Courage is the house that Mars built

Friday, November 18th, the yin Moon rolls into Virgo, bumps into Mars, and the soufflé flops. Irritating, unless you let it prompt a reason to eat out, where neither of you has to do the dishes. Small freedoms grabbed from the ruins of plans that failed might just be the test you pass this week, and win the holy grail.

The warrior planet Mars is now in let-me-be-of-service Virgo. While in Virgo, Mars will invigorate our actions with the courage to heal. It will be an uncharacteristically long stay--but then Virgo always has so much for us to do! Because of a retrograde period, Mars will clean the 6th house until July 4th, 2012.

Mars just completed a 6 week journey through passionate Leo, where asserting our personal power in roaring demonstrations was paramount as the Uranus-Pluto revolution remains in full force. While in Virgo, our warrior planet Mars will analyze the situation during yoga class, make a list of what's needed while the rice is cooking, and clean up the debris while organizing a community watch.

The hero's quest is always to drink from the holy grail, and be transformed. The transformational journey of Mars in Virgo is through service to others. The challenge he must first overcome? Separating the kernel of nourishing wheat from the protective shell of the chaff. How to serve, not through the wasted self-denial of martyrdom, but through the courage to give compassionately to ourselves, so that we can freely give to others.

In the ancient myth of Psyche (soul) & Eros (passion), we see Psyche put to this test. In her quest to be reunited with Eros, she must journey to hell and back, enduring the harsh trials of Venus, the goddess of love. At one critical juncture, she's warned by Mother Nature that if she feeds one of her two honeycakes to the pitiable beggar at her feet, she'll have nothing left to stave off the hungry beasts at the portal of hell. Here lies Virgo's lesson in discernment. What to keep, what to give away.

A lucky helping hand arrives this Wednesday afternoon, November 16th, when Mars will be working in perfect harmony with Jovial Jupiter in resourceful Taurus. Jupiter opens a big, benevolent window of opportunity for fortunate action. Take an after lunch siesta and dream up your plans from foresight born of practicality and optimism. Write them down. Virgo loves lists and Taurus loves money. You'll love these plans.