Tag Archives: Mars

New Moon in Pisces March 2018 A Goldilocks Moon

14 Wednesday Mar 2018

Posted by in astrology, forecast, Horoscope, Jupiter retrograde, Mercury retrograde, New Moon, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols

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Jessie Willcox Smith – ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ 1915 Illustration for a soap company {{PD}}

The New Moon occurs at 6:11 AM Pacific Daylight time at 26 Pisces 53. Both bodies (Sun, Moon) are applying conjoined Chiron, sextile Sedna and catching Uranus at the rough midpoint, square Vesta, and widely square Mars, the latter two together in Sagittarius, with Mars at the stressful 29 degree mark. The New Moon is also headed toward a sesquiquadrate with the North Node, and is in wide separating trine to Jupiter, which suggests what was recently promised by Jupiter is now in the rear-view mirror, not exactly gone, but at least temporarily losing relevance and certainly making connecting with that Jupiterian potential impossible right now (and we might ask ourselves, what ‘new’ do we need to learn, related to that Jupiter possibility, that will make actually obtaining what we want possible? Look to matters of the House where the New Moon and retro Jupiter fall in the natal chart. The NM Mars could make us feel as if we must act on it–but the time’s not right, yet)–the sesquiquadrate to the North Node only adds to this, making the road ahead appear particularly bumpy from our current vantage point.

Forming so close to Chiron suggests the New Moon brings potentials for hurt or healing–but which? We get a clue in the sextile to Sedna, which finds Uranus at the midpoint; this promises that something prompted either by the instincts or the ‘blind spot’ (that is, that we stumble into, rather than deliberately choose) will bring something unexpected or shocking, will garner the input of the group, or will foster understanding, not just intellectually, but emotionally, even intuitively. We must also consider that the knowledge, opportunity, or belief ‘withdrawal’ suggested by Jupiter may be the source of the wounding or healing. Whatever it is, it challenges our commitments, our priorities, or our highest values, with responsibility one way or another falling back on us and our own (possibly) poor decisions or potentially arising from aggression or conflicts sparked by others. This New Moon gives us the opportunity to reckon with our own and others’ ego urges and assertiveness, and to do so via our capacity for creative thinking, or through applying ideals to the imagination (Pisces); like Goldilocks, we’ll need to ask: Are we too aggressive and Self-involved, or are we giving our own needs too little attention or regard, or are we just right? The NM lays the emotional groundwork to successfully deal with this question, and when Mercury retrogrades in Aries on the 22nd, it will be prime time for reviewing and changing our actions (retro in Fire), particularly the way we act out or express the ego and action urges (Aries); we’ll have this New Moon to thank for a least a portion of our insights.

With Mars at its current position (29 Sagittarius) we may feel we’ll have to act in order to learn, but that would be premature–wait for Merc’s turnaround, as more will then be revealed–at this New Moon point, it’s all about feeling, intuiting, and communing, to discover our precise relationship to the Universe–modifications come later. One thing we may have to face at this time is that there is no difference between our woundedness and our ability to heal–and that in response to that awareness, action need not and often should not automatically be our answer to what’s revealed. Hints as to what follows are found here–

Utagawa Hiroshige – ‘Cuckoo Flying Under a Full Moon’ 19th century {{PD}}

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon in Pisces is, ‘The Harvest Moon Illumines A Clear Autumnal Sky’. This suggests opposites, through the imagery of a Full Moon, and autumn rather than the spring that’s soon to come (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere–for those in the Southern Hemisphere, the message may be simple: in the beginning is the end, and it is now). This could imply for Northerners that New Moon events play out through the summer and come to some sort of peak in the fall, or that what is born with the New Moon has the seeds of its completion, its ending, built in. That suggests not only that if we look carefully we will see the outcome to events already implied in their beginnings, promising a ‘harvest’ proportional to our efforts now, but that what happens now may also bring endings–that is, that the New Moon beginning has arisen from the completion of other cycles, that it’s time for other efforts to naturally terminate, conclude, or die. The imagery may also suggest we note Virgo at this point, in any or all of its guises within the personal life. That means subjects, qualities, and even people we associate with the sign may hold one or more keys to the meaning of events. Earth sits in Virgo, and that means those symbols will be literal, or at least tangible; check also the subjects of the House in the natal chart that holds Virgo for clues as to what may inform the New Moon event. ‘Discernment’ may be a key concept–also ‘criticism’, ‘accountability’, ‘results’. The ‘Circle of Life’ may be extraordinarily apparent right now–embrace this as a natural part of things, and appreciate what you have, in the present.

 

 

Focus On: Mars Into Capricorn, and Regarding Pallas

25 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, The Daily Word Image

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Allegorical statue of the parlamentarian executive power at the Pallas Athene fountain in front of the Austrian parliament building in Vienna. Photo By Manfred Werner - Tsui (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Photo By Manfred Werner – Tsui (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

The AstroEssence for the 27th, plus the Mars in Capricorn outlook: The martial is both on the ground and in the air, figuratively speaking. We see the god of war, egos, getting ‘it’ done, and pushy Self-interest vacate the volatile mutability of Sagittarius for the down-to-earth, Cardinal acting-out of Capricorn. This is typically one of those shifts that people actually notice; we feel the license we enjoyed with Martian energies and the focus on forward-thinking actions and finding out slip away as Mars moves into Capricorn. The sign of the goat/ sea goat imbues the Warrior with a sort of built-in brake, and not one that’s entirely under our conscious control. We may subtly place barriers in our own way, pull back on projects we were just a moment ago charging forward with, assets may be suddenly harder to get (Earth qnx Venus), and overall we may feel as if something, somewhere is acting as a drag on our forward momentum. Is that really the case?

No. We’re simply being tasked with learning to shape, contain, and aim our efforts–not unreasonable at all. We may also find that what we are building requires a hands on approach, or we may insist on building something where before we were content to only talk about progress. Thoughts and communications offer the empowered option, if we’ll only listen to feedback (Libran Merc sextile Juno). There will be a few who’ll believe that their choices and actions are unimpeachable, who will project the whole Cappy restraint kit-‘n kaboodle onto others, making them responsible for the individual’s lack of personal progress–but they will be forced to see the light, when (by Oct 19th) Mars conjoins Pluto and we know what change and destruction our choices have wrought.

The more practically-oriented, sensitive, and wise Warrior, Pallas, is not having an easy time, either, adding to that paranoia of ‘someone’s out to stop me’. It seems that even regarding those matters of wisdom and practicality, or trying to call on skills, is a hostile act. Pallas sits in Aquarius and receives a sesquiquadrate from the Sun; this tells us that if we are truly willing to look at what’s not practical, at what’s not wise (for this info isn’t hidden, we just have to want to see it), we will navigate things easily on the power of the intellect and our own breadth of understanding. And that’s really good, if, once again, we can get out of our own way.

Looking for a little something on US politics, and the upcoming debate (the 26th) in particular? Try this–

'Spoon' by British Sculptor Anne Schwegmann-Fielding 2009 Photo by Ipingalex - CC BY-SA 4.0

‘Spoon’ by British Sculptor Anne Schwegmann-Fielding 2009 Photo by Ipingalex – CC BY-SA 4.0

Today’s word image is a spoon. It’s a utensil, something helpful, and when we need one there’s just no substitute. They can be carved from the humblest piece of wood, forged in silver, big enough to be considered a paddle, small enough for a baby’s mouth, or to deliver white powder to a nostril. When you hear the word, what spoon do you immediately imagine? Consider a few of our associations with the word: ‘spoon-fed’, ‘born with a silver spoon in his mouth’, or spooning someone as you lie together. What does your immediate association imply? That’s something, whether it’s privilege, indulgence, sating hunger, or one of a thousand other possibilities, that you need to examine, as it may be feeding assumptions that are having too big an effect in your world.

For those born with the Sun at 5 Libra: you are just slightly out-of-sync with Love and Money right now–it’s like you’re oh-so-close to alignment (and so real abundance), but before it all starts to work, you need to be willing to modify the approach, ever so slightly. Though your Libra Sun is prone to wanting things pretty, fair, and harmonious, you’ll need to get a little dirty, look in the corners, and be willing to call things as they are (not in an over-the-top, Trumpian, not-really true-way, but in one that acknowledges flaws and less flattering components so they can be addressed–that’s the only means of balancing the Love or Money picture, which will then allow it to flow right in. Good luck, Libra, and Happy Birthday!

Scroll to the previous post for the outlook for Monday the 26th-–

1 August 2016 A Tangle of Impulses

31 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, Grand Trine, Horoscope, Moon Void-of-Course, The Daily Word Image

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By Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach - 'Der Rettung Entgegen' 1913 {{PD}}

By Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach – ‘Der Rettung Entgegen’ 1913 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: We’re well into Dark of the Moon, that three day period prior to the New Moon when the Lunar light is absent, effectively removing our symbolic connection to the passing of time–and it’s this sense of timelessness that we should be mindful of right now. Particularly in that final 24 hours before the New Moon, we may find turning inward more natural than turning outward, and aligning our inner life with our outer one especially difficult, as they seem to be so disconnected. That means that meditation, contemplation, revery, creativity, and seeking the vision are all especially effective now, while activities with a purely external focus don’t get the attention they need, and so don’t go as well as they could. Add to this Mars at 29 Scorpio, and we have the potential for a lot of compulsive or poorly thought out actions and choices, prior to the Mars entry into Sagittarius (and Mars moves into Sagittarius only about two hours before perfection of the New Moon, suggesting that the impulse to act may come forward before the intention, the ‘why’, becomes clear). Perhaps a note to the Self reminding us that though the inner life and viewpoint seem to be of ultimate importance, even more ‘real’, during this period, we are still physical beings in a material world, so measured activity and some caution is advised.

'Le Bec de Gaz - Nuit bleue' Henri Le Sidaner 1905 {{PD}}

‘Le Bec de Gaz – Nuit bleue’ Henri Le Sidaner 1905 {{PD}}

It’s the perfect time to reach emotional balance, specifically by getting clear within our own minds on what we are dedicated to, where we are empowered to act effectively, and by following the wisdom that exists internally and that is externally offered. It’s in being sure within ourselves of where we want to spend our energy and time, and how we can best exercise our prerogatives, that we find guidance toward the smart choice, or the practical one, and so insure we have the desired impact.

If we align our mentality too closely to material matters, we may find ourselves hurting, particularly through relationships or financial matters, and it’s almost guaranteed we won’t understand why–the tendency will be to blame others or circumstances, rather than see that our own viewpoint needs adjustment (Water Grand Trine of Vesta-Juno-Pallas, Mercury at the midpoint of Vesta-Juno and opp Pallas, Merc trine Ceres, Venus qnx Chiron, Sun sesq Chiron and trine Saturn)

Mihail Simonidi (1870 - 1933) - Reverie pe malul lacului {{PD}}

Mihail Simonidi (1870 – 1933) – Reverie pe malul lacului {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a swan. Distilling the many meanings and associations of a swan, we see them as symbols of purity, associated with Venus, and linked to music. Look for the ‘swan element’ within your life, those things that represent beauty, purity, and the pure sensory enjoyment that comes from the Venusian aesthetic, especially through music–or just watch for swans, alerting you to synchronicities ahead.

For those born with the Sun at 10 Leo: early in your ‘new year’ you may feel emotionally confused, cut off from the feeling nature by real or imagined barriers, but soon enough you adjust, chiefly by realizing that it’s your own creative energy that’s distorting your perceptions–and that energy needs a solid outlet for expression. This may be your quest this year: to find the ‘perfect’ expressive mode for either your artistic or spiritual Beingness–everything else may take a back seat, until such expression is found. Good luck, Leo, and Happy Birthday!

Have a great start to your week!

13 December 2015 Perfecting Ambitions

12 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

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The world really is your oyster; a new 'I Am' can be born. 'A Water Baby' Herbert James Draper 1899 {{PD}}

The world really is your oyster; a new ‘I Am’ can be born. ‘A Water Baby’ Herbert James Draper 1899 {{PD}}

Recently we’ve been treated to displays and revelations specifically focused on the ambition picture, both for ourselves and for others; now we’re past that need to rebel, the urge to be unreliable in a misguided show of independence, we’re no longer choosing in reaction to the group or some imagined sense of oppression, and finally, finally, we are ready to express our original ideas, our unique concepts and approaches, in the areas where our ambitions lie. We have the energy, focus, and strength to pursue exactly what we desire–and, whether we are conscious of it or not, we are in some way entirely endowed to achieve precisely what we want. This may be the point where many stumble: over the idea that they are already empowered, holding the status, or receiving the support needed to make their ambitions live; they don’t, can’t, or won’t believe they already have what they need, and this will be the thing that stops them–though of course, they’ll see it as a lack of a vital lynchpin that, if they’d only possessed it, would’ve fulfilled their dreams. It’s one of those periods when the whole world conspires to empower you, to give you what you want–why wouldn’t you open your arms and accept it? (The aspects that created the past effect were recent oppositions of Mars and Zeus to Uranus; aspects perfecting today are Mars conjoined Zeus, Juno parallel Zeus)

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Mars Into Pisces

09 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in Mars

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Imagine the Warrior in the Clouds--Peter Nicolai Arbo {{PD}}

Imagine the Warrior in the Clouds–Peter Nicolai Arbo {{PD}}

Mars enters Pisces on the 12th and brings the Warrior mentality to the creative and the connection to the Cosmic—that can’t be good, can it? Yes, it really can. We find the energy to act on those things we’ve only imagined, and creative output can soar—if we know what form we’d like to see it in. We may also be prompted to act on delusions and lies, and can really go down the wrong Path right now, if we have accepted untruth as its opposite. Mars in Pisces may make those strong in Air and Fire uneasy, worried their energy or spark may be dampened by this placement. All they really need to do, though, is realize that the emotion-rich atmosphere of Pisces offers an enormous amount of inspiration—and of course, that is the very thing that underlies effective action. Fears of emotional flooding, of releasing dammed-up feelings, must be accepted; actions and choices now will naturally be prompted by and carried along on the feeling nature—there’s no way to avoid it. No one has ever actually drowned in emotion; but they have died from denying it, holding it in, and having it leak out in inappropriate ways. Just go with the flow, this time—there’s nothing to fear.

Have a great weekend!

18 October 2010: The Ram Attacks

18 Monday Oct 2010

Posted by in current events in the sky

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A news report this morning alerted me to what’s up with our Martian/ Arian energies http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20101017/NEWS/310179991/man-killed-by-goat-in-olympic-national-park-was-experienced-hiker and after googling this subject I find it’s not as rare as it sounds; rams apparently take it out on us sometimes.

Get this saucy Aries Ram on a mug! http://www.cafepress.com/dogandsunflower or get the original image here http://karenswhimsy.com

After looking at current conditions, it made likely influences a little clearer. Mars is at 23 Scorpio; he’s out of contact with the personals and goes right for the social, the organizational, and the unique, with trines to Jupiter and Uranus, semi-square to Saturn, squares to Neptune and Chiron, and the separating opposition to Sedna. This could bring the rams in our lives out and charging, full force, with frustrations stemming from unfulfilling interaction with groups. They may be hurt, their idealism damaged by experiences on the social scene or in painful results of trying to share their own personal uniqueness. Aries may be smarting and not even know it, and it’s the unconscious nature of this possible hurt that makes the Rams’ aggression so dangerous.

Martian energies may be stirring in all of us, whatever our placements. Look to the natal House with Aries on the cusp, the House that holds natal Mars, and Mars’ transiting position and any contacts it currently makes, in order to understand where we may lash out and cause real damage without awareness that we are doing so. We may also come under attack, if we are loathe to see and own our own aggressive nature; failing to see how we are assertive and imposing our own Will (because we are, even if we think we’re not) can mean we paint a big target on our backs.

So, just a quick note about what may be up with our Aries friends; how can we help? Perhaps by de-emphasizing the heavy Libran influence right now–with the Sun, Mercury, Saturn, and hypothetical (but highly useful) Zeus in Libra, Aries may be panicking a bit–it may feel like Aries is losing control, and the Ram really really doesn’t like that. A demand for co-operation sounds to an Aries like someone is stripping them of all ability to have their own way, and can trigger any number of agitated, Martian responses.

Another synchronicity: I turn on the TV for some news and weather this morning as I’m writing this, and in flipping around I see a bit of the show ‘Angel,’ where a demon named Skip is talking about how his Will is keeping someone in a burning hell-cube. Sounds to me a lot like our Aries friends (and our own Aries impulses); they’re used to just dealing with everything through sheer willpower, imposing their  desires and goals on all that surrounds them (some of you won’t agree with that, in a show of Willfulness–the irony!)

That’s the main new thing to be aware of today; it’ll only become more prominent over the next couple of days as Venus in Scorpio moves into semi-sextile with Zeus in Libra. Desires and the passion-deep urge to move toward them will be the main event, even (or especially) if our attention is elsewhere.

Have a great week! And get your copy of JUNO IN THE NATAL CHART http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/ Thanks! Back soon with the Full Moon report, and the new plan for forecasts here at the blog–

A Meeting Between the Queen of the Mountain and the King of the Sea

25 Wednesday Mar 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon

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juno So have the past few days just been an anticipation of this meeting between Juno, Queen of Olympus, and her brother-in-law Neptune, King of the Oceans? The run up to this through the Moon’s Dark period suggests the nature of the meeting may sneak up on us, and, depending on our circumstances, we may see what’s eventually revealed in one of several ways.

This may represent exactly what it sounds like, an instance of adulterous betrayal, a turning-to of one person to an inappropriate other; and what is the crime? A sharing that should not be, a breaking of trust and confidence between a commited pair, or revenge–after all, Juno was married to the biggest rake of all time, Jupiter/ Zeus, who, once the honeymoon was over, thought nothing of pursuing anyone he fancied; maybe Juno’s had enough of that. It can also signal a meeting between the heights and the depths, between the intellect and the emotions that may drive it, or symbolize an encounter between those inhabiting two entirely different environments, with probably predictably tumultuous results.

The cuckolded King of the gods

The cuckolded King of the gods

Or maybe for you this is more subtle, not the alliance of two gods, but an anima/animus clash that sees the female energies exercising Will and ego, and the male energies confused, delusional, or trying to realize a dream; in this instance, you may be attuned to the semi-sextile of Venus in Aries to Mars in Pisces. These two make oblique contact and we may see a reversal of the typical receptivity/ aggression labels; the usual suspects behave in opposite character in relation to each other, which can bring disorientation or behavior that is out-of-sync with one’s true nature. It can also bring forward struggles or disputes that are not really concerned with the subject, but with the too passive stance of what should be active, and/or the too assertive stance of what should be less defensive.

Or this may take a materially-centered tone with you, where the power that exerts overt control over all that can be seen must negotiate with he who rules all that is unseen, shown by Ceres’ trine to Pluto. This may be the easiest situation to deal with, as the interplay is relatively smooth and both sides end up satisfied (trine). The fact that the bargained-for items refer to tangible assets or physical things helps, as well; being able to see and weigh the objects of the negotiation makes it much easier to handle. This may in particular refer to situations of obtaining credit, negotiating for an initial salary or pay raise, the matter of possession of assets, or in choosing material investments.

Mercury moves into Aries before the Pisces Moon can come along by conjunction, so emotional perceptions about these past few days may not be completely formed into communicatable thoughts and words; this recent period may just be like a long dream that upon waking we are unable to share with others, but are molded by, or even haunted by, just the same.

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Focus on: Uranus Sesquiquadrate South Node + Mini ‘What You’re Asking’

25 Wednesday Feb 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky

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Starting tomorrow, February 25th, and lasting through March 29th, Uranus in Pisces forms a sesquiquadrate with the Leo South Node. A sesquiquadrate suggests we will experience a long-term adjustment, an irritation that seems to go on and on, related to the current role of transiting Uranus in our chart, and to the South Node. What we will likely find centers in a scenario of continuing upset springing either directly from our past or from those things we believed we’d already handled, and they will disrupt our individual innovative and creative expression, our role within the group, or both. Considering the signs involved, it may be a case where matters are presented as either ‘we do it for the group/ Collective’ (and that’s judged to be ‘good’) or ‘we do it for ourselves’ (with the implication that this is inherently ‘bad’). The most important thing to keep in mind is that we must choose and perform in such a way that we can exorcise the past while being true to what we as individuals choose–in this instance, consideration for the interests of the group can and should be secondary.

And now, a little ‘What You’re Asking’:

How long will Saturn oppose Uranus?

This pairing will move back out of and then into orb again several times before finally separating; the last exact opposition occurs at 00 degrees 25 minutes of Libra and Aries on 26 July 2010, with any leftover effects swiftly diminishing thereafter. The good news is that by then we will have been living with the opposition’s effects for so long that we will likely have long ago developed ways to accomodate its influence; the bad news is that once it goes the chances to reform old structures and strictures will be gone, as will the chance to make solid our inventions and our most original creative ideas. Ending in the Cardinal Libra and Aries also suggests that its final influences will be notably swift, sure, and in a much different vein than those of the Virgo/ Pisces time period. Saturn in Libra and Uranus in Aries suggest we could see solid new partnerships and perhaps martial revolutionary action before it’s all said and done.

How are Mars and Neptune alike?

At first glance this might seem like an odd and unanswerable question, but when I thought about it I realized that if nothing else they have strength of Will in common. Mars is known for his Willfulness, the ego ready to push his way to the front of the line, the Warrior who doesn’t hesitate to fight, and usually for a cause from which he benefits. Neptune is often characterized as soft, wishy-washy, illusive–but I think that’s protective covering for enormous drive to make the dream or ideal a reality. Even in its more negative manifestation, the strength of Neptune is impressive; it takes a tremendous Willpower to create and maintain a fantasy, a deception, or an escapist pursuit, and successfully shut out the world entirely. And when the two connect in the natal chart, we can be looking at one of the most persistent, determined, and yes, stubborn combinations around, if only because so much energy is devoted single-mindedly and with complete faith, to those Neptunian subjects.

Can a person breathe on Pluto?

Sorry. No.

Mars Through Aquarius: I Think I Want

05 Thursday Feb 2009

Posted by in Aquarius, aspects and placements, astrology, Mars

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I don’t get–

I don’t get furious.

No!

I get cool.

I get angry!

But not furious!

Yeah!

True.

‘Rappin’ ‘Bout My ‘Tude’ from Pieces of Intelligence: The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld, compiled and edited by Hart Seely, taken from interviews and press conferences given by the former Secretary of Defense

This is Mars in Aquarius: cool. angry. furious. and perhaps in denial.

Mars moving through Aquarius is an energy we should be especially conscious of, for two reasons: first, with the force of the ego and ‘I am’ in the sign of Higher Knowledge, academic thought forms, and the intellectual approach, we may be prone to confuse our forward energies with our contemplative and reasoning ones, bringing our progress to a halt, Hamlet style, with endless mulling of the possibilities; and second, we may use our higher reasoning functions simply and directly to justify what we want for ourselves, no matter the implications. This latter possibility holds a number of pitfalls as Mars travels Aquarius and unites with other energies that will only reinforce Willfulness, dressing it up in any number of justifications and rationalizations. There’s always the chance that this transit manifests as ‘Me vs. the Group,’ but even in this form it still follows the frustrations and inclinations of Mars and what he meets along the way.

On the 16th Mars conjuncts both Jupiter and the North Node, suggesting a kind of fated exaggeration applied to whatever form we’ve given Mars through Aquarius. This is why we must define our attitude, why we must find a way for the action urge to embrace intellectual understanding even as we act–because we must avoid the trap of perceiving ourselves to have accomplished when all we’ve done is think about our situation, and this is especially tempting with the conjunction of the 16th, as we can easily apply big thought forms to our future, and feel like that’s enough to make things happen.

As in the verse above, Mars transiting the Water Bearer’s sign may confuse us: “I get cool. I get angry!” We may separate our energies in such a way that we think about being angry but muster no firepower–this can put us in a bad position, too cool in our assessment of things, and so unable to act in our own interests in a timely manner. On the 18th Mars meets Juno, and how much animus we can bring forward to empower ourselves becomes a vital question–we don’ t want that energy sitting to the side like Rodin’s ‘Thinker,’ immobile, stuck.

By the 28th-1st of March, Mercury catches up with Mars, and all this thinking may burst out, communicated more forcefully than we intend. It may feel like we can finally say what we mean–but speaking out likely doesn’t relieve the stress, as Mars chafes at sending all its force through the intellect. Mars finally catches up with Chiron March 4th-5th and we may be in a Self-designed stew, wanting more than ever to act (as Mars will, eventually, realize that all this thinking isn’t natural for it!) but now hampered by fear of hurt. Some, however, will rally the Martian Will and energy in service of healing, and here’s where we triumph; if you’ve used the early part of Mars’ travels in Aquarius to think deeply about how, where, and most importantly, why the ego wants what it wants–Aquarian intellect and understanding can be at the service of the ego in a tremendously productive way, discerning our wants and impulses with unusual clarity.

March 7th Mars hits Neptune and we want to have our ducks in a row before this occurs; if we do, we can use this combo to go after our ideals, and work toward our dreams. If not, we will lose the benefit of all that thinkin’ time that came before. Maybe it’s the difference between, as in the verse, fury, which is expressed blindly, and anger, which can be honed and aimed, laser-like, and used in service of our goals and dreams.

More on Mars/ Neptune: What Drives Creative Action?

03 Wednesday Sep 2008

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Mars, Moon, Neptune, Vesta

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As promised, we’ll now look further into what makes Mars/ Neptune a driving force within the natal horoscope. One thing we must understand is that, as with any aspect, just having it in the chart doesn’t guarantee a particular outcome, event, or level of manifestation; and this prompts us to look for what factors may distinguish the chart where the creative impulse to action is extraordinary from the chart where it manifests in a more moderate way, likely overwhelmed by some other factor.

It’s easy to see Mars/ Neptune when it reaches a high level of manifestation in the life of an artist; a perfect case in point is artist, visionary, and writer William Blake (28 November 1757, 7:45 PM LMT, London England). A trained engraver, Blake left his native London only once in his entire life. One of eight siblings, Blake’s family was steeped in mysticism and to a lesser extent, politics, and this permeates his creations–and they must be called ‘creations,’ as his illustrations, engravings, poetry, and prose present an otherworldly perception that reflects his Mars/ Neptune conjunction in Leo, succinctly defined as acting for the glory of God and the Self as creative forces. A Placidus House chart puts Neptune in the 1st and Mars in the 2nd, and we see this as, after a seven year apprenticeship, Blake opened his own engraving and printing shop in the hope of generating income (2nd) to sustain the publications of his personal visions (1st), but he was never able to create a steady flow of income. Perhaps it was the darkness and chaos of his vision (Mars/ Neptune trine Pluto in Fire), or the way he would not compromise his vision or action (Mars/ Neptune opposed Vesta and Saturn), that lead to an inevitable suppression of popularity. The vision and the action to reveal the Cosmic vision (Neptune) were sacred to Blake, and choices based on this might have made Blake feel oppressed or otherwise disregarded (Vesta/ Saturn). He chose to communicate through words and images–Mercury in Water squares Vesta, perpetually stirring conflict between the need to communicate and commune and the need to respect and revere that which he saw as sacred. We have a clue in Mercury’s Water placement as to the driving force behind the impetus to communicate: emotion, and find a 29 degree Cancer Ascendant and a 12th House Cancer Moon sesquiquadrate Mercury as highly descriptive of the ’emotional engine’ behind Blake’s work.

It may be more interesting, though, to inspect the charts of those who were highly creative in fields other than the Arts, and it’s illuminating to note how this aspect manifests repeatedly through families; the state of the aspect picture is often directly indicative of the impact (or lack of it) of the individual along the outlines of accomplishments in the family vein. We see the Mars/ Neptune aspect in significant numbers of family members in the industrialist/ Fiat Agnellis and the shoe manufacturing Ferragamos, but I thought the Bonaparte family offered a good example of the way an aspect that can power greatness (of a kind) in one family member can be less than stellar (that’s an astrology joke!) in another.

Napoleon I (15 August 1769, 11:30 AM LMT, Ajaccio Corsica), who set out to conquer Europe and very nearly succeeded (and who believed himself to be the reincarnation of Alexander the Great), had Mars conjunct Neptune in Virgo in the 10th of public reputation and career (and we musn’t forget that the public nature of the 10th can translate career as ‘one’s impact on the world’). The conjunction shares the 10th with Pallas, the Sun, and Ceres, all in Leo. Our attention then jumps to the Moon at 29 degrees of Capricorn, with Saturn ruling the 3rd and the Moon ruling the 9th–this man had the emotional imperative to conquer something! Conjunction ruler Mercury in Leo and Moon ruler Saturn in Cancer (thus placing the Moon and Saturn in Mutual Reception) oppose the Moon, and here is the fuel for the creative engine, the accomplishments manifesting in the 10th arena. We should also note the exact conjunction of the South Node and Vesta–whether this stems from a former life as Alexander or not, this man felt his past was sacred, and perhaps felt a compulsive desire to duplicate it; clearly he identified with it, as SN/ Vesta sextiles the Sun/ Ceres exact conjunction exactly!

His son, Napoleon II (20 March 1811, 9:00 AM LMT, Paris France), known as the ‘KIng of Rome,’ also has a Mars/ Neptune conjunction, also conjunct Vesta, in the 6th of everyday duties–so he likely found the life of a ruler a sacred one, but was only moderately fired up about it (another astology joke!) with placement in the Mutable Fire of Sagittarius. Napoleon II’s Moon is also of note: at 00 Aquarius, widely sextile Nars/ Neptune, and involved in an out of sign Grand Trine with Jupiter and Earth. He clearly had the desire to affect the world, but his chart lacks the assertive outward impetus of his father’s.

The aspect skips a generation and surfaces once again in the chart of Napoleon IV (16 March 1856, 3:30 AM LMT, Paris France). He has a Libran Mars in the 8th of other people’s resources and interests quincunx Piscean Neptune in the 2nd, where it is also conjunct the Sun and Pisces’ ancient ruler, Jupiter. Here the Cancer Moon is exactly trine the Pisces Sun; this can make for a very emotionally satisfied individual–so we can surmise that emotional need was unlikely to be fuel for this Mars/ Neptune. Almost all the chart energies (exceptions: South Node/ Mars conjunction, Earth, and Moon) are below the horizon, making for a nature that processes experiences and the world largely internally; but, with Mars above the horizon, we may see someone who must show himself to be personally assertive, whether he truly has interest in this or not. This is exactly what we see in his demise: Napoleon IV literally acted out the Warrior, meeting his death fighting the Zulus at the Battle of Ulundi, and bringing to an end the hopes of those who still wished to restore a Bonaparte to rule in France.

What might we tentatively conclude from this brief study? We could guess that the state of the Moon, as well as the significant presence of Vesta, could be instrumental in utilizing a Mars/ Neptune contact to the fullest. It’s a starting point that may emphasize the necessity for emotional involvement and a sense of awe/ the sacred in successfully realizing life potentials.