Repost- Mars Conjunct Saturn In Sagittarius: Punching Above Your Weight

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NB:  The following is an updated repost as Mars has re-entered Sagittarius and is presently making its way toward a conjunction with heavyweight Saturn on August 24th.  We were within striking distance to a conjunction between these two planets back in April before Mars halted its movement to turn retrograde and back out, but now it’s officially on like Donkey Kong!

Warrior planet Mars has been traversing Sagittarius since early August, and in a few short weeks The Red Planet makes a conjunction with hefty Saturn. The weeks before this event can be thought of as if it were getting ready for some kind of huge and highly-publicized title fight and for several months the theme “punching above your weight” has been on my mind re: this energy – let me explain…

In Traditional astrology, Mars & Saturn are considered malefics; i.e. generally speaking wherever these guys go in the chart, Trouble tends to follow. It’s not as if they are without their positive facets; it’s just that – as a first order – what you are inclined to get is conflict (Mars) and adversity (Saturn). Can these be overcome? Absolutely. But I think when these two celestial bodies join together to form an astrological Tag Team of Tribulation, it is only good sense to be on the lookout for the more problematic manifestations.

When I see this duo expressing their energies within the confines of a specific house or concentrating their energies upon a certain planet, I feel there is a real possibility of finding ourselves at some kind of competitive disadvantage in that area of life. For example, we may literally be going up against a stronger opponent; someone with a better reputation, more status, authority, or general clout. This isn’t meant to inspire fear; rather to instill an appropriate level of respect for the challenges we may be up against in a given area of life – particularly if we find ourselves outranked/outclassed in some way. So before initiating some kind of conflict (especially a legal one with both malefics in litigious Sagittarius) that could blow up and carry big consequences, I think it’s important to pause and check the ego. Because when Mars occupies this sign, the default inclination may be to operate from a place of moralistic “right fighting”. It is certainly one thing to fight for Justice and/or Truth, but it’s quite another to identify the ego so strongly with the principle of being “right” that we fail to see the warning signs that advise “Danger Ahead”.

Remember Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out for the NES back in the day? Playing this dude named Little Mac & invariably getting your ass kicked the first time you went up against old Iron Mike? Yeah, this astrological energy can be a lot like that.

Mars combining with Saturn can so often lend itself to an “Enforcer” type of vibe, and especially if we find ourselves placing our perception of Truth up against someone else’s, this can indeed be a recipe for Trouble when righteousness runs amok. We may get so focused upon what someone else is doing “wrong” that we could lose sight of our own behavior (and thus the broader ramifications that may come of this) in the process. This isn’t a time to let a beef become something bigger than it needs to be – ideally, we manage it at an optimally appropriate level whenever possible. If for some reason these containment measures aren’t enough and we wind up legitimately needing to escalate it, we do so gradually and with a full understanding of the totality of what we’re up against.

Pausing to show beneficial self-restraint while considering the big-picture perspective of whether or not – in the Grand Scheme of Things – this is a philosophical hill worth metaphorically dying upon can help us avoid bigger problems down the road….I’m thinking potential scenarios that could entail damage to things like our reputation or bigger long-term goals – such as career prospects – for example. Because this to me looks like it can have all the makings of a public and high-profile fight of some kind….perhaps one of biblical proportions, even. It’s not that David can’t overcome Goliath; it’s just that before we find ourselves in a “punching above our weight” kind of scenario, it’s prudent to take a step back and consider whether we really want a conflict to become a potentially defining moment/event in our lives because it looks like something that has the ability to take up a lot of time & energy. If this is indeed something we must do, then preparation and timing will be key – train hard and make sure to land a solid hit at the most opportune moment possible. A sling may also help.  😉

Be advised the energy of this conjunction builds over the next couple of weeks, with the Main Event happening on August 24th.

08/08/2016

More Saturn In Sagittarius

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I mentioned a while back in a previous post that with Saturn in Sagittarius, the type of evil to fear most is quite possibly “The indifference of good men”.  To recap a bit, Hi-Fi Saturn is about protection and when it resonates with the higher side of Sagittarius, it does so without regard to things like race, culture, socio-economic status, age, gender, or sexual orientation because we are all a part of the HUMAN race. Saturn in Sagittarius largely deals with the reality that – as members of this global human race – each person has an individual responsibility toward the Collective Good. When we are firm in our principles and seeking to live an upright life there really isn’t room for “The indifference of good men”, because our goodness and virtue only extend as far as our willingness to protect what is right, true, & just when presented with tests such as the ones we now face with Saturn now at the halfway point of its journey through Sagittarius.

Yes, I am referencing Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, among many others.

The global community is being challenged like never before during Saturn in Sagittarius’ prolonged square to Neptune in Pisces square to deal with the reality of prejudice rather than sticking our heads in the ground like a bunch of ostriches and pretending this doesn’t exist.  And more importantly, it is time to figure out how we can put a stop to it.

Frankly, I’d like to think this will eventually resolve itself as age continues to claim old-school folk with residual dinosaur mentalities re: these issues.  But what scares me is the fact that over my lifetime I have never seen such a sharp and abrupt backslide toward the dark ages of civil rights as I have in these last few years.  I am disgusted that men with badges jump right to the use of lethal force because they claim to be in fear for their lives and that it doesn’t dawn on them 1) what kind of conscious or even nebulous, unconscious bias may have played a role in the manifestation of that fear  2) the extensive training they had been given in police academy also taught them how to use non-lethal means to protect themselves (taser, pepper spray, etc.) – do they suddenly forget this?  3) that if one finds themselves so afraid that they are in danger of making a grave error in judgement that may result in the wrongful death of another human being, then they are clearly not fit for duty  4) that if one is prepared to discharge their weapon in the line of duty, then they had damn well better be willing to be accountable for doing so.

I don’t mean to sound as if I am completely unsympathetic to law enforcement, because it is unquestionably a dangerous job – especially for beat cops working in crime-laden districts.  There absolutely ARE reasons for having legitimate fear.  But when Saturn squares Neptune, fear is apt to become exaggerated and unrealistic – especially if/when it’s hiding a bias of some kind.  Police – being Saturn-ruled – are especially affected by this energy, to the point where it has now become an epidemic.

Mars has finally left volcanic Scorpio and its volatile contact to Uranus.  Its aching trine to Chiron suggested that we are all in pain and must heal the violence in our psyches.  Now, as it approaches a conjunction to Saturn once again (exact on August 24), more than ever we must address police brutality so there is accountability.  There simply has to be consequences for use of excessive force that results in another human being’s death – justice for all regardless of race!

08/03/2016

Forgiveness Under The Saturn/Neptune Square

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

ApologyIt is not simply a case of “forgive & forget” when the Saturn/Neptune Square is in play; forgiveness is something EARNED under this astro! To err is human, but rebuilding trust after a major transgression takes a lot of time and work. There is no magic wand that will suddenly erase a sin, so being accountable and demonstrating humble willingness to atone is important. It starts with an apology backed up by contrition, and then ends with consistent and abundant efforts to make amends. Guilt and shame do have their purpose when these emotions challenge us on a spiritual level to recognize any suffering we’re responsible for and put a stop to it.

(I sure wish my parents had gotten this memo, LOL)

Saturn turns direct on August 13th and its square to Neptune only tightens after this point (becoming exact for a final time on September 10, 2016) – nobody is perfect, but if we think we can try harder to make a situation right, we should definitely do so under the Saturn/Neptune Square.

ForgivenessPersonally, I find it most difficult to forgive when it’s not being sought and when it’s clear to me the person in question doesn’t want to be accountable for their history. I may have compassion for them, sure (in a “they know not what they do” sort of way), but I am hesitant to offer my forgiveness. A hat-in-hand apology, however, can do wonders. I suppose this is because I work hard to be honest with myself about my mistakes in life and try to do my best to offer up a sincere mea culpa when I know I’m in the wrong. I can’t imagine going through life without ever apologizing, but some do. Some will even try to justify this, in which case it is little wonder why absolution would be denied.

 

07/27/2016

Mars In Scorpio Is Out For Blood

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I did say NOT to sate a burning vengeance during Mars in Scorpio, did I not? And that one potential landmine of this Mars Retrograde period involves being Samuel L. Jackson-style pissed off, yes?

Please, let’s all take a cautionary cue from what happened in the wake of the tragedies involving Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and if we are angry at someone or something, DON’T leap to retaliation – Mars in Scorpio is still in contact with Uranus in Aries, and cooler heads must be allowed to prevail. There’s been far too much violence in the air (just look at the bombing in Istanbul and subsequent coup in Turkey, the aforementioned police killings of Sterling & Castile, as well as the aftermath in Dallas and possibly Louisiana) with the quincunx between these two planets in play, and it’s making everybody crazy. We do well to de-escalate tempers before Mars slips into Sagittarius (Aug 2) and meets up with Saturn (Aug 24).

Thankfully this aspect is starting to ebb as we speak, but we’re not home free yet. The quincunx between Mars and Uranus has been in effect since the second week of June and lasts for several more days yet – detach from hot situations whenever possible and strive to stay glacial cool, even when it’s a challenge.

07/21/2016

An Important Saturn In Sagittarius Reminder

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The following is an excerpt from my December 2014 newsletter; the topic of which was an overview discussing the numerous energetic manifestations of Saturn’s entrance into Sagittarius. The message is as relevant now (perhaps moreso given the context of recent events) as when it was first published over a year and a half ago. FYI, Saturn remains in Sagittarius until December 2017.

“Dealing with the reality of bias: Everybody sees the world from different angles – this fact forms the basis of our perspectives in life and helps us realize that our “truths” are actually quite subjective much of the time. But sometimes, without even realizing it, our life experiences may form the framework of a (negative) bias or prejudice of some kind, and Saturn in Sadge can challenge these kinds of beliefs for the sake of putting a stop to them – especially when we’re inclined to try and fit our view of things into nice, neat, organized little boxes. What do I mean by this? Surely we’ve all heard (if not ourselves uttered at some point) blanket statements along the lines of “All ______________ people are ___________”, as if it were some kind of factual reality not up for philosophical debate. The Hi-Fi side of this transit is well served by getting a handle on discrimination in all its forms; all the “-isms” of life like racism, sexism, classism, ageism, or whathaveyou. If we’re called on the carpet and held accountable for a bias of some kind during Saturn in Sadge, this is definitely the time to get it in check because chances are high that such a perspective is flat-out wrong and this is merely The Universe’s way of letting us know it.”

I can’t help but wonder if we, as a society, are ready to master this challenge? Because right now it (as is so characteristic of Saturn) it sure would seem we are all collectively being punished for letting fear and prejudice get so out of hand. Just look at how one of the USA’s 2016 presidential hopefuls is, in this writer’s opinion, a xenophobe – when even your proposed leadership is bigoted, you (as a country) have quite an inconvenient truth on your hands that would be most prudent NOT to continue ignoring during these Saturn square Neptune times. Prejudice is a sickness of the soul, plain and simple, and we need to work instead on promoting understanding over fear, tolerance over hate, and compassion over hard-heartedness.

More on this to follow.

07/12/2016

The Moon

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 4 Comments

The Lunar vibes have been coming on quite strong lately, most notably over the recent long holiday weekend when a potent Cancer New Moon arrived early Monday morning. Note the interesting correlation with the New Moon also falling on Mo(o)nday; a day of the week energetically ruled by the Moon. Feeling especially introspective on the 4th, I decided to go for a walk along a wooded trail encircling the reservoir to do some reflection and to quietly commune with nature.

I was most of the way around the loop when I passed over a wooden footbridge that spanned a rocky little creek – the water level had fallen considerably due to a recent dry spell, so instead of a babbling brook the water poured sluggishly over the rocks and collected into miniature pools. Small islands of rock and mud lay exposed by the thirsty creek bed, and I felt a pull to leave the path and do a little exploring along its bottom. Swatting away a pestilent cloud of buzzing mosquitos, I began hopping from rock to rock, occasionally finding footing in a muddy sandbar as I peered with curiosity into the tiny lagoons to see what I could see.

The first couple held nothing of interest save a small contingent of water skaters doing their bug-like Jesus thang atop the overgrown puddles; the high surface tension of the water combining with their ultra-light bodies and four perfectly balanced legs to keep them miraculously high and dry. The third puddle contained what I believe was a juvenile trout about 5 inches long – some primal hunter-gatherer instinct must have surfaced within me, because I was immediately compelled to see if I could catch it by hand. I began moving some small rocks in the pool to box him in, plunging my hands into the cold water and emerging triumphantly with fish in hand. I took a good look at him and then set him back into the water, moving the rocks back where I had found them to allow him to swim freely once again. As I was moving the rocks, I noticed a rather large pincer in the water sans its owner – there must be crayfish in here, I thought excitedly!

Downstream I went, making my way over to one of the larger pools and would you look at who I found just hanging out in the water!

©EmpoweredDestiny.com 2016. All rights reserved.
©EmpoweredDestiny.com 2016. All rights reserved.
Image courtesy of the RWS Tarot.
Image courtesy of the RWS Tarot.

He was SO COOL! I picked him up by the rear to avoid being on the business end of his impressive and no doubt mighty claws, and was absolutely delighted that he elected to reveal himself to me! Pondering the significance of Crawfish Medicine, my mind’s eye suddenly conjured up this image:

Such perfect symbolism for such Lunar-flavored astro, no? The Moon in tarot can often be a reminder that even the most domesticated creature cannot be fully divorced from wild roots – the Call of the Wild resides in each of us; it’s just a matter of how well we listen.

07/06/2016

As Mars Turns Direct, A Million Dollar Question:

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

What do you want???

Deep down inside, now – waaaaaay down. Right at this very second, as Mars turns direct.

I’ll say it again – “What do you want?”

Can you feel the relentless intensity of desire coursing through your blood?  What is it that spikes your mojo, imbues you with a sense of strength and empowerment, gets you off?

Even the only person you ever admit it to is yourself, and even if it flies in the face of what society might consider “taboo”, it’s important to have a pulse on your deepest, most instinctive, and I daresay perhaps even rawest passions now; if only to prevent yourself from acting out.  Ideally though, tapping into this vein infuses you with the courage and the drive to make a life-changing transformation somewhere in your life.

So I ask a third time: What do you want?

And more importantly, what are ya gonna do to get it?  Where there is a Will, there is a Way – go fetch, because nothing says Do or (let it) Die like Mars in Scorpio.

06/29/2016

Mars Stationary Direct In Scorpio

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 3 Comments

I still think Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate has this vibe down perfectly – this line is quintessential Mars stationary direct in Scorpio:

“You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire..”

But what if what you’ve got is an Appetite for (self?)Destruction?

With Mars stationing direct in Scorpio, desire is at its most potent.  All sorts of primal impulses may surface that can run the gamut from murderous, to carnal, to a strong urge for personal transformation where all the dross associated with our Lowest Self is burned off so we can be reborn.

When Mars turns direct in Scorpio, we find out just how much control (or lack thereof) we have over The Beast within. Our “demons” are apt to rear up on us. Vices can lead us down a proverbial trail to Sodom and Gomorrah.  Anger may boil over into a rage and explode disastrously.  We may become extremely impatient and libel to make premature moves that prove devastating – especially if we’re not clear about our possible subconscious motives.

Or, we conquer those demons and show ‘em who’s boss.  We wrestle with our vices and win.  We emerge victorious over destructive anger.  We become the master of our psyches, confronting and illuminating even our most hidden or dysfunctional motivations so we act from a place of integrity that is in alignment with our Highest Good.

If you’re wondering where the middle ground is in all these possible expressions, there really isn’t any – Scorpio is first and foremost a sign of extremes.  Remember this for the next several days as the Mars Mojo really rouses, and know that from today we have exactly 34 days to redirect this energy toward its most constructive potential as Mars will leave Scorpio on August 2nd.  So are you going to wield this power, or let it enslave you?  The choice is yours.

06/29/2016

Chiron Trine Mars: Healing Anger

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AngerIsNaturalMars retrograding in Scorpio sure has been bringing a lot of internal sludge up to the surface and putting it front-and-center for us all, serving it up raw-and-bleeding-style.  It gets pretty hard to ignore our character defects under this vibe, as Mars retrograde in Scorpio is all about facing down anything grotty lingering in dark corners of the psyche.  Now the Red Planet turns direct in fairly short order (June 29th), but its current slowed movement has put it in prolonged contact to both Uranus & healing asteroid Chiron.  We have certainly seen the Mars/Uranus end of things via the shocking outburst of rage that hit the news recently; a man said to be waging an internal war with his own sexuality who lashed out and perpetrated a horrific act of violence at a gay nightclub in Orlando. But rather than focus on this tragic facet of Martian energy, let’s direct our attention to the tremendous healing potential afforded to us by the current trine between Mars in Scorpio and Chiron in Pisces.

With Mars in Scorpio, what we are fundamentally looking at is the destructive side of anger and how it can implode on us from within if we don’t transform it. Before I go any further, let me just state that I strongly disagree with the general New Age mentality that entails automatically slapping a “negative” label on emotions such as anger – I don’t believe in judging any natural, organically-occurring emotion as being inherently “bad”.  All emotions serve a legitimate purpose, and our ire can also be a vastly effective motivational tool when channeled properly.  But for the purposes of this post, right now we’re going to be discussing the more pathological side of anger, as any planet found in Scorpio can easily corrupt if we’re not digging for the insight that allows us to turn it into a source of empowerment.  It is the nature of the beast, after all; Scorpio is either the Scorpion or the Phoenix as it is a sign of extremes.

So Mars’ retrograde back through Scorpio (since May 27th) has involved many of us getting face-to-face with our “demons”; anger being one of them.  But with The Red Planet now in harmonious contact with Chiron in Pisces, we start to heal this with things like compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness.  We come to an understanding that – underneath it all – anger is often just a reaction to pain, and we start confronting it instead of denying so it can be dissolved, released, and ultimately healed. Perhaps the source of this is frustration, or even deeply buried grief – if you’re into working with the metaphysical properties of stones and crystals at all, the energy of Apache Tears may be helpful to this end.  Regardless, the next month+ is a fabulous time to bravely face the REAL source of our rage: Our pain. The blessing inherent in Chiron/Mars contacts is they do tend to bestow motivation to “heal thyself”, where we are driven to seek wholeness rather than act from a place of woundedness. Along this vein, anger (especially the chronic variety) can take energy away from our individual healing process, so when we’re pissed off about something know the answer isn’t always the outward-based focus of having it out.  Sometimes it lies instead in retreating to look within so we can reflect upon the way(s) this emotion may not be truly serving us, and seeking to mend that which has been doing more harm than good.

06/22/2016

The 2016 Mutable Grand Cross, Musically

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Overheard during the current Mutable Grand Cross:

“…Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You’re a slave to money then you die
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet, yeah

No change,
I can change,
I can change,
I can change,
But I’m here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I’m a million different people
From one day to the next
I can’t change my mold
No, no, no, no, no

Well I never pray
But tonight I’m on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there’s nobody singing to me now.

No change,
I can change,
I can change,
I can change,
But I’m here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I’m a million different people
From one day to the next
I can’t change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can’t change
I can’t change

‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money then you die
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the things meet, yeah

You know I can change,
I can change,
I can change,
I can change,
But I’m here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I’m a million different people
From one day to the next
I can’t change my mold
No, no, no, no, no….”

So perfect! The freaky part was me googling on a hunch and finding out this song was released on June 16, 1997, so it literally just had a Solar Return yesterday – a slightly belated Happy Birthday, Bittersweet Symphony! The chart of this song’s release features Mercury at 13 degrees of Gemini, which touches off the current Mutable Grand Cross and definitely provides us with a relevant message for the moment’s astro. Don’t be stuck in your mold…embrace your multidimensionality and be willing to break that stride! As I was saying the other day, even if you can’t change your circumstances under this astro, you can definitely change how you are THINKING about your circumstances!

06/17/2016