Alberta, Canada, on July 12, 2018 (photo by Alan Dyer, posted
on Spaceweather.com)
NorthPoint Journal: Your guide to planetary energies for
July 16 to 22, 2018 ~ By Pam Younghans
Aspects of Note this Week
MON: Venus quincunx Mars, Mars square Juno, Venus conjunct Ceres
THU: Saturn quincunx Pallas Athene, First Quarter Moon
FRI: Mars conjunct South Node, Saturn quintile Neptune
SAT: Mercury trine Vesta, Mars opposite Pallas Athene
SUN: Venus sextile Jupiter, Sun enters Leo
AS WE NAVIGATE this "tween" week -- the week in between eclipses -- we'll want to be aware that Mars is currently out of bounds. A planet is out of bounds when its trajectory takes it outside the plane of the ecliptic (the general path followed by the Earth and other planets as they orbit the Sun).
Mars was briefly out of bounds earlier in the year, from mid March to early April. This time, Mars is out of bounds for more than two months, from July 7 to September 24.
A PLANET that is out of bounds tends to act more erratically -- or perhaps more accurately said, we tend to use its energy in a less predictable way. With Mars out of bounds in Aquarius, our actions may be more bold and innovative, but also less in control. Anger may erupt suddenly, quickly turn into rage, and be difficult to contain. This is especially true if anger and resentment have been suppressed and building in pressure.
Added to that volatility, on July 30 and 31, Mars is the closest it has been to the Earth since 2003. You may already have noticed how bright the Red Planet shines in the sky these nights. When any planet is in greater proximity to the Earth, we also expect its influence to be heightened.
And, if that wasn't enough, Mars plays a pivotal and prominent role in the Total Lunar Eclipse coming up on July 27. At that time, it will align with the Moon and the South Node, and be very close to its next square with Uranus (exact on August 1).
HOW DO WE deal with this heightened Mars effect? First of all, we need to find positive outlets for our own angers and frustrations.
Some of the most obvious ways to release tension are exercise and physical activities, especially those that engage and strengthen our arm muscles. If you've ever felt so angry that you've wanted to throw or hit something, you know how much anger can be stored in that area of our bodies.
With Mars in Aquarius, a lot of that frustration and anger can be directed toward the "other" -- the person or group of people who aren't "like us." This can be people from other countries or cultures, those who belong to an opposing political party, or the driver of another car who doesn't seem to have our same sense of civility.
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF on the precipice of anger -- or even rage -- over the next two to three weeks, take a break. Move out of the situation that is triggering the emotion so that you don't do something you'll regret later.
But don't just suppress your feelings at that point. Find something to do to move the energy that's been activated: go for a run, pound on a pillow, beat a drum, lift some weights. Once you release the tension, you may then find that you have better access to the positive assertiveness of this wild-child Mars in Aquarius, who currently appears to be running amok in the neighborhood.
Examples of people who had out-of-bounds Mars in their birth charts, who found positive ways to direct its energy: actor/comedian Robin Williams, artist Pablo Picasso, inventor Thomas Edison, and sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
MARS IS EXACTLY aligned with the South Node this Friday. The South Node represents our collective fall-back mode, those patterns and behaviors that at this point in our evolution are interfering with our progress. In Aquarius, those qualities include erratic behavior, too much detachment from our emotions, and the belief that individual liberties are more important than the well-being of the whole.
With Mars aligned with the South Node, we want to watch ways in which we allow the ego to block our becoming more heart-centered and open-minded. Are we stubbornly holding on to old patterns that keep us separate and apart, that also negate our capacity for full engagement and joy? Are we afraid that if we let go of the "outsider" persona, we will no longer be able to be our authentic self? But are there also ways that we are afraid of standing out, that we find comfort in being in the audience instead of on stage?
These are all manifestations of an ego that needs to define itself in certain ways, so that it can maintain its illusion of having control over our experience.
One of the side benefits of softening this ego-driven need to control, is that we start to have greater access to higher guidance. As we open our hearts and minds to an expanded and more enlightened perspective, the wisdom of the Cosmos more easily finds its way into our consciousness.
ASSISTING in this process of growth, and also perfecting on Friday, is a Saturn-Neptune quintile. This aspect is considered to be mostly beneficial, representing the capacity for creative use of both planetary influences.
Saturn is in Capricorn, the sign it rules. Neptune is likewise in its own sign, being in Pisces. Usually, we think of the Saturn/Capricorn focus on practicality and physical forms to be almost opposite to the Neptune/Pisces themes of idealism and imagination. But when the two work in harmony together, we have the opportunity to bring our ideals into form, and to see practical applications for our imaginings.
THE QUINTILE aspect can have its drawbacks -- we'll need to watch for a tendency to be too single-minded, self-absorbed, or compulsive. These qualities can interfere with our ability to handle this influence well. This is especially true with self-oriented Mars so powerful now.
As astrologer Bil Tierney writes about the quintile:
"The Will of the inscrutable Cosmos is not easily channeled through the normally fragmented consciousness of the individual still bound by the limited confines of a personality-centered will. Perhaps this should tell us that quintiles only fulfill their lofty, universal potential once we have struggled to become more self-realized."
MY APPRECIATION to everyone who joined us for “Entering the Chasm” last Thursday! I hope that you came away from the webinar with some good insights about what's in store for the rest of 2018.
If you missed the class and wish you hadn't, no worries! You can still purchase the replay -- just sent an email with "Webinar Replay" in the subject line to pam@northpointastrology.com. I'll reply with details.
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: This year and last have been times of great change, when your life may have seemed especially chaotic, unpredictable, and changeable. Now you are given the opportunity to clearly see how to direct your vital energy in ways that will liberate you, freeing you to recreate your live anew, with more joy and creativity than you have allowed yourself in the past. Pay attention to those pockets of your experience that still provoke deep anger, and find ways to move that energy so that it does not interfere with the future that will soon unfold for you.
In light,
Pam
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