By Amanda Painter
What just happened in this country? In a phrase: Uranus conjunct Eris in Aries. The key phrase for Uranus is, “Expect the unexpected.” And Eris? Well, she is known for taking feelings of being ‘cast off’ and using them to incite competition and chaos.
Detail of Movement II by Peter Bremers at Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Photo by Amanda Painter.
We have more of that on our plates then we’d like right now. Personally, I am in shock. I knew that Donald Trump could win, but I never thought that he would actually win.
Expect the unexpected. Uranus conjunct Eris.
We’ve experienced two exact contacts between Uranus and Eris so far this year. Before those two planets are done with their tete-a-tete, they’ll conjoin once more in Aries, on March 17, 2017. So, the surprises are not done — though with any luck, the next batch will swing things in a more creative, productive, humane direction to counter what’s been happening in this election year. I’m not making any predictions; just holding space for the idea that even the worst upsets can inspire and engender a wave of energy and action to rebalance what has gone askew.
After all, with each new day we get new opportunities and new astrology to help us make sense of things and move forward. And this week, we get three of the so-called personal planets changing sign.
On one level, this indicates shifts in thinking, in how we receive and relate, and in how we take action toward what we want. Here’s what’s going on astrologically:
Yesterday, Mars left Capricorn and entered Aquarius. On Friday, Venus leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricorn; the next day, Saturday, Mercury moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius.
Mars in Aquarius wants to pursue unorthodox courses of action. If you can steer its inventiveness toward serving the collective wellbeing through teamwork, much good can be achieved and needed reforms may come about. Yet that desire for freedom can also get a little impatient — and therefore contentious. This is a Mars that must be kept in touch with its core humanity.
That might take some extra intellectual reminders, since Venus will be spending just shy of four weeks in Capricorn, starting at 11:54 pm EST on Nov. 11 (4:54 UTC Nov. 12). This is a less effusive and less emotionally generous Venus compared to Venus in some other signs. Yet, according to noted astrologer Isabel Hickey, what Venus in Cap has going for it is the strength and patience to overcome any fear of ‘giving too much of itself’.
In other words, what we have with Mars and Venus is a situation where you might find yourself leaning on your intellect to remind yourself of things like generosity, compassion, and how to act ways that draw people together and help them feel cared for or included. That’s not a bad thing, actually, given how easy it can be to let our emotions run away with the show — or, as we’ve seen, run away with the shadow. Emotions make valuable signposts, but can be unwieldy masters.
But what is going on with Mercury, the planet of intellect? Between now and Saturday night, it’s still in Scorpio. You can expect your social media feeds to continue to be a mix of those communicating sharply about what they’re passionate about, and those who prefer to keep their thoughts (and ‘scarier’ emotions) close to the vest.
However, after Mercury moves into Sagittarius at 9:29 am EST on Saturday (14:39 UTC), you might notice your mental landscape and communication tendencies shifting. Mercury in Sagittarius tends to be direct — but sometimes a little too direct. As in, it’s a little more likely to let the arrow of speech (or judgment) fly before fully thinking through all the details.
Yet this Mercury placement is great for understanding social attitudes. That would be a welcome thing in this post-election aftermath, as long as you can keep the details and facts in view even as you look toward the bigger picture.
As you ease your way through the end of the week and tune in to these subtle shifts in the astrological landscape (which really means your own inner experience of your world, and of yourself), be kind to yourself. And, taking a cue from the planets, perhaps consider for a moment the difference between ‘society’ and ‘humanity’.
How do you interact with each of those? More importantly, can you continue to regard, support and work for either of them with an open heart, respect and unassailable devotion?
Valuable and useful points well and custom-made. Thank you, Amanda.
lovely thoughts and signposts Amanda….thank you.
Just saying, Mars ingress Aquarius is in a mutual reception to the Uranus-Eris (Ceres?) conjunction, setting off the anti-trump protests, here in Richmond, and across the nation. Venus (in Sagittarius), still in a mutual reception to Jupiter in Libra, the latter (Libra) ruled by Uranus, in esoteric astrology. Saw a young (white) college (VCU) man (yesterday) wearing a protest sign: Black lives Matter. A one man protest that later expanded (it seems) to groups of people, that night. I know a little nine year old Libra rising girl- Aalia, slamming my car door repeatedly, is another form of protest, I think. What message are they getting?
The Moon in Pisces, with Neptune in Pisces, the new and old world ages are still one.
Glen Young: astute observations, I would say. Thank you for making those real-life connections to what you are seeing on the ground around you, and for pointing out the Mars-Uranus mutual reception. In my shock yesterday, I totally missed that detail. I’ll be pondering that some.
Mars prompting us to be more out there than ever, Venus keeping an eye on things that matter, and Mercury urging us to sort it out. With Uranus/Eris we may surprise ourselves! Thanks Amanda.
Mary Turcich: great synopsis! For sure, I think “surprising ourselves” could very well be beneficial right now, especially within the context of “the highest good for all concerned” as a guiding principle.
An inspiring piece Amanda, thank you! I can’t help but wonder how the souls of this nation would have reacted had Clinton won? Would those who elected Trump for the very sake that they are tired of federal government and politics and thus casted their vote for “change” would have taken to the streets with Trump cheering their actions while claiming that the election had been rigged? The chaos could have been mayhem. Instead we have leaders taking the high road and leading by example, as Charleston South Carolina did when their church leaders were slain last year.
The light is shining through and will shine through its people who feel disenfranchised (& perhaps were if you listen to the Democracy Now piece and the role that the FBI and Rudy Guiliani might have played in the emails release towards the end of the election time and mainstream media’s fixation on it) (the cabal, after all). Yet those that are feeling disfranchised come from a space of love and will demand more and do more for their fellow community because this new era is showing us that we each are more personable and accountable, I believe, than we had realized and we can and must assist in addressing our fellow neighbor’s plights. As a society, so many of us have stood back, now it is time to lean in. And it appears that the astrological signs can support this.
“As a society, so many of us have stood back, now it is time to lean in. And it appears that the astrological signs can support this.”
I would agree, Pisces Sun. Time to lean in — and to remember that “unity” does not mean letting ourselves be pacified to “keep the peace,” or not causing a ruckus when one is needed to address an injustice. The US is a big, diverse country; I’m not sure if it has ever been truly “unified,” and I expect that if such ever happens it will be many, many generations (or eons) from now. So, working with what we have, we do our best to stand up for those in danger, to speak truth to power, and to hold space as best we can for the light of understanding to shine.
A very astute reflection, Pisces Sun, on the kind of response the nation has seen in this dilemma. There is every reason to believe that if it had been Hillary’s win the Trumpeteer’s would have reacted with a good deal of violence, armed as many of them are, and solidly approving the Trump policy of getting even in the most dramatic way possible. They were prepped for a loss, even eager, it seemed, and take it from me — surrounded as I am by Trump voters, here in the Pea Patch — their hatred of Hillary was/is palpable. Wouldn’t take much to set them off. Apparently the Universe knows what it’s doing (as usual.)
To keep on the high road — as have Clinton and Obama and the many lefty groups who have digested their shock but determined to keep pushing forward for the common good — is a blessing to a nation in mourning, even if we do it in tears. And we do.
And an excellent piece, Amanda, as usual. Always appreciate your clear thinking and gentle approach.
I can be found these days at Jude’s Here, by the way — for anyone interested. Hugs to all.
https://judeshere.wordpress.com/
Hey dear Jude! Hope all well. Hugs to you too, and thanks for your link. xxxx
Take care of yourself there in the Pea Patch, Jude! Good to see you here.
And thank you.
The universe does move in mysterious ways sometimes…
Len & Priya: grateful to know this piece has resonated!
Thank you, Amanda – such a thoughtful piece. This whole affair is a conundrum and I have spent hours contemplating what is going on. I’ve hesitated to send what I write below, because I know there is so much current grief and shock. Please withhold it if you think that’s best.
But here goes.
Viewing from New Zealand, one of my deepest concerns about America in recent years has been the massive, insane debt, amounting to many times the GDP of whole countries, which is held by seemingly unaccountable financial institutions and how this can possibly continue.
Another concern has been the terrifying build-up to war on the borders of Russia and China, which properly informed commentators understand clearly is caused by unprovoked aggression from the U.S.A., to the extent that the writer Dmitry Orlov and a group of Russian scientists wrote to the U.S. Government http://cluborlov.blogspot.co.nz/2016/05/a-russian-warning.html begging it to stop engaging Russia because the response would simply obliterate America.
A third is the relentless proliferation of U.S.-initiated multilateral investment agreements posing as trade deals, which enable unbridled power for multinational corporates to plunder any asset on the globe that they wish and to render whole countries and populations destitute, without any accountability whatever. I have read the reports by the UN Independent Expert and they are truly horrifying.
So, if – and he states clearly that he is – Trump is indeed hell bent on extinguishing these three deadly time bombs, then I must view his election with great relief. These appalling threats have seemed impossible to counteract through any means whatever. Frankly, if the guy can do it, then it’s a blessing. And I certainly know that such a mission was not on Mrs Clinton’s agenda.
The package in which the possibility of this salvation has arrived does, of course, leave quite a bit to be desired. The Vice President elect is the darling of the Tea party, and seems to have initiated virtually every socially punitive, far-right-based piece of legislation since the dawn of time. There are even rumours that Sarah Palin is lined up for a position. Oh holy moley!
But let’s compare evil with evil. Consider the Goldman Sachs trader who had bet on Deepwater Horizon sinking, who wrote, to our horror ‘. . . if this baby goes down, we’re going to be rolling in dough. Suck it, birdies and fishies!’
Then on the other side, you have folks who want to shoot wolves because they see them as vermin that kill sheep; they want to ban abortions and homosexuality because they think they’re a sin against God. They have a sort of pioneering-settler-type view that sees little value in indigenous villages or pesky wildlife if you want to plow, etc, etc. Their morality is misplaced, shall we say? (Or just amorality in infancy?)
But these folks are not part of an elite club for whom all morality, decency, honour and integrity is forfeit to the pursuit of money and power. There is no reaching oligarchs and mafia, and I think the Clintons are tied right up in that mess.
For me, Eris is a champion, a rebel, a mahakala, a dakini – you wouldn’t want to meet her unless you were a straight shooter too. With Uranus, she catalyses change with guns ablaze and might not tidy up afterwards. I think she’s right in the middle of this election result.
But right now for America’s homeless and dispossessed – and her future ones, when another big wind hits the great tissue mountain of America’s printed money (and it will), and the ripples of this reverberate round the world – what is most important is sheer survival; some way to get the food to eat. And good historic facts suggest that the reason for this is that a small number of people are simply stealing off the plates of everyone who’s not in their game.
If there is any way on earth that a president will really take on the bankers, stop threatening Russia and unravel the damage done by NAFTA and the other deals, then despite this polarisation and turmoil right now, maybe we should applaud just this little miracle. And you’re right, we will absolutely have to wait and see. It certainly looks like you’ll get a clamp-down on civil liberties – there might be a bit of McCarthyism even! This is unlikely to be easy. But if so, at least your activism can target something that it might be able to change, and there will be people with homes and food still alive to do the work of changing it!
With love
Susie