Music to travel by. © Pat Paquette, 2012.
Mars, the action planet, went direct on Friday. Although I anticipated some major shifting last week, I also knew that certain activities might come to a grinding halt until early this week, when Mercury enters Aries, the sign Mars rules. For me, however, the bombs began dropping Tuesday night, and by Friday, life was taking a turn that, while not entirely unexpected (there are advantages to being an astrologer), was surprising nonetheless.
Developments this week could turn us on our heads yet again. It feels like the ground beneath our feet is swaying back and forth, and remaining steady is difficult, if not impossible. At least, that’s what it looks like from where I’m standing.
We start off on Monday with Mercury blasting into Aries. Mercury has been in squishy Pisces, where logic dissolves and you never quite know whether you’re tapped into extraordinary intuition or are wandering in the mists of la-la land. We’ll have more clarity with Mercury in Aries, and fortunately, Mars direct in Virgo ought to help control the impulse to do something, anything, as long as you feel like you’re moving. The urge will only get stronger as the Moon enters Aries on Wednesday, and Mercury conjoins Uranus on Sunday. By the way, this is the third and final conjunction with Uranus in this cycle, and it likely will play out as events related to the big shift that began for you in the summer of 2010.
All of the above notwithstanding, we should all feel more grounded once the Sun enters earthy Taurus on Thursday, followed quickly by the New Moon on Saturday. Venus, the ruler of this New Moon, is close to the degree at which she’ll transit the Sun on June 5, and she’s at the exact degree of the lunar eclipse a day earlier. I have to think we’ll notice a significant shift in the two weeks following this New Moon. Indeed, life already seems to be rearranging itself in preparation for what’s to come. Still, Venus is unaspected in this New Moon chart, so we’re not entirely ready yet for what’s ahead.
The Sun and Moon do make a lovely sextile/trine with Neptune and Mars. The latter is especially powerful, given that Mars has just turned direct. It’s as though he’s being urged to get up and get moving! The Sun and Moon also are conjunct Ceres, who gets my vote as co-ruler of Virgo. Some astrologers think her symbolism is closer to Taurus. I have to disagree, but there’s no doubt that her earthiness is compatible with Taurus, the most solidly manifested of all the earth signs (thus the stubbornness we often encounter in our Taurus friends).
Click on image to enlarge
The inconjunct from Mercury to Mars is mitigated by their mutual reception. The inconjunct represents no common ground, and yet in these signs, this pair has everything in common. I say use this energy to the max to plough through problems that seem to have no solution. Communicate, brainstorm, and seek the areas of mutual interest. They are there.
Lastly, of course, we have Mars in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces – the harsh and accurate critic who analyzes every detail versus the vast, unknowable unconscious. Even this apparently irreconcilable opposition has a solution, represented by the New Moon itself. What we see with our eyes is an expression of the invisible energies underlying the material universe. This is a great time for any kind of energetic medicine such as acupuncture, homeopathy, Reiki, and so forth.
Before I end, I want to share the story of the photo. On Friday, I was headed into the city for an important meeting. Rather than sitting in the stuffy passenger cabin on the ferry, I went to the covered seating area. Even when it’s chilly, I prefer it to the interior. I can sit there in solitude, contemplating the sun on the water.
Just as I was settling in, a young man with a guitar case came out. “There goes my quiet meditation,” I thought. Before he sat down, he asked whether it would be OK with me if he played. “Well, that depends,” I said. “Do you play well?” He laughed, opened his case, tuned his instrument, and began strumming. The sunlight was hitting the space just right, creating a perfect photo op. So there was my choice: I could be annoyed that my solitude was disrupted, or I could take pictures. I asked his permission and joked that it was a fair trade. As it turned out, he played exceptionally well, and he chose a song with the perfect rhythm for traveling – whether physically moving over water or spiritually moving over waves of energy.
Sometimes we are blessed in spite of ourselves.
Wishing you much love and courage,
Pat
RealAstrologers 