A Week for Expert Balance

Evidence of Hurricane Irene can still be seen on the Grandmother Land in Ulster County, NY. Hundreds of these woodpiles collected against trees when the stream overflowed its banks. Photo in June 2012 by Eric Francis.
Evidence of Hurricane Irene can still be seen on the Grandmother Land in Ulster County, NY. Hundreds of these woodpiles collected against trees when the stream overflowed its banks. Photo in June 2012 by Eric Francis.

This week we experience yet another shift in the psychic climate, as the Moon builds to full phase on Tuesday, synched up with Virgo letting go of Mars for the first time in almost eight months. Mars ingressing Libra is, on one level, about being an expert in balance. Know your limits, know what you want, recognize the conditions of your environment (particularly people), and work out a scenario that honors all of them as best you can. When in doubt, lean toward less rather than more. Notice when you have a need or a desire, and respond to it. Go gently on the people around you; most of them have no clue what’s going on.

When Mars ingresses Libra, the Moon is occulting Pluto -- an eclipse-like event. This is followed several hours later by the Capricorn Full Moon, an event that is building palpable momentum as early as right now.
When Mars ingresses Libra, the Moon is occulting Pluto — an eclipse-like event. This is followed several hours later by the Capricorn Full Moon, an event that is building palpable momentum as early as right now.

Virgo the Virgin has spent a lot of time in the company of Mr. Cock and Balls, amidst much other unusual activity. This has been a kind of anger management program, an extended course in understanding the nuances of desire and an opportunity to learn how to override emotions with intellect without sacrificing being able to feel. Indeed, actual balancing of mind and emotions specifically requires being able to feel.

If you associate this phase of time (November 2011 to the present) with a sexual healing project, it’s now time to take a step forward and see how you do in the world of relational experience. This may feel like a rather sudden energy release; Mars changes modalities (mutable to cardinal) and elements (earthy to airy), leaving a sign famous for its ability to deny relationships and ingressing one that’s entirely based on them. Mars on its own in Libra could indicate wanting a relationship with burning desire. You are likely aware of relationships of others, having a diversity of responses. This is all one environment, one seamless expanse of emotional flow of which you’re part, regardless of your current ‘status’.

Go gently with your desire; it’s potent and reactive, as indicated by other aspects Mars is making. If you try to get your way all at once, that probably won’t work out so well. Mars changes signs at 8:33 am EDT on Tuesday, right in the midst of a Moon-Pluto occultation (the last one we had was during the transit of Venus). This series of events, in Capricorn, seems to be about working through old emotional patterns layer by layer, reaching for the deeper passions that are only available in the present moment.

If once again you are experiencing a relationship situation is out of your control, you might feel some peace in letting it be so, assuming, of course, that you feel physically safe.

A few hours later at 2:51 pm EDT, the Moon and Sun make their exact opposition from Capricorn to Cancer — which is the annual Cap Full Moon. As we mentioned in Friday’s daily, this Full Moon is in aspect to the Uranus-Pluto square — the long aspect that’s setting the dynamic of the 2012 era that we are still gradually entering. So this lunation has a bunch of extra momentum behind it.

Remember that this combination of forces — Mars changing signs after so long, the Moon-Pluto eclipse and the Moon-Sun opposition — may have many people feeling on edge. You are at an advantage for knowing that this astrology is happening in advance.

Something similar is happening as well: Mars is approaching a simultaneous opposition to Uranus and a square to Pluto. This is bringing another wave of energy through our local cosmos, and will once again gives us a sense of what the era-defining Uranus-Pluto square is about. I think we’re going to see the many ways in which progress is dependent upon being able to feel and register both inner feedback and that which is coming in through our environment.

This aspect happens July 16-18 with the Cancer New Moon exact on the 19th — another hot spot in the ever-unfolding astrological scenario.

This is a time to proceed with care, and perhaps at times, with caution. For nearly three weeks Mars will be in close contact with Uranus and Pluto. This is reactive astrology, though of course it can be productive and creative and passionate. It is, however, involving the hot (and sharp) object known as Mars, mixed up with Uranus (the revolutionary, and one sometimes lacking clue or cause) and Pluto (the unstoppable force that on a very good day translates into this thing we call evolution).

Make your plans wisely, remain flexible in the face of data from within or from your environment, and drive like a professional. Plan your route consciously, do the speed limit (especially in congested areas or traffic), and slow down if the weather cautions you to do so. Take a moment a pause before you head off anywhere, and remain connected to your purpose.

Remember that if you live in the United States, you may be under additional pressure due to a civil holiday falling in the middle of the week. There’s only so much you can do, and this would be a fine week to go a bit slower, and do a little less.

11 thoughts on “A Week for Expert Balance”

  1. Thank you, Eric. I find this extremely helpful. Especially this: “If once again you are experiencing a relationship situation is out of your control, you might feel some peace in letting it be so, assuming, of course, that you feel physically safe.”

    I was in something of a bit of a love triangle, which is something that I am absolutely no good at (what can I say? I am a stereotypical Cancer I suppose) The person I was closer to out of the two had to move away suddenly. So much of this is all out of our control and I’m just all out of sorts, but yes, absolutely feel safe and these are both very kind people who think highly of me and want to see me happy and successful no matter what the outcome. So all things considered, this is really just an exercise in patience, watchfulness, and trying not to have any expectation as to what will happen next.

    Hugging: In my case, the relationships I have encountered recently have been the least emotionally abusive and most encouraging and loving, after experiencing so much hurt in a traditional relationship. I kept trying to shrug off these experiences because they weren’t fitting some ideal I conjured up in my mind that I thought I needed in order to be happy and healthy in a relationship. And now that I finally realize and understand this, I very suddenly have neither available to me. (But maybe that’s just it? As you were saying, I was still in that mindset that caused me to allow the abuse in the first place, so I wasn’t as open to experience as I could have been.)

    This is a huge healing lesson for me. Will be meditating on balance and exercising caution, as well.

  2. @HuggingScorpio:

    “Thanks for that mindful addendum. There are indeed many caught in deceptively abusive relationships, and they can slip into “battered partner syndrome” by being too passive. I suspect that the shifts you describe can easily flare up as those cracks become exposed.”

    Thanks for elaborating that point. I read Eric’s post, scrolled down to make that point, too. To me, it seems that lots of people’s “demons” are emerging for healing. But rubbing two wounds together doesn’t heal very well. Sometimes, if a person’s issue is anger, and the partner’s is terror, the two shouldn’t mix things up in the heat of the moment.

  3. I feel I am meditating on balance all the time (Sun/Mercury/Jupiter in Aries opposite Saturn and Neptune in Libra), and have felt somewhat breathless and out of sorts for the past few days. But I did finish a little painting, and as Eric wrote in a previous post we would be best served doing what we are best at, in my case that is painting and drawing. Thanks Planet Wavers for giving us the psychic weather report and helping us all stay in balance with the cosmos.

  4. funny, the sun for this full moon is conj my natal mars, but so far, i haven’t felt any real “full moon madness.” (*knock on wood)

    i swam a lot the past two days, and was very determined about getting to places when i needed to be (for example, to the lake…), but so far, that’s about all i’m detecting. hmmmm….

  5. a great piece today Eric, thanks for the very informative guidance. I valued a particular sentence: “If once again you are experiencing a relationship situation is out of your control, you might feel some peace in letting it be so, assuming, of course, that you feel physically safe.” Thanks for that mindful addendum. There are indeed many caught in deceptively abusive relationships, and they can slip into “battered partner syndrome” by being too passive. I suspect that the shifts you describe can easily flare up as those cracks become exposed.

    It’s interesting I had a dream last night that I was racing home on my bike at night, criterium style. I got to a red light and some guy stole my bike right from under me, taking off in his minivan. Perhaps a signal to me to take care, slow down, and be vigilant that no one steels my power. Or maybe I should have ran the red light!!! lol!

  6. With Mercury at 9 and Saturn at 10 in Cap in the 1st / Venus in Sag at 9 in 12th & Gemini Moon at 10 in 6th – I have been feeling overwhelmed with the intensity of the aspects lately and I am physically and mentally exhausted, already! With Mars in the mix, it feels like a breaking point of energy is approaching and if this is how I’m feeling – I can only imagine the impact on the universal consciousness. Thank goodness (and Eric) for the “head’s up” we are gifted here in these columns – at least I know I’m not going crazy and need to ride the waves ~~~~~ patience, grasshopper. This too shall pass.

  7. Eric: Thank you so very much for the invocation of balance as both cause and purpose. To respectfully echo Aiko, this piece is the direct guidance we need at the time we need it. If each and all of us can simply take time to meditate on the attainment and maintenance of balance, many other things would fall into place of their own accord from the perspective gained. Please accept my grateful appreciation.

  8. Thanks Eric for the very helpful, timely and appropriate advise. I have been feeling very emotional for the last few days. I went deep within the reach for this heightened emotional state. There was a mixture of fear, anticipation and excitement. Right now, as I write, I am experiencing a lot of negativity towards myself. I am thinking there is not way I could pull this off. I am too confused and unsure about what I want. Your writing today gives me a direct guidance to slow down and meditate. I will need it this week.

    Aiko

  9. “This series of events, in Capricorn, seems to be about working through old emotional patterns layer by layer, reaching for the deeper passions that are only available in the present moment.” Yes… Thanks for great piece (and photo), Eric. I am so glad that my natal Mars is finally getting out of Virgo – has been agonising at times. All about issues with perfection and judgement. Hence my reaction here the other day. In fact, last night I dreamed that I was writing a comment in answer to Eric’s piece on moderating our comments. And in the dream I was also handed a wadge of all the evaluation reports that had been written about me this year by my students (I teach a lot of intensive courses during the year, and students always have to fill in an evaluation questionnaire about the course at the end). Interestingly enough, there was very little written about me, it was mostly a mass of anonymous comments and paper. I’m ready for ya, Mars in Libra – if it’s tough, at least it’s a change!

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