*I was going to wait until September 1st to post this. However, in the wake of Jacob Blake being shot 7 times in front of his three children today, I felt it relevant to release now.*
(This article is interactive and I’ve included several important hyperlinks for you to view. Please know that you will be directed to leave my site if you click them.)
September Insight – Mars Retrograde in Aries
Minneapolis is on our Radar
As most of you know by now, the murder of George Floyd happened in my hometown. Both the scene of his murder and the police station happen to be just blocks away from my high school. My first shitty retail job was right at the intersection where activists and protests demanded constructive change, before white supremacists incited the Minneapolis riots. Watching my childhood neighborhood go through this whole process, without being there to help advocate, was one of those emotional breakdowns that you just need to take time to process, and most of all to determine what lane you fit in. The entire nation was grieving. So this post, while Mars in Aries could absolutely be looked at through multiple lenses right now, is going to focus on Minneapolis as an example. Please take care to center and ground yourself during this energy, or it will get the best of you very quickly. We need heart centered minds at the forefront, to help us process through the rest of the year.
In Case You Didn’t Know
What the media did not cover nationally were the highly organized, out of town, right wing extremist groups that tormented neighborhoods in the city throughout the weekend after the murder of George Floyd. Police were unable to respond to the immense amount of calls throughout the city and directed residents to the FBI, because their focus was on the concentrated destruction along Lake Street. At one point their radio was hacked and taken offline, replaced by music. Military drones buzzed overhead.
Organized groups were driving into the city in cars with plates removed, stockpiling neighborhoods with weapons (crowbars/pipes/machetes), combustibles (gasoline cans, rags with chemicals, kerosene jugs, pallets, and even dried Christmas trees). Neighbors were seeing random pallets of bricks and pavers mysteriously dropped off on corners. City Officials and Alderpeople, alerted residents on social media to check their yards for water bottles full of flammable liquids being stashed in landscaping, bushes, etc. Multi-racial families were being targeted in particular. Death threats were left for families displaying BLM and progressive signage in their yards. Entire neighborhoods went off the grid, avoiding social media. They met in their local parks and mapped out a plan to protect their city as neighborhood watch/militia.
My childhood camp counselor has a multi-racial family. They pulled a five gallon home depot bucket out of their alleyway from behind their garage, it was brimming with flammable liquid. A friend of mine banned with all the residents of her apartment building to protect their families. They came together later that night learning how to use a firehose to save the building next door.
(A collection of screenshots I gathered during this time. Some posts with video footage are included within the hyperlinks of this article as well)
Going over the threads and all of the footage at the time, I couldn’t keep up with the sreenshots or the links (many embedded in this post), a lot of the links were removed from facebook since. I didn’t sleep for several days, wondering what unbelievable thing would happen to my friends and family members next. One of my friends told me that she had panic attacks when hearing fireworks. That is PTSD. Another friend hadn’t slept much because he had chased multiple vehicles away from his block.
When you look at the camera footage near the precinct on the live feeds at Day 1. Neo-nazis observing in pairs across the street from the precinct before sundown, dressed in casual paramilitary gear (red tape used as markings on their clothes to denote who they were). A man wearing an anti-muslim t-shirt warning to ‘stay back 100 feet’ or he would shoot (written in Arabic btw); standing quietly in observation of the protests on the sidelines. Proud Boi bumper stickers with TX plates were found on nearby cars in parking lots. A young man held up the Boogaloo flag in front of the Autozone that was initially damaged. If you don’t know about Boogaloo, do a Google. It’s…interesting. It was almost as if these various groups were silent guardians on behalf of the police.
A group of about five people dressed very similarly to the infamous “Umbrella Man“, silently entered the intersection in front of the precinct with pallets. They stacked them strategically, in order to start a fire. Then quietly disbursed. All of these folks were so calculated, so silent. They leveraged the moment well. The city didn’t even know what hit them. Protestors confronting these groups were being threatened and beaten. Opportunistic teens also joined in on the moment that night and took advantage of looting and further damage.
Yes there were absolutely angry protesters partaking in destruction. I don’t see how that was avoidable after it was incited. We also do not have the right to determine what is an acceptable form of protest. Especially if former methods have failed to resolve. The problem lies within the organized groups co-opting the protest in order to destroy and shift the narrative. It worked too.
Isn’t that in the Past?
My main reason for bringing this up? We have some similar energy shifting back in during September. So I am keeping an eye on Minneapolis because I want to see if we’ll be moving towards positive growth. Within days we saw a nation who had witnessed the video of the murder of George Floyd collectively calling for an end to police violence and systemic oppression, completely subverted. We are divided once again. Here we are at the end of our summer of violence, illness, protests; a nation on the brink of collapse, an economy slumping into recession, and we’re approaching an election that the president openly acknowledges strategically delaying. I’m not trying to peddle doom and gloom, this is just where we are. But our people are trying to find hope in the moment, to move forward into a new vision.
We’re unsure where to apply our resources first. The level of gaslighting and misinformation has turned this into a psychological attack, more than anything. That is why this movement for Black Lives is much more unique than the last time.
Minneapolis has since been denied federal funding for clean-up and restoration. Conservatives are claiming that they dug their own hole. Additional cities like Portland are facing their own civil unrest. I can’t help but keep thinking about my cousin calling me from Minneapolis, days after the initial protest, because their neighborhood post office was lit on fire the night before. She happened to eerily mention to me that it was the anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre. How could this still be happening to diverse and flourishing multi-racial neighborhoods a hundred years later? This is a neighborhood about a mile from where the protests had even been happening.
We knew in June what was happening. We knew well before this, what was happening. These groups are more organized and ingrained than we can handle. However, the country was built on the principals of their ideology and is essentially working as designed. We need leadership to help us make tangible strides towards saving what democracy is salvageable. Uplift your community in any way you can right now. When everyone is doing well, we all do well. We need big time change. The personal could not get any more f*cking political. I digress.
September Insight
With September’s astrology showing Mars in retrograde beginning on the 9th and ending November 13th, we will need to keep an eye on how the social and political climate plays out. This retrograde is going to make us feel incredibly stuck, like we’re up against an impossible force. It could be relating to the pandemic, the economy, social justice, corrupted power, or all of those things intersecting at once. There is possibility that the lessons of change have not been learned, and this could cause sudden clashes that blindside us. The key to retrogrades is making sure you use this time to be reflective, and to get strategic about fixing what went wrong in the past. If the introspection and the learning aren’t happening on a national level, that’s when the fighting and destruction can occur. Pay attention in September. Are we shifting to a better vision?
Last Wednesday it was announced that one of the officers charged for killing George Floyd is pursuing a challenge to the charges and requesting they be fully dropped. The reason? They claim George Floyd died of a Fentanyl overdose, although neither of the autopsies reflect this. Also, we all saw the video.
I decided to do a spread for September, as the charges are going to be reviewed on September 11th; which happens to be the week that Mars goes retrograde. The outcome of the socio-political climate during this retrograde, could really well depend upon whether lessons surrounding justice have been learned since June. This timeframe could spark events that carry repercussions until AFTER our election is over. What I CAN say is that Mars will not go retrograde again for two more years after this. That gives me some hope, as long as we can pick up the pieces and begin to build as a nation. I’d also recommend that if you can get out the vote for Joe and Kamala in any way possible, you really should take that effort seriously this go round. I can’t help but feel that this election should have gone to someone else; but I was quick to process that reality and will rally to support this team. This week I’ll go through voter registration training through my county, and I’ll be volunteering as an election official at the polls. Do whatever you can to help get those votes in, we need a landslide win.
So, before you get all conspiracy theory on me…here is my spread for September’s energy and how it could relate to Minneapolis and the prosecution of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.
Please remember that this is simply my interpretation at the time this spread was pulled.
Deck: This Might Hurt Tarot
Crystal: Caribbean Calcite
George Floyd
Column 1 (Left) Ace of Swords and The Devil
I asked for reflection on George Floyd and how we can honor his legacy. Ace of Swords tells me that he was really trying to get on the right foot and start fresh in life. He had vision and new ideas about the life he wanted to live. What do we know?
He was a victim of police brutality in the past, which is why he was having a panic attack leading up to his murder in May. I’m amazed he was able to communicate what was happening to the officers, and why, when most people would have gone into shock or disassociated. I feel this reflects that he’s done some work on his anxiety, and was probably wading through the rough waters of healing. He was a COVID survivor. He was dealing with the trauma of losing his mother recently. While he was using drugs, he most likely went into relapse, as this has been common for many families coping with addiction recovery during this pandemic. That is suffering. That is not menacing or dangerous.
The Devil card implies that the way we can honor his legacy is by breaking the bondage of the things he suffered from, and look at preventive measures for how they affect others that may resonate with these same issues. Let’s honor his legacy by supporting those that need help the most; whether it is with recovery or basic healthcare, supporting the community with police reform, or working to break the bondage of systemic oppression.
Minneapolis
Column 2: Ten of Cups (Reversed)
This card reflects insight on the overall emotional state of the City of Minneapolis in September. Ten of cups typically reflects unrest or disharmony. Sometimes it can indicate abuse or the neglect of needs. It usually is in reference to a family/community in some sort of disagreement. It’s possible the city could be seeing heightened dysfunction and instability during this time in September. Or their needs are not being met and they need to work harder to advocate for those needs to be rectified. Minneapolis has been through hell in a handbasket. This city is resilient, vibrant, and a testament to this beautiful country. They will bounce back, and even stronger.
Derek Chauvin
Column 3: 8 of Cups and The Tower
In this set I’m looking for insight on Derek Chauvin’s character, as well as how the charges will play out in September. Eight of cups is reflecting his character. This card can signify someone who escapes a situation and doesn’t look back. This could be an indicator that he never reflected on his actions while in uniform because of police immunity. It could also be an indicator that he is learning a lesson because he was forced to leave his life behind. However, if those charges are dropped, he’ll walk away from a huge problem practically unscathed.
We may not know until September. The tower card indicates something that we are used to, will come falling down; a whole concept as we have come to known it will be destroyed. Are these the charges actually being dropped? Or is it possible that the charges will stick and we see social unrest? I think we are all expecting some sneaky form of immunity, but absolutely hoping for justice. Only time will tell how it actually plays out. These cards couldn’t be any more specific.
One thing I do know, failure to comply with an officer is not grounds for execution.
The remainder of Mars in Retrograde
Column 4: King of Wands, The Hermit, and Five of Cups (Reversed)
This column is more about helpful insight for the nation regarding mid-September through the election, and what we can do. I pulled one card for each month (September through November). These cards appear to be a good outlook. The King of Wands (September) represents inspired action, bold new ideas, and changes that are grounded in integrity. Let’s hope that we see progress in the realm of systemic oppression. This will be a litmus test. The Hermit (October) indicates introspection and riding the wave of change. Watching the evolution of your spiritual awakening unfold in front of you. When you think of a hermit, they may feel lonely, but they are doing their spiritual work by searching the soul for answers. The Hermit has processed pain, they are centered during the transformation. The five of cups (November) reflects a time of healing and acceptance.
Although only time will tell how it all plays out, these can be very good cards. I am not approaching this situation with toxic positivity or whimsical narratives. After all, our nation’s future depends upon the outcome of November. I am only hoping to shed light on the possibility of a positive outcome. After all, the year 2021 is the year of the Heirophant, which can indicate significant spiritual shifts for the collective.
What we can do right now is quite a bit. Voting is not the only things we can do. We can have tough conversations, write the letter, sign the petition, register to vote, stand up for those that can’t protect themselves, give marginalized voices a platform, continue to expose the underbelly of systemic oppression, work to educate ourselves on what we need to improve, dismantle the hierarchy by supporting anti-racist spaces that are inclusive, volunteer to help others register to vote, volunteer to help at the polls in November, buy some stamps, and make sure you secure your vote! More than anything, stand up and speak out. Use your voice to uplift those that need help. If you are honest you have nothing to fear. The law is a social construct and that is not debateable.
You can check out my post on the 2020 election and the year of the Emperor here. I plan to write about 2021 closer to year end!