Mars is at 8/9 degrees Cancer for me natally, and t. Mars is currently conjunct my natal Sun at 5/6 degrees Libra. With t. Saturn conjunct my AC as well at 23/24 degrees Libra, it's been an interesting last few months as it's basically been me against the world rapidly alternating between periods of authoritative rule and conditional independence. The Grand Cross is between Pluto (H3), Uranus (H6), Mars (H9), and Sun/t. Mars (H12).
I was at my first year of University last fall/spring, and I knew immediately that it wasn't going to be for me-a Liberal Arts college very far from home, with a small enough population where the culture felt like a small village of teenagers mimicking each other. I didn't mind being a couple thousand miles away from home as it was an opportunity to experience a another shade of myself (H12 Sun/Merc. move to H1 w/ Sun on AC, H9 Mars moves to MC), but it felt like I was being traded from my parents care to the hands of another. The major component of this aspect was the t-square pointing toward my Sun. I think this showed in this case as a sort of respect from my fellow student body, professors, and employers (school job in cafeteria) for my sense of respect and spirituality, instead of being looked up to because of my high grades or scholarly behavior: intelligence and likability in a different way. I have never really belonged to any sort of clique, I don't think there is a label that would really apply. Therefore, I have always seemed to have a very broad friend-group, and I enjoy bringing individuals together from all across campus and the community, the ones who I attract and can develop personal relationships with. Seems very behind-the-scenes, appropriate for the 12th House in Libra, especially square Uranus/Neptune in Capricorn (H3) and Libra's ruler, Venus conjunct Moon (ruler of MC) in H1 conjunct AC. I know, a lot of information, but it makes sense!
I knew that I needed to learn how I worked individually, with no incentive other than personal fulfillment and growth, rather than grades and following the footsteps of the status quo. I devised a plan to work a bit over the summer at my old job at a grocery store, and then purchase a one-way ticket to France to volunteer on organic farms for as long as I needed, before traveling to London to live with my grand-parents. I was familiar with my grocery store gig, but looking back it definitely is a sort of representation of these current aspects, again especially in pointing toward Libra in the 12th House. My job consisted of managing the dairy department, so I worked independently in the back most of the time. However, I also had to work with customers and other employees often, and as I've discovered after a few years of working several different jobs, when you are employed you are inevitably a different shade of your personality. With my AC ruler conjunct my MC ruler I've merged the two into something pretty fascinating-I'm pretty goddamn fun to work with, for both the customers and my fellow employees. This was a day to day job, about 30 hours a week, so I think it fits pretty well with the pattern of my Grand Cross in mutable houses. I find a sense of independence when I'm on my job, but the condition is always that I have management, so there is always the inherent lack of freedom.
I'm in southern France right now working on my first organic farm, and the t-square toward my Sun is at it again! The owners of the farm are a couple of Libra Suns, with conjunct ACs making their MCs in Libra conjunct my AC. We get along very well, despite my one "handicap" of barely speaking any French. They speak English reasonably well, but I've earned the position of something like their special helper, as I face the other workers and friends, some of whom do not speak any English. As the conversation at the dining table is completely in French, a majority of the time I am left in silence, either listening attempting to understand or lost in my own thoughts and imagination. Even after a couple of weeks, I notice a profound transformation in my senses and intuition, including how I read people, emotions, and how my ears pick up to music. It may sound crazy, but everything sounds so much crisper, and this is coming from a music lover! Something interesting is that the woman in the couple's Moon in completely conjunct my IC, so I find myself completely latched onto her emotional roller coaster, the highs and the lows.
Despite the grand cross in mutable houses, I feel that my most significant transformation is within the 4th/10th parallel (Apart from the obvious Uranus in Aries (H6)
). I feel this especially and can read it in my chart. T. Saturn on the AC rules H4, which also contains natal Saturn. Mercury will opposition natal Saturn three times through Rx, followed by t. Sun doing the same. This upcoming New/Full Moon will also be along the same parallel in Leo/Aquarius. With so much moving about, I am without a home living "alone" in a world I have never been before, yet ironically, I feel more grounded than ever before. I am able to represent myself without the overbearing labels of school, family, or expectations. To me, the grand cross between Pluto, Uranus, Mars, and Sun/Mars is an obstacle. The grand cross is all about balance, sort of like that exercise where you rub your belly and pat your head at the same time-it's difficult to maintain. However, all of the issues within those cardinal signs are things that I've experienced time and time again in my life, where they are clearly old friends, merry pranksters. The moon cycles seem to reflect issues at hand, and especially with so many planets so close together (Mercury, Sun, Venus, with many important aspects throughout), I think that this particular phase will be very impacting for a lot of people. The trine to Uranus in Aries from Leo will turn anyone it goes up against into a sporadic independent, willing to speak their mind about boiling issues of global transformation (Jupiter in Gemini has impact on this too). I see this as our population inching toward a global nation of independents one at a time, and also the birth of many children concerned with flaunting their knowledge of justice of history in a way that will indubitably benefit humanity!
What a beautiful ride!