“Complexes interfere with the intentions of the will and disturb the conscious performance; they produce disturbances of memory and blockages in the flow of associations; they appear and disappear according to their own laws; they can temporarily obsess consciousness or influence speech and action in an unconscious way. In a word, complexes behave like independent beings.”
– Daryl Sharp
The potent square dance between Mars & Saturn.
Mind you that these creatively challenging aspects will be repeated in December of this year, so I want you to notice how the first hit measures up to the second hit. What starts now, will evolve throughout the next few months and be revisited at the end of the year, once Mars is out of Retrograde and comes back through these last degrees of Aries.
But what does this mean to you?
Mars is an activator, triggering what was seeded in mid-January with the union of Saturn & Pluto. We’ve seen the acceleration of death, the decay of our paradigm, but also the quickening of birth, amid the chaos – creation.
Saturn/Pluto activates deeply buried complexes within our collective that are now triggered by Mars. In some aspects, it’s like the night of the living dead with zombies amongst us. In another, it’s the rise of the Spartan 300 ready to face the Persian king Xerxes’ massive army. We’ve been seeing this taking shape back in 2019 and in full force this year.
What are some negative manifestations of Saturnian processes holding our culture now?
- Gestation, chewing, and swallowing – A sense of castration, being cut at the knees. Chewing ideas over and over, without letting them see the light of day. Repression of ideas. One step forward, two steps backward. Remember not to give in to the siren of despair. Saturn is the midwife of things that will take hold for a long time.
- Time and boundaries – Our relationship with time gets deeper instead of dispersed. The heaviness of time. The way to work through it is with FOCUSED ENDURANCE. Attempts at trying to control the time at all costs will backfire. Instead, accept and surrender to the transformation at hand.
- Literalism – The inability to deal with nuance and the paradox of our collective issues. Falling to the delusion of seeing things as ‘black and white.’ Suffocation of imagination and pushing everything into ‘3-D reality’, as if it’s the only thing that matters. Hardening of the ‘reality principle’ as if it’s the only way to survive. In doing so, we cut ourselves from the spring of life and creativity.
- Inevitability – Oversimplification of experiences. Sense of rigidity, futility against the slings and arrows of fortune, thus leading to a depressive mood. The ‘why bother’ syndrome.
- Law/Order and Boundaries – Fear around the societal transformations of old realities. Trying to hold through force to what is no longer suitable, but doing it in a way that is fear-inducing instead of working with what is coming through. Hardening of boundaries, especially when it comes to US vs. THEM.
Of course, there are positive and life-affirming elements to these planetary dances. But, I’m focusing on their challenging aspects because it’s our job to address how these show up in our lives, so that they may not further clog up the collective cesspool and give rise to dangerous unconscious and destructive complexes, as we’re already seeing in many situations.
The combination of Mars & Saturn brings in two key elements.
On one end, deep focus and marathon stamina to reach what they want. The best way to use the energies of now is to up the level of discipline in your life and turn your energies towards activities that require endurance, concentration, and focus. The challenging side of this combination is RUTHLESSNESS, frustration, powerlessness, and even cruelty. Add the literalizing element, and we can see a ‘one-track mind’ focused on destruction at all costs.
There’s also the element of our collective FATHER ISSUES being played out.
Remember that in Greek Myth, Kronos/Saturn eats his children so as not to lose power. The curtailment of freedom stems from deep feelings of powerlessness, perhaps towards a father figure. This brings me to the fact that 2020 is definitely a year where we’re dealing with our collective issues of FATHER (Patriarchy anyone? A word that means ‘the rule of the father,’ and I’ll add – the ‘wounded father.’)
Be a Donkey, not a Jackass.
Sometimes the territory isn’t for galloping horses, which are more easily spooked. We’re in craggy territory, and we need the stamina and self-preservation of the Donkey to traverse what’s ahead of us.
The Donkey’s stubbornness is linked to their developed sense fo self-preservation. That’s why it’s hard to force or frighten them into doing something that they know is contrary to their safety and best interest. That’s why they are often used to help calm nervous horses. Also, because of their ability to find danger and foresee difficulties, the Donkey is cautious, cunning, with sharp instincts.
We need some donkey medicine for the weeks/months ahead.
In the months ahead, we need to give our Mars something to focus on and let it be in the form of CREATIVE COURAGE.
We’ll be facing detours, resistance, and walls, all thanks to Saturn. So let’s remember the persistence of the Donkey, with its stamina and endurance – the perfect Mars/Saturn animal – able to trek craggy territory while carrying heavy loads. So:
- Be more measured and build up your muscles. Don’t lose your saliva in meaningless arguments.
- Don’t be a jackass. Although the temptation will feel like it’s a possession, taking over your will and rational mind. Let’s not fall under the possession of the jerk jackass. We have plenty of those running amok already.
- Give your Mars focus and disciplined action. Otherwise, it will go haywire. Exercise your stamina and take disciplined action.
When under the spell of a complex, Mars/Saturn is the archetype of the cruel mercenary. But on a positive aspect, it’s the disciplined Spartan warrior facing the Persian army.
If you’re feeling frustrated, look to where you can exercise PURPOSEFUL and CONSISTENT EFFORT. Don’t be a wuss given to endless ‘tantrum yoga.’ Instead, do ‘discipline yoga,’ which is about being devoted to that which you’re calling into your life.
Here’s DONKEY MEDICINE for all of us – focused work, determination, and devotion to that which we want to make manifest; but without becoming jackasses on the way.
