Anyone who knows me knows that I have more than a passing interest in
astrology. I am a skeptic to the death of me, but one must admit, astrology has
a certain internal logic and mode of storytelling that is undeniably appealing.
The ram becomes the bull, becomes the twins, becomes the crab, becomes the
lion… and so the cycle continues.
I
was casually perusing www.chaninicholas.com (which you should check out if you have not already) and I
came across a post that she wrote awhile back on Mars in Libra, Retrograde.
“The Libra eclipse is only connected to
one traditional planet, Mars, who’s currently retrograde also in Libra. Mars is
in its detriment in Libra meaning that it can’t function properly. This is not
always a bad thing for malefics such as Mars; sometimes you don’t want “bad”
planets to work too proficiently. Mars likes to wreak havoc, cut, define and
loves to start a fight. Any planet that is retrograde tends to work oddly
internally. Mars retrograde asks us to understand our internal warmongers and
in Libra asks us to defend the only thing worth protecting, LOVE. Because both
the eclipse and Mars are in Libra they are both “ruled” by Venus... Venus moved
into Pisces on April 5th, the sign of its exaltation (meaning the planet is
very happy here), on its way to making a trine to Jupiter in Cancer (the sign
of its exaltation). A trine from Venus to Jupiter is more than good, better
than best. It’s sweet, lucky and generous, which could help to offset a lot of
the more frightening aspects of this eclipse” (http://www.chaninicholas.com/eclipsing-together-libras-full-moonlunar-eclipse/#sthash.Hmt8M2tP.dpuf)
While I agree with Chani Nicholas’
analysis, I take issue with her conclusion that Mars is a “bad planet” and
Venus is a “good planet.” I am highly skeptical of white people who invoke the
power of “love.” My perspective is informed by my experiences as a Black person
in the United Snakes. I feel that I was raised to love and serve the very
system, the very people that would annihilate me and all those that look like
me. Furthermore, I do think that there is a cultural phenomenon in this country
that dictates the desires of Black people. That we should desire the things
that white people have, desire their culture and desire to participate in their
institutions. All of this while Black culture is mercilessly plundered for white
profit and enjoyment.
Any
Black person who has ever desired a white person (read: body) should know that
Eros is a liar.Chiron, the deity/star that represents pain, might be drunk and
unruly, but he has ever steered this bitch wrong. I actually think it’s time
for Black people to embrace Mars. Not the warmonger, but the Mars of conflict
and confrontation.
Mars
is inevitably linked with anger and wrath. Thich Nhat Hanh writes that to feed
anger is akin to letting one’s house burn down (Peace is Every Step, pg.
57-58). His use of this image is
undeniably evocative. Anger does tend to consume one like a flame. I find that
it can prevent me from moving on with life. But this is the United Snakes. Many
a Black person in this country has actually had their house burned down by white terrorism. I’d say anger might be more
than a little warranted. Thich Nhat Hanh does have an extremely useful concept
of nurtured anger. But we will come back to that later.
Eros
is an undeniable part of Venus. Love and lust are often confused and implicated
together. Helene Cixous in her essay The
Laugh of The Medusa writes that women must write their passions, or rather
their libidos. The libido in Cixous’ thinking is de facto liberatory. As a
Black person who has been attracted to whiteness before, I struggle with that
logic deeply. Despite popular
conceptions of desire as ‘naked’ or ‘primal,’ desire is actually heavily
constructed and inflected with colonialism and white supremacy. I think the gap
between Cixous’ and my thinking is perfectly illustrated when she refers to
(white) women as those who are “brushed aside at the scene of inheritances”
(pg. 878). Cixous clearly does not give a damn about those of us whose
ancestors were actually sold at the
site of inheritances.
Drives,
impulses like anger and desire (and notice, I am conflating love and desire)
are not reliable. However, I believe that Black people of conscience can take a
literal page out of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book and nurture anger. Hanh writes that
instead of giving into anger, wise individuals should meditate on anger in
order to get to the root cause of the pain. Once this root cause is unearthed
it can be transmuted into “peace, love, and understanding” (Peace is Every
Step, pg. 59). I don’t believe that the amelioration of anger is possible.
However, I do believe that the subversion of anger can be achieved through the
marriage of three different modes of interaction represented by the three
planets closest to Earth. Mercury (the trickster), Venus (the seductress) and
Mars (conflict).
In
an age of surveillance it is important that we all bring a little Mercury into
our lives. Mercury is master of the code (-switch). In a white supremacist
society white people really have little incentive to give a fuck about the ways
in which they are racist. This makes calling white people on their bullshit time consuming and energy draining.
However,
white supremacy is a curious paradox, specifically where anti-Blackness is
concerned. Just look at the consumption of Black cultural products by white
people and it is clear that while Black people are not that popular, white folx
sure are obsessed with the way we talk, write, make music, dance, etc. Don’t
believe me? Peep the lucrative deal that Dre just made with Apple. Like Outkast said, “The whole world loves it
when you don’t get down, but the whole world loves it when you make that sound.” (my emphasis). Again, this
is further evidence of the complexities of love. You can desire something that
you simultaneously hate.
Which
is why I believe in the powers of seduction and not love. I believe in coded
language, I believe in cool as cultural capital, wielded as weapon. What better way to get in some laughs at the oppressor’s expense, while escaping his wrath?
But while I do believe in guile, I also believe in strategic audacity. Ruptures
do happen, and they usually happen when those with power inadvertently reveal
the inconsistencies in their own logic. This is why I love (wink, wink) Mars.
Mars
is about conflict. And conflict is what leads to change, if not progress. With
the right pattern of secrecy and covert incitement, Black people can make
things happen for ourselves. We have to know when to hold our tongues in our
cheeks and when to let our tongues loose to lash those who would crack the whip
(or wave the white finger) at us in the first place.
