Life in the slow lane
Has life for you felt incredibly stalled for weeks, going on months, or maybe even longer? We've had a bunch of planets in retrograde lately -- 6 out of a possible 8 for a while. (It's the very essence of life in slow-motion.)
Retrograde planets alter the way their issues are managed and that often involves slowing down, going back and doing things over -- or at the very least marking time while life arranges itself in different patterns.
None of this encourages forward progress, and for people who aren't used to this unusual pace, life can get pretty frustrating.
Mercury is back on track.
Mars follows soon.
Mercury came out of retrograde last week ... so that's a piece of good news. Snarled communications and travel will gradually straighten out. Meanwhile, you have new ideas to share and work with ... and a new presentation style to perfect. I wrote about it here.
The next piece of good news -- Mars will come out of retrograde next week -- following the full moon, and that will make a noticeable difference in how Life's atmosphere feels. Retracing your steps to fix things you thought were already finished may aggravate you as much as it does me. If so, I sympathize!
Announcing a career crisis
But until September 10, Mars lingers in the last degree of Capricorn, having just stepped back over the line from a long retrograde in Aquarius.
In Astrology, that 29th degree of any sign is a crucial placement all by itself. So Mars -- the planet of action and raw physical energy -- having come back to that pivotal degree of Capricorn -- the sign of public life projects, status, reputation, long-term goals and "permanent structures" suggests a major turning point -- involving your career, your professional direction, and what you want to do with your life -- has arrived.
Mars retrograding to Capricorn -- and taking a station at this particular degree of Capricorn -- suggests critical unfinished business. Something needs serious attention and adjustment. A do-or-die moment with possibly sobering consequences is here. It will require some judicious decisions and action -- soon.
Mars in Aquarius
Mars in Aquarius is notoriously free-wheeling and rebellious. It goes its own way, follows its own rules and does what it wants. It has a devil-may-care attitude some people envy, some find outrageous -- and some, when they tune into its power, discover a new way to live.
We'll be stepping back into that turbulent whirlpool of possibility real soon, so if what I just described appeals mightily to you -- deal with what Mars in Capricorn wants -- so you can move on to a new level of self-expression and freedom.
Mars in Capricorn
Mars in Capricorn is ambitious and productive. His industriousness is second to none. So is his determination to succeed. He likes organization and structure. Rules matter to him. So do appearances -- and so does his own prestige. You can learn more about Mars in Capricorn here
So ... focusing specifically on your "Capricorn concerns" -- your public life projects, professional growth, career development, areas where you want to claim status and authority, we reach that all-important question, "What do you want to do with your life?"
Ask yourself some questions ... because these are the answers you're trying to find.
Ask yourself ...
What is your next growth step? What do you want to contribute to the world?
What have you been thinking about lately? In what places and projects do you want to invest yourself, your talents, your time and energy?
In your fantasies about your professional life, where do you want to go -- and what are the next steps on that journey?
Where are you going?
What are your ambitions? What is your ultimate goal? Are you on course to make that happen? What's your next milestone? What's your next target? Do you need to make some radical course corrections -- or just get ready for the next big push?
What do you think the world, your community and your extended human family need from you ... and how are you prepared to give that?
What "permanent changes" would you like to create? How do you need to change -- what do you need to do differently -- to make those a reality?
What will you do?
What "rules" do you want to follow? Never mind society's rules. I'm talking about your personal rules, ethics and standards. If possible, write these down. Be explicit and candid. It helps immensely to follow a course if it's outlined like a map in your mind.
What kind of future do you want to create? How can you build on the past to make it happen? Do things need to be torn down ... or replaced ... or do new things need to be built -- or all of the above? (This is the theme of Aquarius energy -- which is where you'll be going next.)
How will these changes affect your life? Think about this carefully -- and are you ok with the answers?
These are questions you need to work with consciously, deliberately, between now and September 9 ... because the answers you get and the actions you take will change many things by mid-November. The directions and decisions are yours to choose. When Mars goes direct on August 27 ... the ball is in your court.
You can learn more specifically on Mars Retrograde here.
Thank you for stopping by!
If you've always known there was more to Astrology than Sun Sign material and the three line daily horoscope in the newspaper, climb aboard and follow this blog. You'll find a world of wisdom detailing how you were designed to work with life ... and why you are the way you are -- all in quick-to-read, easy-to-digest-and-remember, written-in-plain-English essays that offer plenty of food for thought.
Little by little, I'm doing a set of articles that talks about all the elements in your horoscope and what they have to say about you. If you "know something" about Astrology -- or know something about your chart placements, that will help you get more from this material.
If you don't ... well, this is one place you can learn. We all have to start somewhere ... because we aren't born knowing this stuff. Meanwhile, if you've never seen your horoscope ... and don't have a clue how to work with it, maybe it's time to find out. There are lots of "chart services" on the internet -- some of whom produce decent, readable charts "for free" and some are so awful and confusing that even I can't read them easily -- and I've worked with charts for decades.
One extremely user-friendly chart site is here: AstroLabe. I recommend them if you want a simple, easy-to-read chart. I think they even give a reasonable little interpretive reading of your horoscope as part of the package. You'll need to know your birth information -- day, month, year, time and geographical place. Without all that your chart will have limited accuracy.
Or, if you want to get serious and really talk about this, upvote this post and start a conversation in the comments section sometime in the next six days from the time of publication. We'll go from there depending on what you want to know.
Questions about any of this? -- Upvote this post and talk to me in comments. It's a terrific way to build value for yourself and the community ... and it will give me ideas of what to write about in future posts. Believe me there is lots to say about the way The Sun, The Moon -- and all the other elements in a horoscope, all the other components of Astrology -- work together to interpret you and your story -- and what it all means to the person you've become.
About the art in our visual essays ...
Although sometimes the background pictures in our visual essays support the topic and text, they don't always. Sometimes the connection is clear. Sometimes it's symbolic and subtle. Sometimes, there's no connection at all.
The scenes depict landscapes and natural features, buildings and wildlife. They were chosen because they show something lovely or interesting ... or simply because the photo appealed to me.
Our spectacular and remarkable planet is changing at astonishing speed. Rarely are these changes for the better. Few people seem to know ... or care ... or have the will and power to do anything about this. It may not be long before the world humans have known and lived in for centuries is forever lost. We certainly won't be able to make repairs as fast as we destroyed it.
So a few years ago I began collecting pictures of the way things were ... and still are for now, a record of the beauty we have while it is still ours to love and honor.
The photos here are part of that collection, with sincere thanks to the artists who saw these moments ... and with their cameras ... preserved them. All of us at Enchanted Spirit are profoundly grateful to them for their generosity and skill ... and for the added grace, depth and dimension their art brings to ours.
Original images used under this Creative Commons license or this Creative Commons license and modified by added text.
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