Astrology Stress Zones Predictions for August 2007 Pt. 1 - Mars enters Gemini Triggering the Grand Irrationality

by Robert Wilkinson

Mars triggers whatever happens of note in our charts. In August 2007, Mars moves from 27 degrees Taurus through 16 Gemini, activating the Grand Irrationality the second week of August. Though there are a few afflictions, for the most part Mars should help all of us get a lot accomplished due to very favorable aspects to most of the planets.

The Fiery energetics opened at by the Mars-Jupiter-Saturn Grand Fire Trine in June solidified in July and will begin to diversify into many manifestations as Mars moves into Gemini. Things related to Aries and Scorpio planets and houses in our charts have acquired greater substance which will naturally lead to a multiplicity of forms and new perspectives and information this month.

This month begins with Mars coming off its important square to Saturn, showing recent gear grinds are now in the past, and our responsibilities and duties have hit a turning point. This is followed immediately by a square to Venus retrograde at 1 Virgo, indicating a need to keep things on track despite temporary interruptions. Fit things into a long range perspective, and do trade-offs where appropriate. This period also features Sun quintile Mars and Mars quintile Uranus and triseptile Pluto in the Grand Irrationality, showing a very unique time that may be strange, but should be very productive and at times, brilliantly playful or creative.

You can find out more about the Grand Irrationality by checking Spiritual Astrology in July-August 2007 Pt. 1 - Uranus, Neptune, Pluto Retrograde Coming In From the Unknown. Whenever this pattern is activated, choices and changes are in motion, and result in life shifts of major proportions. This effect will continue through the third week of August as Mars moves through the biseptile to Neptune. You also may want to re-check Spiritual Astrology in July-August Pt.2 to get an overview of how Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are working their Transpersonal magic on each sign at present.

All septile series aspects indicate strange choices, crucial decisions, and general edginess and the sense that forces beyond our control are at work. Not necessarily bad, as long as we remember that we may not be able to reason our way through what's happening and the energy doesn't get too crazy or destructive.

This aspect set moves us to make choices that affect our potential "higher destiny." The days when the Moon moves through the 7 trigger zones of the Grand Irrationality will be points when the generic weirdness is triggered, and bring decisions that may not make much sense but have to be made anyway.

The first part of August, Mercury quintiles Mars, and by the third week Mars is quintile Venus, opposition Jupiter, and tredecile Neptune, a very unique building configuration that will bring gifts and highly specialized qualities wherever we have Leo, Aquarius, Gemini, and Sagittarius, very favorably affecting houses ruled by Aries, Taurus, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

The key to releasing this energy is the T-square from Mercury to Mars opposition Jupiter, throwing the void into Pisces. Great for intuition, closure, forgiveness, and seeing things in a vaster perspective. Areas most stressed for us are 9 through 13 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sag, and Pisces, so if you were born near the beginning of March, June, September, or December, expect a lot to be activated requiring you keep your cool while opening to interactive gifts and some very serendipitous circumstances.

We're now closing the Sun-Mars cycle that began October 23, 2006 at 30 Libra, a degree of philosophical completion. Another important cycle began in December 2006 with the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter at 4 degrees of Sagittarius, marking the end of the last Mars-Jupiter cycle that began at 1 Libra in late September 2004. The cycle that began in December kicked a new period of expanded activity into motion through February 2009, when they will next conjunct at 10 Aquarius. These larger cycle conjunction points are important in showing us where our outreach will occur in the future.

As noted, Mars begins August in late Taurus, whose keywords are "Enjoyment" and "Confirmation." Dr. Marc E. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this span is Sustaining, Ideal, Efficient, and Generalizing. On August 6, 11:01 pm PDT (therefore August 7 almost everywhere else in the world), it enters the first half of Gemini, whose keywords are "Discovery" and "Zeal." Dr. Jones terms this span Manipulating, Practical, Ingenious, and Specializing.

These terms will be seen working most clearly in the Aries and Scorpio houses in our charts, as well as wherever we have Gemini by house. We move this month from solid, stabilizing, concretizing activities, finding substance in our power, into diversity, multi-tasking, new curiosity and new discoveries. August should be very productive in many different ways.

We're now over 3/4 of the way in the important Mars-Saturn cycle. As noted in past articles, their last conjunction in June 2006 at 9 Leo indicated

...this 2 year cycle is about authenticity, creativity, play, and reconnecting with our enthusiasm in mature and measured ways wherever we have early Leo in our charts... simplify, stabilize, and see a bigger picture to move into a broader cooperative group purpose. Be a gentle angel, cut back on extravagances as well as pessimism, and find ways to enjoy life without overdoing it... For eleven months, Mars has developed the promise of whatever that conjunction portended for us. The growth process quickened in December... January 2007 showing a natural self-expression of the truth of this cycle... This stabilized the turning point in the larger “destiny cycle” in late November at the biseptile, where important decisions were made and meaningful actions were taken.

February helped us adjust to prepare for whatever surfaced the second week of March when Mars opposed the original conjunction point. This provided us a sense of what needed to change, what has been coming to importance, and what we can expect for some months to come, relative to the lessons that have been presenting themselves since June 2006 in the early Leo area of our charts.

In March, things cut loose in ways that began to bring Spirit to matter, and challenged us to be eager in learning a greater way to live and not take anything for granted. Appreciation was the big keyword, and that theme will continue to be important in June and July 2007 as the gifts continue to come from Spirit. September through December 2007 will be a big time for those who are open to the blessings we've been promised, and followed through on the Neptunian lessons.

After the square to Venus early in the month there is major harmony between the Aries and Scorpio sectors relative to most other sign areas. Unique opportunities prevail by mid-month, while things may seem to be fracturing due to the T-square in the last 10 days of the month. Whether they are or aren't, remember that it's the culmination of the old Saturn in Leo energy, now closing for the next 25 years.

So keep focused on the big picture and work with the magnetism of what is and is not coming and going. Many things are still under review as Venus moves through its retrograde, and important relationship shifts are promised by Venus due to the beautiful interactive uniqueness and gifts of the opposition-tredecile-quintile configuration after mid-August.

In Part 2 we'll explore how the Mars stress zones are affecting each individual sign.

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Joanne]

Good morning!
I hope that your travels are peaceful and filled with fun. I know that you are very busy. If anyone else can help me with this, I thank you and them ahead. Do I look at my natal chart or the solar return for this year's information and the information that you are providing?

Joanne

[dottie]

wow, that bit about the mars-jupiter cycles is really interesting! those dates very clearly mark off two distinct phases of my life...can't notice the mars-sun, mars-saturn ones as clearly. maybe b/c they're not as huuuuge.

i'm excited now about feb 2009 but wish it could come sooner. aqu = work/health for me, and mars-neptune-saturn have been really testing my patience lately. now a cold on top of all the roadblocks - jeesh.

anyway thanks for shedding light on another astro-phenom robert.

[Pepper]

Robert,

I was wondering about the total lunar eclipse coming up on August 28th at 4.46 Pisces. Many of my friends and I have Pluto in Virgo at 4 degrees. Also, my Moon in Leo is conjunct Pluto in Virgo...and on the IC. I am curious what the eclipse will mean for my friends/generation and myself?

For me personally, I am guessing that part of my 4th/10th house issues will come to an welcomed end? So when transiting Mars in Cancer and Saturn in Virgo aspect the eclipse point this October, can I expect the eclipse energies to be triggered?

Thank you,
Pepper

[Robert]

Hi Joanne - Well, travels are well, not much fun, but very productive and full of significance. Life changes and all that. As for charts, you look at both. The SR chart gives a snapshot of how the coming year will affect your various houses depending on where the planetary rulers of your natal are in the SR. Your progressed Moon shows how you will experience the next year. That's something many people supposedly knowledgable about Astrology often fail to comprehend. The transits show the gestalt of the times, and our biases in the moments of flux and flow, so it's also very important in determining how the future will be experienced.

Hi Dottie - Maybe some things are more important this round, while other cycles were or will be more important in times past or to come. Use the time between now and 2009 to prepare and become your most effective self. And the reward of patience is patience.

Hi Pepper - Will be composing an article or two on the coming eclipses when I can. I am on the road, you know. You and your friends should do well as a result of this Venus station on your Plutos. Saturn on your Moon no doubt is deepening your experience of life, self, and others. And of course, wherever eclipses fall shut down old parts of the life so new light can come forth over time. Please check out some past articles in the archives using the site google box on the upper right of the front page, since I've done major comprehensive pieces on all the past eclipses for years. And yes, Saturn will be a major player in the coming eclipses.

[Mary]

Hello Robert,
I am not yet sure how to interpret your newest grand irrationality piece for August, except to say it seems like an April redo with my father seems to be dying so soon after my spouse did this past April. Again, it is such a challenge because I am far away and trying to determine when to go for final visit. Is this cycle of death going to end soon. It almost seems like everyone I have ever been close to has gone now except my mother. It is getting lonely around here and I am getting discouraged trying to remain balanced and productive. Is this a real cycle of eclipses or am I just being a normal human condition?

[Alix]

Hi Pepper, I've got Pluto at 5 Virgo 35 so I guess the Sun will also touch my Pluto during that lunar eclipse. I'd like to remind people that have Pluto at 4 or 5 of Virgo that in October, when Venus and Saturn finally conjoin again for the last time they'll do so at 5 of Virgo, not only that, but the South Node will be exactly crossing that point as well. I think this will bring something from the past and an irrevocable ending to some situations as well.

[Robert]

Hi Mary - sorry there's so much loss, but some of us have the honorable task of honoring those who pass on, and thus walk between worlds, whether we want to or not. When you're in a deep space outer productivity suffers, so don't beat yourself up for a natural response. And yes, eclipses do show times when things and people pass on, one way and another. And as per Alix' statement, yes, with Saturn where it is there are endings galore preparing for Saturn's entry into Virgo.