In the Stars: Transiting Mars trine Natal Mars

Tomorrow, transiting Mars (in Libra, in my First House) forms a trine with my natal Mars (in Aquarius, in my Fifth House). I thought this would be a good time to blog about the oft-maligned energy of Mars and its Tarot connections.

Quick Primer/Refresher

• Mars is the planet of physical energy (yes, this includes sexual energy), the will to win, and the ability to turn ideas into action. Its placement in a birth chart describes how we express our energies, assert ourselves, and go about meeting our desires and needs -- in other words, how we act.
• The trine aspect occurs when two planets or luminaries are at a 120 degree angle to each other. This is considered to be a highly favorable aspect.

Chart courtesy of Astrodienst
www.astro.com

In general, from an astrological standpoint, a trine between transiting Mars and natal Mars is about strong self-assertion, self-confidence, and self-assurance. It's a high-energy transit from which I can hope to gain extra drive with corresponding results. A hefty amount of ego is likely to be involved.

For my Mars-Mars transit, we need to consider:

• Aquarius -- a unique, independent, humanitarian Air sign
• Libra -- a harmonious, charming, indecisive Air sign
• the First House (House of Self)
• the Fifth House (House of Creativity)

I could elaborate further and bring in the natural rulers of these signs and houses, as well as other aspects taking place on the same day -- but I think things are probably complicated enough for the moment!

TAROT CONNECTIONS

In the Tarot, the planet Mars is most commonly seen as being linked to The Tower (Trump 16). This is the association made by the Golden Dawn. In his Mandala Astrological Tarot, A.T. Mann associates Mars not only with The Tower, but with The Emperor (Trump 4), Death (Trump 13), and The Devil (Trump 15).

Personally, I associate the energy of Mars with The Tower (as per the Golden Dawn) and, secondarily, with The Emperor (which the Golden Dawn links with the sign Aries, ruled by Mars). So for this Mars-Mars trine, I'm going to use The Tower and The Emperor to explore the situation.

Cards are from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Now, in typical Tarot interpretations, it's easy to see how The Emperor embodies the qualities of Mars -- leadership, assertiveness, self-confidence, action, ego. When The Emperor walks (pardon me, strides) into a room, people notice. He cuts a fine figure, inspiring loyalty and admiration from his subjects. A "good" Emperor uses these qualities to the benefit of his subjects. A "bad" Emperor uses these traits to quash everybody and everything in his path.

Furthermore, in this situation, The Emperor represents transiting Mars in my First House. This is a highly dominant position that gives me the opportunity to further my own interests. With transiting Mars in Libra, active cooperation or partnership with others may be an important factor.

The Tower often inspires "shock and awe" -- and not in a good way. The first reaction to seeing The Tower card is likely to be, "Oh no! Something big and bad is about to happen!" Cringe! Duck! Run for cover! We anticipate our foundation being snatched out from under us. We fear the collapse of everything we hold dear, hurricane-force winds, and general devastation and destruction. Even the most optimistic Tarot readers usually concede that The Tower means a major overhaul, even if the breakdown of something significant makes it possible for something better to be created.

In my birth chart, this "Tower" energy manifests in the sign Aquarius in my Fifth House. It's a constant energy, present from my moment of birth and ongoing. Impatience, detachment, and a love of experimentation and/or risk-taking can be hallmarks of Mars in Aquarius. Mars in the Fifth House typically suggests personal magnetism, impatience (again!), and risk-taking (again!). It's pretty easy to see why a combination of these characteristics might signal more than one Tower moment in my life.

I feel that if we look at The Emperor "trine" The Tower, we improve the odds that the upheaval represented by The Tower will actually be of tremendous benefit, and might even be modified or "controlled" by The Emperor's overriding authority. As Trump Four, The Emperor suggests stability and security. Trump Sixteen reduces to the number Seven which, as I discussed in a recent blog post, can indicate a certain amount of tension, possibly a struggle to reconcile opposing forces or a time of growth and expansion that could destabilize our world as we know it. Seven also recommends reflection or contemplation, which could help us prevent a catastrophe.

So trine away, dear Mars(es)! I will look for opportunities to push my agenda and instigate forward progress.

Cards and Quotes: The Empress

Today's Cards and Quotes features THE EMPRESS from the Elemental Tarot by Marco Turini (Lo Scarabeo).

The Elemental Tarot by Marco Turini (Lo Scarabeo)

"Without this playing with fantasy no creative work has ever yet come to birth.The debt we owe to the play of the imagination is incalculable."
Carl Jung (1875-1961)
Swiss Psychologist

Take a Number: Seven!

I am working my way through the numbers, comparing the ways in which I have used them in Tarot readings with observations and comments from numerologists and occultists. I welcome your comments and observations about this fascinating subject!

Tarot Cards: The Chariot, Sevens of all suits

SEVENS

I am currently reading a mystery novel by David Skibbins called The Hanged Man (Thomas Dunn Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press). It's one of a series of books Skibbins wrote, each featuring a specific Major Arcana card. In this particular book, he prefaces groups of chapters with comments about numbers, staring with zero. For Seven, he writes: "The final results of the Great Plan of Creation are far from manifestation. We've got a long way to go. But we get little victories on the path to complete enlightenment. These small triumphs remind us that our struggles are not meaningless but just stepping-stones on the journey. Seven reminds us to celebrate winning the small battles and then get back into the fight."

I like that description. I can see how it applies to the 7 of Pentacles, where a man pauses to appraise what he has accomplished so far, and in the 7 of Swords, where a man carries away five swords, leaving two behind. In a sense, you could say that his task is "incomplete."

The man on the 7 of Wands seems to have the upper hand against his opponents -- but this could easily be a "small battle" that he will need to win as part of a larger "war." On the 7 of Cups, the option that the figure chooses is going to affect how the rest of his journey progresses. On The Chariot (Trump 7) the charioteer guides his vehicle away from a city. He is clearly "on his way" somewhere else, but has not yet arrived.

Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot (U.S. Games Systems)

Writing about the occult meaning of numbers, Paul Foster Case gives the following keywords for Seven: "rest, safety, security, victory. . . temporary cessation." Case also writes, "This number stands for the logical consequence of the ideas symbolized by the numbers preceding it in the series." He points out that the Hebrew name for 7 is Occult Intelligence. (The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages, Macoy Publishing Company) Like Skibbins, Case emphasizes the cumulative effect of efforts.

Gary Meister, CTM offers the key word "Success" and the key phrase "Learning From One=s Mistakes" for the number Seven. He writes: "[Seven] is considered, from antiquity, to be a sacred number. . . Seven indicates that we have learned from whatever mistakes we have made." He adds that the element lined with a particular Seven card will describe the area of life in which we have learned (or have an opportunity to learn) from our mistakes.

Somewhat in contrast to the above, we have those who focus on Seven as a number of mystery, mysticism, and philosophy."

In his book Numerology: Key to the Tarot (Whitford Press), Sandor Konraad gives the Keywords "introspective, secretive, spiritually attuned" for the number Seven.

Quoting from Numerology and The Divine Triangle by Faith Javane and Dusty Bunker (Whitford Press): "Seven seeks answers. It tries to establish a philosophy by which to live and attempts to penetrate the mystery behind its existence . . . Because solitude is necessary for analysis, the 7 feels the need to spend time alone, away from the crowds, in touch with nature. . . 7 ushers into the cycle a physical completion without apparent effort. . . " Key words for Seven: "quiet, introspective, intuitive, analytical inspirational, reclusive, philosophical, mystical."

The web site Numberquest.com provides the following key words for the number Seven: "Philosopher, sage, wisdom seeker, reserved, inventor, stoic, contemplative, aloof, deep-thinker, introspective, spiritual, faith, esoteric, exotic, unusual, hidden, seeking perfection, ethereal, other worldly, enigma."

In Anna Burroughs Cook's Tarot Dynamics system: "Subject Card Seven corresponds to our relationships." This is in keeping with the Seventh House (house of one-to-one relationships and partnerships) in Astrology. Cook writes: "Sevens are all about the constructive or self-defeating manner in which you handle (or allow yourself to be handled) in your personal and professional relationships."

THE CHARIOT (Trump 7)

Konraad writes, "[The Fool as The Charioteer]. . . is in full control of his chariot of personality." The black and white sphinx-like creatures suggest a conflict between id and ego impulses now resolved by The Charioteer. The prospect of solitude does not disturb The Charioteer because "he has acquired inner strength and harmony." The Divinatory Meaning provided by Konraad for The Chariot upright is Victory. Reversed: Dark victory. Defeat.

Concerning The Chariot (Card 7), Anna Cook writes that when this card appears: "Your attitude, moods and views, now have a stronger influence upon other people than you may realize. . . Your 'synergy' is about to be tested or rewarded. One or more of your relationships are about to enter a new phase that could open your eyes or broaden your horizons, if you're paying attention!" Cook's key words for The Chariot are "Karmic / Relationships."

According to Javane and Bunker: "The Chariot represents receptivity to the will of the one Source. . . Symbolically, The Charioteer is the soul, directing the chariot, the body."

MINOR ARCANA SEVENS

For Sandor Konraad, in the Minor Arcana, 7 is a number of CHANGE. With Pentacles (Coins), this is likely to represent a change in business or career, "usually for the better" or a business trip. The 7 of Wands suggests a change "concerning a student, teacher, or writer". The 7 of Cups: "Change in residence. A home visit to or from lover, friend, or relative." Konraad views the 7 of Swords as a "Warning card" that indicates that "the person may be on the edge of a breakdown." It can also be seen as a warning against accident.

We have quite a few interpretations to consider here. At this point in time, my key words for the number Seven: mysticism, evolving/extending, pulling back/pushing ahead, solitude/contemplation, complexity, and wisdom gained from experience.

I hope you enjoy these quotations I found that include the number Seven:

“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion and desire.” ~ Aristotle (Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scientist and Physician, 384 BC-322 BC)

"One man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." ~ William Shakespeare (English dramatist, 1564-1616)

"The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep." ~ Chanakya (Indian Politician, 350 BC-275 BC)

"In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people." ~ Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee Statesman, 1945 -)

Cards and Quotes: 8 of Wands

Today's Cards and Quotes features the EIGHT OF WANDS from the Sharman-Caselli Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli (St. Martin's Griffin).

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

"Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it."
Jules Renard
French Dramatist
1864-1910