As Above, So Below

I’m so restless that I’m having trouble writing. The thing that’s making me restless is that I really want to be editing. I feel a strong need to move forward with what I’ve already begun. I know I’m not the only one feeling it. I’ve noticed that since the New Year, many people are anxious to make big changes in their lives. They’re hoping for new jobs, promotions, transfers, they want to take classes, send more query letters, do more promotion, start a blog, begin a new novel, move forward, make something happen. And many are feeling blocked because none of it is happening fast enough. So I wasn’t a bit surprised when I checked the ephemeris the other day and found Jupiter, planet of more, more, more forming a square aspect with Uranus, planet of change.

On one hand, this aspect, which is a ninety-degree angle between the planets, can coincide with surprising changes of fortune, sudden opportunities, and lucky wins – if they are activating the right planets in a person’s natal chart. For the rest of us, it can make us restless and impatient, and we make changes just for the sake of something, anything being different.

Uranus is the planet of rebellion, of liberty, freedom, and justice for all. The U.S. was founded on Uranian principles. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were astrologers. Bet you didn’t know that, did you? This square aspect is one of wanting more (Jupiter) freedom (Uranus) and we can go to some fairly big lengths to get it. Fed up with the status quo, making changes seems to be the only way to get ahead now, and we’re willing to shake things up a bit, or even a lot, just to get things moving again. We don’t want to be pressured into it, though, because being pressured into it means a lack of freedom to make the choices for ourselves.

On the other hand, we can get a lot more (Jupiter) than we bargain for. At times while this aspect is in effect, we might experience so many changes that we can’t begin to anticipate what might happen next (Uranus represents surprises, too).

The key to dealing with this aspect is to stop and consider whether or not the changes will work before we jump in headfirst. Sometimes, change simply makes the situation worse. On February 2, Mars, the planet of action, will form an aspect to Uranus, planet of change. The logjam will disperse, and new opportunities for change will present themselves. Until then, we need to bear with it. Hang in there. If you must change something, make it a small change unlikely to have long-term, life-altering effects.

There’s another significant aspect forming now, too, one that becomes complete much sooner, and is even more difficult to deal with. This one includes Mars, too. It’s about to form a conjunction with Pluto. A conjunction means they are 0 degrees apart. If Pluto could be seen with the naked eye, they would appear to be in a straight line with each other … you know the line – the shortest distance between two points. Depending on where in the world you live, this is going to take place on the 12th or 13th of this month.

Mars is the penis planet. It represents everything we think of as being in a man’s domain – ego energy, action, ambition, sex, sports, competition, assertiveness, anger, war, weapons, tools, bloodshed, cuts, and burns. Yes, of course, women experience these things, too. Everyone has Mars energy.

Pluto is the planet of the soul, but it’s also the planet of power, and I’m not talking AA batteries here. It’s atomic, volcanic, and violent. When the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Mars and Pluto were in a square aspect with each other. When the Columbia exploded, Mars and Pluto were conjunct. When the Titanic left port on her maiden voyage, Mars and Pluto were conjunct (I know what you’re wondering. What about the World Trade Center? Mars had very recently passed the conjunction to Pluto. Saturn – loss and grief - was in aspect with Pluto for that one). There are many more examples of disasters that have occurred while Mars and Pluto were in aspect to each other, but I’m not trying to predict disasters here. I’m trying to explain what it means to Average Joe.

While under the influence of these two, we want to call the shots. We want to run things and do them our own way, and we want other people to do them our way, too. There are going to be a lot of ego conflicts under this aspect, not only emanating from us, but attracting others of like mind. There will be major power struggles. It’s a very ambitious aspect. It’s relentless, remorseless, vengeful, vindictive, brutal, sadistic, cutthroat, cruel, cold-blooded and merciless. It’s ego energy taken to extremes. We want to have power over others. Problem is, they want to have power over us, too. Some of us are just not aggressive by nature (you Libra people know who you are), but even you might be surprised how much you enjoy having and wielding power under this aspect. It’s okay to have power. It’s not okay to abuse it. There’s nothing altruistic about the influence of these planets. It’s used for selfish gain, pure and simple. Of course, not everyone can have the upper hand. Some people are going to win, and some are going to lose. The best we can hope for if we find ourselves in a power struggle is to try to convince our opponents that we’re working toward the same goal. It’s also a really good idea to stay away from the local Shop & Rob, and avoid Voodoo Village during this time.

The aspect does have advantages. It’s great if you have some heavy construction work needing to be done, yanno, like if you need to tear down a structure the size of the Great Wall of China or something. We’ll be able to work very hard toward our goals, and accomplish difficult tasks, or we can wreak total havoc if we don’t think about these energies while we’re doing it. Good luck. I hope we all come out of it unscathed.

Sapiens dominabitur astris ~ A wise man is ruled by the stars.