by Robert Wilkinson
Mars activates and accelerates the pace of events in our lives. People currently going through dynamic activity, a hectic fast-paced period, or having the hardest time the first half of December are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorns born the first few days of April, July, October, and January. The second half of Dec. this applies to March Aries, June Cancers, September Libras, and December Capricorns. If you were born in these zones, focus on what constitutes responsible action, given these birth periods show more highly agitated energy than usual.
Mars tests us to get a grip on our energy and shows us how well we are demonstrating self-control or not. Mars is our "fight or flight" principle, and symbolizes what aggravates us, so beware of hasty action, argumentativeness, or impulsiveness.
A way to use what I post here is that if you know your chart, examine the Mars effect in light of planets you have in the signs that are conjunct, square, or opposed to/by Mars. Because this month it retrogrades back from 11 to 1 degree of Cancer, that span is specifically activated.
For instance, if you have Mercury between 1 and 11 degrees of a Cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), examine this month's challenges relative to your mind, interpretations, or thinking patterns, as well as other planets influenced by Mercury. If you have Venus in those degrees of Cardinal signs, examine what is said in light of your likes and dislikes and other Venus-influenced areas in your chart.
If you have a Cardinal sign Mars between those degrees, regard what is stated in the context of Mars-ruled affairs and activities. This shows an important shift in your Mars cycle, so heads up! You can also apply what follows regarding this month if you have an Ascendant (Rising sign) between 1 and 11 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn.
While the rest of this article deals with how Mars will specifically impact certain signs and birthdays, please remember to relate what is said here to yesterday's Stress Zones article, as it introduces primary considerations about the overall influence of Mars this month.
The first half of the month, Aries people born the first few days of April are doing a review, consolidating recent major life decisions related to what first emerged around late May 2007. This month retraces your new life direction or the beginnings of new ways of expressing yourself, so get grounded, and remember that "as the roots, so the flowers." This applies the second half of December to Aries born in late March.
Effort now affects future success. Don't allow hassles or aggravations around the home or with family to put you off, and be a good communicator. You'll get new insights into how you view your early life and family situation. Just try not to get aggravated by neighbors and expect intense activity around the home.
Arians need to be less abrupt in communicating, less aggressive or hassled by neighbors, being more thoughtful and considerate. Avoid impulsive or blunt responses. Be fair, just, and balanced in your assessments, see things from several points of view, and be diplomatic, mature, and responsible in owning your part of any interaction. This affects Aries' way of viewing their self image, their physical body, their desires, their magnetism, and how they deal with shared or social values and resources.
In the first half of December, Cancers born the first few days of July finish a cycle they began late April or early May 2006. It continues to be a time of endings and beginnings, though the pace has slowed so they can redo or rework whatever is needed in order to move forward in March and April 2008. Despite the seeming backward motion, stay focused on not clutching or being crabby at the pace. Continue to embrace the new, get ready for the pace to quicken next year, and try not to be too blunt, impulsive, abrasive, or leap before you look.
After mid-December, this applies to Cancers born in late June, who also confront the end of a 2-year cycle. Begin anew with an eye to what culminated in late May 2007 of the cycle that began April 2006. For all Cancers, this month slows the new beginnings, and gives a chance to take one last look back at whatever needs taking care of in order to clear the decks for new action in March and April 2008. Continue to apply new skills and strengths, and face a future that's already underway. Finish what you need to, realize an old way of life is over, and your new efforts and sense of direction are merely slowed, but not abandoned.
This primarily affects all Cancers in the areas of profession, public standing, how you're perceived by others, self-expression, children, and pleasures. These are ending somehow, preparing you for a new two year pulse that has already opened up to a degree. Now you're finishing up what you need to in order to initiate a whole new set of activities in the Spring. Be thoughtful but not touchy, self-initiating without impulsiveness or haste. Definitely don't internalize negativity, though you could get new insights into how you internalized old hurts in the past and can release them.
The first half of December slows the fulfillment of an old cycle for Libras born in early October. You should redo or take care of things from the recent past that may have been neglected or overlooked related to what's been culminating in your public or professional affairs in the cycle that began September 2006. Keep learning as much as you can, prepare, revise your sense of what you're willing to take responsibility for or not, since this continues to be a very high profile time for you. This occurs the last half of December for Libras born in late September.
All Libras should examine recent events showing what's culminating in their public and professional sector, take a new look at what they are and are not responsible for. They should try to see what is and is not needed to do their duties, and remember others are observing them. Libras should learn how to be more naturally themselves and unedited in their self-expression, be more decisive, organized, responsible and take the long view into account.
This will primarily affect Libra in the areas of equalness in relationships, money, values, and how they use what they have or how they capture what they need to sustain their self-image. As with all who are impacted by Mars RX in Cancer, Libras should take a look at what needs are and are not being taken care of, and dig up old feelings to release them, or at least get a new perspective on recent major decisions and changes that will lead them to a new vision or truth in January and February 2008.
During the first half of December, Capricorns born the first few days of January are tested not to get aggravated, sidestep oppositional or passive-aggressive people, and decrease agitation or impulsiveness while correcting things that began January 2007. The last half of October this applies to Capricorns born in late December. People with these birthdays are moving through a period of tensions in relationships, and have had to shift in how they regard their health, work, or how to serve your world.
If this applies to you, detach from relationship dramas that scatter you. Avoid unnecessary confrontations and don’t get hassled by impulsive, abrasive, aggressive or argumentative people. If normal interactions seem to become power struggles, it's because of subconscious factors in one or both. Capricorns should embrace new ways of relating to others, since this time is a breakthrough in your way of being in relationships, and allow others to take the initiative in new ways of expressing themselves. You also are finding new forms of self-expression and self-adjustment to practical necessities.
For Capricorns in a relationship, it's been an intense time for your partner. This is opening new doors of perceiving and acting with others where you are an equal rather than a follower or reactor to them. For Capricorns, areas coming to surface include new ways of relating to their home and family, their past, their friends, goals and ambitions, as well as larger more effective forms of group work and/or world service.
The quincunx effect significantly influences 9-11 degrees of Sagittarius and Aquarius the first week of December, 7-9 degrees of Sagittarius and Aquarius the second week of December, 5-7 degrees of Sagittarius and Aquarius the third week of December, and 1-4 degrees of Sagittarius and Aquarius the last 10 days of the month. Quincunxes are associated with physical, emotional, or mental health issues requiring sacrifices and adjustments.
Thus the first week of the month most impacts Sagittarians born around November 30-December 2 and Aquarians born around January 28-31. The second week of December most impacts Sagittarians born around November 28-30 and Aquarians born around January 26-28. The third week of December most impacts Sagittarians born around November 25-28 and Aquarians born around January 23-26. The last 10 days of the month most impacts Sagittarians born around November 21-25 and Aquarians born around January 19-23.
Through the quincunxes, Sagittarians will have sacrifices and adjustments in the areas of loss, regeneration, shared values and wealth that will help them learn focus, discrimination, attention to details and procedure. This is another chance to redo or consolidate on the basis of decisions and changes back in October.
Sagittarians born in late Nov or early Dec will learn how to get their magnetism and desires straightened out and eliminate that which cannot be carried into a future already taking shape. Aquarians born in late Jan will also have sacrifices and adjustments in the areas of work, health, and those they do service for or who do service for them that will whatever needs to be done.
The first half of December, Taurus born between May 11-17 and Leos born between August 13-18 are extraordinarily affected by the Mars semisquare to their Suns. The last half of October primarily affects Taurus born between May 5-11 and Leos born between August 7-13. The semisquare is a 45 degree aspect indicating internal crises of direction, or a sense that something is beginning to open (or close) with decisions to be made. They show important factors regarding things that are emerging or ending, and offer information about hidden or unconscious influences at work.
For Taurus birthdays mentioned above, new developments and challenges since October in the cycle that began in late July 2007 don't have to be a problem if you become more visionary, adaptable, future oriented, organized and mature in your values and relationship to things and money. Leo people with birthdays mentioned above need to rework some endings of things begun in early July 2006. Capture the harvest and close out what you need to without getting aggravated at friends or the goals that you couldn't fulfill.
Leo people have entered a fallow period where they are preparing for a new cycle to come in June 2008. Due to the Mars retrograde, it's a time to rethink how you are or are not achieving closure, and perhaps re-do, undo, or rearrange something concerning your sense of the future, your education, your home, your family, or revisit something of your early life, getting prepared to pick up the pace in February or March 2008 when Mars is direct.
As I've explained the past few months, sometimes Mars' influence extends far beyond whatever is going on in the sky. Notably, the Mars article from November 2006 offers an insight into why things are changing the way they are. It played a major part in last Autumn's eclipses still in force at present, and we now are taking a look back, preparing to do a "new" Gemini culmination in January and February 2008 of what was set into motion when everything was in late Virgo this time last year. As I wrote then:
Since the Mars degree of the recent September 2006 Lunar Eclipse is highly active and was also the exact degree of the Solar Eclipse take note of what is liberating you from a previously "narrow destiny" and hear the call that can help you joyously rise to some larger occasion. Here's an article about the September 2006 Solar Eclipse in terms of its general meaning and effect, while in this article you can find out what it means for each sign specifically. December 2006 and January 2007 mark turning points in the liberation process.
Signposts of future developments connected with 30 Virgo presented themselves in late March-early April 2007, with important points occurring the second and last weeks of May 2007 and September 2007. Expect more definitive developments in December 2007 through early April 2008.
June through November 2008 shows Pluto exactly square the degree, Saturn conjuncts the point in October 2009 and April through July 2010, opposed by Uranus from April 2010 through March 2011, setting up some fairly volatile developments. Escaping from a "narrow destiny" may be destabilizing, but it's also guaranteed to put you and your dharma on track and remind you that life on Earth is one of endless change.
More from the 2006 Eclipse article:
In December, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter all conjuncted... Wherever we have Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Pisces energies, they were fused and renewed in whatever house we have early Sagittarius... a very important area of major focus and attention in the next two years for us. I hope you enjoyed December and January since the wild ride accelerated toward a more amazing vision, freedom, and group involvement than we've known in a long time. Welcome to February through June 2007, the edge of dynamic change!
As I've noted previously, Mars activated the March Lunar Eclipse Sun conjunct North Node position around April 21-22 when it conjuncted that point. This launched the next phase of that eclipse, and the simultaneous triseptile to Saturn triggered an important fork in our destiny helping us dump old social rigidities and find joy in fellowship despite the general tension.
Mars in the Grand Fire Trine in June brightened up our lives in multiple areas, assisting understanding, harmony, and flow. Mars helped us secure a new momentum even as we navigated the twists and turns of the multiple septile series aspects between the visible and invisible planets.
July showed us major changes in our direction or intention, where we left behind old paths while entering into new, if unknown futures. Of course, we've been preparing for some time, so don't sweat the changes as we continue to move into unknown worlds. By now we've all had opportunities to secure what we need for further effectiveness, and had openings to new information, new perspectives, and new ways of adapting to what is last month.
As Mars continues to slow down, get as much accomplished as you can since we are in a threshold zone for all that will come in early 2008. As I mentioned earlier, September was the first pass through late Gemini, and showed signals for what to expect this coming January and February 2008 when it retrogrades back into late Gemini, goes stationary direct at 25 Gemini in late January 2008, and then moves forward staying in that sign until early March 2008.
In September we had to learn, explore, exteriorize our discoveries and see what in our lives we need to prune back because of decisions made at that time. We're still making decisions, reconsidering some decisions we've already made, and finding a new emotional position regarding decisions that will be final by March 2008.
Mars entry into Cancer in October brought major reorientations, and a lot of new work to be done. This month mirrors October through the lens of the retrograde. Keep practicing demonstrating an open mind and an open heart, make adjustments and reevaluations about what needs to and do not need to be fulfilled, and keep welcoming what comes since it's consolidating recent major shifts that will be final by next Spring.
For a one-stop shop on prior articles about Mars retrograde, here they are so far:
How Astrology Works - Mercury Retrograde in Cancer Heralding Mars Retrograde 2007-2008
Mars Retrograde in Cancer and Gemini in November, December 2007 and January 2008 - Pt. 1
A Cosmic Perspective on Mars' 2007 Retrograde Station Conjunct the Star Sirius - The Sun of our Sun
© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson
"Continue to apply new skills and strengths, and face a future that's already underway. Finish what you need to, realize an old way of life is over, and your new efforts and sense of direction are merely slowed, but not abandoned."
Thanks Robert! This is just the thing I needed to hear :) I'll keep pushing forward!
Posted by: ex.blue | November 30, 2007 at 04:28 AM
"Focus on what constitutes responsible action". Thank you for that Robert, this remark has helped me many times.
This Mars SRx is conjunct my natal Moon at 11Can22 and also square my natal Sun at 7Aries35. Work and career are concerns - I seem to be very stuck at home (a wonderful place, but enough's enough)- though perhaps that has more to do with recent transits of Saturn to my natal Pluto and Pluto to my natal Saturn. You mention Sun and Rising signs as positions to note; should a Moon sign also have consideration? Or am I just complicating things for myself . . .
Many Thanks,
Wendall
DOB March 28, 1958 1:45pm Toronto, Canada.
Posted by: Wendall | November 30, 2007 at 06:57 AM
Hi ex-blue - Glad it hit the mark. It's like Cancers are having to tread water waiting for the river to begin to flow again. As the I Ching says, "To defer is not to abandon." Going slow in 2nd gear is not reverse, even if it does seem like you're drifting back over familiar ground! Consolidate, prepare, and move when it's time to move. Jupiter will bring important opportunities to the surface next year.
Posted by: Robert | November 30, 2007 at 07:00 AM
Hi Wendall - Mars dancing on your Moon lower square your Sun shows you're at a turning point. Expect much to move forward quickly in March 2008. Saturn/Pluto contacts definitely restructure your power and sense of purpose. Of course the Moon should be considered, since it's being directly stimulated at present. Also remember that since you're 49, that's called the "Double Climacteric" in traditional astrology, said to mark a point of finality on the life we've been living since 28-29 and the beginning of a transition zone. I found that the 7 years between 49 and 56 were a time of realizing that if it works it's true, and if it does not work it's not true, regardless of whatever has happened before or what works or does not work for others. Hang in there, since by April 2008 things will begin to clarify in amazing style. Regard the period between now and then to be preparatory, helping you prune back many things no longer relevant to the period you're entering.
Posted by: Robert | November 30, 2007 at 07:06 AM
Vague sense of foreboding -- blah.
Isn't next month's full moon going to interact with Mars/Pluto/Jupiter too?
Posted by: Jilly | November 30, 2007 at 08:08 AM
Hi Jilly - Yes. I'll be doing an article on it in a couple of weeks when elaborating on that very oppositional period.
Posted by: Robert | November 30, 2007 at 08:20 AM
Robert, I have a million questions I'd love to ask but for the moment I just want to say thank you. You are so amazingly generous with your knowledge and wisdom. I really appreciate your work. And moving is hard -- may your new home be everything you want it to be.
Posted by: Lainie | November 30, 2007 at 08:40 AM
Fed Reserve meeting on Dec 11th too. (click my name).
Posted by: Jilly | November 30, 2007 at 12:09 PM
I have Pluto at 9 degrees of Libra in the 7th house. Mars will be transiting my 4th house while squaring Pluto. This bodes ill to me because I have a lot of upheaval around the home and dealing with past emotional issues related to childhood. Am I correct in thinking that matters are either going to get worse or finally get resolved? It's been a rough 4 months...
Posted by: tiffany | November 30, 2007 at 05:46 PM
Hi Lainie - Thanks. My new home is exactly what I needed. Too much LA for too long is not good for the Spirit. Even the Dalai Lama publicly admitted he could not live in NYC. Something about too fast, too loud, too crowded, and too agitated. Same with LA and probably many other big cities.
Hi Jilly - No doubt the suits will decide how much or little the public should be bled. It's all such a weird, weird, game. I would think Mars RX opposed Jupiter would bring the rates down more.
Hi Tiffany - It usually gets worse before it gets resolved, given that old systems die hard. This could be the perfect time to get at the old internalized hurts and resolve them through using the positive energies of the voids in Aries and Capricorn. Be self reliant, chart your own course, be mature and responsible, and accept the authorship of your own life separate from old goopy emotional material you no longer need to burden yourself with.
Get behind inhibitions, don't let things get out of proportion, and remember also that when Mars goes stationary direct, it'll be biseptile your Pluto. Thus it's a huge turning point in how you interpret and express your divine power of balanced transformation bringing truth, goodness, and beauty out of falsity, error, and ugliness of form. Usually when people are dealing with unfortunate childhood subconscious responses and imagery I suggest getting a copy of "The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn" and committing the principles of "The Game of Life" to heart, especially in the area of destroying the negative imagery of the subconscious and replacing it with more helpful affirmations of your own creation perfect for you and your circumstances. Please give it a try.
Posted by: Robert | December 02, 2007 at 02:02 PM
Robert,
Thanks so much for your wisdom and insight. I just looked up "The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn" on Amazon and the reviews are excellent. Also, all the info that you provide regarding septiles, biseptiles, etc. is absolutely fascinating to me. I took a look at these aspects in my chart and found the answers to many questions that I've had for some time.
Posted by: tiffany | December 03, 2007 at 09:28 AM
Hi tiffany - Sure. Flo's the best! She is the grandmother of affirmations, having done her thing in the 1920s through 1940s. I tend to focus a lot on the septile series because they are so important but usually overlooked and not really well understood by most astrologers. Glad they can provide some answers to your chart mysteries.
Posted by: Robert | December 03, 2007 at 12:15 PM