“I surrender to the depths of my being. My emotions wield the power to transform my reality.”

The 16th-century English poet John Donne wrote, “No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.” Outside the flowers have wilted, the birds have flown away, the leaves have fallen and the trees are bare as each day gets colder and the nights get longer. We are literally watching the world decay. So how does Autumn hold such grace and beauty?

Perhaps it is Autumn’s easy surrender to the natural cycle of Life and Death. It does not fold on, but let’s go. In this process, we observe the Earth gracefully transform into the most vibrant and beautiful harvest colors.

We feel this experience in our own lives this Scorpio season (October 24-November23). Scorpio energy is powerful and vigorous bringing deep transformations through our personal psyche and relationships.

Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, the planet of Life and Death. These two are always tied together; where there is destruction there is growth, where there is death there is rebirth and renewal. This is a balancing act, almost like a game being played outside the realm of our control. We can only observe the workings of Pluto— witnessing intangible divine forces.

These divine forces are working everywhere and must be honored as such. Loss, destruction, and grief are just as much a part of life as harvest, creation, and joy. It is in these darker times that we experience our greatest struggles and questions, so in turn, we can arrive at the greatest lessons, growth, and transformations.

We too can gracefully surrender to the mysterious patterns of loss and death faithful that renewal, birth, and generosity will follow.

Also known as the Transformer, Pluto deals with all things mysterious— that which exists in the shadows, our subconscious, dreams, and intuitions. The New Moon in Scorpio (October 26) invites us to uncover these unconscious and hidden parts of ourselves. Pull back the layers to gain a deeper awareness of our underlying emotions, behaviors, and psychological patterns.

Scorpio is a Fixed Water sign, harnessing the power of emotional intensity. This water sign is like a deep still pool of water with a mysterious allure; a reflective portal to another world. I imagine it like the Pensieve from Harry Potter, a magical basin of water that one can gaze into to see memories and visions. “One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form,” the elder wizard Dumbledore explains to Harry.

This is precisely the kind of “magic” the Scorpio New Moon brings. Through focused practices, like meditation, therapy, artistry, or journaling, you can uncover the inner perspectives, intuitions, dreams, and feelings beyond your daily sphere of understanding.

Intuitive abilities are heightened with the Lunar Eclipse (October 25, November 9), revealing secrets and stimulating awakening. Likewise, Mercury, Mars, and Venus enter Scorpio this month; furthering calling us to explore our feelings, desires, and relationships on a deeper, more intense physical and emotional level.

Interpersonal experiences, like exercise, sex, dance, artistry, group meditation, psychological alternatives, and soul-searching conversations, can create powerful bonds between people. Connecting with someone else, or even ourselves, beyond the surface level can be intimidating, but it is also an empowering experience. We too often hide parts of ourselves because of fear of judgment or intimacy.

Ask yourself: What am I hiding from others? What am I hiding from myself? Now is the time to face these feelings and interpersonal experiences without shame, fear, or doubt.

Still, remain mindful of the vices of Scorpio energy— reclusive, detached, resentful, and possessive by way of self-preservation. Do not confuse intensity with love; you can become addicted to high sensations. Do not confuse boundaries with isolation; you risk becoming resentful and numb.

Remember, Scorpio is symbolized by the Scorpion, a reclusive and dangerous creature with deadly pincers and a striking tail. They do not actively hunt their prey, instead, lurk in the dark awaiting their victim— always knowing the perfect time to strike. Scorpions have also been witnessed to sting themselves, and people once believed it was a kind of suicide or self-preservation tactic in the face of danger. While this is not scientifically true, the metaphor holds up: Scorpio energy can be so vain, jealous, isolative, and suspicious that one can risk hurting themselves and others in their feeble attempt to preserve personal power and control.

Control is an illusion. Like the Scorpion, Pluto lives in the cold, dark, and mysterious shadows of space. Here, in the shadows of Scorpio season, we too must be patient and yielding. Spending enough time in the darkness to allow our eyes to adjust and see clearly; only then can the subtle messages of our inner voice, dreams, and intuitions be felt and understood.

These discoveries culminate at the Full Moon in Taurus (November 9), grounding us and lighting the darkness to reveal our inner wisdom. This is the wisdom and understanding that will aid us through periods of loss, death, and grief with the same beauty and grace as Autumn.

Loss, whether it be a breakup, changing jobs, moving away, or especially the death of a loved one, is one of the most emotionally intense experiences we each go through. It tests our faith,

making us feel scared and broken. Still, the Full Moon reminds us even the darkest night turns to light.

Spiritual grief counselor and medium George Anderson writes, “So much of life on the earth is experiential. You can watch, listen, and try to understand, but until you have actually experienced one of the many valuable lessons that make up our spiritual education here, you can never fully understand the spectrum of uncertainty that comes from finding yourself in a circumstance with no seeable boundaries or rules… It is only through experience that we learn.”

Be patient. Turn inward and uncover the wisdom, purpose, and beauty in the divine balance of Life and Death.

No matter what you uncover, this Scorpio season reminds us deeper divine powers are aiding us from within and externally. Surrender to what cannot be controlled. All experiences, joyful or sorrowful, are part of our growth.

We do not need to hide in the shadows but move through them with dignity, beauty, and grace.

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