Ray Grasse & Scorpio

I have had a subscription to Mountain Astrologer for years and one of their frequent contributors is the gifted astrologer Ray Grasse. I was reading an article by him about the Uranus/Pluto square (2012-2016) which then led me to his website. He has a bunch of articles worth checking out on his site.

I saw one article in particular that I wanted to share with you since it is so perfect right now. The Challenge of Scorpio: Anger, Power, Transformation. It was originally published in 1999 by Mountain Astrologer and the link goes to their website.

I have a snippet of the article but please go to the link for the full piece. Remember if you have any planets in Scorpio you will see yourself in Ray's article. And if you don't have any planets, then read this article with the house that contains Scorpio in mind. It is a very thorough piece and I think you will find it very illuminating.

*note to self: set up appointment with Ray to do chart before birthday. At $150--great deal!



At its most constructive, Scorpio possesses the discipline and investigative single-mindedness to explore the inner planes and manipulate the inner forces that it understands so well. Esoterically, Scorpio is the zodiacal principle associated with the magical will (especially when Leo accompanies Scorpio in the horoscope). It is the energy of mystics, occultism, and magic. Those with strong Scorpios have an incredible will and can move mountains when they put their mind - or, more precisely, emotions - to the task. In some older astrology texts one finds the seemingly odd notion that among the various symbols associated with Scorpio in ancient times was the camel. This was because of its ability to travel across the deserts (the desert of life) for long stretches of time sustained solely by the water contained within it - a pithy illustration of the principle of "fixed water" and the great tenacity and drive that accompany Scorpio's ability to contain emotional energy.

Scorpio's capacity for penetrating beneath surface appearances is what gives it the detective-like ability to investigate any mystery, unlock any truth. Leaving no stone unturned, Scorpionic probing can pierce to the heart of any matter and unveil that which has been concealed - whether this be a metaphysical enigma, a buried archaeological treasure, or a politician's dirty laundry!

At its most destructive, however, this same compressed Martian energy can turn back on itself in a destructive way. Thus we have the symbol of the scorpion stinging itself with its own tail, making it the only zodiacal animal that can actually kill itself. Here, the Martian force festers, becomes infected, and picks at its own wounds so compulsively that they never heal.(1) Nor is it simply anger that becomes problematic with the Scorpionic process; any emotion or thought, when compressed or repressed, assumes added power at a subterranean level that can sooner or later erupt into consciousness. Those of us who have played the game of trying not to think of something - be it a white elephant, a monkey, or any other nonsensical item - know only too well the power of repression and compression. The mere fact of holding in too much - whether it be childhood-based traumas, sexual energy, or any carefully concealed fact about one's life- can take a serious toll on one's mental or physical well-being. As one popular saying expresses it: "You are only as healthy as the secrets you keep."