The Weekend Astrology: Mars in Virgo and the Centaurs

Today is Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. The newly waning Moon begins the day still in Taurus, moving into airy Gemini at 3:10 pm EDT. Personally, I experienced yesterday’s Full Moon as one of the mellowest and most grounded ever. How about you? Or did your experience have more in common with some of the craziness in the news? Either way, you’ll want to pay attention when the Moon makes its move today and sets off some fireworks. At that point, it squares Mars in Virgo and Chiron in Pisces, forming a mutable T-square with high mental energy.

Also, today in the U.S. it’s Veteran’s Day, the national holiday when we honor the living soldiers who have served our country. Falling as it does on a Friday – when many are thinking about weekend romance — it’s strangely fitting, then, that a multi-point configuration brewing over the weekend and into the middle of next week seems to be asking, ‘Is all fair in love and war’? That very question indicates a breach in integrity. Mull that over this weekend, and we’ll revisit that configuration next week. For now, note that how you feel, what you’re thinking, and how you’re being urged to act today may be at odds.

More to the point, you may need to slow your mental patterns down enough to recognize when any pain you feel has you on the verge of acting or speaking impulsively from that place of hurting – and perhaps against your best interests. It’s amazing how easily we can cut ourselves off from simple healing acts when we react quickly to the automatic thoughts kicked up by the triggering of old, unprocessed wounds. And it can happen before we even realize what’s going on in us.

This is the province of the centaur planets, and we’re right in the middle of Centaur Town right now, working the edge. The Sun is still square Nessus this weekend, urging us to wake up to what’s going on with us. Mercury and Venus are still working the circuit as a couple through Sagittarius, and square Borasisi this weekend ask, ‘What about faith’?

Well, what about it? An image that gets right in there, right into the essence of Venus and Mercury glued at the hip in Sagittarius, speaks to the need for a little distance when relationships get close. Imagine two people facing each other and between them is written the word attitude. But if they can step back a little and give each other more space, the rest of the word appears: gratittude. Ah yes – gratitude. That crucial componenent of loving that can so easily get squeezed out when attachemnt sets in. And once it does, it can take conscious faith to be able to step back and let it in again.

Mars in Virgo opposite Chiron in general may help us pick out some of the detailed steps necessary to get some personal healing done if we’ve identified the area that needs our attention. This is going to take continual small adjustments, as Mars is simultaneously quincunx Uranus in Aries now. And if you’re not taking a little time for yourself to take care of these items, the surge of energy from Uranus may ensure that you take time in some way you were not expecting.

Where are you in your balance between thought versus action, ambition versus service, passion versus purity? In its quest for self-perfection, Virgo can generate intense self-criticism. While Mars travels through Virgo, will it generate impatience over perceived shortcomings – your own or someone else’s – or will you discover a plan of action to overcome a part of your shadow side?

Speaking of Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury: Are you someone who feels like Mercury’s direct phases keep passing you by before you can make the big purchases and other moves you need to make? Remember that we’re almost a week into Mercury’s shadow (or echo) phase before it stations retrograde on Nov. 24. It’s the start of a prime fact-finding phase, whether you have questions about yourself, your relationships or more tangible things like buying a new car or planning a trip. Use these weeks well and you’ll be ready to follow Mars’ call to action when Mercury finally goes direct again.

Oh – and if you bring your hot date home this weekend and he immediately starts cleaning your bathroom, don’t be surprised. Just remember to be grateful – and then get him in the shower with you where that impulse can be put to better use.

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