Another Photography-Assisted

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Given the rapaciousness of the forest-fires here in Colorado, with today’s air thick with soot, these may be the last photos of the Moon taken for quite some time.

You can see these planets in the sky these days. If youdon’t live in smoke-infested Colorado (or, I assume, vast tracts of California), you can see Mars in the eastern sky around midnight, with Jupiter and Saturn farther to the west– along with the far-more-distant Pluto that you can’t see with the naked eye – all quite bright. As I write, Jupiter and Saturn remain in retrograde motion; Mars will turn retrograde in a few days. Thus you can see them. Why? During their retrograde periods, the planets from Mars on out go through opposition to the Sun – as seen from Earth, of course. Thus those planets get, as seen from Earth, increased light from the Sun. Thus you can see ‘em.

These facts seem to me astrologically suggestive. Consider these reasons:

1. We can see the planets as part of the cosmos that seems separate from us (i.e. up in the night sky). This seems to suggest that though many astrologers describe retrograde planets as “unconscious,” they appear, as do many (maybe most, maybe even all) projections, in the world around us. We can see them clearly there; the planets in the night sky shine more brightly then than at any other point in their orbit.
2. Yet we see ‘em in the night sky: we see them visibly as projections precisely because they remain unconscious (symbolized by the night sky). I find this delightfully paradoxical, like many other  things I encounter in life.
3. People often experience more conflict with others during Mars’ retrograde period. Why? Probably at such times because we project Mars into the world more consistently — or more brightly. The Sun-Mars opposition (during the retrograde period) suggests projection, as do most oppositions in astrology. We generally play the role of the planet closest to the Sun – in this case, the Sun itself! We project out the planet further from the Sun: Mars, obviously. Thus we run into conflict with a Mars that seems external to ourselves.
4. But #2 suggests that we can have greater awareness of the factors involved – the delightful paradox.
5. Oppositions symbolize objective awareness – interesting phrase! It suggests, among other things, that we can develop greater awareness by dealing with the objects of the world. We can get feedback from the objects (with people, here, considered as objects) of the world. Thus the world arises as a teacher.
6. But we have to delve into the unconscious to find the roots of the problem – if we want to call it a “problem.”
7. Then there’s this matter of the enjoyment we can get by seeing planets in the night sky. Air pollution – or fire smoke – may make this difficult. In my grandiose moments, I announce, to anyone who’ll listen, “See, when we get too civilized, we lose sight of unconscious forces!”
   7a. We apparently enjoy engaging with the world. This often — maybe always? — means working with our projections.
   7a. Yours truly considers Pluto — out there and invisible to the naked eye — as closely connected to what Jung called “the projection-making factor per se.” We can discuss that at another time — though I discuss it in my book on projection (Your Hidden Face: Projection in the Horoscope).
8. Finally, as I said in an earlier installment, the upcoming retrogradation of Mars will take it through squares to the US Mercury-Pluto opposition, the aspect I’ve talked about in several previous installments and that has a clear connection to the effect of the pandemic on the United States.
   8a. Remember that the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of last January tells us about the world-wide pandemic per se, while the transits of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto to planets in the US horoscope tell us about how that pandemic will play itself out in the United States.
   8b. The omens do not seem propitious, to put the matter mildly. But more on this later.

That will do for now.

September 6, 2020. Boulder, CO