We Are the Battleground
By
Sarah Varcas
In an air sign, Mars energises our mind and mental processes which can be useful for some and less so for others, depending on how our mind usually works! If you tend to be full of racing thoughts, living in your head, Mars in Aquarius may enhance this tendency and it will be important to stay as aware as possible of just how much energy you invest in the mental realm. If, however, your mind struggles to keep up on a good day, its arrival in Aquarius may be just the tonic you need! No matter what sort of mind we have, this planetary shift encourages us to more innovative thought and a renewed relationship with our intellect.
Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, is still entwined with Eris in Aries, kicking up a storm. While Mars enters Uranian realms and Uranus travels through Mars-ruled Aries, these two powerhouse planets join forces to wake us up and keep us moving whether we like it or not! Mars in Aquarius demands that we act in the interests of the whole, not the individual self. It requires ice-cold detachment when it comes to matters of personal interest and a willingness to forfeit immediate personal satisfaction for the greater good. When the god of war journeys through the sign of brother and sisterhood, the fight becomes one of integrity. It demands a firm standing in our own truth, a courageous heart not afraid to see through wide-open eyes and attention to the sacred core in all beings, deserving of bold and audacious love.
The Aquarian ideal, of an egalitarian world in which all are treated with the respect life itself deserves, is far from many peoples’ experience. Hatred and vilification based upon gender, race, religion, sexuality, ability and other factors is rife across the globe and despite concerted efforts to address the problem, there are many who strive to perpetuate such inequalities with an unremitting diet of hatred. It is easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of such malevolent intransigence. And yet Mars in Aquarius acts as a way-shower, banging on the door of the Aquarian Age, demanding it be opened forthwith! What we may not realise is that we are the other side of the door already and can draw back the imposing bolts anytime, throwing it open to let the sunlight in. The new age is born through us, we do not enter it. We must not only be the change we want to see in the world, but also see the change we want to happen. Celebrate every effort made to address inequality, every person who strives to create a more peaceful, accepting and compassionate world. Look with equal attention upon those who act for the good of the whole as we do upon those who attract our attention for less edifying reasons. It’s important to look life in the face and see what’s going on, but it’s equally important to perceive its many faces and acknowledge its paradoxically intricate threads.
Mars in Aquarius, working together with Uranus and Eris, reminds us that the greatest battle is often with the self as much as with any external force. If we find ourselves overwhelmed by the changes life demands they fortify us in the coming weeks, strengthening our resolve and standing alongside us as we break through our own obstacles. If we have trouble speaking our truth and standing up for what we know to be right, they remind us that the life of a spiritual rebel is a tough one with many challenges along the way. The rewards, however, are beyond compare when we can stand in our own truth and speak it no matter what others may say. For many this is an impossibility in a world where the consequences of authenticity are akin to death. But if that’s not us, we carry a responsibility to speak out for those who cannot. To contribute the energy of honest expression to the melting-pot of the collective soup from which we all feed.
As Mars shifts now it reminds us that knowing how our mind works, taking charge of ourselves and acting upon razor-sharp integrity is fundamental to progressing from here. Without it we simply do the same thing over and over, getting the same old results and wondering why nothing ever changes. Mars in Aquarius tells us everything changes if we let it and it’s time for us to do the same.
Sarah Varcas