Ceres in 6th House Scorpio, the Exacting Sexual Mother

The dwarf planet Ceres in the natal birthchart is our "Inner Mother," a powerful archetype which concerns itself with our nurture behaviors and needs. In the signs, Ceres shows our nurturing style- both how we help other's grow and what we need to develop ourselves. Ceres' placement in the houses tells us the ways in which we express these behaviors to the world outside of ourselves.

When Ceres is found in the 6th house, the house of Virgo, all nurturing behaviors are expressed in exacting, precise ways. The native is very realistic about the wisdom she imparts, both on herself and others, and will only help those who are willing to take an active role in their own growth. She will always feel she is either giving too much or too little, and will rarely be satisfied that she has done what she should to care for herself and others.

When Ceres is found in the sign of Scorpio, the native's urge to connect becomes deeper than merely skin-deep. They prize strong emotion, regardless of the variety, above all things. Nothing less than full disclosure and intimate bonding will make the native feel confident in her connections, and others will notice that she tends to "pair off" with one partner or friend at a time. In their minds, the "true" depths of understanding, of both themselves and those who are dearest to them, can only be reached through intense, emotional experiences.

In addition to intense emotional bonding, Ceres in Scorpio transforms themselves and others through their robust affirmation of their instinctive and sexual needs. They nurture others through the confident sharing of their strongest energies: emotional, sexual, and shamanic. They can effortlessly combine the three if conditions are right, and thusly are sometimes referred to as "sexual mothers." Sexual encounters may at times feel like religious rituals, healing and changing both partners in the process.

Others are transformed either through such sexual experiences with Ceres in Scorpio, or through their penetrating psychological insight into others' problems. Lack of this kind of intimate nurturance and emotional affirmation in their own upbringing is usually the catalyst which helps natives to heal their own inner emotional wounding, making them more able to help others in this way. Their methods of caring are not always gentle: referred to as "shock treatment," being nurtured by Ceres in Scorpio can be wildly successful for some and painful for others. Friends and lovers will learn a lot about themselves through these "shock treatments," although the process may be difficult.

The people and places in the native's life that have denied them access to these inner recesses will continually haunt them, bringing back oppressively sad memories and griefs not dealt with. The intensity of their bonding is often too much for the object of their affection, which grieves the native as it is their highest form of caring, reserved only for a select few. For Ceres in Scorpio, another's disinterest in her willingness to "go deep" is simply the hardest thing for her to accept. Depending on the circumstances, it's quite possible she never will.

However, Ceres in Scorpio is no weak momma. She knows precisely when and how to take her revenge, and does so swiftly. As easily as she gives, she can take a way. Although she may feel deep pain on the inside, her need for full disclosure and to segregate herself from dishonest influence is still greater. Depending on how deep the connection between the two once was, the absence of Ceres in Scorpio's presence in one's life can leave a deep mark.

Personally, rites of passage concerning life via sexuality such as childbirth, death, sexual experimentation, illnesses or conditions related to the reproductive system, etc could be profound experiences that change Ceres in Scorpio's life in powerful ways. These trials will constitute an initiation for the native into the lessons of loss and return, transformation, and letting go.