Scorpio Partial Solar Eclipse

The Door is Round and Open

Cloaked in black lace, and sporting a jeweled sword, Luna, born to probe the dark mysteries, opens a two-week eclipse portal on October 25 at 3:48 am (PT). Fulfilling her sacred duty to cast a shadow upon the Sun, this New Moon at 2 degrees Scorpio, aims to cut through the toxic build-up hiding in the discarded scraps of the soul. Come as you are, but don’t expect to exit unaltered. On November 8, a total lunar eclipse in Taurus will usher us out, shaken and blessed to be on solid ground.

The door is round and open, don’t go back to sleep. -Rumi

The Taurus/Scorpio Axis

This eclipse season is a continuation along the Taurus/Scorpio axis, which began with a preview in November 2021, followed by a closing eclipse in Sagittarius. Six months later, on April 30, 2022, the first full season of eclipses in Taurus and Scorpio began in earnest.

Can you recall what was arising in your life at that time? 

Eclipses are known to catalyze changes that evolve over months and even years (based on location, length of obscuration, and your own natal chart), the genesis of which can be tracked to the timing of the first eclipse. Visible in Europe (especially Eastern Europe), Northern Africa, the Middle East, and western parts of Asia, it’s the last set of back-to-back eclipses along the Taurus/Scorpio axis, though they flip-flop with Aries and Libra through October 2023.

Sometimes articulated as the “financial axis,” these fixed signs highlight both inner and outer resources. Vedic astrologer Komilla Sutton explains that Taurus/Scorpio teaches us to become comfortable with a balance between the attractions of the material world and the desire for spiritual growth, both integral to the soul’s purpose.

Given the planetary omens, which suggest something akin to a difficult birth process, this solar eclipse invites us to source our resilience and capacity to thrive from the inside out as we learn to live with diminishing material resources and the shake-ups promised in this time of epochal shift.

The Scorpion

As Luna crosses the face of the Sun, the scorpions come out to play. The veneer of Sol’s bright light dims to expose private, well-protected feelings that provide an illusion of safety. Submerged emotional issues, ancient and fixed, come to the surface to be healed.

Ruled by Mars, this dark but fertile Moon is debilitated in Scorpio’s deep feminine waters. A primal regenerative power intertwined with an irascible, defensive posture and ravenous spirit. Prone to mistrust, the cold and moist qualities of Scorpio stir a cautious approach to life.   

Sweep the hidden corners of your psyche lest you get stung. This complex Moon has no issue with pain, which leads to positive transformations. Old patterns desperately seek an overhaul as new ways of being emerge. The rebirth process isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.

A South Node Eclipse

Letting go of her black-laced veil and shiny sword, Luna takes a breath. This is a South Node eclipse, and she knows well the only way forward is through a process of release and surrender by choice, necessity, or against her will. Taking a deep breath, Luna plunges.

In her book, The Lunar Nodes, Komilla Sutton interprets Ketu as “without ego” and on a journey to “break from individual identification.” Similarly, modern western astrologer Dietrech Pessin specifically sees South Node eclipses as matters that are out of our hands. And from the Hellenistic perspective, the South Node symbolizes decline, loss, letting go, and a draining of the swamp, for better and worse. But it has a humble, spiritual side, too. Pouring ourselves into devotion less is more. All three approaches point to a loss of egoic control or agency, fears that strike at the heart of Scorpio.

Petition the gods through elimination. Clean your closets, detox your body. Work to purge harmful thoughts that cut you down and release toxic relationships. Sometimes, when we hold things too tightly, they slip through our fingers anyway.

The Mars Factor

Coming up for air, Luna looks to her host, Mars, to further enlighten her understanding of this significant eclipse. She dons her sword and sheath once more, ready to engage the warrior, Ares, who is standing still at 25° Gemini. On October 29, he will slowly begin to move backward, carried away by the primary motion until January 12.

Mars not only rules the sign of Scorpio; he also holds sway in the 2nd degree by bound and decan. There’s strength and bravery to face one’s inner demons with courage and tenacity. And while we can imagine a powerful Mars, ready and able to conquer all, he is averse in Gemini and cannot see what is happening in his own kingdom.

Doubling down on Ketu’s significations of decline and Mars’s retrograde motion, there’s a loss of power that can lead to frustration and upset. Obstacles and delays muddy the waters, amplified by a square to Neptune through the end of November.

Heated reactions and impassioned speech rise like steam from a pool of uncertainty. Facts are hard to decipher, and fanatical views dominate the airwaves. Feeling overwhelmed, not knowing which way to turn or whom to believe, consider a slower pace and a modicum of caution until the bright pebbles beneath the water shine bright again.

Dig into creative outlets. Feed the soul. Decrease your social media hours. And if you follow astrology closely, pay attention to Mercury’s transits. If you become a paid subscriber, we will keep you posted on the important planetary movements.

It’s times like these when astrology forecasting can be so helpful. Instead of being grabbed by the planets, we can prepare and adapt. What tools do you employ to deal with your triggers? How do you regulate your nervous system?

Venus Close In

Featured strongly in this lunation, Venus conjoins the fallen Moon and eclipsed Sun. Far from her Taurean home, exiled in Scorpio, she cannot access her privilege at the heart of the Sun.

In Mars’s sign, Venus can be intense, sometimes jealous, and obsessive. Complex and riveted to the deep mysteries of feminine water, she explores the cycles of desire and the sometimes-dubious choices we make to achieve them. Be careful what you ask for… you just might get it.

Could these yin planets be reflecting the intensified attacks on women’s fundamental human rights? Certainly, in the US, the upcoming elections (timed with the total lunar eclipse on November 8) will be instrumental in determining the fate of a woman’s right to control her own body.

Venus is no shrinking violet. Standing up for our core values and mustering the courage to fight back, we can anticipate a people’s movement not just for women’s rights but also for workers’ rights and freedom from oppression. 

A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Perhaps Venus can anchor her recent cazimi high, when she was protected and strengthened by the Sun in her home sign of The Scales, a love potion for the masses. Marking the beginning of an auspicious new 111-year cazimi cycle in Libra, the world needs an empowered, love-infused peacemaker to help us navigate the age of Air in a time of rapid change.

Banished in Scorpio, Venus must also contend with Ketu. According to Sutton, Venus/Ketu highlights subtle relationship patterns, including the universal experience of rejection. Our vulnerabilities are laid bare, revealing the inner work that needs to be done.

Sutton also speaks about unusual relationships and a desire to experiment sexually. Author Gabor Maté speaks to this beautifully in his new book, The Myth of Normal. It may be scary to let your freak flag fly, but hiding out is toxic.

What are you holding back? It may be time to disclose secret needs and desires.

And in the End

On the world stage, we can assume an amplification of events already set in motion by the perfect storm—covid, climate, and capitalism.  The Taurus/Scorpio axis will continue to impact resources of all kinds, from food and fuel to the money system itself. We will likely witness mind-bending revelations, toxic leaks beneath the surface, a continuation of war, and extreme weather events.

What is there to believe but that we were made for these times? Bring your genius to the fore. The world needs you.

Tired of playing with Scorpions, Luna completes her fated duty. The solar eclipse is a moment, but not just a moment. It’s a reflection of what is and what is to be. Feeling raw and needing rest, Luna settles in for the journey ahead. There is infinite beauty in the darkest places.

Want to learn more about chart delineation? Check out Michelle’s newest post on Courtney Love, born just ten hours after a solar eclipse.