Mars-Pluto Opposition

Mars-Pluto Opposition — Tension and Courage

"It's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Watching some good friends screaming, "Let me out"
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people, people on streets"

— Queen - Pressure
Queen & David Bowie

Despite the waning lunar cycle, pressure builds to seemingly unmanageable levels this week. Mars arrives in Leo at the beginning of the week, heading towards an opposition to Pluto in Aquarius. As Mars arrives in Leo, riding the Cancer-Leo cusp, we're likely to see plenty of bluster but also some protectiveness and deep insecurity. The Moon arrives in Taurus on Monday following an overnight opposition to Mercury, setting up a brief but powerful Grand Fixed Cross — squaring Mars and Pluto and eventually opposing Venus — suggesting extraordinary tensions and building pressures. Adding to Monday's intensity, the Sun completes a trine to Uranus that continues to stir the determined initiatives of last Saturday's Aries Full Moon (9:48 AM PDT 3° Aries/Libra). Monday's unpredictable developments are sure to leave lasting consequences. Mercury joins Venus in Scorpio on Wednesday (where it will station retrograde on October 24th) and quickly runs into the Mars-Pluto opposition, forming a Fixed T-Square that will complete on Friday, setting a highly pressurized tone ahead of Saturday's retrograde station of Venus. The Mars-Pluto opposition suggests intense, ego-driven emotional outbursts and the square to Mercury is likely to encourage sharp tongues — but offer little help to clearly communicate productive solutions. Nonetheless, Mercury actually 'packs a punch' in Scorpio and rules Wednesday's Gemini Moon. The Gemini Moon sextiles Mars and Neptune and trines Pluto before reaching a conjunction to Uranus, suggesting a remarkable amount of skill that may be used in any number of productive — or destructive — ways. There are plenty of temptations to play dangerous games. Manipulation and deception are certainly available to those who are trying to 'get ahead'. Nonetheless, we're also quite vulnerable to outsmarting ourselves in any attempts to take advantage of others.'Discriminating strength and determined compromise may blend here as great power for good.' However, the main challenge is to effectively blend the wide variety of influences into something productive. Mercury takes on a considerable amount of significance upon arriving Scorpio this week, providing some of the courage that we've been trying to stabilize following last week's Full Moon. While Mars is trining Neptune, Mercury squares Pluto, which demands the pursuit of deeper truth, instead of only driving the rather ungrounded, idealistic zeal that is indicated the the Mars-Neptune trine. Venus slows down all week and finally turns retrograde at the end of the week — the beginning of 40 Days and 40 Nights when we are offered a chance to review our deepest desires and face down our fears of uncertainty and doubt. Living comfortably with life's inevitable fears, uncertainty, and doubt — without escapism, denial, or blindness — is perhaps the most important lesson that we are offered by the sign of Scorpio. When Venus is retrograde, the rose-colored glasses come off. We lose much of our capacity to look past the faults and flaws that have always been there. How we respond to the stark picture that we see — without the rosy Venusian glow — is the true challenge of a retrograding Venus. In the unpredictable and highly pressurized atmosphere that we find this week, responding effectively and productively is likely to be extremely challenging.

There is a strong feeling that we need to 'clear the decks' on Sunday — the feeling that we need to 'prepare' without any clear idea of exactly what we need to prepare for. The early afternoon provides an especially buoyant optimism that may — or may not — be firmly rooted in the 'facts'. Monday's unpredictable developments are sure to leave lasting consequences. We're likely to feel extraordinary tensions and building pressures. We'll do better to listen on Tuesday, rather than trying to promote any particular course of action. We're left in a 'wait and see' situation for most of the day. There are plenty of temptations to play dangerous games on Wednesday. Nonetheless, we're also quite vulnerable to outsmarting ourselves in any attempts to take advantage of others. The is a strong inclination pull back in some way on Thursday — either keeping our 'powder dry' or patiently waiting for a 'clear shot'. We seem to be more focused on gathering information rather than openly sharing observations. The frustrations in Friday's atmosphere is inescapably intense. Emotional sensitivity and concerns over security and safety encourages the tendency to 'hide and watch' rather than actively engage. Despite a demand for balance on Saturday most of us are prone to 'picking a side'. The frustration and impatience is 'off the charts'.