The Stars This Week — January 31st v. 2/5

Sun conjoins Mars in Capricorn: taking determined action

The highlight this week is a powerful Sun-Mars conjunction in the sign of Capricorn.  Since these two planets both travel fairly quickly, this conjunction has been slowly building through January and will become exact this Friday, February 4.  The conjunction of the two primary fire planets takes place about once every two years and represents a time of action, competitiveness and vitality.  The leadership qualities of the Sun blends well with Mars’ assertiveness when situations call for determined and direct action.  As neither the Sun nor Mars are out of place on the battlefield,  this combination may reflect moments of great courage and stamina in the face of stiff opposition.  Of course, Mars is exalted here in Capricorn, so the urgent and more combative side of Mars is likely emphasized over the Sun’s penchant for leadership.  The downside to this fiery pairing is that it can sometimes create impatience and obstinacy and in extreme situations, even violence.

It is perhaps no surprise that we are seeing the flames of popular uprising throughout the Middle East at this time, as the people of Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia have undertaken massive protests against their autocratic leaders.  The violence between the people and the police is a reflection of this Sun-Mars conjunction, as the population have grown impatient with broken economies and corrupt governments.   It is also possible to see the nobler side to this Sun-Mars conjunction since it also symbolizes the courage and willpower of the people rising up against their leaders.  Significantly, this conjunction is occurring in the sign of sidereal Capricorn, which is most often associated with leaders and government.  The other factor here is that the conjunction takes place while in close trine aspect with Saturn over the coming days, which just turned retrograde last week.  Saturn is a more clearly malefic influence here, so that may be the reason why we are seeing more of the negative and destructive sides of the Sun and Mars here. 

On a personal level, the Sun-Mars conjunction offers new energy to begin challenging projects, especially ones that involve competition with others.  This may mean working on a proposal at work, bidding for a contract, or submitting a grant or scholarship application.  This is a wonderful combination for taking the initiative and striking out in new directions.  The Sun and Mars are formidable planetary allies when seeking the resources to overcome inertia, shyness or lack of assertiveness.  For those who are already well endowed in the confidence department, this surplus of "can do" energy may create some uncomfortable situations.  There is a danger of pushing too hard here, or trying to force your will in circumstances where it is not appropriate.  While the universe may be tempting us to ‘act first and ask questions later’, we should make the extra effort to listen to the needs of other people before putting forward our own agendas.

Just a follow-up note on last week’s Saturn retrograde station.  As I mentioned, it was an intriguing coincidence that President Obama’s State of the Union address proposed new infrastructure programs which was broadly in keeping with the significations of Saturn.  Saturn is extra-potent these days around its reversal in direction, so it was bound to seep into the speech in some way.  He also voiced some general ideas on controlling the deficit and freezing discretionary government spending for the next years.  This call for some measure of restraint is also very much a reflection of Saturn’s intrinsic austerity and preference for simplicity and reduction. 

But I also noted how the close Mercury-Saturn square might cause some difficulty for Obama, as if his speech or proposed programs might encounter some resistance or have some kind of problem down the line.  While loyal Democrats and liberal commentators generally applauded the speech, there was a wider sense that the SOTU was a disappointment which was lacking in specifics and did not quite strike the right note.  It quickly became fodder for comedy and talk shows such as Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show.  This was perhaps a reflection of Mercury (communication) being out of sync with Saturn (authority, rules).  As they say: you can’t fight City Hall and you probably can’t fight a bad Mercury-Saturn aspect either.

Have a great week,
Chris