“If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it.'“
-Charles Bukowski
The season of decay is here—up north at least, and according to the Tropical Zodiac. Green leans to other parts of the color spectrum, that metallic nip to the air has us pulling on more layers, and we ponder what we want to pretend to be on All Hallows Eve. It’s a time of descending energies and deeper wavelengths. And for this turn around our star, it also feels like a Scorpio season that promises a wyrd hell by the end of it.
When the Sun squared Pluto on its way into the swamp that is sometimes expressive of this fixed water, a thick layer of dread came over me. Knowing that we are officially in the pre-shadow of the Mars Rx as well with its opposition to Pluto teed up just two days before the election, it’s clear that the co-rulers of Scorpio have had a plan for us all along. This is why it’s essential to have a profound awareness of that “something” that burns in our Souls because, without it, we will be torn apart by the political hurricane heading straight for us.
Bukowski was a man hated by most. He was master at summoning disgust in many by not just his poetry, but also in his appearance alone. What most miss though, is the brilliant education we could receive by learning about his dedication to the craft. He wrote as if his life depended on it. It didn’t matter if he was blackout drunk or crawling to the typewriter with a hangover in the late morning light, he was committed to his writing. It’s inspiring in its grotesqueness. We all could use a bit of this, just as long as it remains non-political.
The soul doesn’t feed on attempting to change minds. It gets no satisfaction from doomscrolling the news. It’s possible it even shrinks when we fall for being a victim and allowing vitriol to course through our veins. The soul feeds on what is real. Our experience is real. Attempting to convey our experience, whether it be through ink, strings, paints, or spoken words, the soul seems to grow the more we explore this terrain. It suffers when we lose this focus. The soul-less are those who have no idea what this means.
For myself, I don’t like being lied to. It’s often a theme associated with Scorpio, and now that we are here, it’s important to remember that politicians are professional liars. I also don’t enjoy joiners—or cult-like behavior. Parties are festering boils of such realities. It’s important to remember this as the divisive rhetoric gets louder in the coming weeks, but it’s even more important to remember that piece about the Soul. I’m not saying don’t pay attention, but what I am saying is when you feel the hate perk its nasty head up to the surface, do something with it that turns into soul food, and don’t allow it to scare those close away.
This Scorpio session also includes Mercury as an evening star in this brackish sign. I recently had the opportunity to tell the story of Hermes’ first day to a couple of my favorite kiddos, and they had no idea that there would be no music if he hadn’t transformed that lovely tortoise into the world’s first lyre. They, as brothers, were also quite taken by how Hermes made amends with his brother Apollo by gifting it to him after thieving his cattle. What they seemed to take away from my telling is that sometimes you have to break an egg to make an omelet, but also, no-thing is as important as the love and balance that is possible between us—not just siblings, but in all our relations.
Politics will do this. Sports will do this. Holding grudges will absolutely do this. It’s time for us all to contemplate pupating a few of our ideas. Choose the ones that seem polarizing. Chuck the ones that you know for sure aren’t your own into the cocoon as well. It’s time to make sure we grow some magic from our shit and patiently await the colorful wings to fill our imaginations once again. There is much to look forward to in the coming days.
If you felt this to be dark, well, that was the point. Welcome to our seasonal purgatory with the greatest odds for transformation. This is the only way through it, and it’s not a cozy path; to survive Scorpio season, something in us must die. November 5th will kill something in the hearts of at least half of us. May it be an honorable death.
Enjoy it. It won’t last forever.
a Bukowski poem to leave you with:
No Leaders Please
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself, don’t swim in the same slough. invent yourself and then reinvent yourself and stay out of the clutches of mediocrity.
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself, change your tone and shape so often that they can never categorize you.
reinvigorate yourself and accept what is but only on the terms that you have invented and reinvented.
be self-taught.
and reinvent your life because you must; it is your life and its history and the present belong only to you.
-adam
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Wow! I love this. I hope it is read and shared widely. Thank you Adam.
Also, as someone outside America I wonder, is the division is bad on the ground in the US as it seems to be online? As bad as both corporate and independent media make out? Is there common ground to be found anywhere?
The manipulation of the people by AI and algorithm, coupled with increasing censorship and propaganda, is only just getting started. It’s daunting for sure.
It seems all that will be left is to seek Self. Remain anchored to authenticity. Resist the urge to cling to comfort.
Thanks again Adam. What a ride!