One thing many of us wish for at this time of year is peace on earth.

Jesus was heralded as a prince of peace, and his birth (which most likely did not occur in December) inspired hope for humanity. The wise men – who were, of course, astrologers – followed a star or maybe the stars to find the humble shelter where he was delivered.

Had he lived another thousand years or so, maybe Jesus could have brought peace to a warring planet. Instead, his message got twisted and perverted over the centuries, to the point that eventually his name was invoked as a cause for war and killing “infidels” for the glory of God. It’s sad that many of our fellow humans haven’t evolved beyond 11th century thinking and that “Peace on Earth” has devolved to a tired phrase in greeting cards and seasonal advertisements.

As an astrologer, I find extra meaning in the Hermetic maxim, As above, so below. I’m sorry to have to report that this week’s “above” is anything but peaceful. As I write, we’re heading straight into a period of breaking down and enforced change. Some of us may have to let go of situations and relationships that no longer are in our best interest. In world affairs, diplomacy is possible, but it will not come easily.

The dominant signature behind the turmoil is a cardinal T-square involving Mars, Uranus, and Pluto. As you know if you’ve been reading my blog, Uranus and Pluto have been in a square – a 90-degree angle signifying crises and conflict. We first began seeing correlating events on earth in late 2010, even though there wasn’t an exact square until 2012. There will be seven exact contacts in all, the final one occurring in March 2015. After that, we’ll experience a few years of ripple effect, like sailing in the wake of an aircraft carrier. This week, Mars opposes Uranus, transforming the square into a T-square. At the same time, the Sun and Mercury square Uranus as they approach conjunction with Pluto on New Year’s Day. That’s an intense lineup.

Mercury enters Capricorn on Tuesday. Obligations and commitments become more important, and with Jupiter in family oriented Cancer, get-togethers with relatives may be overwhelming. Then, some people love big family reunions. If that’s you, go for it! Capricorn also is a career-oriented sign, and Mercury rules business negotiations. Many business offices are closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s, so we may not experience this influence until after January 1.

The Mars-Uranus opposition is exact on Christmas Day. This pair literally can be explosive – all the more so with Uranus just a week out of retrograde. Challenging Mars-Uranus aspects often correspond to explosions or violent weather, whereas difficult aspects between Mars and Pluto can manifest as power struggles, including military conflict. The saving grace is that Mars is in Libra, the sign of diplomacy, so peace might have a chance. But it could just as likely be shattered by more-powerful forces hell-bent on war and destruction. For those who have never known anything but war and hatred, peace and love are threatening.

Mercury and the Sun conjoin on Sunday, and both square Uranus within 24 hours. The entire following week will be dominated entirely by the T-square, which is intensely activated at the New Moon on New Year’s Day. The downside of this configuration is abrupt endings, breakdowns, and losses. On the positive side, we’ll experience abrupt endings, breakdowns, and losses. I hate the overused phrase, “All endings contain a new beginning,” because it glosses over the seriousness of loss. If important endings do occur in your life, honor your grief. That said, there may be situations or circumstances in your life that desperately need changing, and for one reason or another, you haven’t been able to make it happen. Change could come quickly and unexpectedly under this Mars-driven cardinal T-square. It may be too abrupt. It may be disruptive. But sometimes you need to be pushed off the train speeding in the wrong direction, because you’re too scared to jump.

In world affairs, we’re getting more and more revelations about the extent of spying by the National Security Agency. Back in June, when Edward Snowden first made sensational news headlines for blowing the whistle on his former employer, there was a brief T-square with Mercury in Cancer squaring Uranus and opposing Pluto. This is exactly the kind of thing we’d expect from Mercury in aspect with Pluto or Neptune, which are associated with spying, secrecy, and deceit. In the coming week, we might expect more secrecy to “break down” as attempts are made to correct the injustice and abuse of power.

There are a couple of positive aspects this week that should be fairly easy to negotiate. The Sun and Mercury both sextile Neptune in Pisces – the Sun on Tuesday and Mercury on Thursday. Despite the chaos, we’ll have a wonderful opportunity to have meaningful discussions for most of the week. This is a perfect setup for those who prefer to spend evenings at parties having a deep conversation in the corner with one or two people. You won’t even need to be in an altered state to have a magical exchange. Mercury-Neptune aspects also can manifest as vivid dreams. Keep your dream journal handy.

Since I’ve been writing about the astrological significance of comet ISON, I thought it worth mentioning that there was a new blog post last week by Karl Battams, an astrophysicist and designated expert on ISON. Although it’s clear ISON is dead, astronomers continue to track the remnants in hopes of learning more about the outer edges of our solar system. Battams estimates that ISON was about 4.5 billion years old at its death.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas with much love, joy, and PEACE,
Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2013.