No More Mr. (Supposed) Nice Guy

10.8.08


As far as Scorpio is concerned, anything is fair game… as long as it drills deep into the emotional root of a matter. Superficialities, meanwhile, are unappreciated.

And now that both Venus and Mars are dwelling in the Scorpion's domain, the gloves have come off.

In the short course of a month or so, we've moved from the people-pleasing considerations of all personal planets in Libra to a more probing, less polite Scorpionic excavation into what's really going on. (Some would deem this a devolution; others might call it 'getting real'.)

'What is really going on?' you might wonder.

For starters, we each want to secure our own psychological victories over those who'd otherwise 'do us wrong'. Don't we?

Because, if we refuse to accept our personal will-to-triumph, instead covering over our contemplations with ultra-'civilized' or hyper-'rational' notions of how nobody needs to lose for all of us to win… well, don't you know it, someone else with far more guts and grit (and far less hesitance to engage with humanity's irremovable animalistic tendencies) will step in and snag the decisive game-point.

It's as simple as that: We either accept the power necessary to coax (that is, manipulate) the situation to our desired outcome, or we tacitly refuse such 'heavy-handed' measures, essentially giving over the reins to somebody who will.

(Of course, we have no reason to believe they'll look our for our interests once they take charge. Why should they? We readily assumed the passive role, didn't we?)

I will readily admit the schema I sketched out is a bit simplistic. Yet, according to pure Scorpio principles, it describes the undercurrents in play in so many human interactions. Dominate, or submit. Kill, or be killed.

If there's only one scrap of bread left and two hungry mouths to feed, who's going to get it? Sometimes there just isn't enough to share. Sometimes we just don't want to share. Sometimes, consciously or not, we'd even prefer to see that other sorry soul suffer for their alleged sins rather than give 'em a nibble from our stash.

These may be ugly truths, but they're motivated by survival instinct… whether our existence is actually threatened or whether it just feels that way. And can we really fault a guy for defending his existence?

Mars is strong, sly and unflinching in Scorpio, a sign of its traditional rulership. But unlike Mars in Aries (its other ruling sign), it doesn't assert itself in such a blatantly direct, obvious and crude fashion. Mars in Scorpio wages psychological warfare on its 'enemies', whether these are obstacles to achieving a goal or actual living-and-breathing opponents. This Mars lingers in the shadows, observing behaviors and identifying weak-spots, patient and controlled enough to wait for the ideal moment to strike. He feeds on emotional complexes, rather than attacking with brute force… in the end uncovering whatever uncomfortable residue from our past holds us back in the present, even while he stealthily escapes from the scene of the crime, quietly cackling, his pockets full of loot.

Beyond this language of enemies and attacks, how is this Mars in Scorpio relevant to our day-to-day lives? For starters, it bestows upon us the passion and perseverance necessary to pursue what we want—without being 'scared off' by the demons (i.e., personal issues to deal with, frightening characters to confront, etc.) we must slay in order to succeed.

Yet, while we may personally profit from Mars-in-Scorpio's intensification of our own desires, we must also remember that everyone is under this influence… including our adversaries. While we may be fully prepared to push harder (or dirtier), the other side will also push back with added oomph.

In terms of simmering sexual tensions or romantic dalliances, this Mars can offer quite a titillating enhancement. In terms of business negotiations or interpersonal conflicts, alas, he'll only make it that much tougher (maybe even nastier)—though, if both parties stick with the back-and-forth through thick and thin, you just might achieve a more profound agreement, based on having actually dealt with the gnarliest of the issues between you, rather than sweeping them under the rug yet again. But if you think anybody's going to simply hand over the keys to some kingdom, out of the sheer kindness of their hearts, just because you asked so nicely… it's time to grow up, kid.

Venus, naturally, is far less able to do her usual job in Scorpio, a sign where she is debilitated. Whereas Venus ordinarily helps draw us together with others in affection or affinity, she cannot resist all the Scorpio tendencies—e.g., perpetual awareness of who's got what power and how best to maintain one's own—that make easy relationships that much more complicated. Venus in Scorpio is suspicious of intentions, and is far likelier to deeply consider all aspects of 'what's in it for me?' and 'what must I give up?' than if she were in other signs.

This suspicion is only further exacerbated by Mercury's continued retrograde through Libra, where his inverted status increases the likelihood of slips-of-the-tongue when we're trying to say 'the right thing' to impress or assuage people who, beneath the surface, we may feel very differently about. What better reason to doubt somebody's motives than discovering their rhetoric is both hollow and specifically intended to offer you 'what you want to hear' (as imagined by them, that is)?

Scorpio is not the easiest energy to work with, especially for folks who'd rather not go to those emotionally heightened—and potentially dark and scary—places. The ultimate result of cathartic release, however, makes it all worth it. Once we've vomited up our most unattractive feelings and sentiments, unloaded all our unfair judgments and envious attitudes and ruthlessly competitive urges, and essentially faced the very fears that would otherwise keep our interactions artificially pleasant… there's simply nothing left to jump out at us from behind the door or underneath the bed, in heartbreaking surprise, because it's all already out in the open.

What a relief that is!

Mercury returns to direct motion next Wed Oct 15.
Venus remains in Scorpio through next Sat Oct 18.
Mars remains in Scorpio through Nov 16.