A Cathartic Moment: Mars Square Saturn

Schrei der Natur by Edvard Munch, 1893.

I was walking along the road with two friends – the sun was setting – suddenly the sky turned blood red – I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence – there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.[1]

On Sept. 9^th Mars in Leo squares off with Saturn in Scorpio. Saturn in Scorpio exemplifies a frozen statuesque formation. It conjures the feeling of numb sensory deprivation. Mars in Leo is action packed and ready to go; it has a mobile IV drip of testosterone. How will these two ever get along? Squares don’t suggest harmonious interactions. To top things off, the Moon conjoins Saturn on the same day—bringing an emotional element into the situation. Mercury additionally enters Libra striking an opposition to the Aries Point which has a significant global impact. 

Saturn in Scorpio has been freezing and hardening the primal emotional currents: sexuality, fight or flight reactions, intense anger, fear or paranoia. It’s sort of like a collective anesthetic most of the time. But when Mars enters the picture, it heats things up and starts generating steam, and all that bottled up garbage starts spewing out all over the place. It could get messy.

So for those operating from the lower chakras, this could lead to inappropriate or misdirected outbursts. Just tuck that possibility to the back of your mind, and deal with it the best you can if it shows up. Mars in Leo wants to go its own way, and it doesn't have any intention of backing off. Saturn is a little more indifferent but probably isn't going to budge either.

If you feel like “sticking it to the man” be careful how you express this frustration. The higher road urges us to step up and consciously develop a leadership capacity. If you’re feeling a little oppressed, or maybe a little numb from all that fluoride in your tap water, now is a good time to look for a way to take charge of your own life. Let some of the steam out in healthy and mature ways. There’s no sense in throwing a tantrum; or worse, exerting a primal and violent rage.

This aspect is indefinitely a challenge. It invites us to confidently step into our own creative power, and to equally temper egocentricity in the face of alternate opinions. Saturn’s conjunction with the North Node suggests opening up and embracing help, assistance and other agendas. The friction provides us the opportunity to strengthen and develop the will in a focused and directed manner. If you loosely follow the rules of the game, you’ll find yourself in a more ideal position.

That brings to mind the notion that the rules of the game were (most of the time) designed to challenge and assist in growth. So bring all of your talents and abilities to the table and give it all you've got. This is an ideal time for focused creative energy. It takes all that wild and untamed potential and directs it toward some tangible end result. If you've been feeling a little sexually, creatively or emotionally frozen or frustrated; this is the cathartic moment. Be mindful.

Screaming in an open field is highly recommended. Conscious travels. 

Notes & References

[1] A poem by Edvard Munch rendered from a journal entry dated January 22, 1892. Source: Peter Aspden (21 April 2012). So what does 'The Scream' mean? Financial Times.