This week’s astrology involves the integration of two powerful forces that can make it difficult to ‘live and let live.’ Mars is moving forward through Aquarius while Jupiter is retrograding back through Leo, forming an exact opposition on New Year’s Day. We’re already feeling the effects of this dynamic polarity, and it isn’t an easy task to live out this planetary opposition in a fair way.
An opposition is like a tug of war between two forces. When manifested in its best form, they can compliment each other wonderfully, like the graceful tightrope walker balancing impossible conditions. But at its worst, it can be an ugly battle or blind disregard for compromise. Things can seem either/or rather than a balance between both.
Mars and Jupiter are powerhouses of energy, and when in contact with each other, amplify our willpower, confidence, and assertion. Aquarius and Leo are fixed signs, tending to stay attached to their personal points of view. Jupiter in Leo is demanding of attention. It can evoke a generosity of spirit and a willingness to bare one’s soul, but it can also be greedy for satisfaction and overwhelmed with desire. Mars in Aquarius is very opinionated. It can certainly push us to work hard toward our dreams or idea of the future, but it can also cling to a position of being right, or having things our way.
So, Leo (the sign of the king, the ruler, the lion) has expansive and optimistic Jupiter, while Mars is pushing and pulling in extremely independent and idealistic Aquarius. Mars in Aquarius say “Do it this way, I’m right, follow me” while Jupiter in Leo says “Love me, I’m amazing, pay attention to me.”  That leaves us in a tricky situation of balancing what we envision with what we can actually make progress in. We can’t all get our own way.
At this time of year, we’re all taking stock of where we are in life and what our goals are for the next year ahead. And it can be incredibly painful or embarrassing to be proven wrong, or even worse, rejected. It is scary to be vulnerable, and that is exactly what we are when we go after what we want.
This is a time to be aware of your judgement and your demands, both on yourself and on others. We can become fixated and dogmatic with this astrology– and there’s a potent urge to express ourselves, to plunge into the deep end and stand up for what we feel we deserve. But that ego-driven desire and self-righteousness doesn’t leave a lot of room for respect or gentleness. This isn’t a flexible energy, so we have to remember to incorporate that into this tightrope walk.
The incredible life-affirming hope and joy of this astrology can also flip the coin to bring up worthlessness and fear. Try not to fall off the tightrope. The truth is that no mood, no loss, and no limitation is permanent. Not really. Try to celebrate what is good, rather than look at what is lacking. Namaste is a word used to end yoga practices, which loosely translated means “The light in me honors the light in you.” This week, we’ll all do well to remember to honor our own unique journey, as well as those of everyone around us.
Cheers to 2015!
0 Comments