Mars in Leo - Hidalgo and Arachne Direct

Frontispiece from 'An Argosy of Fables' (c 1921, P Bransom, illustrator)

In the wake of Sedna’s station as the Grand Sextile moves towards formulation, Mars enters Leo.

The date? August 28th, with Mars entering Leo at 2:06 in the morning, UT/+0 time.

As this happens, Hidalgo will also be stationing and going direct – as is its fellow space traveler, Arachne.

A symbol of ‘manners,’ mannerisms, Hidalgo refers to the manner in which we do something and the manner in which we should do something (protocols). The degree of Hidalgo’s station being 16 Sagittarius, we are all likely to be influenced by whatever it is which evokes our love of pleasure. Curious however is the fact that 16 Sagittarius is also associated with eruptions of the skin, infections and problems breathing – all of which may be thought of as being connected to (or a manifestation of) inner discomforts. Considering how this station coincides with Mars energizing the strong Leo desire to exercise our wants, desires and aims, the combination may point to anything from a simple irritation with whatever may be interrupting us to a feeling of being totally overwhelmed (drowned) by the totality of life.

That Hidalgo is going direct with Pandora just behind and Pholus plus Ixion just ahead does seem to indicate that we know there’s choppy water – or at least a lot of effort – which needs investing at some level if we’re to make things work the way we want them to, or see them move in the direction which will assist us in reaching our goals.

You know, the Sagittarian mantra.

There's also the fact that Hidalgo is a centaur - not a main belt asteroid. Cycling from just beyond the orbit of Saturn past Jupiter into the depths of the asteroid belt, Hidalgo speaks to all those things which originate beyond our (Saturn) grasp which in confronting and learning about them, we learn to manage - though we'll never quite control them.

And let's face it, control is a major human issue. So with Hidalgo in Sagittarius (a sign all about learning what works, which of our ideas need refining before they can work and what we need to learn along the way to our personal goals), much is likely to be churning through our days, our minds, our emotional psyches.

Currently just crossing into the metaphysical realm of our 'Reality' (as symbolized by Saturn), nothing about Hidalgo's effects are likely to be - or feel all that 'ordinary.' That we know from Hidalgo's inclination - which is to say, our inclination about "Hidalgo Factors."

Given the high inclination (how Hidalgo doesn't travel on the same plane as most of our planetary solar system) Hidalgo is either something we feel is 'imposed' on us or something which comes from 'off the beaten path' which we need to incorporate with our methodology (i.e., our 'life protocol'). It can be either - or both.

Plus, let us not forget the metaphysical concept of centaurs as a class. The mythic centaur is a beast which joins the upper half of a man to the powerful body of a horse. These two pieces are joined at the horse's heart and the human genitals, a combination which plainly asks us whether we will...or even can 'rise above' our pure animal instinct to a place where we can insist that we use our greatest (animal) strength to serve the greater thoughtful purposes life would ask of us - both for life's sake, and for our sake, too.

With Mars ingressing Leo trailed by Tantalus and fronted by Scheherazade and Sphinx suggests that there’s a ways to go before we can become that living legend in our own eyes. But we do truly and sincerely want our (Leo) vision to be – or become our truth.

The fact that the Moon is in early Gemini as this pair of events takes place is also interesting, as Moon in Gemini always indicates some degree of personal investment on the mental plane. Given that the Grand Sextile will be in effect rather fleetingly (but importantly) very early on August 29 (UT/+0) this means the effects of the Grand Sextile, though positioned in earth and water, will formulate mentally…and inspire us to see a more powerful, more (Sedna) authentic road which may yet be followed through our life.

Into which comes the Hidalgo-Arachne issue of whether we are too caught up in some manner of being or some external protocol to heed either the warning or invitation offered us by life…events…karma…fate….time.

Even for those who will follow the invisible light of faith, achieving those ends will take planning, effort and surrendering to our vulnerabilities to get there – a concept which Mars in Leo may or may not be in sync with, depending on your natal Mars and where Leo falls in your chart. In the most general sense, what we could expect here is a pretty clear split between those who will tend to scoff and those willing to recognize truths which require that they put their ‘big boy’ (or girl) pants on and get to work.

The Grand Sextile is a call for us to internalize the idea that life is not the idea of living, but the event, the experiencing of it, the taking the heartfelt risk if you know deep down in the noodles of your soul that you really need to change, know or embrace something new.

Maybe even somebody new – who knows!

Because the Moon represents our ‘everyday life,’ the fact that it will be in Gemini as Mars moves into Leo denotes a general sense of ‘knowing what I’m doing’ – into which comes the enormous funneling of energy governed by the linking of then and now, heaven and earth, conscious and subconscious, actions and fate. Given the accompanying elements attending the Mars/Leo ingress, we are all likely to be focused (at some level) on something we feel is ‘inadequate’ in ourselves…or maybe just in life. And we’ll be doing our best to cope, putting a shiny (Scheherazade) face on things despite our (Sphinx) quandaries and the fervent (Tantalus) wish that we didn’t have to deal with any of it.

Oh shades of Sedna’s station…! The echoes of our expectations will so ring loudly through the cosmos.

And more importantly, through our consciousness. But are they ours? Are those ideas really what we think and feel about ourselves? Or do they come from some ‘when’ which is not now?

What is really important?

Hidalgo’s station will begin on August 26, come to full focus on the 28th (as it goes direct) and continue through the 30th. As with all stations, its to our advantage to pay attention to any event or moment which embraces or evidences the ‘meaningful motion’ – or lack of same…the being paused by focus…which occurs.

Remember it. Pin it to your mental bulletin board for further reflection.

Another concepts with regards to stations in general which bears remembering now: events which occur during the ‘station window’ but prior to the station generally refer not to things ‘changing directions’ in your life, in your regard, in your opinion, but will also evidence as time goes on.

Like the windows pictured here, astrological influences come in a myriad of shapes

and sizes and can bring a refreshing breath of air, chilling cold or blistering conditions to our lives.

Every time there's an astrological station, transit or eclipse,

we each face the choice of whether we will open the window and risk a moment

of shock for the chance that our souls will be fanned by the balm of warmth and

caring - or not. Far too many of us, I suspect, have our windows locked

with the latches painted over.  

(Image credit: Windows by Tourre)

In other words, the event prior to station exactness is about something which hasn’t yet happened – at least not in concrete fullness. Against this, the thing which happens or occurs to you after the moment of the station but within the ‘station window’ are by and large a ‘playing out’ of events or situations which have already occurred.

These effects are subtle, but very and entirely real. Either way, the effect is traceable: for those of you who are astrologers or into astrology (yes, I know you’re out there and I’m complimented by your taking time to read this blog)…grab your natal chart (preferably a detailed version of same) and start by looking at the symbols or aspects being struck at the time of your “current event.” Then look back or forward through planetary movements to see when some other body will hit these points. The larger the event, the more significant the transit.

With that recipe duly dictated, on to Arachne. Among the thousands of main belt asteroid (representing things we encounter along the way to mastery and achievement), Arachne is going direct at 12 Sagittarius at 9:50 p.m. on August 2th (timed for the UT/+0 zone). The degree 12 Sagittarius is a highly energetic degree which rife with passion of all types – sexual and otherwise. Such energy may be used directly (in a straightforward manner), used as an ‘infusion’ in the healing of others or even converted into insight or far-seeing visions...good or bad.

An 'Arachnecized' soul from Dante's Purgatorio (Canto 12)

as envisioned by master illustrator Gustave Dore (1832-1883)

 
Since we are talking about Arachne, it is to be expected that (depending on where 16 Sagittarius falls in your natal and current solar chart) you may be, or get ‘caught up’ in one or another form of this energy and find it difficult to make a shift in the way your moment-to-moment life requires.

In going direct on the 28th, Arachne also has a station allowance which begins on August 26th and which then extends through August 30st.

And since both stations extend beyond the moment of the Grand Sextile, look for a change of situational dynamics and personal outlook as the spiritual linkage ends.

I know full well we each have our own orientation to how life works and what’s worth taking our time to witness. People go out to watch eclipses, to watch alignments.

Personally, my deepest respect goes to the Grand Sextile, the image of the Hermetic statement ‘as above, so below.’

But maybe that’s just because of how my life is shaped.

We each need to follow our uniquely personal path. We are not ‘like’ one another – we’re not meant to be ‘like’ anyone else. Our friends, associates, lovers and dearly loved ones are not those who always agree with us, they are those whom we can love for their humanity. For their willingness to share. We love them for being there…we love them for giving us space enough in which to operate on our own, as our own person.

Mars in Leo is at its heart about the inspiration to be more tomorrow than we are on any given day. To have that drive, to see someone else struggling with their mortality and their potential is inspiring. We all have lives filled with details and histories which seem to warp us so tantalizingly (in the Tantalus manner), which wrap and bind us in Arachne-like silken threads.

Mars in Leo is one of those forces which allows us to see beyond the simplistic. All things happen for a reason is not just a slogan.

It’s a reality. And for the next seven-plus weeks while Mars continues its transit of Leo, we have an opportunity to see through life’s veneers to the level where we are each capable of informing ourselves on a hugely powerful level about why that which may have been so difficult, painful or seemingly detrimental is the gift which allows us to elevate ourselves from a level of life where we live for mundane pleasure to a place where we are able to be fused and fueled by those truly great motivations which allow us to become the gift to ourselves and everyone else in life.

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For more information on the Grand Sextile of August 29th,
please refer to the previous post on Sedna’s station

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