Scorpio Full Moon: Stepping Into Spiritual Leadership
If ever there was a time to focus on your spiritual practice and shadow work, it is the Scorpio full moon on April 29, 2018. Scorpio is the sorcerer of the zodiac and deeply interested in occult practices that bring darkness into the light. Occult simply means “hidden”, indicating that what is buried inside us must be faced in order to restore it to balance. This is the true power of shadow work, and perhaps the most important work we may do in our lifetime. Along the way, we align with our deepest truth by stepping into our role as a spiritual leader.
In order to do this, shadow work is required. Shadow work is the psychological and spiritual work that is uncomfortable, that we often shy away from, that feels hard, and that many of us ignore…to our detriment. Without examining our triggers, negative thoughts, and complexes, our fundamentally held beliefs about ourselves and the world never change. In short, without shadow work, transformation is not possible. We see this when people try and ignore the dark side of their psyche and only focus on the light.
One of the pitfalls of spiritual practice is known as “spiritual bypassing.” This is the process of focusing only on the feel-good aspects of the practice, and in doing so, using a false sense of spirituality to confirm long-held and toxic BS: belief systems. The modern-day sorcerer or sorceress is unafraid of approaching the shadow through psychotherapy, depth psychology, hypnotherapy, or other types of deep spiritual work. The Scorpio Full moon is an opportune time to dive deeply into the shadow and resurrect the spiritual gold you find there. This shows us that even the darkest part of ourselves hold magic. The modern mystic is one who wields that magic, and steps into the powerful role of spiritual leader.
Each one of us is a spiritual being, and each one of us is capable of spiritual leadership. We move into our power by doing the practices that cultivate connection. These may be different for each one of us, but they all bring us to the same goal: bliss. The Scorpio moon is smoothly supported by Neptune, the planet of transcendence, dreaming (and dream work), poetry, and oneness. Neptune shows us the practices that feed our soul, while the moon lights our path toward our highest self.
This work is not always easy. Don’t mistake the spiritual path for being filled only with sparkles and sunshine. In fact, it is filled with just as much dark as light, as much hardship as reward, and as much contraction as expansion. We see this exaggerated with the planetary opposites: Jupiter and Saturn, influencing our Full moon. You will find that there is as much pressure to meditate as there is encouragement to bring your gifts to the fore.
By working through the push and pull of the full moon, and embracing the transformative power of Scorpio, you are guided into your role as a modern-day spiritual leader ready to inspire others to find their own inner light. By doing our own work, we empower others to do the same.
Alchemical Ritual for the Scorpio Full Moon
As a water sign, Scorpio soaks in the watery depth of emotion, seeking out experiences that spark emotional connections. On the low side, however, that can turn to moodiness, brooding, and a tendency to play the victim and lash out. This full moon ritual for Scorpio accentuates the high side of Scorpio which transfigures our shadow side into powerful healing energy.
Scorpio’s modern ruler is Pluto: the king of the underworld who respects those who can escape the shadowlands. Our work is to get to know our own underworld so we can undergo a resurrection and once again see the light. Scorpio is not afraid of the challenge, so we move toward what is uncomfortable in this ritual, in the hopes of shedding light on it. Gather a black stone (onyx, lava, kyanite) or a red stone (malachite, red hematite, rhodochrosite) and place it in the center of your ritual space. If you have some ginger, you can place it in a bowl nearby, or sprinkle it around your space. Ginger essential oil also works, and you might anoint your solar plexus with it before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights.
Place a pen and paper nearby and come to sit quietly inside the sacred circle. Close the eyes and contemplate a current emotional challenge in your life. What belief system does this trigger? What negative thoughts swirl around? Finally, what do you feel? Do not immerse yourself in the emotion, simply observe and witness it like a silent bystander. Locate it in your body. Place your hands on the part of the body that you feel activated and simply watch. Breathe into that space, the emotion, and the body. Stay here, silently witnessing, until the emotion begins to transform: dissipate, change shape, move on, or shift quality. Once it does, say the following invocation out loud:
Scorpio and Pluto, please allow me to feel what is necessary in order to learn the source of my empowerment and healing.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation of healing in the body. Allow a new thought or belief to arise that replaced the old one that you started the ceremony with. When it arises, write it down on your piece of paper.
When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place the piece of paper in prominent view and whenever you see it, feel the sense of empowerment in the body you discovered in this ritual. This ritual catalyzes the unconscious into deep shift and transformation. In doing so, a part of you is resurrected and brought into the light where you shine for all to see.
