Good Day!
Late today, MDT, the Sun and Moon merge in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, marking the simultaneous moment of the end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one. Here are some random thoughts for this New Moon. I seem to have lost my normal rational linear style in these hours just before the New Moon; perhaps that’s Scorpio pulling me into the underworld of impressions and associations rather than objectives and timelines.
Demeter, British Museum (Source:Wikimedia Commons)
Scorpio and its planetary ruler Pluto are on my mind in a big way this week. Those of you who are Facebook friends know that a couple of days ago my car was stolen. I don’t even know exactly when it happened. It was parked next to my house from about 7:30 in the evening and we didn’t notice it gone until about 8 the next morning. We had gone out to dinner the night before in the other car; it could have been stolen while we were out and in the dark we didn’t notice when we returned. It could have been stolen in the night; so quietly! Or perhaps while we took the dog for a run before daylight the next morning. When we returned from the run we were like, where’s the car?
Irrevocable change: that’s the hallmark of Pluto and its sign Scorpio. I’ve been thinking a lot about Demeter and Persephone. Do you know the myth? Demeter, the goddess of the earth and the seasons, is picking flowers with her beloved daughter Persephone when a great chasm opens in the earth and Hades (Pluto) rises in a chariot, captures Persephone, and abducts her to his realm, the underworld. I’ve been thinking about Demeter, continuing to pick flowers, unaware of the magnitude of change she was about to face. What did she think when she noticed her daughter was gone? How did she feel as she began to piece together what happened? Her grief was so great we are told that the entire earth went into standstill and all the fruits of the harvest died in her sorrow.
Losing a car is not like losing a daughter. But I feel that I understand this myth much more deeply now, as well as the sign Scorpio. The undeniable irrevocability of the loss; the absolute impotence of our own power in the face of forces which lead to thievery or worse. I keep thinking, but don’t they care what they are putting us through? Don’t they feel the pain and sense of vulnerability they have caused us? Of course my rational mind understands fate and its necessity, as well as the realities of some people’s desperate economic situations, but my feelings refuse to be comforted by philosophy, no matter how true.
The Return of Persephone by Frederic Leighton (Source:Wikimedia Commons)
I was reading about Demeter in Bulfinches Mythology this morning and he speaks about a statue of Demeter which is in the British Museum. Of the statue he says, “There is no exaggeration in the grief, only the calm dignity of a sorrow which in spite of hope refuses to be comforted.” This is a perfect statement for the strong, quiet exterior of Scorpio which hides a deep and wise feeling nature, a wisdom born of pain, if you will.
In case you don’t know the rest of the story, the destruction of the earth from Demeter’s grief was so great that the gods implored Hades to let Persephone return to the surface for four months each year. Her mother’s joy flowered into spring and summer, only to grieve into autumn and winter when she returned to the underworld again. Another Scorpio theme: cycles of death and resurrection.
I know we’ve all been here. The Scorpio energy holds an undeniable place in each of our lives. To everyone touched by strong Scorpio energy, my hat is off to you. If you have a great Scorpio story, please share it in the comments in honor of this New Moon.
Do you have a question about your business for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.
For an overview of the week, see the Weekly Forecast – November 1 – 7
For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – November 2010
For more info on the business descriptions of the planets mentioned today, see
#1 by Laura on November 5th, 2010
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I’m sorry for the loss of your car Ellen..Yeah I have a story to share about Plutonian loss too..I was touched by the story of Demeter and her daughter and although I know the story, the way you told it, stirred up old stuff. When my daughter was born I had my second business and I had it for 8 years and all the time I was pregnant I thought: yeah I continue working after she’s born just like before, I can put her in daycare (or how do you call this place for babies?) and in the evening my staff can work a bit more and I apoint a manager (I had a restaurant so you have very irregular hours) and then after she was born: I just couldn’t let her go..I couldn’t give her into other hands and although I was warned by all who loved me like family and friends.(hehe please don’t neglect your business, the one you trust is rude to your customers etc..).true the one I trusted my business too did not do a good job but I didn’t stop him, I thought: Oh everything will be all right..It was all so heartbreaking if I think of it now.torn between the business and the baby… I couldn’t care anymore like before about the business.. I didn’t have the know-how back then to combine them both..I was so happy to be a mum and there was no time enough for business..To make a long story short, I wanted to get rid of the place I worked sooo hard in before it went all to pieces..and the day I closed the door of the business for good transit Pluto was exactly on my Venus in the 7th..Now so much later I think: I should have prepared everything much and much better, really make and take time while pregnant to find the right person for my place but I didn’t. I thought everything can stay the way it was..but of course this was not very mature thinking.. It’s not that I’m devestated about it now because I did engage in other exciting wonderful things..but I do know I neglected the planning and follow up during that time, but I was completely, totally consumed by being a mother :=))…somehow your story brought the time back 15 years ago, for a short moment..Thanks, was nice to share!
#2 by Ellen Longo on November 5th, 2010
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Hi, Laura. Thank you so much for sharing your Pluto story – it’s so perfect. “Totally consumed by being a mother” – yeah, I know that one too which is why we both can feel for Demeter’s loss, don’t you think? I’m so glad you left a comment – I haven’t heard from you in a while.
#3 by Laura on November 6th, 2010
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Hi dear Ellen, thanks for the support, wish I was into astrology back then and an astrologer like yourself could have made a difference, I’m sure. I think this Plutonian issues often come with ‘shock’..First it’s there and suddenly: wham..you somehow feel it coming but the impact yes is quite big…BTW love your blog and often come to visit, so much knowledge and wisdom here!
#4 by Michelle on November 6th, 2010
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Hi Ellen,
I check into your website from time to time and really enjoy and appreciate your insights. And so sorry to hear about your car. Stolen. That is so shocking and violating because it turns your day or even days inside out – your time is consumed with recovering from it (all the details). Hope it smooths out soon for you. Anyway…my Pluto story. I have my Sun at 1 degree Aries so I’m just coming out of the Cardinal Cross and Pluto Suare Sun. Now, I have a little hindsight, but I’m still scratching my head saying what the hell was that all about? A year ago I was bracing myself for something: Saturn opposite Sun and Pluto square Sun. I thought all the men in my life might die or something. Instead I had the biggest financial/career sucess I have ever experienced. I had been working very hard at my Sales job – but the success was unexpected. I was awarded the Salesperson of the month and received a large bonus. Fastforward to the next and last pass of Saturn and Pluto to my Sun a couple of months ago: almost fired for poor performance by a different and very Plutonian/Saturnian type boss. I decided to look for a new job and start in a new direction that so far seems more suitable to my personality and interests anyway. Nevertheless, it was hard to start over after I had worked so hard and had experienced such success and recognition. I just couldn’t fanthom how the change could have been so drastic. When I look at the overall picture, it seems like and felt like such a rise and fall. Still need to reflect more to learn more about how and why it all came about. My immediate impression of the outline of the story does seem so Plutonian..and Saturnian. Hopefully, with time, I’ll understand more. Thank you for the chance to share….
#5 by Ellen Longo on November 7th, 2010
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Hi, Michelle. Thanks for commenting. I have seen this pattern time and again with Pluto transits – the big promotion, the falling in love, the kudos from everyone, and then, crash! It’s almost as if we have to experience the full range of the transit, like in order for us to learn the lesson we have to be placed very high in order to experience the dramatic fall. I don’t know why it unfolds this way but I have come to trust it completely. And yet, it can take several years to really understand what happened and why it was for the best. My most dramatic Pluto transit had to do with love and it was 20 years ago. I can see now what a major turning point it was in my life, and how much was healed and removed that has never been a problem for me again. But at the time it was completely unfathomable and I suffered a great deal. So hang in there; I’m so glad you have found a new direction that is more suitable for you.
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