“Fasten your seatbelts” just isn’t a strong enough warning for the volatility of the next several weeks—”Strap in” might be a better choice. But even if you batten down the hatches, it’s not certain the hatches will hold. I don’t want to scare you, but ’tis not the season to be jolly, and holding on to a festive attitude will take a mighty effort, especially when it comes to kindness toward your fellow travelers. The planets align in a series of difficult patterns, and those alignments set a strident tone for the end of this year as well as the start of 2014.
As terrestrial life reflects the celestial intensity and the days and nights of this already deeply emotional season unfold, emotional bodies unravel. I wish I had a different holiday story to tell, but forewarned is better prepared. The best way through this mess is a strong heart, fortified by an even stronger determination to embody the message of the season: Peace on Earth and good will to all sentient beings.
Mars is the main (but not the only) source of strife. Mars enters Libra on December 7, and stays in Libra until July 25 because it will be retrograde from March 1 – May19, 2014. (I know.) Mars’ long transit through Libra, the Sign of relating, translates into a nearly eight-month relationship intensive. Take a deep breath, and expect to be examining all sorts of partnership problems, particularly how to find and maintain balance in relation to significant others—lovers, spouses, friends, family, and business partners—a tender theme for most of us.
Almost as soon as Mars enters Libra the trouble starts. In just seven days, by December 14, Mars forms an opposition to Uranus and a square to Pluto. (Oy.) Pay attention: This pernicious T-Square persists until January 14 when Mars pulls out of its square to Pluto. But this configuration will haunt us until April 21, 2014, when the fifth exact Uranus/Pluto square constellates as a Cardinal Grand Cross that includes Mars as well as Jupiter. (Ay Yi Yi.) Be careful about what you set in motion going into 2014, because it’s certain to have a long half-life.
Mars is the Warrior archetype, and its essence is assertion. Sometimes, its might easily aligns with right, but that’s not a given, especially when it is opposing Uranus and squaring Pluto. Neither Uranus nor Pluto is inherently moral. All three planets—Mars, Uranus, and Pluto—symbolize energy in motion. Mars represents physical energy. Uranus signifies the erratic pulse of change. Pluto signifies uncontrollable change that occurs at the core. And when they unite in a dissonant affiliation, we experience the power of tremendous concentrated force and its consequences.
The Mars/Uranus opposition is exact and separating on Christmas Day. You might want to consider wearing your space gear when opening the gifts under the tree—or at least the helmet. A Mars/Uranus opposition is an argumentative, bellicose signature that doesn’t soften easily. Make nice, especially if there are children nearby, and resist the temptation to tease those less thick-skinned. Only mock the strong. The Mars/Pluto square, exact on December 30, will add a strong current of cruelty to the festivities, and more than a few of us are likely to feel overwhelmed by the already escalating emotional environment.
But that’s not all. On December 17, Uranus goes direct. We will start to feel its “course correction” by December 10. Uranian shifts often play out like Mercury Retrograde. If you are working in IT or with equipment that requires computers, et al., be prepared for problems. You might consider backing up everything this week before the Uranus Direct effect takes hold. Also, try to get as much sleep as possible now, because next week, Uranus Direct is likely to disrupt sleep patterns and pin nervous systems to hyper-vigilance.
The next several weeks are going to challenge even the best of us to assume and hold a compassionate stance. Remember, we are all in this together, even if the surface activities of daily life create the illusion of separation. At a far deeper level than we can comprehend, we are all connected through the ongoing Great Mystery that we call life. Make it a point during this holiday season to treat everyone—all your relations—including yourself with respect and you’ll have an easier time navigating the stormy seas of conscious living.
There are no individual Sun Sign blurbs this week. Next week will include where Mars is going to set up shop for the next eight months.