Mars and Jupiter in Aries: Back to Work
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
What If
If the Sun in Gemini has a fault (a point which I’m not prepared to concede), it’s that it finds it difficult to focus on any one of its many interests long enough to make something of them. As the Sun connects in a sextile aspect with Jupiter in Aries this week (May 23, 2022, 4:05 am PDT), however, the Gemini spirit finds that one road looks far more enticing than any other. And since Gemini’s ruling planet, Mercury, is still retrograde, that road leads backward, to a road not taken.
Here’s another chance to find out “what if” – what if you’d chosen one path instead of another, way back when. Here’s your opportunity to turn back time. But this aspect moves quickly, and Aries is in a hurry – so get moving!
Emerging From Confinement
I generally enjoy unearned good health. But on the rare occasion I get sick, I give myself over to it with feverish (literally) intensity. I take to my bed, drink lots of water, strap on earbuds, and sleep.
Fighting off physical sickness, or coping with grief or spiritual malaise, is the work of Mars in Pisces, where it’s been transiting since April 14. But as we’ve approached the end of that transit – as with the end of any healing period – we’ve been feeling just recovered enough to be bored, but not quite well enough to jump back into life as usual.
Mars entering Aries (May 24, 2022, 4:17 pm PDT, through July 4), its home sign, is like the first day back at work after an illness. It feels so good go get out of your pajamas and into street clothes again, to feel the reassuring heft of shoes. For the first few hours, you’re brimming with vitality and enthusiasm, but you’re still a little wobbly, like a newborn lamb. And the first days of Mars in Aries are a bit like this, with our spirit outpacing our strength. We’re still emerging from Mars in Pisces’s confinement, and the spirit is willing, but our legs aren’t strong enough to hold us up for long.
Love and Work
When I’m asked what I do for fun, I usually reply, “…I work?” I’m not that good at relaxing and enjoying myself, and it seems the minute I adopt a creative hobby, I find a way to turn it into a business.
Come to think of it, I suppose business is sort of my creative hobby. I’m lucky to have found a way to make my living doing something I truly love, but I won’t lie – it’s taken a lot of Saturn to make it work.
Venus is the symbol of pleasure, and it’s also connected to the way we earn our livelihood. Right now, it’s moving through Aries, and Venus in this sign loves a challenge and a new frontier. As Venus meets up with Saturn this week in an opportunity-oriented sextile aspect (May 24, 2022, 4:06 am PDT), an invitation or idea may come across the transom and lead you to wonder: Could you combine what you love with your occupation? Maybe you’ve got a book inside you that needs only Saturn’s discipline to find its way out. Or perhaps you meet someone who works remotely, on the road in an RV, a pioneer who’s free to enjoy some of the world’s greatest natural spaces as their office, and you think to yourself, “Well, as a matter of fact.…”
Can you make a living doing what you love, where you love to do it? That depends. Loving Venus is easy. But can you love and embrace Saturn as well?
Wanting What We’ve Gotten
A couple of days ago, Venus in aspect to Saturn promised that with just a little bit of work and planning, we could get what we want. Venus square Pluto (May 26, 2022, 11:29 pm PDT) doesn’t negate that, but it does suggest that having gotten what we wanted, we might find that we don’t really want what we’ve gotten.
A connection between Venus and Pluto can be beautiful and soulful, symbolizing depth of feeling, authentic love, and affection for things or people that are difficult to love. But it’s a combination that has to be treated consciously and carefully, because it’s a fine line that separates deep love and painful obsession. Pluto has a way of sucking up all the oxygen in the room with its focus and desire for control. That’s not for everyone, and particularly not for Venus in Aries, an independent sign that needs its breathing room.
This is a fast transit, with an influence of just a few days. But take this time to examine whether something you’re feeling is true love or a need for control.
Earthly Delights
Venus, planet of pleasure, enters Taurus and the garden of earthly delights this week (May 28, 2022, 7:46 am PDT, though June 22). After an exhilarating but exhausting transit through Aries, Venus – and we – can be forgiven for wanting to flop down on the couch with a good book and a snack.
So, rest up – but don’t get too comfortable. Venus’ aspects to Saturn (June 18) and Uranus (June 11) could bring something exciting that’s well worth rolling up your sleeves and working for.
Sky Blue Yonder
Just a few days into its Aries homecoming, Mars makes a conjunction with Jupiter (May 29, 2022, 3:31 am), the girthful god that accentuates everything fresh, energetic, and unformed about Aries.
Look at a toddler testing out his newfound verticality, running around for a few thrilling moments before collapsing in a heap. As Mars meets Jupiter, the feeling of physical exhilaration meets limitless, sky blue yonder enthusiasm. That’s a lot of zest, all at once, and you’re still a little unsteady on your pins after your long Mars in Pisces confinement. So set your toddler self in a safe place to practice its steps and gain some strength before setting it loose into the world.
Writing and collages © 2018-2021 April Elliott Kent
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