The Taurus Scorpio Axis & Balancing Goddess Energies in the Arthuriad

Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings.    Today’s post is about the Taurus and Scorpio axis in the astrological wheel, which aligns with the axis connecting Beltane with Samhain, and Guinevere and Morgana in Arthurian tales by extension!   

We are in the height of May’s bountiful energy, but in the Southern Hemisphere Autumn is in full swing.    This is due to the fact that the seasons are reversed below the equator.   The Southern Hemisphere has just celebrated Samhain two weeks ago, where we in the Northern Hemisphere celebrated Beltane in that time period.    Taurus ruled the sky for us during Beltane, but in the Southern Hemisphere, Scorpio ruled the sky because the sun is in Scorpio during Samhain!    This axis is a powerful alignment between the height of grounded fertile life-giving energy and the depth of shadowy death energy coming into balance.   This axis also explains why when the Sun is in Taurus we have a Full Moon in Scorpio, and vice versa!   

The balancing of these energies on the two sides of the axis also provides an interesting interplay between the energies of the two most important Faery Queen Goddesses of Arthurian legend.    Guinevere is famed for being associated with the celebrations of Beltane, often depicted in Arthurian legend, and in artwork, as ‘going-a-Maying’ with her ladies of the court.   This is clearly a holdover from her earlier tales where she is more prominently a Faery Goddess of Sovereignty, whose marriage to Arthur secured his right to rule.   

On the other hand, Morgan le Fay is never stripped of her magickal abilities and is always shown with power.    This magickal power more deeply echoes a remembrance of the Celtic Pagan past and could explain why she was demonized even worse than Guinevere in the tales, for she was not just an adulteress, but the supreme Baddie of the Arthuriad seeking the downfall of Camelot!   Morgan le Fay holds a deep connection to the Mysteries of Death from her earliest literary reference in Vita Merlini.   She is the leader of the Ninefold Sisterhood of Avalon, gifted in healing and shapeshifting, with Arthur being brought to her to heal his mortal wounds.   Even as she became the Baddie of the Arthuriad, she was still one of the Priestess Queens that came to collect a dying Arthur to ferry him to Avalon after the Battle of Camlann.   Furthermore, in many variations of the legends, Morgana is stated to have studied necromancy when she was sent away to a convent by Uther Pendragon when he married Igraine!    This solidifies Morgana’s connection to Death both as a Psychopomp and as a Death Doula, who is able to communicate with the deceased, making her a Faery Goddess incredibly connected to the energy of Samhain.

So, Guinevere’s energy is prominent in Taurus season and at Beltane, with Morgan le Fay’s energy being just as prominent in Scorpio season and at Samhain.   This axis of Taurus and Scorpio, of Beltane and Samhain, of Fertile Life and Shadowy Death, of Guinevere as May Queen and Morgana as Death Goddess, creates a very profound crossover in gifts of Goddess energies!   Of course, neither Morgana nor Guinevere is simply just one side of the coin, after all, Morgana is a healer and Guinevere’s love affair ended Camelot in most tellings of the legends.   In this post, I have focused on the most famed aspect of each Goddess’ energy as it aligns with the cycle of the year to show that although Morgana and Guinevere are often pitted against each other in their stories, so much connects them inextricably!

I hope that you have enjoyed this short look at the Taurus Scorpio axis and how it relates to the energies of Guinevere and Morgan le Fay.   What is your favorite thing about the Taurus Scorpio axis?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is an artwork featuring the Taurus and Scorpio symbols.   I found the image on https://astrostyle.com/astrology/zodiac-sign-compatibility/taurus-scorpio/.

Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services!    I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon!  Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/

Further Reading

• Once and Future Queen by Nicole Evelina
• Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth
• Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
• Grail Alchemy by Mara Freeman
• The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays by Theresa Cheung