Here’s an experiment for you. Sometime before Mercury overtakes Mars to share the same degree of Taurus at 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC) tomorrow, refer back to Eric’s Monday Astrology Diary. Read it once again. Pay attention to where you feel the energy. Just by doing that you will have grasped some of Mercury conjunct Mars in Taurus, and gotten a hold of yourself in the bargain.
You can do it now because Mercury need not yet be conjunct Mars for correlations to be palpable. You should do it before tomorrow evening because correspondences will probably wane quickly after Mercury leaves Mars behind.
Once you have grasped how a Taurus conjunction from Mercury to Mars feels in your body, you will have gathered something of what the constituents mean. What you gather is what will last and be useful.
It’s about attention. It’s also about energy. It’s interesting to note that your attention and your energy have something in common. Both are subject to being diverted by external forces. Both can also be handled less than consciously.
Versatile Mercury corresponds with thinking, among other things. To direct your own attention, you have to think. Unsurprisingly, it’s when you are not thinking that your attention either wanders or is subject to being misdirected, sometimes with undesirable consequences.
Along with desire, Mars is about energy (among other things). It can be ego-oriented — which, to quote Robert Hand, functions “to give you energy and support in maintaining your own separate, individual identity.” Then again, as Mr. Hand further describes, Mars also manifests as “energy in general, which can be harnessed for any type of work.”
Often, however, the question is whether it’s you or your energy in the harness. Just as often the answer comes down to what Eric called “one of the most vexing issues of our day”: self-esteem. That is where Taurus as the location of this particular conjunction of Mercury and Mars comes in, as a place to ground that issue.
Taurus is at least as grounded as any other sign, if not more so. It is also of the body as much or more than any of the other eleven fields of expression on the zodiac. Hence, planets traversing and/or merging in Taurus are best understood (at least in part) through the body.
That’s how you have more than just a reason to re-read Eric’s Sunday treatise again either today or tomorrow. You now have a purpose. So you might think for the purpose of directing your own attention — in order to attend to the expression of your own energy, and to listen to what your body tells you.
Most of all, the experiment proposed here today will reveal what happens to your self-esteem when you know it is you in charge of where your attention and energy are being put.
Once you get that connection, especially through your body, your sense of self-esteem just might take a turn for the better. Because you will know where it is rooted. Because you will know at least something of what you need to do anytime you need to get your self-esteem back.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
Thank you Len. The body knows
Looked on skyview app the other night and is quite a sight to see, Mercury and Mars side by side underneath the Aries Ram’s Back hoofs in the constellation he looks to be playing kickball with.. It’s a balanced game for sure. Side note, i find also interesting during this conjunction, on constellation Taurus if you look Venus is currently wispering in, sitting right on top of the bulls right ear.
Self esteem is good and boundaries with regards to retaining and channeling one’s own energy, yes! Still Aries definitely has a me-first attitude, which goes along with the agenda PW is currently pushing. With this attitude you may surely saisiate, yet I have experienced and witnessed things can swing to the opposite pole as well, becoming a person, or even society of very individulistic, egotistcal behavior, and where does this leave room for relationship?
Finding self esteem in relationship i believe is more of a challenge, leaves room for growth and another diamention to explore. This to me is much more interesting for the mind, body and whole heart. But just my take on it. I am speaking from the perspective of Aries of the 7th and Tauras 8th house.
P.S. I hope this did not sound critical. I’ll have to listen to Eric’s podcast of today. Perhaps what is being said is finding, growing (personally) self esteem is necessary first, then we can more wholly move out into developing healthy relationships.
After all Jupiter and Juno were recently retrograde in cycle, both now turned in forward motion. So expanding partnerships is a big background theme.
Continuing to gaze at the stars, in amazing timing, Jupiter currently floats in the Cancer constellation’s clutches of right in his claw, may speak of nuturing at hand. Saturn is likewise currently positioned in Scorpio’s claw is determined but in retrograde perhaps a caution is in not letting go, and of control?! We will have time for practice and greater understanding.. They will both be there, for our potential, for a while.
Jaimie; You are most welcome. It appears you know as well.
P. Sophia: If the Planet Waves agenda you perceive is other than sustaining a reader-supported website free from the Plutocratic influences of corporate sponsorship and/or capital investors, please help me to understand what it is. Indeed, there is no better place to detect agendas than in enterprises supported by Plutocracy and/or Theocracy. As regards to the current correlations of Mercury and Mars, my orientation as a tropical astrologer makes the position of planets in relationship to constellations less important than the position of planets in relationship to life here on Earth. Your life here on Earth, and the integration of astrology to empower you, is the focus of my service. By way of seeking middle ground with you, it is notable that Mars is setting in the Western sky (as it moves to go behind the Sun from our perspective) even as Mercury is rising in the Western sky after a trip behind the Sun (highlighted by its exterior/superior conjunction with the Sun back on April 10). Hence, another way of seeing the Mercury-Mars conjunction in tropical Taurus is as two “ships” passing in the light. A worthy thing to emulate, free of agendas perceived or imposed. Thank you once again for your always valuable contributions here.
Those guys in the sky, Merc and Mars will have recently touched my progressed Moon, now in Taurus. Natal MC at 0TA holds a stellium with Hera, Hades and Pallas standing guard… “hand-made” is my middle-name (as they say) and should I add that hand-crafted has everything to do with lifetime “career goals” ?
Considering all the Pluto going on in my life and the sky, compounded with QB1 — I should no longer be the “me” I was nor the “I” I’m becoming. That is always life’s process, but this go-round it’s beyond intense; and very personally hand-crafted from the inside.
Note to Be in particular, natal QB1 is one object on 11AQ my DC (as is a legendary native warrior Galvarino—worth looking at his story). This Merc/Mars action is a little past square of that magical point, isn’t it?
But about that QB1; on that natal stellium on the MC, sextile natal Sun; Inner-self? yes. Handcrafted? yes. Transformation? Of course. Merc and Mars? Pshaw. It’s all in a day’s astrology. 🙂 Thanks, Len.
aWord: A progressed Moon in Taurus represents a powerful period in your life, especially near the top of your natal chart. To have that progressed Moon transited by Mercury and Mars implies a deeply personal emphasis within that time frame – thank you for sharing it. By the way, yes, Mercury and Mars will be conjoining at 16+ Taurus with both having separated from the square to 11+ Aquarius (the degree that – as Barbara/be noted – kept turing up during the unusually concentrated sequence of outer planet ingresses from 2008 to 2011, as well as at other meaningful moments of recent astrology). Thank you once again for bringing your amazing nativity to bear in helping us to connect with the sky. By the way, Eric’s take on the relationship between Pluto and 1992 QB-1 in his podcast this week is worth listening for.
What my body has grasped with Mercury and Mars conjunct in Taurus is the periodical prod to my “beneath the surface” wisdom teeth. Being in Taurus (the prodding) translates as (1) slow down the thinking process and take it easy, and (2) stick with soups, mashed potatoes, etc. and don’t eat anything that requires excessive jaw movement. ‘nuf said?
Yes aword, the trans. Mercury/Mars is a little past exact square but still close enough to open doors you may be avoiding. I’ll check out Galvarino. . . never heard of him until now! The natal QB1 is on the Aquarius desc., and the transiting QB1 is on the MC near the south node, right? Time to release something of a material nature maybe? Something that will clear a path to a here-to-for unavailable set of circumstances that could provide comfort and joy? Courage.
I don’t know Len, Mercury and Venus have this mutual reception going on right now and Mars still holds some influence with Uranus who is in his sign, and Venus will sextile Uranus this Sunday. I’m inclined to think SOMETHING is going on right now, the pace slowed down more than shoot-first-ask-questions-later Mars and speedy Gonzalez Mercury would normally be. All because of some arrangement that Venus has with Uranus coming down on Sunday maybe?
I remember that in Uranus’ ingress into Aries (the 2nd one), Venus was at 11+ Aquarius; that degree that Pluto’s ingress to Capricorn and Neptune’s ingress to Pisces also had in common. Maybe this is something only the outer planets have privy to. . . unless Chiron’s in on it. I see that Chiron will sextile Uranus this Friday. Perhaps Venus has some persuasive data (Gemini) she will share with Jupiter tomorrow who made his final square with Mercury (in their annual cycle that started in Leo) early this AM (or late last night). Jupiter is still conjunct the U.S. President’s natal Sun of course.
be
Sorry, I meant Chiron sextiles Mercury (not Uranus) this Friday. Slooooow down barb
Barbara: You have my sincere and caring empathy as regards to the your dental discomfort. i hope you have the means to address the situation soon. Thank you for taking the time to work through it and post a quality (and deeply appreciated) comment here. Astrology-wise, right you are. There is evidence in the astrology that (as you put it) “SOMETHING is going on right now.” i can feel it in my body as well (although fortunately not as a toothache). There is a sense of how slowing down may help (as you discovered). There is also a sense that the pace of events is unusually distributed. In addition to the sextile aspects you have brought our attention to, i would suggest that we look at the progress of the current lunation cycle that started with the Aries New Moon on Saturday. Sometimes the impressive nature of eclipses distracts our attention away from the epiphanies to be found in more mundane events – especially events that closely follow eclipses while we are still getting our bearings. i would say the outer planets (as aspected by the inner, personal planets) have a lot to do with it. Also i would posit that Chiron could not help by be involved during solar Taurus, given the deep sympathetic harmony evident between things Pisces and Taurus – especially in recent years. Hope you feel better soon. Thank you for giving us a generous helping to chew on.
Thank you Len! I appreciate your add-ons, always. And I’ll give E’s podcast a listen, to be sure.
Yes Be, natal on AQ/DC and transiting QB on MC near south node. Oh my yes. The releasing something of a material nature seems to have become a redundant riddle over my past years. Almost everything material (personal ownership) is gone and I almost just recently lost the rest of me that’s material via that darn burst appendix. But, Universal energy didn’t take me, so here I still am; in the material world. There’s another answer to the riddle…something else thats “material” or that Taurus energy represents. Seeking…..comfort and joy sound great.
“Something” all right. I’m starting to realize that I seem to be a significant barometer for what’s going on (Len, you’ve been saying so for awhile, ok..I’m slow…) so…if I get a clue to what’s “something” Be, I’ll clue you in. (or visversa). Something has been trying to get to me sideways, I can tell, but haven’t found it yet.
As Len said Be—-be well, take care of those wisdom teeth just as you’ve taken care of all of us with your plethora of wisdom.