Mars in Taurus Square Saturn Rx in Aquarius: Suicide Prevention Through Astrological Awareness

Mars in Taurus square Saturn Rx in Aquarius at 22 degrees - August 7, 2022

Click to enlarge.

Transiting Mars in Taurus, still conjunct Uranus and the North Node of the Moon, moves to an exact square to Saturn Rx in Aquarius on August 7. Mars-Saturn squares are notoriously tough aspects, and this one will be exacerbated by all we've experienced over the past couple years. The global "lockdowns" have thrown hundreds of millions more people into a state of acute financial distress, and this aspect indicates a time when financial worries and difficulties are weighing very heavily on people. With the authoritarian social engineering schemes playing out in layer after layer, the future might look particularly bleak under this square. I've outlined some of the challenges associated with Mars-Saturn contacts in this article from March 2021: 

 

Suicide Prevention Through Astrological Awareness: Mars-Saturn Contacts

http://willowsweb.blogspot.com/2021/03/suicide-prevention-through-astrological.html

(Blogger won't let me hyperlink this article for some reason, but you can copy and paste the link or click the 'Mars-Saturn contacts' label at the bottom of this post to see the article.)

 

The energy is ramping up under this Mars-Uranus-North Node in Taurus square to Saturn Rx in Aquarius as Mars and Saturn form the exact square on August 7. The effects linger into mid-August. Under this aspect, people might be feeling squeezed and stressed past the point of what they can tolerate. Holding in mind that the intolerable conditions associated are temporary in nature can provide some relief. Just hold on, cut yourself some slack, and this too shall pass. We're all feeling this one - some more than others - and it's best to navigate the conditions, especially social conditions, with this in mind.

Mars Square Saturn Exact November 10, 2021

Mars in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius (7 degrees) - November 10, 2021

Mercury will be exactly conjunct Mars at the time of the square, and the Moon will be exactly conjunct Saturn

- Click to enlarge -

We are currently experiencing an applying square aspect (harsh, frictional, dynamic) between Mars and Saturn. The square will be exact on November 10, 2021 with Mercury conjunct Mars Mercury at 7 degrees Scorpio and Moon conjunct Saturn at 7 degrees Aquarius. The Mars-Saturn square is a notoriously tough aspect, indicating some harsh conditions for November 2021, but knowledge of the astrology and the timing can help with navigation.

Energy is at a premium under this square. It indicates the possibility of "hitting the wall" after a prolonged period of frustration, stress, or over-extension. Be gentle with yourself and with others, and be wary of taking on extra responsibilities or obligations at this time. 

This square could be particularly hard on those who are already struggling, so please check in with loved ones and community members.

This is an indicator of increased challenges (Saturn) with inflammation in the body (Mars), so it's a good time to increase anti-inflammatory and alkaline foods while limiting inflammatory substances like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and processed food. Drinking filtered water with fresh lemon juice is a simple way to balance your body under these stressors. Getting regular exercise, particularly outdoors, is another way to work through these energies.

Saturn relates to finances, business, and career, and the pressures being created by the current global scenario could reach a boiling point as Mars and Saturn clash in square aspect. 

Support the businesses you love, and don't take anyone for granted.

I've covered the themes and dangers of Mars-Saturn contacts in this article:

Suicide Prevention Through Astrological Awareness: Mars-Saturn Contacts

Suicide Prevention Through Astrological Awareness: Mars-Saturn Contacts

This is a Plutonic awareness article discussing suicidal tendencies associated with contacts between Mars and Saturn and particularly square aspects between those two bodies. This article will not be everyone's cup of tea, but as a Plutonic astrologer, I do think the exploration of this topic is valuable if done with love and respect.

I've been writing about Mars-Saturn contacts and the increased risk of suicide, particularly for men, since 2011. You can see all Mars-Saturn contacts articles here. 

Mars-Saturn Contacts: Notoriously Challenging

Mars-Saturn contacts, and particularly the square aspect, indicate the potential for acute challenge and difficulty. If placements in the natal chart are being aspected, a person can feel as if he or she is being held or trapped within tremendously tough circumstances without a viable route through them. Pressure, frustration, and despair can build to extreme levels under these contacts, and this has been shown in the past to increase the risk of suicide. A permanent decision (Saturn) is made, perhaps impulsively (Mars), that cannot be taken back. This most permanent of decisions is made in an attempt to deal with difficulties that, no matter how complex or challenging, are most likely temporary in their acute severity.

Under Mars-Saturn contacts, and particularly a Mars-Saturn square, we can feel as if our forward-ho motion is being stalled, blocked, or restricted in despair-inducing ways. We can feel as if our will is being thwarted and our movement painfully restricted. There can be a feeling that any action taken is pointless or that it will not bring about the desired result. There can be intense fear related to taking any action at all, creating a feeling of being stuck in the circumstances or problems with no outlet or solution. Our responsibilities, obligations, and challenges can seem tremendously heavy and exhausting under these contacts to the point that we doubt our ability to deal with them successfully.

Saturn can convince us (erroneously) that our problems will be this tough forever, that we've made no progress, and that there is no way out, no solution. 

Mars-Saturn contacts, and particularly squares, have a tendency to stir "between a rock and a hard place" frustrations. It can seem as if any move we make will be inadequate. Extremely uncomfortable conditions can arise and be prolonged under these contacts. 

Mars and Saturn are the two malefic planets of the zodiac. They can be really nasty buggers. When Mars and Saturn form a 90-degree square aspect, the two bodies are interacting in a particularly frictional, tense, and frustrating way. It may seem, under this aspect, that we've been stuck with the same set of problems for our entire lives, never able to gain satisfactory traction toward a long-term solution. We may be rubbing up against certain aspects of our circumstances in frictional ways, stirring feelings of anger, impatience, frustration, dread, fear, self-doubt, or defeat. 

Mars-Saturn contacts are an indicator that we’re being challenged to do things we don't really want to do, things we don’t feel we have the strength or energy to do at that moment. The feeling of being forced to make a move then kicks up anxiety, fear, and dread.  

Mars-Saturn contacts, particularly the square aspect, can indicate extreme or even intolerable frustration. These contacts can indicate restrictions being put on our ability to take action or our ability to achieve outward success within given conditions. The difficulties associated with Saturn - fear, dread, self-doubt, depression, low energy, lack of motivation, financial or career challenge - are inflamed, activated, and stirred up (Mars). There can be a feeling of not being up to the task at hand, of not being equipped to fulfill our obligations and responsibilities or the requirements of our public facades. 

In my observation, the Mars-Saturn square can be particularly harsh for men. It may be more difficult for men to talk about their challenges, especially with depression or mental/emotional health. Failure, especially career failure, may be an all-pervading fear and could lead to feeling like a failure as a person. 

Under transiting contacts, the most acute challenges are most often temporary, and things generally seem more difficult than they really are. Giving things more time is often a good strategy.

Saturn relates to fear and self-doubt, and the influence of Mars inflames or exacerbates these difficulties to a point where they might not seem manageable anymore.  

There is an intersection between anger (Mars) and depression (Saturn).

Of course, there are many beneficial elements to the Mars-Saturn contact, as well. It indicates the drive and the will (Mars) to tackle tough challenges step-by-step (Saturn), challenges under which others might buckle. Working through difficult emotions and learning new strategies for dealing with those emotions allow us to make solid progress that puts us in stronger long-term position. These are contacts that can help us to face our fears and take action in our lives. These contacts create the energy and impetus to overcome even long-standing problems and obstacles. If the (sometimes extreme) difficulties of these contacts are worked with patiently over time, we can make very substantial and satisfying progress. We can come into a new level of authority, self-control, and self-mastery by meeting their challenges. Elements of our lives that seemed outside our control can slowly come under our personal dominion.

Global "Lockdowns" Under a Prolonged Mars-Saturn Square (2020/2021) Lead to Mental Health Crisis

We experienced a prolonged square between Mars and Saturn in 2020 and early 2021. This coincided with "lockdown" restrictions around the world that put many people in very precarious financial and emotional/psychological territory. Suicides have been reported regularly throughout this period, but official statistics in most countries will not be available possibly for years. We will have to wait for the statistical data to see whether lockdown measures coincided with increased suicides, along with related deaths like overdoses. Anecdotal evidence indicates that this is the case.  

Mars Rx in Aries Square Stationing Saturn in Capricorn - A Tense But Successful One-Woman 'Ban 5G Worldwide' Protest for the Global Day of Protest

Thanks for the photo, Kim!

Ban 5G Worldwide! One-Woman Protest Report - September 26, 2020

I did a little one-woman protest in my (uber mainstream) town yesterday for the 5G Global Day of Protest. I do many ongoing actions against 5G, and I ultimately think this is what's needed, but street protest can definitely be part of those actions.

I made a poster board sign and printed off some handouts of Ban 5G information in case I came across interested parties. I talked about the handouts in a video I made of the protest, and if anyone would like copies of those materials, email me at willowsweb [at] hushmail.com. Thank-you to graphic artist Valerie Jacquemet for the use of the Ban 5G graphic.

I won't lie - the atmosphere was quite tense. There is a lot of hostility toward anti-5G activists and people concerned about 5G. It reminds me of the virulent hatred I (and others) received as an anti-GMO activist in the early days before more people realized the danger they posed.

This protest happened under a tight Mars-Saturn square with Saturn stationing direct. The tension and edge-of-danger energy of this square was reflected in the general atmosphere of this protest day. The global day of protest against 5G coincided with many anti-lockdown protests around the world, including this one in Establishment Central of Canada, Toronto, Ontario. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people marched. Mainstream media reported there were 100 people in attendance.

People have to risk hostility, hatred, violence, and even arrest in order to peacefully show opposition to what's being brought down in lock-step all around the world. Peaceful protesters were beaten by police with batons in Trafalgar Square in London, England. Other peaceful protesters were tasered and arrested in Holland. This is the kind of police state insanity people are facing when exerting their natural-born rights to peacefully assemble and protest tyranny.

Under the Mars-Saturn square, independent and active resistance (Mars Rx in Aries) comes into tense, frictional, and potentially hate-inducing contact with the established authoritarian order (Saturn stationing in Capricorn). Saturn stations direct tomorrow night (10:11 p.m. PST) at 25 degrees Capricorn in a square to Mars Rx in Aries that is exact September 29.

If you don't like what's going on on the planet, now is the time to push back in whatever ways you're comfortable. However, the harsh conditions make it necessary to get in and get out, to quickly do our thing and then move to safety. These are not conditions in which to push the limits.   

A Quick Shift in Social/Relational Tone As Jupiter Enters Scorpio

We have a final burst of social and relational development/expansion underway as Jupiter completes its transit of cardinal (leadership, initiatory) Libra before entering fixed (steady course, set conditions) Scorpio for a yearlong transit starting October 10.

With Venus and Mars conjunct in Virgo until mid-month, squaring Saturn in Sagittarius and opposing Chiron in Pisces, we're seeking to set just the right tone, addressing any nagging details in our relations with others that may require some attention or polishing. There's a particular focus on the way we interact/the way others interact with us in a work setting. 

Practical adjustments and actions, along with pointed conversations, could alleviate some of the building mental and psychic stress indicated by these aspects.

We're working hard in a hands-on way to make things just right in the physical realm (Virgo) so that things are hunky dory in the psychic/metaphysical realms (Pisces), as well. 

We're bringing the skills of the master craftsperson (Virgo) to our relationships and interpersonal dynamics (Venus/Mars). We're looking to apply our personal truth (Sagittarius) in practical, daily ways (Virgo), particularly in our relations with others. We're looking to walk our talk in relationships and social settings in a precise and straight-forward manner, fulfilling the social and work-related functions that feel right for us - nothing more, nothing less. We're looking to remove the influence of detrimental self-sacrifice, unfair projected expectations, illusions, blind spots, and inflated ideals from our relationships and interactions.

As the Sun and Mercury come together in interior conjunction at 15 degrees Libra in square aspect to Pluto in Capricorn (October 8/9), there may be some interpersonal friction or complexity urging us into our full social positions. There is a "taking charge" impetus, extending throughout the fall season, which must be balanced with the conciliatory and harmony-seeking nature of Libra. Like sand in our underwear, social irritations and points of friction can produce the impetus and motivation to propel us forward that last little bit as Jupiter completes its transit in the sign of the scales.

Conversation, information flow, the written word, and our own thoughts and perspectives (Mercury) can be particularly motivational as far as any changes that have to be made with that last bit of cardinal sign juice.

It's in our best interests - even if it's a little uncomfortable or scary - to address any nagging details or issues in our relations with others because the social and relational conditions we're in the final stages of creating now will be with us strongly over the next year as Jupiter settles in to its transit of fixed Scorpio. The social/relational course has been set, to a great extent, as Jupiter leaves Libra and enters Scorpio. The cardinal sign (Libra) initiates; the fixed sign (Scorpio) follows through with what was initiated.

Jupiter will be throwing an immediate (and I mean immediate) spotlight on the emotional and psychological subtext as it enters Scorpio. The social facade that brought us benefit during Jupiter in Libra is going to slip a little, and how people really feel underneath it all will become more apparent, especially as we move through October and November (Scorpio season). Teeth may be bared a little. Backs may get up a little.

So quickly, practically, and proactively addressing any problematic areas is in our best interests before they get blown up under Jupiter in Scorpio. Clear the slate as much as you can, even if it means gathering your courage to do so.

We have an extra layer of challenge now as far as eking out our precise social/relational positioning, as Mars in Virgo forms a square to Saturn in Sagittarius October 11 and an opposition to Chiron in Pisces October 15.

Venus in Virgo will square Saturn in Sagittarius October 8 and oppose Chiron in Pisces October 11.

As Jupiter moves from Libra to Scorpio, the dispositors (key influences) over its expansive proceedings shift from lovely Lesser Benefic Venus to hardcore mofos Mars and Pluto. So things immediately take a more Martian/Plutonic tone, and the social graces that brought us favour under Jupiter in Libra will fall flat if they are not fully authentic and honest, if they are designed to gloss over sticking points or beefs.

The Mars-Saturn square (along with the Mars opposition to Chiron) lays out an initial challenge for the Jupiter transit of Scorpio.

We may feel as if our forward-ho motion is stalled in despair-inducing ways under these aspects. We may feel as if our will is thwarted and our motion painfully restricted. There can be a feeling that any action taken is pointless or that it will not bring desired results. There can be fear related to taking any action at all, creating a feeling of being stuck in the current circumstances or problems. In my observation, the Mars-Saturn square is particularly harsh for men, unfortunately coinciding with an increased possibility of suicide, as Saturn can convince us (erroneously) that our problems will be this tough forever and that there is no way out. The Mars-Saturn square indicates "between a rock and a hard place" frustrations, but remember: any acute challenges are temporary, and things generally seem more difficult than they really are. 

With Mars transiting Virgo, there are small changes, improvements, and adjustments that can move things in the right direction - albeit in a slower fashion than may be desired. Remember that there is wiggle room here - even if it doesn't feel like it. We have to keep trying.

Any wet blanket effects should ease up as we move into the second half of October.

 A more Scorpionic view of the proceedings is wise...

So yes, things are taking a bit of a deeper, darker tone here as we move into the dark half of the year in the northern hemisphere. This more serious tone will then be reinforced as Saturn leaves Sagittarius for Capricorn at December solstice, followed by a six-planet stellium in Capricorn in January 2018.

This is nothing to fret over - just be aware of the quick shift in tone, and adjust accordingly, especially in your relations with others. A little more wariness, a little more space given around potential sticking points, playing your cards a little closer to your chest. Foreknowledge can help us to stay out of the interpersonal frictions (or even straight-up meltdowns) that may be stirred up as Jupiter gets its footing in Scorpio. 


For a full treatment of the Jupiter in Scorpio transit: Jupiter in Scorpio: Wisdom Drawn from the Still Depths of the Soul

Mars in Pisces Activates the Saturn-Chiron Square: Stay in the Game, Champs!

Warrior planet Mars is currently part of a large concentration of bodies and points in Pisces, joining Chiron, Neptune, Venus, Pallas Athene, and the South Node of the Moon in the sign of the fishes.

Mars is also coming up on a conjunction to wounded healer Chiron at 21 degrees Pisces (January 16) and a square to Saturn at 23 degrees Sagittarius (January 19).

Mars-Saturn squares, in general, have a tendency to stir "between a rock and a hard place" frustrations. This is the two traditional malefics of the zodiac interacting in a frictional and potentially angsty way. Two heavy hitters of the zodiac are sending up some sparks. It may seem, under this aspect, that we've been stuck with the same set of stinky old problems for a coon's age now, unable to gain satisfactory traction toward a long-term solution. We may be rubbing up against certain aspects of our circumstances in frictional ways, stirring feelings of anger, impatience, or defeat. Unfortunately, this aspect can also indicate suicidal thinking and actions, so watch yourself and the people around you and reach out if necessary.

Add wounded healer Chiron in Pisces into the mix, and it may seem as if the challenges we are facing have no beginning and no end, no suitable course of action, no concretely applicable solutions.  Just a messy, heavy, soupy mess.

Because of this, and because of the concentration in "tired old soul," end-of-the-zodiac-line Pisces, it may be tempting to just throw in the towel, to give up and spend the day in our pajamas watching paternity test drama on Maury. (Not that that isn't a perfectly fine way to spend the day once in a while...)

Pisces does have the tendency to easy discouragement and to a sort of inertia or paralysis under the weight of the general problems of the human condition.

But we can't forget here: Pisces is also the sign of the underdog, of the long shot, of the miraculous turn around. And with never-say-die warrior Mars transiting this sign, the exhilarating "come from behind" stories are just waiting in the ethers, itching for a chance to manifest.

These aspects indicate the potential inflammation of some tough issues, it's true. There's some depression, some fear, some malaise, some anger, some "why freakin' bother?" These are challenges that we may have been struggling with for a good long while now, and we may be just plain worn down.  Fed up. Sick of it.

But again, with Mars speed boating through this watery Piscean terrain, there are clear indicators of energized new directions to power us through old problems and sticking points.

In other words, this is no time to give up and play dead, hoping the universe will lose interest in fucking with you and just mosey along.

This is the time to set your jaw and dig in, to pour the last bit of energy you have into one last offensive. Because this time, under these aspects, there's a very good chance things will advance - at least a step or two, at least enough to get some breathing room.

With all this Pisces, and especially with Venus in exaltation conjunct Neptune, it's actually possible that we could see some near-miraculous progress - but we have to go out and get it. We have to show the universe our steely-willed intent. No one is going to drop it into our pajama-ed, TV-glazed laps.

So suit up and show up, even if you don't feel like it, even if you feel that it's pointless. Keep your head in the game, eyes on the immediate moment as the play unfolds, even if you feel like zoning out and forgetting about it all.

And most importantly - humour these really terrible sports analogies I have going here. It's Mars the action planet, after all.

The effects indicated by the Mars-Chiron conjunction and Mars-Saturn square will come to a head January 16 - 19, lingering until Mars enters its own sign of home-sweet-home Aries on January 27.

Until then, we have to understand that the perception of the difficulty and immovability of our challenges is somewhat different from the reality. The effectiveness of our actions could surprise us and those around us now. With Mars taking part in the large concentration of bodies and points in Pisces, we have to stay active and willing, despite the Piscean pull into the "why me/why bother?" void.

What you do matters. What you don't do matters. It all matters, even when the point seems lost in the fog.

The toughest of knots can come loose under these aspects - but we have to stick with it right to the last second. We have to show up and put in our best effort in good faith, without burdensome expectations, in order to access that classic "come from behind" story that fills and renews the collective human heart.

The Potential for Intense Challenge, Particularly For Males

Head's up: what I'm writing about here isn't pretty, but it is real.

I've written on the blog before about Mars - Saturn contacts and the increase in the likelihood of (in particular) male suicides.

In my own little sphere, I've heard about two male suicides as well as an attempted suicide this summer with Mars (actions) transiting late Scorpio (death).

This isn't limited to men, but men would be affected in particular, as both Mars and Saturn are masculine symbols. 

We've had extended interplay between Mars and Saturn, the two malefic bodies of the zodiac, during the Mars retrograde period (April 17 - June 29).

Mars formed a loose conjunction to Saturn as it stationed retrograde, drawing the challenge, the dread, the fear, and the intense pressure associated with Saturn into that entire process. It inflamed (Mars) all those difficult Saturnine challenges, making them seem - at times - insurmountable.

This inflammation continues...

Mars has just re-entered Sagittarius (August 2) and is now closing in on an exact conjunction to Saturn at 9 degrees of the sign (August 24). Saturn is also stationing direct August 13 in square aspect to Neptune Rx in Pisces, indicating that our responsibilities may seem more difficult/heavy/intolerable/unworkable than usual.

The situation is: many people are under an intense amount of pressure now. This reaches a peak August 24/25 with the exact Mars-Saturn conjunction and Mars-Neptune square. Luckily, we will also have a pile-up of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter in late Virgo at that time to keep things functioning. This conjunction of the two benefic planets (Venus and Jupiter) works to offset the conjunction of the two malefic planets (Mars and Saturn).

Coming out of the Mars retrograde period as we are now, there are changes in personal direction necessary that may be upsetting to people who have gotten used to the way things are. Previous trajectories may have to be abandoned or at least transitioned now, and this may involve commitments that we were expecting to keep over the long term. There are potentially major "structural adjustments" underway in our lives, and under the current aspects, these changes may seem impossibly challenging.

There just isn't energy for these older goals, trajectories, or structures anymore. And if we pretend, if we try to carry the deadened shells on our backs just because we can't face making a different decision and potentially letting people down, we may not even be able to sustain the will to go on.

Understand the pressures that people are dealing with now. Understand the pressures affecting you and your own mental/emotional state.

When I say astrology saves lives, I'm not speaking in hyperbole. It absolutely can and does. Using astrology to understand the pressures and challenges we're under can help us to eke our way through them. In particular, the understanding that the intolerable difficulty of our challenges is temporary can help immeasurably.

I've re-opened the comments section on the blog, so if you'd like to share a comment or a laugh, please do. I think it helps to know that there are other sensitive and thinking people out there, other people who know what's up on Planet Earth. I know it helps me.

The Fear

 Photos: Willow

Renegade Heifer Photography

Saturn is currently sitting on the end of the sign of Scorpio, stirring up a whole mess of fear. This is "deepest, darkest fears" territory, which is rarely any fun at all.

Saturn is completing the final weeks of its mutual reception with Lord of the Underworld Pluto in Capricorn, so you had to expect a little something nightmarish with this Grand Finale double dose of Scorpio/Capricorn and Saturn/Pluto.

The fears (depression/paranoia/dread) could seem to come out of nowhere, dug up by the relentlessly slow motion of Saturn regaining speed after the August 1 direct station at 28 degrees Scorpio.

Saturn hasn't gained much speed or distance since then (think "relentless crawl"), so we could be feeling quite stuck under the same old challenges that seem to have no easy solutions. The gut-churning emotional and psychological challenges could be quite thick until Saturn breaks into lighter territory in Sagittarius on September 17. When Saturn re-enters Sagittarius at 8:49 p.m. CST that night, the transit of Saturn through Scorpio as well as the mutual reception to Pluto in Capricorn are officially complete.

For now, we're locked in. Dreadful Saturn has us in its grip.

Malefic planet Mars in Leo is closing in on a frictional square to malefic planet Saturn in Scorpio, which will not be exact until September 25 when both planets have (mercifully) ingressed mutable signs (Mars into Virgo and Saturn into Sagittarius). But this slowly-forming square between the two malefic (ie. potentially less pleasant) planets in the fixed signs of Leo and Scorpio could stir fears and frustrations to almost intolerable points over the next month.

Mars square Saturn indicates a feeling of being between a rock and a hard place with nowhere beneficial to turn. One way is hard, the other way even harder. Our movement and personal will can be painfully constricted under the influence of this aspect. Our challenges and "what we have to do in the world" can seem overwhelming. We're just sitting under it all, spinning our wheels.

Saturn has a way of convincing us that our troubles are always going to be this hard, that life is always going to be this difficult. (Not the case!) But with Mars rubbing up against Saturn in Scorpio in a frictional way over this next month, certain points will seem acutely difficult, if not impossible, to navigate.

This is said not to scare anyone - just that there is nothing "wrong" with you if you experience some difficult or frustrating points between now and late September.

Saturn has the ability to make the things it touches concrete, real, material. And our deepest, darkest fears are sometimes proving more real than we would like under the tail end of this Saturn in Scorpio transit.

These could be fears we may have thought were already confronted, settled, resolved, and accepted but are now circling round to get at us again, and this can be depressing.

(Saturn is back where it was in December 2014.)

It's difficult to see our way out of this glut of fear (though we will work our way out of it). In many ways, we have to accept the things we see and sense. The stone-cold reality on Planet Earth is not much of a comfort these days once you lift all the rocks and look in all the nooks and crannies.

But one comfort we have is this: we're not alone with this terrifying mess. We're all struggling with the icy, suffocating grip of fear at times. We're all existing under the weight and karma of Saturn in tail-end Scorpio. Personal challenges can seem insurmountable now to the vast majority of people on this planet, not just to you and me.

So when it seems there's nowhere to turn to make it feel any better, when Saturn is hell-bent on exposing our terrors, as it is now, we have to endure with the understanding that there are those who shoulder it alongside us. We're all struggling with the sickly grip of personal terror and collective horror at times. How could we not be considering the state of things on this planet? Facades indicating otherwise can easily be cracked by just one more event going awry.

Don't let the fear isolate you. You're never alone with this.

It's not all bad, either:

Benefic love planet Venus Rx forms a conjunction with malefic Mars at 14 degrees Leo on August 31 (11:04 p.m. CST), providing a little boost of love, support, and fire. The Venus-Mars conjunction is often considered a boon for relationships with the feminine and masculine planets coming together.

Lovely Venus goes direct at 14 Leo on September 6 (2:29 a.m.), and the love, money, and relationship planet moving forward again should come as a relief - or at least provide a change of pace. 

Young Whippersnapper Mars Finally Outpaces Old Man Saturn

Photo: Willow

The planet of will, goals, physical energy, and movement, Mars, is just moving out of range of a conjunction to Saturn that has been in effect since early August.

Mars is the planet that wants to go. Saturn is the planet that puts the brakes on, demanding a sober second look. So our movement toward goals (including goals related to sex life) has been under a certain degree of necessary restriction and limitation for over a month now.

Prior to the Mars-Saturn conjunction, which was exact August 25, Mars spent more than eight months transiting a sign it doesn't love transiting - Libra. Mars finds it difficult to get things done in Libra, especially with the speed and directness it enjoys. Taking other people into consideration, as is required with Libra, is not tops on Mars' list.



This is an excerpt from the article "Young Whippersnapper Mars Finally Outpaces Old Man Saturn." It is available in its entirety to Willow's Web Astrology patrons, or it can be purchased via email money transfer or PayPal for $5.50. 

Please Note: I send these articles out myself (no automatic service), so there may be a short delay after paying before you receive your article. This is especially the case if the article is purchased over the weekend. I'm sorry for any inconvenience. 

Mars Conjunct Saturn in Libra: The Finesse of Socially-Strategic Manoeuvres Makes or Breaks Long-term Positioning

Photo: Willow

A very irritated Mars is moving to a conjunction with Saturn in Libra August 15. Constricted will is the theme of the week, and it's our social responsibilities and positions keeping us so tightly under the thumb.

Mars has been in Libra for over a month now (after clearing an almost eight-month transit of and retrograde in Virgo), and some social/relational frustration and angst has been building since early July.

Mars is already in detriment in Libra, and finding its movement additionally constrained by the close proximity to taskmaster Saturn is making it fume. Pressure, friction, and pissiness build. People will be itching for a passo aggro battle, complete with social audience, along “I’m so much more civilized than you, not to mention more popular” lines.

From a previous post:

"The Mars-Saturn conjunction August 15 falls at 24 degrees Libra, conjunct highly fortunate fixed star Arcturus. This is potentially a saving grace - but we're going to need all the help we can get.

Malefic planets Mars and Saturn teaming up is a potentially nasty combo at the best of times, and Mars is going to be pretty well sick of all the forced social graces by the time it hits Saturn near the end of Libra.

If people haven't been dealing well with mounting social frustations and pressures, consciously working on perfecting that balanced will, they'll be irritable, testy, and ready to blow (or collapse) by the second week in August.

If people have been letting things slide where they should have been digging their heels in - particularly in professional relationships - anger and social inflammation can be expected.

We're fighting for what we consider fair, balanced, and just, and with Saturn finishing its transit in Libra, we're fighting for rightful social position. But remember: we're fighting like a Libra, so you can't let them see you fight. You have to fight nicely, politely, using social power and prowess, and with a smile on your face.

In Libra, the Mars action, aggression, and fight are often subverted, which can lead to some underhanded moves. People will be using their social currency and already-established social scenes rather than fighting their own battles. Passive aggression is a classic trait of Libra under pressure (including Mars in Libra), and if you've learned how to successfully sniff out, head off, and deal with passo aggro, you're ahead of the game."

The moves being made now are socially strategic, designed to secure new and long-term position, and not all of them will be above board.

Do your best not to be triggered, even if you can’t believe what some people are getting away with. A little social flaring is to be expected - and is even necessary - leading into this conjunction, but work your rules of disengagment so that social grease fires don't become full-on, damaging blazes.

Make no mistake, this Mars is pissed and ready for a scrap, but in Libra, it’s required to uphold an easy social demeanor. We must maintain equilibrium, even while gritting our teeth under yet another conciliatory social gesture.

Mars is the planet of pure personal will. It wants what it wants when it wants it, and its instinct is to go after its desires directly and expediently. In Libra, though, the planet has to continually balance its desires with the desires and needs of other people. It has to put its sword in the sheath and sit down to tea. With Mars in Libra, the battles move to the social realms where it is in your best interests that no one sees your aggressive manoeuvres. This is a big part of the advantage while Mars is in Libra: that no one sees you fight, that you can deny fighting at all, and that you come off looking sweet as a prairie saskatoon pie.

Keeping hold of our tempers and maintaining balance are of utmost importance now, as this Mars conjunction to Saturn - nearing the end of its transit in Libra - acts as a major social placement test.

What goes on socially and in relationship over the next two weeks is fairly high stakes. We have the ability to make or break long-term positioning here. Any major losses of temper, overt acts of aggression (or passive aggression), or visible social attacks have the possibility of blowing the hard-earned relational progress and social reputation we’ve built over the past two+ years of Saturn in Libra.

This transit is additionally important, as it tests, under pressure, newly developed social/relational rules, standards, and positions ahead of cardinal Grand Crosses in 2013 and 2014 that feature Mars in Libra prominently.

More on that here: A State of Ongoing Cardinal T-Square and Some Mars in Libra Foreshadowing

The dispositor of this conjunction of the malefic planets is Venus in Cancer, which forms an exact cardinal t-square with Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn on August 15/16.

Our relationships with family, our loving, feminine qualities, our abilities to nurture, to emotionally connect, to create warm and comforting home bases are keys to successfully navigating this time frame.

At the same time, opposing Pluto and squaring Uranus, there are emotional patterns to discontinue and denial to shed in relationship. Certain comfort zones are being busted up. Certain hidey holes and fallback people are no longer available.

Venus is just coming out of an era-shifting retrograde period involving the last Venus Transit most of us will experience in our lifetimes. At the same time, Saturn is completing the final leg of its transit through Via Combusta Libra.

In relationships of all kinds, we officially need to know better.

There is little to no tolerance for Piscean era delusions and dreaming. The old relationship ideals no longer apply, so don't be surprised when they fall flat.

If all this slippery social fighting and manoeuvring comes across as a little disingenuous and hypocritical to you, never fear. Things take a turn from nice-and-smiley passive aggressive to get-it-on-the-table aggressive aggressive by the last week of August, and all the pent-up social angst finds a much-needed release point:

On the other side of the conjunction to Saturn, Mars slides into its second home sweet home in Scorpio August 23, just before the North Node enters Scorpio August 30. Mars in its domicile is breaking trail and leaves the sign the day after Saturn's ingress of Scorpio (October 6).

We’re heading into a prolonged Scorpionic period over the next 2.5 years, and during that time period, if the air needs to be cleared, the air will be cleared. Long-held beefs will rise to the surface to be dealt with. The time will come.

Until the end of August, though, work those socially-sophisticated Libra muscles like a champ, and never let them see you sweat.

Mars-Saturn Square: Survival Guide For the Breaking Point

Mars in Cancer square Saturn in Libra – final aspect of the Summer 2011 Cardinal Grand Cross August 24/25

This is a tough aspect to deal with at the best of times: two planets considered malefics interacting in a tense, clashing, frictional square. Add the facts that 1) Mars is debilitated in Cancer and prone to over-the-top emotional reactions and 2) we’re at the tail-end of the final wave of a highly challenging Cardinal Grand Cross configuration we’ve been dealing with all summer – we all have Cardinal Grand Cross fatigue - and this aspect coming at the end of it can feel like more than we can bear.

This aspect is especially rough on men. Mothering, nurturing, in-touch-with-the-inner-self Cancer is not traditionally their scene. Mars in Cancer includes themes of men grappling with and trying to express these feminine/yin aspects while maintaining their masculinity. Square to Saturn in Libra, the acute challenge is in finding the right balance in a world that benefits (especially financially) from men who set their emotions, consciences and soul urges aside to keep getting the job done. They are encouraged, subtly pressured to do so, and anyone unwilling or unable to keep up the extreme split and the extreme pace becomes less valuable, a disappointment, weak, unable to cut the mustard. In order to keep bringing home the paycheques, they subvert emotional cues and soulful guidance to the point of detriment.

News hit a few days ago of the suicide of National Hockey League hockey player Rick Rypien. Rypien had just been traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the city where I’m currently stationed, a city where he had played as a junior. Instead of showing up for work, he was found dead at his home in Alberta August 15. Rick was at the fateful age of 27, soon to be entering his Saturn return. He had endured years of depression, speaking publicly about it and taking time off twice from his hockey career to have it treated. The death of his girlfriend in a car accident when he was a junior player and captain of the Regina Pats was more than likely a contributing factor to his ongoing depression, and the stress of a move and a brand new hockey club under the Cardinal Grand Cross – facing down that Mars-Saturn square - were more than likely contributing factors in his decision to end his life.

It’s interesting to note that Rypien was what was considered an enforcer – his basic role was to fight opponent players on the ice. Night after night, he fought and bashed other guys, amped up on adrenaline, and that would definitely take its toll on the chemical balance of an individual. Rypien’s death follows the accidental death in May of another NHL enforcer, 28-year-old New York Rangers player Derek Boogaard – also on the cusp of his Saturn return. Boogaard died of an accidental overdose of the painkiller oxycodone and alcohol.

This is the difficulty of big, tough, hockey playing men (Mars) dealing with the emotional, physical and psychic aftermath of being professional fighting machines - a theme that can be applied almost across the board these days. The hyper masculine culture (professional sport being one leg) has not traditionally done well dealing in the feminine realms of emotion and soul. Human beings are not machines. The extreme imbalance between masculine and feminine is bound to create destruction and dysfunction, and Ryan and Dennis are just the tips of the iceberg.

Mars square Saturn is an indicator that we’re challenged to do things we don’t really want to do right now, things we don’t feel we have the strength to do at this point, and it’s kicking up anxiety and dread.

For me, part of this involves returning to unsettled circumstances in the city, just as this aspect is exact, when my heart is and probably always will be in the country. I know the trail forward in my life has always gone squarely through urban areas and that it’s required that I re-enter the concrete jungle, but it doesn’t make it any easier to actually do it as I’m enjoying a clear view of a sunset that I know I will not see again for months with the wind in the cottonwoods the only sound.

My astrologer and psychic friend freeforall is also moving on with mixed feelings out of the Cardinal Grand Cross summer. She and I both ended up in this city at around the same time, moving from Alberta last year. Her work contract here ended unexpectedly, and she now finds herself with an exciting new contract in the city from which she came – a city that also involves a lot of heartbreak and bad memories for her.

At the same time, we in Canada are feeling this aspect as the end of the much-too-short summer season. Long, cold, dark winter (Saturn) is not too far off, and it’s always difficult to look forward to months on end of ice, snow, flaky skin, Vitamin D deprivation and freezing appendages.

I don’t know anyone who is not looking to this fall and winter without a bit of trepidation or at least resignation. This observation is not to be a downer – it’s to point out that no one is alone in feeling this way. These feelings are completely normal considering circumstances on this planet.

The new directions spurred by the Cardinal Grand Cross are interesting and at times exciting, but they are being initiated under circumstances both globally and personally that are not exactly best case scenario.

In light of the difficulty of this particular aspect, here are some emotional survival tips for Mars in Cancer square Saturn in Libra, in effect until the end of this month:

- Comfort yourself in healthy ways however you can. Baby yourself through the challenging parts, and don’t feel weird or guilty about it at all. Emotional comfort is what Cancer does best.

- Understand that this is an aspect, a span of time, and that the arduousness of it will let up. Saturn makes things feel as if they’ll be this way forever: ie. bad. They won’t. Applying aspects almost always feel worse than succeeding, so the roughest time emotionally is this upcoming week.

- Work through the feelings coming up. Expect some possible anxiety, fear, dread, anger – but try not to dwell on it. Move through difficult feelings and onto something else as quickly as possible. Distract yourself. Focus on what’s coming into your life that interests or excites you and close the tap as far as the inexhaustible supply of anxious Cancerian what-ifs. Tell your over-protective, overly stressed inner mother to go pamper herself at the spa for a while.

- Be around people regularly. There is a tendency to isolate under the emotional weight of difficult aspects like this one, but maintaining contact, even when it’s challenging, is a necessary touchstone.

- Make sure everyone in your posse is doing OK. Check in with the people in your life and also extend yourself to people you wouldn’t usually converse with. We all need to take responsibility for maintaining (Saturn) the social spheres (Libra) now. We’re going to need them.

Another tip I would add for the entire Uranus in Aries square series to Pluto in Capricorn through March 2015 is: Don’t be too surprised or shocked as things/people start to come unglued. (I’m sure most people who read this blog won’t be.) At this point, the weight, complexity and demands of the structures of many people’s lives, especially within the mainstream, are becoming too much to bear. The structures and pacing all around us have reached a point of no return as far as insanity, inhumanity, toxicity and corruption, and keeping up the game from here on becomes increasingly taxing to the point of impossible. There is only so long that people can keep up with the demands of an increasingly unnatural pace and lifestyle for the sake of dead and done concepts of prestige, success, progress and power. We’re reaching the point where many just won’t be able to do it anymore. (I think I was born at that point.)

For the next seven years, as Uranus transits Aries, there is a focus on radical, ingenius (Uranus) survival (Aries). Radical breaks from the toxic structures as they exist (Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn) are to be expected, even from people considered highly successful by mainstream (and most often less soulful) standards. People will be at the point where they shed their entire old lives - because they have to. It really is a matter of life and death – at least, soul life. And what’s the point of hauling these carcasses around if there’s no soul left to guide us by?

Mars in Cancer Square Saturn in Libra and Responsibly Avoiding Emotional Triggers

We can all learn a little something from the sideways-stepping crab right now: healthy, self-preserving avoidance of angry trigger points.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking avoidance as in denial and wilful ignorance of reality. With Pluto in a long-term transit of Capricorn opposing and working its transformational magic on Cancer, the at times pathological level of look-the-other-way-itis and cozy hypocrisy often prevalent with less mature expressions of this sign are deadly problematic and need to be exposed at every turn. (I’m from Canada, a Cancer Sun nation rife with those deadly Cancerian problems, and then there is that Cancer Sun nation south of the 49th parallel, which is even more rife with it…)

I’m talking about a ‘Pluto is my homeboy,’ eyes-wide-open, fully cognizant avoidance of emotional trigger points that serve no purpose other than to drag us into old territory (Cancer), piss us off and waste our energy (Mars).

Mars doesn’t like being forced to go over and over old territory – it wants to forge ahead onto new ground. So the healthy avoidance comes in taking a proactive new track, especially as it relates to challenging relationships (Saturn in Libra). Forging this proactive new track is tricky, though, as Mars in Cancer without a doubt involves sentimental trips down memory lane. History books. Heritage. Stories about the old times and the old timers. Old loves. Family albums. Roots.

The trick comes in maintaining a healthy and responsible balance (Saturn in Libra) and knowing when to just beat a track the hell out of there. As sweet and comforting as it is, the past can be both suffocating and debilitating, keeping us from being effective in the present, and these are strong Mars in Cancer themes, in effect until Mars ingresses Leo September 18.

Mars, currently debilitated in the sign of Cancer, is grinding out the last tense aspect of the Cardinal Grand Cross summer of 2011 – a square to Saturn in Libra at its culmination point August 24/25. We’re coming into very close contact with the frictional challenges of relationship, including emotional habits that draw us into a weak relational position.

Saturn in Libra abhors being in a weak relational position.

Here, trusting the cautious, indirect, emotionally-triggered movement of Mars in Cancer to responsibly guide our actions in relation to other people as we navigate this square can help us avoid the pitfalls, sidestepping the game altogether.

Keep a wary eye on the people around you as well as on yourself under this square: Mars in Cancer square Saturn in Libra as the final Cardinal Grand Cross of 2011 aspect is a reality check as far as the development of and commitment to rock-solid standards for the people with whom we are in partnerships, both business and personal.

Don’t kid yourself. We’re still limited under these configurations. If we move too far, too fast, we feel the unbreakable, unshakeable limitations holding us in place.

The potentially frustrating constriction and restriction and confrontations with fear of this Mars-Saturn square have the ability to force character weaknesses acutely to the surface between now and the end of this month. With the Cancer-Libra square these include: unresolved emotional baggage, emotional immaturity, unreliability, inability to commit, making emotionally-based excuses for shirking responsibility, falsity and dishonesty to maintain social popularity/playing to your crowd, over-committing and under-performing, avoiding the responsibility of emotional honesty in relationship, living in past relationships to the detriment of present and future ones, using relationships (and people) to fill emotional voids, making decisions and taking actions based only in the attempt to alleviate personal anxiety, keeping people in your life out of habit or emotional neediness.

If people are caving under the pressure of this square and under the pressure of the Saturn transit of Libra, in general, take heed. Things are about to get infinitely more complicated as Saturn heads into Scorpio October 2012 within mutual reception to Pluto in Capricorn. It’s time to get very serious about who we have in our lives.

From previous posts:

“We're in the midst of a five-year gutting, restructuring and energetic re-balancing process in relationship that will not reach ultimate completion until the end of a period of mutual reception between Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn when Saturn leaves Scorpio September 2015...

The planetary conditions will be getting pretty dicey on multiple fronts over the next three or four years, and love and partnership take on a whole new requirement for commitment.

Legal enmeshments become increasingly sticky, and the decisions we make now have the ability to drag us into hell then. It's very easy to be adversely affected by other people refusing their Saturnine responsibilities. If you don't want to end up with double duty (theirs and yours), make firm and responsible decisions now as far as the people you have in your life. No compromising.”

There are a lot of people feeling the pressure to be in relationship under Saturn in Libra. There are a lot of fears (Saturn) coming up related to being single forever and dying alone and miserable in a cold, empty, desolate shanty reflecting a cold, empty, desolate heart. This is especially true for the Pluto in Libra generation - many of whom have done a massive amount of heavy lifting as far as shifting relationship dynamics and structures and have good reason for being late coming into relationship - they don't want to repeat the mistakes and massive fuck-ups of the past.

What this means is that people are very conscious of the passing of time and of the passing of their best case scenario love/marriage/babies timelines and are more prone to fudging it a bit, to compromising their standards and their fulfillment levels for the sake of being in a relationship, any relationship.

You could do that.

But I really wouldn’t advise it.