Happy Tuesday you fiery warriors of love

FIRE! Yesterday Jupiter in Leo made a trine to Mars in Aries effectively expanding Mars' power and potency. Tomorrow Mars moves into an exact conjunction with Uranus to supercharge the Uranus Pluto square aspect. Mars is the ruler of Aries and in this sign can fully express its warrior self. Conjunct Uranus, planet of sudden upheaval, electrifying enlightenment, and chaotic crumblings; these two together make a warrior spirit that is willing to act purely for the act itself. Said actions are not made with far-range, logical thinking- they are the heat of here and now and the urgency of this moment only. At its best this means liberation and reloveution. In its more destructive manifestation this is militant extremism and enflamed reactivity. The square to Pluto in Capricorn illuminates our domination fantasies and feelings of being oppressed and oppressor.

Mars moving over these points follows Venus' same movement last week and is priming us for next week when Uranus and Pluto will square off for the last of 7 times. This is an astrological era that we, and others, have written quite a bit about so far. It's a defining moment for all of us on Earth as we struggle with the will of the individual against the will of the corporation/government; individual expression vs "ethical" institutions; rash thinking vs strategy; chaos vs order...

Why is astrology useful or relevant? For me it's a language that can describe experience and give meaning to experience in ways that feel more holistic and complex than dogmatic. Astrology doesn't ascribe wrong or right but speaks to the seeds of potential that exist in all of us. We all carry seeds of violence, compassion, greed, lust, goodness. Sometimes these seeds receive more nourishment than others. Astrology is useful because it is a study of light. Our bodies were formed in this light and we continue to feel it. When the cold light of Pluto in Capricorn meets the intensity of Uranus in Aries' light, the seeds that would respond to these lights in each of us are awakened. How we use this energy is up to us. For me this is the usefulness of astrology, it illuminates choice. Here is energy that is available, it could feel like this or could feel like that. What will you do with it?

Pluto square Uranus can feel like a big fucking power struggle, and it very well might be. But whether your struggle feels like it is with external figures or internal ideas, either way you have choice. You can choose to let this moment make you more of the idea you want to be, or you can choose to let this moment make you something else. We will all suffer, we will all be pushed to our limits. All of us. How we each choose to respond though... that is unknown.

Here are some ideas for working with yourself and others this next week:

1.) Mars/Aries wants action and Pluto/Capricorn wants power. Sit down and make a list of 5-20 steps you can take NOW to embody your inner authority. Maybe you feel that you are already there? Great. Make a list of 5-20 steps you can take to inspire/support others to do the same. Questions here revolve around free will and agency- a solid inner authority doesn't need to control anyone else but also isn't willing to carry someone else's bullshit baggage. What are you carrying that's not yours to carry? Can you let them carry it? Can bear the weight (of glory and responsibility) of your own crown? How do you want the grace you glow with feel to someone who is struggling with hers?

The job of the Emperor is to remember one-ness with the Universe

2.) Find a willing partner to play this game with: For ten minutes one of you will try to contain and one of you will try to break free- this is otherwise known as wrestling- but choose your roles and really embody them. If your bodies are not up for grappling then try this with your words, make your characters big, hyperbolic, and disgustingly simple. Then switch roles. Afterwards talk about it. Share the experiences that came up for you. Be prepared for an emotional response. Support each other to be with the responses. When you feel complete and/or the need for completion do the next exercise.

3.) Be on opposite sides of a room. Again each person will take each role so choose someone to start as the mover and someone to start as the speaker. The speaker stays still and mover starts to approach, at any point the speaker can say "stop", "go back", or "come closer". If the mover has desire to do one of those actions she can, but she must follow the speakers' instructions first. The mover can choose the speed at which she moves. Retain eye contact the whole time. If you don't have space to do that exercise, or if you still want more you can...

4.) Practice active listening through touch. One person touches and the other receives. Practice saying, "don't touch me", "touch me" and/or asking for what kind of touch you want. The nature of this exercise can obviously change with the relational dynamic it is played out in, but I encourage you to keep it away from sexuality and let the exercise be very simple. No or Yes. Be with the basics. Chances are good that in the simplicity they will bring up enough.

This practices are practices in intimacy. We are intimate with the world. How we choose that intimacy is up to us. Can we choose to be healers and choose to be healed? These practices are practices in agency, autonomy, acting and LISTENING. Can we nurture the seeds of leadership that listens to boundaries and simple requests? Can we honor the generosity time, space, and process as well as the instincts to act?