Mars Opposite Jupiter: Aim for Being Truthful

Dear Friend and Reader:

Just a reminder -- I am taking it easy today, in honor of the Beltane holiday, and I'll be back with a new Planet Waves FM either Tuesday or in one week.

Saturday, May 4, was the Taurus New Moon, at the midpoint of that sign. Saturn and Pluto are now retrograde in Capricorn, which seems to be taking off some of the pressure of the impending conjunction, exact Jan. 12, 2020.

Uranus is now in the discovery degree of Chiron, 4 Taurus, with the Sabian symbol, "The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." (That is the source of "Rainbow bridge between the inner and outer planets," used in the title of an early book on Chiron). This is bringing out the Uranian aspect of Chiron -- the quest for transformation, rather than an emphasis on inner healing.

Uranian energy tends to externalize Chiron, which may be helpful at this stage: you are invited to get out of your head and explore your feelings, and the world around you. This is particularly helpful where Taurus is concerned; influences associated with that sign have a tendency to get lost in their own sauce.

Mars Opposite Jupiter

The aspect of the week takes place this evening (May 5) at 5:56:51 pm EDT -- Mars opposite Jupiter. Mars has been slowly working its way across Gemini since March 3, moving less than half a degree a day. Along the way, it made a square to Neptune in late April, one of those challenging aspects that can arrive with the discovery of deception or the uncovering of a motive.

Journey Truth, aged 107.

Now we have a different flavor of aspect: Mars in Gemini opposite Jupiter in Sagittarius. This makes an aspect pattern in the sensitive 24th degree range -- Mars and Jupiter both form aspects to the Pluto-Eris square.

In case you missed the memo, Pluto, moving through Capricorn and up-ending everything in its path, has begun its square to ultra-slow-mover Eris (the planet discovered in 2005, which resulted in the "demotion" of Pluto). Eris represents what is happening to individuals and society as a result of digital overexposure -- "deep disorientation of intellect and destabilization of culture throughout the world," in the words of Eric McLuhan.

Pluto is doing its number on the structures of the physical world, and Eris is doing its thing on individuals, who are rapidly losing any sense of self.

So this Mars-Jupiter opposition taps into the deepest forces currently influencing society. They are the fast-moving planets that are expressing the qualities of the deeper, less discernible square of Pluto and Eris. (If you follow astrology and want to be "in tune with the times," learn about this aspect; we have covered it many times in Planet Waves features).

Mars in Gemini is intellectual drive (though it may be more or less deep, more or less curious), blunt, assertive language, and debate and repartee for its own sake. Be sure not to get tied up in the sport of argument unless you are on the debate team, or like bantering.

Mars is now at full expression of its relationship to Jupiter in Sagittarius, which represents accumulated knowledge and wisdom. Jupiter is retrograde, which can have a smug, know-it-all quality.

Nobody knows it all. You know what you know, and most of the time, that's a perception based on belief, not actual knowledge. So you don't really know something until you know how you know it; and speaking as an editor, until you have crosschecked it against a diversity of other sources, common sense and your own experience.

Being Right or Being Truthful

A Course in Miracles has an extremely annoying thought: "Do you prefer that you be right or happy?" [Here is the full chapter, called Seek Not Outside Yourself.] It's often misquoted as a statement. In its original question form, though, it's easier to parse, and it's a legitimate spiritual query.

The implication is that in the drive to be right, people make themselves miserable. The paragraph ends, "It is given you to know the truth, and not to seek for it outside yourself."

The other day, I was visiting the oldest reader of Planet Waves, a woman named Journey Truth, who recently turned 107. On her refrigerator was a handmade sign that said, "Aim for being truthful instead of being right." I attribute this to Journey Truth.

Using this idea would be helpful in our times. There's a lot of being right going on, and it's often mistaken for other things. While we may not agree that there is an "ultimate truth" (and plenty of people claim to have it), we can agree that there is such a thing as being personally truthful, on the individual level.

That, to me, is a takeaway of Mars opposite Jupiter.

Happy Beltane, and thanks for tuning in.

With love,
Here is my Beltane card for this year. This photograph was taken in Belgium, where I was experimenting with sculpture. The thing was, every time I got clay in my hands, I would sculpt a vulva, in intricate detail. I never even thought about what I was doing; it would just come out of my hands. I could really do that all day. One day I put them onto a mirror in my studio window and took this photo. They have actually made it back to New York across the ocean and the decades, and are in pretty good shape. I guess this answers the question, "If I could create anything, what would it be?" Happy Beltane. (Click the image for a full-size version.)
INTELLIGENCE Available for Instant Access
Astrological and Spiritual Guidance Into 2020 and Beyond

Dear Planet Waves Friend and Reader:

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Thank you to everyone who has already purchased this set of readings -- my first-ever covering two years (and really three, because the audio begins with a review of 2018, information that will remain relevant for years). All 12 signs are available for instant access. You can view samples of the audio and written readings here.

Read more... Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscope for May was published on Thursday, April 25. We published your extended monthly horoscope for April on Thursday, March 28. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign. Aries (March 20-April 19) -- It's helpful to treat every day and every opportunity as a new start. Old habits and outmoded values only have power because we give it to them, often by tuning them out and refusing to be conscious of our motives. Many of these are inherited from our immediate ancestors, which is something to be aware of on a day-to-day basis. It may seem a little strange walking around thinking, "what would my great-grandmother do in this situation?" particularly when she was your age. That is, however, the question to ask and to ask meaningfully. If you give yourself a few points of orientation on the past, it will be easier to find yourself in the present. Meanwhile, be aware of the temperature and pointedness of your words. Mars remains in Gemini, and with that going on, it's possible for you to come off a little more harsh and driven than you may feel inside. Know your priorities. Know that you don't have to argue for them, defend them or even talk about them. You only need to be true to yourself. Get your full Aries reading by Eric here.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- The recent New Moon in your birth sign took place on the backbone of the fixed signs, right at the midpoint of Taurus. This placement suggests strongly that no matter what doubts you may have about the world and about existence, you have faith in yourself. You might need to find it. You might need to remind yourself of it. Faith in yourself means being present for your feelings, your desires and your needs, rather than denying them in any form. That will lead to being present for your ability to see your options and make decisions. Think of it this way: You don't need to find your power, your love or your truth. Rather, look for the blocks to your awareness of their presence, and focus on removing those obstacles. It will help if you don't put new ones in your way. This is one of the most important life skills of all. It can take training to know when you're doing it (for example, spotting thought forms such as, "Unless that happens, this cannot happen"). Stop and trace your logic. Mars in Gemini says you may be seeing one option when there are really two, or seeing two when there are really many. Get your full Taurus reading by Eric here.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- Mars in your sign is aligned with Jupiter, Eris and Pluto today, opening awareness of some opportunities that were present all along. You may suddenly have the feeling that you're able to connect. It's possible that you've discovered a way to connect with your strength in the face of what has, at times, felt like overwhelming power, or some influence you cannot get away from. The first issue to address is the extent to which your belief upholds its supposed potency. The second is to notice the ways you tend to hand over your power and influence over your life; then stay aware enough before it happens to not do it. There exists a question of whether you think you have to negotiate for what is already yours, or for the right to want what you want. While other people are in the equation, the content of your thoughts, and your basis for decision, is your business. The challenge you face is not letting anyone blow you off course, and that means being in accord with yourself first, and with other people second. To some degree both are necessary, though there is an order of operations. Get your full Gemini reading by Eric here.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- You are stepping out in the world. This is a big time in your life, potentially a brilliant time, for that reason. You are being summoned to distinguish yourself, and to exercise a level of freedom, that you're unlikely to have ever experienced before. (You may, however, know something about this if you were born between 1935 and 1942, though current developments are a pattern all their own.) This transit will gradually shift the way you live, and how you relate to the world. At times, it will be anything but gradual; there will be days when you will wake up and feel like another person, as you make choices different from any kind you've ever made. How you present yourself to whatever you think of as your "community" or your "public" is one of the main frontiers of this experience. One vitally important factor is that you do what you can to shift these concepts away from the online environment and into the physical one. This will take some discipline, as to some extent all of this digital involvement and exposure have made us aliens to actual physical space and existence. Get your full Cancer reading by Eric here.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- If you had to choose any role for yourself, what would it be? That's another way of asking, who do you want to be -- rather than what do you want to do? Don't worry if you don't know how to be that person or be in that role. For now, work with your desires and your intentions. You will discover a sense of freedom in doing this, and that is the freedom to explore and to exercise. Remember, it starts in consciousness, and then expands to your choices. Sometimes you will be the one who takes initiative; other times, you will be presented with an option, or with a situation, to which you must respond in some way. Most definitely interpose a delay if you can, by which I mean take your time taking action; not forever, just enough to be close to your deliberation process. Move slowly enough to observe your thoughts and consciously take the available facts on board. Even if you find yourself having to move more quickly than you would like, still work with this process as best you can. Stay fully involved in your own decisions. Get your full Leo reading by Eric here.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- I propose that it's time to take a close look at the issue of "belief." This seems like the most garden-variety thing, like breathing. But when you start taking yoga classes, you begin to figure out how much you have to learn about air going in and out of your lungs. Something similar is true of belief, which is a kind of invisible issue. The problem as I see it is that belief, for most people in most situations, is used as the sole arbiter of truth. As such, it's a terrible device or tool. Belief measures nothing except whether you're persuaded, which generally means guided by some external factor that you accept as true. What this typically does is suspend the search for truth rather than foster it. You are unlikely to challenge what you believe, especially if you want it to be true. So the first step in this process would be to identify what you accept on the basis of belief, and then challenge it. You could start anywhere. What is most critical to the process is knowing when you are believing, and when you are doing something else. Get your full Virgo reading by Eric here.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- Life is holding up quite a mirror for you lately. You may like some of what you see, you may not like some of what you see, and you may be totally confused by some of what you see. Ideally, you will step back and observe, as if you're watching a movie. Do what you can to avoid getting overly involved in any drama, and even if you do, make sure you're in contact with the part of yourself that some spiritual traditions call "the observer." Watch yourself while you're doing whatever else you're doing. Listen to your thoughts as they go by. You are currently undergoing a shift in your approach to relationships, and there are some things you'll need to let go of in order to allow in some new approaches to life. You might watch for the thing that's the most difficult to observe: your expectations. This includes both of yourself and of others; these thoughts and behavioral patterns tend to disappear into the mists, though they also tend to run your life -- and are currently being shocked into awareness. This may come in the form of disruptions to the normal flow of events, which will provide you with opportunities to discover how things got that way, and to explore how you want them to be. Get your full Libra reading by Eric here.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- It's crucial that you make a point of seeing all sides of any issue or situation, and then come up with a few more possible viewpoints. This is not a specialty of the human race, and it's not one of your strong suits. However, it will serve as a real asset if you can get it going. Seeing other viewpoints means suspending your skepticism about whether they are right or wrong, and accepting things for the sake of discussion. You may feel that if you take someone's point of view on board, and really consider it, you will become an automatic convert. This, I observe, is one of the main reasons people have for not even considering one another's views. But you will not be swallowed by an opinion or perspective merely for treating it thoughtfully. Anyway, this is not about ideas as much as the people you care about. Ideas are irrelevant compared to people, though by being a careful listener, you show your respect. It's fair to ask questions, and to inquire how people arrived at a certain belief or conclusion, but be gentle. Your temperature is running hot these days. Get your full Scorpio reading by Eric here.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- This week, Mars makes an opposition to Jupiter in your birth sign (or ascendant, if you're Sagittarius rising). You might think every idea that comes your way is designed as a challenge to what you believe. What if that is true? What if everything you learn disrupts what you previously knew? Jupiter retrograde in your sign is an indicator that you might be clinging to your beliefs, or your notion of reality, and may be closed off to new information. If that is true, then you're likely to experience nearly anything as an unwelcome challenge. If you're feeling that way, it's time to lighten up and remember your sense of humor. If you're interested in discovering the truth about anything, you need a gentle touch, and a generous helping of curiosity. Some of your best observations will come from considering odd or awkward points of view, and you will learn the most from people you disagree with. Beware of looking for facts that only support your opinions. Take the opposite approach: listen the most carefully to what challenges you. Get your full Sagittarius reading by Eric here.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- All three planets working their way through your sign are in retrograde motion, which suggests you're getting some relief from the pressure you've been under lately. Saturday's New Moon (May 4) has also opened up a vent that is allowing you to blow off some steam and take life (and yourself) a little less seriously. You have a way of getting lost in your own woods, and you could find your way out by being a little more pleasure-seeking and a lot less perfection-seeking. One of the deepest purposes of Capricorn in the world is learning humility. That doesn't mean accepting inferiority; it means moist (humility comes from the same word root as humid). To be fair, Saturn and Pluto in your sign are a little bit dry. Along the "hum" train of thought, we could add humor. That does not mean sarcasm; humor is about feeling safe. Once you can laugh, you are signaling to yourself that the danger from your environment is gone. So you might use that as a metric for how safe you feel, in whatever contest you happen to be in. There will come a time when, with any luck at all, you decide, "I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now." Get your full Capricorn reading by Eric here.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Your creative and sexual enterprises are likely to go against the grain of the culture, and to challenge accepted wisdom. That's not so hard these days, since the grain of the culture consists mostly of splinters, and accepted wisdom is like drinking a Coors Light that was left out all night. However, the idea is to have fun rather than to piss people off. Sure, some people may find you annoying, though I suggest you make a point of being kind to your friends. Focus on your artwork, whatever that means to you, whether it's building ships in bottles, gardening, tap dancing or learning the cello at age 77. Whatever you do, notice inside when you feel like you're violating some rule or policy -- that's the place you want to go; that's where to invest your energy. As you test what seems to govern society, you will need to come up with your own codes that you live by. Your actual ethics are your responsibility and yours alone. You take the risks; you get the benefits of the results, or address the consequences. Get your full Aquarius reading by Eric here.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Many changes on the home front are facilitating progress in ways that will prove to be helpful and profitable. Focus your energy within your four walls. Mars in the domestic region of your chart is providing you with plenty of energy to make the adjustments you need to make. Doing this will liberate energy that will serve you professionally, so really dig into your domestic situation and make it work for you, particularly paying attention to physical space as one of your most valuable assets. Keep a close eye on your cash flow, and look for new opportunities to bring in more income -- they are there, though they, too, will come from the results of effort, focus and discipline. In many different ways, you're being challenged to be the master of your environment, your image, your personal space and the way that you relate to people. You may be feeling more hard-edged than usual, which is a useful posture for you to learn. Make sure people know exactly what you mean when you have something to say. There is no room for misunderstanding now. Get your full Pisces reading by Eric here.

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