Mars – Joan Porte

Mars Retrogrades Today

Mars goes retrograde today and stays there until August 27. It will be mostly in the sign of Aquarius but will retrograde back to Capricorn for a short stay.

Mars is the planet of action and motivation, so when in retrograde expect things to slow down and in many cases it feels as though we are walking through water. Even when we want to charge forward, something is pulling us back, making it harder to reach goals.

This is not always a bad thing. While frustrating, it can also give us a necessary pause. Are we charging off in the right direction? Is there a smarter way to reach our goals? This is a great time for plan evaluation. Many of us live always in reaction instead of in a place of conscious assessment and planning.

Mars retrograde says think, take a breath and then act. That can’t be a bad thing!

The Mars/Venus Dance on the Solstice

This was written by my friend and mentor Adam Gainsburg of Soulsign Astrology (www.soulsign.com.) It is such a beautiful description of the Mars/Venus dance this June solstice that I am copying in total.

Enjoy

Joan

Mars and Venus will be very close to an exact opposition on Summer/Winter Solstice in June (for northern and southern hemisphere people respectively) while also on the nodes of the Moon. They will also be close to their maximum brightness in our skies. Mars will rise while the Sun is setting and thus be MidnightStar, visible and brightest for the entire night. Venus will be at the end of her Remembering & Embodiment Phase, heading toward her Wholeness Phase — her brightest as an EveningStar. They’ll not be in the same part of our skies together, but for an hour or two, we will be blessed with bright, red Mars in the East rising, while bright, glowing Venus in the West will be slowly setting. This is a clear symbol of the Masculine and Feminine inside each of us at their most demonstrative – brightest and highest and longest in our skies – wanting what they each want. This can create quite a pull in opposite directions inside us. Generally, the one we are more comfortable with will win our attention to be acted upon. However, this is a fantastic opportunity to try on the ‘less familiar’ version of yourself, which may not be comfortable at first. Which do you default to when you don’t know how to proceed, your inner Masculine or Feminine?

A suggestion is to select the less familiar for you, while not excluding the other. See how you might make room for both in this new or different relationship to each other (by starting from the less familiar polarity). Is it meditating? running? are you alone or with another or lots of others? Remember, ‘making room for’ does not mean prescribing what will happen. It’s clearing out space to be spontaneous and freed up.

This summer’s alignments are invaluable opportunities to own, really own, as many of your facets, qualities and gifts as you’re safe to. You may just discover yourself as the Whole Living Sky itself that the planets are traversing through!!

Get Comfortable with Scorpio/Pluto and Change

I have been riffing a lot on Pluto and his relentless desire for change. Now is the time to use that energy to suit your needs and the change you want to make in your life.

April 29, 2018 6 PM Pacific, 9 PM Eastern time will be the height of a Scorpio Full Moon. This one will really pack a punch because of the simultaneous conjunction between Mars and Pluto, the traditional and modern rulers of Scorpio. A Mars/Pluto conjunction at any time is a powerful combination of the warrior and the changer – it is almost as though the universe is looking for a fight – looking for something that is out of whack and in need of forceful correction. This combination lays bare old, hidden wounds even if you have placed a temporary scab on them. There is no hiding with these two.

Don’t let Pluto find the wounds – work with these two powerful energies to uncover what no longer works for you and make a plan of action to change. Better you do it than be at the mercy of these two powerhouses.

Mars in Sagittarius – No Time for Excuses

Are you slowing down on your New Year’s resolutions? Well, be prepared to fire up again as warrior Mars moves in a fellow fire sign, Sagittarius. This is a very restless, adventurous and physical placement because we are combining the wanderlust of Sagittarius with the drive and energy of Mars. Winter might be the time of hibernating and binge watching or reading but think of this transit as your own personal January thaw.

Mars makes the move on January 26 so you have some time to plan your project and make your attack plans. The old file cabinet or pile of “vintage” clothes looking for a new home won’t stand a chance against you. Of course, larger more serious projects can come into focus whether they are for your home or office.

If born with Aries or Sagittarius Sun or rising sign, or Mars or Jupiter in first house, you will feel this energy more but anyone can harness this energy to get moving on a part of life currently stalled.

A Cosmic Lesson in Mutual Reception

This week the universe will demonstrate one of the basic tenants of Astrology, mutual reception.

This is when one planet is in the sign ruler of another and vice versa. This week Mars (which rules Aries) is in the sign of Gemini (ruled by Mercury.) At the same time, and Mercury (Gemini’s ruler) is in Aries (Mars’ ruler.)

This criss cross flow of energy enhances both of the planets with increased power. With the boost of Martian aggression, there is the chance of finding yourself exchanging harsh words with someone even if you are unsure of the source of that anger. Mercury and Gemini have domain over through process and speech, while Mars and Aries like to dwell in the more aggressive arena of personal expression and the flow of anger and unrest.

Those people with a high amount of Mercury/Gemini and Mars/Aries in their birth charts will feel this more readily than those who don’t.

It is best to harness the Mars energy and use it to have those “difficult” conversations. Being aware that this is a time for verbal aggression, you can make the concerted effort to arrange in advance what you want to say. Mars does not always lead to battle – Mars can give you the courage to say those things that you have kept bottled up. It just needs a bit of planning. Breathe, think, speak should be your motto.

For Those Growing Weary of Pluto’s Demands

We are coming up on three positive trines of Jupiter and Pluto which should help those feeling burdened by the constant demands of Pluto. This tiny dwarf planet insists that we dig deep and root out what no longer works for us no matter the pain. When big, beneficent Jupiter makes a positive aspect (a trine) on October 11 he brings positive energy and hopefulness to the grind of Pluto. Jupiter sees no limits and helps us reach goals no matter how far they seem to be from our grasp. (March 16 and June 26, 2016 are the dates for the second and third trine of Pluto and Jupiter.)

This month Mars will figure into the mix as well. Mars brings leadership energy and drive. He is where we harness or aggression to complete tasks or, if we are in shadow aspects, where we express raw anger and destructive force. This has positive aspects because it really gives us a boost to fulfill our Pluto requirements of personal change. However, those more inclined to the negative more war-like aspects of Mars will find the combination of Pluto and Jupiter as an excuse to spread boundless pain.

Let’s hope more people focus on the beneficial aspects of Mars energy and Jupiter expansiveness to accomplish your Pluto goals.

Joan and Johnny – the Feud

With the sudden death of Joan Rivers, I decided to look at her battle with Johnny Carson that lives as one of the Hollywood’s great feuds. The story unfolded when, after years of being his fill in host, Joan Rivers took a job with the new Fox Network to host her own late night show. According to Rivers, she had inside information that NBC would never give the show to a woman and her contract was ending. Whatever the details, Carson hung up the phone when she called him and never spoke to her again.

Karma anyone?

Of course, I had to look at their charts to see what forces could have led to him first giving her career the boost it needed to take off and then almost destroy it.

The biwheel of their chart tells me three things immediately – karma, power and jobs. Let’s do the juicy stuff first – karma. Her retrograded Juno, the goddess of loyalty and partnership, is on his Mars, the warrior, in the 12th house. There is no more karma house that the 12th because it connects us to the universe and carries our karmic history. Hmm, it seems like this played out once before. She was in an inferior position (because of the retrograde) and royally annoyed him by defying his power. Mars is the leader, the epitome of male energy, so it seems Johnny just didn’t like this happening again! I wonder if they are doomed to repeat the situation although she always said she appreciated what he did for her career and a good deal of pain over the whole thing. Has he moved on? Guess we will have to wait and see.

OK we had karma how about power? Look at the eighth house, the house of personal power. He had Pallas and Vesta there, ironically they are two female asteroids named for the goddess of war and the goddess of the devotion to a cause, respectively. These two gals gave him drive and determination as Vesta gives us the desire to overcome all obstacles. However, right on top of these powerhouses are Joan’s Sun, Mercury and Venus; her inner energy, her communication skills and her creative energy. That makes sense in light of the encouragement he gave her to reach her creative goals in the entertainment business. I do find it funny that they have their Vesta’s in conjunction meaning they could have – and they did indeed- work together for a long time to overcome power obstacles. He boosted her career and she was a reliable co-host. However, playing with that much energy and that much power is a little bit like dancing with burning torches – you can get seriously burned at any time.

Finally, Carson had a retrograded Chiron in Aries, the wounded warrior, in his 6th house, the house of day-to-day work. This accounted for his colossal temperament and touchiness when on the job. He was carrying an enormous chip on his shoulder in the workplace. Mars rules Aries and he was always looking for people who were threatening his power. Well along comes her Uranus, the rebel and it plunked right down on that wound issue. Uranus is the rebellious teenager of the Zodiac. Who better to stick a pin in Aries ego?

The stars show the battle that ensued. Why there was no kiss and make up between the two might have something to do with his Mars and Saturn in stubborn and vengeful Scorpio in the first house. Mars and Saturn in conjunction is not a good placement – it is warrior energy and authoritarian energy (see my recent blogs on the current Mars/Saturn conjunction and the havoc is it causing to the planet right now.) Johnny may have been the king of late night but he was a difficult man, a secretive man, an insecure man and a man of vengeance. She got on his wrong side and there was no going back.

Maybe now – maybe now – they can meet on the other side and put a stop to this. Maybe…

August 25 – The New Moon – No More Excuses.

We have a new Moon coming up today. The New Moon is a good time for setting intentions and decide on ways we will manifest those intentions. This New Moon is in Virgo – the worker bee of the zodiac – and the health maven of the zodiac. Think of Virgo as the one who has control over how you feed, work and care for the body. SO – what a great time – as we head into fall – to make the intentions for better health – avoid winter overeating — and better work habits.

Now here is the trick. We now have a very strong – Mars/Saturn conjunction in the very intense sign of Scorpio. Mars and Saturn is one of the true malefic in the zodiac because they bring about the intense force of Mars, the god of war, and Saturn, the cold task master. It is the classic smash up of hot and cold. If I see Mars and Saturn clashing in marriage charts I always have to raise the touchy question of abuse. Think militaristic task master! Yes, this is activating Issus, Ferguson – you name it.

Ah, but you know how I hate to talk about the negatives only and we can use this force for good! IF the tragedy of Ferguson leads to a constructive change in police tactics and the militarization of police forces and finally to some racial understanding – that we can make an evolutionary jump.

If Congress can stop bickering and help the President address Issus and Syria – well, I can hope can’t I?

For each of us personally – think of where you need to be a task master with your health, your body, your eating habits, and your work. Where have you been slacking off? Where do you need to make some hard decisions? Scorpio is the sign of going within and making deep and profound changes. Mars used to the ruler of Scorpio before poor beleaguered Pluto came into our view – as was Saturn long ago. This is a time to make WONDERFUL changes that you have been avoiding. No excuses anymore.

Here is my Pluto in Capricorn note: I get so many questions about the world falling apart around us and keep having to say Pluto in Capricorn gang – so I decided to add a little periodic Pluto note to my blogs. Pluto in Capricorn brings changes to authority structures. We saw that with President Obama’s election and the subsequent Tea Party backlash. We saw it with the banking system collapse. Now we are seeing it with the police. Change is not always good – I don’t’ think any long term good has come from the banking collapse – we are still destroying the middle class. Will that be the change or will we adopt more populist movements in the upcoming years? That is up to us!

Mars Heading Into Scorpio

On July 26, Mars moves into Scorpio. Before Pluto made herself known to us, Mars was the ruler of the sign of Scorpio so Mars is very comfortable hanging out with Scorpio, although their plans of action are vastly different. Scorpio gets things done but in a subtle, some would sometimes say, sneaky way. Scorpio is a water sign, it grinds slowly and keeps pushing matters into the shape it desires, much like the ocean does to the shore. Mars, however, is all direct fire energy. He just burns his way through any obstacles until he reaches his goal. They are both creatures of action.

Mars is now hovering very close to Vesta, the asteroid that astrologically tells us where we have such a desire that we would climb over rocks to achieve. Vesta often throws those rocks in our place so that we can overcome them to ultimate success. Therefore, when the yearning of Vesta meets the drive of Mars in Scorpio there is no better time to defeat some roadblock that is preventing you from accomplishing some goal that has been on the back burner.

No excuses now – go for it!

Mars and Pluto – Starting in.

I wrote this back on May 28th. Iraq sadly is the point for this action now – and I am afraid more is to come.

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On June 14, Mars will make a square, a disharmonious contact, with Pluto. If one of these planets are in either retrograde or badly aspected in your chart – expect to be out of sorts for a few days. You might even be itching for a fight. Watch out for road rage and people acting out.

June 19 sees Uranus coming into the act. This Mars, Uranus Pluto T-Square – or three planet square – represent the tail end of the much spoken of Grand Cross that has been in play since April. If anyone has been planning some big disaster since the Cross started I fear they will make it happen now. (Not that missing plane and 300 missing little girls are not horror enough.) I hope all security systems are on guard during this time.