In some ways, every day presents us with decisions to make about which direction to follow. But there are moments when the weight of those decisions feels heavier.
When I left my career as an attorney to go into real estate, I was at a crossroads moment.
In over 15 years as a residential real estate broker and a coach supporting people in various moments of life transition, I’ve had a front row seat to my clients’ experiencing those big “crossroads” moments of life.
Do I buy a new home now? Do I sell this home now? Is now the time to leave my job and take a leap to a new job — or even a new career? Is this the time to pick up and move to a new city? Is this the right time to get married?
Tug-of-War
The precipice of big decisions often feels like a tug-of-war, where your soul is caught in the middle.
No matter how big the dream or vision that is pulling you forward, there are almost always several reasons you can use to justify why it’s “rational” and “reasonable” to stay in the status quo.
The comfort of what is known and familiar is a mighty counter-weight to the void of the unknown.
And, make no mistake about it:
No matter how clear your vision, pursuing your dreams and following your soul’s path is a leap into the unknown. The future is never guaranteed, and it often doesn’t unfold according to our neat plans and blueprints.
Some people never muster the courage to take the leap. They anchor to the safety of the same home for 40+ years, the illusory security of a job over the risks of entrepreneurship, the comfort of being the best at what they have always done over the uncertainty and discomfort of being a beginner.
It’s easy to blame external forces: the market isn’t right, it’s not the right time, things are too volatile now.
Here’s what I’ve learned: markets change more quickly than human tendencies.
Arriving at a Crossroads
In the course of each year, there are moments that present us with these crossroads moments of life. At these moments, we are invited to stand at the precipice of what is comfortable and what is unfamiliar, and make a choice.
Astrologically speaking, those moments come when a planet is midway between the two nodal points of the moon’s ecliptic. This is what happens on Sunday, January 28, as Mars in Capricorn squares the North Node in Aries and South Node in Libra on the heels of its conjunction with Mercury.
Mercury squared the nodes just prior to Mars.
What Are the Lunar Nodes?
In astrology, the North Node represents the future where we’re being called to. It’s what we’re not yet comfortable with. The South Node represents what we’ve always done; our habitual or default patterns of the past.
The square is a 90-degree angle between the planet and the nodal points. It’s a moment of friction, like being at a 4-way Stop sign with a car to your left or right and everyone kind of stuck until someone figures out who has the right-of-way.
3 Reasons Why Mars Squaring Nodes is so Potent
Mars squaring the nodes from Capricorn feels especially potent for a three reasons:
(1) Mars is the planet of action and drive. It represents our impulse to take initiative, go after what we want, and begin something new — and perhaps unfamiliar.
(2) Mars is exalted in Capricorn, which means it’s particularly strong here in doing what it does. In Capricorn, Mars expresses its energies in a structured, and resilient way, imbued with the sea-goat’s persistence and determination.
(3) As the ruler of Aries, Mars rules over the North Node as it transits through the cardinal fire sign.
While the North Node is in Aries, the South Node is in the opposite sign of Libra.
Aries represents our drive to individualism, while Libra is about relationships and pleasantries.
And this sets up our tension.
The Crossroads of Mars Square the Nodes
At this pivotal moment, Mars — which represents that part of us that drives to action — is at a crossroads:
Stick with the tried-and-true ways of the past and the status quo, which is familiar and more comfortable, or take a daring leap toward the future and the unknown.
Mars exalted in Capricorn supporting focused, disciplined action toward the Mars-ruled North Node in Aries, says that this is the time to move toward your soul’s true calling, toward your potential.
This is the time to take the leap, to trust your evolutionary path and your ability to do the hard work persistently over time to bring your dreams to form.
On the other hand, circumstances — markets, other people, life events — may appear to push you to stay with what is safe and familiar. It might even appear to be easier to stick with what you know, especially if you feel that you need to focus on others, which is what Libra does.
The pull to stay safe is significant.
The Illusion of Certainty
The question to answer is whether you’re truly safe where you are.
Sometimes we can become so habituated to what we know that we find comfort in discomfort. What feels safe in the moment might not turn out to be safe in the long run.
The certainty we believe in is an illusion. Change really is the only constant.
And if nothing is guaranteed, then why not take the leap?
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