Mars Square Chiron | the rock and the hard place

Anastasia by ankazhuravleva

Today Mars (in Gemini) is squaring Chiron (in Pisces).

Actions (Mars) hurt (Chiron). Choices (Gemini) leave us vulnerable (Pisces). Escape routes are cut off.

If we have taken on too much or moved in too many directions too quickly we will be feeling it now - the rock and the hard place.

The choices in front of us might all look equally BAD and yet the consequences for not choosing could look even worse. If we must choose now - we choose something, we move slowly and carefully, we focus, we get help, we pare whatever actions we are taking down a bit to give ourselves some room to breathe. 

Whatever this is, if we are feeling it, it's going to hurt. We can't make everyone happy here no matter what we do.

And if we find ourselves in this situation maybe the real question to be asking is "why did I get myself into this situation?". Not how. But why. 

The hows will always find us if the whys need answering.

Gemini season is the season of choices. Now is the time when some earlier ones might come back to bite us in the ass. Not because our ass is particularly tasty or nutritious - this is just the way we get the opportunity to look at the why. 

Why can't I say no? Consider (like I did a couple years ago) if an inability to say no, this people pleasing thing we have going on - could be rooted in a need to control how other people see us.

People love to call themselves "people-pleasers" - it sounds so nice. But how about calling ourselves "people-controllers" - it doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?

Think about it. Why do I do things to help others that hurt myself? Why do I take on so much?

Why am I in a place where there are no good options? Not how. Why. I know it's Gemini season and shallow is the new deep - but let's go DEEPER.

Sometimes it takes courage to say no (which by the way Oprah says is a complete answer and spellcheck does not correct me when I make it a complete sentence so she must be right). No.

Today's one of those days we might have to lose the battle to win the war. 

We have another aspect today equally tricky and quite similar. Neptune (in Pisces) is squaring Ceres (in Gemini).

This one could be about holding space for someone's vulnerability. What do I mean by holding space? It means not judging. It means being a safe space. It means not crossing a boundary and thinking we have to fix everything. Are we really helping or is our helping hurting? If helping someone else is hurting us there will be tension here. Self-sacrifice is not the way forward now. Remember that North Node in Leo - oxygen mask on our own face first.

Maybe every situation is just an experience we are in some way seeking/wanting. Even the crappy ones. We are just too close to see the big picture.

If we are the one wanting too much from someone else we need to look at what we are really wanting.

It is Gemini season there is always another choice.

Sometimes the best choice could be to lose this battle. Sometimes an early loss is what gets us to the bigger, more important win later - we might need to take it on the chin now so we can retain some resources for another day.

Or we can fight, because maybe all choices involve confrontation anyway - and someone has to win after all, maybe it will be us. Know that the winning probably won't feel quite as good as we thought it would - I think because Chiron will have us feeling the loser's pain somehow. Or the price we have to pay to win will be too high.

There are just no easy answers today. Let's just do our best.

If you have planets or points near 28 degrees of the mutable signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces - you will be feeling the Mars/Chiron aspect strongest. If you have planets or points around 14 degrees of these same signs you will be feeling the Neptune/Ceres strongest.

xo all.

unexpected opportunities for love, money and women as Venus meets up with Uranus for the next few days, back later to write about that ....

Venus Trine Saturn | our seriousness attracts - get down to business

hat and houses by ankazhuravleva

June is power packed. Venus's winter/spring retrograde and last month's Venus/Pluto square has finally finished digging through our relationship/money issues. The cards are on the table as they say. 

The Mars/Saturn square "stop and go" frustration is about to be completely in our rearview mirror. And even with things in our rear view mirror being "closer than they appear" - this transit is going bye-bye fast.

Jupiter (in Libra) is about to turn direct (YAY) and Neptune (a little too strong in Pisces) is about to turn retrograde (YAY).

Starting tomorrow Venus (love, money, women, self-esteem, what we value) will be sitting with Uranus (anything can happen) in Aries (initiative, passion, action) for the next few days and then Venus finally moves into Taurus (ruler of our 2nd house of money and self-esteem), a sign she RULES.

We will talk about this more tomorrow because she has a serious aspect with Saturn today that is the first part of her (our) June journey.

Keep in mind alot of people are getting what they deserve now. I am talking here about our "self-esteem" and not some universal judgement that you get this and I get that. Our self-esteem can raise us out of very dark situations. It can also limit us and sabotage us when we get too close to our upper limit. The Venus retrograde period, maybe especially the month of April, showed us what we really value. Our relationships with love and money were tested. We are left with what we really feel we deserve. Want more? Want better? Want to hold on to what you have? Well, the wheel spins again. It is never too late to be happy.

Today, Venus (in Aries) is trining (brakes off) Saturn (retrograde in Sagittarius).

Venus is how we attract what we want. With Saturn easing off the brake pedal - know the way forward with this next spin of the wheel will involve some Saturnian discipline. Saturn rules hard work and time and responsibility. Our progress with that creative goal is going to require PATIENCE. The things we take seriously will be supported. Hard work will pay off.

We need to become the energy of the thing/situation/person we are looking to attract. Like attracts like. Otherwise we just attract that missing piece - someone/situation/thing - to play that missing part (archetype).

When we step into that missing role/responsibility ourselves (do our Saturn!) by doing what we came to do, valuing time, practicing patience, working hard - instead of attracting outer Saturnian influences - ie the stop sign, the authority who says no, the lack of resources that stand in our way, the rules - there will be no space for that outer Saturn to hole up - he will just pass us by and nothing will be standing in our way!

For today - it's the time to be thinking and acting on - what do I need to get serious about to get what I want? Am I really serious about this project? Am I really serious about my money situation? Am I really serious about having more love in my life? Remember we have the North Node in Leo now - the world needs our brave heart to SHOW UP.

Life responds to (ie we become more attractive through) our seriousness today. Grow up. Get down to business. Tie your hair back, sharpen your pencil and get to work.

xo all

(today is also our first quarter Moon and the Moon is in practical Virgo making this a good time to - do the practical thing, organize, practice our skills, be of service to someone else, do not allow a situation's inability to attain perfection - highly over-rated and impossible anyway - to keep us stuck)

Mercury Trine Pluto | Mars Trine North Node and Sextile South Node - words are our superpower

Imagine a Dream by Benjamin Haley

The Moon is void until 12:16PM EST so this could be a good morning to sleep in. Too late for me, I've been wide-eyed since 3 a.m. - yikes!

After its void, the Moon moves into organized Virgo, so good energy for paperwork, day to day issues, taking care of our health, pets and service to others.

With Mars making nice with the Nodes of destiny today, this is another good day to take action. The Aquarius/Leo polarity has us stepping away from 'group think' (usually not the actual group), emotional detachment and anything too trendy. There is support and smoothest sailing for actions toward our heart's calling and the space we are meant to shine - where is Leo is your natal chart? Where is your Sun? What action can you take to step onto the main stage of your own life? How can you be uniquely yourself? The world is calling!

Mercury (in Taurus) is trining (brakes off) Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn). This aspect allows Mercury in Taurus's already thorough communication/thinking/ideas to really go deep. With Pluto retrograde this could involve an old situation.

If something needs to be researched - this is your day. If an important email needs to be written/sent - this is your day (wait for that Virgo Moon after lunch though if you need something to come of it). If you need to be convincing (avoid manipulation - stick with the facts) - this is your day. If you need to communicate with powerful people or step into your own power role via communication - this is your day.

Words are powerful now, so choose them carefully. They really can move mountains.

xo all

Mars Sextile Uranus | unusual actions can pay off ....

the biggest risk by xetobyte

Today Mars (action, initiative) makes nice with "out-of-the-box" Uranus.  

Unexpected actions create opportunity (sextile).

Mars is always testing his courage (ask your Aries friends about this - also check the Aries house in your natal chart to see where you are required to be brave in this lifetime).

Left all to himself, Mars would likely move us from the frying pan into the fire again and again. Life would be exciting and ... probably very short. Even fiery people with lots of Martian energy have other planetary placements to cool things down.

This week, with Mars sitting at the head of the Kite I wrote about HERE - we are all sort of leading with this energy. If something felt a little bit too risky last week, this could be the week when taking action will pay off. This doesn't have to be some gigantic move (although for some it will be).

Others will be taking action, too, that creates opportunities for them. Keep this in mind. Mars is a personal planet - our future is in our own hands with this one.

And remember we still have the Mars/Saturn opposition I've talked about since last week - us pushing against limits or outside energy pushing our limits - we have this opposition every 2 1/2 years and can feel it for a couple weeks. We have one more week to be working with this challenging energy.

Today's sextile could be an opportunity to help us with this. Maybe the answer to whatever is limiting us (or to whatever situation is pushing our limits) can be found "outside-the-box". Try something different. Take a new action.

This is excellent problem solving energy!

Here's a word salad to stir your brain into action today (note this will not replace your green salad lunch) : Mars - initiative, action, anger, fire (take care with fire today, the world doesn't need our explosive anger either), passion, drive, determination, aggression, confidence, young male energy and Uranus - rebellious, unexpected, sudden, the internet, groups, invention, surprise, disruption, liberation, freedom.

Besides that Kite, we also have the Sun sextiling Vesta today - this one is about trusting and honoring ourselves; holding our own lives sacred. There is also opportunity (sextile) here and this aspect fits in nicely with the Kite's energy today.

Today's energy isn't about talking ourselves into something risky, or putting ourselves in danger. Yes, we might meet a handsome nurse at the hospital, but we'll still be in the hospital. We are not all Mars, we have other planetary energies to help us navigate this.

This is about having the courage to test our courage somehow.

It is 'feel the fear and do it anyway' energy. The test isn't about the outcome. With Mars, the test never is. It's about having the courage to take the test in the first place. If we act - we win. Our courage muscles are bigger for next time and we know from the sextiles now (opportunities) if our actions appear to fall flat - there is something opportunistic that comes from facing our fear and moving forward.

Just keep the action within a range that is most likely to avoid hospitalization (unless you really, really want to meet that handsome nurse).

We also have Mercury (communication, conversation, ideas) trining (brakes off) Juno (partnership). This is good energy to have that conversation you need to have with a partner. There is agreement here. This is the energy to come together through our words.

Which brings us back full circle to that handsome nurse ..... good luck! xo all