The Sun enters Scorpio III, The Crow, on 11 November 2024 at 4:47 pm EST. Austin Coppock named this decan that, while T. Susan Chang named it Mortal Beauty. The Sun will be in this decan until 21 November 2024 at 2:57 pm EST, making nine days, 22 hours, and ten minutes. This decan is associated with the 7 of Cups — which, in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, is a person being shown a vision of seven chalices of desirable futures, ranging from power and wealth to love and mystical vision. Indeed, there are many desirable experiences… and all of them are contingent possibilities rather than essential realities. That is to say, these experiences do not arise out of nothing, but out of our own search for them.

The ruler of this decan is Venus — and it’s perhaps telling that the three decans of the Mars-ruled signs are always ruled by Mars first, then the Sun, and then Venus — the longings of Ambition and Desire always flank the middle ground of our own higher soul’s awareness of what we are “supposed to do with our lives”. As a result, a planet’s transition through a Mars-ruled sign first starts working to achieve some goal under Mars, then hauls itself up short to ask, “wait, what am I doing with this?” and questions its intentions under the Sun, before finally renewing its activity with some minor tweaks of direction under Venus. This is especially true when the Sun is in Scorpio, which tends to focus on our carnal longings, which have the power to overwhelm our ethical or moral values if the situation allows for it.

The Egyptianized Greeks of Alexandria turned to the band of the korybantes at this time of year, according to a list produced by the Christian apologist Cosmas of Jerusalem in the 2nd or 3rd century CE (his list is somewhat corrupted, and may also refer to Kairos the god of opportunity, who is also celebrated at Libra II). The minor deity Corybas, and his band of merrily meddling spirits the korybantes, were a class of masculine spirits associated with the more violent and dangerous aspects of the natural world — in the same way that the nymphs are the feminine and gentle spirits of Scorpio I, watching over placid glades and gentle spring pools, the korybantes are the wild spirits of waterfalls, rockslides, storms, whirpools, and dangerous headlands or underwater reefs. They wreck ships, bury or kill travelers on dangerous and lonely stretches of road, and drop dead tree limbs on the unwary woods-walker. All over the Greek-speaking world, they were honored by a dance of male youths in plumed helmets and partial armor, carrying shields and spears — and the ring of metal on metal, the clashing of arms and the thundering, jumping feet, was said to assuage the potential violence of these spirits, while helping make the young men brave enough to bear arms for their city. It wouldn’t hurt, either, that the dance was performed before the whole populace, and that “partial armor” is as much euphemism for “mostly naked” as modern shows about gladiators are much about the sexual tensions as the battle scenes. Now we know how Venus’ energy comes in, right?

The dodeks of Scorpio III are Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra — the potential fears of the performer about to go on stage is transformed into the moment when the actor or musician steps out onto the stage and becomes the lion (or the lion-tamer) that the crowd has assembled to see. Now the fears drop away as the performer leans deep into the technicals of their intended performance. Money changes hands (or other resources), as the performance delivers on the performer’s intention, and the audience receives what they hoped for when they bought tickets. Alternately, the first trickle appearance of water, or the steady flame arising from the spark, or the unsteadiness of earth, or the sudden change in the wind — these are among the signals that the nature of Nature has the potential to turn violent, and that the current serenity is contingent, not guaranteed.

I’ve written about Scorpio III five previous times, in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Planetary Archetypes

One of the ways to think about Scorpio III this time around, is as the estate sale of a very rich bisexual doctor with exquisitely gothic tastes, with an embarrassed niece or nephew acting as executor and managing the sale. There’s all sorts of things available, and everything is priced to sell. There’s time to wander all over the house and examine every nook and cranny for what you might want to take home.

Uranus is poking around in the little folly-structure at end of the garden, and has discovered it’s a little chapel furnished with dark oak prie-dieu’s rescued from a 15th century Swiss convent… or maybe it’s the painted wooden paneling from a ransacked Tibetan lamasery. He’s checking his bank account, either way, to see if he can afford it.

Jupiter is looking over a set of legal bookcases in the office, filled with little medical models of various human body parts — eyes, ears, nose, throat, thorax — and gorgeous first editions of medical classics. He can’t help but notice that the genital models are the ones that have been most well-handled, and he’s squicked but also strongly tempted. Bookcases? Medical models? Maybe both.

Mars is in the grand living room, where everything is big: big fireplace, big overstuffed couches and armchairs, big coffee table, and big end tables. He’s got his boots up on a table and he’s eyeing a suit of armor by the front door — He thinks he could get into that suit, it’s real, right? Trouble may ensue.

The Sun is in the bedroom — a room where he’s been before, under happier circumstances. The Sun happens to know where the secret lever is to the private ‘toy box’, and is lovingly remembering some of the good doctor’s… ahem… kinkier habits…

Mercury is in the office, perusing a stack of the doctor’s journals and working notes. THere’s a lot of good information in here for understanding how to better practice medicine and achieve good health. But there’s also a lot of blackmail material, and it’s unclear which way the herald-planet intends to lean.

Venus is in the cellars perusing the wine cellar while Pluto is in the store-rooms at the other end of the basement, checking out the amazing gaming computers, monitors, and VR rig… and he’s realized that several of the gamer accounts are still logged in, many of them with valuable virtual gear well-suited to making real-world profit. Is this a bitcoin account number and password? What are these things worth in cash, now?

Saturn, the Moon, and Neptune are out on the indoor-outdoor terrace by the pool and garden, prepping for a negotiated bidding war… who wants the authentic carved Jizo statue, who’s after the state-of-the-art gas grill, who wants the eternity fountain? There’s a conglomeration of opinions, but only one of each, and everyone is sizing one another’s bidding power and concealing their desires from the others…

House Placements

The first house of self and self-presentation is Taurus, ruled by a trining Venus, and supported by the Moon from the sextile and Mars from the square. Retrograde Uranus makes his home just above the horizon, promising sudden changes in how we see and show ourselves to others. Familial one-upmanship puts a desire for friendly interactions with guests from far away at risk. Recognize that it’s best to put guests at ease, and deliver the best experience you can — but not at the risk of familial peace.

The second house of wealth and resources is Gemini, ruled by opposing Mercury and hosting Jupiter retrograde in mutual reception; retrograde Saturn also provides additional support from the eleventh house. Turn to your friends for hard facts and reminders of your real financial limitations, but recognize that your liabilities and assets are in balance when you contribute your own efforts to the equation — and have fun doing your work in the world.

The third house of siblings and neighbors is Cancer, ruled by the trining Moon and receiving support from opposed Venus. Local conditions are dependent on your creative relationships with others who are far away; it would be a good time to finish up several small projects and take stock of what you’ve learned from them.

The fourth house of home and family is Leo, ruled by the squaring Sun and receiving the sextile from retrograde Jupiter. Mars’ recent ingress brings new heat. Your family will be expected to perform in coming days, and the performance is both desired and a source of deep contentment and ease — but be alert for rising internal dissensions and keep the focus on overall performance rather than minor hiccups.

The fifth house of children and pleasures is Virgo, ruled by squaring Mercury and supported by trining Venus and opposing Moon — It will be easy to put children or your own projects through the wringer over the next few weeks as you analyze their effectiveness at doing chores or scrutinize their friends to a greater degree than usual… or take yourself to task for mistakes in process. Take care to be a responsible guest in your children’s spaces, though, and respect how they go about accumulating new skills and abilities – don’t intrude uninvited where they’re doing their own thing. Give yourself the same compassion.

The sixth house of daily labors and employees is Libra, ruled by Venus from the square and receiving support from retrograde Jupiter from the trine and Mercury from the sextile; the South Node takes a dump in the first decan. Read contractual obligations carefully and be alert to hidden expenses and fees. DO what you can yourself, and where possible accumulate some new skills — but don’t be afraid to hire experts to do what they do best. Just be aware that you may have to pay more than expected.

The seventh house of relationships is Scorpio, currently home to the Sun, but receiving Mars’ rulership from the square and getting additional support from sextile Venus and the trining Moon. A variety of toys, tools and techniques to enhance your intimacies may currently be in mind, but travel plans and household conflicts, as well as sudden shifts in plans with friends, are all in the way of “bedroom intentions.” Spontaneity is possible, but the more you try to make plans the more it’s likely to fizzle than sizzle.

The eighth house of death and taxes is Sagittarius, ruled by opposed and retrograde Jupiter, but receiving Mercury by mutual reception. Communicating your truths is likely to lead to greater financial stability; so will handling your chores in a responsible and intellectual way. Backing out of plans with friends may be difficult, but you’re more likely to get stuff done that way.

The ninth house of travel and learning is Capricorn, ruled by sextile Saturn but hosting both Pluto and Venus; the Lot of Fortune’s calculated position winds up here, too. Mars’ aversion prevents household matters from intruding on lessons or tourist considerations; Moon provides gentle support from acquaintances who want you to have a good time. It would be a fine time to review your to be read lists and your saved videos for educational content, and to collect materials relevant to desired instruction and scholarship — the time is fast approaching when you’ll be able to act on these impulses.

The tenth house of career and reputation is Aquarius, ruled by averse Saturn and receiving support from sextile Mercury and trining Jupiter retrograde. It’s hard to make progress toward big career goals, and you’re more likely to increase your infamy as a gadfly or … what did Grima Wormtongue call Gandalf? Stormcrow? Yeah, that. But if you communicate your current responsibilities clearly, you’re more likely to be accurately compensated for your labors rather than asked to take on more tasks.

The eleventh house of friends and associates is Pisces, ruled by squaring Jupiter and hosting Saturn and Neptune, both retrograde, plus the Moon. Sextile Venus provides some additional support. We’re all going to be putting our best foot forward for our friends and associates over the next ten days, but many people are going to be glum — and a good many people will be irrationally hopeful. The truth lies somewhere between those two options, of course: hard realities are likely to set in on the one hand, and there will be reason for celebration. Find good reasons to make the most of what we get.

The twelfth house of challenges, obstacles and foes is Aries, ruled by Mars in the fourth house and hosting the North Node’s hungers. Jupiter retrograde brings in support from the trine. Expansive costs or sudden gains are likely to be a significant source of both trouble and temptation in coming days. If there are windfalls, remember that this is supposed to be a reserve to deal with specific challenges; if there are unexpected costs, don’t despair, but work to negotiate reasonable repayment plans. Most of all, Aries signals instability in these matters. Expect challenges and difficulties to arise, but know that you have the resources to manage them if you can keep peace at home.

Horoscopes by Rising Sign

Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.

I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.

Taurus:

Gemini:

Cancer:

Leo:

Virgo:

Libra:

Scorpio:

Sagittarius:

Capricorn:

Aquarius:

Pisces:

Aries:

Colophon

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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.