November 1: Samhain Scorpio New Moon
The Scorpio New Moon is a dark void in a tender place that hurts but longs to be free. The New Moon at 09°36 Scorpio at 8:47AM ET on November 1, connects us deeply with the sacred energy of Samhain and dia de los Muertos, important celebrations of honoring the dead.
At Samahin we build ancestor altars and recall our loved ones who have passed to the other side. The Witches New Year is a time for quiet contemplation when we reflect on what has manifested and let go of what is passing away. Samhain invokes gratitude because death reminds us that life is precious. We all come in with a limited amount of time, and, the mystery that Scorpio points to, is no one knows when their journey on Earth will end. Each of us is allotted a certain length of fate and free will allows us to do with it what we can.
Scorpio is XIII The Death card in the tarot Major Arcana, which represents an ending. In modern new age interpretation, both of tarot and Scorpio significations, there is a focus on the regeneration and rebirth aspect of death. This is certainly true, but western society has a deep aversion and denial to the reality of death. We spend our time, energy, and resources attempting to deny it, yet it always finds us, and without ritual, philosophical belief, or spiritual practice, loss can leave us bewildered and bereft.
When we receive the Death card in a tarot reading, it indicates that something in our life needs to end or is coming to a close. We will experience a positive transformation once it is completed but there may be suffering in the process. Meditating on closure and what needs to be released is a perfect way to attune with the Samhain energy.
One of the sacred symbols of Scorpio is the mythical creature, the Phoenix. Death burns our past to ashes, it breathes in smoke and fumes yet doesn’t die, death can walk through fire and come out the other side. Death is invincible. And so too, is part of us. The Phoenix is a principle of magic that I have learned a lot about from my VortexHealing® teacher, Lorraine Goldbloom, who has been working with the energy and sharing its healing principles.
The Phoenix is a principle of magic that facilitates us surrendering what is old, rotted, and causing decay in our life. Transformation is terrifying because we are asked to let go but we don’t know what we will turn into. In the myth, the Phoenix bursts in flames and then rises from the ashes, but it's not the same bird. The one who rises is not the one who was destroyed. The Scorpio New Moon lands in the place where you’re afraid to let go, but really need to release. It is there that the Phoenix can guide you through your process. Participation in this type of surrender requires courage and faith. Yet there is a place within us that desires transformation more than anything else. Even in the depths of fear, contraction, and control, that place whispers to us to let go.
The Phoenix burns everything that has been clouding your vision or keeping you trapped in self-destructive patterns, bringing clarity. Then we rest in the void. This is the part that really scares people because emptiness feels like nothing to our busy minds, but psychics and healers know that emptiness is full. There is an aliveness that is waiting to burst forth, but it needs time to manifest. The growth comes once these phases are completed, and not before.
The Moon in Mars’ penetrating water sign is the ultimate emptiness and from that deep place emerges a longing. There is a need to explore the body and emotional landscape of ourselves and those we desire. The Scorpio Moon desires emotional intensity, to feel and understand those they encounter on the most fundamental level, and to know they are felt in return. This kind of dynamic interaction may be too much for the faint of heart, but it's just a regular Friday night for Scorpio Moons.
Yet even Scorpios can grow fatigued by the amount of psychic info flowing through right now. This lunation is ruled by Mars in Cancer in opposition with Pluto in Capricorn, highlighting the relationship between power and vulnerability. The veil is extra thin with Mercury in Scorpio, in opposition to Uranus in Taurus, trining Neptune in Pisces. This is a wonderful evening for psychic development and personal insight, but people don’t always handle intense emotions well. The dark Moon makes us tired, and Neptune and Pluto make us susceptible to illness, so stay home if you’re not feeling up for going out.
Pay attention to your dream and most of all make space for the Phoenix to arrive. We are facing some scary shadow material as a collective and we each need support through that process. May you find your guides through the dark over the next week as we journey into the unknown.