May 2022 has been a very eventful month. Eclipse season one is still ongoing, and it will end only with the next new moon in Gemini on May 30th. Mercury is still retrograde, and it’s going to turn direct only on June 3rd. And we still need to check on Mars, since his ingress in Aries is definitely going to be a game changer. Especially because he is going to stay in his sign until early July.
Illustration from a medieval Spanish language astrology textbook attributed to Alfonso X the Wise
We’re definitely going to monitor Mars’ transits during the following months, since we’ve been talking about him as the activator of the recent eclipses. However, in this article I’d like also to focus on a more pleasant configuration that is going to last for a whole week in June.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
The Wheel of the Year turns again. The seeds concealed in the womb of Mother Earth open themselves to the light. The burning fire of the new life pushes up, fighting against the weight of the earth still asleep. And as Nature awakens from its rest, so does the world of our senses.
The heat of the Sun filters through the clothes, in contrast to the winter wind that hasn’t left us yet. The bright light of Spring hurts our gaze, which still has to get used to the new season. And sometimes we come across some unexpected scent that calls us back to the present moment.
Nature begins to exhale its spiritual forces outwards. Enraptured by this flow we follow it blindly, attracted by the senses delights. From the inside out, everything starts moving again.
The cycle restarts. And with it, so does our journey through the Zodiac Virtues. With Aries, we get back to the first one: Devotion.
Usually, we find this word used in religious contexts. And when we approach a spiritual path we don’t really like using it that much. In fact there’s a difference between being religious and being spiritual.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Astrology is the Art of Beginnings. The beginning of our life, the moment we take our first breath, is reflected in our Natal Chart. And in this reflection we can recognize the potential of the life we’ve chosen to live when we came down into this world.
The same happens with the year. The new Astrological Year is born at the very moment when the Sun enters Aries—the first sign. A new cycle starts. And the chart we draw up for that moment represents the potential of the whole year to come.
As we know it’s difficult, if not even impossible, to read properly a chart without the astrological houses. In fact not only the astrological houses tells us which planet in a chart is stronger than the other. But they also give us more details about the area of life (or existence) in which a planetary force shows up.
This is a crucial piece of information that depends on where we are on Earth at the moment the event takes place. Of course analyzing the entrance of the Sun in Aries in all possible latitudes on Earth wouldn’t be an option. However, we can at least make use of Astrocartography to see where and which planets are going to be stronger on Earth during the event.
Sun Enters Aries 2021
We report below the astrological chart for the entrance of the Sun in Aries for this year. As you can see the chart starts with the ascendant at 0° Aries since we are not going to take houses into account.
The first thing we can notice is that the Planets are more or less divided into small groups. Hence, let’s analyze them separately according to the group to which they belong. We are going to find this division useful looking at Astrocartography later on.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Two armies line up on a hill. The warriors look at each other from the opposing sides. Silence reigns supreme, and only the rattle of metal resounds in the valley. Suddenly a roar, screams release the tension. The warrior frenzy flares up and the order is given. It’s war.
The battle begins, the clash is a massacre. The energy runs out, the pain and the wounds squeeze the warriors as in a vise. Who is winning? Who is losing? Nothing is understood anymore. They desperately need a truce from all this.
So here we are. One of the most import transits of 2020 has begun. What will it bring us? What are the main significations of Mars retrograde in Aries? Since the shadow period has started more than a month ago I think most of you already know the answer.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Mars in Aries 2020. A vibrant sword pointing up to the sky. A rising energy flowing into the arms. A runner at the start ready to sprint. A hand letting go the arrow stretched in the bow. Pure energy ready to burst, the lit fuse.
This is one of the most important transits of 2020. Usually Mars stays in a sign for roughly a couple of months. But this year the God of War is going to stay in his diurnal domicile for 6 months, till 2021 Epiphany.
As you can imagine Mars in his sign is particularly strong. Aries marks the beginning of spring, the time of the year when life forces of Nature are strongest. Just think about how quickly the vegetation cover changes with the arrival of the new season. Flowers and buds literally explode.
A warrior can definitely use all this life-force. In fact Mars is Aries corresponds to the archetype of the tireless warrior who fights to the end. Since we are going through a very hard time, having available all these fiery energies is a blessing. We all need a fresh start.
Fighting with Courage through a Difficult Recovery
Mars in Aries is the right energy to tackle obstacles or enemies. To the point that if Mars doesn’t find any, he’s gonna make some anyway. This because the Warrior is in his element only in a battlefield, and for this reason he always tends to create one. We are far away from the reasonable compromises of Libra. Mars is a warmonger.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesWe have reached the second round of Mercury Retrograde for this year. From April 10 to May 4 Mercury is going to move backwards in the sky. As always, this is an important opportunity to tune in with the rhythms of the stars, and use them to our advantage. I say this because many people love to complain about Mercury Retrograde. Finally, they have an excuse for everything.
But the point is that Mercury Retrograde is about awareness. The retrograde motion suggests—and facilitates—introspection. The mind turns inwardly, and it’s time for retrospectives. So let’s see what lies ahead for the next three weeks and how we can handle it.
Sense of Security put to the Test
Mainly, Mercury Retrograde in Taurus is about money concerns. Usually they are triggered by delays or misunderstandings in payments—which sadly are very common. But we need to understand that this is only the outer side of the matter. We don’t have to fall in the everyday materialistic mindset: there’s more than that. There’s a lesson to learn.
As always, you are going to make it through. What’s really important here—the lesson—is the way you react to the situation. In other words, you have the opportunity to better understand the way you react to uncertainty. In fact, even though Taurus is strictly related to wealth, we can’t reduce this transit to money issues.
Please note that money is just a symbol. In this case, the meaning behind it is: “what makes us feel safe” or “the source of abundance”. Everybody knows that people with strong taurine traits love to stock food and money. For them it’s important to feel they can always afford what they love. Mercury Retrograde puts this sense of security to the test.
This is the way I interpret the entrance of Mercury back in Aries on April 21. Basically, our warrior personality (Mars-Aries-Fire) activates when we feel threatened. For this reason the second part of the transit is going to be about boundary issues, being Taurus the sign of our territory. The initial sense of insecurity can turn into the feeling of being invaded.
How to Handle this Mercury Retrograde
Give it a Context. It is very important to understand where this challenge is going to manifest. To do that, simply check where 5° Taurus and 25° Aries fall in your Natal Chart. Which houses (areas of life) are involved? If you don’t know it, prick up your ears. You will realize it soon by yourself.
Double-Check the Information. When it comes to Mercury Retrograde, communication is key. Most concerns can be contained—if not completely avoided—by an effective communication. Misunderstandings are very common during these transits, so you must learn the art of not worrying until you are a hundred percent certain of the actual problem.
Know Yourself. How do you react to uncertainty? For example, I react trying to plan everything up and keep things under control. Like most of us I don’t like uncertainty at all. So what I usually try to do is to make the uncertain, certain. This is a clear expression of my Mars in Virgo—my warrior side. Efficiency and effectiveness are my weapons, what are yours?
Practice Mindfulness. Taurus are hard workers, but they usually have a very calm pace. Sometimes this makes them look lazy, even though they are not. What we want to do is to embrace this attitude inside, bringing it in our mind (Mercury). To do that you can try with mindfulness, a widely practiced discipline that can give you extraordinary results.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Today light and darkness are perfectly balancing each other out. This is the day when we can celebrate the forces of light taking over darkness. The promise of the new light we witness every year at Christmas (Yule, the Wheel) is kept in this day. It’s part of the great process of Nature.
This is a very important date for astrologers. According to our art, this is the first of the year which starts with the entrance of the Sun in Aries. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac, a powerful fire sign that grants us the initial boost typical of new beginnings.
So, what about you?
What were your Resolutions for the New Year? After all they are just like seeds, so this is the right time for making them sprout. Start to work on them, as the fire energy of the new year rises.
How is it going with Venus Retrograde and Jupiter Retrograde? They are important opportunities to work on our belief system. In addition, they are part of the Astrological Chart of 2017, so they are going to affect us for the following 12 months.
What does the warrior side of your personality look like? How did it help you to overcome darkness in the past? Since Mars is the ruler of Aries, this is a great time to reconnect with this powerful archetype.
Also remember to take a break and have a walk in Nature. Sometimes it’s all it takes to clear your mind and recharge the batteries. We are so taken by our daily life that we often forget to simply look around and appreciate beauty. As Dostoevsky once said, beauty will save the world. And what is it, if not symmetry and balance?
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
