Radical Astrology
Consciously Activate Your Unconscious
by Emily Trinkaus
Confused? Can’t disengage from dreamland when you wake up? No wonder. Piscean energy is dominating the moment, with Mars in the sign of the Fish for a record 6 months, from mid-June to December 16. Mars takes only 2 years to tour all 12 signs of the Zodiac, so this is an exceptionally long period of activating the unconscious—or acting unconsciously, depending on the moment.
Mars’ extended stay in Pisces is due to its Retrograde (backwards) motion since July 29. When the planet of action reverses directions, we are invited to re-trace our steps, in this case related to Piscean themes: service, healing and spirituality. Mars Retro suggests a prime time to complete unfinished business. Mars goes forward on September 27, though we may not be ready to dive into new ventures until mid-December, when Mars enters its home sign of Aries.
When we focus exclusively on the external world (Consensus Reality), Mars in Pisces loses its mojo. Our vitality dissipates, we get confused about our direction and desires, and anger goes underground, surfacing in sneaky, passive-aggressive ways.
To cooperate with Mars in Pisces, consciously activate your unconscious. Meditation, dancing, music, dream journals, and frequent baths are recommended. If you swim against the tide, you’ll probably drown—or at least get an allergy attack that keeps you in bed for weeks. It may look like nothing is happening, but your dream world is hectic, which is why you need extra sleep.
The high expression of Mars in Pisces is a spiritual Superman, envisioning peace while fighting for Truth, Justice and the Cosmic Way. Its shadow is the victim or martyr—antiquated archetypes of the Piscean Age. In the Age of Aquarius, everyone is a Superhero, capable of saving humanity through building community and cultivating personal enlightenment.
Mars represents warfare, and in Pisces, war becomes covert or invisible. (“War in Iraq? What war in Iraq?”) Mars in Pisces also reminds us that, as Starhawk writes in The Fifth Sacred Thing, “All war is first waged in the imagination, first conducted to limit our dreams and visions, to make us accept within ourselves its terms.... If we let the terms of force describe the terrain of our battle, we will lose.” On the other hand, when we fight on the level of consciousness, we have the power to win.
To balance out the dreamy Piscean vibe, Jupiter just moved into its opposite sign, earthy & practical Virgo. Jupiter, planet of abundance and faith, spends a year in Virgo, (Aug 28 till Sept. next). Gifts and opportunities abound in areas of work and healing, and we lucky Virgos reap the rewards of our hard work.
Oppositions often operate like see-saws, swinging from one extreme to the other. In this case, from blissed out and/or hopelessly lost (Mars in Pisces) to agressively self-critical and overwhelmed by everyday duties and responsibilities (Jupiter in Virgo). The see-saw swings most wildly when the Mars/Jupiter opposition is exact, in September and November this year.
Ideally, you can manifest your idealistic dreams or spiritual visions by taking practical action in daily life. Integrating the Virgo/Pisces opposition entails infusing each mundane moment with spirit, transforming routine drudgery into sacred ritual. As Nabokov wrote (channeling Jupiter in Virgo), “God is in the details.”
Jupiter’s move into Virgo contributes to the current line-up of planets in the feminine elements, Earth and Water. In addition to Mars and Uranus in Pisces, Saturn in Cancer, and Jupiter in Virgo, the North Node just entered Taurus. The abundance of feminine energy signals the return of love, compassion, and honoring the Earth into mainstream culture. (Margaret Thatcher and Madeleine Albright have shown that feminine qualities are not necessarily housed in female bodies.)
In the Age of Aquarius the feminine and masculine achieve a state of balance. But during this transitional time, the divine feminine may return with a vengeance. The slogan for the next few years could be God is coming—and she’s pissed! If we continue our practices of factory farming, genetic engineering, clear-cutting, resource extraction (oil et.al.), chemical warfare, and other abuses, Mother Earth may rebel with natural disasters and food and water shortages.
It’s a good time to remember that dis-aster literally translates as “against the stars”. When we stay grounded and attentive to Earth and her abundance, we receive exactly what we need (Taurus North Node). When we let go of manipulation, envy and revenge (Scorpio South Node), we evolve beyond an addiction to crisis and war into an age of peace.
Emily Trinkaus, Virgo, is a writer, astrologer and peace activist living in Portland. For information about individual readings, or to receive free New and Full Moon reports via email, call (503) 288-7097 or email [email protected].
