Aquarium Age

Aquarium Age: May 24 – 30, 2017

By Ralfee Finn

Hello to readers in Gatineau!

Tensions of every denomination—individual, collective, personal, and political—intensify this week and a plethora of stressful interactions heat up the ethers. If you don’t want to engage in polarized dialogue, this would be the perfect week to take a vow of silence. Normally I would admit to being overly dramatic, but not these days—too many surreal events have combined to make even drastic predictions look less like fortune cookies and more like regular reporting. The challenge this week is holding an even keel in the midst of the ongoing stress that is daily producing an extreme and dynamic flux between fact and fiction.

The source of this week’s tension is an opposition between Mars, in Gemini, and Saturn, in Sagittarius. Negative interactions between these two planets tend to be characterized as harsh and often stimulate the need to use sheer brute force as a way of making a point. Mars symbolizes the warrior, ready and willing to dive into all sorts of competitions and always with its eye on winning. Gemini is the Sign of information. Saturn symbolizes the expert, ready and willing to share knowledge, but often requiring acknowledgement of its superior skill before dispensing wisdom. Sagittarius is the Sign of global communication. Oppositions symbolize the stress and tension of polarized positions. (Oy!) This opposition began Monday, May 22, and is exact and separating on Monday, May 29.

Although the full throttle of any opposition isn’t felt until after the exact contact when the tension finally releases, the stress of this opposition is certain to be experienced as the tension builds, especially given the reality that we are already in an information war, where fact and fiction are battling it out in desperate attempts to control how the world spins. Under the influence of this opposition, there are likely to be even more confrontations about what’s purposely guided (or planted) misinformation and what is actually true. As a wise friend once pointed out: Facts are facts, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be an infinite number of opinions about it. Knowing the difference between a fact and an opinion is a much-needed skill these days.

While all these blurred lines between fact and fiction are awful as well as harmful, the outrageous denial of truth coupled with the outrage at that ignorance has awakened a lively and penetrating discussion about not only how we assess reality, but also how that assessment demonstrates our values. I often refer to the Trump regime as the white man’s last stand—all his choices and all his followers’ choices demonstrate a value system that has been and continues to be guided by the antithesis of what would be best for Earth and all her inhabitants. A discussion about the melting ice caps keenly illustrates the great divide we are currently facing. And while that divide is political, financial, educational, and religious, it is ultimately a divide of consciousness: Do we ignore our essential interconnectedness or do we acknowledge it and honor all sentient beings by our actions?

Uranus is the good news of the week. It sextiles Mars, inviting the warrior in us all to find an innovative way of standing in the need to have our opinions win out. Uranus also trines Saturn, which enables Saturn to shake off some of its stodgy attitude and soften its superior edge.

Each of us makes ten thousand choices a day about how we want to live. This week, as the tension heats up the great debate between the real and the unreal, test your skill at knowing the true from the false. Learn to recognize the difference between an opinion about something and an actual fact. Then try to help others to do the same—not with a blaming, finger-wagging Saturnian sneer or even with a snarky I-beat-you-at-your-own-game Martian conceit, but rather with a compassionate understanding that waking up is hard to do.

Sun Bursts: If you know your Ascendant and/or your Moon Sign, read that too.

Aries March 21-April 19
This opposition could devolve into a war of words, especially if you decide to take on authority figures who are utterly invested in being right. I’m not necessarily advising you to back down, but I am suggesting that you take several deep breaths before blurting out what you might later regret. Sometimes words are more powerful than sticks or stones, and there’s no need to crash the entire system to make your point.

Taurus April 20-May 20
You can turn the showdown into a financial crisis or you can recognize that you’re trying to merge two (or more) diverse value systems that refuse to cooperate or come together smoothly. Let go…that’s right…just release your need for a specific outcome, and instead let the situation unfold on its own. You may not get the result you’re longing for, but the actual finished product might be better than the imagined one.

Gemini May 21-June 21
The Mars/Saturn opposition sends shivers through your relationship house as you struggle to simultaneously maintain your autonomy while sustaining several necessary partnerships. This is not an easy balancing act and there are no quick-fix solutions to the tension. The only thing you can do is put one foot in front of the other without impeding the progress of another—sounds simple, but executing your good intentions will take mindful awareness.

Cancer June 22-July 22
You can get through the tension but it’s going to take a huge amount of energy and effort. Here’s the best advice I can offer: Do not let any mean-spirited thought, word or deed—yours or others’—lodge like a Brain Worm and create a negative state of mind. You are not at war with anyone—even yourself—and maintaining your internal equilibrium is as important as external peacekeeping efforts.

Leo July 23-August 22
Given your generous nature, you often have a difficult time knowing when to say no to friends and colleagues in need. I’m not suggesting you go against your inclinations, but I am strenuously advising you to have good boundaries that help keep away energy vampires. Yes…I know those are strong words. But there are people who thrive (consciously and unconsciously) by stealing someone else’s enthusiasm—don’t give yours away.

Virgo August 23-September 22
The situation isn’t quite as polarized as you think it is—or as it could be—but there is still an enormous amount of tension to manage. Try not to let the stress affect you physically. Do whatever it is you do to expend the excess energy. Also, do your best to prevent the tension from affecting you mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Increase your meditation practice as well as your yoga time, and you’ll find a way to manage the load with skill and grace.

Libra September 23-October 22
Compromise is the key to mitigating what seems to be an out-of-control situation. But negotiating won’t be easy, especially if you forget to consider the volatility of all concerned parties. There are no quick fixes to be had and no spiritual bypass will work. The way through this tension is to acknowledge that everyone has a point of view, and although some perspectives are actually inaccurate, they still need to be acknowledged.

Scorpio
October 23-November 21
It is a crisis of resources, especially when you think about all the time and energy that needs to be spent resolving the deficit. But the remedy is not impossible—there is plenty of time as well as plenty of energy to gather the money threads and weave a wholesome fabric. The best way through this is to acknowledge what you still need to contribute and then to do your best to stay consistently present for the process.

Sagittarius November 22-December 21
It is definitely a partnership issue, and while the tension is certain to challenge various relationships, personal as well as professional, the deepest level of this interaction is focused on your relationship with yourself. Spend more than a fair amount of time contemplating how you relate to yourself: Are you harsh? Judgmental? Punishing? Ambivalent? Try not to gloss over the tough questions—the time devoted to this process will deepen your internal healing.

Capricorn December 22-January 19

Read Cancer, your complement, above, and add this: No one is ever going to be as hard on you as you are on yourself, but that is no justification for blaming yourself for every little thing that isn’t perfect. Remember, life is a process and we learn from our mistakes. Don’t be afraid to fail, and above all, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. No one expects you to be perfect but you.

Aquarius January 20-February 18
It is a question of freedom, specifically the freedom to express yourself without inhibition. Do not hesitate…be bold…be dynamic…be your absolutely zany self and surrender your need to be accepted and included.  You inherently move to the beat of your own drum, and when you do you make beautiful music and choreograph fantastic dances that mesmerize and charm almost everyone.

Pisces February 19-March 20
The push/pull of your professional and private worlds could generate a great deal of stress, especially if you believe they are mutually exclusive. Instead of thinking of them as opposites, consider the notion that they are two poles along a shared spectrum. Then let that idea inspire a new way of thinking about how to spend your energy. At first it may not be easy breaking down the old belief system, but it will eventually get easier.

This forecast is delivered to email subscribers every Wednesday. If you are interested, a yearly subscription is $50. Subscribe here.

Click here to see past Weekly Frequencies.

This article was originally published on May 25, 2017.