I wrote recently about Mars coming out of its retrograde, cave time, and vision quest (June 29).
With Mars in the archetypal Scorpion-or-Phoenix zone just the now, additional key shadow possibilities include the hoarding-witholding typical of the Taurus-Scorpio shadow.
With Scorpio, it’s about power, and whether it’s used for good or for ill; for creative transformational purposes or for epic snark and rather nasty scorpion bites.
The Mars Issue is deeper than that, though; it’s an important archetype to look at, exactly because it’s about life-force, energy, and power, as well as the way the Masculine is focused (or not) and expressed.
In archetypal and mythic astrology, Mars requires a worthy purpose, a gallant quest, a worthy lover in order to be best focused as life-force in action.
Often, it’s co-opted (power given away or stolen through ensorcelment and sophisticated methods of persuasion) or not well-focused at all and thus just erupts all willy nilly in less than productive or constructive ways.
This makes sense, yes?
As Mary Oliver asks us in her poem, The Summer Day, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
We can change ‘life’ to ‘day’, or ‘week’, or ‘month’, or whatever.
But asking the question invites the awareness (and a type of benevolent magic) and thus the possibility that we begin to invest our life-force and energy into that which has heart and meaning for us — in a way that syncs with and supports what is of true worth and value to us.
As Robert Phoenix points out in one of his recent and worthy articles, we very often give our power away, wittingly or unwittingly, and we do it in a variety of ways, every day.
“So what do I mean about reclaiming our “power?” If we are ruthlessly honest with ourselves, we can witness a pattern of giving “It” away, ….” ~ Robert Phoenix, Tyranny of the Status Quo
Until we realize it. Then, we consciously begin to gather back our attention, energy, and thus power; and call back our exiled selves.
This is as important, if not more important, than ever, in this hyper-digital age of ours — an age of epic, perpetual distraction — where we learn that unconscious, constant tech-use and other cultural conditioning is resulting in:
• a 40% drop in empathy (this stat is cause for major concern by itself);
• a sharp rise in narcissism;
• reduced attention span – less ability to pay attention;
• reduced comprehension and ability to connect the dots;
• ironically, a decreased sense of connection and increased sense of isolation and anxiety;
… and so on.
And I point these things out as a technophile, but every blessing has its shadow side.
With all of that, though, comes plentiful byways through which the sophisticated neuro-based marketing and advertising ensorcels by capturing the attention and colonizing the imagination and energy.
So when we speak of Mars and life-force, energy and attention (energy follows our attention and focus), it makes sense to consider taking a step, making an intention, to gather back attention and energy and power that we’ve given to things that aren’t really what we’re about, and re-allocate and re-dedicate that attention and energy to what has heart and meaning for us … what’s really, truly valuable and worthwhile to us.
Next up on the Mars, Power and Masculine roster … the conversation unfolding about the demasculinization and unwarrioring that’s been underway. Stay tuned.
How is Mars working with the other members of your cosmic inner-council in your own life?
Get fresh insight and inspiration: Schedule a Sophiastrology or Golden Thread, Clue-Tracking consultation — see some current July Indie-Week special offerings here.
Big Love,
July 7, 2016 at 3:00 pm
Hmm. Mars is also visible to the naked eye right now (I’ve noticed the reddish “star” and used my app to confirm it was indeed Mars). I also can’t help but wonder if all the recent shootings are related to the overabundance of Mars’ power. Thoughts?
Jeff
July 7, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Well, my original reply just vanished … Uranus weirdings.
You ask a good question, Jeff. Astronomers say that Mars is closer to the Earth than it’s been in 11 years, so there’s that; and ancient astrologers (who were also astronomers) called Mars the planet of War and Violence, though that’s a smidge too ‘all or nothing’ for my taste.
I see it as a cocktail swirling in the shared field, and individuals or the collective hypnosis gets stirred accordingly.
Right now I’d say sure, Mars is involved, and in Scorpio … can be pretty 007 (for good or for ill), plus the Uranus Pluto thing is still active, and that’s been historically volatile and transformative.
Mars and Pluto for darkside vio, and Uranus for the sudden factor. And maybe some manmade stirring in there, too.
Thanks for visiting and wondering.
xo Jamie
July 7, 2016 at 3:22 pm
Of course. Love your posts! Sometimes work makes me fall behind on keeping up with the blogosphere, though. 😉
Cheers!
July 7, 2016 at 8:21 pm
Reblogged this on Laura Bruno's Blog and commented:
Jamie’s on a roll with this Mars series! Big time resonance in my own life and in that of friends and clients. With so much vying for our attention these days, what higher purpose calls to us, and how can we use that sense of mission to reclaim and redirect our attention and the subsequent flow of energy? If you feel uninspired or like “Enough is enough,” maybe the current version of you has finished its useful existence. Maybe –just maybe??! — the current versions of all world systems are all washed up. Now is the time to discern and summon what we long to replace them with. Huge opportunities will swim near those of us perched like herons ready to catch our fish. Druids used to stand like herons to increase their vision, concentration and manifestation. Fish are shoaling and schooling as I type. Thanks and love, Jamie!
July 8, 2016 at 1:20 pm
I live in a metropolitan area with a great deal of martial (which is a word deriving from Mars) activity and violence against civilians by overreacting police forces. I am aware of some of our forces having been trained by the hypermilitary Israeli Mossad, which frightens me with their casual violence and acceptance of quasi-fascist status-quo. So it’s very visible and in my consciousness, but trying to get others to see this is a hard slog.
Speaking of status quo, I must say, Robert Phoenix is a fine one to talk about the tyranny of the status quo and giving away your power. He has essentially told me in the past to give away my power by denying who I am, to accept his belief that I am inherently sick and unnatural, and to refuse the gifts the Creator has given me. It was insulting, to say the least, and makes me distrust his astrological acumen. I am sorry to be a wet blanket in public, and I will certainly understand if you choose not to permit my comment, Jamie.
July 8, 2016 at 4:44 pm
Greetings, Inishglora.
It’s true enough — the ‘great deal of martial’ in metropolitan and urban areas (and even more and more in smaller cities as well), with more paramilitarized forces. It’s surely something that’s disturbing to many of us, and any ‘casual violence’ is as well. It can be very challenging to stir the awareness in others, sometimes so very frustratingly so.
I’m sorry to hear that anyone would advise you to give away your power, deny who you are, or denigrate you or diminish your sense of self and being. That would surely be disrespectful and even in some cases one of those under-the-radar types of ‘power over’ or abuse.
May your own true and heartful self easily and gracefully turn any such ‘poison’ that comes your way into ‘good remedy’ that blesses you and others through you. May it be so for each of us.
Be well and take good care, Inishglora.
Big Love,
Jamie