There’s a lot of pent-up energy looking for a way out currently. Can you feel it? Two main astrological factors are at work: one is a handful of planets in the final degrees of their signs; the other is a Mars-Uranus conjunction in Aries that’s exact on Wednesday at 1:21 am EST (6:20:31 UTC).

Throwing sparks; photo by Tom Bullock under CC 2.0

I’m going to describe Mars-Uranus first, because that’s likely to be the influence you’ll feel more personally, immediately and possibly dramatically. First and foremost: Mars-Uranus is classic “fall, crash, shock” accident astrology.

It’s crucial this week to be careful with sharp, hot or electrical tools. Have someone spot you if you need to climb on a high object, even a chair, to get something. Uranus puts particular emphasis on the electrical and electronic theme, and on any kind of technology. This means drive with full focus when you drive — no calling, texting, etc. Pull over if you need to re-program your GPS. If you’re already prone to moments of road rage, please be extra mindful about taking some deep breaths and counting to 20 before reacting to anything annoying while on the road.

As luck would have it, this conjunction also takes place in the last degree of a sign — a position often described as having a sense of urgency. Any sign’s last degree (which will have a ’29’ next to it, but which is really the 30th degree) is known as ‘anaretic’. Planets in an anaretic degree can often manifest as a sense of being at a crisis point in a certain area of life, or may come through as erratic tendencies, such as in decision-making processes.

For example, I read a recent natal-chart interpretation of Mars at 29 Aries that described how that person might come up with several plans of action, worry about all of them, and then spontaneously go with some other approach contrary to what had been considered. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been experiencing some of this for the last week or two, and Mars isn’t even in that last degree yet.

Yet, this isn’t just Mars at 29 Aries that we’re dealing with; it’s Mars plus Uranus — two high-voltage planets in an action-oriented sign. Aries is also where the zodiac describes the ideas ‘identity’ and ‘individuation’. As you may have read elsewhere, we human beings do a lot of identity forging and individuation through moments of conflict: the metaphorical bumps, scrapes and friction with others that give us something to respond to. In our choices of response, we begin to define ourselves and discover where we stand in relation to everyone else.

Electric sparks by Tom via Flickr under CC 2.0.

It’s also possible to use this energy constructively, not just defensively — though it will take awareness. For example, starting some new or innovative project — particularly one that takes a lot of energy and will be strongly identified with you when completed — could prove satisfying (still take safety precautions). The more you can respond to surprises with an attitude of curiosity and flexibility, the easier it may be to roll with the sudden behavior of others. If you yourself are not already moving at high speed, this is more doable.

In other words, in high-energy moments, one’s ability to focus that energy consciously gains importance. The more you can focus it yourself — rather than having it focused for you by running into a painful limit — the more creative potential you can access.

Even the Sabian symbol for this degree underlines this concept, with some interpretation (the Sabians are channeled images for each of the 360 zodiac degrees): “A duck pond and its brood.”

I know it does not sound like much at first, but astrologer Dane Rudhyar gives it this keyphrase: “The realization of natural boundaries.” He goes on to write that “every form of activity has its limits,” and that “power must accept the principle of focalization.”

Know your limits. Focus your power. Touch your boundaries rather than slamming into them.

Partial chart for Chiron’s ingress to Aries on Feb. 18; it’s the orange key near the bottom with a bold ’00’. Bottom-right, you can see Mars-Uranus beginning to separate but still quite close, with Mars in Taurus. You can view the chart for Mars-Uranus in Thursday’s issue; glyph key is here

Mars enters Taurus on Thursday (at 5:51 am EST / 10:51:04 UTC), the day after its conjunction to Uranus. Uranus, however, will keep making its slow-yet-potent way across this last degree of Aries until March 6, when it finally ingresses Taurus for the next seven years or so. These may be an eventful three-plus weeks.

As for other prominent objects in the last degrees of the signs, we have: Juno at 29 Taurus, Pallas at 29 Libra, and Chiron at 29 Pisces. All of those are stirring the pot of the psyche — though Juno will enter Gemini later tonight, which might help you to move toward clearer communication with intimate partners and friends. The asteroid Pallas will not leave Libra until Aug. 26, thanks to a long retrograde back into the first third of that sign.

Chiron is the other truly significant sign change on our horizon, occurring quite soon: it enters Aries on Tuesday, Feb. 18, in just one week. Along with Uranus entering Taurus, Chiron in Aries is one of the central events Eric is focusing on in the written portions of the INTELLIGENCE annual readings. This is just one paragraph from the Aries reading:

Chiron and all that it represents is a compelling force. In a sense there is no escaping, only establishing a relationship with the impetus to change, and your deep personal need to heal. This means the need to grow, and that entails an entirely new basis for making decisions. Different people will respond to it in different ways. Some will choose to go deeper than others. Some will respond by grafting onto the identity politics and self-concept level, which is already pervasive. You must be able to discern the difference.

Chiron never allows us to dump the past, like tearing down an old shopping mall to build a new one; rather, there must be a careful reckoning with everything we have experienced, and what it means to us. The underlying ground must be examined and understood.

It is that careful reckoning — rather than blowing things up, or tearing things down — that be helpful this week. You do have a choice, no matter how close you feel to exploding, or how often you vacillate between options. We’re all together in this duck pond, no matter what your Facebook feed or TV news might suggest. Some real focus is necessary, sure; and with that focus, you may find your limits perfectly able to accommodate every bit of electricity you’re running.