The video above is a clip from C-Span of Stephen Colbert addressing the White House Correspondents Dinner during George W. Bush’s administration. He nails Bush, his cabinet and much of the press. We’re still wondering how he got the gig — and got away with it.
So, the question for today seems to be: When you find yourself at a tipping point, how do you find a way to be objective enough about your situation to make the best decision? In yesterday’s Daily Astrology post, we considered the square retrograde Mars is making to a pair of points with some gravitas: the lunar nodes. This is coincidental with another ‘tipping point’ kind of image — the equinox itself.
Let’s consider the nodes more carefully (which you can read about in more detail here). The South Node generally represents the past (including past lives, or what we call the ‘reincarnation effect’ — a kind of illusion of past lives), the comfortable and familiar, and karma (the results of past actions). The North Node is the future-self you can become, a way of acting as if to hold the world together, the unknown, dharma. Facing a choice or balancing point between the two can feel invigorating – or daunting. That’s the way the nodes work. They aren’t good or bad — they keep us anchored to physical incarnation by way of the cycles of cause and effect.
Mars is still square the nodes, but today the Sun advances one degree to make a conjunction to retrograde Mercury in the second degree of Aries. And here, in this degree, we find a symbol that can give us a hint for how to get a little perspective on all that hangs in the balance right now. These degree symbols (called Sabian symbols), which we’ve been using a lot the past week or so, illustrate the 360 stops along the zodiac.
The Sabian symbol for 2 Aries is, “A comedian reveals human nature.” Dane Rudhyar, author of the most popular interpretation of this series of channeled symbols, adds the keynote, “The capacity to look objectively at oneself and others.” The implication is that after we emerge from the seas of unconsciousness with the subjective desire to act (the woman emerging from the sea, in 1 Aries), we develop the ability to see ourselves reflected in a mirror — or in another, who mirrors us back to us through analysis or the light mockery we know as comedy.
If we can find humor in what we see — that is, laugh at just how far we have yet to go in our awareness — we can be open to exactly who we are and therefore give ourselves room to grow. Humor provides objectivity. It’s a beautiful workaround to the scourge of seriousness. Many a truth is indeed said in jest.
This plays out in the wider world as well as within each of us. Chances are you are aware that in the U.S. (and other countries) the political landscape is a mess. Hypocrisy, scandal and obstructionism seem to be as vital as air and water to most of our ‘leaders’. The far-Right Republicans and their Democratic enablers are trying to legislate women into baby-making slavery and chastity belts at the same time; the most repressed and militant of them about sex tend to be the ripest for sex scandals.
Tea Party legislators refuse to negotiate or compromise; neither party, despite any claims to valuing life, has done much about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the death penalty is too popular for anyone’s good. Most mainstream news outlets spin things one way or another and help with the brainwashing, but one segment of commentators offers some actual perspective: the comedians. It seems like they alone can tell the truth.
Think about it: where would we all be (mentally, emotionally) without John Stewart, Stephen Colbert and The Onion? Not only do Stewart and Colbert get actual information out to demographics who don’t otherwise watch much news, but they show us the utter absurdity of what is going on — the absurdity of ‘us’. In doing so, they give us a way to take in otherwise depressing or infuriating information without getting paralyzed by those emotions; and they show us that we have choices. We can see the reality of our world in a way that gives us space to choose logic, empathy, cooperation or action rather than numbness, passivity, repeated mistakes or unproductive rage.
Speaking of repetition, check out Sisyphus. In a comment under yesterday’s Daily Astrology, bkoehler noted that while Juno is conjunct the North Node in Sagittarius (offering a more expansive sense of relationship), asteroid Sisyphus is conjunct the South Node in Gemini.
Sisyphus was a mythical character condemned to roll the same boulder up a hill for all eternity; every time he got to the top, the boulder would roll back down to the bottom again. Conjunct the South Node (karma and comfortable, but not growth-oriented, habits) it raises the stakes for the options you are weighing right now. It’s also a message to give up the things in your life that have that Sisyphus-like property.
Mars (square the nodes and both asteroids) represents what you want, and a lot is hinging on that. Retrograde Mars is an inquiry. Have you been feeling at all like Sisyphus in some aspect of your life — some area retrograde Mars has been indicating it’s time to heal? Can you step back enough to see some humor in the situation, or to laugh at whatever pressure you may put on yourself to be ‘aware’ and ‘actualized’ and to grow?
Instead, can you give yourself space simply to be who you are? The Sun in Aries says you really are here in this moment, and this life is yours to live; retrograde Mercury in conjunction wants to carry the message in deep to the part of your mind that needs to hear it. Be sure to listen for the punch line, and when you see the boulder, laugh — and choose the direction that you know (or at least suspect) will work best for you.
I always felt fortunate that years ago, I did happen to see Steven Colbert talk at the White House Correspondents dinner. I was glued to the tv as if in a joyous trance. Everybody who is anybody; actors, politicians, you name it, was there. He was openly rude to Bush. I loved it. I looked the next day, and was dissapointed that I could find no mention of it in the news. None.
How did he get the gig? My impression was that the Republicans didn’t see it coming. Earlier in Colbert’s career, his sarcasm could have been interpreted differently depending on a person’s point of view. When the camera panned to the crowd, I remember the look on the faces of the suits that weren’t laughing. It was quite a significant evert to me.
Ben
Thanks Amanda and awordedgewise for your kindness in acknowlediing my “Laughter is the best medicine” feeling . Good vibes are always welcome. Jupiter and Venus so beautiful in the Denver night sky reminds of the rare …and (to me) auspicious Venus tranist across the Sun right on my June 5th birthday.
Any ideas on Eric’s “Yet because the Sun is in Aries now, it will be passing through the square, in effect setting it off a little early: the Sun conjoins Uranus on Saturday, March 24 and squares Pluto on Thursday, March 29.”-the day of my surgery? I’m not afraid, just very curious, especially since Chiron is -2 degrees from exact semi- sextile to the Sun and sextile Pluto.
Maeve,
I talk about my sex life all the time on this forum so you will be in good company!
serendipity, Light and Laughter to you re: your surgery.
Maeve, to your tangent: I’m a big proponent of naming. It just so happens that the “planet” called by the same name I use as my primary “alias” is transiting Pisces and completes a mutable Grand Cross with the Mars/Nods formation we’ve been discussing here.
My secondary “alias” (my artist name) is transiting Aries and so is involved in our conversations regarding the current Aries-based aspects.
I find a lot of power in this and so say to you — go for it, if it’s your car that bears the title, so be it; embrace You!
xo
In the spirit of creation and spring…
This “Most Astounding Fact” video, Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains “Maybe it’s time to face who you really are, and who you really are is a miraculous formation of star dust, living, breathing and interacting with other miraculous formations of star dust. It’s true. Science tells us that 93% of the mass in our bodies is star dust. So often we view life through massive, limiting blinders. We think we are alone. It’s us against the universe. Well, wake up my friend, because you ARE the universe, and science has proven that fact. Every element in the periodic table, aside from hydrogen, is essentially star dust. The simple equation looks like this: (human body mass – hydrogen) = 93% star dust.
Next time you look up at the night sky, know that you are looking at the power and raw materials that made you. You are a star. We are all stars.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D05ej8u-gU&feature=player_embedded
According to Wikipedia: “As director of the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson bucked traditional thinking to keep Pluto from being referred to as the ninth planet in exhibits at the center. Tyson has explained that he wanted to look at commonalities between objects, grouping the terrestrial planets together, the gas giants together, and Pluto with like objects and to get away from simply counting the planets. “
maeve — given that health, healing, mental health and ‘daily’ life are all part of the 6th (along with work environment & work relationships) — that is, ‘balanced existence’ — i don’t think your first response sounds off at all. *especially* since the lower libido, *fear* of injury, and ‘daily’ relations with your husband are clearly an issue matrix that is on your mind.
as far as discussing your sex life/sexual health in a public forum: welcome to the club! if it’s welcome anywhere, it’s at PW.
as someone who struggled for my *entire* 20s with an arousal dysfunction that my Gyn doc and then eventually a “conventional” therapist were not much help with, i definitely can relate to feeling lost as to where to start. when i first realized there was a problem, i was so completely in the dark, and young, i didn’t get just what a problem, or what kind, it was. a couple years later i had a flash of insight — and even kind of knew i needed therapy of some kind — but still felt intimidated by how to start that, who to ask, how much it might cost, how to find someone, etc. it was a long road to get there.
it could be that a combination of modalities — either with separate practitioners or with one who has some breadth of experience — might be worth looking into. i don’t really know your situation, and i’m not an expert, but for me, it was a situation of body-memory that was holding on stronger than i wanted it do, an unrecognized need to forgive myself for a situation i was too “green” to understand as it was happening, and layers of emotional expectation, fear, mistrust in my body, etc. compounded over the years until i found the right kind of help.
anyway — what i was trying to get at is that, since you mentioned the car accident and its lingering effects, maybe some sort of combination of cranial-sacral work, breathwork (such as some variety of guided/facilitated holotropic breathing), and other forms of energy work combined with talk therapy or conscious/creative exploration could be something to consider.
we hold so much in our bodies without even realizing it, and these things manifest emotionally, physically, sexually, etc. but it sounds like you have the curiosity, the desire, and some astrology working for you. 🙂 i’d definitely ask around in your area for referrals to practitioners, ask lots of questions, and when you meet with one, don’t be afraid to get really specific and up-front right off.
In a Mercury Retrograde kind of way, I found a different sort of explanation for the sixth house. “The Sixth House is the sphere of apprenticeship and effort in the work environment, daily life, health on a daily basis and not operations or long-term diseases, relationships with co-workers or subordinates, desire for improvement, analysis and detail.”
That certainly casts a different … flavor on it. Less sexual, more… daily and relationship. Hmm.
Tangent to this, I’ve been thinking about getting a personalized license plate (mostly so I can have a black plate to match my car). I’ve had a number of ideas, but nothing really spoke to me. This morning, though, I had an idea. I drive my car from place to place, my car transports me, my car moves me… so, to go with a plate “name” that moves me. So, then, what moves me? What transports me? What drives me? It feels like this could be a big, good thing, but I need to choose … wisely.
Amanda – thank you. 🙂 I’ve got a copy of my natal chart (with accurate times, etc.). According to it, Virgo sits in my sixth house. My notes say that the sixth house is about health. Of course. And that it’s ruled by Mercury. Which seems… rather conspicuous, during this Mercury Retrograde.
Heal some sort of issue with desire? Hrmph. Well, physically, I’m still healing from my car accident last year. Lots of low back issues. But speaking of desire… I’ve had a lowered libido for quite some time. In the last year, it’s been in the guise of being scared of aggravating car accident injuries. I don’t quite have a firm grasp on why I have the libido of a wet wombat. I have some suspicions, but … ermph, I don’t know what to do with them. They’re not comfortable topics and make me pretty upset when I even think about them. Which I’m sure means I need to deal with them. But I’m a little … scared to do so when I don’t know … what to do, you know? Like, okay, dig in, pick at things…. and then what?
I remember a few weeks ago, I think Len wrote an article about seeking out some material desire and taking a single physical step towards wherever it was. What it was for me was to have a healthy sexual relationship with my awesome husband, because it’s been lacking, and me no likey. And I know he’s not a fan, either. 😉
As far as the nodes and the old ways/new ways… I can see the old ways, but I don’t even know what the new ways might be.
Assuming this is even what I think it’s about. 🙂
(also, omg, talking about my sex life in a public forum with people I barely know, meep)
serendipity: good luck, and keep laughing!
maeve: to figure out what mars Rx is about for you, it’s best to know your natal chart. that will tell you what house virgo is for you, which will indicate the nuances /what area of your life mars rx is poking around in.
if you don’t already have a copy of your natal chart, you can get it at astro.com — but you will need your exact time and location of birth to get it.
if you don’t know your birth time, you can at least get a sense of one layer of where mars rx is working for you via your sun sign. eric wrote and recorded both the 2012 annual (“Revolution. Revelation. Reality Check.) and the new 2012 Spring Report with sections about the Mars rx for each sign. since he interprets in a way that can be applied to both sun and rising signs, you can get a lot of really good insight from these two reports. the 2012 annual includes both written and audio. the Spring Report is all audio.
you can get your sun & rising (or more) signs of the 2012 annual individually here:
https://planetwaves.net/sales?product=2012
you can get all 12 signs of the 2012 spring report here:
https://planetwaves.net/sales?product=2222
in general, since mars rx has a theme of an inner quest to heal some sort of issue to do with desire and how we think of it, that is one thing to consider. what issues have been asking for your attention over the last 2 months along those lines? does it feel like old, recurring material that you finally have to deal with?
regarding the squares to the nodes and asteroids: do you feel like you’re facing a choice between repeating old ways of reacting/being/thinking and some new way that you’re not familiar with?
hi all. I am having brain surgery on the 29th. After many years of neglecting my health (very Virgo I am told) , circumstances (the Universe) pushed me into taking some timely care of myself. This all led to the discovery of an aneurysm in my left brain. Figures, I am a Gemini (Sun at 14 deg opp GA). My Asc in Virgo at 19deg 21. Double Mercury whammy!!! My moon is Libra now hosting Saturn in my 2nd house. When I look at my birth chart (Natal Mars is 13 deg PI in my 6th – cutting instruments square my Natal Sun) all I can do is laugh at the sychronicity of all that is happening in my 6th house “reality” with what is up above. Actually, it’s quite funny how light and free I feel in view of all this: can’t wait to get my head away from that guillotine hovering over it. I do believe as the Desiderata (and Eric) say “…you are a child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars: you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should”. My niece reminded me of this the other day and all I have been doing in the midst of all the pre-op exams is laugh. My family thinks I’m nuts, but they know me well and laugh along. I don’t think it’s nervous laughter… I laugh so hard I can hardly talk. Things just strike me funny and I’m having a ball. Gotta love that. Free is good. Have a nice week all.
“Mars (square the nodes and both asteroids) represents what you want, and a lot is hinging on that. Retrograde Mars is an inquiry. Have you been feeling at all like Sisyphus in some aspect of your life — some area retrograde Mars has been indicating it’s time to heal?”
Can someone help me figure out what Mars (and all its associated (in this sense) nodes and retrograding) is about for me? What ever this is seems important, but I can’t quite see it.
Speaking of boulders… when I was dealing with my beloved kitty when he was in the kitty ER, while at work, on the phone, every hour and a half… I walked outside while talking on the phone. Our work has a lovely xeriscaped landscape and I’ve made friends with most of the flora and fauna (there’s a few super cute bunnies, some darling quail, some bright finches, and two or three beautiful ravens who nest on my building (as close as they can get to the door I most frequent). Many of the plants have little plaques that indicate what the plant is, by common and Latin names. I was walking around an area without a specific path (although it’s all wanderable, and most people trek across the non-official-pathways) and found a big boulder. It had a plaque. I remember I was on the phone with my mom at the time, trying to decompress. The plaque in front of the boulder read:
ROCK
boulderous bigii
I laughed. A lot. I thanked the universe for giving me some brevity and allowing me some humor in those dark, sad times.
I still wander around outside at work, although less than I should. I keep leaving work wondering why I didn’t get out of my damned chair more. Every time I see a plaque, I think of the big rock, and smile.
“can you give yourself space simply to be who you are? The Sun in Aries says you really are here in this moment, and this life is yours to live” – in fact according to buddhist belief, we create our future in the present moment. Had quite a comic dream last night actually – I was walking through the park near my house where I grew up, and a gorilla/monkey kept coming up to me and trying to embrace me. I was quite scared, but another part of me was touched by the show of affection. This monkey business could mean that I’m finally reconciling a much disliked, repessed part of myself. Thanks for anothr cracking blog dear PWers! Look forward to seeing the video as soon as i have time.
i just about defenestrated in the middle of this piece. i had not read here about sisyphus. (or anywhere else.) but somewhere on another site i play an asteroid game. i open an astrology encyclopedia, pull an asteroid. note the number, start the thread. think about it. then check it on my chart. write something about it.
tonight that was sisyphus.
ok. deep breath and going to finish reading the piece above*. and a note to self that laughter is what has ALWAYS saved my ass…
*after i wipe myself off the pavement.