Mars goes direct in Libra-May 19, 2014

Mars goes direct today at 9 degrees of Libra.  Mars stepped into Libra, sign of the Scales (balance and justice), in early December.  On the first of March Mars turned retrograde in Libra. Now today that retrograde phase is ending and Mars can pick up some speed and hurry on through this long cycle in Libra.  Mars will not finish the Libra transit until July 25^th (when Mars journeys into Scorpio).

Mars is passion and Libra is polite passion.

Every two years Mars makes a retrograde cycle that keeps it attached to one sign for a number of months.  This time it’s seven months in Libra. Mars is associated with desire, passion, survival, action, courage, leadership, assertion, aggression, war, volatility and of course, anger.  In the sign of Libra, Mars holds back on the anger.  Or anger takes a verbal, mental approach rather than a physical approach.  Libra is a relational sign.  Planet Venus rules Libra and therefore the aim is for harmony and balance in human associations.  Libra is one of the signs associated with legal matters.  Balancing the scales and seeking justice belong to Libra.  Libra is the energy that propels us towards relationship.  By that I mean relational interaction, partnering (rather than casual connection), and contractual agreements.  These matters have been in the forefront since December.  For some people Mars in Libra has brought a lot of ups and downs in relationships since December. For some people Mars in Libra has meant legal divorce and it has probably taken time an energy to have a divorce seem right to both parties.

We need new strategies and tools for relating. 

My hunch is that this long, drawn-out attention to relational matters has given us time to gain insight about ourselves and other people.  Perhaps we are trying to find new strategies for managing our relationships.  Now that Mars has become direct we can try to put new thinking and new strategies in motion.  For example, maybe we want to try to talk like adults rather than shut down and sulk.  Or maybe we have learned that we have to be more assertion and less passive.

I’m also thinking that some of us may have re-connected with friends from the past. Whether it’s new people or people from before, this long Mars cycle in Libra makes relationships very important.

Mars helps us survive.

Finally, Mars rules our blood and muscles. Without Mars we can’t get out of bed in the morning.  Mars is the rushing energy that gives us desire to go run, or do yoga or play baseball.  Mars is the energy that in some way determines how well we survive in our lifetime.  These months of Mars in Libra have been terrific for some people. Some people are thriving and getting what they desire. Other people are stuck and suffering.  They have lost jobs. They have lost their homes in tornados.  Some people have been ill. Mars rules sudden fevers and illnesses as well as accidents.  We send good energy to all, but especially to those who have suffered in their level of survival during the past months.  Hopefully Mars returning to direct motion will help all of us with the matters that have been difficult since the beginning of the year.

Full Moon in Scorpio, May 14, 2014

THE FULL MOON IN SCORPIO (Wednesday May 14) sits in the lap of transiting Saturn in Scorpio and they travel across the sky.  This gives us the message to consider our situation. The past four weeks have been hectic, fast, intense, and for some folks, downright troublesome/miserable/challenging.  We are living on a fast paced rotating orb of life.   Our social fabric is being rewoven.  Our buildings are being shaken.  Our political landscape is downright bizarre.  The full moon in Scorpio with Saturn in Scorpio gives us a minute to stop and rest.  Settle down and reflect on the past few weeks. 

Watery Scorpio pushes us into the deep end of the pool. Whether you dive down deep or just tread water, it’s time to get in touch with feelings and impulses that have been hiding out in the shadows. Saturn is reality and practicality.  Time to get real. Are you behaving like a grown-up or not? What do you want to do with your time here on Earth (“time” is another Saturn word)? What have you learned in the past months that have flown by like a cascading water fall.  Can you remember January? Time to sit and be quiet.  No hot yoga during this full moon.  Breathe and contemplate.  It doesn’t have to be a silent retreat for a year.  Just ring a bell, or take a walk, or sing a song or do a slow dance and just be.  What are you feeling?  Don’t be afraid.  Something down deep is trying to surface.  Saturn will help you sit with it and turn it into wisdom. 

A full moon in Scorpio sitting with Saturn in Scorpio feels kind of serious. However, after writing that little musing, the info that surfaced for me was pretty simple:  The little voice said, “get your oil changed.”  Seriously this year is flying by. I think I forgot the 5,000 mile rule. In short, the hidden information morsel may be something very practical. Don’t dive so deep you hit your head, ok?

This Full Moon period has some romantic indicators for those who are interested. Venus and Uranus are holding hands in Aries.  This is great for sudden attractions.  Whether they last depends on other factors, but for some people, this is a powerful romantic time.  Mars is still hanging out in the sign of Libra (love and partnership) and that Mars is aspecting the Venus/Uranus duet.  There could be some hot sparks in the relationship/romance department.

Planet Neptune and Mercury are in a challenging line-up and maybe that is good. No matter how far gone you are in love, the Mercury/Neptune tells you to hold on to a few brain cells.  Also Mars makes an uncomfortable connection with Neptune.  So Mars, action and desire, is trying to adjust to idealistic Neptune.  Desire wants to stay cool but holding back is hard. It’s easy right now to get carried away. There is one big obstacle to throwing caution to the wind:  The FULL MOON IS IN SCORPIO WITH SATURN IN SCORPIO AND THAT SPELLS RESTRAINT!

Annular Eclipse of the Sun. April 29, 2014

New Moon joins the Sun at 8 degrees of Taurus

Annular Eclipse of the Sun—Ring of Fire Eclipse

April 29, 2014

On the human, everyday radio station, irritability and short fuse syndrome continue to make many of us feel frazzled.  Routine annoyances like bad drivers, noise, over stimulation and other people’s problems make us want to retreat to a quiet cave. But some of that intense energy is starting to settle down as the Sun has moved into Taurus and the Grand Cross of two weeks ago begins to separate and dissolve.  On a more subtle frequency, we are tuning in to a new seed being planted with this new moon Solar Eclipse occurring April 29^th shortly after midnight (8 degrees of Taurus).

This full Annular Eclipse will be visible only in Antarctica.  A partial eclipse is visible over most of Australia and the southern Indian Ocean. An annular eclipse happens when a narrow ring of the Sun remains visible beyond the dark mask of the Moon. It is called a ring of fire eclipse and annular eclipses are very rare.

We can all feel new potential and get hints about our desires.  Some tuned in people may experience new consciousness being downloaded into their cells.  Something new is planted during the darkness, aided by the ring of fire brightening our psyches.

Back to the human dimension, the bigger issue with the eclipse is a quincunx aspect between Mercury in Taurus and Mars in Libra.  The Sun, new Moon and Mercury are all connected during this time.  Mars makes an awkward connection with Mercury (the mind, analysis, communication) and by association pulls in the Sun and Moon.  Relationships are touchy and we keep trying to adjust our sense of self and who with are with another person or even a group.  There is awkwardness on the one hand between digging in our heels and being stubborn in our own needs and on the other hand, being drawn to accommodate someone else. 

The polarity of Taurus and Scorpio is also center stage because Saturn is in the sign of Scorpio opposing the Sun/Moon/Mercury trio in Taurus.  Saturn always wants us to focus on our job and responsibilities. Saturn brings groundedness and stability. Taurus is the tree.  Scorpio is the root of the tree.  This polarity is fixed and earthy but it’s also volcanic! Taurus, ruled by Venus, wants to hold on to all that is solid and precious; Scorpio, ruled by Mars and Pluto, might be ready to explode, change or eliminate something.  The tree could get uprooted. Could be something simple like last year’s summer wardrobe; it could be something major like where you live or who you live with.  Remember that some releasing takes time. Don’t feel like everything has to happen on Tuesday, April 29^th.  If all we do is ask the question,  “what is in accordance with my highest good?” we are inviting the energy of this eclipse period to support us on our journey. 

Linda Sprague