Scorpio casts a long shadow...

A heads up as Mercury coming into square with Mars means there may be some terse words exchanged over the next few days. 

Of course not everyone will respond in this manner… though I must admit I already felt myself becoming irritated today in ways I usually don’t. Usually when I feel this way I discover Mars is involved...and sure enough... it is!  It’s those little irritations that can expand into grudges and resentments. Best nip ‘em in the bud. Let many things pass.

Not so easy as Mercury in Scorpio is sharp and wary, and highly distrustful of other’s motives. Plus Mars in Leo can be quite full of himself…. and when opposite Neptune this sense of entitlement can become deceptive and/or passive aggressive.When Mars' fire  feels weakened by Neptune's watery mists... he panics and gets all wily. 

At the same time, Jupiter opposite Sun can big up peoples sense of themselves… not a bad thing entirely if it gives you more confidence… yet you can see how all these factors together could create some difficulty. Ego clashes and arguments can be avoided with a little effort.

Of course not everyone will experience this…if your planets are in early degrees of Scorpio or Taurus, or late degrees of Leo or Aquarius, you will be more likely to step into these roles.

In general I would say be clear in what you want and or say. Speak gently. Be kind. Go the distance to extend yourself to others (Mars opposite Neptune is highly compassionate)… yet don’t overdo it. Martyrdom is not required or recommended.

A  wise teacher I know once said…  ‘You don’t have to love everyone … but you can be kind.’

Oppositions mean energies can polarize and work against each other… or they can meet in the middle to find common ground. In thinking about this, it occurred to me that these oppositions not only manifest as two external forces (or people) coming toward each other; they also often signify opposite aspects within our own psyche.

I have been ruminating on how we all have a shadow side… the more hidden or denied features of our psyche…which are very opposite to the persona we display in public. Sometimes we can be very different people depending on the circumstance. And we are not always aware of some ways these aspects manifest.

For example, a friend of mine just went through a serious health scare, which has left him shaken and vulnerable. I saw a completely different side of his personality this past week; one I always suspected was lurking under his rather gruff and crude everyday manner.

The  sweet almost childlike vulnerability I witnessed was in such sharp contrast to the inscrutable mask he usually wears that I must admit am a bit disappointed it is already disappearing again as he regains his sense of control. Not saying he should always expose this sensitive side of himself. Yet he was more approachable, more human, when his soft side was a little less protected.

Cark Jung calls these hidden parts the Shadow. At this Scorpio time of year … as the sun sits lower in the sky…. it seems we all cast a longer shadow. Yet it is in working with these disparate aspects of our own psyche that we become psychologically healthy.  And if we don’t acknowledge those parts, they often get projected onto others who then  become the ghosts and ghoulies in our lives. 

Oppositions in our charts often show us where that happens.  And even though not all birth charts contain oppositions, there are usually some very distinctly opposite traits contained within one’s chart. We will usually identify with one quality more than another… especially if we have a belief system or set of values that puts some traits above others.

Perhaps one part is just too sensitive or vulnerable to show openly without fear of being hurt, (like my friend) so we develop defense mechanisms to protect our most fragile selves. Or perhaps it is our inner power that we hide in favour of a more placid cover. The variations are many. 

The main point is that if we can see and understand that there are buried treasures in those shadows, we would be richer for them.  

 Mercury in Scorpio can help us see deeper under the surface and can bring us insights into those hidden valleys we rarely venture into. The path of integration takes time and much personal awareness… but the reward is wholeness. It is a journey worth taking.