Astrology Stress Zones Predictions for July 2007 Pt. 1 - The Juggernaut of Mars Moves Through Irrationality Stabilizing our Future With Lots of Choices

by Robert Wilkinson

Mars triggers whatever happens of note in our charts. In July 2007, Mars moves from 5 through 26 degrees Taurus, culminating at month's end in the final Fixed T-square to the rapidly fading Saturn opposition Neptune that helped us get clear about many things since late 2005. Many illusions have been busted and ideals realized through hard work and discipline. As the month evolves, Mars helps us push out the last of what's antiquated, creating a void that will be filled by the contents of our future as it's careened toward us since March.

Much that was initiated by the Mars-Jupiter-Saturn Grand Fire Trine in June is now solidifying as Mars plods through Taurus. Things related to Aries and Scorpio planets and houses in our charts will acquire greater substance this month, and when Mars enters the second half of Taurus in mid-month, it begins a time of confirming what has become substantial the first half of July.

The first half of June, Mars makes a series of important "destiny producing" aspects with many other planets, triggering choices and changes in the areas they fall in. July leads off with a semi-square to Uranus as it sextiles Mercury and biquintiles Jupiter, even as it tredeciles Venus the first two weeks. The first week is of special importance, since we have Venus and Saturn in septile to Mercury and triseptile Uranus with Mercury biseptile Uranus, yielding 3 points of a 7-pointed star at that time.

This opens an important irrationality pattern activated at 19 Pisces, 3 Cancer, and 23 Leo , opening voids at 11 Taurus, 14 Libra, 5 Sag, and 27 Capricorn. This would mean July 5, 6, and 9 will be points of important change, since the Moon will activate the Pisces point through a conjunction with Uranus, and then trigger the Taurus point with a conjunction with Mars.

If you have planets around these degree spans, expect interesting, strange, compulsive, or irrational events or behaviors to be in evidence that will compel choices that throw you into your future. It's a fork in the road for many of us, and we're being cut loose in some powerful ways by our choices. I spoke more of this pattern in this article, so please reference that to learn more about why things are so weird at this particular time.

Due to Venus slowing and Mercury speeding up, Mercury and Mars stay in septile until late in the month, Mars septiles Uranus between July 4-12, and by midmonth Mars slips into a biseptile with Venus and a triseptile with Jupiter just before making a sextile to Uranus, a square to Neptune, and finally a square to Saturn at the end of the month. The pressure will be building for the last half of the month, so be a flexible and practical as possible, and surf the storm as best you can.

During the times when the Irrationality pattern mentioned above is most active, the times of day when mid-Libra, early Sag, and late Capricorn are on the angles are especially important, as then the entire pattern is triggered. Be thoughtful in the face of  major life-altering decisions and try to remember that things won't make much sense right now, but will be important in that our choices and events are moving us in the direction of our Higher Destiny, leading us into a future we may or may not be able to imagine right now.

Since Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are triggers off and on throughout the month, changes will come down in the houses ruled by these planets, as well as any life areas where we have planets in those hot zones. The houses they occupy as well as rule will be most directly affected.

By staying on top of where these zones are triggered by outer events symbolized by the transiting planets, we are given a heads up on what’s coming. During transits to any of the 7 zones of influence, expect shifts, changes, forks in the road, irrational or compulsive behavior in self or others, and important times of decision.

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 mentioned above are the times when the generic weirdness is triggered, and bring decisions that may not make much sense but have to be made anyway.

This month we are at a far point of the Sun-Mars cycle that began October 23 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.

When Mars entered Taurus on June 24 (June 25 in Eastern Europe and points east of there), its keywords became "Experience" and "Substantiation." Dr. Marc E. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this span is Sustaining, Ideal, Efficient, and Specializing. On July 15, it enters the second half of Taurus, whose keywords are "Enjoyment" and "Confirmation." This span is much like the first, except that it is Generalizing rather than Specializing.

These terms will be seen working most clearly in the Aries and Scorpio houses in our charts, as well as wherever we have Taurus by house. We move this month through solid, stabilizing, concretizing activities, finding substance in our power. We are grounding our power, and this will yield a sustainable specialized efficient ideal in July.

We're now 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.

Overall, Mars builds the first half of the month, and the choices we make then will have to be demonstrated or released through the big Mars-Saturn square at the end of the month. Be efficient and adaptable as you deliver some form of higher power. Keep checking up on the tools and resources you have at your disposal, and release power through self-controlled emotions. If necessary, retreat into the known and familiar, let go of old stuck feelings, detach, and synthesize everything into a higher vision.

As with last month, expect to get very clear signals about the future you're supposed to be pursuing this month, with interesting, unique, and specialized interactive gifts and circumstances making for unexpectedly great results despite the hard edge to conditions. Things will be strange in the Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Capricorn and Aquarius sectors off and on all month, based in the timing mentioned above.

The whole month there is major harmony between the Aries and Scorpio sectors relative to areas ruled by Gemini, Leo, and Virgo. Unique opportunities prevail early, while things may seem to be blowing apart toward the end of the month. They're not, but it is the culmination of the old Mars-Saturn in Leo energy, now waning 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 slows to retrograde, and important relationship shifts are promised by the Venus biseptile Mars after the beautiful interactive uniqueness and gifts of the tredecile earlier in the month.

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

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Alix]

Hi Robert, I have planets at exactly: 19 Pisces, 3 Cancer, 23 Leo and 27 Capricorn, what do the voids in 11 Taurus, 14 Libra, 5 Sag could mean? 11 Taurus is in my 10th, 14 Libra in my 3rd and 5 Sag in my 5th, any hints?

[Robert]

Hi Alix - It means you're at major forks in the road involving all those planets ruling certain houses, as well as those houses that are occupied. You're obviously at a critical set of turning points in several areas of your life. Your decisions are now determining your "destiny" for quite a while.

[elise]

Hi Robert,
What orbs do you use for those degrees? my descendant is cap 29.

[Robert]

Hi elise - Well, it depends. Usually not more than about 2 1/2 degrees forming or separating, but it depends on the planet and if anything else is augmenting the pattern skewing the orb. Anything around 23-26 Leo is triseptile your Dsc, and anything around 18-21 Pisces is septile. 3-5 Cancer is certainly triseptile, so right now the Mercury septile Venus/Saturn is forming a septile series kite to your Dsc. With Saturn the ruler, expect some specific shifts when the Moon moves into the various trigger zones, as well as when the Sun is in the Leo zone.