Healing Crisis

A feisty Mars and tender Chiron make for a complex new Moon.

“Feeling and desire are the motive forces behind all human endeavour and human creation.” —Albert Einstein, Pisces

During the final miles of a long road trip, we find ourselves exhausted, tense, and in serious need of a shower. We want to arrive already! Well, the same is true of planets traveling across the last degrees of any sign. Because Mars is about to enter Capricorn on Saturday, tempers on Earth are scalding-hot leading up to that day. People are steaming with irritation, yet there are currently zero planets in Air signs, making clear communication difficult. We have the feelings, but not the best words to express them. While in adventurous Sagittarius, Mars has been bratty and scattered (“My philosophy is best! Where’s my pen?”), in Capricorn, Mars becomes more focused and driven to achieve practical goals. On its Sag.-to-Cap. transit, Mars also lights up “The Galactic Center”—a hot spot of sharp intuition and informative dreams—from the 14th to 16th. We can access psychic insight, along with anger, this week.

It’s natural to feel stuck and frustrated now. Our personal desires and passionate impulses (Aries) are tug-of-warring with our commitments to others (Pisces). Some choices require sacrifice, and sacrifice stings. On Saturday, we have a new Moon in Pisces that’s tangled up with Chiron. Expect to deal with grief and old pain. (I know! More Chiron work. Sorry.) It’s not a simple week, but it is the last full week of Pisces season. On the 20th, the Sun will join Mercury and Venus in Aries, kicking off a new astrological year. In these remaining Pisces days, we’re brushing away mental gunk that we’ve accumulated. Sure, Pisces is about empathy, connection, and imagination. Yet it’s also a sign of addiction, unconscious self-sabotage, and delusions. It’s time to get brave and look at what we’re not seeing.

FOR CHIRON OUT LOUD

Typically it’s a full Moon that brings emotions to a boiling point so we can acknowledge bottled-up problems. However, Saturday’s new Moon—in Pisces, a sign awash in emotions—will behave more like a full Moon than a fresh, new one. This Pisces new Moon makes contact with Chiron, the minor planet of wounds and healing that heavily influenced us last week. Chiron represents the tight knot of pain or shame (perhaps from early childhood or middle school) that gets reactivated whenever we encounter adversity that echoes that original wound. Because Mercury is in pre-retrograde shadow, the Chiron pain we face may be triggered by people or situations from our past.

Chiron is trauma, fear, and abandonment. But Chiron is also the key we discover to heal ourselves and assist others with their pain. It’s the problem and the solution. Since February 2011, Chiron has been in the sign of Pisces. However, next month the sticky little planetoid will move into Aries and pretty much stay there until 2026! So think of this week’s potent Pisces Chiron as a video game’s Final Boss, one you must defeat to complete your seven-year healing cycle. A new cycle is coming. In the meantime, allow yourself to feel conflicted and messy. Just don’t take your grief out on those around you (who are no doubt dealing with their own inner thorns). Rose quartz is a useful stone for these tender times. Try to get near a body of water at the new Moon, or soak in the bathtub with a little epsom salt. Put on soothing songs by Pisces musicians like Rihanna or Grimes. You don’t have to figure it all out. Just float.

YOU CAN PLANET

A lingering Venus/Saturn square on Wednesday the 14th has you examining your personal achievements. Avoid comparing yourself to others, as navel-gazing and disappointment are in the air. You may also hit financial limitations that make you feel stuck. Keep revising and rethinking your goals, even if you see no solution yet. It’s a good day to tidy up your home! On Thursday the 15th people are irritable and difficult. You could receive sudden clarity, but don’t expect smooth moods. Pay attention to your dreams and intuition today and tomorrow. Friday the 16th requires stamina and a willingness to reflect and adjust. Try to stay present, nourished, and well-rested so you don’t snap. Pay attention to new people you meet today. An emotional new Moon in Pisces occurs early in the morning on Saturday the 17th. Mars enters Capricorn shortly after, which should calm tempers. It’s a day of “surprising” discoveries and realizations too. Everyone’s reckoning with past pain while also sorting out their present feelings. Strong emotions keep flowing into Sunday the 18th. An Aries Moon means Sunday is good for taking initiative and starting new things. Monday the 19th puts focus on your home and nutrition. A void Moon makes concentration difficult from noon to 6 p.m. Later in the evening is a fine time to consider (or discuss) money and love issues. Aries season begins on Tuesday the 20th, a day that looks positive and full of potential. Finally!

spacewitch@seattleweekly.com

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