The Tempest
One Long Malefic Trine
On February 9, Mars retrograde in Cancer completed a trine to Saturn in Pisces. Like most aspects made by retrograde planets, it's not the first nor will it be the last. On the run-up to this retrograde when not quite in shadow, Mars completed the first of these aspects on September 29. Once Mars is moving direct again, the third and final of these exact malefic trines will be delivered on April 4. However, with Saturn maintaining its characteristically slow pace and Mars taking such a long time to decelerate, pivot, and accelerate again, this aspect has been in orb since February 1 and will effectively remain so until Mars enters Leo on April 18. This is an extraordinarily long time to spend under tension.
On the whole, Saturn and Mars muster challenges and difficulties. However when drawn together in a trine - an aspect of the nature of Jupiter - they become yoked together in a functional form, offering a certain relentlessness for attacking life’s hardships. Mars brings drive while Saturn offers discipline. When combined, they create the perfect combustion engine. Clean burning fuel and powerful pistons keep the crankshaft turning as obstacles are overcome and enemies overrun. Although there are challenges now and more coming in March, this one long malefic trine offers the ability to hold on tight and not let go. Set your shoulder to the boulder and shove it up the mountainside.
When examining this aspect in further detail, it appears that, while achievable, endurance will be difficult to attain. Cancer’s topography is an ill fit for Martial persistence. The inherent sensitivity of the Moon’s domicile makes Mars' prolonged presence difficult to bear. In Cancer, Mars tends to retreat into his shell. The instinctual reaction is to recoil at discomfort. Every prick and pinch pierces the soft white underbelly. Meanwhile, Saturn has been cast adrift in Pisces, resisting the Neptunian temptation to dissolve into seafoam. The siren song of the depths is so alluring. Why not stop treading water and simply sink to the bottom? With both baddies in water signs, there can be a sense of being battered by the winds and the waves - savaged by storms. We are all tempest-tossed, waterlogged salty dogs. It's hard not to feel weary under such skies.
But hold the line. Moments like these were made for savoring the quintessential astrological maxim that “this too shall pass.” And there are creative ways for working with this aspect. One strategy I have played with has been hot soaks and cold showers. When thinking topographically with the signs, I often think of Cancer as a bath. If Mars itself is heat, then we can seek remediation in long soaks in hot waters, especially naturally sulfurous springs. Saturn is associated with cold, and we can therefore think of its presence in Pisces as being a polar plunge in a large body of water. For a home friendly version, try a cold shower.
Immersing one’s body in either very hot or very cold water can be difficult. The initial embodied response is often to flinch or fly. However, the ability to stay with that discomfort can yield high rewards. Hot soaks can reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and reduce muscle pain while cold showers can increase metabolism, relieve depression, and boost immunity. While the inherent extremity of the malefic planets can bring unease, the right kind of contact can bring boons too. May we all weather this storm.
***
The soundtrack for today’s malefic musing comes from Falç de Fetillera of Barcelona, Catalonia whose blend of doom and folk has been featured once before here at HMA. Today’s essay title is an oblique reference to “La Tempesta,” the lead single from their second album Vol II which was released on the 2023 Summer Solstice. Much like its predecessor, Vol II contains a diverse mix of Sabbath-inspired bass-driven doom riffs, folk instruments like flutes, and vocal harmonies all wrapped in occult ambience and framed by narrative passages. While these spoken word pieces convey the sense of a drama unfolding, Vol II’s story seems to be about an inner journey versus Vol I’s exposition of a witch’s sabbat. It is a strong if eclectic release. Check ‘em out and support your favorite artists!