Mars in Sagittarius is now aligned with a conjunction that has been brewing in Sagittarius for years — Pholus and Ixion (which both orbit our Sun). Pholus is a centaur similar to Chiron, and Ixion is a Kuiper object similar to Pluto.
As you may know, we live in an age of planetary discovery. An astrologer working in the early 1980s had the nine planets, Chiron and some asteroids to work with.
An astrologer working today has thousands of points available to use, some of them with demonstrated potent effects. Pholus and Ixion count. Both are in Sagittarius, and their alignment spans from 2011 to 2014. Like any conjunction of this strength, it has expressions considerably before and after the exact contacts.
If you took the key concepts associated with these two points, you might read this alignment as representing “evil run out of control.” Anyone who knows world history would say oh, that’s nothing new. Anyone who is alive today would say, that sounds about right.
A more psychologically or spiritually oriented description would sound a bit like “the collapse of the concepts of good and evil,” or the unleashing of amorality — there’s no such thing as right and wrong. I don’t think anyone wants to admit how much of society is in this state.
We know that most of us try, as individuals, to do the right thing — and then we let plenty of people get away with doing everything wrong. Another little warning around Ixion is that “anyone is capable of anything.” Therefore, keep a grip, and don’t look for lame excuses to do the wrong thing.
What brings Pholus and Ixion into the scene today is that Mars is aligned with them — it’s now a three-planet conjunction that is exact Tuesday. Mars is volatile, it’s energetic, and it can come on strong, especially in Sagittarius. Mars can also activate, energize, reveal the energy of, or set off preexisting aspects. One of the fundamental rules of modern astrology is “fast planets + slow planets = a noticeable effect.”
Between Mars, Pholus and Ixion there are a lot of ideas and energetic qualities to keep track of, but on the personal level the message comes down to the need to use power in a conscious and sober way, if at all. It’s for this reason that I wrote Thursday night:
Speaking of vessels, this is a dangerous time to do much of anything in an inebriated state, particularly handling anything dangerous, toxic, or that is powered by some form of chemical or explosive fuel.
You would think it needless to say, but alcohol does not mix with guns, cars, power tools, fire, chemical supplies or anything else that requires total control. Be careful with any form of sports, and even when doing ordinary things like moving on staircases or carrying boxes.
Expressing anger is very likely to backfire under this astrology. It would be best to give yourself a few days and cool off, especially with the solar system still vibrating with this week’s lunar eclipse conjunct Uranus.
There are aspects where it’s easy to riff on all the fantastically creative things you can do with the opportunity, and aspects where it’s better to urge prudence — the current astrology falls into the second camp.
Therefore, be cool. Mercury retrograde may be clouding judgment, especially around relationships (it’s in Libra). With eclipses in the neighborhood, actions can have effects beyond what was intended. So hold your judgments and be careful with anger. Direct your wanting in a precise way. If you don’t know what you want, take a break from desire.
One of my colleagues, Alex Miller, a minor planet and deep space point specialist, wrote to me today:
hi, eric!
good info on ixion with mars today (and I am moving lots of boxes of Halloween decorations, of course!). I may have mentioned this to you before, but this pholus/ixion thing goes on much longer than the serennu stats suggest. they are never more than 5 degrees apart from 2008 to 2043, 35 YEARS! goddess knows what the world will look like when they’re through. you can see my daykeeper piece on this here:
http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/2014/08/ixion-pholus-conjunction/
— alex
Additional note — I have calculated this using a different type of tool, a more conventional ephemeris lookup that can compare different points. This is a 50-year, once per year, lookup for Pholus and Ixion. Note the similarities of the positions and you can see what he is saying. Ixion is listed as its provisional name, 2001 KX 76
http://snipurl.com/pholus-ixion
The reason for this is that despite Ixion having a longer orbit than Pholus, Pholus is near the far end of its orbit (that is, far from the Sun) and is moving at about the same speed as ixion — and will be for a while.
It’s noteworthy that the exact contacts and two closest near-misses occurred between early 2011 and Sept. 2014, but I am not sure how noteworthy. It’s more significant that we will be living with this for a while, and need to get a grip on the issue.
Just as I finished reading this post, my roommate played a song called “Chandalier” by Sia for me to listen to. I’m pretty ignorant of pop culture and I did a small bit of research, a critic for Billboard magazine claims it is one of the top ten best songs of 2014, so it’s ostensibly something I should have known about. The lyrics caught my attention, as they demonstrate a lot about Western culture’s relationship to alcohol and personal responsibility:
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
1,2,3 1,2,3 drink
Throw ’em back, ’til I lose count
I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist
Beyond that, I have another thought, which is more personal, I struggle so much to actively use my power and have felt more focused and confident lately, particularly with second house issues, which is where Libra is in my chart. I am being reminded to be precise, but more on the level of intention and thoughts and what they can manifest.
I think this says a whole heck of a lot. Maybe I am getting old, but I find this just horrifying. I am 10X the Pisces of the next guy though it’s never once occurred to me to abuse alcohol like this. I’ve been drunk about five times in my life, every time in safe circumstances and close to home. I just don’t get it. Sometimes I envision the Great Lake sized container that could be filled by the liquor consumed on the planet in a single day; the whole universe of alcohol consciousness fueled by…think of it…the excrement of yest, in which the yeast died.
Just by way of an addendum to your post, Shelley, those lyrics are absolutely correct, but not the whole song, which is a cry of lamentation, rather than celebration, about the choices she continues to make because the pain is too much to handle.
But I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down, won’t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
Help me, I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down, won’t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
On for tonight
Sun is up, I’m a mess
Gotta get out now, gotta run from this
Here comes the shame, here comes the shame.
Which still adds up to the same thing, agreed, only from the other direction.
Yes, Sarah, good point.
I had thought about that a bit before posting, but in some ways it seemed not important because a lot of people listen to music and they only really hear a few lyrics that stand out and take them alone without listening to the whole song. There are people who still haven’t listened beyond the course to “Born in the USA,” for example.
Although now days, people usually watch the visuals too.
I also wonder if whether it is lamentation or celebration changes the Ixionness of it. What do you think?
Interesting question, Shelley! This quote from Eric’s post stood out for me in response:
Another little warning around Ixion is that “anyone is capable of anything.” Therefore, keep a grip, and don’t look for lame excuses to do the wrong thing.
Maybe this means, in a time of potential amorality, that we decide how we approach this song and its message: is it a call to immerse ourselves, quite literally, in numbing drugs and pastimes, or is it a call for consciousness?
A few months ago, Chelsea sent me this…suitably appalled, as her children were singing it.
Love that folksy beginning…and the dancers are fantastic…the rest is Satanic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUbLv4ThOo
Here are the operative lyrics —
Twerking in their bras and thongs, timber
Face down, booty up, timber
That’s the way we like to–what?–timber
I’m slicker than an oil spill
She say she won’t, but I bet she will, timber
i.e., no does not mean no, or just rape her — she’s drunk enough.
Yeah, that’s catchy.
I went through my mid twenties as a waitress/bartender and learned about the we need to get drunk attitude first hand. It is horrifying. More so, when people in their late thirties/early forties are still telling me to drink alcohol to get over being nervous about approaching people I have a sexual interest in.
Eric: Thank you for extending your theme from Thursday night, centered on Mars (a relatively fast planet) and Pholus (a moderately slow orbit-crosser) to include Ixion (a very slow boundary pusher). The noticeable concurrency precipitated by Mars briefly conjoining the inordinately long conjunction of Pholus and Ixion (which, as you point out, has to do with the timing of Pholus being in what appears to be the slowest part of its eccentric orbit during this era) has the effect of bringing to our attention the core message of the I Ching that (as Dr. Margaret Pearson put it in 2011) “Timing and sequence matter.” All the more reason for each of us at this time to ascertain what is appropriate for our era and for any given time during our era in order to navigate the changes while both remaining in and fostering a legacy of integrity.
“Raven children (born September 23 through October 23), unless they are truly exceptional souls, usually have some difficulty, as they must test all possible ways of being in order to determine how they want to be. They should be given some leeway to do this, as it will help them to find their balance later in life, but they need consistency from those around them in order to experience the peace that this can bring to others.”
Sun Bear and Wabun (from: “The Medicine Wheel – Earth Astrology”)
Amorality – I think that nails it, absolutely. I think despair is mixed in this as well. After all, if there is no hope for a better world, if everyone else is giving in to their baser passions (i.e. their willingness to do harm by others), why bother holding the line? It’s an increasingly lonely task. Unfortunately, that makes it all the more important. Integrity is a powerful skill, because of the influence it can have on others.
Len, this is a bit off the topic except for the fact that I live in the same city as Margaret Pearson who wrote The Original I Ching that you quoted. Because of her, I have learned to consult it on matters that I need to approach with integrity. I will let her know that I came across your comment.
“Be careful with any form of sports, and even when doing ordinary things like moving on staircases or carrying boxes.”
This much is manifesting itself all around me; two of my friends got concussions last night (and another Friday), doing completely non-dangerous, ordinary things, while two others’ moms are suddenly in ICU over unanticipated health problems. I hardly even know how to respond, other than with gratitude that any of us manage to keep breathing one moment to the next. Really. When life shows itself to be this fragile, it brings me back to the importance of focusing on gratitude & love, not giving in to fear.
Mary: Welcome to Planet Waves! Please let Dr. Pearson know how my 2011 conversation with her (when she was in Seattle to both promote her book and attend her high school reunion) continues to be one of the great privileges of my life.
Hits Nail On Head; thank you! Re: Age of Aquarius (Tuesday Letter) – it appears to me that the most over-arching sign of this is a Global Awareness – which is entirely DUE to the (Uranian) technology … Hence we are drawn out of a subjective, inward focus (Pisces) and are forced into awareness of Other People, Cultures, Social Phenomena,The Urgency of Cooperation and Collective Values, i.e., our Mother Ship Earth. Which I hope will, in fact, produce a groovy base line! <3