Lead Halo

A new lunar cycle begins with a serious week.  Mercury and Mars in Pisces spend the week in trines with Saturn in Scorpio, lending much of it an industrious tone.  The emphasis on Saturn is doubled by the slow planet’s upcoming retrograde station next Monday.  Yet Mars’ midweek conjunction to Chiron makes it difficult to pave over our vulnerabilities entirely.  Sunday night holds the Sun’s ingress into Pisces, the fourth but not final planet to make the plunge into the waiting mind-sea.

Though things are getting progressively weirder, this is a week of industry.   Put things in order as best you can for now- a sloppy bit of chaos is right on the horizon.

Chrysalis Inspection

Though it does not occur until next Monday morning, the weight of Saturn’s retrograde station in Scorpio presses upon the entire week.

Saturn’s time in Scorpio thus far has handed out a series of lessons about managing the ongoing struggle to survive and thrive in a changing world.  Though evolution is a fine a direction and transformation a miraculous phenomenon, neither takes place over night.  Successful adaption is a process, a way of being rather than a single action.  Like any alchemical process, it requires an alembic- a chrysalis.  Saturn’s retrograde station is a call to inspect the structural integrity of yours.  Can it carry its cargo successfully to the other shore, or will it be dissolved by the mighty waters?

Once the leaden giant puts it in reverse, he’ll plow steadily backwards until July 7th.

Poetic Structure

This week Mercury and Mars leave confusing, cosmic Neptune in Pisces behind for the stern embrace of Pluto in Capricorn and the cold truth of Saturn in Scorpio.   Pluto and Saturn, in a sextile for months, have been combining their respective forces to pull people toward taking responsibility for the hard truths hiding at the core of their lives.

Mercury, pulling ahead, aspects them first.  The messenger’s configuration with this stern pair on Monday and Tuesday pulls the mind to ponder necessities and responsibilities.  Though this may sound dire, there is something very helpful going on here.  With Mercury in Pisces, the thoughts tend to gain in imagination, yet lose in definition and clarity.  The trine to Saturn in Scorpio and Saturn-ruled Pluto in Capricorn provides an anchor for thoughts, a trellis for the imagination to vine around.  Indeed, with Mercury’s upcoming retrograde (Feb 22^nd), this is one of the few bits of solidity we’ll have for the next bit.  Take advantage of it during the first half of the week.

Heart Defect

Wednesday sees Mars conjoin tiny Chiron, a planetoid which roams the gulf between Saturn and Uranus.  This conjunction highlights insecurities people have about their personal power, and tempts some toward violent overcompensation.  Old wounds ache here- be careful not poke any particular fearsome beasts.

On an internal level, the Mars-Chiron conjunction draws attention to old wounds in order to heal them.  In this case, the wound is a disconnection with our use of power, the abyss between the heart and the hand holding the spear  Grip the trident and move with it, slowly, meditatively.  There is a path there, no matter how neglected.

Mind-Forge

Mars leaves tearful Chiron behind and follows on the heels of swift Mercury, sextiling Pluto on Friday and trining Saturn on Saturday.  Mars follows Mercury, as actions should follow words.  Here we bring our might to bear on the obligations we’re tasked with, walking the non-linear pathways to problem resolution, and setting subtle industry to work on our behalf.  This configuration speaks to a harmony between efforts and objectives, energies and intentions.  The heat and friction of the foundry are present as well, though.  Take a deep breath before engaging any of the conflicts which arise here.

Bending The Light

The Sun’s ingress into Pisces on Sunday night shines a ray of light into emotional and spiritual depths, bending the beam to illuminate what a linear path could never find.  The Sun’s dip into Pisces sees him joins Neptune, Mercury and Mars.

This rare gathering of planets in Pisces is, in fact, just getting started.  Venus joins the conclave next week.  These five planets will stay in Pisces until March 11^th.  This pile up places a powerful emphasis on the Fishes’ qualities, their simultaneous emphasis on both the heights and depths of human experience.   This confusing period is made even more so by the fact the Mercury will be retrograde for nearly the entire time.

Ah, there’s a lot to say…but much of its best left to next week.   For now, suffice it to say that the hot tub is getting crowded, and the party is just getting started.