Dear Friend and Reader:

This week the sky deepens its shift toward Scorpio, as tomorrow the Sun ingresses this fixed water sign that ‘fixes’ the season begun last month. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, that means autumn; for all readers, it means a season marked by the themes of secrets, sex, deep transformation and taboos.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Eric will take up these themes and more in his broadcast of Planet Waves FM tonight, which will post by 8 pm EDT. He will add some extra commentary on the theme of codependency, alcohol and substance abuse, covered by Amanda in today’s Daily Astrology — see below.

Eric began the week in Monday’s Daily Astrology column by inviting readers to see and challenge the many ways we carry denial about ourselves. Mercury stationed retrograde in Scorpio Monday, initiating us into a three-week period designed to cut though any games of ‘pretend’ we’re playing with ourselves. An upcoming solar eclipse in Scorpio should give us a boost in that.

In today’s Daily Astrology column, we’ve noticed that the current astrology calls to mind “the Karpman triangle” — a configuration that shows how the abuser-victim-enabler relationship of co-dependency can become a self-perpetuating system. A square between Vesta in Virgo and Pholus and Ixion in Sagittarius brings in the way that alcohol and a sense of detachment can be used to justify immoral or toxic behavior.

Later today Len Wallick describes how, once the Sun enters Scorpio tomorrow, its aspect to Neptune in Pisces offers an opportunity for you to understand more consciously that elusive yet pervasive planet. Len’s column posts to the blog at about noon.

Yours & truly,

Amanda Painter