Happy Super New Moon in Scorpio! This New Moon in 23 degrees of Scorpio became exact at 12:07 AM New York time (5:07 GMT) on Sunday, November 15. This is the third and final of three consecutive Super New Moons and it marks the beginning of Eclipse Season, as the first of a pair of eclipses occurs on the upcoming Full Moon in Gemini.
Scorpio is my favorite sign to discuss because it is my birth Sun sign. Scorpio is the shaman's sign; it is the negotiation between the darkest darks and the brightest lights. It is an oscillation between hell and Heaven. This of course has tremendous spiritual value, as every time you plunge into the depths of pain and suffering, you bring back with you invaluable wisdom for the journey ahead. I didn't come into this position as a healer and a spiritual teacher just by reading some books; it's been this hell-to-Heaven and back again shaman's journey for me, which still continues.
Scorpio is the sign of death and transformation (picture the Death card in the tarot). If you live in a cold part of the world, you can look outside now and see the dead leaves on the ground as winter approaches. Of course, the trees are only lightening their load in order to prepare for the deep freeze, while giving space for brand new growth to emerge the following spring. Thus is Scorpio: it's all about letting go of what is dying or dead, in order to allow for new growth to occur.
So the most important thing you can ask yourself on this New Moon is this: What dead weight am I carrying? What is no longer working for me, even if it USED to work for me?
For most of you, there's something that is going to come to mind right away. But if nothing comes to mind, ask yourself this: Which beliefs, habits, perspectives, or tendencies am I still carrying with me that are holding me back from more success, more freedom, greater ease, or a better quality of life?
As the sign of endings and beginnings, and the ruling sign of the subconscious, this Scorpio New Moon asks us to address the fears and feelings of low self-worth that are buried in the basement of the consciousness. These fears and feelings of low self-worth are reflections of energetic blockages in the lower chakras. On this Ascension path, we must work through and clear these fears and feelings of low self-worth in order to be able to more effectively channel through the Divine energy and ground it through the physical vessel, which assists you in further anchoring your Highest Service Mission (dharma).
This Super New Moon in the fixed water sign of Scorpio also coincides with a rare Mars station in his home sign of Aries; he has ended his two-month Retrograde journey and has now turned Direct. During this station, emotions are likely to be heightened and there is a palpable feeling of unsettledness in the collective. People and animals have excess energy and want to get it out some way! Exercising to your heart's desire is a great way to move the strong Martian energies through you.
Hurricane Iota, the whopping 30th named storm of 2020 to occur in the Atlantic Basin, is expected to mature into a dangerous Category 4 storm, perhaps being nature's manifestation of the Mars Station energy. Let's send prayers and protective light to the people of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, who already experienced the wrath of Hurricane Eta just two weeks ago.
We are also right on the heels of the third Jupiter-Pluto conjunction of 2020, which occurred on Thursday. This conjunction is generally viewed as very auspicious and we can harness its prosperous pull to press the gas pedal forward on our dreams.
This New Moon contains a powerful signature of new beginnings and it is a fabulous time to launch new projects. As Mars starts to march back Direct this coming week, we will feel a powerful drive to accomplish things. Use this time to get yourself re-invested in anything you've been putting off that involves doing, like your business/career, cleaning, organizing, fitness, etc.
We can really re-create ourselves with the current energies. Alchemize the darkness (fears, low self-worth) within, and write the absolute best future you can for yourself. And then use this energetic time to work hard toward your goals!
The first step to shifting anything is to become Aware of it. Once Awareness is present, you then have the opportunity to take conscious action in transcending or transforming those outdated energies. Journal on these questions of self-inquiry:
- What action-steps am I willing and able to take IMMEDIATELY to shift what no longer Serves me?
- Is there anything I might have to give up if I take these steps?
- Am I really losing anything or am I just fearing moving out of a comfort zone?
- Can I recall a past moment when I stepped out of a comfort zone and was later happy that I did?
This New Moon is also forming an auspicious sextile (60 degree separation) with 2020's Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto lineup in Capricorn. The better that we can get in touch with the needs of our wounded Inner Child, the better position we will be in to manifest the Highest Possibility of our Service Work and Ascension Path.
When the Inner Child has unresolved issues and unmet needs, it manifests as 'the Shadow'. Let's discuss how to do Shadow Work.
DOING SHADOW WORK
As Scorpio season is a time when the unhealed parts of the self (the Shadow) can more easily be seen, now is a great time to discuss my views on doing Shadow Work. I have created a simple 5-step process for doing Shadow Work. It goes like this: Awareness, Acknowledgment, Gratitude, Alchemy, Integration.
STEP ONE: AWARENESS
The first step to shifting or healing anything within is becoming Aware of it. It could be a pattern of behavior, thought, or speech. The truth is that most of these patterns are inherited from our parents or those who raised us. These negative patterns get imprinted when we are between the ages of 0 and 6 and our brains are in what is called theta state. 98% of the world (or more) goes through their life in almost a trance, a slave to these subconscious patterns that they acquired at a very young age.
As an Awakening Being, it is an absolute must that you become one of the few who becomes awake to recognizing the self-limiting, self-destructive, and self-sabotaging patterns of behavior, thought, and speech that you acquired from those who brought you into the world. Once you became aware of a negative pattern, you can shift it.
Have you ever had the experience of observing yourself from above? You may have experienced this phenomenon while on a psychedelic journey, in meditation, or even in moments in daily life (occasions of deja vu can give you this feeling). Can you take a step back in this moment, take a deep breath, and observe yourself from above? Try it.
What kind of negative patterns of behavior, speech, or thought have you had today that were self-limiting, self-destructive, or self-sabotaging? I bet if you're really honest with yourself, you could make a whole list right now.
Good, now that you've become Self-Aware, you can move on to Step 2: Acknowledgment.
STEP TWO: ACKNOWLEDGMENT
One of the paradoxes of life is best described by the old adage of 'what we resist persists'. There are things we don't like about ourselves and that we want to push away. That resistance is the exact thing that holds those patterns in place. The Shadow parts of ourselves will continue to rear their ugly heads until we acknowledge their right to exist.
One way to look at the Ascension journey is that it is a journey from duality into nonduality. We must learn to acknowledge the Divinity in all things, whether we prefer them to exist or not. The most difficult test of this is in the inner landscape.
It's OK to prefer certain aspects, personality traits, or patterns of behavior/thought/speech in yourself over other patterns in yourself, but you must learn to acknowledge the right to exist of the less-preferred parts.
So, as an exercise, once again in this moment I invite you to retreat to the space where you can observe yourself above. Once again, recall all the negative patterns of behavior, thought, and speech from today (or any time in the past) that you became Aware of. Now, tell these parts of you that they have a right to exist, and that you recognize their Divinity. Tell them that they are welcome. You are not pushing them away anymore. You are honoring them.
STEP THREE: GRATITUDE
It's time to take this process one step further. To truly step into nonduality, we must be able to find gratitude for all things, whether we prefer them or not. The inner landscape is a wonderful playing field to practice this lesson.
Can you in this moment express gratitude for those self-limiting, self-destructive, or self-sabotaging patterns within you? If not for these patterns you would not have the motivation to become a more healed person than before. When you heal the Shadow Parts within, you send that healing back through time to heal your entire ancestral lineage AND you help to purge that Shadow Part out of the entire collective consciousness of HU-manity! Remember, this is both an individual and a collective Ascension, and what you do for yourself you do for All, and vice versa.
So, to continue with this exercise, I invite you to now express gratitude for all the Shadow Parts within AND for the self-limiting, self-destructive, and self-sabotaging patters of behavior/speech/thought that they show up as.
STEP FOUR: ALCHEMY
Imagine for a moment that you're a master alchemist mixing together herbs to make a healing potion. You wouldn't be able to make your healing potion first without knowing what your ingredients are right? And furthermore, if you were to be grateful for your ingredients it might make a more powerful potion, right?
So once you've acknowledged and expressed gratitude for all the ingredients (the Shadow Parts), it's time to male a healing potion. It's time to create new patterns.
From that space of observing yourself, identify what would be the Highest-Vibrational practice, exercise, or response that would transmute a specific negative pattern. For example, if you identified that you have a pattern of seeing others doing things on social media and then feeling unworthy or unlovable, what if you made it a practice to consciously wish others well (in your head or in comments) on social media and thank them (in your head or in comments) for showing you what kind of life is possible? Could you remind yourself that you are doing the best you can and congratulate yourself for how far you've come?
These are the sorts of practices that alchemize the Shadow Parts into the gold of wisdom and, yes, a better life! When you transmute the self-limiting, self-destructive, and self-sabotaging patterns within, you can't help but to feel happier, more whole, and more fulfilled!
The next and final step to this process is to integrate this work into your daily life.
STEP FIVE: INTEGRATION
The most difficult part of this process, perhaps, is integrating it into your daily life. You might be able to alchemize a few of the patterns in this very moment, but can you sustain those new patterns going forward?
It's not easy. As soon as you forget to be vigilant about consciously utilizing your new Higher-Vibrational patterns of behavior, thought, and speech, you will naturally default back to the subconscious patterns of the past. It's only because you haven't had a whole lot of practice in being the new you yet. However, with some discipline and practice, you can truly become a totally new person!
Something that is really helpful is to use the word, 'NO!' with yourself. The instant you become Aware that you are engaging in a self-destructive, self-limiting, or self-sabotaging pattern of behavior, speech, or thought, say the word 'NO!' to yourself in a loud, clear voice, letting yourself know who is in charge!
Then, choose an action, pattern of speech, or pattern of thought that is more High-Vibrational. Finding gratitude for anything is kind of a fail-proof thing that you can go to and it always helps.
To expound upon the previous example I used, let's say that you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and you start to feel jealous of someone whom you think is prettier than yourself or living a 'better' life. The moment you become Aware that you're feeling jealous, say 'NO!' to yourself, and remind yourself that this person is showing you what is possible in your life! It is totally possible for you to feel prettier about yourself, regardless of how others judge you. It is totally possible for you to live a life with more fun activities and more Abundance. And go to the fail-proof, gratitude, and say 'THANK YOU for showing me what is possible in life and where I need to Love and appreciate myself more!'
If you keep being disciplined with yourself, you'll start to find that those negative spirals of behavior/thought/speech that may have previously spiraled into very self-destructive behaviors like addiction or escapism no longer get even close to to the depths of where they used to go before. You may find that you are immediately able to pull yourself out of the doldrums by being disciplined with yourself and choosing Higher-Vibrational patterns of behavior, thought, and speech.
Remember, you have Free Will to choose in every moment. When you aren't consciously choosing your actions, thoughts, and words, you are defaulting to those subconscious patterns that you acquired from your parents. That's not truly free will, is it?!
You don't have to listen to any thoughts you don't want to. You can choose to formulate Higher-Vibrational thoughts in your head. 95% of our thoughts are of the exact...same...theme. 95%! That's why it's important to learn to be vigilant. YOU are in control of what goes on between your ears. YOU are in control of your life.
You are not a victim to anything, anyone nor even yourself anymore. This is what it means to CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY. You get to choose which timeline you're on! Don't you want to choose the HIGHEST POSSIBLE TIMELINE?
The way that you do this is by doing your Shadow Work and alchemizing all of those self-destructive, self-limiting, and self-sabotaging patterns within into a NEW YOU who is wiser, more fulfilled, whole, and happier than ever before, regardless of your life circumstances. As you begin to master this, you'll naturally find others seeking you out for guidance and to help them do the same.
ARE YOU PLAYING SMALL?
Is there a certain area in your life where you feel like nothing is working, or like you're paddling against the current? Maybe you're feeling underappreciated or like your talents aren't being fully utilized? Whether it is a job that isn't really bringing out the best in you, a relationship that feels stagnant, or your own business that seems to be stuck—is it possible that you're 'playing too small'?
Here's a few questions of self-inquiry that can be difficult to ask yourself and journal on:
Is there an area in my life where I am playing small?
If so, what do I believe that I am getting from playing small, or what do I believe that I am avoiding from playing small?
If I was totally fearless while still using my logic to keep myself safe, how would I play bigger?
If there's an area of your life which isn't working so smoothly—like business, for example--what might a leap of Faith get you? Sometimes the Universe will frustrate you because you're being asked to take a big step forward and play bigger.
This is a throat chakra theme that I have noticed many Lightworkers are negotiating right now. What would it feel like and look like if you allowed yourself to be unapologetically you in the world? Might being unapologetically you give you that deeper sense of purpose you've been longing for? Might it mean 'playing bigger'?
Wishing you a happy, healthy and transformational Super New Moon in Scorpio!
With Love,
Matthew John
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