Scorpio and Halloween

Scorpio and Halloween

Roland Matthews (2019)

            Have you ever wondered why Halloween is associated with death?  For many cultures, this time of year marks the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice.  Since the Sun is in Tropical Scorpio, and the natural eighth house of the zodiac, it is the time when the veil between the world of the living and the world of spirit is at its thinnest and a good time to remember those who have passed onto the other side. 

            The ancient Greeks had a myth of how Orion the hunter boasted that he was the greatest hunter and would kill all of the animals in the world to prove it.  Depending on which myth, some deity, usually Artemis, sends Skorpius, the scorpion to kill Orion.  After a mighty battle, the arachnid succeeds and is rewarded by being placed in the heavens.  So again, we have a reference to death associated with this sign of the zodiac.  In Hellenistic Astrology, we find that the eighth house is the house of idleness and fatality since it is one of the four ‘evil’ houses that are in aversion (meaning that it cannot be seen) to the Ascendant. 

            In melothesia, or astrological medicine, we find the sign of Scorpio associated with the genitals and sex.  It is interesting that the French refer to an orgasm as la petite mort, or the little death, giving us a connection between sex and death or a total loss of consciousness.  This could be why so many horror films typically include some sex scene.  Most vampire and werewolf stories are about the libido, or sex drive gone into overdrive causing one’s lower (or bestial) nature to take control.  There is definitely something very primal to fulfilling the needs of the body.  We must kill and something must die in order for us to consume food, and the sex drive more often than not feels like being on the hunt.  No wonder Scorpio is ruled by the planet Mars!  Another interesting note is that the hemoglobin in blood is mostly iron, the metal associated with Mars in alchemy.

            Scorpio is also unique in that it has multiple symbols: the scorpion, the serpent, and the eagle / phoenix.  These are all used to indicate transformation.  The deadly scorpion injects its poison with its stinger, which painfully kills its victim and brings about the ultimate material transformation of death.  The serpent has venom which can be transformed into a medicinal antidote.  It also can represent the kundalini energy of the life force and thus has a dual nature, often symbolizing infinity and immortality when biting its own tail as the ouroboros.  Finally, we have the white eagle or blazing phoenix representing that spirit which has been reborn after its death and rises toward a higher state of being.  This is portrayed in key XIII of the Tarot.

            So why is Halloween / Samhain scary?  To most people, death is scary.  It is the unknown.  It is the destination towards which we are all headed, whether we like it or not and whether we choose to ignore it or embrace it.  However, if we observe the first law of thermodynamics, that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, we can find some comfort in knowing that there will be continuance after our transformation.  It may not be in the same form of ego that we have become comfortable with, but change can be beneficial.