By Lady Deane
I think weird thoughts these days. Perhaps the result of being more isolated than usual. Or perhaps just the result of being eccentric.
For instance, I worry that small companies who only make lipstick will go out of business. I never thought too much before the pandemic about how important lips are. But I do now. With everyone wearing masks (which they absolutely should do), it’s hard to tell how people are feeling. And it can make us fearful and wary when we can’t see facial expressions while we talk. So, many people just avoid each another. I notice that people often look away or look down now when they pass one another.
So, I’ve changed my behavior in response. I make a point now of looking people straight in the eye when I pass them. I make my eyes smile. I want to say to each and every one of them YOU ARE A FELLOW HUMAN BEING AND I SEE YOU! I want us to connect with the divinity in each of us. To see the God and Goddess who within us dwells. Because if we don’t, we will become even more separate and isolated. And we are not alone. Ever. Every one of us walks with Angels and Ancestors, Guides and Guardians. So, if there’s one positive thing we can all do during a pandemic, it’s to create “silent communion” with one another.
You know our thoughts and expressions are not the only odd things now. The Cosmic Dance this year is downright strange. The energies are not flowing in the easiest of ways. And the Spring and Summer of 2020 has seemed truly unusual. Even to someone like me, who has been watching the sky for many years.
A lot of the planets have been (and still are) retrograde at the same time up there. This makes for a Retrograde Dance, which is slow and careful. And which has us retracing our steps. And this slowdown can occur when just one planet retrogrades. But when many join in that dance at the same time, much of life as we know it s l o w s way down. People in tune with this energy will correspondingly downshift, changing their own rhythm in time with the celestial band. But people out of sync will continue to push forward, tripping over their own feet and stepping on everyone else’s toes in the process.
As I write this (August, 2020), Jupiter—the planet that rules education as well as students and young people—is retrograde. Jupiter will go direct in mid-September, but it will take some time to get back up to speed. And Mars—our momentum and forward motion planet—will be retrograding from Sept 9th through Nov 13th! And Mars will be taking more time than usual to move through the sign of Aries. So, to translate: just as our “get up and go” is on hold, the country is trying to restart things and move us into “business as usual” mode. But this is exactly the opposite of where the planetary energies are directing us. Mars is our energy and drive, it’s what we use to initiate projects and get things moving forward again. It also represents our collective anger (righteous and otherwise). The last thing you want to do when Mars retrogrades is to run blindly forward. No. You slow your roll. You take a step back. You think before you act. You don’t push the kids onto crowded buses or into crowded classrooms.
So, absolutely none of this is screaming “Hey! I know! Let’s send all the children back to school!” to me.
And yet, I know that that’s exactly what may happen. Many schools across the country will reopen. I get it. Sometimes, cooler heads do not prevail, and science is ignored (to say nothing of astrology). Shit happens and we just have to deal. So, although I personally would be happier if schools didn’t reopen again until next year, when the Cosmic Dance improves a bit, I realize that things in the US will probably continue to push awkwardly forward. Unfortunately, over the past few years we have repeatedly shown ourselves to be out of step with the rest of the world. But I do still have faith that parents and teachers everywhere will be sensible enough to do whatever it takes to keep kids safe. And I know that they’ll take as many precautions on their own as they are able.
Of course, it’s not all bad news. Retrograde periods are the perfect time for coming up with outside-the-box solutions to the problems we are facing. For instance, physically going to school is only one way to learn. Online learning has seen growth and development this year, but what about putting education on TV? Local TV or radio stations could run classes for the different age groups that would be free and available to all. You wouldn’t have to provide computer equipment. All the kids would need is access to a TV. Of course there is a chance this already exists. I am old and apparently not up to date on anything (just ask a teenager). Anyway, you get my point. I’m sure there are many, many innovative ways that education can be re-imagined without risking the health of our kids and teachers.
Other things we may process when Mars retrogrades is our aggression, as well as our passion and drive. Mars rules the military, fighting, competition and athletics, as well as sporting events. So, here again, most sports teams would do well to wait out the season.
Mars Retrograde may also affect communications (I know, that’s usually Mercury retrograde territory, but hear me out). Normally, Mars is the planet with a megaphone, it likes to shout, and it loves the sound of its own voice. But real communication takes more than one person’s voice or one group’s opinion. So talk less, listen more now. Mars also represents our ego. A healthy ego is a wonderful thing, we all need an ego to survive. But as Mars retrogrades it becomes less about our individual needs and more about our collective needs. So the next few months would be an excellent time to recognize that we truly are all in this together. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to remind ourselves that when we help one another succeed in life, we all win.
Another part of the Cosmic Dance this fall is Saturn. Saturn will go direct at the very end of September. Which is good news for real estate, as it rules the ground beneath your feet. Saturn’s retrograde phase often puts real estate matters on hold, or has people dealing with delays of one kind and another (unless you bought a fixer-upper, where delays are expected as structures get rebuilt). And Saturn has been retrograding since May of 2020. So, people who want to buy or sell a home should finally see some progress now, as Saturn moves forward again. Some of you no doubt have already experienced some positive movement on that front. Saturn also rules business and large official structures like the government. So there too, we should see progress being made and money should be made available again for economic growth (or at least stability).
Another thing that works well despite many retrograding energies is research. The kind we need to do, for instance, to come up with a safe and workable vaccine for the virus. I think we’ll see much more progress with vaccines and improved treatment overall for COVID patients, for the rest of this year and well into 2021.
In my last article, I ended by saying that I knew a guy who delivered vodka. Of course, at the time, I was only kidding. Hopefully people know that I would never actually have vodka delivered (it’s much better when you pick it out yourself). But Instacart just announced that they would begin delivering alcohol. Hopefully along with actual food that has real nutrition. What a world we live in now, huh? I wonder if future generations will even believe us when we try to tell them what happened this year. Or will we sound like our parents when they described walking miles to school barefoot in the snow? To which, the kids of today can respond: “Well, at least you had a school to walk to!” Touché, youngsters, Touché.
On that note, I will leave you with some very practical Dos and Don’ts to help you through the Mars Retrograde Period (Sept 9th thru Nov 13th).
Mars Retrograde
Don’t be pushy. You don’t need to be first every single time.
Don’t be a bully.
Don’t give in to road rage. Aggressive behavior will not work now.
Don’t overdo it at the gym. Muscles can be overworked; easy does it.
Don’t have one-night stands (or unprotected sex).
Don’t pursue. Don’t chase. Don’t rush.
Don’t scream, don’t shout.
Do listen…at least as much as you talk.
Do whisper, do lower your voice.
Do consider the other guy’s point of view.
Do finish your homework/due diligence; and research things before moving forward.
Do walk (slow your roll). Bonus points if you’re walking a mile in another’s shoes.
Do drive cautiously and yield the right-of-way.
Do let them come to you for a change.
Until next time, keep dancing. Even if it’s just on YouTube (or TikTok?). Whatever.
You are a fellow human being and I see you! : 0 )