To Revolutionary Warriors

Tomorrow, on August the 1st, Mars and Uranus will appear to join together in the heavens. If you have binoculars or a telescope (or know someone whom you might borrow such an item from), you could confirm this with your actual eyeball(s).

There's a sphere-comparison for us:? EYEBALL < PLANET.

This universe, meaning the experience we are all a part of now, is massive-a.f., eh?

Our ancestors certainly didn't have access to all the tech we have today, so they probably would have spent more time than us tracking these wandering stars at night (because ‘nearby’ planets do look like bright stars from our POV here on the Earth) and telling each other stories around their newest tool:? fire.?

I imagine they would, only sometimes, spot the faint light of Uranus…which wasn’t understood to be a planet until March 13, 1781 (which was approximately 29 years after the discovery of electricity by old Benji).

They had no iPhones or TV screens to utilize like we do, so I bet they relied more on proximity with one another for entertainment, connection and learning. Historians believe that written communication came much later than this likely-oral tradition passed down on fair-weather evenings by the moonlight or fireside.

Can you see the kiddos running around half-dressed in the clearing with your third-eye now? That is to say, imagine them, as well as a few dogs scurrying around the premises. No doubt they were hunting anything that dared to dart across their field of vision.

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RUFF! RUFF-RUFF!

“Hush! We don’t bark at lizards.” Grandma said.

Suddenly, the kids ran around the tree-line and chanted (in rather impressive unison): "Tell us again! And do the faces!"

“Okay, honey.” Mother said. “What do you say?”?

She put down the fur she was mending down and looked at him, herself tired, but willing.

“Fine, fine.” The children’s father tried to sound reluctant, but his voice betrayed him.?He was excited to discuss the tale of the great warrior!

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The conjunction of the warrior Mars, an archetype canonized by the Romans, with revolutionary Uranus (has not electricity truly transformed the planet upon which we live?) in the heavens is, of course, just another fiction like the story above.

I know well-enough that this ‘merging’ only occurs from our limited (geocentric) human visual perspective. We know that these planets are actually, literally, quite a ways away from one another, both measured by the distance from each planet to the earth and by declination (or the degree of northern/southern distance from the ecliptic path of ‘our’ Sun).

But the ‘literal’ is not my goal today with this article. As an astrologer, it is my task to take the archetypes of our REAL LIVES, REAL HISTORY, and REAL WORLD to tell a—I understand the irony of this—grounded story…that is, a fictional story that hopefully helps unite us in this shared, universal experience.

My mind produces an image of a warrior getting a sudden burst of power with this particular arrangement…like the legendary Super Saiyan!

What does one do in real life with a hot, sudden impulse or charge? Is this charge an anger triggered in response to how you or a loved one was treated? Maybe you're getting sick and tired of repeating the same destructive patterns, over and over again, and are ready to commit to making a change. I could certainly practice what I preach...

1. Uranus is often associated with suddenness and radical shifts. That means you can’t exactly prepare for a specific surprise. Regularly practicing vipassana (meditation), breathing and stretching (yoga), or even going for a walk in nature could help us be ready for the twists and turns of life, however. Remembering the truth that change is what life is might be the best we can do with this one. What will you see in the park today? Will your shoe break on the way to the vegan restaurant? We may not want some things to change, but other things we absolutely wouldn’t mind if they changed. I’d like to find a good job, for instance—very open to a sudden opportunity finding me! I hope I ride whatever jolting emanations life may bring toward a betterment. I hope we’re all doing our part (which might mean sometimes not doing anything) to support that goodness for all that is. I have to start with me.
2. Mars, on the other hand, is associated with heat and sharp action, so mindfulness and cooling practices can certainly be looked into to help us balance this energy. Not that being strong and taking action is bad! Hell, sometimes we need to take a stand for what is right. Let us leave abusive situations if we don’t have the means to assist...but what if there was a way to improve your relationship? Consult experts. The very act of being defensive can bring about violence, don’t ya think? I would personally much rather see you become a warrior monk than a vicious tyrant. Not all tyrants rape and kill; selfish business owners, destroying the earth and hoarding resources like a dragon, are perhaps less gruff...but no less vile. Skilled masculine force or Yang energy (which can be exhibited by all genders) is, in my opinion, often about attunement. Yoke your mind to the body. Remember that both conscious action and unconscious action are valuable. Watch the breath, as it can be both of these states...somehow.

Because this conjunction between these two planets is taking place in the constellation Taurus (a very hobbit-like, stable and pleasure-seeking archetype) a part of me is asking what it is that I need to channel my energy toward in my day-to-day, steady life. I do want it to be a pleasure-filled day, but not at the expense of other beings. How can I eat, orgasm, or sing in a way that really uplifts my own experience and considers those around me?

Perhaps I could choose to look for more healthy, local vegetables grown from nutrient dense soils instead of from places that are not as harmonious. Buying less packaged goods (like raw produce), less processed foods (organic products with only a few ingredients), and being kinder to animals (certified-humane eggs?) seems like a good place to start this change if that is available to you.

Maybe you can use this metaphoric sudden power-up to realize YOU CAN CHOOSE to have a tough conversation with your partner or someone you may want to explore sexually. Who knows! They may have a terrible reaction to you...or a lovely one. I hope that is the case. How will you know unless you speak up and stay curious, however? Try to mingle. Try! Do it! We are all dead eventually. Might as well live a bit, right? Intelligently, of course. Let's get back to days with more community, more connection. So listen and respect their responses…even if that means you need to direct your energy into other people afterward.

As far as singing goes, try not to be loud when your neighbor is sleeping. But it’s okay to make sounds and explore what your voice is capable of. Many ancient traditions value chanting and singing with a community. I can attest it is a great and immersive practice! Use your iPhone to make a film about something you believe in, or a music video. Express your concerns and ask for what it is you wish to experience, too. Be a critical thinker as you express yourself online. Of course some people may be predatory, but I have only been truly maligned by a handful of people...out of thousands! I like those odds.

To close, I don't think any day is guaranteed to be easy as a human, and Mars in Taurus inspires the tale of pent-up energy. Hopefully we can be smart and deal-well with the tough challenges we face (and in exemplary ways). What can we learn from these changing times? Wear a mask in a crowded space if you have a fever if you can't stay home (because you don't have the money and your work doesn't give you sick time)...honestly, let's be collective in our actions! FROM RICH TO POOR, OF ANY COLOR, AS ANY GENDER, TO ANY ANIMAL. We don't know exactly what other beings have going on inside them, but we can compare and learn.

What do you think an ancient person might think if we told them that humans have now sent a robot all the way to that distant reddish-looking star...and that it is actually not a star, but a desert planet? I wonder what that same person would say to the fact that we have rockets AS WELL AS massive buildings full of food---yet not everyone has enough nutrients in their diet!

Let’s make a change.

With love, light and the snake’s bite,

Caleb Aaron