Although inherently impatient, I rarely snap and snarl on a daily basis, but over the last few days it’s taken more of an effort than usual to paint that smile on in the mornings- and an even bigger effort to keep it there.

At home, it’s almost like a competition amongst the three of us- Miss 16 with swimming and exam commitments, hubby with crappy time at work stuff and me with effectively two jobs. Which of us had the worst day, the worst commute? Who is the most tired? Who is the busiest? Does a 5am swim session (Miss 16) trump a 2 hour commute (me)? I now cram what I used to do each week into the weekend, so surely I win?

There seems to be people everywhere- at the supermarket, in the car park, on the roads- whose only job in life is to be in our face, in our way and slow us down. It’s frustrating, it’s annoying, it’s all so pointless, and I’m hearing it from so many different sources.

Yeah, it’s Mars retrograde in Libra that we’re feeling, but it’s more than that. It feels as though Something Big is going to happen, as if something is about to blow…and I mean that metaphorically, of course.

And, astrologically speaking, it is.

This New Moon, at 10 Aries, falls conjunct Uranus and square both Jupiter and Pluto. Yes, that’s right- it’s triggering the cardinal t-square we’ve been banging on about for months.

And don’t we all know it.

The Moon will trigger each point tomorrow, the Sun will follow through over the next few days, and then, in just over 3 weeks time, the one we’ve all been waiting for- the point at which each Jupiter, Pluto, Uranus and Mars are all at 13 degrees of the cardinal signs. More on that as we get closer.

So yes, there’s stress and friction and challenge and discomfort out there. It’s rattling the edges of our cages and it’s pushing us beyond our limits.

What to do with it?

Impulsively reacting to these stresses is when things get out of control, out of proportion- and that’s when conflicts escalate, stupid accidents occur, bridges are burned and babies are thrown out with the bathwater…so to speak. But hey, you rationalise, at least something is happening…right?

For others, this energy brings with it a realization of the emptiness inside…and what do many of us do when faced with empty spots? We fill it…and, given that Jupiter in Cancer is involved in this little arrangement, your spakfilla of choice could very well be food. Just be aware that the feeling of satiety doesn’t last, and those empty spaces get larger as you do…

If you can’t jump head first without thinking or swallow it away, what’s left?

We can use it. We can acknowledge it for what it is, centre our awareness, and mindfully refuse to engage in the behavior that frustration brings- ie no tanties at the self serve counter at Woolworths.

We can ground ourselves. This level of activity can easily lead to games of busy one upmanship (I’ll take your schedule and raise it with…) and adrenal burnout. Check back to my survival guide for Mars retrograde for some tips and hints.

We can move through it. Part of my restlessness is that I’m still out of routine and I’ve sacrificed deadlines for exercise. If you’re feeling as though you’re not getting anywhere, and the urge is to cause serious damage, move.

Choose your battles…willfully. Seriously, in the bigger picture, some skirmishes simply aren’t worth dusting the gloves off for.

Understand that what’s happening now is a wake-up call- and pressing snooze simply isn’t an option. Sure, it’s comfy and warm under the doona, but you’ve got to get up at some point, and it might as well be now.

Where this is happening in your life is where the New Moon, and 10 Aries, falls. This is your personal wake-up call and the Universe is presenting you with a black sky for you to write your intentions across in a shower of sparks.

One you’ve done that, you just need to make it happen…and this amount of friction also brings with it a barrow load of potential…