June 13th ~ 20th
The shock terrifies for a hundred miles, And yet he does not let fall the sacrificial spoon and chalice: Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around: he remains so composed and reverent in spirit that the sacrificial rite is not interrupted. This is the spirit that must animate leaders and rulers of men ~ a profound inner seriousness from which all outer terrors glance off harmlessly. ~ The I Ching (Yi Jing)The Arousing (Shock, Thunder) - The Judgment
Hexagram 51 of the I Ching, is of Thunder doubled, spreading shock for miles around. But the Hexagram is not just about the shock it witnesses, it is also a call for action. And so it also goes for the current Mars/Uranus square which finally perfects on June 15th, coinciding with the squares from Jupiter to Saturn and Neptune. It’s not just a full week astrologically, it is also a pivotal week.
What we usually expect from Mars/Uranus is that feeling of a powder keg just waiting to explode. It seeds impulsive, erratic behaviors. There is a quickness to it, which is also erratic, unexpected and triggering. It can also be Angry, Explosive and Shocking.
And so we are seeing Mars/Uranus in action demonstrated this past week with the chaotic attacks of the ICE agents invading what used to be safe havens, work spaces, sylvan fields in which workers toiled. They were quickly inciting rage, which brought the people to the streets, circling the wagons, protecting their own, and protesting against the federal government which had commandeered the California National Guard without the permission of the Governor.
Not surprisingly, the President of the United States who is leading all of this commandeering, is in the thick of it astrologically. As Mars approaches the exact square this week, it also crossed the natal Leo Mars of the President. Mars is what motivates us. It is martial by nature, and has an affinity for the military, shows of force. Combine that with the sign Leo, a sign of pomp and circumstance, and it would not be all that surprising for this particular president to celebrate his upcoming birthday with a military parade. Throw in the Uranus square, and this appears to be a preemptive strike to not only sow chaos in the streets, but to circumvent some of the planned “No Kings” protests that are just blossoming across the country by the droves.
Mars in Leo square Uranus is bound to be fiery, fierce and fast moving. It can also be a catalyst, and a call for action in extraordinary times. Which these are, both astrologically and socially. Astrologically, because we have not witnessed in our lifetimes all of the outer planets changing signs at once. One after the other, changing the social and political climate, while challenging our ideals and our beliefs.
In 1776 when Pluto last entered the sign of Aquarius, the American people rose up against a mad King. In response to unfair tariffs, people in Boston tossed barrels of tea off the docks in Boston Harbor. When Pluto is in Aquarius, the power is not leveraged from the top. Not from a monarchy. Not from an Oligarch. When Pluto is in Aquarius, as it is once again, the power falls into the hands of the People. All the people. And so, after Pluto last entered Aquarius, the existing Federation of States declared itself a Nation of the People, by the People, and For the People. And Not for Mad Kings. So it seems so timely that we have these “No Kings” protests rippling across the landscape of our Nation right now. Pluto in Aquarius is trying to do its work.
In 1861 when Neptune last entered the sign of Aries, the existing states were fractured by a growing divide and unrest between states that relied on a slave holders economy, and a growing abolitionist movement. States seceded because of this, and thus a Civil War erupted. A war that eventually led to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. What this proclamation in 1863 made clear was that this was not just a war about preserving the Union, it was a ware about freeing an enslaved group of people. This was a war of Ideals (Neptune) and the courage to stand up and fight (Aries) for those ideals. And so we are being asked at this time, in this Nation: What are you willing to stand up and fight for?
Together these were rippling the firmament throughout the world, as ideals clash, and powers weave in and out. Mars/Uranus transits can serve as inflection points that feed on any frustration and unrest that has been building over time. Mars/Uranus is the match and the powder keg ready to explode.
As I am writing this, the White House has taken control of the California National Guard, and is now sending in the Marines. Actions that are considered unlawful here in this United States, where you are not allowed to use the military to attack our own people. Especially when those people are exercising their constitutional right to assemble, protest, rally and advocate for policy changes. Uranus scoffs at Laws. It turns its back on tradition. And thus we have been witnessing Thunder Repeated: The image of Mars square Uranus, in these, the United States of America.
Uranus is in its very last degrees of Taurus, about to enter Gemini in July. And we will speak to this over the coming weeks. This is a placement that does not bode well for the United States, and carries its own element of disruption in its wake. These are all historical placements for the outer planets, and can have a tremendous influence over the shifts of power rippling throughout the world.
Thunder Repeated: The image of SHOCK. Thus in fear and trembling the superior man sets his life in order and examines himself. ~ The I Ching (The Arousing ~ Shock, Thunder)
This week Jupiter, the planet of expansion, will perfect its squares to Saturn and Neptune in the Mars sign of Aries (see the connection to the Mars/Uranus square?). Jupiter makes things larger. And in Cancer, a fertile sign of potential, the tension that has been brewing within the Saturn/Neptune conjunction has a greater capacity to grow, to thrive, to expand. Aries/Cancer combinations are incited by the need to protect and defend the hearth and home, to protect the people, our own, our family, our community. Jupiter is greatly concerned with justice, with ethics and morality. And so as it comes up against Saturn and Neptune in the martial sign of Aries, it aims to feed the throngs with a bit of righteous indignation.
This is the third Jupiter/Saturn square, but the first one when Saturn is in Aries and so closely conjunct Neptune. This has a different flavor from the previous Jupiter/Saturn squares involving Pluto, but are related, in that the previous squares (in the signs of Pisces and Gemini) involving Pluto created the conditions for the current (Aries/Cancer) square, which is a transit of action and initiative in response to conflict. Also know that this has the capacity to spread exponentially. Jupiter square Neptune hears the cries of the people, and most importantly, responds to those cries.
On June 15th, Jupiter makes its 3rd and last square to Saturn in this current series of squares. The Jupiter/Saturn square is an aspect of contradiction. Jupiter says Yes, and Saturn says No. Jupiter wants us to grow, to be free to expand our horizons, while Saturn reminds us of our existing obligations, laws, rules, promises and responsibilities. It holds us back out of reticence, and fear of the unknown, or due to circumstances beyond our control.
And there are times when it may be more practical and realistic, to not over-extend ourselves, take on too much or scatter our energy. But there are also times when it is necessary to move through our own fears in order to grow, in order to thrive, in order to live our own best lives.
On June 18th, Jupiter will perfect its square to Neptune, which encourages us to think Big, perhaps even beyond our own expectations. The very definition of Jupiter/Neptune transits are Big Dreams, with Big Expectations. Kind of like a massive parade in our honor… on our birthday. But Jupiter/Neptune transits can also seed misguided delusions. It can sometimes even feel as if we are wrapped in some ethereal garment of unrealistic notions. Sometimes harmless. But when combined with all these other elements, can be potentially dangerous.
Saturn says to tone it down, but Jupiter exaggerates the optimism, to such an extent that we see what we want to see, and ignore the rest. Saturn does not necessarily aim to shatter our illusions and dreams. But it does require us to approach our hopes and dreams in a way that is practical and realistic. And dare to see things the way they actually are, not what we want them to be.
There are going to be things over which we have no control in our lives this year. But there are also some things over which we do have control, even if it is only our own perspective. If we cannot change the external things in our lives, what are those things that we can change? And so we may also ask ourselves this week:
Are you seeing things clearly? Or are you only seeing what you want to see, or even worse, seeing things through a darkly tinted prism?
In what ways are you limiting yourself, or holding yourself back out of fear?
Is there something that you can change in your beliefs about yourself and your current circumstances that can make these more bearable? Or perhaps see them in a new light?
In what ways are you procrastinating, or avoiding important decisions that can affect you and the rest of your life?
What is the truth? And what is merely a wistful delusion? Can you discriminate between the two and reconcile these? It takes courage and gumption to admit when you were mistaken.
If you are currently bound by promises and obligations, in what other ways can you free yourself up in order to live your own best life?
I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete. ~ John Lewis (1963 March on Washington)
For this week’s horoscopes, click below: