August 21 ~ 28th
The higher you build your barriers, The taller I become. The further you take my rights away, The faster I will run. You can deny me, you can decide To turn your face away. No matter ‘cause there’s Something inside so strong I know that I can make it Oh, something inside so strong. ~ Labi Siffre
Just North and South of the Equator is an area called the doldrums by sailors, that is notorious for its monotonous windless weather. This is a place where you could get stuck for an indefinite period of time, with nary a breeze to fill your sails. With Mars slowing for its retrograde station and closely square Saturn from now until October, many of us will be feeling like we are languishing in these doldrums, unable to make any headway. Yet with Mars in Aries, even when it is retrograde after September 9th, even up against powerful Saturn in Capricorn, Mars in Aries is not going to give up.
Mars has been and will continue to be square all of the planets now in Capricorn: Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn, until the end of the year. We began this year with a Saturn/Pluto conjunction in the sign of Capricorn. Old out-dated laws, structures, governments and governing parties have been breaking down under the strain of that Saturn/Pluto conjunction. Jupiter also in Capricorn only made it that much more obvious. One by one Pluto has been revealing the old decaying and oppressive structures in our lives. When these become too rigid and oppressive, outmoded and irrelevant, it’s time to create new and improved structures that are more sustainable and allow us to further, not delay, our evolutionary growth. Mars is biting at the bit:
Belarus: The European Union said just this last week that it will not recognize the results of the August 9th presidential election, calling the poll fraudulent. Following the election, ever-increasing protests have been mounted against Lukashenko, referred to as “Europe’s last dictator”. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have now taken part in protests, with workers at the state-owned factories also walking off their jobs to join the demonstrations last week.
Hong Kong: China has passed new ‘security’ laws in Hong Kong which some are calling ‘the end of Hong Kong’ as we know it. Under new security laws it will be easier to arrest anyone who challenges China’s authority. This seems to be a final straw as protests continue evolving into a broader anti-China, pro-democracy movement.
Bangkok Thailand: This past week,Thailand saw its largest protests since its 2014 coup. A pro-democracy movement started by students calling themselves the “Free People”, were calling for the dissolution of the military-backed government chanting: “Down with dictatorship, long live democracy”.
Mars slowing for its retrograde station in September could make us feel like we are being stopped in our tracks. And Mars now square Saturn can feel like even more obstacles are being strewn in our path, making it that much more difficult to move forward or accomplish our goals. Like we have no wind in our sails. Yet Mars is in Aries. Strong. Defiant. And without fear. Rather than be defied by the planets in Capricorn, Mars in Aries is ready to take them all on, one by one. No matter how many rules, laws, walls, obstacles are strewn in his path, Mars in Aries will not be daunted. And neither should we. Even in the face of extraordinary challenges.
We also cannot ignore what’s happening with Neptune square the Nodes of the Moon. Obfuscating, leading us down the garden path of deception, propaganda, conspiracies and innuendo, North Node in Gemini will prevail even despite Neptune’s dirty tricks. Gemini has domain over schools, schoolteachers, libraries, books, the mail… and yes, even our post offices. So when they came for our mailboxes and sorting machines… you know we weren’t having any of that. They did it any way. Don’t get Gemini all pissed off. They’ll come back at you with lots and lots of random facts and articles. And so it begins.
Cultivating the North Node in Gemini:
Being heard: Find ways to have our voices be heard: sometimes subtly, other times shouting. The idea is that there is something important that needs to be said and heard.
Listening: Become informed. That also means listening. Even if you don’t necessarily agree with what you are hearing. One of the key attributes of Gemini is curiosity, with a wonder and desire to learn more and be better informed.
Changing your mind: Flexibility of mind is key for North Node in Gemini where we are given tools to see things from another perspective. Value curiosity, and have an open mind. Question dogmatism and narrow thinking. Don’t assume you know everything. And allow yourself to be able to sit with uncertainty. You don’t need to have all the answers. Being able to change your mind is a healthy and necessary part of growth and learning.
Community: Grass roots activism, and being involved in local community groups, politics, neighborhoods, will be the foundation for larger initiatives.
Dare to ask questions: Think like an intellectual. Dare to question beliefs and paradigms. Discriminate between fact and fiction, and see through propaganda.
New Ideas: Listen to and engage young people and the new ideas that they bring. Give them a seat at the table. Be open to fresh new perspectives.
Learn something new: Learning something new can take you places you’ve never been before. Take a class. Attend a workshop. Go to a library. Open yourself up to your environment and the world of ideas.
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: