Make Camp
When Mars and Jupiter came together by conjunction in Aries on May 29, 2022, they were two grizzled pioneers meeting on the prairie who set out as trail mates on an exciting, but daunting, expedition. This week, they reach a square aspect (May 22, 2023, 10:13 pm PDT) in Leo and Taurus, two fixed signs that are currently under pressure from Pluto in Aquarius. That’s a tiring combination, even for hardy planets in such stalwart signs.
The conjunction marked the beginning of a journey that offered no guarantees, no security, only something completely new and exhilarating. And now is not the time to give up on that journey. But even pioneers have to know when it’s time to pull over and make camp for a little while, to rest in the shade and water the horses.
Jupiter will find this pause so delicious that it’s hard to get moving again. But Mars – who was reluctant to stop in the first place – will grow restless pretty quickly. Trust him to push that comfortable Jupiter, and us, back out onto the dusty trail by week’s end.
Lunch for a Road Trip
In the wake of the Mars-Jupiter-Pluto convergence over the past week, you might feel like a tin can that’s been tied to the bumper of a car and dragged along for a few miles. You know what you need? You need a little Venus. And this week (May 26, 2023, 00:37 am PDT) she arrives in as a sextile aspect to Uranus.
Sextiles show up as invitations, meetings, correspondence, visitors, whispered suggestions – all of which offer opportunities. And when it’s magnetic Venus issuing the invitations, they’re all but impossible to refuse.
Venus in Cancer woos us with fresh baked cookies, a beautiful home, a warm pat on the hand, and a comforting “there, there.” Just what a dented tin can of a person might need just about now.
Recent transits have given us a good shake and pushed us unceremoniously upon a new path. Venus’ sextiles fortify us for the journey with loving comfort, like Mom sending us off on a road trip with a care package filled with our favorite treats.
Sunday Best
Anyone who lives with a cat can tell you that when it throws itself at your feet, rolling around with its stomach bared and its paws in the air, it is almost never an invitation to scratch that enticing belly. Try it, and you’ll likely come away with a few war wounds.
Mars in Leo, a fearsome feline, squares the Lunar Nodes this week (May 26, 2023, 1:05 pm PDT, 3.32 Leo/Taurus) on the Sabian symbol, Man formally dressed and a deer with its horns folded. This is a Mars hunter with his trophy, dressed up in his Sunday best, looking for all the world as though he’s been tamed and incorporated into polite society. But don’t be fooled; Mars is just beneath the surface, and those claws can destroy the unwary.
As Mars bends toward the North Node on the Sabian symbol The rainbow’s pot of gold, we can be propelled in the direction of significant rewards and cherished dreams by our animal nature– as long as it’s dressed up a little. But as always, the nodal axis is a tightwire act, and one false move can plunge us toward the Scorpio South Node, where paws come out swinging.
The Hard Path is the Right Path
At this week’s Virgo First Quarter Moon (May 27, 2023, 8:22 am PDT) the Sun and Moon both occupy signs ruled by Mercury. The fact that they’re in a relationship of natural tension with each other illustrates the differences between Mercury’s two faces. Gemini is the witty, charming linguist, the traveler, the trickster side of Mercury. Virgo represents Mercury’s practical side – the businessperson, service provider, shopkeeper, repairman, or merchant. The Sun in Gemini shines with Mercury’s wit, charm, and love of wordplay and ideas; the Moon in Virgo longs to roll up its sleeves, rent a retail space, and make those ideas a reality.
At this First Quarter, both the Sun and Moon connect with Saturn in intuitive Pisces. Knowing which direction to take isn’t entirely a question of what makes sense to us logically, despite what the Sun and Moon in Mercury’s signs would have us believe, and it will absolutely not be easy. In fact, the way we’ll recognize the path that’s right is that it seems dauntingly hard, and that it appeals to our compassionate side.
Words Can Hurt
When we’re comfortable and well-fed, with a roof overhead and no immediate threats to our safety, it can be hard to summon the motivation to pursue our largest goals and give to others. But Saturn’s journey through Pisces insists that we do just that. As the Sun in Gemini squares Saturn in Pisces this week (May 28, 2023, 3:46 am PDT), we find out why our efforts to relax and enjoy the sociable delights of this temperate season have been thwarted by limitations, obligations, and a nagging sense of unease. Saturn is the influence that attempts to shave away the less appealing edges of our character, and he doesn’t have a lot of time for play and relaxation – even in an easy-going sign like Pisces.
And Saturn in Pisces is in an authoritative, almost parental relationship with any planet in Gemini. The Gemini “child” in us is bright and fun and delights in playing with people, language, ideas, and occasionally, the truth. Saturn in empathetic Pisces gently reminds Gemini that the words it blows into the air like soap bubbles can be hurtful to tender hearts; and that even though Gemini’s job description requires it to keep moving from flower to flower – and from person to person – it’s not okay to abandon those who love and depend on us, simply to chase a glittering new prospect.
Writing and images © 2017-23 by April Elliott Kent
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