Tag: Mars

Wedding Elections 101

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You just said YES to THE question and the ring is sparkling on your hand.  But before the blush has worn off the happy couple the next question lands:  When? Before you start the constant decision making process of gowns, reception halls, guest lists, and flowers have you paused and looked up?  To the sky that is.  Welcome to Wedding Elections 101.

Picking out wedding date is like picking out the birthday for your marriage.  By taking the stars into account, you can see how your union will support desires for kids, your careers, and your individuality all at the same time.  What counts the most is when you say your vows.  Go ahead and plan your rustic autumn reception in the barn or the tropical destination celebration on the beach, but even more importantly, choose the day you will solidify your marriage.  

Why Astrology?

The sky can give an amazing viewpoint of where your struggles will be in your marriage as well as your points of ease.  It can set the stage for prosperity, happiness, and give you insights as to what areas might be sources of tension.  Also know there may not be an absolute PERFECT day, but it’s a matter of picking out what is optimal for you and working with what you have.  

What’s even better is you can do this yourself by following a few cardinal rules.  If you have the time, get a calendar and head to www.astro.com to start looking for days.  

The Basics:

Venus

This planet represents the marriage itself.  Whatever you do, make sure Venus is not in Retrograde!  This is a must.  On average, Venus retrogrades for about 6 weeks every 18 months.  When Venus is in retrograde, you are adding a level of complication you don’t have to have.  It may mean there could be additional tests to your union.  You could be setting up energy where you need to restore or rework the union in the future.  Is it completely unworkable?  No, but if you can avoid it, do.  

Take a big red pen and cross off all the days when Venus is in retrograde.  For 2020 those days are May 13 – June 25.  Venus will be direct in 2021 and 2022.

A happy Venus is your foundation.  She truly characterizes the whole marriage.  For the strongest placements, look for times when Venus is in Taurus, Pisces, and Libra.  Try to avoid Venus in Aries (more of an independent marriage or quick flight of fancy), Venus in Virgo (a bit nit-picky at times), or Venus in Scorpio (intense).  Let her shine by being supportive and loving.  

Venus in Taurus:  March 4, 2020 – March 20, 2020 

Venus in Libra:  October 27, 2020 – November 20, 2020. (However remember Mars will be in retrograde until November 14, 2020…more on this in a second).

As a bonus, to ensure kind words and supportive emotions, try to make sure Venus is in a trine, sextile, or conjunction to Mercury or the Moon.  All of these works well.

Mars

For 2020, Mars will also be in retrograde from September 9, 2020 – November 14, 2020.  If at all possible, try to avoid getting married during these dates.  Mars retrograde has a tendency to  asks us to doubt our actions.  This could be as simple as someone having cold feet or setting the stage for someone constantly questioning if marrying was the best decision.  

Saturn

Many people fear Saturn, but he’s really a help in a wedding chart.  This planet governs tradition and time endurance.  It’s wonderful to have a a Moon, Sun, Venus, or the planet that rules the chart in a sextile or trine to the planet that rules time itself.  You are just adding that foundation to the house of your marriage.  On another note, please avoid Sun square Saturn. This makes it so hard to grow together as a couple.  With this aspect, you are begging for frustration as the individuals are fighting to identify themselves in the marriage.  

Days to Avoid:  April 19, 2020 –  May 20, 2020

September 22, 2020 – October 22, 2020. 

Sun and Moon 

One of the cardinal rules of wedding date selection is to make sure the Sun and Moon are in a supportive aspect to one another.  The Sun and Moon represent you and your partner and you want to make sure that relationship is a friendly one as the years progress.  Aim for either a trine (120 degrees) or a sextile (60 degrees) between these two planets.  This will ensure you two will be sitting together sipping pina coladas on a cruise ship in retirement or rocking on the front porch watching a sunset.

Many brides envision themselves saying their vows on a beach at sunset or during a full moon.  While this sounds wonderful, the symbolism screams NO!  During full moons, the Sun and Moon are opposing one another which really sets up a dynamic of making choices me vs. you throughout the marriage. 

Sunsets

And as for riding off into the sunset? A wedding at sunset really does indicate that it’s going to take some work to get one of you fully into the marriage.  At sunset, the Sun is merging into the horizon and moving into the 6th house of work.  One of you won’t be fully present in the marriage by either yielding all of their personality into the marriage or escaping into work.  A marriage is about two people coming together to celebrate their individuality and active choice to be in the union.  Go ahead and make the wedding celebration and reception on the beach at sunset, but get thee to a courthouse beforehand to solidify your legal vows.

Eclipses

Likewise, avoid eclipse dates.  This just sets up an intensity that you don’t need in your marriage.  Generally speaking, eclipses always symbolize endings. I would definitely pick a new moon over a full moon any day.  Ideally, you would want a moon that is building from the new moon up to the full moon (waxing).  This symbolizes the ability to grow together.

Ideal signs for the moon:  Taurus or Cancer.  The moon are in each of these signs once a month.

Mercury Retrogrades

If you can, try to avoid Mercury retrogrades.  I’ve had others get married with it in retrograde and something went wrong.  The officiant was late, the paperwork wasn’t right, travel was affected, and so forth.  With one wedding, the busses never showed up to take the guests to the church.  Imagine feeling stood up by your whole congregation!  It’s not the end of the world, but it will test your sense of humor.  

Mercury Retrograde in 2020:  February 16 – March 9

June 18 – July 12

October 13 – November 3

Venus and Mars

These two planets are the indicators for you physical intimacy.  For a spicy sex life, Venus trine or sextile Mars is a great aspect to have in a wedding chart.  But make sure these two planets are not in a square (90 degrees) or opposition (180 degrees).  You will find with difficult aspects, “Sorry, not tonight, I have a headache,” could be a common phrase.  

A word to longevity:  sparks do fade over time and that is ok.  This is why it’s important to lean into the Sun/Moon aspect.

Timing of the Day

So now that you’ve picked your date, it’s time to time the chart by the hour.  Avoid placing the Sun, Moon, or Venus in the 6th or 12th house.  An easy way to eliminate the Sun being in the 6th or 12th is to really avoid two hours right after sunrise or sunset.  There are some faith traditions that prefer weddings at sunset.  

Try to get the ruler of the Ascendant in the 7th house if possible.  

Try to get the Moon in the 7th, 10th, 4th, or 1st house.  

Word to the Wise

Wedding elections aren’t the end of the world!  What matters the most is that you found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.  Every marriage has ups and downs and wedding elections just give you an extra boost to your foundation.  My parents didn’t use astrology to get married and they’ve been together for 46 years!  You can totally see where their sticky points are in the chart, but they have made it work well.  

Also know that 2020 is a rough one to pick out optimal dates for even seasoned astrologers so don’t pull your hair out too much.  

I’m happy to help either as a second opinion or do the whole thing for you!  I offer a full service wedding astrology consultation.  For more information click here.

I Want It Now: Mars in Childhood

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Believe it or not, anger is a primary emotion and it has been programmed in us for thousands of years.  An angry baby gets the attention from their parents.  Frustration innately tells us we aren’t getting our needs met.  It cues us to do something different to protect ourselves.  Sometimes our anger is an outward projection of our fear.  Fear is the other emotion that has helped our survival as well.  Saturn at its core represents fear and how we protect ourselves.  Oddly enough Mars and Saturn are the two malefics of the chart.  However, they serve a vital role in ensuring our safety and survival.

Mars represents how we get what we want.  It is the planet that controls our drive, our action, and how we pursue our goals.  In a perfect world we could be able to sustain our push and focus.  However it can be a temperamental planet as well.  It also shows how we experience frustration when our efforts get interrupted.

Power Up! Parent Astro Power!!

Approximately every 2 years approximately the red planet returns to the exact place it was at birth.  You can anticipate a power struggle for independence at age when your child is 2, 4, 6, 8,10, and so on.  Sharing is not a talent for Mars, but instead it challenges your child to be assertive and go after to go after what they want.  

Mars can be our secret weapon, but it can also be our undoing.  Knowing where your kiddo’s Mars is knowing how this is going to show up is incredibly powerful for you as a parent.  Working with the energy will prove to be more effective than trying to suppress it. To calculate your child’s Mars sign, go to www.astro.com and enter your child’s birth data.

Mars Through the Signs:

Aries Mars:  Are you getting called to the principal’s office because your child used their fists and not their words?  Welcome to Aries Mars.  The red planet has his boxing gloves ready in this sign.  Quick to temper and quick to cool.  These individuals are direct and confrontational when they aren’t getting their needs met. These individuals need to know they are on the best and fastest track to success. Proactive channeling of this energy comes in handy through sports and competition.

Taurus Mars:  “No.” or “It’s Mine!” Oh it’s a favorite phrase.  If you disturb the status quo, you are tempting the bull wake up.  They need transition time and don’t do well with sudden shifts.  Make sure you give a warning shot before changing the plan or activity.  They have a tendency to just settle into stubbornness as an act of defiance. Sharing is not a strong suit here. Try taking turns with a timer instead.

Gemini Mars:  “Just a minute…”  or interrupting others.  Air signs as a whole don’t process anger very well.  They use distraction to ignore the problem and will often times procrastinate.  But once you do get them to talk about the real issue, get ready for ALL the thoughts (and there are a lot)!  They don’t like to have their ideas criticized as they take it as a personal offense.  They will also deflect with brilliant wit or sarcasm to show how smart they are.

Cancer Mars:  “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.”  The crab is the sign of Cancer. Crabs move sideways and will give room for others until it gets to be too much.   They are likely to retreat an only attack if needed.  Sulking and accusing are common ways Mars shows up here.  These individuals like to feel like they have power with their emotions.  But then they reach a level where the outburst is out of proportion to the event.  

Leo Mars:  “They did this TO ME! And it was on purpose!”  The ego is this Mars’ biggest target.  When they feel ignored, they turn up the heat until they get the recognition they need.  Leo Mars children are those who are dramatic often exaggerating what happened TO THEM.  It’s hard for them to see the world from another’s point of view when they are hurt.

Virgo Mars:  “I was just trying to help!” Or “It’s their fault!” Are common phrases from angry Virgo Mars kids.  These kiddos are convinced they know the right way to do things and everyone else is wrong.   It’s the other persons fault because they didn’t live up to the Virgo’s standards.  They will unleash their hurt by criticizing others.  Their comments can be devastatingly cruel at times, but know it is more about their pain and frustration.

Libra Mars:  “That’s not fair!” It’s a common phrase uttered by these individuals.  They are quick to point out the injustices.  These individuals have an easier time showing the wrongdoings in the system or authority vs. taking ownership that it hurt them personally.  Look for compromise with these kids.  Negotiation is key.

Scorpio Mars:   “I didn’t do it!”  Nope, but they were the mastermind behind the whole group acting out.  And chances are, in the teen years, they are the ones who started the rumors.  They know it’s about self control and won’t sting unless it’s a guaranteed hit straight to the heart.  They will turn their anger into power and save up the injustices until they lash out.  The best thing for you to do is help them acknowledge their hurt.

Sagittarius Mars:  “But you aren’t listening!”  These individuals want all of their ideas to be acknowledged.  They have strong opinions and can insight moral and intellect to justify their positions.  If you find yourself in a debate with your kiddo, best to take a time out for yourself. When you come back to the argument, appeal to what principles are “right,” not which person.

Capricorn Mars:  “But they were in my way.”  These individuals are goal oriented and will often boss people around.  They are typically patient, but ambitious.  If someone gets in the way of their plans, expect them to go to plan B to get their objective met.  Instead, help them think out what’s worked in the past to help them move forward.

Aquarius Mars:  “You can’t tell me what to do!”  Oh, that freedom loving Aquarius.  This is their big hot button.  It has nothing to do with their plans, but more about who they are and how they are expressing themselves.  And by the way, if you ask, “Why did you do that?” Be prepared for an extensive list of rationalizations.  You can help them by helping them come up with better possible solutions that get their needs met and let them decide.

Pisces Mars:  “Don’t tell me what’s possible!” Or “Why does everyone hate me?!”   These kiddos have pie in the sky ideas and the faith that they can do it.  They don’t appreciate if you tell them a flying car isn’t possible, because they will just answer, “It isn’t YET.”  Stand back and appreciate their ideals otherwise you might find them sabotaging things covertly.  These individuals are prone to use helplessness as a weapon.  Help them take accountability for their own feelings and actions in the situation.  As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”  

For more ways astrology can show up through the years, join my mailing list for a free article: From Terrible Twos to the SATs: Astrology and Your Child

Solar Eclipse in Capricorn

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Astrologically, eclipses are sensitive points of change to the collective.  They point to starts and stops in cycles and we can tell what the themes will be as a collective based upon what axis they fall upon in which sector of the sky.  New moons, as always, are points of new beginnings and places to plant seeds for intentions to manifest.  In general new moons are personal; eclipses are more societal. 

Eclipses occur when the Earth and Moon are aligned with the Sun and the shadowy body cast by the Sun falls on the other.  A Solar eclipse is when the Sun is blocked out by the Moon.  A Lunar eclipse is when the moon is blocked out by the full moon and it occurs close to the moon’s nodes

At a new moon, like today, the moon passes in front of the sun and you can see it as a solar eclipse at a narrow path along the earth.  It all depends upon the orbits lining up with the ecliptics.  Eclipses only happen when a new or a full moon occur near the moon’s nodes.  Typically this only happens 2-3 times a year, but in 2019 we have 5 eclipses!!! But more on that in future posts.   

Today’s eclipse is in Capricorn.  Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, is all about breaking down structures in society and tradition.  This makes sense as we’ve watch the government shut down, errr, I mean “strike”, an unprecedented number of women get sworn into Congress yesterday, and the worst year end close to the stock market since the Great Depression.  I’d say that the foundation is definitely getting a bit shaken up.  

As for what you can do on a personal level, start thinking about internal changes you want to make.  Maybe start laying the mental structure for how you want to harness the Mars in Aries energy for those New Year’s resolutions.  With 5 planets loaded up in Capricorn, solid earth energy, one may have a hard time to harness the fire, but it’s a good time to stoke the coal.

Mars in Aries

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Resolution time is upon us once again and this time the Universe has added a little extra kick to our help us take our first step.  On January 1st, Mars is entering Aries.  The timing of this is truly divine!  I just couldn’t love it more when the heavens shift their gears in sync!  Let’s take a deeper dive, shall we?

Aries is the start of our astrological calendar much like January is the start of our calendar year.  Both represent new beginnings, fresh starts, and inspiration translating into action.  Aries are the trailblazers and the pioneers.  These are the kids who want to be first in line, raise their hand before the teacher finishes the question, and sees the world in binary form of winners and everyone else.  They turn everything to 11.  They are assertive and when they see something they want, they unapologetically go after it 100%.  Goals only equal accomplishments to Aries.

It is not a stretch to see how Mars is the ruling planet of Aries.  Mars is the fiery planet that motivates the the athlete and the warrior.  It likes constant movement, willful intention, and courageous efforts.  Using Mars’s gifts, one can conquer.  

So come January 1st, when Mars comes home to empower Aries, those resolutions are going to have extra oomph.  You want to hit the gym?  No sweat!  The motivation will be there.  You want to earn a bit more cash?  I’d bet your bottom dollar on that coming true.  

However, a word of caution, my friends:  Mars likes to over do things a bit.  The fire burning off all those calories from the holidays can lead to inflammation.  Or that new business you are starting is taking so much time, you might find your relationships are suffering.  Slowing down is not Mars’s strong suit.  Neither is keeping a level head so watch your temper as it ignites your chart.

You have exactly 6 weeks to capitalize on Mars’s power for your New Years Resolutions.  This works out extremely well as it takes about that long for a new habit to become ingrained into an existing pattern.  Come Valentines Day on February 14th when Mars moves into Taurus, the sign of physical pleasures, you will be well on your way into manifesting those intentions.  Like I said, the Universe’s timing is perfection!

The Evolving Warrior of 2018

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Why am I so excited for Mars to be moving out of Aquarius?  Oh my dear ones, I have been COUNTING DOWN the days until it leaves on November 16th!  It has been hanging out in my 2nd house of finances which means that I have been burning through money like fire since September.  That’s a lot of time to be trying to contain the fire as the air keeps fanning the flames.  Mars typically spends about 6 weeks in each sign.  But with the retrograde this year its been hanging out in Aquarius for the better part of almost 6 months!

Mars in Aquarius has a very different feel than Mars in Pisces.  For one, Aquarius is a fixed sign.  It will not budge with its consistency.  As Mars moves into Pisces, the energy moves into a mutable sign.  Mutable signs are known for their adaptability.   Can they be flakey?  Sure!  But they are also ones to come up with solutions mid-game and help move the pieces to success.  

With Mars in Aquarius, some of you have noticed that signature of fierce independence and a break from whatever was the status quo.  Wherever it hits in you chart can feel like pioneering out of conformity at work, arguing for the sake of argument, using your resources to declare your independence (aka me starting my own business), or evolving out of a relationship.  I have a friend who will be finalizing her divorce in a few days.  Talk about the end of a journey of Mars in Aquarius in her house of marriage!  My own mom has been having one hell of a time resolving her identity after a head injury (the head is ruled by Mars) has transformed her personality and self-identity of her 1st house.  

You will feel this transit of Mars leaving even more so than normal all because it will be in a sextile to Uranus, the planet of change, on November 15th.  It will feel like a sudden shift, a sudden ease will be graced to that area of your life, and closure will be there.  

As Mars moves into Pisces, it will have its own flavor developing.  The planet of initiation will be beginning its  acquaintance with the sign of compassion.  Mars in a water sign has a different feel than Mars in an air sign, which fans its flames.  Sometimes it will feel difficult to capitalize on that get up and go feeling as water dampens the spark.  But, allow it to evolve.  Pisces is a sign associated with dreams.  Let the drive of Mars ignite your dreams into reality.  The first impulse may not be the last solution.  Ride the waves and let it flow and be ready for the fire to really take hold on New Years 2019 when Mars comes back home to Aries.

To better understand how Mars in Pisces will affect your life, book a consultation with me.  I’d love to show you how to capitalize on this wonderful transit.  

Uranus Square Mars

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Let’s get into the nitty gritty, shall we?

2018 has been colored with a few points of frustration.  There have been multiple planets retrograding and then there is the Uranus square Mars aspect.

Mars takes about 2.5 years to go around the solar system completely.  But what makes 2018 a bit more of a stand out year is that it toiled across Uranus not once, not twice, but THREE times in a matter of a few months.  This is because it was traveling direct when it crossed paths with Uranus  about May 16th at 2:18 AM (CDT) in North America.  Then Mars went retrograde and hit Uranus square a second time on August 1st at 9:30 PM (CDT) in North America.  Then it turned direct once more and pushed its way forward squaring Uranus for the third time on September 17th at 5:44 PM (CDT) in North America.  That’s a lot of unexpected energy folks!

Uranus is the planet of unexpected change and surprises.  It is an outer planet, meaning that it usually brings change from outside forces vs. internal revolution.  Something happens to us vs. us acting on our environment.  Mars is the planet of motivation, action, aggression, and will.  It is an inner planet so think of things like internal drive.  When you combine these forces you have a crisis point, which ultimately is what squares are all about.

Any aspect, (like a square, trine, conjunction, or opposition), just describes the relationship between the planets.  So think of a dinner party for example.  There are some people that are just annoying.  That, my friends, is the energy of a square.  And sometimes you run into these annoying people over and over again which is exactly what happened with Uranus and Mars in May, August, and September.

There are times when these transits can manifest as literal experiences.  Just this morning, my friend called me in a panic to help her run carpool because her car stopped working and all the warning lights came on.  Hello, Mars (driving to work/school), and Uranus (unexpected) and square (annoyance).  I just about spit out my coffee when I realized the manifestation of this transit.

Other times the transits can be subtle patterns.  Like that little urge to rebel against work, thus “sticking it to the man,” or the “out of the blue” aggressive comment that you didn’t see coming from a friend.  It could be that your workout got disrupted. It could even be something like a physical injury.  All of these are Mars/Uranus themes.  They aren’t going to be hard lasting changes, but more like small disruptions.  Think back to the other dates and see what similar themes or patterns emerge.  People are like, “Psshh, workouts have nothing to do with my car.”  One critique of astrology is that it is too vague.  Oh, boy, NOT when you know your birth data and you can pin point exactly what realms are getting hit.  That is EXACTLY why you need a professional astrologer.

While the energy can be similar, the one thing that is unique is what areas in your personal chart the aspects hitting.  Is it hitting your secrets and career areas?  What about your siblings and self identity?  If you are finding this information to be a bit more of an ah-ha moment and want more insight, hit me up.  It might be worth a reading to see what topics are lit up and what innovations will be integrated into your life as you move forward.