As we slip deeper into the spiral of the season, as days are getting shorter and nights linger on, we begin to return to our internal world and the realm of the shadow. As we enter Scorpio season on October 23rd, we are led into the realm of intense depth, magick, and sensuality. Scorpio, a water sign represented by the glyph of the Scorpion, beckons us to feel all the darkness we’ve been ignoring and to alchemize our pain into art. The sign of sex, death, and rock and roll, Scorpio season is a time when we can explore the taboo without fear or shame. In this way, cannabis is the domain of the Scorpion. While at first the plant may be seen as something shocking, when you dig below the surface you’re able to see the immense healing and medicine that this plant can bring; much like the scorpion’s tough shell and sensitive interior. So too can we see Scorpio in the same light; yes, this is a season when we’re being pushed to our edge and exposed to what makes us uncomfortable, but that’s where the healing lies.
Scorpio season wants us to embrace all that we are; the sexy, sensual stoner and wise, conscious witch alike. As a sign ruled by Mars, planet of war, sex, and power, and Pluto, planet of the underworld and transformation, Scorpio doesn’t have time for surface level anything. This season is asking you to confront your demons and to make them your bitch. We can use cannabis to help us embrace our cycles of death and rebirth, to connect with the spirit realm with more ease and to celebrate the spookiest time of year. To get even more in depth with what Scorpio season can offer us stoners, I talked to astrologer and tarot reader The Tarot Lady, Theresa Reed, author of Tarot For Troubled Times, The Tarot Coloring Book and Astrology For Real Life. Read on for what smoke, watch, listen to, and practice this Scorpio season.
Method for Cannabis Consumption: Edibles
Trick-o-treating may be a faux pas for adults, but that’s okay because we have something even better: edibles. While Scorpio season is a wonderful time to bust out the water pipe or bong, since Scorpio is a water sign, there’s something so sexy about a good body high; something that Scorpio knows and appreciates. “Cannabis gummies, chocolates, or mints might be the perfect Halloween treat! Why not throw a cool Hallow’s Eve gig and pass out the candies? Sure beats bobbing for apples! Also, because Scorpios love decadence, I’d recommend baking a dark chocolate brownie with Indica. This will bring the ultimate chill vibe,” says Theresa.
If you want to practice some sex magick this season, or just want to feel things a bit differently, then working with edibles is a solid option. And if you’re worried that smoking at the séance will be frowned upon, at least you can always eat an edible beforehand.
What to Smoke During Scorpio Season: Mugwort
Ruled by the moon, Mugwort is intimately tied with the subconscious, the subtle and the psychic. Mugwort can aid us in receiving messages from the universe in the form of downloads and dreams, and it’s an excellent herb to smoke if you want to blur the edges of reality and see from a new perspective. The lunar energy of this herb compliments Scorpio season’s watery depths and the Scorpion’s ability to ebb and flow during even the most intense currents. Smoking mugwort with cannabis can aid us as we meditate to connect with our ancestors, death and the mysteries of the universe, giving space for us to process the themes Scorpio season wants us to untangle.
What Stone to Get Stoned With: Black Tourmaline
The Scorpion observes. It takes a step back to see what’s going on, to process, to feel. And then when it decides it’s unsafe or threatened, the Scorpion will sting; but only then. The Scorpion has a shell of protection on it, an exoskeleton, and we can work with black crystals like Black Tourmaline to create our own sort of skeleton armor.
As we enter one of the most energetically charged seasons of the year, we can work with both cannabis and crystals to help us find a sense of spiritual security. Black Tourmaline is an incredibly powerful protective stone that acts as a shield for our aura (our energetic body), while helping us to ground and find safety and support in the present. Black Tourmaline can help absorb any negative energy, and distill feelings of fear and worry.
Try working with cannabis alongside a black tourmaline by holding this stone in your non-dominant hand as you smoke, eat your edible, or take a hit from your vape. As you inhale, visualize breathing in white, healing light. As you exhale, imagine breathing out any worries, fear, or anxieties you have, letting the black tourmaline absorb this. Black tourmaline would be the perfect stone to work with for the ritual I’ll be sharing later in this guide as well. Place this stone on your altar or your rolling tray, or carry it with you when you need some energetic protection. And if you don’t have this stone, you can still work with it by gazing at photos of it, meditating on its properties, or visualizing the crystal as you perform the same practice as above.
What to Watch: Hocus Pocus, The Witch, Only Lovers Left Alive, Donnie Darko
Scorpio Season is when the sorceresses come out in full force, when the stuff of nightmares starts to seep into our daily life. When we’re watching movies this Halloween season, it feels appropriate to watch scary movies, and those about witches. And this feels especially appropriate if we incorporate cannabis into this. Not only has cannabis long been used in love spells, but it said that witches in Medieval times would to put a mix of psychoactive herbs on the handle of their broomsticks and then masturbate with this to induce hallucinations and visions.
No, you don’t need to go this old school to experience the transcendent power of plant magick. But you can work with flower, a vape, an edible, or CBD, to help you experience other realities; those that Hollywood has helped to craft. You can work with cannabis and embrace the power of this magick by watching a classic flick like Hocus Pocus, or a period piece like The Witch, both of which explore the archetype of the witch and her power. Or you can embrace your deepest sensual fantasies by watching Only Lovers Left Alive, the tale of two vampire lovers whose connection spans continents and centuries. Another cult Halloween appropriate movie for all of those stoners out there who love thinking about alternate dimensions and reality? Donnie Darko. All of these films will get you in the right mindset to enjoy Scorpio season in all its tantalizing glory.
What to Listen To: Marilyn Manson, True Widow, Chelsea Wolfe
Scorpio is all about what turns on your mind, body, and soul. There’s no shortcut for knowing what this is except exploring it, but music and cannabis can aid us while we search. By embracing our inner goth and our mortality, and by surrounding ourselves with the morbid, we can diminish our fear of the unknown. And during Scorpio’s reign, we can turn to music as a bridge to access these often uncomfortable parts of ourselves.
My picks for this Scorpio Season are evocative and meant to get you into the ethereal realm that late October and November offer us. Marilyn Manson, the king of the goths, can help you dance your way into the season. True Widow is the perfect stoner rock to contemplate life, death and sex to. And Chelsea Wolfe is the ultimate macabre fantasy to listen to while working a ritual, dedicating an altar or meditating on death. You may wish to smoke a sativa hybrid or a high CBD strain as you listen to this music, dancing around, lying in bed, or practicing sex magick as you allow yourself to feel and experience whatever comes up.
Ritual: Meditate on Death
Scorpio loves the aspect of rebirth that comes with death. There’s a need for evolution and transition into something new. In the tarot, the 13th card of the deck is the Death card, which is associated with Scorpio. This card is one of the most misunderstood of the divination system, and speaks not of death in a literal sense, but figuratively; one door closing so another can open. Death is a skeleton cloaked in armor, riding on a horse, here to remind us of what can be born from the decay, that often we only fix that which is broken. We are going to be practicing a stoned meditation to talk to death and this archetype in honor of this season. You may wish to look up photos of the death card or pull it out of your tarot deck to help tap into this energy.
Before you begin this meditation, decide how you want to work with cannabis. If thinking about death is something that makes you anxious, you may wish to work with CBD. I like taking a couple of hits from an indica heavy hybrid when I’m meditating, to relax but not fall asleep. Find somewhere you can sit comfortably. Consume your cannabis however you’d like, and allow this to be a ritual in itself. Start to let go of your day. As you’re ready, close your eyes and start to bring your focus on your body; let the edges of your body expand as you feel yourself dissolve and begin to visualize being in a void of complete darkness.
Stay in the present, allowing all your worries or thoughts to drift away. Then let yourself think of death; what this means, what it will be like once you die, what it will feel like. Don’t spend too much time thinking of the how, but honor whatever comes up. Let this process unfold how it’s meant to for you. You may wish to have a conversation with death, or ask her what she feels like. Maybe you talk to your ancestors or offer them a prayer. This is a chance for you to explore your fear and dive into the shadows. Let this happen in whatever way feels right. When you’re finished, thank death and yourself. Wiggle your fingers and toes, come back into your body and open your eyes. Drink some water, leave an offering of wine, cannabis, honey or sweets for death and your ancestors, eat some food and enjoy the rest of your day.
Ritual: Take a Ritual Bath in the Darkness
Scorpio season is the perfect time to nurture ourselves and explore our inner underworld with practices known as shadow work. Shadow work is when we take time to explore our pain, trauma, grief, sadness, anger, guilt, and other difficult feelings in a ritual environment. As we move deeper into autumn, we have the chance to explore this aspect of who we are with more support.
An easy shadow work ritual that’s complemented by the watery world of Scorpio? Taking a ritual bath in complete darkness. You can add Epsom salt, essential oils, and herbs like mugwort and lavender to the bath to help foster your intuition ( mugwort) while helping you stay calm, grounded, and relaxed (lavender). Run your bath and set up your space; put on some ambient music (or some Marilyn Manson, True Widow, or Chelsea Wolfe) and make sure you have everything you need. You may wish to burn incense or resin like frankincense or myrrh and play with smell to enhance the experience. If you want to take an edible, do this an hour before the bath. You can also smoke in the bathtub or before you begin your ritual; I suggest an indica hybrid to really get you in tune with the sensations in your body.
“Scorpio wants to go deep, which can make some folks uncomfortable. A bit of cannabis takes the edge off, which can lead to greater vulnerability,” Theresa explains. “My advice: smoke some weed or take a gummy – then let those inhibitions down.”
Before you begin your bath, set an intention. Do you want to commune with your shadows in a safe environment? Do you want to embrace the darkness without fear? Do you simply want to relax like the vampire you are? Get clear with this. When you’re ready, add your salt, herbs, and oils to the tub. Then, turn off the lights. Carefully get into the tub and soak. You can practice the meditation above or just breathe, allowing any worries or fear to dissipate with each exhale. If you wish, you can talk to your demons, or your darkness. Allow yourself to continue sinking deeper into the present, smoking your weed as you wish, and continuing to melt into the darkness. Stay here as long as you need, connecting to your intention as you feel called. When you’re finished, thank the darkness and yourself and exit the tub. Smoke, relax, drink some water, put on a facemask, or do whatever else you need to treat yourself, and close off the ritual.
If you feel like exploring the themes of Scorpio season even more, you can also turn to some sex magick to tap into this sensual vibe. “Scorpio rules the reproductive organs so I’d suggest Sex Magick or Tantric Sex. Sex Magick involves the use of sexual activity in ritual to manifest a specific goal,” Theresa explains. “Tantric sex also involves ritual, usually a deliberately slow method of lovemaking that creates intensity and intimacy in relationships. There is no better time to get it on, get close, and make some sexy magic!”
No matter how you answer the call of Scorpio season, may this be a time that leads you through the darkness into deep healing and transformation. Enjoy the season of the witch, and don’t forget to leave an offering of cannabis for the ancestors. And so it is!
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