The Season of the Scorpion 2024
The Season of the Scorpion 2024
October 22 –November 21
From Uranias Mirror 1825
The fixed water sign of Scorpio is the zodiac archetype of Halloween. Still waters run deep, truly, but this is water as steam, like the steaming geysers of Iceland, bursting out from sources deep down in the heart of the hot rock. But what’s the ancient story behind the sign, and what messages does Scorpio bring for us in 2024?
Traditional Associations
Zodiac glyph ♏
Scorpio's glyph is symbolic of a serpent representing the life force energy, the flow of that energy and the release of it. Imagine the M as a coil with the energy flow going outward, often with an arrow sign attached. The other "m" glyph in the Zodiac is Virgo is a coiling serpent with its tail folded inward in protective, healing mode.
Ruling planets: Traditional Mars. Modern Pluto following Pluto’s discovery in 1930.
Symbols: Scorpion, Serpent, Eagle/Phoenix (nearby constellation, Aquila, the Eagle.)
Element: Water (but this water STEAMS.)
Quality: Fixed
Keywords: I desire. I transform
Hebrew letter Nun, meaning the snake. Scorpio has three glyphs, the only sign to do so; the snake, scorpion and eagle (or phoenix.) The snake sheds its skin and thus represents transformation, healing and magic.
Colour: Dark red
Birthstone: Yellow Topaz, Opal, Aquamarine, Tourmaline
Body: reproductive/sex organs
Tissue cell salt: calcium sulphate, repair of tissues and resistance to infectious diseases.
Trees: Walnut, hawthorn, blackthorn
Tarot Cards: Death, King of Cups, 5, 6 and 7 of Cups.
The major arcana card in the Tarot representing Scorpio is the Death card, one of the most feared cards in the Tarot deck. Note the Biblical ‘pale horse’ of Death and the white rose. The rose signifies beauty and immortality. All that has ever once been, is recorded somewhere, somehow, forever.
Smith Waite Centennial Deck
The Death card is not usually about the literal death of any person. It may represent the death of something else, like a project, plan, or relationship. But I have learned in my own experience as a reader, the Death card can mean exactly that, like it or not. The cards can mean exactly what it says on the tin and this has more than once hit hard and very close to home in the literal, physical human sense.
Old age is not our natural birthright. Few animals reach old age living in the wild. It is this sharp focus of such an awareness that gives Scorpio its drive, intensity, its passion, or its preoccupation with the “darker” side of life, and with the occult and the mysterious, but also its power of regeneration, and the drive to procreate new life.
The Real Life Scorpion
The scorpion is a staggeringly ancient creature. The earliest evidence dates from the Silurian period 450 million years ago, when the first scorpion ancestors left the seas for the land. Fossils from the Carboniferous 300 million years ago indicate little change since then but early scorpions may have had compound eyes.
They are arachnids: arachnida scorpiones, with a body in two sections, 2 pincers or pedi-palps, 8 legs like a spider, and an exo-skeleton made of chitin. They are more closely related to Harvestmen than spiders.
They dance before mating, a stately promenade. They give birth to live young and carry them on their backs until the babies have their first moult and disperse. The mothers may eat the young if resources are desperately scarce.
They have a long life span compared with other arachnids, 2-3 years in the wild but they have lived up to 25 years in captivity. They can live a year without food and they eat insects, spiders, other scorpions and lizards. They also eat small mammals, such as mice.
They glow in the dark except when newly moulted. Scorpion fossils still fluoresce, despite spending hundreds of millions of years embedded in rock.
They are famously venomous. However of the nearly 2,000 known species of scorpions, only 25 have venom powerful enough to be dangerous to an adult human. In the U.S., the Arizona bark scorpion, Centruroides sculpturatus, produces venom strong enough to kill a small child, but anti-venom means deaths are rare.
The Stars of Scorpio
Wiki: Till Credner
Nature, science, religion, astronomy and astrology were intertwined in the ancient world. Scorpius is a massive, spectacular j- shaped constellation located in the skies over the southern hemisphere near the centre of the Milky Way. In the Northern hemisphere it can be seen in July and August, and in the Southern hemisphere, it’s visible from March to October.
Sometime around four thousand years ago the Babylonians looked up, discerned the huge and brightly leaning “J”- shape in the summer stars, saw in this the shape of a gigantic scorpion and called this constellation MUL.GIR.TAB – the ‘Scorpion’, literally read as ‘the (creature with) a burning sting.’
The movements and relative positions of Scorpius were mapped by Babylonian magicians and astrologers, who left written records of the omens they observed.
“When a halo surrounds the Moon and Scorpio stands in it, it will cause men to marry princesses, (or) lions will die, and the traffic of the land will be hindered.”
A comet appearing in Scorpius (Scorpio) was read as a dire warning of a coming plague, but when the Sun rose in Scorpius, alchemists saw their chance for the transmutation of lead into gold.
By kind permission of EarthSky.Org
There are 18 known stars in Scorpius, the most famous being the red giant star Antares (rival of Mars, the god of war and the original planetary ruler of Scorpio) Antares, its biggest star, is almost unimaginably huge – our sun is barely more than a dot in comparison- is one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
Scorpius contains exo-planets, some extremely old while others may be potentially habitable. The planet PSR B1620-26 b, nicknamed “Methuselah” is estimated at 12.7 billion years old (The universe is about 13.7 billion years old.) Methuselah has a mass about twice that of Jupiter and it orbits around not one, but two stars.
Cue existential angst.
Scorpio Season 2024
Hot water under pressure. Water as steam. Full force. China continuously ramping up rhetoric on Taiwan but matching it with actions and threat displays. North Korea sending military support in exchange for money from Russia. South Korea says it will help Ukraine. We are watching yet another intense month of massive, tragic and potentially threatening world news events, powerful on-going retrogrades and challenging squares and oppositions. But we also have a scattering of encouraging and constructive trines and sextiles.
Eruption of the Strokker Geyser, Iceland, public domain, credit Andreas Tille
A few key dates to watch:
October 22: Sun Enters Scorpio. We enter a period of transformation, intensity, and introspection. The Sun is square Pluto today and tomorrow Oct 23. Intense encounters. Avoid confrontation. Beware untruths. Hidden information may come to light.
October 21-22: Sun sextile Pluto is a great time to learn something new or make new contacts, meeting someone with a view to investing in a project or taking your work to a new and higher level.
October 24: Mars in Cancer sextile Uranus in Taurus. A window for breakthroughs in areas where we've felt stuck, likely to be focussed on domestic matters or in political terms, homeland security.
October 28: Mars in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces. A gentle aspect softening the energy of Mars. A day for inspired action, where dreams take form. Try out a new strategy.
October 28: Venus in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces. This challenging aspect may bring feelings of isolation or restriction in love and finances. Venus square Saturn can make it difficult to connect with others, leading to misunderstandings or a sense of distance. Use this time to reflect on your values and ensure relationships and commitments are built on a solid foundation.
October 30: Mercury in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus. Expect disruptions in communication as Mercury opposes Uranus, creating a clash between traditional thinking and innovative ideas. This can bring sudden revelations or unexpected news, so be prepared for surprises. You will need to stay flexible and open-minded.
October 31: Mercury in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces. It is Halloween. This powerfully psychic aspect heightens intuition, an excellent day for divination, meditation, experiencing, exploring or solving mysteries, unlocking secrets and witnessing the unseen side of life.
November 1: New Moon in Scorpio. 09°34.’ Tarot card 5 Cups. Loss, disappointment and recovery. Powerful lunar event, deep introspection and the initiation of profound changes to do with new information, finances, relationships and family matters, legacies or legalities.
November 1-6: Mars opposite Pluto. The two planetary rulers of Scorpio, sign of Death and Transformation are pitted against one another. Not easy. Arguments could spark like wildfire. Confrontations, powerful adversaries, personal or circumstantial, and this is happening right at the time of the US Election November 5. We already know this will most likely be a combative or even combustible event. Tensions are super high.
Mercury in Scorpio trine Mars in Cancer is about mental focus and drive. An excellent window for strategic planning and assertive communication. It’s a good day to take decisive action on an important matter to do with finances and home matters.
November 2: Mercury in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn insights into hidden aspects of our lives. It's a powerful transit for uncovering new information and making decisions for profound change.
November 2: Mercury enters Sagittarius This ninth house transit of education, publishing, far travel and visionary experience encourages us to study, explore new ideas and broaden our horizons.
November 3: Mars in Cancer opposition Pluto in Capricorn intense and potentially challenging energies or power struggles, requiring caution and integrity.
November 3: Venus in Sagittarius opposition Jupiter in Gemini excess and overindulgence in relationships and finances. It’s important to avoid overextending ourselves during this transit.
November 3: Mars enters Leo a surge of confidence and creativity.
November 4: Sun in Scorpio trine Saturn in Pisces This trine stabilizes our efforts and brings a sense of responsibility and discipline. It’s an excellent time for making long-term plans and committing to our goals. One day to go until the US Election. Joe Biden is a Scorpio sun sign subject. Will this trine support his candidate as he bows out (Saturn in Pisces)?
November 11: Venus Enters Capricorn A time for practical and serious approaches to love and finances.
November 12: Mercury in Sagittarius Square Saturn in Pisces Communication challenges, misunderstandings. Restraint, patience and persistence required.
November 15: Full Moon in Taurus 24°00.’ Tarot card 7 Pentacles. Investing for the long haul. A great time to complete on something to do with money or property or a beloved project, while this powerful lunation happening in Scorpio season talks about eighth house legacies, wills and inheritance of all kinds. Money discussions with a partner could become fraught. Proceed with care.
November 15: Saturn Goes Direct in Pisces at 12° Pisces 42′. Tarot card 9 Cups. All manner of pleasant things attach to this card, however, we need to safeguard personal and professional boundaries. Duty calls but things are muddled.
November 16: Sun in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus unexpected changes and disruptions. It’s a time to be flexible and open to new possibilities, even if they come suddenly.
November 18: Mercury in Sagittarius opposition Jupiter in Gemini - This opposition can amplify our thoughts and communications, sometimes to the point of exaggeration. It’s important to stay grounded and avoid making promises we can’t keep.
November 18-10: Sun in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces
A potentially magical time for intuition and creativity. It’s a great time for lucid dreams, psychic hits and artistic pursuits and spiritual practices.
November 19: Pluto enters Aquarius until 2043. This is THE transit of Scorpio season 2024, announcing revolutionary changes in the eleventh house territory of technology, ideas, society, and collective governance versus personal freedom. Changes may be immediate, sudden and abrupt.
November 21: Sun enters Sagittarius. This transit of the sun into the Ninth House of study, far travel and philosophy encourages us to learn, to teach, to seek new experiences and expand our horizons.
This month we are all children of The Scorpion. I for one am feeling it deeply, trying to support a much loved adult family member struggling with depression. I am thinking too of the recent tragic death of a young pop star, aged only 31. Destroyed by the drug of fame and its brutal withdrawal in an utterly ruthless industry. Death ends a story. But then it creates another.
Scorpio may poison us. Or it may heal us. Scorpio is a great healer. Natural charisma and…anti venom. No-one says life is easy. Life is fierce. It is a drive. The water of life is hot. It steams, and sometime or other we will be scalded. The greater our drive, the more frequent the burns, but if we are not overcome, then the bigger and greater the life becomes. Life is its own reason, no greater purpose required but such is the animal that we are, hunters and gatherers, but no ignoring the spirit of the hunter in us, we must find a purpose. There is such a thing as a good Death after a life well lived, in which we learned ways to train, harness direct and assert our power (and our sting) for our own good, and thereby had something to spare for other things, however modestly, unassumingly and quietly. The end of a life that could find meaning in the world and make peace with itself. So says the Death card.
So says Scorpio.
Photo by Irina Iriser on Pexels.com
All hail to the inner Scorpion. Wishing a very Happy Birthday season 2024 to our savvy, deep and subtle Scorpio friends.
Thank you for reading. Coming up next, more about Scorpio and its story in the Tarot deck, the archetype and the decans…