Thursday, March 31, 2005

Liberals in Education

Okay---because I ran across so many blog entries this morning (here and here, via here), I feel the need to pose a question.

Has anybody thought about the idea that maybe conservative or Republic people don't care to choose academics as a profession? Or that liberals or Democrats make better scholars/ researchers/professors?

I'm inclined to conclude, and I'm well aware of my own biases, that liberals & Democrats are just more intelligent. Ha!

I must admit, however, that I did not thoroughly read the study. When I saw in the Washington Post article that somebody was claiming that conservatives are being discriminated against in academe, I quit reading:
Rothman sees the findings as evidence of "possible discrimination" against
conservatives in hiring and promotion. Even after factoring in levels of
achievement, as measured by published work and organization memberships, "the
most likely conclusion" is that "being conservative counts against you," he
said. "It doesn't surprise me, because I've observed it happening."

Here's a link to the Washington Post's article about the study, and here's one to the study itself.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

Well---
The good news is that my friend on the grad student advisory committee wrote me back. The bad news is--if I need even to call it that-- I have to write a letter to the dept. chair and be aggressive. It seems that if I'm going to do anything about this advisor situation, I'm just going to have to be a bitch about it and do things in a very formal, and somewhat detached, way. . . . But I'm capable of that. It is unfortunate, however, that my neurosis about precision in writing is making the task more difficult than it should be. . . I'll get it done. . .I have a meeting today with my Lucan prof (whom I like a lot and who has been extremely supportive) to discuss my final paper [Narrative Techniques in Lucan VIII] and I think I'm going to talk to him about all this.

The real bad news is that I'm going to spending some serious quality time with the dentist for the next two months. The situation is worse than I thought. . . I've always known that I grind my teeth in my sleep, and in high school I even tried wearing a football player's mouth piece at night- but I woke up every morning to find it on the floor or someplace and eventually stopped bothering. So, apparently in the time since I last saw a dentist, my TMJ has gotten way worse and I have seriously fucked up my teeth. In addition to the cavities I knew about, the grinding has caused all sorts of other problems--- problems to the tune of $2200!!!!! All in all it's going to take about 2 months of going in for more work once a week before they can make me a new, custom, mouth piece to stop my TMJ. Yikes!!! [that'll be really sexy-- needing some weirdo mouth-guard in bed. It reminds me of teenagers who have to take out their retainers before making out.]

And then--I learned that I'll need to get my wisdom teeth out when that stuff is over. My old dentist told me that I'd never need to worry about wisdom teeth--silly me, I believed him. I wonder how much that will cost--as it's not included in the $2200. Man! On top of that, I'll only have health insurance until I'm 23--provided that I'm a student. So--I wanted to take advantage of that while I still can and get some other less-pressing problems fixed while I'm still insured. It looks like I'll pretty much be living at the health center for the rest of the semester. blah.

At least- the dental clinic seems quite advanced and everyone I dealt with there were really knowledgeable & nice. The dentist too, is about 28 I'd say and quite cute. In fact, I think the university's health center is really awesome--way more organized and user-friendly than any doctor's office I've ever been to before; the facility seems to be quite advanced & well-funded; the doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other staff all have been extremely competent and on top of their shit. At OU, the health center was in this rickety old house, nobody seemed to know what was going on, and whenever I went there I waited for 3 hours before I saw some doc just long enough to write me a few prescriptions (and, I think the doctors there just gave everyone who came in there muscle relaxers or painkillers. )

And, at least I'm not really sick or have anything seriously wrong with me. I'm lucky that my family can afford to keep my teeth from grinding themselves into stubs. I'll be okay :)
------------------------------------

On a side note: last night, I was playing around on Haloscan and I realized that I am the WORST at responding to comments. I always mean to write back to those who comment, and I don't want to just respond in two words--so I read them, and tell myself I'll write thoughtful responses later, but I don't. I'm sorry!

So, from now on I pledge to do a better job of that. To those of you who commented long ago and haven't heard from me, don't be surprised when you get a response to a comment you left over a month ago--I'm going to really respond to all the old comments as well.

I know how much I love comments and appreciate knowing what y'all think of what I've written--and so I try to be an active commenter on the sites that I read. I don't always have time, but I try. The least I can do is respond to my own damn comments!!!!

Another beautiful day. . . . I've got to go chase in my cat, who decides when it's nice out to explore rather daringly. . . .

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Pulling Teeth?

Another beautiful day. Too bad I have to go to the dentist. Yick.

I hate going to the dentist---and any person who is a dentist while they are at work. I hate teeth---all teeth, but especially mine. I suppose they're a good thing--but teeth and dentists tend to be a hassle, be painful, and to take too much time. If you don't see the dentist and take care of your teeth, things will be bad & I know that. However, because I hate the whole experience, I avoid going to the dentist even when I need dental attention.

I lost 2 fillings I think, over spring break. Today is not going to be good. I probably have other cavities, as well, and I haven't been to a dentist in nearly 2 years....

A wonderful way to spend my free afternoon on this beautiful day.

I suppose it's better than sitting and fuming over my academic situation. Whenever I sit down to write my advisor or take any other action, I just get all worked up & angry. No good. It will not help me any to write a nasty letter to my advisor. I daydream that I star in the movie where (I think it might be Jerry Maguire) this man points at everyone in his office before his storms out, saying, "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, you're cool-- I'm out." I'm not going to do that. I have some decisions to make and I change my mind every other hour. On the bright side, I found a website detailing people to contact for Graduate Student Problems and it turns out that I know one of the men on the advisory committee. So, I sent him an email and hope he has some insight for me.

Meanwhile, I've done some research on careers in publishing and that's been encouraging & exciting. I could be an awesome copy editor-- and love every minute of it. Both my parents are grammar Nazis, and though it may not be evident on this blog-I am a stickler for precision. I buy and read grammar/style/syntax books for fun. And, I've had a lot of training in responding to others' writing as part of my Writing Intensive Program TA Training. My father has an MA in journalism, and has been in PR all his life. For the past 22 years, he's been the Director of Public Affairs for a private liberal arts college in my hometown & he's the only person whose skills I trust to edit my papers, resumes...etc. Does anybody know anything about getting into the field? Or about the field at all? I'd appreciate anything you could tell me. From what I've read, it seems that getting an internship is key. I'm sure Dad has some connections/old friends who would help me with an internship...I don't know.

Publishing, and my recent enthusiasm for it, may just be an attempt on my part to cope with my current academic situation...But I have been thinking about this for a long time. My role as a writing coach/TA is pretty much the only thing I've really loved about being in this school. I love to read and I love to write and I love to edit. I love to read about writing and editing. The key thing is that I much prefer helping others to communicate more clearly and properly and effectively for their purposes over writing my own things----with this blog as an exception, of course. :-)

Well, off to class and then to the freaking dentist....If I'm not in too much pain, I'm sure I'll have more to say after all that...

Monday, March 28, 2005

Random

Man--it's been rainy & shitty all day....Now, I can't tell if I should blame Blogger for being slow-as-hell or if my internet provider is to blame. I know it's not my computer....it's pissing me off.

But--as far as Mondays go...today has not been bad.

The weekend ended up being awesome. My boy problems (and the moral ones that accompanied them) have been resolved....I'm done with the law-student and the other one.

More later---when my internet isn't so damn slow!

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Damn. I'm amazed by what a little sleep deprivation & worry did to me at 4am...

Life goes on. Another beautiful day.
At 4am, I can't sleep, and it's become really hard to convince myself that I will be okay, that everything will work out fine.

I got an email from my advisor tonight. I was trying not to read it knowing how it would probably effect me--but I opened it inadvertently.

I passed the reading list exam.

Now that I've taken the steps to leave this place, and after demanding to know if my advisor was correct in saying that I'd already screwed up too badly to stay--She tells me maybe she wrong and that I can continue attending school after this semester.

Fucking lying bitch! This is my life....my future....my everything that she has toyed with and not taken seriously at all. This is malicious and wholly unprofessional. How dare she-- one needs only to look at my posts for this semester to see how her 'advice' has eaten at me, and how my confidence in myself as a Classicist, as a student,[as a person] has diminished since she first told me that I could either get a 4.0 this semester or be 'dismissed.' What did I ever do to deserve this? I used to be so full of hope and determination. I worked my ass off at the expense of my health, and my happiness. I packed up and left everything I had, everything I'd known, my friends & family & home & comfort, just because I thought I had a chance.

I feel so deceived-so betrayed and so stupid for letting her. More than anything I just want to scream, "I NEVER HAD A CHANCE!!! YOU NEVER GAVE ME A CHANCE..."

I feel like an incredible failure.

A visiting prospective graduate student spent some time with a current grad student, Kevin, this week. Kevin has been suspiciously supportive and inquisitive about my situation this week. Apparently, at some group thing with my advisor and the other students, was speaking to my advisor about the academic pressure he was feeling about attending this school--He said that it really scared him that within 15 minutes of arriving at the dept, he heard about someone who burnt out & quit. Ouch.

This is the self-absorbed-woe-is-me-crap I've been trying so hard to avoid. But, Oh My God, What the hell am I going to do? How on earth do I go about dealing with the department, let alone my advisor, now? What am I going to do after this? I need help! I need some advising! Nobody seems to know at all how to begin to help me find the answers to these questions. Isn't this what an advisor is for? I reached out to the one professor whom I thought might be able/willing to help me a week ago and he hasn't responded. I'm still not sure what I did so wrong to be in this situation. It is a very difficult lesson for me to learn that, apparently in real life, nobody really cares and I am left alone.

What Have I Done?

Friday, March 25, 2005

School, nailbiting, and being the other woman...

Where to begin?

It's an absolutely gorgeous day outside and I'm in a wonderful mood. I'm afraid my last post was a bit depressing--I didn't intend to come off like that. I am sad about not finishing my MA, and about how things went down. If I think about it too hard, I can get pretty upset about it, but that cycle of self-absorbed-woe-is-me-crap is not productive. In all reality, I'm okay.

I think that this is actually for the best. I've learned a lot since I've been here--not only for school, but about myself and life. And, if a life in the field of Classics is right for me--now is just not the right time. I'm only 22. I have plenty of time to figure things out, and I can always go back to grad school if I so choose. My friend and fellow grad student here, HMB, is 27 and married. While the rest of the grad students were busy feeling sorry for me and telling me that everything will be fine, HMB said to me jokingly, "You know, I don't really feel sorry for you or bad for you at all. In fact, you can fuck off. I'm 27 and you are only 22 but at the same point in life as I am."

He pointed out to me that I actually have it pretty good. Many people at my age haven't yet finished their bachelor's--I graduated cum laude at age 21. I have college degree. I'm smart and capable and personable, and the world is open to me. I can do anything. And in many ways I'm relieved that things worked out the way they have--a great deal of stress has been taken off my shoulders. [And, I think I have convinced my best friend from home to move down here with me. :-)]

So, I'm going to withdraw from two of my classes; one that is taught by my awful advisor, and another that is very difficult. This leaves me with tons of time to devote being a great TA and to writing the final papers for my other two classes. Part of why I know I need to take some time off is that I've lost my passion for my studies; they've become a chore, an unwelcome obligation instead of the pleasure that they once were. Now that I'm only worrying about these 2 classes, I'm feeling excited to write the papers because I know I won't be burdened with other classwork.
_____________________________

I am the world's worst nail biter. I don't do it because I'm anxious or nervous or anything like that, it's something I do absent mindedly all the time. My friend Dave once told me he'd never seen anyone else who could smoke and bite my fingernails at the same time. Some days I do it more fervently than others [I think that may have something to do with the adderal I take every day.] Today is one of those days and I've figured something out: it is that I have a maddening itch within my nailbed and biting my nails is the only way to get at it. I guess that's kind of gross. I just thought I'd share....

I've been avoiding the law student I went out with a couple times all week. He got overly serious and has been paying way too much attention to me--as a result, I'm no longer attracted to him. Guys: I'll admit it--women are crazy(or at least I am) . I know that he is going to be hurt and feel rejected when I give him the 'let's be friends' talk--so I've just put it off as long as possible. I'll definitely call him tomorrow--for real! I mean it!

Meanwhile, I keep fantasizing about my other boy (you know--the one who already has a serious girlfriend), but am beginning to build him up in my mind. Because he is not attainable-- I think I've gone into safe-mode and in my head, he is perfect. I hope that I don't pull a stupid-girl move and trick myself into thinking I actually have feelings for him--that will only lead to unhappiness. I guess though, that getting involved at all with someone who is attached is asking for unhappiness....But, is it wrong that I kind of enjoy being the 'other woman'? I think it's kind of sexy, and I know it's evil- but it boosts my confidence. . . As though I am some sort of mysterious seductress and men cannot stop themselves from acting on their desire for me.

Besides--in many ways, he is the perfect 'boyfriend'. . .He shows up when I call, we do our thing and have lots of fun--but he doesn't expect or want me to play the girlfriend role. I don't have to dote on him, or to call him all the time. He may stay the night, but gets out of my way quickly in the morning. He only expects of me what I expect from him, and in that way, because no one is playing games & we're on the same page--all the bullshit is removed from the situation. It's ideal. However, as someone who has been cheated on before, I know how much it sucks. I do feel quite guilty and ashamed of myself for inevitably causing his girlfriend such pain & heartbreak--and I am especially shitty for continuing to sleep with this guy when I know his girlfriend is going to be hurt.

I suppose, though, that I'm quite fortunate in that I don't have more serious things to worry about. . .

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Fear keeps pace with hope (Graduate School Casualty part III)

Seneca, in a letter to Lucilius (V), said:
...Limiting one's desires actually helps to cure one of fear. 'Cease to hope,'he says, 'and you will cease to fear.'
'But how,' you will ask, 'can things as diverse as these be linked?' Well, the fact is, Lucilius, that they are bound up with one another, unconnected as they may seem. Widely different though they are, the two of them march in unison like a prisoner and the escort he is handcuffed to. Fear keeps pace with hope. Nor does their so moving together surprise me; both belong to a mind in suspense, to a mind in a state of anxiety through looking into the future. Both are mainly due to projecting our thoughts far ahead of us instead of adapting ourselves to the present. Thus it is that foresight, the greatest blessing humanity has been given, is transformed into a
curse.

My best friend from the Classics department where I did my undergrad first pointed me to this quote. I don't remember why--but I do remember that I found a lot of peace in reading it. I still do. It was on this day 2 years ago that the two of us set out for 4 months in Greece... I can't believe it's been that long.

It was on this day one year ago that I made my decision to attend this school. It was spring break, and my father and I drove down here to visit the campus. This place was incredibly beautiful--I was taken with both the campus and the department...It makes me sad to remember how full of hope I was.

I've been an irresponsible blogger as of late, but I've had lots on my plate and life comes before blogging. After all the anxiety that came with my reading list exam, I took it and it was tolerable. I regret saying that I wanted to kill my advisor--I was just very angry and decided to blog about it before doing anything else. Not to say that I like her any more- I don't like the woman at all but I don't want her dead. She ended up just giving me the same exam as those taking the CLAS version--and instructing me to disregard the parts of the essay questions that had to do with Greece. Personally, I think that is kind of a cop-out. That method worked for the first essay question--but taking out half the question can make writing an essay in response to that question more difficult than it should be. The second essay question-and my response- was a mess. I didn't understand how to approach the question--I asked my advisor for more clarification and understood if she couldn't help me out--she tried and it didn't help. But-- It doesn't matter anymore. And for those of you who care to know--I don't yet have the results.

After the test I called my father and cried for a while. Then, I tried to be a good girlfriend-y person to my law student. He brought me a bottle of tequila, knowing that I would appreciate it- but the last thing I wanted to do was to play that role. I bitch about not having a boyfriend but when I come close to having one--I remember why I've been single for so long. I don't like being the girlfriend. I don't like having such expectations of me.

My advisor is also my professor for one class this semester. On Sunday I got another email from her. She wanted to make sure I had my draft done for class on Tuesday. I was sooooo pissed off by this that I was paralyzed. A month ago, when she revised the syllabus to include a draft of our final Electra papers due the Tuesday after the reading list exam, I voiced my objection. The other students in the class were all taking the exam as well, and they agreed. I knew then that I would not have anything close to a draft for her so soon after the exam.

In class yesterday, when she asked for the drafts, I told her I didn't have one and she said she'd talk to me after class. I was so filled with frustration and angry...and frankly, indignance--that I just seethed and waited for class to end. To make a long story short (forgive my cliche)-- we went over the fact that I needed straight A's this semester to make up for last semester, and the fact that I'd already received a grade on her test to put me below an A for her class. I asked her then-why on Earth, when I'd been so busy trying to prepare for the reading list exam, would I bust my ass trying to get a draft done for her when it didn't count for anything anyway?!?! She didn't have anything to say to that. She did, however, acknowledge that my grades were already not good enough this semester to save my ass...(For more about this, read my Graduate School Casualty posts...) and regardless of my lack of a draft--I'm already as good as 'dismissed' from the program.

So that's it. I'm done. There's no decision for me to make-it's been made for me. I have no idea what I'll do from here.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Bullsh*t!!!!!!!!!

Here it is-8:30pm on the night before my huge test. I've spent all week and countless time in the past months preparing for this test. I check my email and get this from my advisor:

You never got back to me about which exam you're taking.

I am
at present making up only CLAS exams, so am expecting you to take that one.

What?!!?!@\ My first instinct is to go burn her house down. However, I decide to call my father instead.

See, I have two options for this test. I could take the CLAS test or the LAT test. On March 8th, I wrote to the same advisor and asked her what I should be preparing for. She wrote back saying this:
Do the all Latin one; though perhaps we should discuss this more. I don't
have your record in front of me.

Now, I could see how maybe this could seem that the matter was unresolved--but still. I prepared for the Latin test because she told me to. Now she is telling me that I don't get to take that test. Am I out of line here? I really don't think so. If anyone out there reading this thinks that I am out of line--please, let me know why because I really don't understand.

I am writing her back, with the help of my father, showing both emails and dates and such. And I've copied this email to the chair of the department. This is really not fair. Over and over again she has put me in situations like these. I want to kill her. ACK. I continue to be perplexed and am genuinely upset by this kind of 'professional advising.' I came to this school because my former advisor thought it would be a good fit for me, and because of this school's national reputation in my field. I thought an advisor was someone who would be a mentor and helpful to me in dealing with the problems one may have to deal with in graduate school. My advisor so far has been the one creating these problems. What the hell am I supposed to do? She has tenure. I can't switch advisors and after this, my life in that department is going to be hell. I should probably just drop out now.

Instead, I'll probably just cry my eyes out until I have to face this bitch in 12 hours for the exam.

Saturday, March 12, 2005

MA test

There really ought to be a law about how loud one's motorcycle can be...3 assholes just drove past my place with bikes so loud my apartment shook & my sleeping cat woke up and ran for cover...damn. Assholes. I'm trying to study... unsuccessfully...

My giant MA Reading List Exam is in less than a week...Thus, I am apologizing ahead of time for not blogging until it is over...I'm going to be very busy reading...

ps--Gmail is the greatest thing in the world. I'm just now figuring out why everyone else thinks it's so cool.

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

You Might Be A Grad Student If....

I found this page of jokes about grad school via this blog (sadly, she seems to have quit posting).
You can find the complete list and original [?] page of jokes here.

The painful poignancy of this list is frightening....like listening to Jeff Foxworthy and realizing that you do actually do these horrible things...

I've italicized those that are particularly fitting for my life...

[apparently the following is the work of David McKay at the U of Iowa]
You Just Might Be A Grad Student If...

...you can analyze the significance of appliances you cannot operate.
...your carrel is better decorated than your apartment.
...you have ever, as a folklore project, attempted to track the progress of your own joke across the Internet.
...you are startled to meet people who neither need nor want to read.
...you have ever brought a scholarly article to a bar.
...you rate coffee shops by the availability of outlets for your laptop.
...everything reminds you of something in your discipline.
...you have ever discussed academic matters at a sporting event.
...you have ever spent more than $50 on photocopying while researching a single paper.
...there is a microfilm reader in the library that you consider "yours."
...you actually have a preference between microfilm and microfiche.
...you can tell the time of day by looking at the traffic flow at the library.
...you look forward to summers because you're more productive without the distraction of classes.
...you regard ibuprofen as a vitamin.
...you consider all papers to be works in progress.
...professors don't really care when you turn in work anymore....you find the bibliographies of books more interesting than the actual text. [this started happening to me in my junior year of undergrad...]
...you have given up trying to keep your books organized and are now just trying to keep them all in the same general area.
...you have accepted guilt as an inherent feature of relaxation.

[one from R. E. Hawkins at Iowa State]
...you reflexively start analyzing those Greek letters before you realize that it's a sorority sweatshirt, not an equation. [nor an inscription...]

[and some from Jody Culham at Harvard]
...you find yourself explaining to children that you are in "20th grade".
...you start refering to stories like "Snow White et al.".
...you frequently wonder how long you can live on pasta without getting scurvy.
...you look forward to taking some time off to do laundry.
...you have more photocopy cards than credit cards.
...you wonder if APA style allows you to cite talking to yourself as "personal communication."


That last one is too funny....

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Alucinata sum...

This past week, my head was filled with things I wanted to write/blog about....However, I have definitely been in hiding since last Thursday. I do that sometimes--turn off my cell phone, neglect my email & my blog and don't answer my door. I'm not sure why really--I haven't been in a particularly bad mood-I just have to turn off on occasion.... Now, after my long-ass week--my mind continues to spin with the things I'd like to purge.

Alucinata in Latin comes from a verb meaning to wander in mind, talk idly or dream.

I wanted to 'holla' at NDC and Mike-works-4-bandwidth for hooking me up with a gmail invite. I had been having a really hard time trying to decide on an email address. I didn't want to use the same Username as my other e-dresses, and I don't want to use my real name. So I've decided I'll use 'Alucinata' as it suits me pretty well.

I could probably go on for a while explaining the craziness of the past week/s. I've been living here since August, and have been bitching since I got here about not having the male attention I was so used to. I promised in a post about a month ago to explain my resolution to quit making the wrong boys fall in love with me [yes, Professor LitMuse--I haven't forgotten :)] . These two aspects of my life have collided in a rather interesting pattern in the past two weeks. However, I'm not quite sure I want to give such detail about that right now. Maybe for once, I've managed to use my charms for good (and not evil) and attracted the right boys....but again- that is boys plural--both of whom are troublesome for one reason or another. Not to mention the wrong boys involved, innocent victims of my irresistible charm :-) ...Now I am rambling-and arrogantly at that. To make this long story short--In the past 2 weeks, I've started dating this great guy, and within the same 24 hours, started sleeping with a boy I have little interest in outside of that--and who has a serious girlfriend. I'm evil--I know. To stand up for myself--at least I've put things on hold for the past week and stuck to it.

This great guy, who definitely seems to be all for a serious relationship, is a law student who is smart and funny and great--except that he kisses like a 14 year old and recently told me that he is a virgin. Wow. I don't even know what to think about that. I haven't let it bother me, as I do really think this boy is wonderful--but it's beginning to be something I'm fretting over. I'm not sure I'm really ready to talk about this yet.

What I am ready to say something about is prompted by NDC's recent post about being 'discovered' by someone he goes to school with. What's funny to me is that I've recently begun to think that we might go to the same school--I've decided I don't want to ask and don't want to know if I'm right. I've made this decision because the idea of being discovered by a classmate, or worse-a prof, is terrifying to me & something I've been worried about. There are those of you who know me in real life and whom I know read my blog--I know this because Tyler knows this because I encouraged you to read this. You guys are not the ones I worry about.

If any of my friends here found this by accident--and called me out about it--I would freak. I like to pretend that I don't care if I'm found out. I keep flip-flopping-but in reality, I do care. I guess my point is that if you know who I am--don't tell me, unless I've done something extremely horrible.

and that's all I have to say about that.

The reading list GIANT exam is in a little over a week. I think I can, I think I can.... At least I'll have all next week--my spring break--to spend worrying & studying for it....With that--back to work for me...

Thursday, March 03, 2005

The Scorpio

Scorpio Overview
Scorpio is one of the most misunderstood signs in the zodiac, and one of those with the worst reputation. While it does deal with serious issues, it does not deserve most of the negative things that have been said about it. In fact, it can be very positive.

The Element associated with Scorpio is Water. Water Signs are emotional: they tend to respond to the world through emotion, rather than physical action, practicality, or intellect. Scorpio's motto could be "still water runs deep." They may repress their emotions, but underneath they are lusty and perceptive. At times, though, Scorpio's water can be stagnant, depending on whether they use their energy in a positive or negative way. They may be vengeful or vindictive and unable to get past personal slights. Scorpios are motivated and loyal, but they are often misunderstood and people may see them as dictatorial or sarcastic. If they have an ulterior motive, they can be overbearing, but in a subtle, sly, or manipulative way. Scorpios are both mystical and scientific, a combination that makes them very aware of what is happening around them; they are a Sign of great depth. If they aren't careful, though, their passionate nature may lead them into self-indulgence or compulsion.

The Scorpio woman has great charm, allure, and inner strength, and is able to overcome most any obstacle in life. She comes across as self-confident and self-possessed and men are drawn to her for that reason. There is a mysterious quality about the Scorpio woman, because she is intensely private, discrete and secretive. Soon she will learn everything about you, but later you will realize that she hasn't given you many details about herself - that's Scorpio's natural reticence.

Scorpions are the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. Even when they appear self-controlled and calm, there is a seething intensity of emotional energy under the placid exterior. They are like the volcano not far under the surface of a calm sea it may burst into eruption at any moment. However, those of us who are particularly perceptive will be aware of the harnessed aggression, the immense forcefulness, magnetic intensity and often strangely hypnotic personality under the tranquil but watchful composure of the Scorpion.

The operative word to best understand your Scorpio is "passion." One Scorpio once said to me that passion was the single most important ingredient in life, that is, to be passionate about one's loved ones, one's career, one's lifestyle, for without passion, what kind of life would we have in the end?

Their tenacity and willpower are immense, their depth of character and passionate conviction overwhelming, yet they are deeply sensitive and easily moved by their emotions. Their sensitivities, together with a propensity for extreme likes and dislikes, make them easily hurt, quick to detect insult or injury to themselves (often when none is intended) and easily aroused to ferocious anger. This may express itself in such destructive speech or action that they make lifelong enemies by their outspokenness, for they find it difficult not to be excessively critical of anything or anyone to whom they take a dislike.

Scorpio Relations
Scorpio's outstanding difficulty with others is the height and depth of its understanding. Much of the emotion Scorpio feels is extremely primitive and does not lend itself to verbal communication and intellectual analysis. Also, much of its knowledge is not easily communicated because it is beyond most people's understanding. When Scorpios try to communicate what they see, understand, or feel, they are often badly misunderstood. They then tend to keep silent because the misunderstanding that results from silence is better than the misunderstanding that comes from failed communication. Less secure Scorpios may react to the misunderstanding by blaming themselves and concluding that they are rotten inside. Burdened by a sense of inward decay and corruption, they do not realize that the "evil" thoughts they harbor are quite often felt, if a bit less intensely, by others as well. From all this comes Scorpio's reputation for secrecy.

They can harness their abundant energy constructively, tempering their self-confidence with shrewdness and their ambition with magnanimity toward others provided they like them. If they do not, or if their feelings are neutral unusual with them they relate to fellow workers only as leaders and can be blunt to those they dislike to the point of cruelty. In fact, they are not above expressing vindictiveness in deliberate cruelty. They are too demanding, too unforgiving of faults in others, perhaps because they are not aware of the shortcomings within themselves, and extravagantly express their self-disgust in unreasonable resentment against their fellows.

They do, however, make excellent friends, provided that their companions do nothing to impugn the honor of which Scorpions are very jealous. Part of the negative side of the Scorpion nature is a tendency to discard friends once they cease to be useful, but the decent native is aware of and fights this tendency. They are fortunate in that their strong reasoning powers are tempered with imagination and intuition, and these gifts, together with critical perception and analytical capacity, can enable Scorpions to penetrate to profundities beyond the average.

Scorpios & Sex
Scorpio is the symbol of sex and Scorpions are passionate lovers, the most sensually energetic of all the signs. For them union with the beloved is a sacrament, an "outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace." Their overriding urge in loving is to use their power to penetrate beyond themselves and to lose themselves sexually in their partners in an almost mystical ecstasy, thus discovering the meaning of that union which is greater than individuality and is a marriage of the spirit as well as of flesh. They are thus capable of the greatest heights of passionate transport, but debauchery and perversion are always dangers, and Scorpions can become sadistic monsters of sensuality and eroticism.

Whether in criticism or in envy, Scorpio is often called an extremely sexy sign. But if one is referring to the simple enjoyment of sex, Scorpio is not necessarily sexy. In fact, the sign is capable of denying itself sex altogether. Yet there is a relationship between Scorpio and sexuality. It is not the search for pleasure that brings a Scorpio to sex, it is the search for transcendence. The orgasm offers one of the few experiences of ego death and self-transcendence that is accessible to the ordinary human being. And it is characteristic of Scorpio that this is also one of the few experiences where ego death and supreme ego gratification are experienced at the same time. Scorpio does not feel the need to separate the two as much as other signs do. To a Scorpio, no matter how attractive and sexy the partner is in other respects, love that does not contain drama and emotional intensity will not endure.

Understanding the Scorpio
Scorpio is seen darkly because it touches so much that we reject. We want sex, but have been told that it is impure. Death beckons us all, but is denied in cellophane-wrapped America, a culture of the young in permanent denial of the wisdom, degeneration, and transformation of old age. Scorpio is also about power - oh yes, that too. It's about the exchange of emotions, feelings, and dollars, of time for money that we call work. Yet we turn our eyes away from the exchange, wanting but not watching, desiring without understanding.

We're in denial, too independent, wanting open relationships, modern relationships, negotiable partnerships with reasonable limits. But what are the limits of love, of passion, of the Soul? Why must we draw such clear lines of separation when that very separation is an illusion itself, the Cardinal Illusion that we are separate individuals, when we are truly bound together by our common humanness? Scorpio threatens us because we have forgotten that we are not apart, that we are connected to one another and everything else. Call it God, Goddess, Spirit, Nature, the All, whatever. It is Scorpio whose waters descend into our cracks and crevices, separating us from the separations and reminding us that we are One.

[I took all of the above from various parts of this site.]

Want to know more?
The Definitive Scorpio Astrology Guide
Pluto Pathology (Part 1) - Sex, Death, and Power: A Scorpio Triumvirate

Intestinally?

I've been rather busy grading essays these past few days--too busy to blog, in fact...

Tonight, as I continue grading, I came upon this sentence in one of my students' papers and just had to share.

When Aeneas reaches a foreign land in which a kingdom already exist he usually
ends up destroying the kingdom either intestinally or not.


I'm still laughing out loud.