Scorpio These notes are based upon the teachings of Djwhal Khul presented in Alice Bailey’s Esoteric Astrology (Lucis Trust, 1951). It is the work of the zodiacal influences to evoke the emergence of the will aspect of the Heavenly Man and of all monads, souls and personalities who constitute the planetary body of expression. … The goal of evolution for humanity is to become consciously and livingly aware of the nature of these energies and begin to know them and to use them. SCORPIO NEW MOON 4 DEGREES SCORPIO 27TH OCTOBER 2000 At this stage of human evolution, Scorpio governs the Path of Discipleship. The function of Scorpio is to provide points of crisis and moments of reorientation, enabling the disciple to refine the lower elements of the nature. The ‘serpent of wisdom’ (the soul), through conflict and struggle, potentially overcomes the ‘serpent of evil’ (the form nature). The keynotes of the sign are Test, Trial and Triumph. The ‘ordinary man’ in Scorpio is denoted thus: ‘And the Word said, Let Maya flourish and let deception rule’; whereas, on the reversed wheel, the disciple pronounces: ‘Warrior I am and from the battle I emerge triumphant.’ The phrase of the ordinary man is interesting because it reminds us of Scorpio’s susceptibility to glamour, which is essentially an expression of disconnection or separation from things as they really are. The phrase of the disciple is the ‘deglamoured’ view, where seeing things as they really are, the disciple has taken hold of the lower self and become a warrior for the soul and the greater spirit. The challenge of Scorpio is to see through the glamour and engage in the struggle for soul-control. DK presents the myth of Hercules and Hydra as an illustration of the trials of Scorpio: In this sign, the disciple undergoes those tests which will enable him to take the second initiation and demonstrate that the desire nature is subdued and conquered and that the lower nature is (by being lifted up into the air, i.e. into heaven) capable of reaching the goal for this world period, and that from the earthy foundations of Scorpio the personality can be so tested that it shows fitness for the world service demanded in Aquarius. This is beautifully expressed for us in the legend of Hercules, the Sun-God who overcomes the nine-headed Hydra or serpent of desire by being forced to his knees and from that position of humility lifts up the serpent into the air, and then deliverance comes. This passage from Esoteric Astrology alludes to the fact that the serpent is one of the symbols for the sign of Scorpio. So the legend of the slaying of the Hydra indicates both the higher and lower expression of Scorpionic energy. Hercules, through humility, raises the base, destructive energy of the serpent towards heaven. This act shows the possibility of Scorpio to overcome the lower nature. Whereas, the Hydra itself, seemingly indestructible, its nine heads instantly growing back after every assault, illustrates the fatal, forceful and unenlightened aspect of Scorpio. The legend itself describes the safe awakening of the kundalini energy, the ‘serpent power’ stored at the base of the spine, up to the crown chakra where it can be transmuted and refined. The Hydra represents the tests of Scorpio, which are three in nature and each of the three is divided into three stages (three times three equalling the nine heads of the Hydra). The three tests, in chronological order, are: To reorient the personality to the life of the soul. To evidence readiness for initiation. To demonstrate sensitivity to the Plan, thus becoming the one-pointed disciple in Sagittarius. The Scorpio-Taurus-Pisces triad forms the triangle of initiation, which provides the energy that tests and perfects the three aspects of personality to reflect the three divine aspects of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and deal with the relation between the body and the soul. Hercules, Buddha and Christ are the three sons of God that reflect the perfection of those signs: In Scorpio Hercules became the triumphant disciple. In Taurus Buddha achieved victory over desire, which led to his illumination. In Pisces the Christ overcame death and became the world saviour. Scorpio carries the test right into the physical plane where it is must be faced squarely; the Scorpio trial is solved through the use of the reasoning mind. Taurus continues the struggle by bringing the trial to the astral plane and Pisces carries it to the mental level. DK tabulates the trials of Scorpio in the following way: I. Tests pertaining to Appetite 1. Sex - the relation of the pairs of opposites. These can be selfishly utilised or divinely blended. 2. Physical comfort - life conditions, selfishly appropriated. 3. Money - selfishly cornered (if I may use such a phrase). II. Tests pertaining to Desire and the Astral Plane 1. Fear - which conditions activity today. 2. Hate - which is a factor in conditioning relationships. 3. Ambition - conditioning objectives. III. Tests pertaining to the Lower Critical Mind 1. Pride - which is intellectual satisfaction, making the mind the barrier to soul control. 2. Separativeness - which is the isolated attitude and which makes the mind the barrier to right group relations. 3. Cruelty - which is satisfaction with personality methods and which makes the mind the instrument of the sense of power. The tests of the appetite are to do with overcoming the ‘tendencies and predilections’ of the animal nature concerning physical conditions. The tests of desire and the astral plane are subtler in nature; they concern the desire-nature, originating in the astral plane but having effects upon the physical plane. Finally, there are the tests of the lower mind, which concern the mental conditions (‘remember that the worst kind of cruelty is not of a physical nature but is more mental in character’). When these faults are realised and are overcome, the result is twofold: the establishing of right relations with the soul and also with the environment. These two results are the goal of all tests in Scorpio. As a sign, Scorpio is often associated with penetrating the depths of experience; as the natural ruler of the eighth house of the birth chart, it is concerned with legacies and inheritance. Both of these elements of the Scorpio experience are brought together by two occult factors from the past that begin to engross the disciple in Scorpio: memory and, as a consequence of memory, the Dweller on the Threshold. From the ancient recesses of memory - racial and individual - are recalled all instinctual tendencies, inherited glamours and false mental attitudes. To the sum total of these is given the name the Dweller on the Threshold: all unconquered personality traits that must be overcome before initiation. When soul contact is established, the personality increasingly identifies itself with the Dweller until the point is reached at which the Dweller comes face to face with the Angel of the Presence. Both of these ‘entities’ reflect aspects of the paradoxical duality of the human family in its highest and lowest expressions: From the ancient recesses of memory - racial and individual - are recalled all instinctual tendencies, inherited glamours and false mental attitudes. To the sum total of these is given the name the Dweller on the Threshold: all unconquered personality traits that must be overcome before initiation. When soul contact is established, the personality increasingly identifies itself with the Dweller until the point is reached at which the Dweller comes face to face with the Angel of the Presence. Both of these ‘entities’ reflect aspects of the paradoxical duality of the human family in its highest and lowest expressions: Eventually, the light of the personal self fades out and wanes in the blaze of glory which emanates from the Angel, recognises itself as the Dweller and … enters into the tests of Scorpio. These tests and trials are ever self-initiated; the disciple puts himself into the positive or conditioning environment wherein the trials and the discipline are unavoidable and inevitable. When the mind has reached a relatively high stage of development, the memory aspect is evoked in a new and conscious manner and then every latent pre-disposition, every racial and national instinct, every unconquered situation and every controlling fault rises to the surface of consciousness and then - the fight is on. This energetic activity - unconscious content being brought to light in order to regenerate and transform - explains Pluto’s rulership of Scorpio. The struggles undertaken in Scorpio are designed to leave no doubt in the mind of the disciple that he is indeed a disciple! Just as the prodigal son eventually wearies of desire and ambition, and returns once more to the house of his father, so the disciple in Scorpio, challenged with transformation, bends his efforts towards group awareness and service. So in Scorpio we witness the activity of its orthodox and esoteric ruler, Mars, arousing the lower nature to rebellion and the ‘last stand’ of the personality against the soul. Uranus is exalted in Scorpio as it rules the scientific mind, through which the disciple can begin to live the occult life and the way of divine knowledge can replace the mystic way of feeling. Knowledge can then be transmuted into wisdom and light, which leads to an understanding of the causes of things and the desire to change the old order (which leads in turn to the reversal of the wheel). The Moon falls in Scorpio, because it is ‘here regarded as functioning in its true nature and, therefore, expressing symbolically that which is dead’. The Moon here stands for the personality and the final victory in Scorpio is the defeat of the personality: Desire is killed [in Scorpio], for it is through expressed desire of some kind that personality demonstrates life, quality, appearance. Ponder upon this, for in Scorpio the Moon falls and its influence fades out. The potential of Scorpio lies in ‘the great transformations’ afforded to those disciples who accede intelligently to the challenges and trials encountered in the sign. ©2000- The D.K. Foundation. This article, including this copyright statement, may be freely distributed but not altered, expanded or abridged in any way. We thank you for respecting this request.