On Thursday, October 3rd, 2019 a few planets shift signs. Mercury goes into the sign of Scorpio and Mars enters the sign of Libra. I’ll first touch on Mercury in Scorpio and then on Mars entering Libra.
Are Your Words a Weapon or a Tool?
Mercury is the planet of our mind and rules over all things having to do with communication, including our thoughts, our verbal interactions with others, and how we express ourselves. It is also the planet of trade and craft. Scorpio is a Mars-ruled water sign. Mars-ruled signs are good at getting what they want, but in that process, they can often bring about conflict and strife. Mars-ruled signs are also good at cutting away and editing out what is unnecessary; getting to the point or heart of a matter. This is combined with the element of water, which turns us inwards towards our own emotions and psychological processes. Thus, Mercury in Scorpio is skilled at cutting away the fluff of our beliefs and internal dialogue. This is a time of extreme honesty both with others and with yourself - remember, Scorpio being a Mars-ruled sign doesn’t play nice. What’s real isn’t always pleasant. Scorpio wants to get to the root of the matter. Think of Mercury, the planet of communication, wielding a knife or scalpel. This knife can be used as a weapon to cut others down in the name of “truth and honesty” or it can be used as a tool to create precision with words to speak your truth clearly - to carve away the excess wood so that the statue may be seen for what’s always been there. The choice is yours.
From “Me” to “We”
In the evening on Thursday around 10:22 Mountain time Mars enters the sign of Libra. Mars is inherently uncomfortable in Libra because Martian goals and Libran goals are at odds with each other. Mars, the Roman God of War, is the planet of our will and of what we want. His purpose in your chart and in the heavens is to get you what you want and his style of doing that depends on what sign he is in. Libra is the sign of relationships; of the other. Libra wants to unite and Mars wants to separate. Mars is the planet of Me, Myself and I. Libra is ruled by the planet Venus, the planet of We. Now, Venus also works for you in helping you to get what you want, but she does it in a more round about way. Mars is very direct and to-the-point and Venus is strategic, using the tools of invitation, diplomacy, and relationship to get her way. Mars is unable to do his business in his usual crass and direct way in Libra. He must take initiative by considering the other. He must perform his task relationally rather than independently, which is his much preferred manner. We have Mars here for about 6 weeks. This is a time that may be a bit uncomfortable for all of us. We may find it hard to say the words, “I need” because much of our energy will be focused on other people. Practicing saying, “I need” during this time is a good mantra. On the other hand, take advantage of this energy to develop your diplomacy skills. And remember, if you’re feeling frustrated because your goals are dependent on the actions of others, this energy does not last.