Challenging astrological aspects combined with all the rushing around for the holidays make this one of the most intense weeks of the entire year. I’m seeing the effects already, as I’m sure many of you are, too.

Yesterday the boat I was on crashed into the dock. Apparently, something went wrong with the steering, and the captain didn’t realize it until he tried to land and discovered he didn’t have control. A hysterical “hang on!” blared over the speaker system, but there wasn’t enough warning to secure people and possessions.

That is a perfect metaphor for this week. But hopefully my message to “hang on” is not hysterical, and it’s with enough warning to be useful to you.

You may have gotten a taste of things to come last Friday and Saturday, when Mercury and the Moon amplified a mutable T-square. T-squares in the mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces — tend to bring swift and sudden change, and this is all the more true with Uranus recently direct in Pisces. Uranus is the planet associated with unpredictable events, which of course aren’t always bad, but even pleasant surprises can throw us off balance and require us to completely upend our lives.

This week, we get a brief respite on Monday and Tuesday, when the Sun and Mars both will make favorable aspects to Chiron. Both the Sun and Mars are about the ego, and we need healthy egos in order to relate well with others and move through our lives with confidence. When we know ourselves and what’s in our heart, making tough decisions is easier.

After Wednesday, the tension begins building toward Friday’s Full Moon. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Sun and Mars square Uranus. Cautioning you to slow down isn’t going to be much help, because, like the captain of my boat, you may not realize until it’s too late that you’re about to crash, and at that point, the only thing you can do is hang on or try to break your fall. I’m writing metaphorically here, but there are going to be some physical accidents, too. Do try to be mindful, and don’t take any unnecessary risks, especially if Mars and Uranus are transiting sensitive areas of your natal chart.

Friday’s Full Moon occurs in a close square with Saturn and Uranus, which are in opposition for the next couple of years. Neith already has done a thorough report, which is well worth reading again. I tell you, when Neith starts issuing cautions, I sit up and take notice!

Now, one interesting thing she points out is that the Full Moon closes the mutable T-square and makes it a grand cross. This does increase your options for handling whatever is thrown your way. Indeed, I believe that this Full Moon may provide a gateway to a reality shift. That’s why I chose this week’s image, showing our galaxy spinning around the Galactic Core. In Western tropical astrology, the GC is at about 27 degrees Sagittarius, not far from this Full Moon at 21 degrees Gemini-Sag. Even if you don’t intentionally open yourself up to greater possibilities, they may find you all by themselves. That said, the g-force of acceleration could be extremely uncomfortable.

Hang on! And much courage and love to all…

Pat

Image: Artist’s conception of our galaxy, the Milky Way, dominated by two major arms spiraling around the Galactic Core. Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech.