New moon Aries. 3/27/17 Valuing the self without devaluing others.

(Spoiler alert)

No. I do not think Tyler Durden should actually be president. This was a bday present I received because I’m a huge Fight Club fan (movie and book). In fact, an ex and I used to joke that we should watch it once a month, sort of like going to church, to remember and pick apart the myriad spiritual and philosophical teachings the story offers. I think it’s a good illustration of the current Venus retrograde Aries situation amidst a maelstrom of Aries and cardinal energy in March/April.

For those of you who have not read or seen Fight Club, it’s not so much about machismo and brutality, as it as about the patriarchal gone awry, capitalism, and the consequences of sacrificing our animal-body nature to fit inside of man-made structures.

The protagonist, who does not have an official name, is your run-of-the-mill consumer. An unconscious go-along-to-get-along kind of guy who fits very nicely and quietly into society. He wants all the things he’s taught/programmed to want..all the things we assume everyone wants. His alter ego, Tyler Durden is an id-like character (Aries), who’s “free in all the ways you aren’t.” The mild-mannered protagonist and Tyler duke it our literally and metaphorically for control over their life. While Tyler will terrorize everyone that stands in the way of his desire for pure anarchy, the protagonist struggles to integrate the repressed wildness of his nature in a more socially acceptable form (Venus).

And they start a fight club, but that’s a whole other thread. But, I would definitely add this book to the dystopian reading lists that are being curated right now.

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Be brief. Be brilliant. Be gone.

This could very well be the Aries mantra. Unfortunately, this post is long, complex, and messy…because that’s how this Aries season is barging its way in.

I have a stellium in Aries and a strong Scorpio signature. Basically, I’m a Martian. Mars-ruled Aries season is usually home for me. I get to wake up from the boozy haze of Pisces, and have a cup of fucking coffee and get on with it! For the most part, that’s what we’re looking at this Aries season…with a catch. In honor of Aries, here are some bullets:

• 3/4/17-4/15/15 Venus retrograde Aries/Pisces
• 3/13/17 Mercury ingress Aries
• 3/17/17  Final exact Uranus-Eris conjunction Aries (the last we’ll see in our lifetime)
• 3/20/17 Sun ingress Aries (Vernal equinox/astro new year)
• 3/25/17 Sun/Venus inferior conjunction Aries (midpoint of Venus retrograde)
• 3/27/17 New moon Aries
• 4/9/17-5/4/17 Mercury station retrograde Taurus/Aries

That’s a lot of Aries. That’s a lot of  “my way or the highway,” “I want it done yesterday,” “coffee is for closers” Aries. Aries gets in, gets out, moves on, and doesn’t look back. It rules surgeons, warriors, and the steel they use to cut. Let’s not be literal. There are many ways to perform surgery, do battle, and cutting utensils come in many forms. You want decisions made quickly and projects initiated? You call Aries. Aries is the immediate response to the primal. Fire signs operate at the speed of light because they’re motivated by intuition and impulse. Thinking (air), feeling (water), and sensing (earth) take time, and in the case of earth, matter (can I touch it?).

Instinct requires no conduit.

So, how do you think Venus feels, placed in the sign of its detriment AND retrograde?  Oh, this is awkward. Venus makes nice, wants everyone to get along, and it’s not enough for Venus to meet its goals…it must do so in a civilized manner, with much beauty. Venus is in no hurry. Consultation, consensus, and deliberation take time. Venus rules ambassadors, diplomats, farmers, artists, and culture. So, imagine that we put Venus in a suit of armor, machete in hand, and then push it backwards. THIS is the “fly in the ointment” of what should really be some straightforward, fire-under-the-ass, springtime, blast-off energy.

Venus-ruled folks in particular  (lots of Taurus and/or Libra) could feel especially irritable now, but this applies to everyone because we all have Aries represented somewhere in our chart, and Venus is moving through it. Venus is going through a process of questioning the importance of participating in consensus reality.

Venus is asking if all the little concessions and compromises we make to “grease the wheels,” participate in relationships of all kinds, and cultivate various forms of beauty are WORTH IT. A keyword for Venus is value.

Venus is not as concerned as it usually is to make things pleasant for you right now. It has increased awareness of animalistic stirrings, and less patience for dealing with protocol, ceremony, contracts and other social constructs. Venus is trying to weigh how much to “play the game” against going rogue.

This (very rare) transit often reveals where you may have compromised too much of your raw self in the quest for relationship, status, or comfort. It could also reveal an issue with

your ability to consider other people and the world around you. Aries AT ITS WORST does not consider other people when taking action. Most often, it doesn’t even mean to harm…it just doesn’t see you there. This energy has no time to be strategic, or conniving…or ask permission, or make things pretty. Which ALSO means that Aries AT ITS BEST does not consider other people when taking action. It has a direct line to individual needs and acts on them.  Therefore Aries is usually authentic and tells the naked truth. Peer pressure doesn’t work with these folks.

I could go on about this whole Venus/Mars thing, but this is the gist. It’s a time of weighing how much “you do you” vs. your efforts to fit in nicely. It’s about re-thinking the transactions you make with other people. Are you getting good value for your money, time, love, your soul?

Initiations at this new Aries moon can be made with heightened awareness around the actions you take based on your deepest values. Learning how to be unpopular in your own self-interest without de-valuing anyone else.

 

Full moon Virgo 3/12/17. Well-oiled intention (for “divine perfection”).

Y’all know that when full moons come around I like to talk about the whole axis. I often refer to the Virgo-Pisces axis as the healing-illness axis or the perfection-purity axis. Today I’d like to talk about it as the craftsmanship-artistry axis. Think about the sublime situations you hope to cultivate, and ask yourself if your craftsmanship is solid enough for the sublime to even be recognized.

That being said.

Shit shit shit! Aw man. It’s here. I already know this Virgo moon is going to call me out on not sticking to a writing schedule, staying out too late, and drinking too much. It’s going to nag me about squandering time, energy, money, and hanging out too long in chaotically blissed-out Pisces. It’s gonna get on my case about making a mess, leaving work undone, and daydreaming.

Well, this last Pisces eclipse WAS about letting go, but in Pisces it’s easy to lose consciousness and get washed away with the tide. Enter Virgo with a mop and a bucket.

Virgo irons its jeans, and has designated sleepwear. The pantry is stocked with high quality food, and everything is labeled. There are schedules and routines. Maintenance is regularly performed for optimal functioning. Virgo at its best is well-oiled intention.

On any given evening Pisces might sleep naked, or in their best suit. In the morning they’ll throw on whatever’s closest to them and hope they can remember where the clean underwear is. So engrossed are they with their telepathic conversation with the muse, they’ll forget to eat, but somehow manage to score an invite to a five star fete because someone found them deliciously interesting. Pisces at its best rubs shoulders with divine perfection.

These two are at it again! Yes, we saw the end of the Virgo-Pisces eclipses, but it won’t stop the moon’s visits. This time, life wants to you to get your Virgo on in spite of some heavy Pisces influence. This Virgo moon is going to make you work. Some of you will love this energy! You nerds know who you are. You may even get a gold star at this full moon for your hard work. As you can probably guess, Virgo is very difficult for me personally. But, I have made peace with, it. Nothing happens without it.

This Virgo moon comes with a fresh Mars in Taurus and Saturn squaring a party in Pisces (Chiron, Sun, Mercury). The hammer’s coming down this month. Expect to be shown the crevices you forgot to clean and the bills you forgot to pay (literally and metaphorically). It’s not fun, but we need these reality checks if we are to move forward with our magical enterprise.

Virgo gets a bad rap for being mundane and hypercritical. No, it’s not glamorous, but who cares?! It’s essential. It’s useful. Being useful is beautiful. Virgo is going to ask you if your romance serves a purpose. Are your projects sustainable? Do your dreams serve your fellow humans and your planet, or just your ego? Is your body, mind, or bank account healthy enough to support the activities you’re participating in? ACCOUNTABILITY. This full moon may hurt, but you will have no question as to what area of your life needs retooling.

Virgo cares. Virgo cares enough to get it right. It’s a tending energy (they love to tend to their plants, animals, and peoples). When Virgo loses its balance, that care turns to worry, perfectionism, and nitpicking. So, keep your eye on that.

If you get your ducks in a row this month and bring some of those Pisces visions down to earth, they’ll fly come spring-summer.

So, see you in the produce section, yoga class…at work.

I’ll say more about Venus retrograde next time along with the Aries new moon. X