otterspaceastrology

WISH UPON A STAR — MARS IN TAURUS — APRIL 20 — MAY 31, 2013

Good Morning, dear Friends and Readers,  I hope you are recovering from the events of the week.  Mars conjunct the Sun at 29 degrees Aries is never a walk in the park.  Just in the USA, we had fights, accidents, bombs, explosions, firefights — enough already!!!  There’s a reason they call Mars the Red planet.  Today let’s take a look at Mars in Taurus and some of the main transits Mars makes during this time frame.  Mars in Taurus can be more peaceful but when you look at the stubborn side of Taurus, the slow burn that can ignite into absolute, unthinking rage (think of the Bull blindly charging)  — all of us should remember what we learned this last  week and continue to be observant, vigilant, and cautious.  Full Moon in Scorpio/Taurus Sun this month is exact April 25, 2013.  For more on the Full Moons you can look at my FB page, Otter Space Astrology.  EVERY year, this particular Full Moon and its opposite in the Fall, Full Moon in Taurus/Scorpio Sun — these 2 seem to bring up domestic violence issues and crimes of passion.  Sometimes the trigger is arguments about money, since these 2 signs rule financial matters.  So take it easy for a few days and don’t push.  Go out and pull some weeds to let off steam, or shovel dirt.  I had a Scorpio friend years ago; he lived in the country.  He had Taurus rising, too.  After a rough day at work he’d go out and push dirt around with his bulldozer…made him feel better :)).   Of course, not all of us own bulldozers, but a shovel will do…

I like to allow about a week for major Mars transits, a few days before and after.  In general, Mars in Taurus is great for art — working with earth materials like dirt, clay, wood, rock.  Sculpture, adobe, pottery, landscaping, making or repairing furniture or musical instruments — all these are favored.  Geology is an earth science, so is farming, and Taurus rules trees so forestry comes into play at this time, too.  Wonderful for getting outside and either creating beauty or appreciating the beauties of nature.  A great time to work with young children and let them plant something easy, like radishes or beans.

Taurus rules auctions, yard sales, flea markets…you can use the Mars energy to make some extra money or find great purchases.  Just don’t get greedy.  Sometime Taurus can get TOO attached to their possessions and their emotions influence the price.  If your goal is to clear out stuff then make the prices attractive to others.  If you have collectors’ items, a yard sale is not the place to sell…find another venue like Ebay or an art auction.

On April 21, Mars is semi-square Jupiter.  Not the easiest day for travel, so work around that date.  It’s a minor transit, more annoying than dire.  Flexibility is not a Taurus quality, but that is what is needed this weekend.

On April 29^th,the Moon  trines Mars from Capricorn.  That means that your emotions can flow well and in harmony with your physical energy.  A great day to get a lot done and feel satisfied with your accomplishments.

I want to advise caution when Mars opposes Saturn , exact on 4-30 and 5-1, depending on your time zone.  If you have a lot of planets in fixed signs, then be EXTRA cautious.  The urge to move forward (Mars) is at odds with the need to consolidate (Saturn).  This is a major transit and no doubt will manifest in world events.  The current mood of the stock market ( in the USA) feels unstable to me.  It’s also very manipulated.  Protect yourself from sudden drops.  Those of you who know your personal chart will have a better idea of where to be cautious since you will know which houses are involved.  I’ll use my own chart as an example.  For me it would be the 3^rd and 9^th houses.  So I will stay home, work in my garden, and avoid travel, and doublecheck anything related to communication or finances for accuracy.  Most likely I will use the energy for writing and studying, which would fit with the houses involved.   For those of you in a partnership based on absolute respect and good communication, whether business or personal, this is actually a good period for financial planning and discussions.  Oppositions CAN symbolize the gaining of awareness through partnerships.

By May 4^th, there’s a more pleasant but minor transit as Mars semi-sextiles Uranus, which is a 30 degree aspect.  This one is pretty good for using your intuition and repairs — mechanical, electronic, fixing tools themselves.  You could be quite innovative today.

Continuing the above theme, Mars trines Pluto on May 5^th.  Remember, you’re allowing some orb  so you’re not limited to this day only.  This is a “get results” transit.  Shrewd, practical, very focused.  Those of you in research, tracking people, finding missing objects, police work and forensics and investigations of all types should be having a great time — quite productive and satisfying.  Those of you at home could still find something that was missing, and it’s great  for cleaning out closets, etc.  For fun,  try a metal detector and/or go digging for rocks and gems.  To me, that’s great fun, but others would rather dig around in a thrift store and that’s good, too.  You’ll notice the underlying theme here — finding the hidden treasure — just apply it where it fits into YOUR life.

There is A LOT going on as we enter the 2^nd week of May.  Mercury is conjunct Mars and sextile Chiron on the 7^th and 8^th and the New Moon is the 9^th and 10^th, depending on your time zone.  Additionally, on the 9^th Moon in Taurus is conjunct Mars and Venus is at the 29^th degree of Taurus.   I have noticed through the years that the day BEFORE a New Moon often feels like a Full Moon, with people and events being glitchy and out of control.  Mercury conjunct Mars can symbolize hot head people who shout rather than converse, so you may want to be at your most diplomatic this week.  A Mercury-Mars conjunction is good for coordinating your mind and your body — manual dexterity, sports, etc. so there could be some positives.  There’s less accident potential in Taurus than if it were in Aries.  The problem here would be with people who are fixed in their viewpoint, stubborn, resistant to change.  A “this is the way it’s always been done”  kind of mentality.  The energy of Mars in Taurus tends to be slow and steady.  The positive is that reliability; the negative is getting in a rut.  Taking all this into consideration, I would say that medical appoints look OK on the 7^th and 8^th.  A  surgeon or a dentist needs  good manual dexterity.  Taurus is also the sign the rules touch, so massage would be great.  By the 9^th the energy changes and people want to be more self-indulgent.  DON’T eat the whole box of chocolates !! :))  And don’t blow your budget on shopping.  This New Moon is an eclipse at 19 degrees Taurus.  Eclipses affect us for about 6 months.  Be sure to check if you have any planets at 19 degrees and what aspect is being created in your chart by this transit.  Make a note of the events of these 2 days in your life and watch and see what happens  related to them in the months ahead.  The best way to play this New Moon is to be patient and kind with your loved ones.  The worst way would be selfishness.

Actually, I think these transits are very special if you’re an artist.  Great inspiration and Venus in the last degree might symbolize the culmination of a large project.  Musicians, too.

On May 19^th, Mars is semi-sextile Jupiter.  Nice for a short trip.  You might even stay in your own town but be busy hitting all the hot spots.  A lot of socializing.

The 20^th is big — Uranus squares Pluto AGAIN.  5 of these over several years and the influence is ever present.  I’m just giving you the day of the EXACT square.  Really, you have to figure on years for this one.  The Sun enters Gemini and the Moon trines Mars the same day.  Uranus – Pluto is large groups of people protesting against the corruption of the established order and wanting more freedom and more respect in their lives.  And also better economic opportunities.  A well-fed and prosperous people have no need for rebellion.  There’s just too many people hurting these days and they deserve a chance at a better life.  That makes them vulnerable to manipulation by people with a radical agenda.  You’d think these repressive governments would understand that and help people get jobs and education, but NO —-  they are dumb and selfish and they hurt their people instead of helping them.  This is the great tragedy of our times…that it doesn’t have to be this way.  Pray for peace…daily…

There’s another Full Moon building…on May 22^nd, Mars is inconjunct the Moon in Libra early in the morning.  Probably means some grumpy people at work that want you to help them.  Don’t allow yourself to be guilt-tripped.  If you want to help sincerely, then do so.  On the 24^th the Moon is opposite Mars and the Full Moon is exact on the 25^th.  Gemini-Sag — lots of stuff going on with education and the end of the school year is in sight.  Lots of pressure on kids, and older students, too.  Remember to take your vitamins when you are studying for exams and finishing term papers J.    Parents — this is the time to feed your children well, no junk food, so they can concentrate better.  Small protein snacks are good — sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, cheese and crackers, celery and peanut butter, etc.   If you smell peppermint oil when you study and then take it with you when you take a test, the peppermint increases memory 20% — very helpful.

The potential problems with this Full Moon show up more the next day with transit and transportation problems.  Drive carefully, be polite, and be prepared for detours and/or delays.  Sun square Jupiter, Moon inconjunct Mars from Sag, and Mars semi-square Uranus.  This last one could symbolize mechanical breakdowns.  Really, folks, if you can avoid travel the 26^th, then do so.  Smart people see this coming and will get their car in for servicing earlier in the month on a better day, like the 4^th or the 5^th.

There’s a lot going on as this Mars in Taurus transit draws to a close.  Mercury is semi-sextile Mars at the 29^th degrees of Gemini  and Taurus, respectively.  Mars enters Gemini and Mercury enters Cancer the same day, the 31^st. Adaptability is coming with the planets changing signs, but just before that there could be a major confrontation.  I’m not sure if this is out in the world or that we as individuals need to side-step angry people ( Mars at 29 Taurus) or con artist people (Mercury at 29 Gemini).  My advice here would be don’t commit to anything long term unless you have ALL the facts.  I feel like there’s hidden elements to stories we are told.  Probably a good day to be skeptical.  If you are mediator or a labor contract negotiator, this is going to be a tough day because neither side wants to compromise.  There may still be a lot of pressure on students.  If there are young people in your life, be gently encouraging and help them keep perspective.  One poor test result is not the end of the world.  There are so many people in history that did not do well in formal education but went on to accomplish great things in life.

Well, that’s it for now…Stay safe, Jenae