When things get heated, silence as a response, taking and giving space, and then burning off that Mars energy with some vigorous exercise (or even sex) are go-to's.  When there is a lot of Mars energy around, or if two people living together have strong Mars energy, it can escalate quickly if not given a productive outlet.  This energy requires some handling.  When in doubt, sweat it out.  Get out of the house, get some space, get some air, go run, go to kickboxing, channel it creatively, but don't sit on it.  

Second, when we find it necessary to employ these tactics, we can take the opportunity to go deeper and do that reconnaissance work that is going to give us valuable intel for after Mars resumes direct motion on November 13th.  

Anger is a secondary emotion - when we are feeling anger, that is our clue to look beneath it.  We might express anger to cover up fear.  We might feel fear because we don't feel safe expressing the emotion we are truly feeling.  The more aware we are of this, the more empowered we are with this energy, and the less we will find ourselves manipulated or pushed around by it.  

When working with boundary issues, here are four great questions to ask ourselves:

1. Did I even know I had a boundary around this issue prior to this, or am I just learning this about myself?
2. If I did know I had a boundary, did I actually communicate it clearly to the other person?
3. If I do feel I communicated the boundary clearly, am I sure the other person actually got it/understood?
4. If the answer is yes to all of the above, then it is probable that the other party just doesn't care about respecting my boundaries.  And that means that person needs to be kept at a safer distance - circle back to silence/back away from danger and inflammatory situations. 

One Last Thought for Mars Retrograde

When I was staying on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala a few years ago,  I heard a teacher say that energetically, protection invites attack.  He was talking specifically about when we begin doing a lot of spiritual protection, but it is the same energy whether we are buying crystals or ammo, or we are just defensive and argumentative.  If we find ourselves spending a lot of energy on protection, what that probably means is we are fearing attack.  In this way these two things are engaged in an intertwined energetic dynamic.  

I was listening to someone speak on energy recently and he brought up the idea of permission to use in place of protection in our energetic dealings with others and the world at large.  He made the point that if someone is experiencing lack of love and abundance, it is many times at least in part due to them using the energy of protection rather than permission.  He explained that protection shuts down energetic flow and actually invites attack, because it comes from a belief that it is likely we will be attacked and we are therefore not safe.  Protection and defense tend to invite the very thing we are afraid of, because like attracts like.  

Instead of protection, he suggested permission, and I believe this is a very valuable concept to put into practice during Mars retrograde.  What he suggested was to shore up our own grounding and energetic boundaries, and then on top of that, layer the energetic boundary at the edge of our aura (about three feet out from our bodies in all directions) with the dictate that all of the space inside of this auric boundary is 100% our own space and on the other side of that boundary we give permission for everything to exist.  My personal astrologer described it to me once as, "put your arms out - everything you can touch is what you have control over...period".  

When we go into protection and defensiveness, energetically, we are actually engaging.  Mars retrograde is about not engaging.  But to be able to give permission, we first must have healthy and firm boundaries of self.  If we are at all unclear on this, or maybe just practicing this for the first time now, we can go back to fall back, give space, take space, take time out.  (Make time out self-care time or make it fun time - it just needs to be not communicating about things or around people that get heated easily.)

What we are doing essentially with Mars retrograde is bringing our focus in - way in. 

​Retrogrades are when the planets appear to stop and reverse direction for a while.  The energetic effect is one of that planetary energy slowing in our lives and turning inward.  This is a time of reflection and review of our relationship to this particular energy in our lives.

There is a lot of unrest right now, and most of it is beyond our control.  We know what Mars retrograde means, and we know how to most successfully navigate it and harness its magic -  falling back, pulling in, and doing the reconnaissance work.

In short, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

~Kasey

The first quarter moon, the waxing square between the moon and sun that marks the halfway point between the new moon and the full moon, arrives on Monday, July 27th, just after Mars enters the shadow of its upcoming retrograde in Aries. 

The moon is squaring the sun from Scorpio, a sign of intensity, unearthing, transformation, and healing.  Both Scorpio and Leo are fixed signs, meaning they come to us in the center of one of the four seasons, when that season is at its "height."  ("Leo season," when the sun makes its annual transit of Leo, happens at the height of summer.)  We could think of the four fixed signs (Leo, Scorpio, Taurus, and Aquarius) as both confident and stubborn. 

Squares always feel like an impasse, an obstacle we need to work through, because the energies are intersecting at a ninety degree angle.  When it is the sun and moon in square, it is our conscious mind and subconscious that arrives at this energetic impasse.  The first quarter square is also known as a, "crisis in action," because it is during the waxing, rather than the waning, moon.  

The moon, ruler of Cancer, sign of the mother, emotions, and the past, is in Scorpio for this square to the sun in Leo.  Scorpio is the sign of the deep psyche, secrets, power, healing, and transformation.  This first quarter square on Monday is bound to feel intense with this placement, especially with the extra tension of Mars just having entered its retrograde territory in Aries on Saturday the 25th. 

Mars, the warrior and the planet of our passion, assertion, and motivation, is spending the entire last half of 2020 in its own sign of Aries, which is rare, and quite potent energetically.  Mars typically spends only about two months in each sign - this transit is three times as long, even more powerful because Mars is on its home turf and also going retrograde while here.  

Mars in Aries can up the hostility factor.  We might find ourselves with our hackles up where we normally wouldn't.  This is the energy strong for the next six months.  Strong Mars energy can move mountains, but it needs to be handled carefully and consciously directed.  If this kind of amped up Mars vibe is allowed to run amok, it can be very destructive.  And we already know that not everyone will be able to be completely conscious of this all the time, and some way less than others.  We know we are not perfect.  And we know some of us are just not conscious enough to even be aware of this sort of dynamic on this level. It does us no good to place unrealistic expectations on ourselves or others, so let's not do that.  Remember, this is about strategy.  Walking around with blinders on won't help us.  To be successful, to access this magic, to navigate, we must have our eyes wide open and be working with what is - as it changes from moment to moment even.  

Use caution.  Be strategic. Steer clear of people you know are energetically sensitive but unconscious, and so tend to act out because the energies are making them feel uncomfortable.  Try to be aware of when this is getting stirred within yourself, and take a break from people and get some alone time.  A solid "time-out" practice is going to come in very handy over the next six months as is exercising your right to not respond and to not engage. 

In the words of Marcus Aurelius, "The best response to anger is silence."  In fact, these next few months are a great time to dive into all things Marcus Aurelius.  Mars retrograde is when we focus on strategy.  This is when we fall back, regroup, recharge, and do the necessary reconnaissance work.  The number one rule for working Mars retrograde successfully is, "DO NOT INSTIGATE".  If you find yourself in a hostile situation and need to defend and protect, that is one thing, but Mars retrograde, and let's just include the pre- and post-shadows as well because this is such big energy during already turbulent times, is absolutely not the time to start shit.  Don't do it under any circumstances. 

During a Mars retrograde, when the warrior turns inward, if you start it, you lose, end of story.  In addition, keep in mind that Saturn stations direct in Capricorn in square to Mars retrograde on September 28th.  While Mars is retrograde it will be squaring Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto in Capricorn.  This is going to be bumpy astro to say the least, which is why we are going to get grounded and get our rules of the engagement and boundaries in place (and start studying up on Marcus Aurelius) NOW. 

For now the important thing to keep in mind is that we are in the retrograde shadow as of Saturday the 25th, and that means Mars is making its first pass out of three over these degrees of Aries that are the retrograde territory.  Issues that come up now around self-assertion and anger are sure to be what will be reviewed during the retrograde.  Being as observant as possible and minimizing being reactive as much as possible are the things now. 

Also, right now both Mercury in Cancer and Venus in Gemini are still in their post-retrograde shadows.  Mercury is the mind and the messenger and in Cancer was deep diving into our past and emotional patterns.  Venus is love and money, but by way of values and self-value - really at the heart of the matter here is self-love.  Venus is how we attract what we most desire into our lives, and that happens through our ability to resonate energetically with those things.  Gemini is actually ruled by Mercury, and is the sign of the mind.  So Venus retrograde in Gemini was actually drilling down to our values and self-value and self-love and then rebuilding back up through our beliefs, thoughts, and actions.  These two retrogrades were linked by that Mercury piece, and we are still integrating them right now, until August 4th and August 7th, when Mercury enters Leo and Venus enters Cancer, respectively.  (I hope to have a post up addressing this specifically on the blog very soon, so you can check for it here.)

For this week, as we pass the first quarter moon and head into the upcoming full moon at 11 degrees Aquarius on the morning of next Monday, August 3rd, we are paying attention, observing, evaluating, and re-evaluating.  We are paying attention to this shift as Mars enters its retrograde territory.  We are paying attention to what is coming up at Monday's square between the Leo sun and Scorpio moon.  We are taking note of where we have been over the past month, and what our intentions were at this past new moon in Cancer, and looking forward to where we want to go, reading the upcoming energetic currents, and making adjustments.  We are centered and calm, yet focused and adaptable, ready to take small course-correcting actions as necessary.  We are becoming adept at observing, strategizing, and navigating - we are becoming masters of manifestation.  


Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

When the moon is in Cancer, we will feel a stronger desire for a sense of belonging. We may also find ourselves more moody and/or nostalgic.  Cancer moons can be times when a past emotional trigger sneaks up on us and sends us into some past dimension of pain and sorrow. 

Dark moons are the deepest point of the lunar cycle just before the new moon and thus are the time when we have access to the deepest parts of our psyche and subconscious.  Cancer is the sign of the home, the mother, emotions, and childhood past - even past lives and ancestry.  Cancer represents how we feel safe, nurtured and cared for. Home, mothering, and food are all Cancerian subjects.  What Cancer energy helps us learn in life, however, is how to create the feeling of home, safety, belonging, and being nurtured and cared for within ourselves, just like the crab is at home anywhere because it is in its shell.  If the crab gets tossed around by a wave, it remains in its shell - we can remain centered within ourselves and retain our sense of home no matter what life throws at us, if we, like the crab, keep clear boundaries of self.  

If anything is coming up now (which is likely, as Mercury is just direct in Cancer at this dark moon in Cancer), a soak in a hot spring, dip in the ocean, swim in the river, or a salt bath can work wonders.  Even making a bowl of saltwater to soak hands and/or feet in will help clear out sticky emotional residue from the spirit now.  

Monday's new moon is our second new moon in Cancer in a row.  That, along with it being the first new moon after our recent string of three eclipses in a row ,make it a major reset button. 

The thing is, this Cancer new moon is being opposed by Saturn retrograde in Capricorn.  Saturn is Capricorn's ruler, and right now, the Teacher, Taskmaster, and Lord of Karma is in review mode in its own sign. 

Cancer and Capricorn make up one of the six axes of the zodiac. Where Cancer represents the archetypal mother, Capricorn represents the archetypal father.  Where Cancer is intuitive and emotional, Capricorn is authoritarian and rigid.  These two energies oppose, but both are necessary, useful, and if we are working with them and harnessing them, even beneficial.  The moon rules Cancer, so is just as strong in Cancer as Saturn is in Capricorn.  At this new moon, Saturn can help teach us to develop and maintain the boundaries that protect what we most value, and ultimately, that soft creature of our innermost selves and our beautiful hearts.  While Cancer is about the inner world, Saturn is very much about the outer world.  Saturn knows about these things and offers us its wisdom now.  

The new moon is always a fresh start, and on the heels of three eclipses in a row bringing huge change, this one is extra potent.  With Saturn and the moon opposing each other from their thrones in their own realms, rather than seeing it as a stand off, we can see this as two sovereign rulers of very different realms sitting down at a table to join forces.  We are in the middle - it is our task to balance the energies swirling around us at any given moment.  

This new moon is an opportunity to make a fresh start with better balance between these two energies than we have experienced in recent years.

Love and Gratitude,
Kasey

Welcome to life after eclipse season!

We just navigated some huge astrological energies as we experienced three eclipses in a row between June 5th and July 5th.

As we approach the last quarter moon of this lunar cycle on July 12th, which happens to be the same day Mercury stations direct in Cancer, we have an opportunity to check in with where we are at in time in space in this present moment. 

We have been through a lot of energetic shifts in a short span of time recently.  This is an opportune time to reconnect with "what is," and locate where we are exactly on the mall map of life, that says next to the big red dot, "You Are Here."  It is time to reconnect with what "here" truly is - the infinitely abundant present moment where we are always empowered, free of the sorrows of the past and worries of the future.   

Now is a good time to pause for a moment ground - to stop and really feel ourselves connect down into the core of the earth that sustains life in the here and now.  Take a moment to notice the pain and tension we are holding on to still that is not from this present moment to release down into the earth as energy to be composted into new life  We can allow any past hurts or stagnant energy hanging around in our space to release in this way, too.  (I like to visualize a big drain in the center of the room with the energy swirling to the left, or counterclockwise, for releasing/banishing for this.)  While we are at it, we can just clear out our entire home, office, car, and neighborhood too!  This last bit of Mercury retrograde in the emotional waters of Cancer, on the back side of that string of eclipses, is perfect for clearing the cobwebs and getting grounded and clear in the present moment.

Last week I gave a recap of recent astrological events just as a reminder of how much has happened of late.  Venus stationed direct in Gemini on June 25th, just a week after Mercury stationed retrograde in Cancer on June 17th.  Also, Mars entered its own sign of Aries for a record-breaker of a transit of six months just after that on June 27th. 

I am mentioning this again now because these energetic dynamics are still very much in play.  We are integrating the past full moon eclipse in Capricorn with the last quarter moon. That eclipse was also, on a larger scale, the wrap-up for the past year and a half of eclipses on the Cancer-Capricorn axis.  The nodes shifted from Cancer-Capricorn to Gemini-Sagittarius on May 6th.  Mercury rules Gemini, where the North Node (the pathway forward) is now until into 2022.  Venus' recent retrograde in Gemini pulls focus on the North Node newly in Gemini, and Mercury's retrograde in Cancer overlapping with that is helping us mentally and emotionally to connect all of these events and integrate them.  

Mars is the warrior and the pioneer, self-assertiveness and initiation.  Mars is a catalyst.  And Mars is exponentially more potent in its own sign of Aries for the entire remainder of 2020.  Mars is the sword that protects and cuts old ties, and also the machete that clears new trail so we can keep moving forward.  Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn (all currently retrograde in Capricorn) will remain in Capricorn through the end of the year, and Mars retrograde will be making squares to them all.  This is bound to feel bumpy, as squares are challenging aspects that force us to grow as we are asked to find solutions to energetic impasses.  And with everything squaring while retrograde, it speaks to a period of wrap up and review on a large scale.

However, before we get to that, we will be experiencing Mars in square to Mercury (ruler of the mind and messages/communication) as it stations direct this weekend, July 12th.  Actually, Mars is in square to Mercury retrograde in Cancer already.  If you are experiencing turbulent communications, or even a turbulent psyche/dream world, or if you find anger bubbling up out of nowhere, it most likely has everything to do with this current astrological situation.  The last quarter square moon (when the moon squares the sun at the halfway point between the full moon and new moon) only adds more tension, as it is yet another square - this one between our conscious focus and subconscious mind.  This is why the last quarter moon is referred to by astrologers as, "a crisis in consciousness".  (When Saturn stations direct in Capricorn on September 28th, it will also do so square Mars retrograde in Aries, so this theme will be continuing through the fall - for more on that, check out the blog article, "Saturn Retrograde", from May.)

The good news is, this too shall pass, and squares are challenging but they always come with a gift for us.  The grounding visualization I described above is also perfect for working with whatever this might be bringing up from deep within us, and understanding where we are on the mall map of life and what we are working with so we know how to harness that energy and ride that energetic wave are a big part of successfully navigating anything and everything that comes our way.  

Happy Surfing!

Love & Gratitude,
Kasey