Mercury in Scorpio
*This is an update to an article I wrote in October 2019
As the planet of logic and knowledge sails through intuitive Scorpio, it brings our mind to the annual focus on this deep and perceptive sign. Mental tenacity is the gift this brings, like a researcher totally absorbed in his subject. There is so much to be learned but it comes with a warning not to fall down rabbit holes of information where you can no longer see the light of truth. Knowledge is power in this sign, and being ruled by Mars it’s when the pen really is mightier than the sword. Words can bring deep connection, sensitive understanding, or have a bite – Scorpio is known to keep sarcasm close at hand. And remember while honesty is vital for this sign, it doesn’t need to be brutal!
This energy doesn’t take things at surface value. My sassy Scorpio rising grandmother came from a (thankfully bygone) era when women judged each other on the cleanliness of their house. She would surreptitiously run her gloved fingers across shelves and lift rugs to get a sense of what that person was like. “Crumbs under a rug means a shiftless character” she’d say, sniffing her disapproval – she’d probably turn in her grave at the state of my house today! I’m not advocating this, but perhaps it’s time to lift up your own figurative rug and see what you swept underneath, what you’re not facing within yourself. Or to read between the lines in conversations with others or try to find the meaning behind the words.
The scorpion is a creature that likes to bury into dark places during the day to avoid the heat of the Sun. It also hunts at night, holding its prey in its pincers as it tears it into small pieces to then digest. Nice imagery huh? But what it can mean for us all is a chance to turn our minds inwards, peer into darker places and then pull out buried emotions or hidden feelings to be processed. Is there something you feel upset around, angered by, or jealous of? As you sit with and feel the emotional intensity your logical mind can pull it apart piece by piece and make sense of it – here lies alignment and healing. Scorpio is a sign of elimination, and can beautifully rid us of toxic thoughts and hidden patterns that hold us back.
We’re also in a period of time when Mercury travelling through a water sign signals a retrograde phase and on 13 October Mercury stations to turn retrograde for two weeks. So Mercury will be extending his stay in the deep, halls of Scorpio, giving us a chance to really get inside ourselves. Emotional thinking is more likely in this time, and it’s a chance to lean more heavily on our intuition, listen to the veiled inner voice and use that “extra” sense of the world. As our logical mind tries to grasp at understanding through this watery lens, it is tempting to make things about ourselves. A trusted neutral confidante can help you see when you’re reading too much into a situation, or seeing things that just aren’t there. For more tips on Mercury Retrograde see a previous articles I wrote here and here.