Mars In Taurus

Mars In Taurus - Bulldozer

"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."

— Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

We hit a few bumps in the road this week as we seek to make use of the confidence, optimism, and initiative that was fostered by last week's Cancer New Moon (June 28th 7:52 PM PDT 7° Cancer). Last week's challenge was to move forward while continuing to open up to the input of others. This week, we see old wounds and lingering blind spots begin to surface in ways that seem to demand our attention. Mars leaves it's home sign of Aries to be tempered in Taurus. As well, Mercury leaves its home sign of Gemini for the sensitivity of Cancer. Persistence and determination is enhanced but so too is our sensitivity to the needs and opinions of others. Emotional intensity and some tendency to try too hard to be of service to others opens the door to unexpected internal emotional challenges. Chiron plays a significant role this week, activated by a sextile from Venus that is followed up by a square from the Sun. We are forced to acknowledge that our ambitions cannot be accomplished by simple 'will power' when we have residual emotional 'wounds' in front of us to be dealt with. Ultimately, this week's emotional challenges and crises are mostly transitory but can serve to clear away more troublesome debris that is holding us back from making effective progress. Threads of passive-aggressive impatience and self-righteous martyrdom are indications that we are responding by using denial, deflection, or superficial examinations that don't offer true healing and release.. By the end of the week, whatever we have not managed to heal and release are likely to go 'back in the box'. For some, this may produce hopeless dissolution or unexplained tragedies that have roots in unprocessed pain. However, there are also opportunities for inspiring breakthroughs. But it will take determination, persistence, and honesty. We are certain to have more opportunities for breakthroughs under next Wednesday's Capricorn Full Moon (11:37 AM PDT 21° Capricorn/Cancer). Even if we don't find the sense of 'complete clarity' this week that might bring us to the place we are so intensely envisioning, we do have a chance to ease the challenges of our journey as we go forward.

We may find ourselves swept up in the struggles of others on Sunday. We need to guard against stretching ourselves too thin. We step back from any impulsiveness on Monday as Mars moves towards Taurus. Persistence is increasing but we shouldn't dig in our heals if we're standing on quicksand. Concern over what others are thinking begins to creep into our thoughts on Tuesday. Our egos may feel somewhat exposed or vulnerable. Internal challenges may seem to stall our progress on Wednesday. It is important that we take time to acknowledge painful feelings. Intuition is unsteady on Thursday and we may be tempted to simply bury any dissatisfaction or resentment. However, on Friday, the need to face emotional challenges directly reaches a critical juncture. We need to face our pain directly or risk sacrificing our individual sense of purpose and mission. Saturday's 'loose' Grand Water Trine allows our emotions to flow. However, there is some tendency to obscure any 'loose ends' of emotional pain. Some may face emotional dissolution while others will find ways to achieve important breakthroughs.