Embodiment, Lung Care, + Processing Grief through the Lens of the Scorpio New Moon

Soma in the cycle of the Scorpio New Moon

They say.. When you lose a loved one, you should mourn plenty. If not, the grief travels all through your body and it bursts later. —Hometown, Cha, Cha, Cha

The autumn season reflects our existential experience of waning cycles. Loss and endings are inevitable, but letting go happens as a choice. Mourning is a natural part of that process, but if we fail to acknowledge and move through our grief, fully, we’re likely to find ourselves stuck. It’s not uncommon considering our relationship to the vastness of Yin (a poetic description for the void that dark, dreamless sleep, and death are). 

In modern, and industrialized countries the larger societal body is distanced from much of its roots and ancestors; there’s hope as many are enthusiastically reconnecting to their bloodline and heritage. Up to this point, rituals have become lopsided to favor the energetics of light/fire, speed, action, and the to boost consumerism and continuity plans. The space and rituals for slowing down and letting go have basically been cluttered up and pushed out. 

The avoidance of what the fall (don’t we call it “fall” for a reason?) represents symbolically doesn’t lead to permanent relevance or immortality, it leads to stuckness. As a fixed sign, Scorpio has become the sign we associate with ghosts (perhaps not just for Halloween) which are the epitome of stagnant, trapped Qi. When we don’t properly allow for release, we too become ghosts, like a broken record unable to play a song.

Whether we’ve lost a person we care about, a livelihood or a career, a relationship, it’s essential we have support and time to process. Be it through ceremony, or some other form of event that solemnizes an ending and new beginning, we honor our body and humanity by carving space out for rituals that provide closure. When we say goodbye to the life of a loved one, for example, we bid farewell to their Shen/spirit and their physical presence in our life. To deny ourselves enough time for closure means the body will later force the release it didn’t receive.

In the culture and language of Chinese medicine, Guei (which means ghost), has an association with the Po spirit. The Po (corporeal spirit) is associated with the tender organ, the Lung. The breath is the manifestation of the body, and thus the Po spirit (associated with the metal element in Wu Xing theory) encourages embodiment. The Lung (and large intestine, which is the yang counterpart to the Lungs) is injured by too much grief and sadness (crying and depression disrupt our breathing patterns and thus our Qi). Chronic  breathing issues, skin disorders, and bowel diseases are all examples of imbalance that can occur from unprocessed grief, sadness, and trauma. 

There is a season for everything. Almost 2 years into a pandemic has revealed divisiveness and led to much loss. What good has come from anyone who’s dealt with major health issues or has fallen sick from COVID or other viruses? First I’m convinced that most don’t leave this period unscathed. Mental health *is* health (or lack of) and a majority have suffered on at least that end if not more. The opportunity in dealing with sickness is orienting back into your body. That’s not always pleasant. Sickness reminds us of that. Trauma does too. The body doesn’t always feel like a safe space, and a Scorpio new moon ruled by Mars in Scorpio might be a time to seek out your safety person, group, or dark hidey hole in order to titrate your way into your body, which you were born into. For those fortunate to have health restored, it is a chance to be more present, somatically (I’m using it as a word). The body’s memory of wellness re emerges and you can once again enjoy the basics, yet essentials, of sleep, clear breath, appetite, and hopefully proximity. 

If you have a significant Scorpio placement in your chart, you might be familiar with what it means to be so deeply attached to a person, place, thing, or moment that you feel merged with them. You don’t need to have such a placement for that too be true, but Scorpio placements will undoubtedly recall something because the water sign is all about depth of experience.

You don’t need permission to cry, but in case you grew up being told “don’t cry” or you’re still being told, “it’s okay, don’t cry” as a form of invalid consolation, I’d like to say, “it’s okay to cry; it’s okay to not be okay right now”. There’s no pressure to be better. 

Seek out support that allows you to breathe softer, deeper, and slower. Find people that inspire you to donate and give (without a lot of thought) if you’re in such a position… it could simply be a sandwich to a homeless person or flowers on a grave. Sing softly to yourself to recalibrate your qi if you have the energy. Eat and drink with the intention of having healthy, regular bowel movements 💩 and journal with the main focus on your feeling quality and what you need to get to the next feeling wanting to come forward. 

Let your heart break open and drop the story. —Pema Chodrin