Practices for Death and Rebirth for Scorpio Season

In the Northern Hemisphere, November means leaning into the colder, darker months. The winter is a natural death cycle that invites us to slow down and turn inward as the leaves fall from the trees and the ground freezes over. We are in Scorpio season now, the astrological sign associated with the Death card in Tarot. It can be a scary card to get in a reading—in my deck, it’s an image of a skeleton gleefully dancing with a scythe over a disembodied head whose crown is toppling to the ground next to a scorpion. In some ways, though, it’s a good omen—it means that what needs to die will die, that what’s been holding on can let go. Beheading in yoga mythology always means the death of the ego; Scorpio season is all about cutting off your own head so you can see into the wisdom of your heart.

Death comes up for us in all kinds of ways, and some forms of death can be healing. Letting go of a toxic relationship or pattern in our lives can clear up space for healthier forms of connection. Sometimes we need to let go of a self we used to be or will never be so we can honor and acknowledge who we are now. Being honest about what needs to go helps prepare for the new birth or rebirth that always cycles back with the spring. It’s natural to want to avoid feelings of grief and loss, but Scorpio is a water sign that insists we get in touch with our emotions and let the tears flow. This is a season to listen to your heart. Here are some practices you can do to honor your grief as we enter into the season of generative death.

Yin and Restorative Yoga

The darker season wants us to slow down and pay attention to our bodies. In our crazy busy lives, we don’t often take the time to really pause and focus on what we feel. A yin or restorative yoga class with a qualified teacher is generally appropriate for most bodies and gives you the opportunity to rest in stillness in yoga poses where you can breathe and stay focused on sensation and emotion. Allowing emotions to move at their own pace can feel like shedding a skin.

Tarot Readings

Tarot doesn’t have to be as mystical and complicated as it sometimes seems. It’s essentially a practice of working with symbols, and as such it’s an excellent way to communicate with your subconscious mind. The cards may not tell the future, but reading them for yourself may give you some clarity about how you actually feel or help you organize your thoughts about a problem. A simple practice with Tarot is to find a deck you like, shuffle the cards, and pull one out at random every day for, say, a moon cycle. Before you read the description, reflect on what the image looks like to you and how it makes you feel. Most decks come with a key so you can read about what each card means.

Moon Meditations to Honor Heartbreak and Hope

Following the moon is an incredibly supportive practice as we enter into what I like to think of as moon season. Start a daily practice on the new moon and, every day until the full moon, set aside some time to meditate and journal.

Listen to a full moon meditation for letting go.