Scorpio New Moon of Riding the Wave with Echinodontium tinctorium
New Moon of Riding the Wave in 4°25' Scorpio
Fungus: Indigenous "Indian" Paint Fungus or Echinodontium tinctorium
Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 8:38 PM (PST)
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| Echinodontium tinctorium (Michael Beug). |
Echinodontium tinctorium
Indigenous Paint Fungus
Riding the wave of transformationEchinodontium tinctorium is a fungus that energizes change through rotting the insides of trees, leaving a unique, hollow tree body to be used as habitat for other organisms, and by providing colorful pigment for humans to use, honor, and decorate. The energy of change is different from the energy of building. The energy of building requires a steady, thorough, step-by-step process. The energy of change requires rapid, intense motion. Moving or birthing, for instance, take a lot of energy, and Scorpio has to be willing to exert themselves to do the work to make the change. Catching the wave of change is like riding a wave. Even though you may lose control temporarily and feel fearful, staying on the wave takes you to shore. To make the change, stay in touch with the energy you feel.
E. tinctorium is a parasitic fungus that causes the majority of heart rot in North American conifers -- primarily true fir, spruce (not Sitka), and western hemlocks. The fungus' latin name means "pointed tooth" and "pigment or paint", while the commonly used English name of "Indian Paint Fungus" refers to Indigenous American use of this mushroom in preparation of red pigments used for body decoration, paint, or dye. I've changed the common name to "Indigenous Paint Fungus". Scorpio is transformation, sex, death, and rebirth. Death and decay is often met with fear and resistance, but by sometimes breaking down our insides we can become aware of what each being needs in order to thrive.
Like any New Moon, we initiate spores for germination. For eventual hyphal growth, mycelial formation, fruiting body creation, and spore liberation. What are your intentions for this Scorpio New Moon phase, through the Taurus Full Moon on 11/12, for the next 29 days of cultivation and release? Meditate with, nourish, and listen to your reproductive system, sexual organs, mucous membrane, bladder, and pelvic bowl during this season as these are the body parts illuminated by Scorpio. What do you hold in these places?
The themes for this moon phase are super Scorpionic emotional transformation as we are in Scorpio season (until 11/22) and many personal planets are already in Scorpio. And this Scorpio New Moon celebrates one full year's moon cycle return for WeRecomposing MycoAstrology! Yay!!!! A warm and loving thank you to all of you who read and share this MycoAstrology. The fungi and I deeply appreciate your support and inspiration and are so tickled to continue our dance.
Exact to a degree (the fourth degree), this New Moon is opposite Uranus in Taurus, urging us to confront what's strange, new, unusual, and to let go of expectations, disrupt deeply holding patterns, and liberate emotional entanglements. Sudden cracks may appear with those closest to you, and this can unveil true needs and desires. Scorpio has a strong sense of purpose and wants to get at the heart of every matter.
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| Echinodontium tinctorium conk (Ellis & Everh). |
Release attachment to ownership and task
Scorpio is one of four fixed signs (traced back to Latin, "fixus" means "fix onto"). Scorpio wants to secure a kingdom and is not known for their flexibility. Also a water sign, the dichotomy between rigidity and emotionality often leaves Scorpio at war with itself. Scorpio has the power to be an acute and attentive tracker -- a detective of behaviors, emotions, and subtle patterns. The Scorpio/Taurus axis is one that chooses constructive change and self-discipline over attachment to comfort, possessiveness, and ownership. Scorpio accepts support and help from others and has the humility to let others in.
Echinodontium tinctorium is not just a functional mushroom, it is also one associated with deeply rooted tradition and ceremony with Indigenous North Americans. It is easy for Scorpio to be task oriented, single-minded, and overly focused. If Scorpio can refocus their identity on becoming process oriented, and mainly people oriented, they have more possibility than any other to generate power and vitality. How can you support yourself and others in nourishing confidence and esteem for the task at hand?
When you attune yourself to the motivation of others', temporarily allowing yourself to join the other person's force field, do you feel more empowered and energized? If yes, then you can be open to merging power and creating synergy. What is important to this other person in this situation? If you don't feel empowered, and you need to attune yourself to your own motivation, what do you need? Where are you coming from?
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| Echinodontium tinctorium conk with slice to see internal red tint (Douglas and Clamath Co., OR, USA) |
Scorpio absolves whatever causes stagnation and low energy
Echinodontium tinctorium is a saprophytic fungus (death-eater) and produces woody, hoof-shaped conk mushrooms under branch stubs (under old trunk branches) or on tree wounds. The conks can form low to the ground and can be found trailing up the whole tree body. The number of these conks on a tree correlates to how much the inside of the tree has rotted. This is a conk that tends to fall off trees once in old age. The upper surface of the mushroom is dark gray or black, rough, and cracked. The lower surface is composed of thick, blunt, tooth-like spines. At maturity, the outer surface of these "teeth" are fertile and produce millions of spores carried by the wind that can infect surrounding healthy trees.
E. tinctorium is a parasitic fungus that causes the majority of heart rot in North American conifers. This means that this parasitic fungus decomposes and often hollows out the inside of older, mature trees in advanced stages of decay. This unique function actually leaves some trees standing as important habitat for insects and birds and nurse logs for regeneration as timber harvesters don't care to harvest hollow trees.
Personal Planets in Scorpio
Moon: habitual responses, emotions.
Sun: attention, vitality, consciousness.
Venus: what we value, where we find pleasure (10/10/8-11/1).
Mercury: how we communicate, early childhood development, mental space (10/3-12/9).
Pallas Athena (asteroid): competence, the capacity to translate into action what we know to be true (8/26-11/7).
Mars (action and assertion) will be in Scorpio 11/19-1/3/20.
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio 10/31-11/20
Mercury will be in Scorpio for an unusually long period due to retrograde (10/3 - 12/9). Mercury stations retrograde on 10/31 in 27° Scorpio, travels back to 11° Scorpio which is where it will station Direct on 11/19. Mercury will complete its shadow on 12/7 (surpassing the 27° point of Scorpio), which is when the full effect of Retrograde will be complete and we will be supported to thoroughly integrate our retrograde experience. We will be supported to clear our own shadow.
Mercury retrograde will be about feeling a new way by creating mental peace through emotional transformation. Retrograde means to retrace steps, to internalize, revise, rethink, reorient, or pause. Mercury retrograde can reveal a shadow or disowned component in our awareness or communication with ourselves and with others. During this time, you can notice patterns of your own shadow and how you behave unconsciously with your own actions.
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| Echinodontium tinctorium teeth. |
If you're feeling overwhelmed or confused this season, ask yourself, "what energy of transformation did I just become aware of?" or "what Scorpionic entity is making itself known to me?". Instead of (or maybe after) feeling frustrated, refocus the lens on a larger picture. Scorpio transforms, and often that ain't easy. Welcome the sensations and the emotions and engage in a dialogue with these energies that are doing the dirty work that nobody else wants to do. Hiding them only makes it more painful. Honor them and thank them for showing up and thank those who also added ingredients to the pot.
The spores of Echinodontium tinctorium are dispersed during cool, wet weather in the fall and can remain viable throughout cold winters. The spores actually germinate best after a period of freezing temperatures and can remain dormant for hundreds of years.
You can receive a personalized reading of your chart and how it plays with current astrological energies at WeRecomposing.com. Happy Scorpio Season and many deep, sporulating blessings!
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