Finding My Rising Star

As Mars passes by Antares, Heart of the Scorpion
By Awen Labow

There is a special sight to behold in the morning sky right now: two red stars, but only one is a star; the other is Mars. This sky spectacle is quite stunning, but moreover, holds special significance for me as it is also serving as a potent reminder of how the magic of the night sky works and how my own journey into the world of Shamanic Astrology began.

As with many of us, I was first exposed to astrology through the horoscopes in the newspaper. Being born in the last week of October, all I knew was that “I am a Scorpio”, and if I was to ever read or pay any heed to an astrology column, it was the Scorpio piece that I focused on – usually finding a rather tenuous resonance, if any.

Being a “Scorpio,” and a lover of the night sky, I naturally learned the constellation of the Scorpion with its red star, Antares, and how to spot them whenever they appeared. I would often point this constellation out to others saying “there’s Scorpio! That’s my constellation!” as, indeed, at that time I understood it to be.

It wasn’t until many years later that my love for astronomy and my curiosity about astrology were finally fused. I now recognize that the tipping point for me was a simple, yet profound experience I had in the winter of 2018. Bundled up from the cold, and staring into the crisp early morning sky, I saw this bright planet passing right by the heart of the Scorpion. I felt a surge in my own heart, and I said to myself: “How could this NOT mean something!” I went inside to do some research, and it was not long after that I was signed for my first online course to learn Shamanic Astrology.

But I’m not a Scorpio!

This is of course one of the first lessons that we learn in Shamanic Astrology – that we are NOT our Sun sign, and also that signs and constellations are NOT the same thing. This also meant that, in answer to my question, a planet moving through the Scorpion constellation was not moving through the sign of Scorpio, and therefore, based on the knowledge I had at that time, had nothing to do with me!

I considered it just another case of simply being dazzled by a night sky spectacle, and left it at that, grateful nonetheless that somehow this experience was enough to start my astrological studies. It was only much later, after taking a live SAMS Night Sky and Cosmology Course that I realized, the true potency of the Mars – Antares conjunction that I witnessed. As I would come to discover, this event was actually very much connected to my chart, and in an even more powerful way.

As we learn in Shamanic Astrology, the reason the Sun sign is given less emphasis is due to the fact that the Sun is in the same sign for an entire month, and therefore that sign, or mystery school, is not a particularly unique feature on an individual’s chart.

The most unique points, on the other hand, are the four angles of the chart, which change signs roughly every two hours. As such, the Rising Sign, or Ascendant, can be seen as our overall life intent, our purpose, or the whole reason we are here anyway! And how do you see your Rising Sign in the sky? By learning your Rising Star! As I would come to learn, my rising star is none other than Antares, “the heart of the Scorpion,” albeit in the SIGN of Sagittarius.

Just as it was when I had my astrological awakening in 2018, Mars (in Sagittarius) is now making its way through the Scorpion constellation and will be continuing to spend time with Antares for the next few days. This is encouraging me to wake up early to view the pre-dawn sky and get to know the region of the sky that was rising at the moment of my birth. As Mars continues to activate this part of the sky, and therefore this part of my chart, I can’t help but wonder what the next leg of this incredible journey has in store!

Learning the night sky has become an important guiding force along my own life path. If you would like to learn more about how to find your own rising star, SAMS now offers an online version of the Cosmology and Night Sky Course. You can find more details and register HERE. I hope you will all take the opportunity to rise early and see Mars moving through the Scorpion for yourself this month, and see if there is any magic awaiting you as well!