The Moon is moving through oppositions to both Mars and Pluto today. Meanwhile, Mercury is moving into another square with Saturn and doing so in close proximity to Chiron, who has recently entered Aries after spending seven years in Pisces.
Here’s what to watch for:
* Issues surrounding subordination, power structures, and also family dynamics. Who should surrender their position, who should lead, and how do our egos get involved in both the acts of submission and surrender as well as leadership or responsibility?
* The 54th hexagram of the I Ching is sometimes called “A Loveless Marriage,” or “The Marrying Maiden,” and it basically depicts a situation where a woman in ancient China was becoming a “second” wife. She was advised not to jockey or compete for the first wive’s position or power within the family. Instead, vis a vis the 54th hexagram, “she” was told to find her role in a supporting position. For us, this is all pretty sexist sounding, but the mood of the 54th hexagram is referring more generally to finding ourselves in ANY situation where the correct action is to be submissive, humble, or service-oriented rather than competitive, selfish, or goal-oriented.
* In work, in marriage or relationships, in the family, in groups of friends, in social situations, we often fall into familiar roles. We become the peace-maker, or we become the responsible one, or the organizer, or the caretaker, or the nurturer, the sage, or the dominant voice, or the comedian, etc. With the Moon opposite Mars and Pluto today, the 54th hexagram tells us to find the natural low point, in the same way that water runs downhill and finds the low places where it can pool together.
* In other words, be careful of power struggles. Of who cares more within groups of people. Of who can do it the best. Of whose needs are superior. Of who is more qualified. Of passive aggression, toxic words, thoughts, and actions in the name of some goal or some sense of righteousness, tradition, etc.
* At the same time, the Moon opposing Mars and Pluto is a great transit for cleansing, removing, purging, and healing. For example, today we are Spring cleaning!
* Within families, groups, or social/professional circles, be careful of getting involved in power struggles, BUT don’t be a doormat, either.
* Issues surrounding women, women’s health, children, families and family karma are strong today with the Moon in Cancer opposing the heaviness of Mars and Pluto. Remember, the grace given is the grace received, and kindness given is kindness received.
* Meanwhile, Chiron has recently entered Aries where it will stay for many years to come. I am not personally a big Chiron guy, even though I was born with Chiron conjunct my ascendant! I will say just a few things since some of you have been asking me to speak to this transit. Chiron points to our wounds as well as the wisdom of the wound. Most astrologers agree on these two points. So what does it mean that this “wounded healer,” has just entered Aries, the masculine/fire sign of Mars? Well, first and foremost it provides us all with an opportunity to visit the personal and collective wounds we have around temper, agitation, anger, reactivity, hostility, weapons, violence, selfishness and combativeness, and fear. In this post-modern reality, individuality and group/mindedness are often conflated. So we think of personal liberty/dignity in association with the groups, cultures, or sub-cultures we identify with, and we often value protection, defense, or advocacy of our group identities, values, or agendas, as the single most important thing. This, of course, tends to promote competition between the groups who see themselves as either the most marginalized or the most deserving of all the power, wealth, money, etc. These dynamics are natural and ancient…with us from time immemorial. The competition between various groups is about to become more heated, providing us with an opportunity for some very deep healing. For example, when Chiron last entered Aries in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed, and not long after him Robert Kennedy. The civil rights act of 1968 was signed, and there were waves of very powerful anti-war protests. It was 1968! There was no shortage of powerful forces operating as the wounded healer entered Mars’ fiery abode.
* Personally, with Mercury in Aries square to Saturn, and Chiron having just entered Aries, I have been personally called to work on critical/harsh thoughts and speech. If you’d like to join me, check out the Mercury/Saturn wristband challenge video I made yesterday. It’s in the comments section of this post.
Here are five things to remember about the dangers of critical speech:
1. We’re actually capable of super intelligent, thoughtful, and heartfelt thinking and speaking at once. Sometimes we think that to stop being critical means to stop thinking or to stop advocating for justice or truth, but we should remember that mystics for thousands upon thousands of years have told us that the heart and the mind can be yoked together and work as one. We are capable of being intelligent, passionate, and kind thinkers and speakers at once.
2. When we stop criticizing situations, people, and ourselves, we slowly learn to see things as they are…multi-dimensional, divine, and eternal. It is harder to be like this. It requires more intelligence to join our hearts and our minds together, not less.
3. As we learn to stop criticizing we naturally learn how to see and be love. The silence or pregnant pause that fills the gap of our impulse to criticize gives us deeper and deeper observations about reality. AND it actually feels better in the mind and body. Criticism is so pointed that it cuts us and it cuts others in the process; this doesn’t feel good, but we can’t realize it doesn’t feel good until we stop criticizing ourselves and others.
4. Criticism is pointed, and it tends to reduce complex things into overly simplified statements. The heart’s intelligence emerges when we allow for complexity, and we can’t do that when we’re jumping to conclusions, dissecting everything, speaking too fast or judging situations or people, or ourselves, with great haste and sharpness. To speak and think from a place of love is really, really challenging at first, but in time it is literally the easiest AND smartest thing in the world. 🙂
5. Sometimes we think that we have to be critical of other peoples thoughts, feelings, ideas, or positions, in order for our own to be valid. It’s amazing how much stronger, deeper, and happier our own thoughts, feelings, ideas, and positions become when we allow for situations or people to simply be whatever they are, without the uncontrollable desire to change them. Getting curious about things that we have the initial impulse to criticize is helpful.
Want to join the 21-day criticism challenge? Check out the video I made in the comments section below!
Prayer: Heal our tired minds. Give us thoughts and words of love. Make our words the emissaries of your peace. Teach us to find our natural position, in each situation. Give us real intelligence.
Here’s what to watch for:
* Issues surrounding subordination, power structures, and also family dynamics. Who should surrender their position, who should lead, and how do our egos get involved in both the acts of submission and surrender as well as leadership or responsibility?
* The 54th hexagram of the I Ching is sometimes called “A Loveless Marriage,” or “The Marrying Maiden,” and it basically depicts a situation where a woman in ancient China was becoming a “second” wife. She was advised not to jockey or compete for the first wive’s position or power within the family. Instead, vis a vis the 54th hexagram, “she” was told to find her role in a supporting position. For us, this is all pretty sexist sounding, but the mood of the 54th hexagram is referring more generally to finding ourselves in ANY situation where the correct action is to be submissive, humble, or service-oriented rather than competitive, selfish, or goal-oriented.
* In work, in marriage or relationships, in the family, in groups of friends, in social situations, we often fall into familiar roles. We become the peace-maker, or we become the responsible one, or the organizer, or the caretaker, or the nurturer, the sage, or the dominant voice, or the comedian, etc. With the Moon opposite Mars and Pluto today, the 54th hexagram tells us to find the natural low point, in the same way that water runs downhill and finds the low places where it can pool together.
* In other words, be careful of power struggles. Of who cares more within groups of people. Of who can do it the best. Of whose needs are superior. Of who is more qualified. Of passive aggression, toxic words, thoughts, and actions in the name of some goal or some sense of righteousness, tradition, etc.
* At the same time, the Moon opposing Mars and Pluto is a great transit for cleansing, removing, purging, and healing. For example, today we are Spring cleaning!
* Within families, groups, or social/professional circles, be careful of getting involved in power struggles, BUT don’t be a doormat, either.
* Issues surrounding women, women’s health, children, families and family karma are strong today with the Moon in Cancer opposing the heaviness of Mars and Pluto. Remember, the grace given is the grace received, and kindness given is kindness received.
* Meanwhile, Chiron has recently entered Aries where it will stay for many years to come. I am not personally a big Chiron guy, even though I was born with Chiron conjunct my ascendant! I will say just a few things since some of you have been asking me to speak to this transit. Chiron points to our wounds as well as the wisdom of the wound. Most astrologers agree on these two points. So what does it mean that this “wounded healer,” has just entered Aries, the masculine/fire sign of Mars? Well, first and foremost it provides us all with an opportunity to visit the personal and collective wounds we have around temper, agitation, anger, reactivity, hostility, weapons, violence, selfishness and combativeness, and fear. In this post-modern reality, individuality and group/mindedness are often conflated. So we think of personal liberty/dignity in association with the groups, cultures, or sub-cultures we identify with, and we often value protection, defense, or advocacy of our group identities, values, or agendas, as the single most important thing. This, of course, tends to promote competition between the groups who see themselves as either the most marginalized or the most deserving of all the power, wealth, money, etc. These dynamics are natural and ancient…with us from time immemorial. The competition between various groups is about to become more heated, providing us with an opportunity for some very deep healing. For example, when Chiron last entered Aries in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed, and not long after him Robert Kennedy. The civil rights act of 1968 was signed, and there were waves of very powerful anti-war protests. It was 1968! There was no shortage of powerful forces operating as the wounded healer entered Mars’ fiery abode.
* Personally, with Mercury in Aries square to Saturn, and Chiron having just entered Aries, I have been personally called to work on critical/harsh thoughts and speech. If you’d like to join me, check out the Mercury/Saturn wristband challenge video I made yesterday. It’s in the comments section of this post.
Here are five things to remember about the dangers of critical speech:
1. We’re actually capable of super intelligent, thoughtful, and heartfelt thinking and speaking at once. Sometimes we think that to stop being critical means to stop thinking or to stop advocating for justice or truth, but we should remember that mystics for thousands upon thousands of years have told us that the heart and the mind can be yoked together and work as one. We are capable of being intelligent, passionate, and kind thinkers and speakers at once.
2. When we stop criticizing situations, people, and ourselves, we slowly learn to see things as they are…multi-dimensional, divine, and eternal. It is harder to be like this. It requires more intelligence to join our hearts and our minds together, not less.
3. As we learn to stop criticizing we naturally learn how to see and be love. The silence or pregnant pause that fills the gap of our impulse to criticize gives us deeper and deeper observations about reality. AND it actually feels better in the mind and body. Criticism is so pointed that it cuts us and it cuts others in the process; this doesn’t feel good, but we can’t realize it doesn’t feel good until we stop criticizing ourselves and others.
4. Criticism is pointed, and it tends to reduce complex things into overly simplified statements. The heart’s intelligence emerges when we allow for complexity, and we can’t do that when we’re jumping to conclusions, dissecting everything, speaking too fast or judging situations or people, or ourselves, with great haste and sharpness. To speak and think from a place of love is really, really challenging at first, but in time it is literally the easiest AND smartest thing in the world. 🙂
5. Sometimes we think that we have to be critical of other peoples thoughts, feelings, ideas, or positions, in order for our own to be valid. It’s amazing how much stronger, deeper, and happier our own thoughts, feelings, ideas, and positions become when we allow for situations or people to simply be whatever they are, without the uncontrollable desire to change them. Getting curious about things that we have the initial impulse to criticize is helpful.
Want to join the 21-day criticism challenge? Check out the video I made in the comments section below!
Prayer: Heal our tired minds. Give us thoughts and words of love. Make our words the emissaries of your peace. Teach us to find our natural position, in each situation. Give us real intelligence.
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