I woke in Scorpio time. Outside it’s dark with clouds that are thick and grey. Its cold and the air damp. For a moment the sun squints through and it makes me uncomfortable. I feel pain rising, my loneliness, my emptiness as I enter the expanse of this sober contemplation. The longings and stirrings are massive. In this void, there is so much space to fill and I am spread thin and raw into this escape. Yet, all of this is familiar and I feel at home. Is this my south node/Neptune conjunction in Scorpio? Or is it how I choose to let Scorpio’s two rulers present in my natal chart? Mars sits on my 8th house cusp, Scorpio’s natural home and my will is to go as far in as possible. Pluto sits on my Ascendant, where I experience life and a journey of continual transformation that naturally roams a bottomless abyss in search of the light. Today I was really dark. I fell into fear and shame, even disgust. I went there fully and I to fight to get back. I engaged in ritual and shed my skin, my hurt and my anger. I gave it to Gaia to do her magical transformation till I felt lighter. And I forgave and I blessed.
Scorpio is intense! It carries this energy as it has a powerful will to merge with its desires. It wants more than to have the experience…it wants to be the experience. The seduction of Scorpio is just that! One who is so compelled to know beyond the facade and to penetrate into all the crevices and kinks to realize an intimate cognition of what lures them. We all know that Scorpio is symbolized by the scorpion, with its deadly sting, but it is also represented by the snake who is continually releasing its skin in an act of renewal. The other symbols of Scorpio are the Phoenix and the Eagle. The Phoenix combusts in its own fire to be reborn stronger and wiser… and the eagle soars into the light and enlightenment. Scorpio’s mantra is “I Create”. It is new birth, regeneration and creation that arises after death, decay and surrender. Letting go may be the most difficult feat for the Scorpio. Their instinct is control and hold on or I should say hold in. To maintain control, they will share very little with you. Revealing themselves would be an act of vulnerability they may not be willing to risk. But if you persevere and gain the trust of the Scorpio you will be the recipient of a magnificent force of loyal friendship and witness the deepest passions.
Scorpio rules the organs of the reproductive system- female and male genitalia, cervix, parts of the uterus, prostate and the organs of the elimination system – large intestine, bladder, sweat glands and the nose. It rules the sacrum and coccyx. This fixed sign generally has a very strong constitution…one of the strongest in the zodiac. This damp and cold sign gets help throwing off toxins and stagnation from its co-ruler Mars. Mars will often make this one of the most active water signs. When Scorpio is sedentary, it will be more prone to illnesses largely due to the accumulation of toxins. Imbalances show up as constipation or diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, hemorrhoids or fistulas and infections from parasites, bacteria and viruses (Pluto ruled). Other illnesses show up as STD’s, prostatitis, fibroids, heavy periods, bladder infections. Many of Scorpio’s imbalances respond to Mars remedies like detoxing through sweating, saunas, hot yoga, and bitter or alterative herbs that stimulate the digestive like mugwort, yarrow, wormwood (for parasites) and elimination organs. The Scorpio native that is the workaholic type would benefit from adaptagens like ashwagandha, ginseng and rhodiola. Other great Scorpio herbs would include nettles, maca and Oregon grape. Scorpio foods include capers, garlic, onions, basil, ginger, tarragon, vegetables that don’t require a lot of light – mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, peppers, root vegetables, radishes. Also, foods that are found near or in water like watercress, shellfish- particularly oysters, fish and snails.
It was time to plan the Scorpio meal. I called up a Scorpio friend to celebrate her birthday with one of my astrologically inspired meals. I had forgotten that I had previously invited another friend over for the same evening. I knew that both women would hit it off…so I had two guests for dinner. The Scorpio is working towards her PhD in the study of bugs...naturally! So our dinner conversation was a mixture of insects, slugs, politics and of course sex! I wasn’t going to do things half assed for this meal. It needed it to look, feel and taste complex, and be a little dangerous. This meal is not a quick fix. I utilized as many Scorpio ingredients as I could and including the shopping, it took me most of the day. I came up with escargot, pesto pizza on a purple cauliflower crust. The purple cauliflower was a bit of a bonus. It was the only cauliflower left when I got to the farmers market. It produced a dark purple crust which was the tablet for a delectable creation. I finished the meal with vanilla ice cream (every Scorpio loves ice cream!) fresh figs and a drizzle of honey.... very sexy dessert indeed.
Escargot Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Cauliflower Crust – recipe from Megan Gilmore at detoxinista.com
Ingredients: 2 pounds cauliflower florets, riced 1 egg, beaten 1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre) 1 teaspoon dried oregano pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. If using fresh cauliflower, fill a large pot over medium heat with an inch of water. Fit a steamer basket into the pot, then pour the raw cauliflower into the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil and cover the pot, steaming the cauliflower until it is very tender and can be pierced with a fork. If using frozen cauliflower, be sure to thaw it completely before getting started, then continue with the following steps. Pour the completely thawed, or freshly steamed, cauliflower into a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade. (You may have to do this in batches if you have a smaller food processor.) Process until a rice-like texture is created. If you bought frozen riced cauliflower, you can skip this step and proceed to the next one. Transfer the "rice" to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! (Be careful if your cauliflower is still hot-- you may want to let it cool before handling.) A lot of extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust. In a large bowl, mix up the squeezed-out rice, egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don't be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won't be like any pizza dough you've ever worked with, but don't worry-- it'll hold together! Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It's important that it's lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about 1/4" to 1/2" thick, and make the edges a little higher for a "crust" effect, if you like. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400F, until dry and golden. Use the parchment paper to flip the crust over, and bake again until the other side is nice and dry, about 10 to 15 more minutes. This was my first attempt at making cauliflower crust. I steamed the cauliflower for a bit too long so was very moist and squeezing the liquid out of the cauliflower took a lot of effort. It was probably still too moist when I made the crust, but the recipe is very forgiving and I just cooked it a little longer. I did need to flip the crust a few times and continue cooking. It was ready when the edges started to brown.
While the crust is cooking, prepare the sauce, escargot and toppings. Parsley, Basil and Tarragon Pesto
Ingredients: 1 cup (packed) parsley leaves 1 cup (packed) basil leaves ¼ cup (packed) tarragon leaves 1/3 cup pine nuts 2 cloves garlic finely chopped Juice of one lemon ¼ cup olive oil Pinch salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper
Put everything except the olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil until combined. Stop the processor, scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again to make sure it is full incorporated and smooth. Put in glass container and place in fridge until ready to top the pizza. You will have plenty of pesto left over for other dinner creations.
Escargot
Ingredients: I can of snails (escargot) ¼ cup butter ½ cup white wine ¼ cup parsley finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves Juice of ½ lemon
Put all the ingredients in a pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Turn off and cover pot until ready to top the pizza.
Additional Ingredients
10 cherry tomatoes sliced in 3 or 4 slices depending on how big they are. You want them fair thin. 4 or 5 large shitake mushrooms ½ red onion sliced 2 large handfuls of baby spinach 1 Tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon butter ½ cup gorgonzola (break into small blobs)
Put olive oil, butter, onions and mushrooms in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft. Add spinach and cover pan. Turn off heat.
Each part of this recipe can be made ahead of time. I would prepare the escargot just prior to making the pizza to ensure they are tender and oozing the garlic, wine and butter. When the crust is ready, start with a thin coating of pesto, then place the escargot and cherry tomatoes evenly over the crust. Then add the mushroom, spinach and onion mixture. Finally, add gorgonzola in small blobs evenly over pizza. You do not want to overdo the toppings as to make the crust soggy. Place pizza in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes until cheese looks gooey. Cut and serve and enjoy!