Mercury Direct / Mars in Capricorn

A combination photograph of nebula-supernova remnant W49B generated by the Chandra X-ray

Observatory (sections in blue), the observatory at California's Mount Palomar (sections in red

and green) with additional infrared courtesy of Caltech

(photo credit: NASA, CXC, SSC/J Keohane) 

To typify the difference between Mars in Sagittarius (which is ending) and Mars in Capricorn (which is about to begin) is akin to the difference between a roller coaster with all its highs and lows and a diesel freight train rolling along flat tracks.

One is a thrill ride (‘thrill’ being a relative term, of course) where the other is about efficiency and effectiveness in the course of achieving or ‘riding’ on who are what you are. (Or what something is, in the case of businesses and events.)
Mars in Sagittarius is about more, more, more...which reminds me of a movie director I once worked with, but that’s besides the point. Or maybe it isn’t, as Mars in Sagittarius manifests both the urge and the urgent need to perform for whatever reason, be the goal expansive, productive, destructive, educational or provocational - especially on any philosophical or thought-provoking level.

And where Sagittarius challenges, Capricorn rewards - provided we have earned, that is. Not that such ‘rewards’ are always pluses - sometimes there are ‘just rewards’ meted out in the course of Capricorn business of the most unpleasant kind.

Capricorn is about results and consequences. While Mars traverses Capricorn, what we do creates consequences and repercussions and we deal with the consequences and repercussions of things which have come before. Known as a ‘cool’ sign, Capricorn doesn’t hesitate to act but will tend to think through any given issue enough to reach a point well typified as ‘calculation.’

Capricorn wants to know what its getting into, because Capricorn plays to win. Note: that’s not ‘win or lose,’ Capricorn only plays to win even if there’s a background understanding that “of course” one could lose.

But with Capricorn, what is done is done not out of risk, but out of decisiveness and decision. Whatever is met up with is dealt with as that’s part of what we accept when we take something on - which may be why Mars in Capricorn is associated with tools and a quality we think of as ‘steely.’

Before I forget...while working on this blog I saw people reading Venus in Scorpio posts from other years - which is fine, mind you. That’s why they’re there. But because I’m guessing such people were reading those posts because I didn’t seem to stress Venus in the last solar eclipse post, and that’s what I want to address.

Venus was conjunct the Sun and Moon at the time of the eclipse. Like at 0 Scorpio conjunct - exactitude et al. What that means is that our yearly Venus in Scorpio period (which for 2014 began on October 23rd and will end on November 16th, UT/+0) is virtually nullified by the greater concerns of the eclipse (hence my not lingering on the Venus part though yes, I could have made this a whole lot clearer). Venus entering Scorpio would normally pit us against our own balance between self-interest and our willingness to deal with others equally (or their willingness to treat us as equals) with each of us going through our own internal push-pull as we learn all-important personal lessons about the difference between qualms, insecurities, desires and necessities.

But whenever we see any planet (or asteroid) closely conjunct the astrological Sun, we know the qualities associated with that planet are going to lose their ‘distinctness.’ Known as being ‘burned by the Sun’s rays,’ what this means is that it’s going to be very hard (read: virtually impossible) to separate our needs from our aims from our wants, hopes and resources during this Venus transit.

You can thank the solar eclipse, if you like.

A screen shot of the October 23rd solar eclipse at 0 Scorpio taken off off NASA's HD-feed from the Griffith Park Observatory here in Los Angeles.

 

However...and this is why I’m bringing this up here...when you deal with anything Scorpio, the way to find clues as to where and how and at what pace it’s going to manifest is found by looking at the planetary ruler of Scorpio - and that would be Mars. Mars is the Scorpio ‘in’ door where we choose (or are cornered, forced or otherwise obligated) to become involved with something or someone.

Yes, I know...you're thinking that Pluto rules Scorpio, and it does. But Pluto marks the results - eventual and on the short side - because we've gotten (Mars) involved.


In short, one we control: Mars. One we don’t control: Pluto.

And why is it that we focus on the Pluto?

Answer: because mystery is exciting and Mars energies by any name always confront us with making some sort of effort (pleasant or otherwise) while taking on whatever risks are associated with that effort, be they Aries-like and physical or Scorpio-like and emotional.

Mars is assertion. Now always 'naked' assertion as in 'I'm asserting myself' but the energy of assertion - that which initiates. So as Mars moves into Capricorn as of October 26th at 10:44 in the morning UT/+0 time, that would seem to be some sort of trigger or light bulb or starting gate or something which at some level sets energies, feelings, repercussions, thoughts, costs, activity and in general a deepening, an assimilating of the experiences we’ve gone through in part since August (when eclipse effects began and while Mars was in Scorpio)... and in part since early October when Mercury went retrograde - in Scorpio - prior to the month’s two eclipses.

And all that would also be true (or be truer to a more maximal degree, one doesn't know) because Mercury is going direct as of 19:16 (or 7:16 in the evening) UT/+0 time on October 25th.

Think of it as doubling up on impetus.
 
The degree Mercury is going direct at is 16 Libra, a degree which if it was a water sign we might typify as the icebergs. There’s a lot here...you just can’t see all of it. Who we are ‘meeting’ up with (as we see it in our own mind) now - and the ideas we think are being expressed - we may be assured we’re not hearing all of it at the moment. This is a moment when much ‘looms below the surface’ - and when conversely, that which may be important doesn’t rise to the surface or into sight or where we can ‘grab hold of it.’ This degree is noted for the ability to hide things, its association with career members of the military and sometimes the difficulty with belief in Self on a par with ‘the idea.’

That means that conversations, events, interactions, information...much which occurs while Mercury moves through its current station (October 23-27) is what it seems, yes. But it’s also so much more.

There’s one more station worth mentioning here at this moment - that being a station being taken by asteroid Apollo, which is going retrograde at 4 Leo on the same date (October 26) when Mars enters Capricorn. Known generally by the term ‘enlightenment,’ transits by asteroid Apollo tend to be when light gets shed on things - or when we find that thing which we need to be/become informed (enlightened) about. Considering the association between Apollo and Mars by date, we may feel or hear of a lot of people taking some (Mars) initiative to shine the light on something. Or to ‘get real’ about something rather than theorizing or dancing around about it - which would be another natural shift associated with Mars moving from a fire sign (Sagittarius) where theory is all into earth sign Capricorn, a sign known for tangible results.

Mars' Acidalla Mare Erythraeum

(photo credit: NASA, JPL) 

As for the degree Apollo is going retrograde at (4 Leo) this is a degree which sounds very un-Leo-like as instead of being known for it’s buoyant sunniness is known for its ability to manifest with a directness which is (unbeknownst to some) somewhat cynical. The insight here is on self-reliance and an active interest in tracking down the thing which will ‘scratch the itch,’ as it were.

With Mercury going direct, we can expect a lot of things which have been held up to begin moving, and over the next couple of weeks much can get done, particularly in any arena where interactions center on exchanges of information are concerned. Moreover, it seems well worth noting that as Mercury exits its retrograde shadow on November 10th, Mars is conjuncting Pluto.

That should be exciting.

In fact, it’s likely to be exciting...maybe even overly so... though the bliss-versus-breakage balance is strictly up to us.

But then, that isn’t news.

Mars will be in Capricorn until early December, when it will move into Aquarius a day or so shy of Jupiter going on station in Leo - which is an astrological way of saying those who want to get things accomplished should get them done now.

After all, what are we waiting for?
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