The Mars Quest and Journey through the constellations and signs has reached its Third Labor in the meeting with the Moon and the guest
appearance of Saturn. The evening gathering of celestial bodies in the southwest sky tonight, August 31st is special. Astronomically-speaking, the Moon meets each of the planets every month, but these meetings are not always visible. However, having 2 planets be there as the waxing crescent Moon travels along the ecliptic doubles up the viewing pleasure. Of course, it goes much deeper and richer than a simple meeting.
Every planet has its own unique movement and cycle and each one has its own unique duration. In the case of Mars, this cycle began when Mars reached opposition of the Sun on April 8th (Mars rose in the east as the Sun set in the west). Mars was in ‘retrograde’ motion and in the sign of Libra then, continuing until May 20th, when it resumed direct motion (Astronomically, Earth was passing Mars in its orbit of the Sun). By July 2nd, Mars, still in the sign of Libra had made it back to the degree where it was when it first opposed the Sun. But now, Mars was picking up steam. Phase 1 had ended and in Shamanic Astrology, Mars had reached the most dramatic phase of its journey, the “Labors of Mars”.
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Mars’ journey began in the sign of Libra, setting the overtone of a 26-month quest for Mars. These Labors or Challenges represent the masculine’s quest the learn more and evolve (in people). When Mars encounters the Moon during this phase, it means another challenge has been met. There can be anywhere from 8 to 11 of these challenges in this phase and each challenge is highly specific to what is being asked or learned at that moment. Tonight, the Mars-Moon conjunction is accompanied by the nearness of Saturn. Also involved is the Constellation of the Scales (Libra in Astronomy) and of course the meeting takes place in the sign of Scorpio. The other specific point is the actual degree (around 21 degrees Scorpio) of the Labor/Challenge (Mars-Moon Conjunction). One can look at the Sabian Symbol of the Labor. I use Lynda Hill’s book The Sabian Oracle for my work.
We are not just feeling the Mars-Moon conjunction with Saturn, but we are taking in the cosmic and archetypal (the astrological sign of the meeting) environment as well when these conjunctions take place. With those factors in mind, we can define this Challenge or Labor as:
This labor presents intensity and an exertion of willpower in one’s own domain. The Mars Initiation reaches a shamanic transformation, but within the limits, boundaries and safety as a major rule. Symbolically, this can be seen like a shaman journeying to the next realm but wearing astral clamps and hooked up to an advanced machine that will bring him back at the first sign of edgewalking. One of his goals is to work with others to do this and only obtain specific pinpoint information from that which can be taken easily with the right tools.
The above definition is an excerpt of a series of papers I wrote called the Mars Quest through the Signs and Constellations on behalf of a multi-part teleclass series on the Mars Quest as taught by Daniel Giamario and myself. The exploration of this conjunction and many, many other parts of the Mars Quest represent the leading edge of what is being taught in Shamanic Astrology. Mars’ journey is much more than simply seeing it with our eyes, but feeling into the ancient knowledge itself through our intuition and soul. Meditate on what you are witnessing in the starry skies. What comes to mind? What comes to heart and soul? The definition I wrote is an example and not doctrine. It’s as flexible and unique as each of us can be.
The journey continues . . .
Erik M Roth, Shamanic Astrologer