Mars went into Aries on January 28th and will remain in that fiery sign of will and adventure through March 9th.  While in Aries, Mars is at its most potent and the aggressive force is permitted full expression, unhampered by the niceties of signs like Libra or Pisces, by practical considerations such as Capricorn and Taurus would exercise, or by reason and intellectual processing such as Gemini and Aquarius would instigate.  It is pure, unadulterated need and drive.

Mars is also bold and especially in Aries, does not hesitate to venture into unknown territory and take untold risks.  We are seeing this in the stock market, which continues to break records as it soars into the stratosphere because of unbridled optimism and the sheer force of momentum.  Currently Jupiter, the planet of expansion and luck, is forming a challenging opposition to Uranus, planet of radical action.  This planetary combination is ready to break through all kinds of barriers – whether physical, emotional, or ideological.  When we add Pluto’s destructive and transformational force into the mix, we get a powerhouse of movement and upheaval.  Jupiter here is reconnecting Uranus and Pluto for one final dance after nearly eight years of the Uranus/Pluto square.  Although Uranus and Pluto are not in exact alignment to one another, Jupiter “translates” the dynamic by acting as an intermediary over the next few months.  You can see how the current political climate fits perfectly into this drama of radical behavior and action that seems to have no basis in fact.

During the last week of February, Mars steps into the fray like a match thrown into a smoldering fire.  Until February 28th Mars will be poking the bear of the Uranus/Pluto square, creating extreme excitement and fueling us with a tremendous amount of energy, but also triggering anger and rage that may be suppressed or otherwise managed but not resolved.  As with any intense Mars time, using our conscious mind to focus this energy on a goal or aspiration can be very helpful in utilizing the power of Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto.  Physical activity can help us to channel the intensity and feel more comfortable in our bodies.

This will become more confusing around February 25-28 when a solar eclipse in mystical Pisces, with the Sun and  Moon conjunct Neptune, dumps a bucket of water and a wet blanket on all this fire.  I suspect that this is when the stock market will begin to retreat in response to this confusion.  On a personal level, this is an optimum time for a personal retreat and reset, especially since Venus will turn retrograde on March 4th.  I’ll be writing more about that as we get closer to the time, but Venus retrograde periods tend to cause a pullback in the financial markets and are good times for a personal review.

We live in exciting times.  Thank the gods we have astrology to help us to make sense of them!

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