find your guides, your midwives, your therapists and wise counsel. Someone who knows the way through the labyrinth of the chthonic Underworld, and who has the capacity to lead you through the process of healing, transformation, rebuilding and rebirth.
Pluto, much like all the other planets, really only has one true goal, which is to support our evolutionary growth. This begins by first revealing to us the dark tangled tapestry of our lives, but only with the mission of healing them once and for all. Whether you think of that as becoming aware of the karmic threads that weave our destiny; or even coming to realize our life’s purpose; Pluto is always much deeper than at first realized. He is, after all, the Lord of the Underworld.
Mars, the co-ruling planet of Scorpio is strong and courageous in its own sign of Aries. It is square Jupiter in Cancer this week, circling the wagons and taking care of our own; in particular those who are most vulnerable. There is a self-righteousness to Mars/Jupiter who are both very strong in the signs they are in. These planets are not afraid of the dark, and fearlessly pull back the curtains of our lives.
Uranus now in Gemini and trine Pluto has the capacity to shine a light in the darkness. And Neptune in Aries sextile Pluto reminds us that we are not alone. By confronting what comes to light, even the ugly, the things we prefer not to admit, the things that may even be scandalous and shameful, can also prove to be affirming and therapeutic. In order to reap the benefits, the potential, the gifts the powerful trust, that can come with the station of Pluto and the Full Moon in Scorpio, we need to go through the purification process of confronting ourselves. Even our own darkness. And then taking a vow to renew and rebuild more sustainable edifices in our lives.
When we are willing and courageous enough to do this deep dive, we can get in touch with nothing less than our true destiny and purpose. And you will know that you have found it, because it will feel right for you. If you are hating what you think you’ve found, you haven’t dug deep enough. Pluto literally forces us to face our own darkness, to get to the utter truth of things. And then to forgive and accept who and what we are, all in all, and without guile.
And when we do this work, know that there are other things that are also buried below the surface. Treasures of unequal beauty and resilience, honed by life’s external pressures and the breadth of time. Gifts that are inexplicably beautiful and magical. These are the rewards that are available to us if we are willing to do this deep work.
For Pluto is also the alchemist who can turn lead into gold; the phoenix reborn from the ashes of a life that once was; the magician who can transform experience into revelation. And so it is during the retrograde phase that we are not only given a greater capacity to heal and transform our lives, but to meet our own Magi who can lead us through the labyrinth to our own salvation.
The Full Moon in Scorpio is a tremendously intuitive Moon. Expect visitations in your dreams, and the sort of urgency that drives us at the core of our being. It is most powerful the night before the Full Moon. Though it is still strong on the day of the Full Moon on Friday the 1st. Wait for the moon to rise, then take advantage of the Scorpio Full Moon to connect with your guides, read the cards, toss the coins, unearth that old pendulum gathering dust in the drawer. Read the tea leaves. Dare to look at the things you would prefer to ignore. Make discoveries and revelations. This is a time for insight and understanding. Use it, and use it well. Knowledge brings wisdom.
There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world through they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind. ~ Hannah Senesh
For this week’s horoscopes, click below: