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Mars and Neptune in their Ongoing Dance

Mars always gets attention — now, with its station direct and slow, slow forward motion. He turned direct at 3º40’ Virgo on April 13, and doesn’t enter a new degree until April 21.

The direct station was a bit more than one degree from an opposition to Neptune at 2º26’ Pisces.

The beginning of the current synodic cycle between Mars and Neptune was the conjunction on February 20, 2011 at 28º31’ Aquarius. Neptune dipped into Pisces and then went retrograde in June 2011, backing up to 28º Aquarius again, where Mars at 28º Leo opposed it on November 7.

Mars turned retrograde in January 2012, and now has turned direct, just short of exact opposition to Neptune.

This is their first aspect (although not partile) since Neptune ingressed into Pisces in February 2012, where it will stay until 2025. Mars is fully attending to Neptune in Pisces now. Mars’ actions and desires can reflect Neptune in all its complexity, foibles, and wiles.

A new synodic cycle between these two planets will begin on February 4, 2013 when Mars will conjoin Neptune, back at 2º12 Pisces.

The degrees of the conjunctions (28º Aquarius and 2-3º Pisces) are keys to the unfolding meanings of this combination of planets. You can look at your horoscope for the houses that hold these signs to begin to trace what circumstances and conditions in your life are open to this intricate weaving between Mars and Neptune. Together, they have many layers of symbolism and possible expression.

Something I have noticed in these past few days are various situations that I can describe as bringing us the opportunity to face (Mars opposite) something that we would prefer to avoid (Neptune).

I am thinking about Neptune’s association with veils, deceits, and what is nebulous or obscured. But here is Mars, straight from his long, internal dialogue and ready to take a stand for some new, deeply felt, broad or encompassing action or idea.

Neptune can also suggest what we can’t see in ourselves — perhaps a complex hidden in some infantile, undifferentiated place in the psyche, or caught in an addictive pattern that keeps us deluded, but perhaps feeling secure.

We may now find ourselves facing an addiction (quiet or blatant) or a part of our inner lives that is burning to be recognized and transmuted into fuel for a greater good. (Yea! Neptune in Pisces.)

I am, for the moment, going to assume that Neptune in Pisces will bring us all easy access to its best qualities — this is an oversimplification for sure, but that’s Mars in Virgo, asking for simplicity.

My recent experiences have been subtle, mostly in conversations that were about sensitive matters. Mars-Neptune can be gentle and skillful in using just the right amount of carefully calibrated energy in delicate situations.

And bringing an uncomfortable or delicate situation into an open dialogue can bring good results. Mars in Virgo likes results. This is a quality that will remain accessible to us for a while, due to the slow staying power of the Mars station.

In some circumstances, it may be wise to wait a bit before going full speed ahead; some things being presented to us now may be representing someone else’s desire, and not be really what we want.

Mars moves through mutable Virgo until July 3 when it crosses the cardinal point at 0º Libra. Mutable signs relate to our thinking, perceptions, and states of mind. There is flexibility, adaptability, perhaps even hesitation in knowing what we want to do next. With individuating Mars carrying Neptune’s penchant for the unseen worlds, it may take some of us a while to feel what decisive move is next.

8 Comments

  1. Very interesting, Mary, thank you!

  2. Hi Mary, thanks for your insight on the synodic mars neptune cycle-I always appreciate your posts. It is interesting that the trial in Norway began the first weekday after mars went direct. Breivik’s delusional and justification rants and claiming self defense for killing 77 people… a bit of Neptune Mars in that courtroom.

  3. I have a natal Mars/Neptune 10th/2nd house square, and have found this article most illuminating, Mary. The conjunction falling in my 6th house occurred in February 2011 just as I was offered a university place to do a part-time Masters Degree in Counselling Studies. At this point, I wasn’t sure whether my recovered energy (I had to drop out of work 2001-8) was strong enough to go back to work, so academe seemed a constructive substitute. However, the 12th/6th opposition has co-incided with my preparations to return to my astrology practice, with all the Virgoan detail involved in that: arranging supervision, insurance, professional memberships, leaflet, etc etc. Having been able to cope well with the stresses and strains of being a commuting part-time student, I feel well enough now to return to what I prefer doing, ie working with people!

    • Very nice blog, Joseph, thanks for showing me…I’ll keep an eye out for your further work..

      Best for now,

      Mary

    • Me again,

      I just watched your video…very nice!

  4. Good article. Thanks.


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