New Moon chart and recent Editions of STARCAST are here
Dear Friend and Reader:
IN THE BACKGROUND of everything we are experiencing are Mars, Saturn and Pluto changing signs in March. That’s the astrology that will set the tone and, to some real degree, the long-range direction of society.When wondering “what is really going on” in the planets, consider Mars entering Cancer, Saturn entering Pisces and Pluto entering Aquarius around the same time.
Yet the chart for our local moment makes some interesting shapes, and we are living them out in our day-to-day reality. Our immediate vicinity of time includes the ingress of the Sun into Aquarius on Friday, and the New Moon in Aquarius, which takes place Saturday. This will offer a view into “the state of Aquarius” meaning the basic state of social society.
In astrology, meaning comes from context. The context might be an aspect showing up in the chart of a question or of an event. Here, we are looking at the chart out of context, which is the part I am asking you to contribute.
Wrapping Mercury and Mars Retrogrades in Close Proximity
And our moment includes the conclusion of Mercury and Mars retrogrades within a close interval of time — about one week. Mercury returned to direct motion on Wednesday.
Those are the facts; any interpretation is conjecture or creative writing. How can you tell what is “good” astrology from what is “bad”? I would say the first question is, is the message helpful? And, is it interesting or informative (which are forms of helpful)? Does the writing have some imagination?
Usually I go light on the technical analysis when writing astrology, though always leaving enough in the margins for other astrologers or astrology students to follow my thinking.
However, this chart has an intriguing feature that I would like to explore a little, and also find out what my description evokes for you. It will seem like I’m giving a LOT of detail compared to my usual writing style, though really, this is a summary of one representative facet of the chart among many.
Remember one thing: in astrology, meaning comes from context. The context might be an aspect showing up in the chart of a question or of an event. Here, we are looking at the chart out of context, which is the part I am asking you to contribute.
The Mercury-Mars Stations: 150 Degrees Apart
Let’s focus on one particular configuration in the planets, which I’ve highlighted in the chart to the left. You will see that I’ve removed most of the planets, so you can see what I’m talking about.
The chart is cast for the moment that Mercury stationed direct on Wednesday morning (the location determines the rising signs and therefore the house positions). I follow the horary tradition of casting for my own location where the chart does not describe a specific event on Earth.
The aspect in this chart that I want to tease out for you is a line of contact between Mercury and Mars, both of which recently stationed direct. While this occurred with Mars more than a week ago, it’s only come about 12 arc minutes (less than 1/4 degree) since it went direct. It’s pretty much where it was.
Now, I don’t obsess over numerology but I notice numbers. Both Mercury and Mars stationed direct at 8 degrees and 8 minutes of their respective signs. Whatever 08 08 means to you, we have some. (Anything at 08+ is within the 9th degree of the sign.)
That both planets stationed direct in the 9th degree (and are still there) means that they are in aspect. That aspect is a 150-degree meeting, or a quincunx, in this case quite close. If we count that both planets went direct at 8 degrees and 8 arc minutes of their respective signs, it could not be closer.
Halfway Between a Trine and Opposition
A quincunx is halfway between a trine and an opposition. A trine is cooperative and an opposition is confrontational, so this is the meeting point. Barbara Hand Clow’s key phrase for the waxing quincunx is “insight” and for the waning quincunx is “high awareness.” Whatever way it’s going, the thing described cannot be taken for granted. It’s not the head-on opposition or the slippery and at times too-easy trine, both of which can get lost in the sauce.
There is the potential for adjustment and adaptation, which are words you will see associated with the quincunx. You will also see terms like “source of stress” and “mildly beneficial.” This aspect was not discussed in classical astrology, as it was thought to mean that there was no relationship whatsoever.
However, it’s a truly interesting relationship. One sign in a quincunx is a cardinal earth sign. The other is a mutable air sign. Both their properties and their elements differ; they could not be more different.
This is similar to two adjoining signs: there, too, do the properties and elements differ. (In technical terms, they are of different triplicity meaning element, and quadruplicity, meaning cardinal, fixed or mutable.) Working with these tools, it’s a lot easier to understand the signs; you have something useful to work with.
One last thought before we go to the planets and the signs involved. The quincunx is half of a common yod (or finger of God pattern). Were there a planet in the 9th degree of Leo, it would be one.
Imagine an arrow pointing to Mercury — that is the finger. This kind of pattern comes in several flavors, though the most often seen is 60/150/150 — sextile, quincunx, quincunx. When one of those three points of the triangle is missing, that can suggest the picture is incomplete. What is going on in the 9th degree of Leo? I’ve looked up the missing point and will reveal it at the end of the article.
From Gemini to Capricorn
Mars is in Gemini and Mercury is in Capricorn. This is a special condition.
Mars, though in Gemini, has what’s called “dignity” in Capricorn — it is the exalted planet. This is similar to being the ruler.
Mercury, though in Capricorn, is the ruling planet of Gemini, so it has dignity there. The planets are occupying one another’s signs. This is called “mutual reception.”
There are a number of ways to read this, though it’s fair to say they are in a close relationship. Sometimes mutual reception is analogous to what is called castling in chess — the king can switch positions with the castle once in any game, thereby evading danger.
Others have described mutual reception as a hostage situation. I prefer to think of mutual reception as giving options rather than taking them away (and when I am reading for a client, we conduct an assessment of the variables that the aspect points to).
This is a good use of any chart: to come up with probes and look for options. In my view, astrology is far better at helping us come up with questions than it is with answers, though one leads to the next. I prefer to approach the chart as an inquiry rather than as an affirmative statement.
However, we may ask: who are these people represented by Mercury and Mars? What is their situation? What are they doing for one another, located in one another’s signs? Why are they so out of place, but perfectly at home with one another? What is the nature of their conversation?
Survival Kit Contents Check
Mercury, the planet of the mind and communication, and also of youth, is in Capricorn, the sign of tradition, old things, and old people.
Mars is generally seen as the planet of will, desire, action and aggression. As the ruler of both Aries and Scorpio, it’s closely associated with individual identity. Its glyph is an arrow on the angle of an erect penis, with a circle below; it is a picture of cock and balls.
Mars is in Gemini, where it is generally seen as volatile and argumentative. It would be a great position for a standup comic. But I cannot find any; the closest I could come is Slim Pickens, who played B-52 pilot Major T. J. “King” Kong in Dr. Strangelove. He does give us one of the funniest moments of 20th century cinema with this monologue to his crew, while piloting a bomber jet that is about to start World War III.
“Kong: Survival Kit contents check. In them you will find: one 45 caliber automatic, two boxes of ammunition, four days concentrated emergency rations, one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills, one miniature combination Rooshan phrase book and Bible, one hundred dollars in rubles, one hundred dollars in gold, nine packs of chewing gum, one issue of prophylactics, three lipsticks, three pair of nylon stockings — shoot, a fellah could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.”
This is not a bad assessment of the aspect pattern, actually, and the circumstances of our current situation deserve lots and lots of gallows humor. However, we may ask: who are these people represented by Mercury and Mars? What is their situation? What are they doing for one another, located in one another’s signs? Why are they so out of place, but perfectly at home with one another? What is the nature of their conversation?
Anger is also expressed through lying, conniving or manipulation, to get one’s way. It spills onto the internet as bitching, moaning, trolling, and canceling people. And most of all, anger is turned inwardly as bitterness, guilt and resentment.
Anger Management
When we have Mercury and Mars together, it may be useful to consider the role of anger in the situation. We have a lot to be angry about, and we tend to suppress it.
We suppress it for reasons of civility; and not wanting to disrupt the status quo; and because we can’t do much about our feelings; and because we may feel trapped (such as in a hostage situation).
One thing is true enough: society makes no room for anger, we are encouraged to suppress both rage and desire.
Then these things are allowed to erupt in sly, covert or “passive” ways. So it sneaks into life, such as tailgating at 80 mph, confronting the manager, teacher or principal, or calling 9-1-1 to complain about not getting enough Chicken McNuggets in your box.
Anger is also expressed through lying, conniving or manipulation, to get one’s way. It spills onto the internet as bitching, moaning, trolling, and canceling people. And most of all, anger is turned inwardly as bitterness, guilt and resentment.
When I look and listen to the world, it’s rare to hear honest expressions of anger, though our situation the past three years has done a lot for that (as well as for cancel culture).
Asteroid master Martha Lang Wescott said, when you close the triangle on Hebe, remember this point is about codependency. Think of the triangular diagram of aggressor, victim and enabler.
The Missing Planet in the Yod
Using a minor planet tool, I can search any degree range and find out what point not contained in a normal chart is located in any aspect pattern. The way it works is to put all the available points in order and you can see if there is something in any particular degree of the zodiac. If something is at 9 Leo, it might reveal a little more about the whole pattern.
To do this well, it’s essential to use very tight orbs — under one degree is best.
The seemingly empty point of the triangle is filled by the asteroid Hebe. She was the cup-bearer of ancient Greek mythology. It’s glyph is a cocktail glass with the triangle closed.
Asteroid master Martha Lang Wescott said, when you close the triangle on Hebe, remember this point is about codependency. Think of the triangular diagram of aggressor, victim and enabler.
This is a social pattern that keeps a great many people stuck where they are, and not in a happy place (which I discuss at length with Meredith Miller in this audio presentation).
The point that closes the triangle is itself a triangle and relates to what is informally called the drama triangle. That hints at a way to size up the interlocking facets of the Mercury-Mars pattern. The thing to remember is that while it looks like a fixed pattern, Mercury and Mars are now direct, and are encouraging affirmative and forward-moving consideration of whatever the pattern is about.
Centaur students will notice that Mercury direct is conjunct Pholus — which has an implied relationship to alcohol and its influence in the family system.
Mercury stationed direct the same day that the Sun made its next-to-last conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn. Now there is an aspect that calls for some dark humor.
The Sun Conjunct Pluto
One last thought. Mercury stationed direct the same day that the Sun made its next-to-last conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn. Now there is an aspect that calls for some dark humor.
It also calls for respect for the spiritual power that humans contain and can express, as well as the tendency to abuse privilege, strength and authority.
To my ear, these final Sun-Pluto conjunctions in Capricorn, which happened on Wednesday, and next on Jan. 20, 2024, call for a summary of what we’ve lived through the past 15 years of Pluto in Capricorn. It’s an aspect pattern that calls for closure — something we know very little about, as individuals and a society. We tend to live in such open-ended ways, and there is an epidemic of avoiding accountability (and blaming others) from the high to the low.
In a chart such as the one I am reading in this context, it’s a reminder of emphasis. Sun-Pluto is not messing around. It demands personal accountability and focused action. With Mercury and Mars direct, working together, this is an invitation, an opportunity and maybe even a direct order from the cosmos.
With love,
