Who Shall I Be?

The United States is having an identity crisis. Chiron, the wounded healer, is transiting the sign of Aries. Aries defines what we stand for - our identity. Chiron's orbit encompasses Saturn, a conservative planet, and then swings around to the iconic rebel, Uranus. So, it signifies the "wound" or the "skew" in our reality. Our reality is bound to change from the traditions we learned to what we experience in going about the messy business of living. Chiron's question for us in Aries is "Who are you?" "What do you stand for?"

Are we an autocracy or a democracy or something else entirely?

Today, February 19, Chiron has met the karmic North Node of the Moon. The North and South Nodes are the points at which our heart (Moon) meets the ecliptic band of the zodiac through which all the planets (symbolizing reality) move. It is a very karmic and fated feeling, the point at which all you have known and hope to know have joined at the intersection of the feeling Moon and the band of reality.

It says to me that we may have some very fated feeling events that address the question of who we are as a people this week.

The transiting Nodes of the Moon are North Node in Aries and South Node in Libra. The planet Mars rules the North Node and Venus rules Libra. Transiting Venus and Mars are occupying the same space, 4-5 degrees Aquarius. We might be asking ourselves where are we willing to assert ourselves honestly so that we aren't politely covering up the truth (dark side of Libra)? Where might we be willing to pursue change to declare more assertively who we are.

The United States has a chart, too. The US has a South Node at 6 degrees Aquarius. The South Node is something you know, because you have done it before - sometimes in another life, if you believe in that (I do). But you don't want to do things the same way this time around. It either hurt you to do it as you did or did not satisfy you in some way. That is what the North Node is for - the "cure" for dissatisfactions with the South Node.

Aquarius' archetypes are the rebel, the genius, the exile, the revolutionary. Our country certainly began life that way, rebeling against the King's rule, sparking a revolution. And you can see the mark of the exile, whether it was enforced removal from indigenous lands, forced exile from home countries on the African continent, or immigration fleeing poverty and starvation.

Transiting Venus and Mars are in Aquarius, rules the transiting South and North Node, and conjunct the US's natal South Node. Being in Aquarius, Venus and Mars can are approachable and can listen and acknowledge the feelings of the who feel unheard. It is our chance for a "do-over". Venus and Mars rule the South Node - polite dishonesty to avoid confrontation is part of the territory.

Where have convenient lies manipulated people in fake beliefs about exiled others? You hear it today in things like saying slavery wasn't all bad - they learned a trade - or some whitewash to diminish what actually happened. The antidote is the transiting North Node- assertively speaking the truth to acknowledge people wounded by these euphemisms. Ad the transiting North Node is conjunct Chiron in Aries. Who are we going to be? This is where the article began. A chance to reconcile our past and move forward assertively, deciding who we are.

The exact conjunction of Venus and Mars in Aquarius will happen on February 22, although the planets are close enough to be working on each other now. And on February 24, we'll have the last full moon of winter. The Sun will be in Pisces; the Moon in Virgo - a good time to reflect on how we will put our faith and compassion to work in the every day activities of life.