Belief Is Not Required

Major Planetary Note (MPN) and Basic Meaning of MPN

After nearly eight months of Mars (self-assertion, warrior and passion) being in self-effacing and masochistic Virgo, he is now in Libra until August 23. Astrologically speaking, men are NOT from Mars and women from Venus! In the world of the planets, every man has a Venus (yearning for love and connection) and every woman has a Mars (need to act independently). What happens when the alleged brute meets with the cultured diplomat? You get an ill-fitted suit, energetically speaking. Take the time to know what those smiles mean. If they come too easily, ask the next questions: What do you want? What exactly is your smile hiding? How have you provoked others to anger while enjoying their loss of control? Project much? These are all very valid questions while the warrior (and sometimes brutish) planet Mars traverses through peacemaker Libra. Simply don’t be so reasonable that you don’t stand up for yourself and your principles.

Thought Food (contemplate): Since last November, we have all been looking at survival from the intersection of healthy work relationships and our personal health. For the next six weeks, we are to put into practice what we’ve learned.

Questions

Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces): How can you survive psychologically, that is, knowing what your soul desires versus what others want from you?

Fire (Leo, Sag and Aries): How do you intentionally use your willpower to co-create your reality without running roughshod over the rest of us?

Earth signs (Virgo, Cap and Taurus): How can you give equal voices to your physical survival and need to have meaningful soul-to-soul bonds?

Air (Libra, Aquarius and Gemini: How can you know what you know while also giving equal attention to the needs of your spirit?

Water Element

The pilot light to our spirits, Mars gives us the drive to act individually and intentionally. Without accepting the consequences of his actions and his effect upon others, Mars easily becomes the playground bully, abusive lover or borderline narcissistic co-worker. When in doubt, check your unity at the relationship door, and head for the exit!

Cancer, June 21-July 22, is initiating feeling (soul)

You feel as if you’re doubling up on yourself. Well, you are. The planets conspire to make you even more other-directed, if that’s even possible. Codependency alert! These next six weeks, Mars wears diplomat clothing in Libra. Until August 23, this fiery energy will be burning up your early patterns of relating. Setting limits may not be as fun as losing control in those intimate embraces, but being without boundaries is ill-advised. Think of yourself as a celebrity who needs a manager. You don’t promote yourself because you’ll give the store away. Don’t like this message? Then don’t give what you cannot afford to lose … aka giving freely and cheerfully without attachment to what’s given in return.

Scorpio, October 23-November 21, concentrating feeling (soul)

Unlike Cancer, you rarely lose boundaries as quickly as they do. If anything, you need to learn to relax your guards and defenses. With Mars in Libra energizing your 12th house of divine love, spiritual service and emotional surrender, you can find yourself in some pretty delicious states of soul. Live at the intersection of heaven and earth, soul and body. It will be as easy as it is for you to release your attachment to your penetrating mind. Must you know everyone’s intentions? Instead of imaging what our motives are, participate in connecting through organizing a shared activity. Let the right one(s) in. Touch will be your best barometer of whom to trust. Anger and frustration lessen as you moderate your expectations. Remember, everyone does not have the same discipline over what they feel.

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Pisces, February 19-March 19, adapting and learning feeling (soul)

If you are not studying your feelings with a higher perspective in mind, you are not doing what the Pisces’ script requires. “I believe” and “we analyze” are two of your guiding mottoes. The “we” recognized your higher and lower selves attempting to blend in a complex gumbo of love, lust and redemption. Through healthy and humble introspection, you are able to burn away those beliefs that serve your ego defenses and rationalizations. With love (Venus) and sex (Mars) in air (mental) signs, you must use your mind to gauge what your soul’s true intentions are. Start with the parent who loved you less; analyze how you are still searching for that love outside yourself. No? Then go on a vision quest like a 19th-century anthropologist; learn from other cultures (even watching some reality TV is like studying another culture distinct from your own). Share your findings with those who give good constructive criticism.

Fire Element

When does competition become unhealthy?

Leo, July 23-August 22, concentrating spirit, aka individuality (fire)

While Pisces is being an anthropologist, you are to play the role of social scientist. Learn from the adaptable water folks how to flow with those of different categories from yourself. Want more love or wisdom? At present, you will oscillate between the need to be open to others’ perspectives and when to discriminate that others may not have your level of understanding. I realize I don’t say this enough, but there are deeply introspective Leos. These lions and lionesses recognize the difference between judgmental thoughts and observations. Understand that we feel (or see on your expressive faces) what you think. Guard your thoughts, keep an open heart, and then you’ll model the equilibrium between love and wisdom. You can move beyond the pondering on whether this is as good as your life gets.

Sagittarius, November 22-December 21, adapting and learning spirit, aka individuality (fire)

Read Libra’s message first. When you have a natural attitude toward love and sex, you have been shielded from the hypocritical message from today’s religions. Yea! It’s getting over what your family’s messages were while growing up and letting go of them. Find those who satisfy your thirst. No energetic vampires need be in your midst. During the current transit of Mars through Libra, you are called to turn acquaintances into friends, into family. Sure, it takes time, but trust your intuitive vision regarding when you can skip a step or two. Those who follow your gift for metaphysics and abstract thought will demonstrate their loyalty, consistently.

You simply must make sure you are not superficially following trends because, if so, the newly acquainted will reflect your lack of depth. In essence, you’re going to get as good as give.

Aries, March 20-April 19, initiating spirituality (fire)

You sense your spirit is on a return journey to your true home. You might as well be Dorothy on the yellow brick road right before the curtain has been pulled back on the wizard. You’ve left Kansas. Your soul desires to have more intimate experiences, not just communicating for the sake of communicating. Speak to those closest to you about what you expect, even if you must risk being thought of as petty. Personal tastes expressed humbly from your heart increase your charisma (if that’s possible). The last eight months have had your nose hitting the grindstone, that is, you had to attend to more details than you’d really like to. Now you get to attend to how to love after a fight, aka “make-up sex.” You are returning to a loving and giving hearth fire. You had those ruby red shoes all the while …

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Earth Element

Consolidate your position in your world (self-awareness, home, relationships and work).

Virgo, August 23-September 22, adapting and learning earth (physical)

Challenge the status quo. Speak from your root chakra. You’ve spent the last eight months perfecting your craft, body and style of expression. Now it’s time to take your proverbial show on the road. So what if some of us don’t get it? Focus upon those who do get “it.” The “trainable” ones belong to your tribe. These folks will move you into your primal self. You have been perfecting the intuition of when not to be refined, perfect or sophisticated. Logic is an excellent servant, as is perfection; neither need be your master. Identify with the process of going up the ladder of self-defined success, not with the who’s at the apex of the ladder.

Capricorn, December 22-January 20, initiating earth and its structure (physical)

You are love’s apprentice. You can stay healthily open or you can shut down. July’s planetary teachers hang out in your interpersonal sphere; that’s how you objectively connect with another peer. You have been gifted with an extra dose of realism and common sense. However, you can take too much to heart, getting weighed down in all of the “what could go wrongs.” Let love’s logic rule. Look behind the face of the connection to learn the purpose of the connection. I know the statement that “God works in mysterious ways” ought to read as “love works in mysterious ways.” You are your own mystery. Submit to your higher (and often immutable) ideals; you will not regret a soft and mild response. So what if you appear weak? Love is teaching you how to be bamboo, not a 2-by-4 plank.

Taurus, April 20-May 20, concentrating earth and her pleasures (physical)

You move through the areas of true balance. Like a Buddhist monk, you have the spiritual awareness of what it takes to get things done and when to practice wu wei (non-action). Like a ballerina, you know how to discipline your body for its most graceful display. Like a trained athlete on a team sport, you trust your clear perceptions about when to take the risk and when to pass. You have many skills that bypass the way we respond to your physical appearance. Sure, Venus gives you many attracting assets (hello, Channing Tatum and Penelope Cruz), but you are more than the sum total of your individual magnetism. What conversation do you have after the orgasm (hopefully a mutual one)? Making love belies our goal-oriented culture, no? The last four months obstructed any superficial justice on your part (no judging by bulging bank accounts or underpants, OK?)

Air Element
It’s not called “clear the air” for nothing. Through disharmony, a deeper peace can be reached and be longer-lasting.

Libra, September 23-October 22, initiating intellectual (air) and forming new relationships

Blood is thicker than water, but who’d want to drink blood? Unless you want to be on the receiving end of someone else’s fangs, go for the purer and lighter connections. Mars, in medical astrology, rules blood. This intense self-directed planetary teacher will be in your sign until August 23. You will be called upon to stand up for what really matters. May I suggest that you follow your passions? If you suppress them now, folks will attempt to dominate and control you, your mind and activities. It’s about breaking away from the expectations of society and family. You are in the midst of a new two-year cycle to assert your identity, ego and personality. New beginnings (and red) look very good on you!

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Aquarius, January 20-February 18, concentrating mind

Friendship is your religion. From the Latin religare, “to link up” or “to fasten,” to which higher and/or lofty ideals are you connecting? Just where is your love here to stay? Yours is a mental loyalty. Yours is a communal connection. No matter how much your heart may harden and/or chill, you need the personal anchor in order to get the best out of your life. The beginning of summer tests your intimacy skills. Mard (French for s*&t), the entire summer challenges your intimacy skills. An open heart gives you a tether for any hot-air balloons to come later and/or that mother ship hovering on the dark side of our and/or any moon. The goddess of love (Venus) spices up any variety-seeking water-bearing spirit, and Mars burns off the sticky dross of who does it hurt. Huh? Sometimes what another does not know consciously does not hurt one. OK, this Scorpio (your ethical adviser along with Libra) says to ask yourself: Why do you want to confess previous infractions in the first place?

Gemini, May 21-June 20, adapting intellectual, the changing mind

You must respect the power of love. Particularly because love trumps pride, each and every time. Continuing to fight and/or ignore someone over the “principle of the matter” leaves each person living life like Shug in The Color Purple. She was the free-spirited singer (and former lover of abusive Mister, masterfully played by Danny Glover) who gave Miss Celie her first orgasm (in short, Shug saw beauty where no one else had). If either of these women had bowed to conventional thinking and living, dry living would have been the result. At one point in the story, Shug was sleeping with Mister, Celie and her boyfriend (not at the same time, where does your mind go, el diablo?). How have you allowed what you were taught about love and sex to keep you living a cloistered life that does not befit you? Cease judging people and books by their cover. Otherwise, in doing so, you’ll live a life not worth living. Time to yearn, at least in your usually well-oiled mind, your soul seeks to be strengthened by an assertive spirit who has lived life to the fullest.

The Rising Sign, aka Ascendant, represents your approach to life and the mask you wear. Read that sign as well to get additional information on what is in store this week.

Text or call Quan at 816-931-0010 or check out his website at beliefisnotrequired.com.