Today is Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012.. The waning Moon is in Leo all day. Watch out for the need to be the center of attention for its own sake; but if you’re feeling called to lead in any particular situation, you may heed that call knowing there is support elsewhere in the sky.
The Capricorn Sun and a very slow Mars in Virgo are still applying to a trine that perfects on Friday. Often, Mars aspects are even more palpable as they near than when they are exact. In general, Sun trine Mars is an aspect granting excellent vitality, in which your will and the actions you take operate smoothly together. How often can we say that?
Of course, there is always more going on in the sky – and transits to natal charts can tell another story altogether. But if you can tune in to this energy, you may find it’s a useful aspect for moving or doing anything that requires planning and organizing. If you have a clear vision in your mind of what you have to do, and how and when to do it, you may find that the hands-on organization and execution go relatively smoothly. Just keep an eye on the Virgo Mars’ potential to get hung up on details. Keep your momentum going by re-focusing on the big picture and the main steps you’ve outlined.
Of course, the Sun is also still moving into its square with Mars’ mythological sister, Eris, in Aries. Ask yourself: Is it possible to focus on external action and still be attentive to internal tension? It seems to be a question of integrity. In other words, as we take steps within to reach an authentic, unified sense of self, it must be reflected in our actions. At the same time, if we can recognize our actions, efforts and creations as the tangible signs of who we are – but not the locus of who we are – we’re better able to keep intention aligned with effort and our self-worth grounded where it belongs.
Along those lines, what parts of yourself have you cast away, either through your actions or lack thereof? The light of the Sun may show some uncomfortable truths, but if you can find compassion for yourself, you can use its placement in Capricorn to build them back in.
Speaking of Capricorn: Mercury is quickly building up to a conjunction with Pluto early in that sign, which occurs in tandem with the conjunction of Venus and Neptune in the last degree of Aquarius. With two pairs of inner planet / outer planet conjunctions on Friday, expect a lot of information to be coming through. Inner planets making conjunctions give us a way to feel outer planets more directly. Mercury, in particular, is “the instrument by which we have direct contact with the exterior world. It is the connecting link between the inner and outer,” to quote Isabel Hickey. And Pluto is so ‘inner’, it’s subterranean – even in its worldly, cultural expression.
Mercury conjunct Pluto offers some keen and deep powers of observation. How will you use this power? Creatively or destructively? You have a choice, although since this aspect can sometimes be felt as irritability or hastiness, it may not feel like you do at all times. Remember whatever you learn this week about integrating your will and action, and see if you can use Mercury-Pluto to take your investigations deeper into ‘the case of the castaway self’.
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Because the Moon has entered Virgo now, it demands a correction to the error below where I said Jupiter is at 0 Aries. Jupiter is really at 0 Taurus through Friday. Also, Amanda meant to say Venus is (was) sextile the GC last night, not conjunct.
Are you satisfied now Moon?
be
HS – venus is conj GC right now…
great be! Mercury joining Pluto, Venus with Neptune then joining Chiron, the Venus sextile to the GC, then isn’t the Moon going to meet Virgo in a trine with Jupiter? All this over a few short days (this weekend?). For me, I can feel this conversation quite well as this intense and beautiful painting that I can enter into and participate with. I am interested in seeing how my experiences fall in sync with these aspects.
HS
To me it seems the message from the planets is take this time to sort out your personal life and how it relates to the world around you. Here is the Sun in the sign of achievement and success or whatever you have reaped from what’s been sown since last March when he was in Aries. Moon is in Leo right now, where we feel creative or playful, and she gives us a go-ahead to be spontaneous. Don’t worry, be happy because it will soon be time to start a new cycle. If we failed to achieve our goal or even if we did, it is time to rachet down our efforts for this cycle and prepare to spend some mental resources on the future when the Sun moves to Aquarius.
While the sleepy giant aspect of Pluto-square-Uranus isn’t demanding our full attention, maybe we should take notice of the Saturn-Jupiter cycle. In the next few weeks Jupiter will gather steam and move forward from his 0 Aries degree while Saturn will be preparing to park himself in the last degree of Libra for a month and a half. For the time being, maybe 6 or 7 days, they will stay about 2 degrees from being perfectly opposed and then finally leave that aspect. The half-way mark of the 20 year cycle has been reached and that has given both of them time to study the other. Mainly they symbolize and represent the offices and organizations that regulate our society; it’s expansion and it’s permanence, and to the measure that their relationship affects you and your life, family, career and welfare, it would behoove each of us to ponder that awhile.
Most of us would agree that Saturn is in a sorry state; structures like bridges and governments are falling all around him. He’s determined to hold on to what he can, but by now he realizes that something has to be done. He must face the reality that he has to change some things. On the other hand Jupiter certainly must be aware by now that out-of-control expansion has created problems too. As members of our society we are partly to blame for the situation. In many cases we decide which people will fill the positions in those organizations and offices that are supposed to regulate our society. Too often we expect them to regulate themselves while we deal with our own personal problems. Now, it seems, that was pretty naive of us.
So while the Sun shines in Capricorn and as he prepares to trine Mars in the fix-it sign of Virgo, why don’t we use our creative Leo Moon mojo to think about how we as individuals, or as a group could improve the situation. When Mercury connects to Pluto we could already be working on solutions that could apply to our own family or community or even our city or state or country. When Venus trines Saturn she could be opening the door to relationships that might work to preserve things like statues or buildings or parks in our neighborhoods.
Before January ends we will have a new moon in early Aquarius, the sign of groups and friends. At the end of 2020 we will start a new Jupiter-Saturn cycle in early Aquarius. Think about what we could achieve within our own little corner of the world if we started right now just thinking about it, or dreaming or day-dreaming about it. Who knows what opportunities will crop up and what new people we will meet this year. What would you yourself like to see happen in your community, church or neighborhood? Why not make this the year you find your niche in the world around you, and if you already have found it, why not help someone else find theirs? Why don’t we all give some small amount of thought or better yet, some small amount of ourselves to the people we see and work with and live with and love in a way that benefits them as well as ourselves. It could grow like Topsy.
be
These aspects call forth the possibility of aligning with deepest values from which we can fuel our strength, perseverance and effectiveness. Such an opportunity not to be squandered! The season’s contemplative container assists our cultivation ….