Weekly Metaphysical Forecast 10.4.23
Slaying The Dragon
WHAT?
We are tunneling toward the first eclipse on the Aries/Libra axis, and we will feel little tingles and aches that foreshadow the effects this eclipse may have on our psyches. An amuse buche of irritation, if you will.
We will continue to feel growing tension this week when it comes to group dynamics, as well as friction surrounding who we are when we aren't involved with other people or groups. Everyone assimilates to some degree when they choose to be part of a collective, regardless of the social realm. Whether it is among friends, work colleagues, or a room full of randos, we instinctually choose to alter or conceal the parts of ourselves that could stubbornly poke out when we aren't looking, like bone in a compound fracture. Much like wrapping a wound, this sort of assimilation can be healing in some circumstances yet fester in others, particularly if we're not being honest with ourselves about why we feel the need to conform. Deep questions begin to hound us this week as we wonder if the things we've been hiding or subsuming in the name of assimilation are more important to our character than we gave them credit, and alternately, if the group we are part of is really worth the psychic Twister we've been playing.
Mars in Libra is also amplifying tension with a South Node conjunction, putting an emphasis on groups with which we are at odds, or that we no longer wish to be part of. Don't be shocked by a break between friends or a 'ghosting' by individuals who are normally socially active in the next 10 days; some of us are realizing that places we fit into in the past are no longer accommodating us.
WHY?
The reason for our collective social anxiety is a dragon, or more specifically a demon who looks like a dragon, split in two and thrown into the sky as punishment for chasing his desires, i.e. those pesky lunar nodes. A rough breakdown of what (I think) is the most useful mythology for understanding the nodes goes like this:
In Vedic astrology, the lunar nodes represent 2 parts of the aforementioned demon. When the universe was in its infancy, various gods just walked around doing regular stuff; going about their day, fucking with demons, foraging for food, drink, and worshippers. At some point all of the gods decided they lacked something appropriately divine to drink, so Vishnu concocted a delicious ambrosia from the sea and offered it to the gods like bottle service Henessy. Whatever mind-bending qualities this nectar possessed attracted one particular demon, who, like anyone sitting at the bar as everyone other than themselves gets served, really, really wanted to taste that ambrosia. His demon status ensured that he would never simply be offered Vishnu's Hennessy - he would have to chase it down and steal a sip. So he did, but it made Vishnu big mad to see a demon dipping into the elite stash of booze meant only for godly purpose, prompting Vishnu to chase the dragon down and cut him in half with a sword. (A bit extreme to protect one's bottle service if you ask me, but never forget that gods are extra petty the world over and do things loudly and grandly but not always intelligently.)
The demon dragon, or asura, had already taken a huge gulp before he was felled by the sword, so his head and tail were separated but still sentient, meaning that Vishnu now had 2 demons to deal with instead of 1, so he chucked them into the sky. The head of the dragon became Rahu, now bound in the heavens but still alive and insatiable, because as any alcoholic can confirm, one sip is never enough. Rahu, a.k.a. the lunar north node, is trying, eternally, to swallow that ambrosia, and when the sun or moon traverse his lair he shoots his shot, resulting in the 'swallowing' and darkness of an eclipse. Meanwhile, Ketu, a.k.a. the demon tail, a.k.a. the south node, is eternally digesting that one gulp of nectar and excreting it as he tries to catch the sun and moon in much the same fashion as Rahu.
The myth of Rahu and Ketu offers a more circumspect and cautious reading of the lunar nodes than a lot of modern, western astrology, which tends to de-emphasize malefic influences in favor of eternally optimistic, new-agey platitudes during readings. The nodes are malefic according to Vedic astrology - they are the places that reveal where we are ignorant and how we've fucked up. It makes sense that the north node is what we blindly crave and the south node what we excrete, because the answer to both tells the primal story of our life on Earth. We get out of bed every morning because something is out there that we desire, and we fall asleep only after digesting the lessons of the day. We can't do the one without the other, despite each need existing 180 degrees apart at any given time. When the north node transits Aries we find we crave autonomy, action, and individual purpose. However, we remain connected to the south node in Libra, which clings to groups, avoids conflict, and wishes to assimilate. As we approach the solar eclipse in Libra, we are honing in on the ways the collective falls short and excreting the desire for groupthink, people-pleasing behaviour, external validation, and assimilation. The ideal state is balance and connection between the lunar nodes in whatever signs they transit, because no man is an island (and apparently no dragon is, either.) As we approach this eclipse our goal should be to maintain enough autonomy to feel empowered without totally isolating ourselves. We'll want to do a liitle purification of some entanglements, sure, but it's important not to take that desire too far. This mythology warns us that egomaniacal hotheads hellbent on swallowing the sun for a temporary buzz, other elements be damned, do not ultimately achieve what they want. They end up banished and hungry, separated from their friends and their own ass, chasing a thing that will never, ever be theirs.
WHEN?
The conjunction between Mars and the south node perfects today, 10.4.23, but will influence us each day as we approach the solar eclipse in Libra on 10.14.23.
TAROT
Mars dominates the energy until Saturday, as evidenced by the repeat of number 5
The week starts off embroiled in conflict, probably due to the tension stretched between Aries and Libra. The 5 of Swords has us marinating on the worthiness of a fight and the 5 of Pills indicates disappointment or depression that might be clouding our judgement when it comes to other important elements. On Saturday, Mars gets extra (of course) and The Emperor reversed turns people pig-headed and unwilling to compromise. There is also a possibility of rashness or extreme action that halts progress.
The Queen of Wands carries these fiery, Martian vibes through to Sunday and transmutes them into progressive action - a purely intellectual notion finds traction and could lead to positive kinetic consequences. That positivity extends into Monday via the Ace of Cups and promises a new emotional lifeline, born perhaps from the clarity of eclipse upheaval. We might experience actual joy on Sunday, y'all. Clarity continues on Tuesday and the 4 of Swords reversed shows us how we can let go of frustration and resentment surrounding the conflicts in our lives.
For more in depth daily readings you can find me at http://www.YouTube.com/@AlectoChaos.