A box, a summit, and a dalliance with temptation
Let’s say that when Mars first entered Aquarius in mid-May of this year, you took down a big, dusty box that you’d been avoiding for years and decided to sort it out once and for all. The progress was slow; there were maddening stacks of carefully sorted paperwork all over your office. And then, on June 26, Mars stationed retrograde and blew the papers everywhere. It took a full month to gather them up again. And when Mars backed into Capricorn (August 12), you discovered something in those papers, a detail that had previously been overlooked, something critical; and you set to work untangling it. By the time Mars turned direct (August 27), you were finished, and everything had been recovered and resorted.
And that was just the beginning. This week, Mars will re-enter Aquarius for a final visit (Sep. 10, 5:56 pm). You’ve cleared the decks and dealt with whatever was holding you back. Now, the serious work can begin. By the time Mars leaves Aquarius (mid-November), you will have dealt with everything in that box – filed it, stowed it, thrown it out, shredded it, cleaned it, or passed it along.
“The beginning is always today.”
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Jupiter and Pluto are up to something. They started hatching a plan back in January; in mid-April, they had a second, secret meeting. And on September 11, they hold separate meetings with the Sun in Virgo, the figurehead that must sanction their plans; these meetings are productive. Jupiter’s wealth and Pluto’s power are being consolidated this week. There will be no interference.
We think of the “easy” planetary aspects—sextile and trine—as bringing good fortune. Sometimes, they do. But it depends on the context. These aspects mean that the players involved can accomplish what they want to with little notice and no interference; the question is, who are the players, and what do they wish to accomplish? And what does it mean for you? Look to your Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn houses (not sure how to find them? ). You can take power there, now, or others may do it instead.
On Sep. 15 and 16, the consolidation of power will be complete. Under Mercury’s supervision (he trines Pluto on the Sep. 15, sextiles Jupiter on Sep.l 16), papers are signed. Oaths are taken. Titles are conferred. Behold, the power of the word, written, spoken, and heard.
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
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Venus is wandering through a rather sketchy neighborhood—in Scorpio, she’s in one of her least comfortable signs—and on September 12, she encounters Uranus (by opposition, at 2:01 am) and Saturn (a sextile, at 8:58 am). The first encounter brings something unexpected, maybe startling; let’s say she finds a bag of money in a shrubbery, or is noticed by an attractive stranger who may or may not be attached to someone else. And as she meets Saturn, an opportunity presents itself: she can act conscientiously, or in a self-serving way.
It may seem like a very small matter at the time, but it’s important to play it right; because twice more before the year is through—on Oct. 24 and 31, while Venus is Rx; and again on Nov. 30 and Dec. 16, after she is direct—these exact same aspects will repeat. This is a somewhat more consequential story than it may seem. You didn’t meet this moment in a vacuum; it may seem small, even trivial, but it points to something in your character. So behave with conscience, with consciousness. What hasn’t been gotten in the right way can never bring you satisfaction.
“There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”
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It’s not coincidental that the Moon enters her Crescent phase in the evening of that same day (September 12, 8:36 pm). As the Moon makes a semi-square to the Sun, we can discover things about ourselves that we didn’t realize were there. Sometimes, little obsessions are born at the Crescent Moon. Occasionally, they end up being not so little.
By September 16, we’ve reached the Moon’s First Quarter (4:15 pm). What’s that little obsession going to be when it grows up? Some obsessions lead us to take action, and actions eventually become fate. The First Quarter Moon is in Sagittarius, on the Sabian Symbol degree A CHUBBY LITTLE RICH BOY RIDES UPON A HOBBYHORSE. He’s a happy kid, or at least well-fed with time to play. He doesn’t have a care in the world, I’ll bet. That’s not a real horse he’s riding, either; he’s got lots of energy, but he’s practicing for real adventures that are still to come.
But soon enough, the real adventure is coming. You’ve cleared the decks. Powerful wheels have been set in motion. Characters will be tested. Small choices will be made that could have far-reaching consequences.
It’s going to be that kind of week.
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© 2018 April Elliott Kent
