By Amanda Painter
On one level, this week’s astrology is describing some very insistent and action-oriented themes, related to Mercury making the same aspects in the cardinal signs that Mars has been making. At the same time, we have activity in mutable signs lending their own sense of movement, in their own style.
Photo by Amanda Painter
To start with, Mercury is currently in early Cancer.
Over the next couple of days it makes squares to Makemake and Logos in Libra, an opposition to Quaoar in Capricorn, and squares to Salacia and Chiron in Aries (it opposed Pholus in Capricorn on Wednesday). So we’re still working with ideas about how family and generational patterns play out; what we think of ‘secret’ sexual material and how it does and does not get spoken about; and the ‘mystery’ and logic of how things have come to be the way they are.
Though with Mercury involved, you may find that your perception of these themes and how you tend to speak about them comes into greater focus. One thought that comes to my mind is the way you conceptualize your place in the family — which is a facet of identity — and how it affects your worldview. Are you feeling more compelled than usual to investigate this, or to ‘think out loud’ on the topic when in conversation?
I witnessed something along these lines today, in conversation with a friend, before sitting down to write this — and also noticed what I’ve just dubbed ‘the urge toward aggressive caring’ in myself, now that Mars in Cancer is between its two sets of major aspects. Though this could be just me, as transiting Mars has been contacting my own natal Mars (my Italian DNA really, really wants to feed an acquaintance who keeps complaining of not bothering to eat well). Regardless of your personal chart and genetics, ‘aggressive caring’ may be worth some consideration.
On Friday, Mercury’s square to Chiron is exact. With the signs Cancer and Aries involved, it suggests to me the question of how closely we identify with our emotions and thoughts. As in, can you detach from them enough to feel your ability to choose and change them? Or do you feel like releasing a troubling or toxic thought or feeling will leave you adrift, not sure of who you are without it? Chiron is raising the awareness, and also offers the impulse to ‘stand out’ in a more independent way.
Intellect and the emotional body can be seen comingling via the mutable signs, too. On Saturday, Venus moves from Taurus — a sign it rules, and a locus of feelings-via-the-physical-senses — to enter Gemini (occurring at 9:37 pm EDT / 1:36:49 UTC). Venus in Gemini is said to sift the emotions through the mind, as astrologer Isabel Hickey put it. There’s a greater tendency toward friendship, intellectual rapport, verbal flirtation, and light sociability with this placement.
And while sexual variety, rather than deeply sensual habits, is said to be a mark of Venus here, it looks like the sky will supply it another way, as Vesta leaves Aries and enters Taurus on Sunday. Vesta here could describe practical devotion and steady, routine-oriented focus — except for one thing: Uranus still in very early Taurus. What does it mean to experiment while remaining steadfast? Could it be that the values at the core stay central, and simply the way of living them gets refreshed?
Finally, the Gemini Sun itself completes a square to Neptune and an opposition to Jupiter in Sagittarius Sunday into Monday — though it is in effect now. The less ethical and aware manifestation of this pattern could look like evasion of conflict (whether by refusing to choose a side or option, or through outright deception) and stepping on someone’s boundaries. Yet the more constructive scenario it describes is one of daring creativity: the optimism and confidence and imaginative idealism you need to try something new and make something beautiful.
In the end, you have a choice — or several of them: the power to choose how much power your thoughts and emotions have; the choice between helplessly falling into familial patterns or articulating them so you can navigate them better; evasive deception or creative adventure. Know also that if you discover yourself to be in the midst of a scenario you don’t like, you can always choose again differently.
Thank You again Amanda. I especially enjoy the description ‘the urge toward aggressive caring’ . I Know this one, too. It’s a real “hot potato” to me, meaning I’ve learned to keep my hands off or be prepared to get burned.
Have you noticed it pretty much describes the U.S.’s foreign policy, too?
“feed an acquaintance who keeps complaining of not bothering to eat well” The question I would ask myself is “Why do I believe my Life is worth less than theirs?”
If they do not Love their own Life enough to “bother” to eat well, when they have the means to do it, then how is my feeding them going to really help? Feeding them until they’re overweight won’t help them Love themselves any more. What would help is addressing their lack of Love for themselves. And I can’t feed everyone one. So I’d rather feed someone who Loves their Life and would do anything to be able to have something to eat.
We can’t give what we don’t have. As we Love and Value our own Life, so do we Love and Value the lives of all others. So what does that tell you the Value of your Life is to someone who has no Value for their own?
Maybe it would help some of our familial issues if we expanded our Understanding to a Soul level and started looking at Karma, or energy set in motion throughout lifetimes, especially in the form of our beliefs and Values? From the very start, what beliefs are being mirrored back to us? Or maybe we have imagined the quantum physics of the universe just starts acting upon us at a certain age?
Sue, as always, I appreciate your thoughts about what I’ve written. I think I’m having a trickier time navigating some of the ideas in this one, in trying to figure out how and to what degree they may apply to my specific situation rather than in general, in the abstract. Here goes… 🙂
For sure, the urge to “aggressive caring” *is* a “hot potato” issue, and related to karmic patterns — and my awareness of that is one of the reasons I did not *follow through* on my urge to care aggressively (or even to mention my urge) with my acquaintance (we really don’t know each other that well, but seem to connect; definitely some past-life energy)… well, I did “joke yell” at him to eat one of the sandwiches where he works, but that was it. He’s young — 20 — and seems to be in the early stages still of figuring out who he is and how to “adult”; his issue does not seem to be eating too much of unhealthy food per se, but simply putting off or “forgetting” to eat at all. So, no concern here about overfeeding.
But I *was* acutely aware of the fact that my urge toward “aggressive caring” relates to my own longstanding familial and karmic “stuff,” and that to give in to acting on it would most likely cook up a sticky mess of projection and karma and goddess knows what else. I’m really not interested in going there, and I count it as a blessing anytime I catch myself before I do. Old habits can be hard to break in that regard! But I think I’m getting a little better at noticing sooner than later.
Do I feel my life is worth less than his? Absolutely not. Which is one reason why I do feed myself well. And while I’m aware that there are ways in which I am still learning my life’s full value, and what it means to live in accordance with that full value, I’m also aware of the many ways in which I’ve learned how to value my life more fully in recent years. So I’m a little perplexed by your statement, “The question I would ask myself is ‘Why do I believe my Life is worth less than theirs?’ ”
And this one I am also pondering: “So what does that tell you the Value of your Life is to someone who has no Value for their own?”
On the one hand, the answer is obvious. On the other hand… is it really so absolute? Maybe it is, but I’m still feeling that one out.
You’re doing an amazing job, Amanda. Living and learning. And learning how to Love ourselves is something everyone in every country and culture struggles with. We haven’t been taught many examples of what it is and how to do it.
Much of what we have been taught is “Love”, is not. It’s Fear disguising itself as “caring”. I guess this was the trap I was endeavoring to convey. I’ve gotten burned many times and still have to practice the utmost constraint.
My daughter is in her mid-20’s. She graduated this weekend with 2 Bachelor’s degrees. One of them a degree in Psychology which she just recently discovered. Of course in her Mind, I don’t know or Understand anything about that. It’s also her perspective that “tough Love” isn’t Love at all where “enabling” is.
As you can guess, I’m not the enabling type of person and the first to admit it’s tough not to be. Because I care. I’m on my 2nd pair of dentures due to grinding my teeth, I care so much.
It’s simply “How can I live in Integrity with Loving Life while nurturing, supporting and enabling its lack?”
I’ve already expressed a caution to my daughter. Kind of like you joke yelling “Eat a sandwich”. Her living arrangements and studying while working a full time job with alternating shifts, has had her struggling to eat in healthy ways. She’s been burning her candle at both ends. In addition to this, she has been without her medicine for several months. Her medicine is something she decided to put lower on her list than other things. She had 2 brain surgeries while keeping up with her studies. 85% of her pituitary gland was removed along with a tumor.
I told her to watch out for crashing, which is the inevitable end result of ignoring our basic needs. My daughter’s immune system is compromised because of the surgery. Without enough sleep, without eating regularly and nutritionally, without her medicine, she’s set herself up for being forced to reconsider her choices. That’s the Uranus cattle prod. Having to experience the consequences of our choices is the way we learn to make different choices.
Would I like to spare my daughter unpleasant experiences? Absolutely. Then I question myself as to how I know certain experiences are unpleasant. I Know because I’ve had them. I can’t convey that Knowing though. Out of Love for my daughter, I would never deny her the opportunity to Know for herself.
I also do not Know what her Soul’s or Higher Self’s purpose is. What Life experiences are for the purpose of her Soul’s growth? I don’t Know her Life’s lessons. The very last thing I would ever want is to deny my daughter the experience and Joy of Be-ing One with All That Is.
All That Is, includes what we label “negative” as well as “positive”.
How do we learn how to Love ourselves? By experiencing the consequences of not doing it.
There’s another way to care besides enabling. Write a letter to a person’s Soul (Higher Self, etc,) asking for Divine intervention. Usually after doing it for 11 consecutive days is enough. We can do this with all our relationships.
Both of your questions really have to do with the saying about not casting our pearls before swine. It’s meant to convey a very subtle and insidious form of Self Denial.
It’s not about labeling anyone else a pig and being a pig, they don’t deserve the pearl. It’s about the Value of the pearl. and giving it away to where there is no appreciation for it. The pearl is a result of a tiny creature’s Life of creative effort. The swine doesn’t know that.
A sandwich or a meal is the result of your Creativity and Life’s energy. Until your friend learns the importance of a good meal and what it takes to create it himself, he won’t be able to recognize the Love and Value it took to provide him with it. It’s a form of Self, yourSelf, being denied recognition of your Value.
We can recognize other people’s Value. What about us receiving it, too? The commonest Karmic pattern of Self Denial, comes in the form of extending ourselves to people who can’t give what they don’t have. Like being thirsty and dropping our bucket down a dry well.
Sue: the exercise of writing a letter to a person’s Soul/Higher Self and asking for divine intervention is a very interesting one. I’m not familiar with that particular technique, but I do regularly ask the universe/source/spirit/god for support in my intention that my thoughts, words, and actions serve the highest good of all concerned. If I interpret what you’re saying, you write the letter yo the *other* person’s Soul/Higher Self?
“The commonest Karmic pattern of Self Denial, comes in the form of extending ourselves to people who can’t give what they don’t have.”
Yes, I’d say this sounds very familiar; I’d say I’ve experienced it in both directions over the course of my life. I’ve often stepped into a “rescuer/care-taking/mothering” type role in relationships, at least emotionally/energetically speaking, if not in other ways. And it is always a bit of a black hole, or quicksand/whirlpool effect that can take a lot of struggle to extricate from. Little by little, I do think I am learning…
(Side note: I ran into my friend yesterday, and unprompted he made a point of telling me he was partway through eating a hamburger while working. I had to laugh. Though on further thought, hopefully that’s a sign that he’s starting to see the value in feeding himself, and not simply in “pleasing” me. I could see it going either way; regardless, I’d already made up my mind before I saw him not to ask how he’d been eating that day — partly for his sake, partly for my own, karma being what it is after all…)