Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of astrology would know that Scorpio is the sign of sex, death and anything below the belt. While some Scorpios enjoy being labelled the bad boys of the zodiac, most cringe at the stereotype (just as Virgos hate being told they’re anally retentive, critical and boring!)
However, if you’ve read my recent Stargazer columns you’ll be aware that, stereotype or not, we are in a period where Scorpio energy is bursting out of the underworld into the mainstream. Last month we looked at the phenomenal popularity of the soft porn novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ and in my September column, I wrote: “There’s no doubt that September ushers in an abundance of Scorpio energy that will be with us for quite some time. With Mars and the North Node already in Scorpio and Saturn about to move into Scorpio in October for a three- year stay plus a Scorpio solar eclipse in November, any deep and dark secrets will be revealed, like it or not!”
Well revealed they have been, with newspapers and other media publishing tale after tale of Scorpionic happenings both good and bad over the past month. Whether it’s sex, death, drugs, corruption, power, lies, underworld activity, rebirth or healing, here are just some of the leading stories. See how many Scorpio themes you can spot.
22nd September – Jill Meagher (Sun, Venus and Jupiter in Scorpio – born 30/10/1982) is abducted, raped and murdered by a stranger who follows her home after late night drinks in a bar in Brunswick and assaults her in a dark alleyway then buries her body miles away in a field. In the days following her death, other women speak out about sex attacks in the Brunswick area and a creepy man wearing black leather gloves.
27th September – Adrian Bayley (Jupiter in Scorpio – born 14/7/1971) is arrested and charged with Jill Meagher’s murder. Bayley is caught because his movements are recorded on a surveillance camera. Prisoners in high security jails hold prayer vigils for Jill with some threatening to kill or take revenge on Bayley.
29th September – Public anger triggers an advertising backlash after Alan Jones, one of Sydney’s best-known radio hosts, jokes at a Liberal Club dinner that prime minister Julia Gillard’s father must have “died of shame" because of her lies in Parliament. 27,000 people sign a petition calling for advertisers to withdraw their support from Jones’s 2GB show and many companies including Woolworths, Mercedes-Benz, Freedom Furniture and ING Direct do just that. Jones is labeled a ‘thoughtless bastard’.
30th September – Jill’s murder sparks public outrage and overwhelming grief. More than 30,000 people spontaneously march down Sydney Road in Brunswick to mourn her death and protest against violence against women. Kate O'Brien, of the University of Sydney's Reclaim the Night organising committee, says she expects a record turnout for the protest against rape and sexual violence planned for late October in Sydney. ''We've already got more than 800 people saying they will march on Facebook - that's unprecedented. Our last big turnout was in 2006, when Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali compared woman to 'uncovered meat'.''
5 th October - Jill Meagher’s grieving family release 29 doves at her funeral, once for each year of her life (she was killed at her Saturn return). The dove is a symbol of peace and one of the symbols for Scorpio.
7 th October - Channel 10’s Underground telemovie on Julian Assange and news program Julian Assange: The Real Story attract a combined viewing audience of over 2 million viewers. The telemovie tracks the WikiLeaks founder’s teen years and provokes plenty of social media chat with thousands of peop
8 th October - As if to cement the celebrity status from his TV coverage, Assange (Moon, Ascendant and Jupiter in Scorpio – born 3/7/71) is visited by Lady Gaga (Moon, Pluto and South Node in Scorpio – born 28/3/86) at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he has sought political asylum.
9th October - Videos of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (Mercury, Neptune and Ascendant in Scorpio – born 29/9/61) blasting Opposition Minister Tony Abbott in Parliament for his sexism and misogyny are broadcast all over the world. Gillard who spoke of her offence at Abbott standing next to signs saying ‘ditch the witch’ and calling her ‘a man’s bitch’, becomes an overnight champion for women’s rights. (And in case you’re wondering, Abbott is a Scorpio, with Sun, Mercury, Neptune and the North Node in Scorpio… - born 4/11/57). Those who enjoyed Gillard’s performance will remember she was responding to a motion from Tony Abbott demanding Speaker Peter Slipper’s resignation following revelations of lewd text messages where Slipper compared women’s genitals to jars of mussels. Slipper was also fighting charges of sexual harassment and bodged expenses claims. He later resigned from his post as Speaker.
10th October – Following a lengthy investigation, US anti-doping agency reports reveal that seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was involved for years in a sprawling, sophisticated doping program employing cunning methods to beat the sport’s drug-testing system. The issue of drug cheats in sport swamps the media. Armstrong is likely to be stripped of his titles.
15th October – Champion jockey Damian Oliver finds himself in the middle of a betting scandal that costs him his place in the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate races. It is alleged that he placed a $10,000 bet on a rival horse in a race he was also riding in.
All we need now to finish off the Scorpio theme is a financial crash. Stay tuned!