Mars-Neptune Trine

Mars-Neptune Trine - idealistic Quicksand

"Though I don't believe, I come to you now, and I lift my doubt to your mercy"

—Leonard Cohen
Book of Mercy

"Your faith was strong but you needed proof"

— Hallelujah - Shawn Mendes
by Leonard Cohen

Activity heats up this week as we reach the 1st Quarter Phase of a lunar cycle that combines powerfully supported judgement with decisive action. There is a great deal of luck provided early in the week under a Mars-Jupiter trine that is activating last week's Mercury-Jupiter trine and inspired by this week's Mercury-Neptune trine. There are a myriad of openings, early in the week, that encourage us to make the most of the determination and balanced judgment that is being offered under the current lunar cycle. However, a Mars-Neptune trine, which will complete just before next Wednesday's Taurus Full Moon (5:19 AM PST 13° Taurus/Scorpio) could easily lure us into 'idealistic quicksand' if we don't maintain a strong grip on the actual 'facts on the ground'. The need for self-discipline and balance is paramount this week. As well, we need to be careful to avoid taking anything for granted. It is important to note that Mercury moved into the shadow phase of the next retrograde Mercury period (November 9 - November 29) at last Tuesday's Libra New Moon (5:24 AM PDT 28° Libra). The retrograde period of Mercury is set to challenge the depth of our connections to others as well as our ability to share our intentions clearly. There are powerful temptations, wound up in this atmosphere, to believe that 'the ends justify the means'. However, the tests that we are facing are geared to reminding us that, in fact, 'the means determine the ends'. We are deeply inspired by Scorpio's determination and methodical action, seen in the activity of Mercury and Mars in Scorpio. This Thursday's Mars-Saturn trine offers significant support for focused and resolute action, grounded by self-discipline. Nonetheless, with Mercury's arrival in Sagittarius on Wednesday and Mercury's opposition to Uranus, our sense of purpose and resolve can quickly fracture. The developing Mars-Neptune trine, completing next week, stirs an intense sense of purpose but has the potential to quickly evaporate into vague and dreamy idealism. Holding on to all of this week's inspiration requires that we face and vanquish any number of tricky emotional blind spots. The ongoing, deeply emotional Water Sign energy, emphasized by the building intensity of the 'long arc' Jupiter-Saturn water trine from Cancer to Pisces requires extraordinary faith and strong connections to those around us. The Water Element emotions are extremely sensitive and intuitive. Scorpio's contribution to the water sign 'triplicity' provides the vital sense of purpose and mission for our strong emotions. Mercury's return to Scorpio (November 18), trine to Mercury, and inferior conjunction to the Scorpio Sun — coming next month — suggests that we are heading towards a full reexamination of that sense of purpose and mission. By the end of this week, we find ourselves dealing with internal questions about our true purpose and our ultimate goals — 'who am I actually fighting for'. The pursuit of some kind of bottom line 'validation' and the longing for a guarantee of a successful outcome leaves us unsteady and uncertain. The 'crisis of faith' comes as we try to maintain and stabilize our connections to others — connections that will become increasingly important as the 'flow' of the 'Waters' continues to pick up speed.

The ball really 'gets rolling' on Sunday — along with some significant chaos. We're asked to drop our old assumptions and focus on creating an entirely new 'plan of action'. We are offered a significant measure of luck on Monday which, nonetheless, must be managed quite carefully. There is certainly a great deal of protection offered in the environment but few guarantees. Tuesday offers a myriad of openings that encourage us to make the most of the determination and balanced judgment that is being offered under the current lunar cycle. While we can begin to see 'the path' more clearly, we are also increasingly aware that the path is getting narrower. We are encouraged to take any risks necessary in pursuit of our goals on Wednesday. Attention to detail is quite important even though the aspirational determination is encouraging a broader perspective. Activity ramps up on Thursday, encouraging us to make the most of our alliances in order to magnify our power. However, it is especially important to remember that 'the ends do not justify the means'. There seems to be a great deal 'on the table' for deliberation on Friday but very little help to find a clear path forward. We may feel as though we have arrived at something like a 'wilderness of meaning' on Saturday. Understanding the value and importance of connection to those around us is really the baseline for maintaining our balance.