Almost Too Much to Bear (or Write About)

7.18.05


It took me until near the tail end of my last article to mention last week's grand trine—a triple-action synergy of flow between Venus, Mars and Pluto—so the less diligent readers among you might have missed it.

Well, you may have missed my discussion of it… but I doubt you missed its energy. Though these three trines hit exactitude during this past weekend, their impact has cast its flaming influence over the past couple weeks, and will continue to heat things up this coming week.

It's all these planets in fire, my people, working together and feeding off each other and forcing us off our asses and into action, whether we want to move or not. I'm sure there are those stubborn few who've refused to deviate from their cushiony inertia—and I'll bet they're silently enduring the itchy mental jitters of knowing they should be doing something but have nonetheless kept themselves physically still. But for the rest of us, if the reports I'm getting are representative, it's been a torrent of activities and plot-twists, commitments to new projects and long-anticipated or beyond-our-imagination developments in those we've toiled at awhile. Leave it to fire to smoke us out of our houses and drive us into the streets, all the time spreading from rooftop to rooftop and igniting everything in its path.

I must point out that, while fire is ultimately necessary as an energy source to fuel our evolution, it isn't always easy for everyone to stomach. Based upon who each of us is—and the elemental mix in our birthcharts—we may thrive in this hyper-dynamic astro-atmosphere or we may easily become overwhelmed.

The physically energetic types will welcome the quicker-paced progression of events ('Movement! Finally! Thank the Lord!'), while those who prefer stability or thrive through slow-and-steady could freak from feeling frazzled at all ends ('Everything all at once?!?!? It's almost too much to bear!') The latter folks need to take care of yourselves by imposing structured relaxation breaks into your days (they won't happen on their own), or you'll max yourselves out. And the former group should practice patience and understanding with the latter, for not everybody is wired to flourish in these moments of frenzied culmination and manic multi-motion as you are. Not paying attention to where we fall in relation to this spark-filled fire climate, and in relation to others, is where flared tempers and combustible anxieties come from.

Once the Sun enters Leo on Fri Jul 22, a full six planets will be in fire signs, tipping the elements way out of balance… at least for a brief moment. But for those who fear they might just burn up in such an astro-environment, relief comes soon after. Later that same day, Venus moves into Virgo and injects some good old-fashioned caution and restraint. With Venus in Virgo, we greet a slowdown (albeit slight, considering the other planets' influences) so that we can reserve some energies for fulfilling duty. In the context of all that this firestorm has enkindled in our lives, Venus in Virgo allows us to take pleasure in exercising the careful attention to detail needed to pull ourselves back together, to dot our hanging 'i's and cross the dangling 't's to resolution, if not full completion.

I almost wish the week was that astrologically simple (then I wouldn't have to write anymore!), but unfortunately it's not. As if all the ultra-fieriness weren't enough, we also must contend with a ferocious Full Moon on Thu Jul 21, the second in a row in Capricorn. The Moon is far from ecstatic when in Capricorn, the sign of its detriment (that which opposes its ruling sign). It inspires stoic emotional reserve rather than sensitive acceptance of emotional fluidity, and solitarily suffers burdens instead of freely admitting vulnerability or canvassing help.

The Full Moon conjoins Chiron on the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp, adding a bittersweet flavor with the potential to console our past pains, if we can manage to accept responsibility without beating ourselves up. At the same time, Saturn opposes Chiron (and thus conjoins the Sun, which always opposes the Moon at Full Moon time) to further sober the circumstances. Somehow, we must take ourselves seriously without becoming too self-involved. And we want to look at where we need more discipline, while at the same time forgiving ourselves for where we previously lapsed.

This Full Moon is also especially notable as it echoes one from half a year ago, concurrent to the last time Saturn and Chiron opposed each other. It was late in Dec 04 when the Moon was full in Cancer, conjoined to Saturn and opposed to Chiron—the flipside to what's happening now. On that occasion, a 9.0 earthquake hit the Indian Ocean basin and caused a massive tsunami, the worst natural disaster in our time. Remember? A scant six months later, and some of us have nearly forgotten while others have barely begun to clean up.

But don't forget the fire, now that I've steered toward more inwardly solemn subjects, because it's still packing its punch and demanding our notice. And this conflict, between (1) serious concerns of emotional accountability and regeneration and (2) blatant, balls-out, frenetic and frenzied, forward-pushing, self-absorbing action, is epitomized by Mars in Aries squaring off against the Saturn/Chiron Full Moon axis. Mid-week, this tension is thick. Do we hold back or thrust ahead? Do we overdeliberate so as to behave our absolute best (and self-torture in the process), or do we instinctively move without thinking (and risk the aftermath of impulsivity)? The answer is 'all of the above', and every one of us will be hard-pressed not to err on one side or the other… and feel whatever consequences result.

Oh, yeah… and if all that isn't enough… one more thing. Mercury goes retrograde.

I repeat: Mercury goes retrograde in Leo, starting on Fri Jul 22 and continuing through Aug 15. Hopefully you know the drill—watch for delays, misunderstandings, technical difficulties, misplaced mail, data crashes, and any other convolutions in communication and transportation. But it's a great time to edit, revise, revisit, get back in contact, communicate creatively through poetry or secret code, and otherwise plan to take advantage of the detours and deferrals.

Now if that isn't enough for all you astrological junkies to chew on for one single spectacular, action-packed, zany-and-zealous, somber-and-sensitive, almost-too-much-to-bear week… then you're friggin' crazy.

Me? I gotta go rest.