Reflections from an extremist scorpio rising...

Everyone who has even heard the slightest bit about astrology knows that Scorpio is the most intense sign among the zodiac. Everyone has something to say about how possessive, intense, and passionate they are!

As a Scorpio rising myself, I can confirm that, yes, we are a bit intense! Today, being the first day of Scorpio season, it felt appropriate to discuss how Scorpios can find balance. As a Libra sun, I try to achieve balance in all areas of my life, and right now, I feel that my Scorpio needs harmonizing. In fact, I was trying to google "tips for Scorpio extremism," and didn't find anything. I've been going through yet another cycle of working so hard that I crash and get sick. How do I find balance when I'm extremely passionate and hardworking? I do I find health in body of ambition?

So, in a path of self discovery, I've tried my best to answer my own questions for you. I'm certain there are other scorpios like me experiencing burnout.

Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, a planet with a phoenix-type archetype. Like a phoenix, Scorpios intensely transform from one way to another; they literally burn to ashes and emerge completely new. Scorpios aren't afraid to make this change and can often go to extremes when it comes to this transformation and idealism.

For me, with Scorpio as my ascendant bordering my first house of self, I can say for sure that my sense of self is constantly evolving. As a military kid, my life transformed every 3-4 years whenever we moved to a new place. It was easy for me to shed my skin and become someone new; I could molt the ideas of myself that I didn't like, and when I entered a new school, I could embody that person. I could be whoever I wanted to be, and to some extent, having the empowerment of embodying whoever I wanted came at an expense.

You see, Scorpio risings are like ice mirrors. A fixed water sign - think of water that is so hard, it's shiny. You blow off the snow powder and poof, you see yourself within the mirror. Being whoever I wanted to be sometimes meant reflecting the people around me. Compounded by a Libra sun wanting to please anyone and everyone to keep the peace, I used my Scorpio mirror to reflect other people in myself... doing this for too long meant that I eventually lost myself in the process. I became what other people wanted in order to feel heard and loved, and in the process lost the path to loving myself in my own unique way.

Reflecting now, I see how important my Scorpio aspects are to my vital being. They drive me to be ambitious and passionate, but I go through so many cycles of burnout and productivity because this energy is on overdrive most of the time. As a student of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a background in Western Medicine, I often feel the pressure that if I am not doing the best, or putting in the most effort, or trying my hardest, then any B grade and below is a failure. I tell myself (sometimes unconsciously) that if I do not become the best doctor of Chinese Medicine, then I am not worthy of being a doctor at all. Psychology experts would point out my all-or-nothing language in a heartbeat. Everything must be done in excess, or else everything is for nothing. I must put ALL of my energy into something in order to achieve greatness, or ALL of myself is NOTHING.

Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like a typical day in the life as a Scorpio rising. I do admit that this sounds pretty extreme! Putting yourself under that kind of pressure is just a volcano waiting to explode, and at that point when working under so much excess, you really do lose everything. You lose your mind and your body in the process and eventually your spirit, because your path back to your eternal self is lost.

Writing this and living it are two different things, for sure. But I know that my heart holds the answers whenever I am experiencing distress, and the best way to bring out the best in myself is to just pause and listen. This blog is an effort to help other people experiencing similar things because I believe that open vulnerability creates community healing.

So if you are a scorpio in distress, too, then this is the blog for you!

When it comes to revitalizing and empowering your scorpio energy in a way that directs you down a path towards your highest self, there are three things you need to understand when it comes to scorpio: your POWER, your BOUNDARIES, and your PASSION.

My first set of advice for any scorpio rising is to understand your POWER of influence.

Scorpio has the innate ability to immediately see through bullshit. I often say that when people have a problem with me, they are most of the time projecting their own problems onto me. As a Scorpio mirror, I reflect that person back to themselves, and this often makes an unaware person unhappy. This can give you great power; knowledge is power after all. Obviously, this power should never be used to manipulate or hurt someone; this is not a productive way of using Scorpio energy and is begging for bad karma. I urge you as a Scorpio to use your knowledge to EMPOWER people. Scorpio people are known for being harsh with their words; they can cut through people with their ice swords... but in my opinion, using your ice sword to make people feel worse is only melting your potential. You can see how someone's mental illness is affecting them or even see their problems at home; why not use this knowledge to offer healing? What can you do to bring light to the world when it is shrouded in darkness? Scorpio, you of all signs, can see the best in darkness.

Questions for you to understand your POWER:

1. In what areas to I use my power and in what areas do I neglect my potential?

2. In what ways have I mis-used my power?

3. What do I look like when I am in my highest power?

4. What happens when I take my power too far?

Second, as pluto being your ruler, you need to understand your BOUNDARIES.

As passionate people (to be discussed in the next paragraph), Scorpios are intensely loyal. Much like Taurus, they hold on to people or things that may or may not serve them. For me, problems with boundaries have manifested as desperately wanting friendship, but failing to find lasting connections with people because I go in too far too fast. Normal friendships happen with time and patience. Or, on the contrary, I cut relationships too fast without giving the other person a chance to tell their side of the story. Boundaries serve a purpose, to create a distinction between myself and someone else. We cannot use our Scorpio mirrors to build friendships when all we do is become a chameleon. This is tiring and frustrating long term because pretending and acting is hard! Scorpio, you must learn to be yourself regardless of what person is standing in front of you. No one will love you more or less if you change yourself to fit in their shoes. The only shoes you need to focus on are finding the right ones that fit YOU.

Questions for you to understand your BOUNDARIES:

1. How do I distinguish myself from other people?

2. How do I react around other people?

3. How do I feel and act authentic when I am with other people?

4. How can I empower other people without crossing the line?

5. What do my boundaries look/feel like?

6. How do I enforce my own boundaries?

As a water sign, you need to understand your PASSION. Traditional astrology dictates that Scorpio is ruled by Mars. Mars-ruled people are either warriors in the sun (like Aries) or night ninjas (like Scorpio). We are sensual and passionate people willing to go to war over the things that we love and feel strongly about! Passion is what fuels desire and completes tasks. If I wasn't passionate about Traditional Chinese Medicine, then there is no way that I'd pursue it. However, passion at a high level has the unfortunate tendency to mold into PARANOIA. This is similar to Pisces delusions - when you believe things that do not have a stake in reality. As a seer of the darkness, my fears are easily manifested as worries about punishment from spirits, or God, or other people thinking badly of me. When I experience moments like these, I remind myself that God would NEVER punish me. When I am passionate, I am channeling His love. Anything that is judgmental, or puts me ill-at-ease is something I should turn away from.

Furthermore, as a fixed energy, we can stay stubborn and loyal to things that no longer serve us. We hold on to things that are hurting us. For me, I am so hung up on being the best at everything that I put aside the needs of my mind and body so that I can accomplish my ambitions. What's the point of sacrificing myself for my ambitions if I'm not even there to see the finish line?

Questions to understand your PASSION:

1. What does passionate productivity look like to me?

2. In what ways do I take my passion too far?

3. How do I downplay or hide my passion from other people?

4. How can I empower other people with my passion?

5. How can I channel my passion into taking care of myself (mind, body and spirit)?

6. Does this passion I have about XYZ still benefit me?

7. Am I using my passion to help other people?

Having scorpio in your chart is not the end of the world, and no, God is not trying to punish you with large losses. Scorpio energy is your GIFT. When you understand how you can use your PASSION, POWER, AND BOUNDARIES to your benefit, then you are a high functioning scorpio!

With scorpio energy in your chart, you have the immense potential of generating awareness for society at large, your passion is LOUD and inspires other people, and your dedication to yourself shows other people how to do the same. Your intensity can change the world as you evolve and grow.

Just remember, that a little bit is enough. "A little bit" to you is like an ocean to other people! Your tendency to go to extremes with all things can lead to your downfall if you do not channel this energy correctly. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we often say that if either yin or yang predominates, they will eventually separate from each other. Without the balance of the two, life cannot go on. I urge you to look within and give yourself the grace to love yourself wherever you are in life and begin to understand your scorpio so that you may find balance.

~ Jilly

P.S. If you are still hungry to learn about more scorpio energy, I recommend checking out this video. Chris Brennan has been my go-to for all learning of astrology and has he says in this video, he has the proper credentials to discuss scorpio energy!

Another great read is this book! Britten Larue beautifully discusses how to fit the scorpio archetype into your every day life.