As a creator and destroyer of landscapes, Pele carries within her the dual forces of nature and of alchemy, embodying the principle of solve et coagula. Her presence reminds us that these forces of transformation are inseparable— that both the “agony and the ecstasy” that color one’s alchemical journey deserve our utmost respect and honor.

I came across this poetic phrase from my beloved teacher Rachel Capurso of Aeolian Heart Astrology in reference to a biography on Michaelangelo, centering around his creative struggles while painting the Sistine Chapel. I found it to be a phrase that is so on point with both the creative journey and the alchemical journey.

Her eruptions mirror the psyche’s eruptions when suppressed emotions, truths and desires are able to finally break through the surface of the unseen and flow into the phenomenal world.

She revels in both the agony and the ecstasy of surrendering to impermanence and embracing the potential that remains. In this way, Pele is closely tied to the celestial archetype of Scorpio.