Mars Squares Saturn

Mars Squares Saturn - Frustrated Idealism

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

—Harriet Beecher Stowe

The extended Grand Water trine energies that have dominated the environment since the last days of October come to a close this week. The Moon wanes in light and, in essence, there is a feeling that 'the waters are receding'. The potential for a 'fresh start' brings a great deal of optimism but not necessarily a solid sense of direction. Neptune stations direct midweek, joining Saturn in the march back into Aries towards February's Saturn-Neptune conjunction at the first degree of the Zodiac — 0° Aries. Neptune's direct station helps us begin to set aside any irrational fears or unattainable dreams 'washed ashore' by the extended Grand Water trine's emotional, 'deep waters'. However, we aren't quite ready to 'break new ground' this week which is likely to produce some significant frustration and impulsiveness. Mars squares Saturn this week and also approaches a square to Neptune, from Sagittarius to Pisces. We are tempted to embrace an aggressive self-righteousness, impatient to move forward but stalled by a confusing jumble of obstacles. The creativity and inspiration in this environment may truly be 'off the charts' but we just aren't likely to find the traction we need in order to pursue the expansive aspirations that this environment is stirring up. Taming impulsiveness and fully appreciating the opportunities that are available to pursue further consideration is the general challenge we are facing throughout the week. Mercury won't emerge from the 'shadow' of the last retrograde period until next week, Mercury opposes Uranus and trines Neptune before arriving in Sagittarius, producing a foggy inspiration that makes it difficult to effectively listen to different perspectives. Nonetheless, with it's return to Sagittarius on Thursday, Mercury brings forward an extremely well-informed, broad perspective. Mercury's sextile to Pluto at the end of the week, provides marginal help to maintain a broad perspective in the midst of the frustrating Mars-Saturn square. Despite the challenging frustrations, our minds can begin to turn towards the future this week. Only Chiron, Uranus, and Jupiter remain retrograde. Chiron will turn direct next month, Uranus in February, and Jupiter in March. (Mercury will also station direct in March, following a retrograde phase in Pisces, from February 26th until March 19th.) This week provides a great deal of support to recheck plans and identify any weaknesses. Next week's Sagittarius New Moon (5:43 PM PST 28-deg Sagittarius), which squares Neptune and quincunxes Uranus, offers the suggestion of potential for a return to stability — but flexibility will be lacking. We will also feel increased sensitivity to unexpected twists and surprises. Taking advantage of the chance for further consideration this week will help us to mitigate the disruption that is on the way in the next lunar cycle.

The potential for a 'fresh start' on Sunday brings a great deal of optimism but not necessarily a solid sense of direction. There is still more consideration and 'contemplation' to accomplish before we will actually be ready to 'break ground' on any new initiatives. We are tempted to display a great deal of aggressive self-righteousness on Monday. Wisdom is required in order to obtain the necessary degree of objectivity and hold onto a 'big-picture' perspective. Without a clear vision of how our actions can serve the 'greater good', we'll miss Tuesday's potential opportunities. Self-serving actions will leave us intensely frustrated. Daydreaming is the most likely pursuit on Wednesday. Impulsiveness may creep in to fill a void. We feel a great deal of inspiration to turn our focus towards the future on Thursday. The aspirational environment continues to encourage impulsiveness but there are valid intentions behind our desire to take action. Friday offers an excellent atmosphere to bring about consensus and we may see some surprising new agreements and alliances. Despite the building impulsiveness, we have added ability to quickly recognize weaknesses and recheck plans. The processing of disappointments and past 'slights' encourages a deep dive on Saturday. The more that we can embrace a 'big picture' perspective and simply 'clear the air', the more effective that we will be.