‘The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in the Sun’ c1807 William Blake {{PD}}

While all our attention is on Mars entering Scorpio on the 9th, we may find things take on a Plutonian tone, and we’d be forgiven for thinking this shift is why–but it’s not. Mars moving into Scorpio is a bit like this, debuting as a kind of Willfulness uncaring of waste or destruction, acting to make a point, to dig down, or even to get revenge–but what occurs, whether actions and choices bring results arrived at accidentally or deliberately, is that the Truth of things is revealed. Not a bad result at all for a transit that may feel very bull-in-a-china-shop–and of course, as Mars continues through the sign, it aspects individual factors in the natal chart, tailoring the experience to each of us uniquely.

On the 9th that Plutonian feeling is much more likely attributable to another set of contacts, and these promise truths arise out of unwise or impractical financial matters or relationship interactions (Venus parallel Pluto and sesq Pallas). The darker corners of our personal intimacies are lit up, and we may have the opportunity to see, and change, those less-than-smart facets of relationships or in our approach to money, earning, or asset management. We may even want to ‘go to war’ over Venusian life areas, but we need to know that urge would be prompted by our own darkness as it seeks an external target–so a crusade is definitely not a good idea at this time–and in its milder form brings to mind the old saying about how when you point at someone, four of your fingers are actually pointing back at you.

What’s most central to things, though, is the state of retrograde Mercury: parallel both Saturn and the Sun, trine Pallas, and quincunx Sedna. The mind, though not functioning as it normally does, is attuned to the reality picture and aware of what’s wise, smart, or practical–temporarily it’s only instincts and a more active mental stance that are on the fritz. That means that if we take in what is in a kind of passive mode, not reacting or insisting on taking action, we can enjoy a relatively crisp, objective, and accurate glimpse at the current picture. These ‘bright spots’ in the midst of Merc retros are always a welcome departure, and should be appreciated for the wealth of info they can make available–all we must do is be completely receptive, and our ‘Power Position’ or the positives of negotiation will be apparent (Sun trine Ceres).

‘Couple, Kids and Confusion’ By Shafiahmedrizvi 2011 CC BY-SA 4.0

By the 10th we may have learned something that confuses, alters, or otherwise makes unclear that relationship or asset picture (Venus square Neptune), or that inspires us through the difficulty it presents. We know what’s healthy–it’s obvious (Sun nov Hygeia) and the mind is quick and clever, in spite of its current direction (Mercury trine Uranus), but there is one caution: unprocessed or unresolved wounds may exert their influence on our thinking. Just sayin’.

{{PD}}

The weekend’s word image is this: after a conversation with someone, you have a dream that provides information you must pass on to the individual. For me this took the form of a discussion with someone about their frazzled, tired state and their back pain. In the dream I saw this person gazing into one of those convex mirrors you see on the street that allow drivers to see traffic coming from a blind corner; in this case, the mirror was on a drive-thru lane of a Starbucks! Then I was shown a chair that had a hard, upper back piece that would tilt a bit when leaned against, and my thought in the dream was, ‘Those are never comfortable–they don’t fit the back correctly, so you can’t even use them as a backrest.’ My interpretation? She’s ‘driving’ herself too hard, taking in too much caffeine in order to keep the energy level high, and the back pain is being exacerbated by either a literal ‘bad chair’, or is symbolic, springing from a sense that she lacks adequate support.

Have a great weekend! Read, donate, comment, or leave me a review at Goodreads–all are appreciated!