Detail from Hercules and the Hydra, by Antonio Pollaiuolo, c. 1475.

Sooner or later, seekers on the spiritual path will have to “do battle” with their own inner desires. The myth of the Hydra symbolises this struggle, and it is the spiritual path of Scorpio.

Scorpio is not afraid to do battle, to go deep into the darkest depths of the human psyche and bring whatever is there into the light of awareness for healing. This is why the sign of Scorpio is associated with both priests and psychologists. A dominant theme in this internal battle is our struggle with desire.

This battle with desire is known to all who practise meditation on a deeper level, and is eloquently explained by Insight Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield in his book A Path With Heart: Continue reading →

After the recent media fuss over Ophiuchus, I wrote a post providing some basic facts to clear up the misinformation that was circulating on the Internet. My thanks to Ruth for offering today’s post – the first part in a two-part article – in which she delves deeper into the mystery and meaning of Ophiuchus using the principles of Soul Astrology. ~Pat

Hercules and the Hydra, by Antonio Pollaiuolo, c. 1475. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Setting aside the debate about Zodiac signs, one thing we know for sure is that, for whatever reason, in 2011 Ophiuchus got global attention. That in itself is significant.

Ophiuchus is now firmly planted in our collective psyche, and maybe we need to hold that image for a reason. This could be a heads-up to look at something, another signpost on our spiritual journey, a synchronicity.

Before going any further, we need to be clear about the difference between constellations and Astrological signs.

Simply put, Ophiuchus is a constellation, not a sign. Constellations are clusters of stars. There are around 88 constellations visible in the night sky from Earth, and since the beginning of time humankind has given them mythological names Continue reading →