Hopefully you’ve felt a sense of last week’s pressure easing some, now that the Full Moon and lunar eclipse has dissipated and Mercury is firmly retrograde in Leo. That said, this week’s astrology brings its own energetic peak — one that might give you a boost as you try to initiate any new patterns.
Photo by Amanda Painter.
Mars-Uranus aspects can feel disruptive — yet the intensity of that effect depends on the context in which it’s operating. I’m referring specifically to the context of your life rhythms, and your relationships to habit and self-reinvention.
What might be called your psychic or emotional ‘density level’ comes into play, too: how agile you tend to be within yourself, and how sensitive you are to the energetic and other unseen facets of your environment.
Generally speaking, the more attached a person is to ‘things as they are’, or the more you’ve been resisting and repressing a need to change something, the more disruptive a Mars-Uranus square can be. Conversely, if you tend to aim for a process of continual creative evolution in your life and how you approach it, you might find that Mars-Uranus invigorates that process.
In terms of where we are astrologically — in a series of three eclipses, one of which was conjunct retrograde Mars on Friday — Wednesday’s Mars-Uranus square looks like it could jump-start the next phase of whatever process you’re in. The time between eclipses is often one of letting something go and moving toward something new — that is, changing a pattern.
Yet here’s the thing about changing a pattern: going about things the way you always have generally will not work, because those habits and strategies mainly reinforce what you’ve always done and how you’ve always done it. New challenges need new solutions.
With Mars in the sign of crystallized social patterns, and Uranus in the sign of routine and resistance to change (among other things, for both signs), the tension between these planets and what they represent in this aspect gets emphasized. Notice where you’re digging in your heels the most, and why. Then notice where you’re feeling the most restless, impulsive, rebellious or restricted by others (whether a group or an authority figure, real or internalized), and why.
Chart section showing Mars in Aquarius (red circle with arrow near the top of the chart) square Uranus in Taurus (blue H-like glyph near the bottom). Note the Moon in Aries, just past a conjunction to Chiron. The Moon is in Pisces currently, and enters Aries at 6:54 am EDT (10:54 UTC) Aug. 1.
Do you feel like you can really be yourself? What do you feel you have to suppress for your life to ‘work’ and for you to ‘fit in’? You might want to give that a thorough review. It is possible to find a middle ground between total revolution and no change at all. That’s likely the sweet spot you’re aiming for.
If you find you’re acting rashly (or have the urge to), consider it a sign that you’ve been suppressing something you’ve needed to address. Tempers flaring with an authority figure or with someone you’re close to are another signal that you may be ignoring something below the surface. This might happen especially with people (or about situations) from the past — something emphasized by the backward-looking nature of Mars right now.
Mars is also in a square to the object Typhon in Scorpio. If you tend to categorize your more difficult or tempestuous emotions as ‘monsters’ you try to keep hidden deep down, that could add to a sense of restlessness.
Expressing those feelings will likely help you to transform and integrate them better, with one caveat: ‘expressing’ and ‘lashing out’ are not the same thing. The idea is to discuss how you’re feeling so everyone involved can understand something better, not to blast someone with a fire hose of raw emotion.
Thankfully, retrograde Mars is also in a sextile with Chiron in Aries (exact Friday). This brings in an element of courage — the “sacred warrior” archetype, according to Barbara Hand Clow. Mars-Chiron here also suggests the possibility of a breakthrough of some kind. If you’re actively trying to initiate some change and honestly reassess your desires (possibly in the context of a social pattern), that’s more likely to open the way for new awareness or a lucky break.
Remember, we’re moving toward the last of our three summer eclipses. That happens on Aug. 11, with the Leo New Moon conjunct the asteroid Pallas. Pallas is the goddess of wisdom and strategy. Chances are, accessing her gifts will be easier if you can harness Mars and Uranus constructively this week. When you get clear about where you are and what needs to change, you open the door for a plan forward to emerge.
Hi Amanda,
Reading your post this morning regarding “If you tend to categorize your more difficult or tempestuous emotions as ‘monsters’ you try to keep hidden deep down, that could add to a sense of restlessness.” indeed reminded me of some material that readers may wish to obtain in training their monsters and recognising what they are!
I commenced this work in 1997 using the following book as a guide ‘Hug the Monster – How to embrace your fears and Live your dreams’ written by David Milne Smith, Ph.D. and Sandra Leicester, sneaky little things that they are, many will definitely recognise their own patterns, other’s will recognise similarities with ah ha moments.
Two other books may assist on this regard, ‘Who moved my Cheese’ Dr. Spencer Johnson, speaks to those old habits of wishing for change and repeating worn habits, and ‘The Dance of Fear’, Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. and yes we need to dance with it every step of the way, peeling the onion so to speak.
So happy onion peeling, which by the way also gives you plenty of scope with cooking your own home made French Onion soup, beef bourguignon, onion tarte tatin, amongst many other simple delights. In the mist of such change, the KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetheart) principle works really well, especially when you are on a journey of momentous discovery.
Happy monster hugging, and may they kiss you back big time.
I love it when readers offer additional resources that speak to the current astrology! Thank you, Heather, for mentioning those three books. You never know who might discover them here and find it’s just the tool they were looking for. Happy onion-peeling, monster-hugging, and KISS-ing to you, too.
Well, sometimes they can be rather ugly and other times rather surprising, not always obvious either, and as I am fond of saying, rather like a large plate of spaghetti, loose ends everywhere.
It’s all a matter of embracing new aspects, and that’s where you, Eric and crew come into this equation for me, as I use Astrology as the road map for the many issues that people contain in their lives, it’s the raw material that we need to work with for a more peaceful and content life.
Here is a little gem that was given to me many years ago by someone who was certain in her thoughts of herself, only to find that she had feet of clay:
Subject: Memo from God/Goddess/Spirit/Mystery – The precious gift of gratitude
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: THE BOSS
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help.
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but
in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don’t despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the person who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working
twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people’s bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!
Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know! In Love
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Heather Macauley | Lived CFS Facilitator & SSNT Student
Nature’s Apothecary | 13 Wheat Walk, Sydenham, VIC 3037
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