Carl Van Vechten in front of the figure of Mars, god of War
As Mars enters Taurus at 7:05am (UT/+0) on May 11, 2011…our outlook will shift. Subtly if surely, we will recognize that our focus has drifted from what am I going to do…to…is what I’m doing really worth my effort? and/or…is life what it should be?
The symbolism of Mars is all about making things happen. Mars represents the very soul of courage and assertive, pro-active energy. It’s the get up and go – which now may feel a bit like it’s gotten up and gone.
But why so quickly? And what’s the point to feeling as hesitant or unwilling to change as we may feel at this point?
Aha! We have come to the thick of the issue – and so quickly! But then, we are talking about Mars…
Of all the signs in the zodiac, Taurus seems the most obvious (at least to this astrologer!) when it comes to showing up the internal cause/effect that this sign – and indeed every sign – projects, describes, portrays…however you want to put it!
In the case of Taurus, let’s remember that this is the second sign in the whole of the zodiac. So if we think of the zodiac as a ‘life cycle’ (real or implied) Taurus corresponds to half-past infant – the baby stage where the cute is cuddly and the wanting is obvious and the insecurity and vulnerability are sufficiently endearing to (as one psychologist put it to me) ensure that we continue to hold the baby near and dear, forging them their foibles.
And so it is with Taurus. But since we don’t all stay in our goo-goo, ga-ga stage, Taurus must represent something intrinsic to that age and yet applicable in all of life. And so it does: Taurus represents the finding of Self, and recognizing that said Self is worth something, resulting in self worth. As intrinsic partner to this, Taurus also embodies the native abilities which are part of our discovery – and indeed part of what we list when we list why we like ourselves (i.e., have self worth).
That’s the starting point. Through the fixed sign cycle (Taurus-Leo-Scorpio-Aquarius) we are challenged to develop (Leo) our talents and grow our self worth, put it out there for others to give us feedback on (Scorpio) and, by finally putting ourselves and whatever we’ve created of our abilities because we have self worth…by putting that out into the world we find our place in said world. We earn acceptance and ‘find our niche.’ We derive income (monetary, emotional and conceptual) from our efforts and standing as someone who was willing to invest (Scorpio) their (Leo) creativity in their (Taurus) Self.
The cycle is really a cycle…and when we complete the cycle, we get back to that place where we are satisfied with ourselves. Our self worth – our sense of satisfaction with our life and our Self increases.
Without doing the work, this desire to be satisfied and secure in/with life of course remains. And those who won’t do the work – for whatever reason they won’t/can’t find the motivation to develop their abilities and find a way to involve others or appeal to others in this world…these are the people we end up thinking of as selfish or self-centered – or in some senses, childish.
Not childlike – childish.
During the time when Mars is in Taurus (which would be now through June 20, 2011) we all get a chance to brush up on our ongoing self-development projects. Or the need for same. It would be very not shocking to want a lot now – and have little. And to feel very frustrated. Given the Taurus/Scorpio polarity, its easy to see our own side of things and not quite as easy to see why everybody doesn’t think as we do and that makes for a lot of projection. Even a bit of striking out at others.
But the issue really isn’t them. It’s about our inability to understand where they are coming from and to take what that means into account.
Think of it this way: you can be as right as right can be, but if you can’t convince others, what is that about? Sure – you can say ‘they’re just stupid!’ and get all self-righteous, but is that going to get you where you want to go? No! The real answer (duh!) is to explore with them where they are coming from and find out why they aren’t hearing you. Once you identify that, you can sort out what works and doesn’t work…and why all that is.
So your reluctance to do so? Your feelings of outrage or frustration? Okay, so you feel that way. Question: do you want to solve the problem or not?
Mars in Taurus tends to go with the outrage and/or frustration…or the equally unproductive mode we call martyrdom. Mars in Taurus can ….and is probably far better aimed at having enough faith in ourselves that we can weather figuring out why we’re not being heard. Or why we’re not getting the responses from others we really want.
So that’s the basics of the situation – and it’s worth noticing that Mars is only going to be spending about a month in Taurus this year. On one hand, that may sound like a relief. On the other however, that tells us that Mars – which having a 1.88 year-long orbital cycle usually spends closer to two months in any given sign – that Mars is really hustling along at a pretty rapid clip at the moment.
And that will result in a couple of issues, one of which we call ‘haste’ and another of which we call ‘pressure.’ Those who are well under way doing things may well experience this period as one when they’re really clipping and ripping along. But many of us will feel an urgency, a necessity – and a corresponding impatience (perhaps) with others.
To make this point – and maybe to all a little more (dis)tasteful and this point, this would also be the day when Nemesis is going direct at 9:01am (UT/+0) while poised at 21 Virgo – a degree which in itself has something of a ‘Taurus flavor.’ More to the point, lore on 21 Virgo refers to this as a degree which tests any sort of deep-seated issues we have with self-worth, with money, possessions and ‘ability to do what they want’ is held out as being “better” than satisfaction.
Nemesis by Alfred Rethel (1837)
But the truth is, when you’re satisfied, you’re satisfied. If that means you slog all day and live a penniless life, and you’re still happy as the proverbial clam, you are. Money and ‘stuff’ and status means nothing if we don’t have security of Self on our side.
You know – all that Taurus stuff.
This is where we get to that old saying the love of money is the root of all evil. It’s not just ‘money is the root of all evil’ like some think…it’s the love of money which is at issue here – just as in Scorpio the issue isn’t lust, it’s the love of lust which becomes our downfall as the ‘love of lust’ tends to negate the value of whatever is being lusted after.
And that, in being part of the Taurus/Scorpio polarity, tells us why getting straight about our self-worth and the value of investing in our own abilities is so very important. And one without the other isn’t the same thing: ability without self value is what produces that love-of-lust…in the desiring is the conviction that ‘if I can only have that’ all will be well. I’ll feel satisfied.
Except that’s not how it works.
With Nemesis, the symbol of being told that you don’t want to hear which is true even though you don’t want to hear it, going direct now, our values are in focus. And with Venus, Mercury and Jupiter meeting up in this moment to form a triple conjunction in Aries’ 3rd decanate, this is not just about ourselves. This moment, this ‘setting of a trend’ which is going to carry us through the next month (and thus through the Gemini solar eclipse to come on June 1st) …that’s worldly. That’s about how we operate in the world and how the world reacts to what we do.
You may embody Nemesis now: you may be standing up to say to point out to someone that if they keep flying on the heading they’re currently on, they’re going to fly their (whatever) into a cliff.
Or you may now come to a point where you realize something someone told you which you didn’t want to hear, that that’s right…and that if you don’t avail yourself of a little sense you’re going to be pretty much stepping off a cliff.
Or you may be facing some sort of societal force or externally generated notification that your efforts need refinement. Perhaps correction. Or that they are simply not what will work at this time.
The opportunities for getting peeved now seem numerous. But so are the opportunities to learn. And to learn how to learn. Maybe you need to learn how to take criticism? Maybe you need to learn how to tell someone ‘no.’ Maybe you need to learn how to admit – even just to yourself – that you are wrong and were wrong and someone else knew better.
Whatever your challenge is (or whatever your challenges are) while the occasional grumble is certainly to be expected, the willingness to figure out what will work and why you’ve met up with problems is really at the core of much in these weeks to come.
Things are changing. This Mars transit of Taurus is actually setting a stage for even bigger changes to come once Mars reaches Gemini and hits the degree (11 Gemini) of June’s solar eclipse – a feat it will accomplish on July 6/7 (depending where you are) – and that will be just after another solar eclipse to occur on July 1st at 9 Cancer.
That, in itself, maps out the July/August period (Mars hitting each solar eclipse point in turn) as vital and possibly uproarious…or maybe simply confusing, convoluted and confrontational.
Now is the time to make sure our feet are not just set on our own path but that said path is paved not merely with intentions, but realistic understandings. Life is not what we want it to be; it is for us to accept life is what it is and that our life can, with effort and a willingness to accept ourselves, become something we are satisfied with.
And satisfied....IS...satisfying!
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