To help you plan more in advance, Kathy now has Go-With-The-Flow Times for the month (aka a void of course Moon table) posted at her site, http://www.EmpowermentUnlimited.net.
At long last action. A lot will start moving this week that has been biding its time, whether building below the surface or waiting for circumstances to arrange themselves to support its venting. Pretty much any area of life could be involved, since the planets impelling movement are all-encompassing as a group. The quality of the movement will also be all over the map, from the sensation of a huge vehicle gliding forward to a child who’s been cooped up for months dashing excitedly outdoors to eruptions much like a volcano.
The triggers are Venus and Mars, archetypes of the feminine and the masculine, of our hearts and our ego-based wills, of our desires and our ability to go after what we want. The pair met this past weekend in a mutually supportive aspect that encouraged cooperation and harmony. With that collaborative vibe still resonating each is moving forward in different but important ways. Mars is ending his three-month retrograde and releasing the pause button on matters that have been stalled, frustrated or pushed below the surface since the week of Christmas, while Venus is going head to head with the masculine powerhouses of Saturn and Pluto. The gears for these two events swing into place over the center of the week (Tuesday through Thursday), but their workings will be with us for a lot longer. Each of them takes a dynamic that we’ve been dealing with and ushers into a different mode of playing out.
The Mars retrograde has been with us since December 20, when Mars doubled back before hitting 20 degrees of Leo. The retrograde has returned him to the first degree of Leo (not to the very beginning, technically, but within a handful of minutes of it, which is effectively the same thing), which he entered on October 17, a day or two ahead of the new moon in Libra. Interestingly, but no coincidence, the new moon was ruled by Venus, who is again seeing him off for his second trip forward through this terrain. So there are definitely, unmistakably, themes in this retrograde related to our heart’s desires, relationships, values, self-esteem and that one big mundane symbol of it all, money. Now, Mars is by nature compatible with the energy of Leo, and when he’s barreling ahead this is a happy sign for him to visit. His bent for self-assertion (unto aggression), impulsiveness, pioneering spirit and lust for adventure fit in well with Leo’s courageousness, playfulness, drive for self-expression and ability to take (okay, preference for) center stage. The frustration that comes from stifling this combination and the less pleasant potentials in this combination — self-aggrandizement, oversized, immature emotions and self-righteous fury and attacks among them — have been some of the experience of the retrograde that’s ending. The retrograde hasn’t been all infantile foot-stomping and petulance by any means, though, but has had some definite benefits.
One benefit of the retrograde has been abundant opportunities to re-address and in some instances redress matters from his first pass through Leo, mid-October through mid-December. Rethinking and reworking investment or expression of energy has been one theme. Think back over your own life and others more personal to you will come to mind. Some of the connections may be mind-boggling, and if you have access to an ephemeris you may find it interesting to check Mars’ position on particular dates and see how they line up. But don’t get too caught up in specifics. Mars in Leo has little patience for them, actually, and the big-picture information can be valuable enough.
Look, too, at the opportunities the retrograde brought you to reclaim parts of yourself, your energy, your drive, your ambitions. With the sign of Leo being involved, missing pieces might have reappeared connected to self-love, self-expression, old romance or some other passion of your heart. Nothing’s occurring to you? There’s plenty of time to consider the question. Even though he’s stationing direct and gradually moving forward, Mars is not going anywhere quickly. It will take him until the 21st to clear the first degree of Leo at last, so he’ll have spent roughly three weeks in the doorway to Leo by the time he finishes backing into it, turning around and leaving. So think about what gifts his retrograde brought and stage them so you’ll be ready for action when the time is ripe. And don’t worry about people or situations that went off the radar during the retrograde. They will likely return as Mars ramps up his forward motion. Let time take care of them. Instead, be looking at what projects and aspirations of your own you can now be pushing into action.
If Mars stationing direct were going to be all that was happening this week, there’d be sighs of relief all around. We may well enjoy a few from Venus’ power move, but likely other types of sharp out takes of breath are on the way, too. Venus is stepping into the ongoing battle of the Saturn/Pluto square. The two titans, the lord of rules and structure and the lord of inescapable transformation and evolution, are locked in a head-butt that is playing out in one relationship and agreement after another. Everything is up for renegotiating and restructuring, if it’s worth salvaging, and for dismantling or implosion if it’s not. (As I’m typing this, I have just learned that ABC-TV is threatening to pull its programming from the same NYC-area cable company that got a like ultimatum from the Food Network and HGTV as the last Saturn/Pluto square built in January.) Venus’ entry into the ring just ups the stakes even higher. She’s opposing Saturn and squaring Pluto, a configuration that is called a T-square. In this, the force in the middle of the opposition (in this instance, Pluto) must be expressed for a balance point to be found between the warring energies. Think of what’s going on symbolically: Venus in Aries, the embodiment of instant gratification, is facing down Saturn in Libra, the embodiment of long-term commitment, fairness, reciprocity and responsibility in relationships — and the way to reconcile their conflicting needs is through Pluto in Capricorn, who requires revamping the structure, even to the point of tearing it down. Loose underpinnings are not going to surface this force, and neither are relationships that have been teetering. Anything that’s rotting, diseased or unsupporting of future growth is on the way out, perhaps suddenly, probably irreparably.
Some of the changes are going to be good news; some will be a relief; some will be stunning, even if we saw or sensed them coming. Keep in mind: The clearing is making way for new and more appropriate growth. And if there’s a matter that you’ve wanted to deal with, this configuration will help you speed it to a conclusion.
Monday: The week starts with the lazy haze of a void of course Moon, till just after noon EST. She sextiles Neptune before sunrise and invites easing into the day and ducking back into dreamland while our bodies are going through the motions of starting our weeks. Throughout the day, emotions are all over the place, with the Moon making harsh contacts to Uranus, Venus, Saturn and Pluto. The point is bringing feelings up from the murky depths and into consciousness. Discomfort is a signal, this week especially. Be aware of what’s swirling about within you so you act mindfully as the week goes on, rather than react unconsciously.
Tuesday: Edgy, uncomfortable moves in the skies color interpersonal dealings and communication. Venus opposes Saturn, while Mercury joins with Jupiter by declination and gets the jitters from Mars. Ultimatums and negative answers abound. If you don’t like what you’re hearing, or what wall you believe is being thrown up in front of you, check in with your heart before you speak. Otherwise, be prepared to deal with brushfires.
Wednesday: Mars stations direct midday, and there are no aspects on either side of his station for hours. The stillness is weirdly appropriate, given the nearly two weeks more that he will end up tarrying in the first degree of Leo. Energetically watch yourself feel as if much is possible again, but be prepared for the stage to not yet be set for action. The Moon sextiles Uranus at the end of the afternoon EST and goes void until after midnight. The evening hours are suited for turning your perspective sideways, on its head and inside out. Think back to yesterday’s discomfort. How could your life be set up differently?
Thursday: It’s a day of Plutonian emotions — intense, purifying, volcanic, purgative. Venus perfects her square to Pluto around noon EST; the Moon meets Pluto by declination and forms a growth aspect by zodiacal degree. We are not at the mercy of base or unconscious emotion, or at least, we don’t have to be. If we can acknowledge and embrace our fundamental values and desires, all of the extraneous clutter will fall away. What remains may be sparse, and may be surprising, but it will line up with what we really want and need. Trust your higher wisdom.
Friday: Venus has one last step in her slam dance with Saturn and Pluto, and that’s meeting Saturn on the ecliptic. A path opens up to reconcile wants and obligations that seemed mutually exclusive earlier in the week. Perhaps you’re taking responsibility for fulfilling your own desires, or for reshaping the structures of your life to fit your heart’s dictates. The opening may be internal only, but that’s the most important place for reconciliation to take place now. Your shifting internal landscape is directly affecting the outer one you occupy during waking life. This is always true, of course, but keeping that reflection in mind can make navigating that outer world easier, especially during weeks like this.
Saturday: A day of rest, at last, in the morning at least. Allow yourself to sleep late and lounge around, because a big assault on the day wouldn’t get you far, anyway. The Moon joins Neptune at 7:58 AM EST and sails into a void that lasts till 1:45 PM. Issues of what and who we value are still taking center stage and may crystallize after the void ends. Clinging to your rigid viewpoint is only going to get it shaken to the breaking point. Play a loose game today.
Sunday: Today has a more boisterous start than yesterday. It’ll be easy to be aggressive about your wants and needs, which could be fun if the people you’re trying to foist them on are agreeable, but otherwise could engender some static. Take what you hear at face value. People are saying what they mean today, and that goes for you, too. Meanwhile, the Moon makes five aspects by declination and takes in all the messages, assimilates and tweaks them, makes some changes and throws some suggestions out for her own wants…and all of this happens through the filter of relationships. So don’t blame anyone for doing or saying anything to you. It’s all information and reflections.
Visit Kathy’s site EmpowermentUnlimited.net for podcasts, mp3s, a discussion forum and more on the eclipses, the Aquarius/Pisces traveling party and the Saturn/Uranus opposition. To join her mailing list, send e-mail to kbiehl@fortunaworks.com.