If you’ve been wondering why the world has been in so much turmoil lately, we could look to the transiting planets for the answer. On July 14th, Mars re-entered Libra where it will be conjoining Saturn until September 3rd. The exact meeting of these two planets takes place on August 24th but as Mars approaches Saturn, the tension will build.
Why is that? It is because these planets display radically different energies. The most succinct way to put it is, Mars is the accelerator petal and Saturn is the breaks. Mars represents our drives, ambitions and goals in life, whereas Saturn represents our need for safety and security and therefore, our need to use control to limit the variables. So these discordant energies naturally create a “tug-of-war”.
Keep in mind that these energies are manifesting not only on the world stage but in our individual lives as well. For the last few weeks, many people I know have felt exasperated by delays, obstacles and pressures to their ambitious pursuits or felt like progress seemed to come in stops and starts for them. Some have also noted feeling too controlled at times and too aggressive at other times.
The energy of this conjunction could lead to a sense of chronic frustration and pent-up anger that we may try to suppress. During this time, we must be careful not to let unexpressed emotions built up until they explode. We can see the collective effect of this in both the Gaza Strip and the Ukraine. Both sides are reacting with anger and a malicious, destructive response to the other.
The challenge presented by these two planets coming together evokes an important question. Are we victims of these planetary energies or do we have a choice in how we react when our desires are frustrated. From the ancient Vedic perspective, the more conscious we are of ourselves and the world around us, the more options we have in responding to the inevitable challenges of life. Just knowing what the planetary energies represent in our chart helps us to make more conscious and creative choices in our lives.