Human behavior is driven by many factors, including planetary energies. Unlike a mere 100 years ago, we are now so separated from the environment that few people could tell you what phase the moon was in simply by looking up at the sky. In fact, most people hardly look at the sky at all. Being out of touch with the earth and sky around us leaves us ungrounded and unaware of the cyclic nature of our universe. This has me thinking about the planetary conundrum we are currently experiencing. It is a cause-and-effect question that has no definitive answer.
Let me start by saying that November will be defined by the180-degree opposition between Mars and Pluto. This aspect was already coming into play near the end of October and everyone all over the world may now be feeling this in some way. This transit typically lasts about 3 months or so, depending on Mars’ retrograde activity, and occurs approximately every 27 months. It is not a long transit, but it is a potent one. This is an aspect of conflict, confrontation, catharsis, and transformation. It is an aspect that ignites our deepest and most primal motivations and desires. The ancients who watched the sky, often looked to the planet Mars for signs of war.
This aspect is having a particular impact on the natal chart of the USA and right now transiting Mars is conjunct the USA natal chart’s Mercury, which rules thinking and communication. This aspect will be exact on the eve of Election Day and may already be influencing sentiment among voters. Passions and tempers will be running high under the influence of this transit if they aren’t already
In addition, transiting Pluto is in a separating conjunction with the USA’s natal Pluto, and we are finally at the end of our country’s Pluto return. I remind you that the last time Pluto was at the end of Capricorn, we were at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. We have yet to see what will evolve from the 21st century return of Pluto to its natal position. All I can say with certainty is that change Is coming to our country because Pluto and the transiting Mars-Pluto opposition aspect is really about transformation and the natal chart of the USA is in the direct path for this energy.
So back to the cause-and-effect question… Are this month’s election and the current Mars-Pluto opposition mutually exclusive events or are they happening together now because they are synergistic events? Would we be able to make more sense of the world around us if we understood what was happening in the sky and would it impact our choices?
When I look at astrology and talk to people about their natal charts, personal transits, and solar returns I often see that the person is exactly where they need to be at that time for their consciousness to expand. It is my belief that the Universe wants us to grow and improve ourselves and the events that lead us to this point are not as important as our response to them. It is what goes on inside our hearts and minds that matters.
Of course, free will is always present and people can either resist or ignore the changes, challenges, and opportunities presented to them or they can embrace them, knowing they are in a process of change and will be in a different place down the road. Astrology can help inform the response (affects) sometimes even better than it can predict the actual events (causes).