If You Can't Take the Heat

One of the things that I have strongly thought about in the last few months is Jupiter in Scorpio and its current effect on us. Now that Jupiter has gone direct and is making a very fast track for Sagittarius, it’s important to understand this energy before we need to move on to another stage.

It’s something like the developmental stages of childhood. It’s really hard to go back and learn something if you missed it at the normal developmental time. It’s the same way with astrological transits and the astrology clock we all live under. If you miss the bus, then everything after that is just late. It’s hard to catch up – that would be the lesson. So, let’s stay on top of this energy and grow.

Scorpio is a very intense energy. It asks that we change even under the most kind of influences. It is not an energy that makes a lot of space for stagnation, denial, or untruths. Being ruled by Pluto, the sign itself is embedded with transformation; change in form from one state of being to another. In nature – that’s pretty easy. Things die and then something else arises from that death. If a tree dies in the woods, plants will grow in its body and transform the tree into soil and new plants, including new trees!

In the animal kingdom, a lion might eat an antelope, but then the antelope is transformed into a lion. The lion dies, turns into grass, and antelope eat grass. It’s like a cosmic cycle of death transforming one thing into something else. It’s a complicated process but one that we can see pretty easily.

When we reach the spiritual level of development that being a human being represents we no longer have just physical death as our means of transformation. Human beings possess the capacity to change their bodies, minds, and spirits. We can transform on many levels and that’s the amazing beauty behind being human. We can “die” without physical death. We can experience a different kind of “death”.  A death of our ego-based self.

But here’s the thing. Death, no matter whether it’s physical or metaphysical is hard. It means leaving behind one state of being for another. And it can often involves guilt, shame, anger, or other forms of blame and judgment. Grief is like that.

Change and transformation are not easy. They are definitely not for the weak of spirit or the ego identified. The true growth that’s possible for each of us, requires a commitment to the Self and our betterment. And a lot of growth happens in the face of the relationships and interactions we have with each other.

This particular show – and looking at Scorpio energy has to do with intimacy. Emotional intimacy – emotional honesty. We can’t grow unless with are emotionally honest with ourselves and until with allow emotionally honest relationships to transform us. That process, which hopefully happens with love, is really hard to find.

But when we do – amazing things can happen.

Often, when we are in an emotionally deep relationship – one that challenges us and helps us to grow – we ask ourselves a big question that looks something like this: We say to ourselves: This is hard and it’s making me look at things that I’m uncomfortable with, so, Should I stay in this? Or if I don’t - am I just running?

That question – which most of us have asked ourselves at some point is a biggie. We certainly don’t want to run if it’s us – if we need to look at something but it’s making us angry. We might become righteous and insulted. There’s nothing easier than walking away from a relationship that challenges us spiritually. The work is hard. And it’s hot in the kitchen.

But most of the time, the harder a relationship is, the closer it is to something we need to learn.

People so often, take offense to being challenged. They don’t want to look at themselves. They run. They even justify it to themselves, by saying that if someone has a criticism of them, it must be because they don’t see how amazing they are. How sad for those people. Relationships are meant to help us grow. And just because someone has and issue with some part of our personality does not mean that they don’t love us or that they don’t think we’re amazing.

I saw an IG post just recently that talked about this. The post described how we can only develop emotional integrity by standing in the truth of a situation. Not by using our hurts to justify blaming someone or creating distance. That’s called running – running from the Self. The gurus say that if you’ve decided to make an abrupt change to a relationship – you’re probably running.

It’s important to just put in a word here about abusive relationships. This is not about that. There’s a big difference between someone who belittles you and someone who points out part of your personality that you might want to work on. That big question from before – Should I stay or should I go? If you think you should go and you’re pretty sure you’re not running – then go. Just be sure – because if we run – we inevitably attract the same pattern into our lives again.

In all situations – when we feel hurt – forgiveness is the only way to bring about closure.

As Jupiter moves toward Sagittarius, we head into a time of higher truth. We may be on the verge of a real spiritual awakening, both personally and globally. But before we get there – in the time between now and say the beginning of Winter – we must complete our willingness to grow through the Scorpio process of emotional honesty.

No matter whether you stay or go – just be honest about it.

Your spiritual growth moving forward depends on it!