Full force fall vibes; welcome to spiky season.
And just like that, we’re in the depths of the most emotional water sign in the Zodiac calendar cycle—and you thought it was Cancer, didn’t you? Welcome, OTF writers and readers, to the height of spooky, underworld vibes season as it cannot be a coincidence that Halloween/Samhain falls during Scorpio’s reign. Welcome all my Scorpio family and friends to their season, particularly OTF writer, Aimée! Now is your time.
LIGHTS:
perceptive, powerful, resilient, strategic, motivated, focused, playful, connected, regenerative, deep, dedcated, affectionate, brilliant, practical, passionate, vivid, strong, imagintive, loyal
DARKS:
immovable, intimidating, Machiavellian, relentless, penetrative, intense, destructive, unforgiving, secretive, dominating, contradictory, brooding, jealous, vengeful, possessive, obstinate
Scorpios get a bad rap.
Sure, when I was writing up the Lights and the Darks above, the Darks filled up pretty quickly while I had to dig a little for some positives. Sure, when wondering how to begin this New Suns, my mind immediately went to famous Scorpio serial killers (of which there are at least 40) such as:
Joseph DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer
Charles Manson
Robert Pickton, the Pig Farm Killer
David Parker Ray, the Toybox Killer
Robert Ben Rhoades, the Truck Stop Killer
But before all my Scorpi-hoes get upset, us Geminis are probably the second most (or in some cases the most) hated sign, and, don’t worry, it shows in our serial killer list, too!
Jeffrey Dahmer
Kenneth Bianchi, the Hillside Strangler
David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam
Danny Rolling, the Gainsville Ripper (part of the original inspo for Scream)
Richard Trenton Chase, the Vampire of Sacramento
Perhaps it comes down to when Scorpio’s are generally conceived. If you’re an early to mid-November baby, you were probably ~made~ on or around Valentine’s Day—aren’t you so lucky! Perhaps being predisposed to an emotional, slightly over-the-top, and sometimes overbearing holiday means you counter from the opposite end, with spikes and thorns. That probably isn’t at all true, but I’m trying to make some sense here.
It doesn’t help Scorpios when professional astrologers tend to agree with the whole “they’re pretty fucking intense” vibe. Chani says, for example, that Scorpios want to know the secret behind the secret, that they are fixated on maintaining control, that they are strategic to a fault, and do not waste their own time on things beneath them. And this isn’t even the thickest astrology book I have! Joanna, author of the thickest astrology book I own, only continues by saying Scorpios always have a hidden agenda, are always evaluating, and are always working out a strategy—do not @ me Scorpios, this is in print everywhere.
Joanna does mention that most astrology followers tend to focus on the bad without discussing the obvious good (see Lights above!). So for Scorpio season, I want all of us (even us non-Scorpios) to focus on where the beauty of Scorpio really comes from. But what does that look like?
During this Scorpio season, I urge us to do as the Scorpios do and fight for the truth and transformation. Because of Scorpios’ depths and intensity, they often understand better than most all manner of abuse, misfortune, and the difficulties that have led to such depth. It’s easy for anyone, any sign, to get stuck in the liminal space of negativity, so work with that and work on getting out instead of digging yourself deeper in. This could look like helping others as Joanna explains that “Scorpio acts like a portal of transformation for others. Because it is comfortable with discomfort, Scorpio isn’t afraid of the process of change.”
During this time, I urge us to let go of our high standards (very Scorpio) for a moment and feel everything through experience. It is the intense feelings (only made all the more intense by the current planetary happenings you’ll read about below…) of right now that affect and motivate your actions, so think before you leap. Things we could all focus on during Scorpio season: Moderation, self-control, and heeding the call to transform any pain we may feel into purpose.
AFFIRMATIONS FOR SCORPIO SEASON
I honor any intensity that arises for me during this season as it can be a spring of fresh creative water if I channel it properly.
The depth of feelings during this season may be daunting, but it will teach me compassion for others and myself.
One from Chani: “I respect my strength by allowing myself to also be vulnerable.”
IMPORTANT DATES SCORPIO DATES
22OCT: Venus Superior Cazimi
What is a cazimi? In short, it is a conjunction between any planet and the sun. What that means is that the planet in question is in the same sign as the Sun. Because of this placement, it was believed the planet’s powers (in this case love, beauty, art, connection, and relationships) are all the stronger. It could offer a broader, more golden perspective of our bonds and approach to love. But don’t get comfy in these lovey vibes…
25OCT: Partial Solar Eclipse in Scorpio
A lot is happening with the planets (and Sun and Moon) during this, so bear with me as I attempt to summarize and demystify. Because of the Venus cazimi [see above], both Venus and the Sun move into Scorpio together before moving into a conjunction with the Moon and having an eclipse. The main vibes? Underworld goddess. This eclipse, in tangent with Venus’ cazimi, could bring clarity around relationships and love. It may feel necessary to purge old notions of love, beauty, relationship dynamics, and perceived gender roles. This could get…intense and ugly. Chani describes the mood perfectly: “These eclipses have a theme of not disassociating from what is internally ugly. We have to claim how we too can be a nightmare. Being disassociated from that is incredibly dangerous. If we’re only ever looking at what’s wrong outside, we never understand what’s imbalanced inside.” Also, happy birthday previous OTF guest writer, Noelani!
30OCT: Mars Retrograde
Mars will retrograde until January 12, 2023. These are…challenging times. Because Mars is the planet of war, combat, battle, defending, and being aggressive in appropriate ways, this retrograde asks us to examine how we deal with our anger or how we work through frustration. You may feel frustrated, unmotivated, and ready to punch someone at work all at once. To get through this, Chani suggests you “review the direction you’re motoring in and assess whether it’s still aligned with your goals.”
31OCT: Samhain
Samhain is a pagen festival celebrating the end of summer and can be referred to as a witch’s New Year’s Eve, so calling all my witches! It’s believed that the veil between this world and the next is thinnest at this time, allowing spirits, faeries, and other supernatural otherworldly creatures enter our realm and walk among us. Because of this thin veil, Samhain is also a time to honor the dead, as now any lost souls of friends or family can visit us one last time.
08NOV: Total Lunar Eclipse in Taurus
This full moon is traditionally called the Beaver Moon and represents the preparation before hunkering down for the winter. With this also being an eclipse, feelings are heightened. Eclipses were considered unpredictable times as the light could go out at any moment, but at the same time, the moon is exalted in Tauras (this is a good thing) so there is some strength here even though its on shakier ground.
16NOV: Aimée’s Birthday!
As always, I used my normal sources—Chani Nicholas’ You Were Born For This, Chani’s Gemini Guide to 2022, and Joanna Marine Woolfolk’s The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need—but I also integrated Alison Davies’ The Mystical Year: Folklore, Magic, and Nature as research.
THIS MONTH’S COLLABORATIONS
28OCT: Recent Laughs
We’re getting into the throws of S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder) and it’s only just beginning, so we’re sharing our laughs. What was the most recent incident in your life that made you laugh?
04NOV: Word of the Day
Whenever you check in to write for this collab, go to Merriam-Webster and find the Word of the Day. Now write something—an essay, a poem, a story, a reflection—about and/or using this word.
11NOV: Pen Pal Theme week!
More on this to follow our internal meeting at the end of October
18NOV: OTF Holiday Gift Guide
We did this last year and it bears repeating. Do we remind you of any of your friends? Do you need gift suggestions? Check it out and share your own!
See you all in Sagittarius season —
✌️
S
Shit We’re Loving: READ
Shelby’s Pick: Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism by Aja Barber
Damn this booked fucked me up. The book I read before this, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado, which I wrote about last month, also fucked me up so I had quite the long book hangover these past few weeks. Like HBAOP, Consumed was recommended to me by Sydney and I couldn’t thank her more, though, again, the book did fuck me up. Everything I purchase now—especially clothing—I will hear Aja Barber telling me to think more about it before adding it to my cart. If you need to open your eyes to your own consuming like Sydney and I both had to do, we recommend picking up this stunner via your local bookstore (for some reason, it’s not on Bookshop?). Fuck Amazon though, don’t buy this there.
Show Your Support: No Kid Hungry
Food is the most important school supply.
According to the latest estimates, as many as 9 million children in the United States live in "food insecure" homes. That phrase may sound mild, but it means that those households don't have enough food for every family member to lead a healthy life. No Kid Hungry wants to change that.
No Kid Hungry is a national campaign run by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. As a child hunger organization, ending childhood hunger is NKH’s primary focus and they achieve this through healthy and structured school meals, grants for schools, food banks, or community centers, further advocacy and awareness, and exhaustive research and time dedicated to policy changes.
If you or someone you know is struggling to get food for their children, No Kid Hungry wants to help. Use their Free Meal Finder for Kids to find free, healthy meals being served by organizations in your community. You can also find these resources by texting the word FOOD to 304-304. Data & message rates may apply. And, in the OTF fashion, we have already donated $75 to this organization and encourage you to do give what you can—even if it’s just a Facebook or Instagram like.
Daily Intention:
Today I choose…
to find the good in the bad.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: