Weekly Metaphysical Forecast 5.24.23
RIGHTEOUS COMBAT
WHAT?
This moment may find us feeling spicier and more outspoken than we have in a good long while, and as can be expected whenever people seem to be collectively puffing chests, removing jewelry, and squeezing their hands into fists, Mars is to blame.
Early this week the red planet moved into Leo, the sign of charisma, ego, fire, and drama. Mars gets pretty gassed in Leo, considering how the god of war loves dramatic combat and catastrophe (as long as he is the one coming out on top, of course) so we can expect to feel a collective frisson of zest during this transit as we fight for the things important to us. Due to a few key aspects with other celestial bodies, this combative spirit will pertain to both our individual passions and our community actions, particularly when it comes to perceived injustices. Issues that came to light when Mars was transiting the more passive signs of Taurus and Cancer could be brought to public awareness in a more clear and direct fashion, one that invites the loud confrontation of a fire sign instead of the quiet resentment that earth and water signs tend to favor.
Our verbosity will be important as well, considering the solar transit in Gemini that commenced on Sunday, meaning we could be moving people to action with our words just as effectively as professional brawlers do with their bodies. Leonine ego will make people disinclined to any sort of compromise, so consider this a cautionary salvo. Expect conversational sparring in both the private and public sphere regarding issues close to people's hearts, which means it might get messy if we are not careful checking the plump ego behind our communications.
WHY?
The red planet rules war, strategy, and carnality, and it's influence is obvious when we consider the signs that pay fealty to Mars as a ruler, Aries and Scorpio. Like those most violent yay-hoos of the zodiac, this planet can turn us into frogs on a hot plate when it comes to fighting or fucking, with no hesitation about leaping into heated situations. For months previous to this week Mars has been in Cancer - a watery, crabby, uncomfortable place considered the 'fall' for a planet that demands action. Cancer is notoriously passive aggressive, which means that many long term conflict situations have remained stilted, stagnant, and quietly poisonous, with participants making moves in secret and stalling progress instead of engendering fluidity.
Friction will lurk in the shadows no more, since fiery Leo lacks any watery compunction about direct, ostentatious conflict. The lion's ego is such that any attention, even the combat driven variety, will be perceived to work out in their favor. Thus a Martian ingress into this sign of fire and drama will likely lead to dramatic, heated exchanges and blowouts that have previously simmered in silence on the oven like a boiling pot of, well, crabs.
On top of all that fire, Mars in Leo forms what astrology nerds term a grand cross or square on Friday with the Lunar Nodes, Jupiter, and Pluto, and this will feel like a fucking doozy to anybody with a substantial presence of fixed signs in their natal chart.* This event places our planet of action in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius, the planet of generational undercurrents and shadowy inevitabilities, and it places Jupiter, our planet of luck and prosperity currently chilling in Taurus, directly opposite the south lunar node in Scorpio. The best way to describe this stubborn, possibly transformative fuckery is as follows:
Mars in Leo = How We Fight
Pluto in Aquarius = What We Fight For
Jupiter in Taurus = What We Win or Lose
North Node in Taurus + South Node in Scorpio = How We Win or Lose
Remember that the lunar nodes are an axis upon which we must grow, and the Taurus/Scorpio axis insists that destruction and creation are two sides of an important coin. Do not be surprised if the need to destroy something institutional in order to see progress becomes obvious on Friday, both personally and collectively. Not only is Pluto in Aquarius, the sign of system building for the greater good, but Pluto is retrograde in Aquarius, which means this systemic conflict likely has historical precedence. Jupiter in Taurus means the stakes have to do with our security and comfort, but the Great Benefic can only do so much as we grapple with our next move - what do we tear down in order to build?
In short, don't be surprised to see passionate, egomaniacal freak-outs regarding major, topical issues. People could get intense in both private and public. There will be the proverbial flying off of handles. There will be loud, vocal arguments at home, online, and in public, but take heart knowing that these are not petty little spats. We're not squabbling over inconsequential ephemera, here - this upheaval takes place around issues that matter on a grand scale, and one way or another we are all going to take part.
*To my Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius brethren...no, we are not done going through this shit, and the transformative upheaval continues into late summer. Trust that this cranky Scorpio astrologist feels your pain acutely.
WHEN?
Generally, the next few months will bring aggressive rhetoric and attention-seeking declarations regarding both macro and micro level issues as Mars roars in Leo, and the global, institutional focus will remain until mid-June, when Pluto dips back into Capricorn for a quick review until 2024.
For this week, Wednesday initiates the major thrust of Leo energy as the moon and Mars get cozy and feline with each other, instilling us all with a wave of charismatic enthusiasm that jolts our emotional core. The word 'zesty' isn't enough to cover how reactive people may feel...'volcanic' might be more accurate. Friday will be the most fraught thanks to the aforementioned fixed sign square dance hitting peak fuckery, but we can expect to see the social reverberations of such an intrinsically deep planetary aspect for weeks and months to come.
TAROT
The imminent loss of security, real or imagined, commandeers all of our intellectual energy on Wednesday, but we get a nice break with loved ones on Thursday. On Friday, the struggle amidst fraught polarity becomes clear and obvious - our actions on any given issue can and do vacillate between productive and destructive, but the price for moral flexibility is ultimately paid with our soul. Saturday could see us engaging a bit recklessly with the world, so beware of being lead by ego and immature emotion to a false sense of superiority. Sunday and Monday hit with a one-two punch of acceptance and revelation...yes, something didn't work out, but as we accept it and move on, the truth of our previous problem will come to light and we'll see that this loss might actually be for the best. Finally, Tuesday reveals light at the end of this transformational tunnel and the possibility of new paths and endeavors.
Check out the more detailed pulls and interpretations on our stories at RitualPNW on IG and YouTube. Find the channel at http://youtube.com/@alectochaos. You can also book one on one readings in person at buyritual.com, or walk-in for a reading at our brick and mortar location on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
RITUAL ELEMENTS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CONFLICT
Heavy Mars energy is best navigated with sympathetic, grounding crystals, so for this week I'm recommending bloodstone and onyx together as an attractive balm on the wound of world conflict.
Both bloodstone and onyx have Mars associations, so carrying them now offers a bit of protection from the fiery wrath of combat and friction that many, many people will be telegraphing into society. While bloodstone on it's own is a potent Mars collaborator, rooting us to clear, practical purpose amidst ego driven outbursts, the duality of onyx is particularly suited to the current astrological square involving the lunar nodes.
These nodes govern the tightrope we walk between a comfortable, familiar past and an uncomfortable progression to our future, better selves - a duality which with we all struggle as long as we exist on the earthly plane. Onyx is a stone uniquely suited to easing the friction of this duality and has been associated throughout the ages with finding a balance between the dark/light, loss/gain, and grief/elation axis. The black chalcedony in onyx also provides protection during unstable times and, when paired with a bloodstone, can help deflect a bit of the intense drama swirling about from now up through Leo season.
Wear these georgous stones as bracelets if you like a visual reminder of intention, or as pendants near the throat if you know Mars ingresses can affect the way you communicate.* Alternately, you could throw one of each in a pocket together since they are about the same level of density/hardness and probably won't break apart or leave crystal chips in your favorite sweater.
*Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius....you all need to wear these on a choker. You know why, you scary bitches.
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