MARS/PLUTO OPPOSITION Part II

Neptune, Mercury and Uranus enter the conversation

In the last entry I examined the basic shape of the Mars/Pluto opposition and the square that both receive from The Sun. Now I want to introduce Neptune, Mercury and Uranus into the conversation. For the sake of simplicity, I have restricted myself to planets that aspect Pluto/Mars/Sun by whole sign. Venus will enter Ares by April 30^th and Saturn will follow later in May but I find that, when looking at specific moments of transit, it is helpful to restrict interpretation to whole signs. I am looking here at a specific “moment” of transit. This Mars/Pluto opposition can be thought of as a high point within a particular narrative arc. Venus and Saturn ingress into Ares in the few weeks following this high point. But by then the most dramatic effects of the Mars/Pluto opposition will have already made themselves felt and will create the context into which Venus and Saturn will enter the conversation in earnest.

But for the moment we might consider the “testimony” from Neptune, Mercury and Uranus and how they will contribute to the new conditions heralded by the Mars/Pluto opposition.

Pluto communicates with a conjunct Neptune and Mercury via superior sextile. Neptune and Mercury form an interesting hybrid through their conjunction. Neptune, planet of dreams, loves an immersive narrative in which truth may not be as important as appearance. Depending on Mercury’s mood, Neptune might be “sobered” by the skeptical analytic aspect of the former or egged on by his “trickster” side.

Since Pluto gives his testimony via superior sextile, his influence, although heavy and powerful, might still be perceived as friendly and conciliatory. If we are fortunate (and lean into this possibility), Neptune/Mercury might hear, in Pluto’s testimony, a plea for harmony and integration within the collective (Aquarius). Perhaps we will dream (Neptune) of reconciliation through communication (Mercury). Much will depend on how the Neptune/Mercury “feels” about its position in Ares.

Ares wants to get things started. There is a strong urge toward new beginnings but not a lot of patience. Ares is the masculine domicile of Mars where swift and decisive action is preferred to careful planning. In a moment where deliberation and strategy can make the difference between a penetrating and earnest assessment of pent-up grievances and a violent outburst of pent-up frustration and resentment that might boil over. When a pot boils over there is a mess to clean up and a loss of the fire which could drive productive change.

It is somewhat concerning that although Neptune and Mercury are conjunct, they are not tightly so. Neptune is not even a full degree into Ares while Mercury is already just within the second decan. This suggests that the dreams and visions of Neptune might not be tightly connected to the analytic capacities of Mercury. Success in this tense moment will depend on keeping the imaginative and evaluative qualities of mind tightly linked. But while Neptune moves quite slowly, Mercury is known for swiftness, which places a good deal of tension between these two qualities. Further, Neptune is in a Mars ruled decan of a Mars ruled sign while Mercury is in a decan of The Sun. This might make Neptune a bit more paranoid and Mercury more impatient to just get on with things. All this points to a very short lived and fragile possibility for bringing a combination of intelligence and creativity to a very tense and potentially explosive situation.

Both Neptune and Mercury communicate with Mars via superior trine. The trine is usually optimistic and generous but it does carry a lot of momentum. Ultimately, it is Mars who will have to keep a balance between imagination and clear thought. But Mars is “on stage” in Leo and might be more inclined to stay in the spotlight for his own aggrandizement than to use his prominent position for the good of all. Further, with the testimony he is receiving from Neptune and Mercury he is equally capable of dazzling with wisdom or baffling with bullshit.

Meanwhile, Pluto is also giving testimony to Uranus in Taurus via a superior trine. Because the trine is the most positive aspect and Taurus, being a Venus ruled sign, likes stability, comfort and beauty we might imagine a generous and heartfelt plea for all people to have the good things in life. BUT, Uranus is the planet most likely to do something rash. This planet of disruptive and revolutionary change is, of all planets, most likely to believe that ANY situation is better than the one in which we find ourselves. As such, he is likely to be the proverbial bull (his is in Taurus after all) in Venus’s pretty China shop. Uranus could easily see the volatility of the current situation as a perfect moment to start the revolution.

Whatever happens in this moment it is likely to happen quickly while leaving long term and serious consequences in its wake. Pluto will begin a five month retrograde on May 3^rd shortly after the moment we are looking at now. However this transit turns out, the Pluto retrograde ensures that we will spend the better part of the remainder of this year going back over all the things that led up to this moment. This is certain to be an inflection point for better or worse. It will depend on keeping our wits about us, both individually and collectively. We will need to be open-minded enough to dream without succumbing to paranoid delusions and clever enough to think and act creatively while avoiding the urge to undercut and deceive others for our own benefit. None of this will be easy and the stakes are high. But it is always better to know what we are up against.

May the stars guide us faithfully and may we follow them carefully.

Good luck friends.