Authentic Spirits
…on the Mars/Pluto opposition
“Lord make me pure, just not yet”
St. Augustine
Supposedly, we have around 25,920 breaths per day; it matches the number of years of the Platonic year-an entire precessional cycle. A quick Google search says it’s 22,000. Bard (Google’s AI) says 20,000. And being that I’ve never counted, all of these numbers seem high. The point of my bringing this to your intention is two-fold: don’t trust everything you read and be amazed by how much we breathe.
In an attempt to make this relatable to a prickly transit we have on the horizon, quickly consult the online oracles or the books on your shelf about a Mars/Pluto opposition and you will find lots of language that incites fear: i.e it (or they) is ruthless and manipulative, self-destructive, controlling, in your face, zealous, hawkish, violent, and, of course, power-hungry. These adjectives can be helpful depending on the context, but that’s what is always missing. A robin could be said to be a beautiful songbird or a terrifying monster who eats children depending on whether you ask a human or an insect. In essence, we need multiple sources, we need context, and ultimately, we need to know how to trust our own experience. That’s where the authentic spirit swells. We must save our breath for when we can get all three in harmony. Only then will we be close to an accurate translation.
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This Sunday (May 21), is when the two Lords of Scorpio oppose one another. The dynamic between Mars and Pluto reliably produces results. And yes, often those adjectives used in the above paragraph apply, but so too we find the moments where we take our power back; when we draw big, thick lines in the sand; when finally take action because we’ve had enough. It’s a duo at the heart of power dynamics, so when major alignments occur, the heat begins to generate, the sweat forms, and what comes next is what defines our character. We can usually measure how well we are doing by our breathing.
It occurs in the first degree of Leo/Aquarius. An axis within the psyche composed of stories about our relationship to the crowd, our group, or the scene we identify with. With Pluto still in the Prelude of his long sojourn in Aquarius, Mars will magnetize themes from its opposite for all to see. A clear theme to be expected is around our digital identities. Whether you are a creator or influencer or someone who barely engages online, it’s a question we will always have to pose to ourselves. It influences what avatar we choose to use; it dictates whether we post, whether we comment, and even whether we share or not. The pressure of the group has never been stronger. It’s not easy to remain authentic, yet our spirit requires it. It takes the ridiculous courage of Mars to help us step forward, to stand for something, so we don’t fall for anything. There is also the discipline of tolerance. Our truth isn’t the Truth. The Mars/Pluto opposition helps to reveal these projections; it presents potent opportunities for understanding the ‘rival.’ My exhale is your inhale.
Seen in the ‘ big world,’ we will continue to watch the aftershocks of the Durham report; we will come to grips with another Kennedy running for POTUS who is publicly sharing what so many already knew about his uncle and father; we will continue to watch the culture war rage, the actual war-which began near the conjunction of Mars/Pluto back in March of 22' -and we will either take it, or we will draw a deep breath to speak our truth about it. Basically, the transit can be a platform for facing one of our longest-held insidious social fears.
Like the quote by St. Augustine at the start, there is a part that wants to be pure, yet an equal portion that wants to stay dirty. It’s the human condition. The sooner we come to terms with our innate paradox and learn to use humor to transmute it into laughter, we will remain afraid. Mars/Pluto moments represent catharsis. Comedy and tragedy, eternally bound, are midwives to one another. May we cultivate enough awareness and soul to navigate it like a saint in the midst of temptation. May we become fearless with all we face.
Eudaimonia,
Adam
