Astrology Stress Zones for December 2009 Pt. 2 - Mars stimulating Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces

by Robert Wilkinson

Continuing our examination of Mars, today we discuss more about its influence on various signs in the weeks to come. As Mars usually brings agitation and edgy interactions, it's not really a harbinger of good things, though what it does offer can be quite exciting.

If you haven't read Astrology Stress Zones in December Part One, please read it before this one, as it lays out the primary influences for the dynamic conjunctions, squares, and oppositions that Mars makes with the 4 Fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Given where Mars is sitting in December into January 2010, it seems that no sign is entirely spared the Mars stress influence over the next few weeks.

The quincunx effect significantly influences 17-20 degrees of Capricorn and Pisces the first week of December, and 18-22 degrees of those signs the rest of December into the first 10 days of January. Quincunxes are associated with physical, emotional, or mental health issues requiring sacrifices and adjustments.

Thus it is easily seen that the next few weeks most impacts those born the second week of January and March. Through the quincunxes, Capricorns and Pisceans will have sacrifices and adjustments in the areas of loss, regeneration, shared values and wealth.

This helps Capricorns let go of obsolete considerations and views, as well as desires that that cannot bring them what they want. There will be lessons of adjusting how to express their heart, as well as opportunities to see deeper and broader motives and issues through closures.

This can help build empathy and a more universal understanding, as well as alternative views and ways of communicating with others. Both signs will learn how to get their magnetism and desires straightened out and eliminate that which cannot be carried into a future already taking shape.

Pisceans will have sacrifices and adjustments in the areas of work, health, and those they do service for or who do service for them. This will prepare them to deal with those who serve them, or those they serve in the realm of what needs to be done, from a balanced perspective. New working initiatives are indicated.

Pisces natives can learn a greater discipline, organization, and calculate the plan for future growth and power. Other areas of growth are taking responsibility, claiming authority over something, and cultivating a balanced view, a more elegant style, and a refined expression. Learn to adjust to necessities in simple effective ways, and prepare for that which is surfacing in their lives.

This month and the first 10 days of January 2010, June Cancers and September Libras are extraordinarily affected by the Mars semisquare to their Suns. As with all aspects, these are general zones of influence. Your individual birth chart may show some variation to what is written here, so if in doubt, consult your professional astrologer.

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 Cancer birthdays mentioned above, new developments and challenges in the cycle that began late August or early September 2009 don't have to be a problem if you become more open, optimistic, and take a future oriented larger view of your values and relationship to things and money.

September Libras need to end some things they began between late August 2008, so capture the harvest and close out what you need to without getting aggravated at friends or the goals that you couldn't fulfill. If this applies to you, you're entering a fallow period where you'll need to re-examine friends, goals, ambitions, and your sense of larger service, preparing to do closure rituals for a new cycle to come starting August 2010. This period is directly related to the process of ending some activities and seeing them in the broader context of your life story as a "hero's journey."

For Cancer, the inner crises of emergent action involve your self expression, children, pleasures, public standing, and profession. For Libras, the culminating crises focus on your partnerships, how equal you really are with others, as well as your values, resources, and how you use what you have.

We also find Mars agitating March Aries people and December Capricorns through the sesquisquare. This aspect shows friction that may or may not necessarily induce a crisis, but will spur those signs on to act in a creative urgency or a need for eliminating something so that a larger process can fulfill itself. Sagittarians were agitated to the max in late October and early November, which they will revisit in late February through early April. Until then, enjoy the trine that predominates this month!

Other factors besides the Mars effect: Now that Uranus is direct in motion and Saturn is slowing to go retrograde in mid-January, it's approaching its next opposition to Uranus. The squares to Uranus are important, since it will provide guidelines for what we will deal with or how we must deal with whatever Mutable squares will be prominent Spring and Summer of 2010 when Saturn will retrograde into late Virgo and again make a close opposition to Uranus in Pisces.

When we couple this with the on-going square between Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn, we have major T-squares triggered each time a planet moves through Aries or Cancer. No planet except the Moon transits those signs at this time of year, but those points will be strong enough to release very powerful energies!

Overall, it's a time where many will reach a threshold of activity, and we can look forward to a slowed pace, reworking or redoing some things while doing other things as preparation for what will resume in early March when Mars goes direct. This is a time to connect with the sources of life, attuning with Solar force the best we're able through ritual forms.

December and early January will agitate toward new forms of self expression and new spiritual contacts with whom we will demonstrate the truths we've learned in 2009. For some, rewards from Spirit resulting from ideals held since Spring 2006. For others, surrender that in one form or another that shows spiritual "victory," whether it seems that way or not.

In any case, make good use of the Fire trines the first 17 days of the month, since that period shows a time of stabilization, harmonization, and promise for the future that's coming at us PDQ! New archetypes are presenting themselves and have begun crystalizing.

This will last from November 2009 and April 2010. As the inner planets all conjunct Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus during this period, new pulses will be established. These will launch as new initiatives in March 2010 once Mars goes direct and the rest of the inner planets move into the new cycles shown by their conjunctions to the outer Invisible Triad.

© Copyright 2009 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Chad]

Sagittarians? I'm finding this a stressful and kinda 'weird' time

[caliban]

Oh boy, more Mars rework. As if Uranus doing the back and forth over my natal Mars wasn't enough. You remind me that there is a future even though I have no clue what that is. I'm moving on a new path but where it is going I don't know.

[Annette]

Robert,

Never heard you say anything like an aspect is "not really a harbinger of good things". I'm guessing you mean it might not feel good, but I've thought you've always argued aspects are neither bad nor good.

Definitely in uncharted territory, I'm with Caliban.

[Wildhorserunning22]

Robert,

I think Im in the midst of "turning a corner"....I have noticed recently that Im learning
to "ask others vs tell them"....see and hear others points of view without having to
be right...and let the impulse to compete for the last word, go....and on the flip side
Im able to express uncomfortable "issues" ...or "own" my feelings-express them..regardless
of what the result will be...and in a calm manner in which others can recieve them.

..Im finding my connections with others are getting "smoother".....
but damn, has it been a long "hidden" journey to get here...its like a Eureka moment!

It feels like I have been weighted down, and walking to a destination...and
now the weights are falling away, and Im starting to run forward...as I now
understand the task, and have "agreed" to acomplish it...

Wild Horse Running was lame...now she is running forward...mane and tail flying
in the breeze...

[Marie]

That's beautiful:)
me too, Wild Horse Running!!!
xm

[Wildhorserunning22]

Marie,

As I run forward, out of the corner of my eye, I see another horse
galloping freely, mane/tail connected with the wind...in my mind
I send this other horse an offer to band together...
...and soon we are running together...

:)

[tlaloc]

there was no info on sags.

[Robert]

Hi all - Had to add a bit for Sag, since I overlooked them in the original post. (Editing on the fly does have its challenges!) Here I'll add that Sagittarius people are all being offered great and unique opportunities if they open to them. If there's stress, it's probably not the Sag component in your chart, unless you have a planet there around 22-26 degrees, in which case you must submit to whatever lessons of individuation Uranus is bringing you. You can neither run nor hide from these.

Hi Chad - I've addressed one possible element of stress for late Sag people. Weirdness could be any number of things, from The Grand Irrationality affecting another of your planets to something around 22-26 of the Fixed signs thanks to Neptune or 17-21 Fixed thanks to Mars.

Hi caliban - Sometimes it's enough to be in the flow toward the future. We don't have "to know" everything.

Hi Annette - Some planets (symbolizing inner qualities) are not necessarily about "having a good time" or bringing "good" things. Mars agitates, activates, hassles and prods us. It is the edge of what hassles us, and what we're willing to do about those things.

This is not about aspects. It's about planetary function. For example, Saturn is seldom easy in what it brings us, regardless of the benefits and blessings of virtues like discipline, organization, maturity, etc. Pluto usually is associated with extreme things in our lives, something being annihilated or killed off. Purifications may have their rewards over the long haul, but when we're in the middle of letting go it often is not pleasant. Some parts of us are not "harbingers of good things" but rather time keepers and goads to keep the ox moving forward rather than getting too self-satisfied. Time is a one-way street, and some planets show us our "appointments in Samarra."

Hi WHR - Sounds like your long term work in getting control of the animal is paying good dividends. Aquarius is lower square Scorpio. Leo is upper square. Both show corners being turned, just in different ways and areas of life. Detachment is a virtue that when mastered, keeps us non-involved in ego dramas.

Hi Marie - Glad you also are breaking free of old heaviness. That's the good thing about getting detached. Many things fall away naturally if we don't hold on to them.

Hi tlaloc - Already fixed the omission.

[caliban]

How therapeutic. I have permission to sit back, not push the river, and I don't have to know everything. I'm loving this. I feel a whinny coming on.