Venus into Aquarius, Mars into Pisces

1.22.13


At the end of this coming week and into the next, we'll welcome a palpable change in the astrological climate, thanks to the movement of multiple personal planets into new signs.

On Friday (Feb 1), both Venus and Mars will enter fresh zodiacal territory on the same day. Venus arrives in Aquarius just as Mars completes its 5½-week stay in the water-bearer zone and progresses into Pisces. Mercury also lands there soon after (on Tue Feb 5) for a lengthy month-and-half retrograde-inclusive residence.

Venus's transition into Aquarius can help us detach from too deliberately purpose-focused an approach to our interpersonal dealings, a tinge which has somewhat characterized our relations since '13 began. If anything, Venus in Aquarius sometimes veers too far to another extreme, so committed to favoring freedom of self-expression and strong individualism in relationships that it threatens to leave a dearth of intimate connection in its wake.

The upside: During Venus's three weeks in airy Aquarius, we can recapture a greater degree of emotional space from anyone who's been a bit too up-close-and-personal for our comfort, allowing us a better ability to think about the dynamics of the relationship with a little distance. All the while, we may use this breathing-room time to (re)connect with the other important (or just plain interesting) figures in our life, exposing us to their alternative energies and viewpoints. This combination aids us in grasping a more holistic understanding of how all the different interpersonal influences in our lives fit together… and how we might need to make certain adjustments, if one or another situation is taking up an undue amount of our attentions. After all, Aquarius embraces diversity as its preferred worldview.

If only, then, Saturn in Scorpio wasn't again interfering with that ultra-reasonable (if not somewhat aloof) aerial perspective Aquarius prefers. But alas, Venus is already moving toward a square with Saturn (exact on Feb 10) during her earlier steps through Aquarius, an aspect that intrinsically constrains our relational behaviors. Basically, Saturn wants us to make sure we're not seeking space from someone because we're trying to avoid dealing with uncomfortable realities that in fact must be dealt with, if we want to save the relationship from encroaching flatness or a phony 'everything's cool' performance. These first couple weeks of February force us to balance the craving for space with the necessity of not running away when things get tough.

The appearance of Mars in Pisces is perhaps even more significant, as it ushers in an increasing concentration of Piscean influence over the coming weeks… which is, of course, big news since Neptune's also there, in the sign of its modern rulership. By the tail end of February, we'll actually have quite a lineup of planets in Pisces, so perhaps Mars's sign-shift should be seen as our signal to prepare for proceeding by vague feel.

Though Venus in Aquarius may abate the levels of emotional relationship pressure we must bow to, it would be silly to suggest that, overall, we won't still be under the effect of plenty of emotions with Mars in Pisces. If Mars represents our get-up-and-go, then when he's in Pisces, his 'go' is more of a temperamental wander. In other words, under the Pisces fog, Mars can only proceed in a certain direction if it feels right—and at any point in the process, his instincts might drift or skew elsewhere, with moment-to-moment receptivity to subtle changes in mood or circumstance. Though this is arguably just as it should be during a Mars-in-Pisces transit, it can often leave us wondering if we're making any progress at all… or if we're merely lost at sea.

Mars in Pisces, however, will lead us somewhere, even if we can't coherently comprehend the logic behind its lures. For fleeting moments, it can almost seem as if we've been hypnotized to head closer to, or further away from, a particular location, activity or goal… for no other reason than we believe this is what we're meant to be doing for now. Whether this is the voice of the Divine whispering the turn-by-turn directions into our ear or a delusionary sensation with no grounding in constructive reality is never an easily resolved matter under the reign of such powerful Piscean planet-gods.

One key factor in discerning the positive Mars-in-Pisces drives from all the other confusing false-leads he often whips up: Is this intuitive pull a result of my own singular relationship with the universal consciousness, or am I being pulled this way or that by somebody else's enticing sway? The highest spiritual callings of Mars in Pisces are deeply personal, emerging from our direct one-on-one dialogues with God (or whatever our unique version of it). No other person can speak the truth of what Divine Will wants with us because they don't know our personal relationship with the Divine.

Should somebody claim such a move with us (whether directly or through subtle manipulation), we must remember they have their own self-serving stake in us surrendering to their will. This is perhaps the lowest expression of Mars in Pisces: We lose our bearings by serving the call of a 'false god', in the form of another human who holds us under their spell. The breathing-room effect of Venus in Aquarius can be of great assistance in this sort of situation. Sometimes, getting out from under the thumb of any overly persuasive individuals is the only way we can affirm that what we're feeling is authentically ours… and not just a desire planted in our energy-field by someone who wants what they want from us. Be very suspicious of such an individual discouraging you from seeking outside feedback from other confidantes. Divide and conquer is a mind-control technique.

What we might be missing in clear rationale for our chosen actions under Mars in Pisces, we can make up for in the imagination-rousing openings we create for ourselves by going where the inspiration resides. As long as we aren't naively ignoring warning-signs or letting hyper-idealism cause us real problems, a once-in-a-while interval of evocative 'confusion' (by conventional standards, that is) can actually illuminate life's most troubling quandaries for us. Meandering off on an open-field detour often helps clarify where our best path lies. We can't see it as clearly until we drift temporarily away from it. In the process, the guiding wisdom may speak in unexpected voices, from the mouths of incidental characters we never would've believed could hold a kernel of insight that instantly affirms everything. If only it were simpler to understand how to reliably capture such wisdom…

Mars conjoins Neptune in Pisces on Feb 4, while Mercury conjoins Neptune on Feb 6. Then, Mercury and Mars conjoin each other on Feb 8. The Sun enters Pisces on Feb 18, while Venus enters Pisces on Feb 25. Mercury goes retrograde in Pisces on Feb 23.