THE SCORPION KINGSHIP
TOTEM AND TATTOO
The Scorpion is the symbol of Serqet (this
is spelled in various ways). She was a Scorpion Goddess in Pre-Dynastic times, consort to Sutek (The Thunder God). Their myth,
very old, chronicles the birth of civilization in Egypt. And the role of repression in establishing societies (the defeat
of Apep, the Chaos Serpent). In Dynastic times Sutek was demonized (he is remembered as Set, a very nasty, drunken war-god)
and Serqet was greatly diministed in stature, a mere servant to more civilized Egyptian goddesses.
In many barbaric societies a man, to be king,
must become the consort of the Goddess. Only the most powerful and daring men would attempt this, and only after already being
acknowledged as leaders, living vehicles of the male tutelary diety.
The Goddess is a power that no man can possess,
a mystery no man can understand - ever. She grants her favor and shares her power, freely, only to those whom she herself
has chosen. And they have to pass her tests, some of them very severe, with their heart open and their manhood intact. The
Goddess has many faces and aspects, not all of them nice (for example, she can be a poisonous Scorpion with sharp claws and
a barbed tail). She can castrate and demolish as well as care for and share pleasure. Men who chose to 'worship' her often
had to sacrifice their balls (literally) to become her priests (nowadays these guys are called 'just friends').
The candidate for sacred kingship has no intention
of losing his balls, for he is The God and has some tests of his own to impose. He too has many faces and aspects, not
all of them nice. For the God is a power no woman can possess, a mystery no woman can understand - ever. He grants his favor
and shares his power, freely, only to those whom he himself has chosen. She too must meet him with an open heart and survive
all encounters with her femininity intact.
The god and the goddess are equal, yet separate
powers - as are their earthy incarnations. Theirs must be a fierce embrace of TOTALITIES. There can be no place for fear to
enter. Male and Female passion and power merge to become a generative force, a much greater power.
In Pre-Dynastic times there were several Scorpion
Kings and numerous Scorpion Warriors. They were consorts of Serqet. They had her blessing and were immune to her poison. They
accomplished great things. They boldly affirmed life in the face of death and casually spread death so that life may
thrive. They were Creators. And Destroyers. And Preservers. They were what they needed to be to restore Maat, the cosmic balance.
There's some personal backstory here that
I'd like to share. When I was 13 or 14 I had a past-life memory that was proto-Egyptian. It didn't make sense and didn't
fit in with what was known about archaic Egypt. It also had very little to do with my life, ever, except as an oddity. I couldn't
dismiss it though, as I periodically met people who also remembered that time. And me. And my symbol. We couldn't identify
what it was - a kraken? a crab? a lobster? It was solid black on a ruddy red background. The symbol was also emblazoned on
the left side of my robe? tunic?on the pectoral. And I wielded a spear? or hafted weapon of some sort. It was one of those
things I believed I'd never understand. And was content with that.
A bit before my 43rd birthday I had my Scorpion
vision. As I'm always free to choose, I did some research, starting with the significance of the zodiac sign Scorpio and the
powers of the Scorpion as a totem. Then I found an unrelated article on the Net: 'Was there really a Hyborian Age?' That took
me on a long and winding journey. Recent archeological discoveries had unearthed a whole new era. An age of Scorpion
and Hawk Kings, of Serpent and Vulture Shamanism. I saw pictures of the Mace of King Scorpion and of the Scorpion Stone (my
symbol, at last!). Then I saw the Scorpion King movie...read the book...listened to the music. And I mentally kept seeing
the Scorpion tattooed on my left forearm.
Then I decided to take Life up on its challenge.
Mythically stating it all another way:
Thor's symbols of power are the Hammer AND
the Ring. Both symbols are joined, though quite distinct and different from one another. The haft of the Hammer penetrates
the Ring. The Ring openly receives it. You don't have to be a Freudian or Tantric to see through the symbology. The first
half of my life I devoted to the mysteries of the Hammer, now I'm finally ready for the mysteries of the Ring and of the Hieros
Gamos.
I began this journey six years ago and it is still far from over.
My Scorpion tattoo is always visible and I wear it proudly. There have been many profound changes in my life and, like the
leaves in autumn, much of what I previously valued - or deemed important to my chosen path - has fallen away of
its own accord - neither mourned nor missed.
Yet I can honestly state that never before have I felt as balanced, fulfilled,
focused and complete as I do now.
Onwards!
A Musing by Thor the Barbarian.
