angstoic.com Astrologer, Ang Stoic
As Mars edges into its retrograde pre-shadow, poised to oppose Pluto, now direct but still clinging to the anaretic degree of Capricorn, we stand on the precipice of a profound showdown—an infernal struggle between the raw, unfiltered self and the crumbling edifice of patriarchal dominion. Pluto, entrenched in Capricorn’s last gasp, embodies the darkside father complex, an authoritarian spectre grasping desperately at control even as its foundations erode. Mars in Cancer, in its fall yet simmering with untapped emotional potency, challenges this dying order not with overt aggression but with the formidable force of unacknowledged vulnerability.
This cosmic duel reaches its first climax on November 3rd, a mere two days before the U.S. presidential election—a temporal synchronicity that feels anything but coincidental, given that it boils down to a battle of the sexes. The collective psyche is primed for upheaval, and the stars certainly seem to mirror this anticipation. Mars in Cancer, embodying the wounded masculine, confronts Pluto’s toxic patriarchy, forcing a confrontation with the shadow selves we’ve long suppressed. When men sidestep their own ingrained wounds and endemic issues, they become unwitting conduits of this systemic chaos; unexamined gender pain is not a dormant entity but a volatile force that seeps into the world, often harming those closest and who dare to stand opposite them. The refusal to delve inward transforms internal suffering into outward destruction, a haunting by shadows that manifest as anger, control, or chilling detachment. True strength lies not in the feigned absence of pain but in the courageous embrace of it—a confrontation that prevents inner turmoil from becoming a widespread calamity among the masses. And let’s be clear: those who’ve borne the brunt of this projected agony, who have been on the short end of the proverbial stick, are finally done shouldering that burden. The showdown between these two malefics at the 29th degree is the last straw before all hell breaks loose, and as we are about to see, a resolution, if there is to be one, is far from near.
As Mars retrogrades, it opposes Pluto again on January 3rd, 2025, this time from the fiery threshold of Leo while Pluto steps firmly into Aquarius. Here, the narrative shifts—a battle between the self-assertive roar of Mars in Leo and the transformative, egalitarian undercurrents of Pluto in Aquarius. The archaic, atavistic impulses of Mars in Cancer—the primal drives to protect the clan, to procreate, to assert dominance for the preservation of the gene pool—are laid bare. Pluto acts as a corrosive agent, stripping Mars to his carnal nakedness, revealing not the noble warrior but the raw, unvarnished core of his motives. It’s an unmasking of man’s most primal survival instinct, a deconstruction of the most deeply rooted masculine archetype, the one that has long equated vulnerability with weakness. Within this exposure, the unconscious remnants of buried misogyny stir, revealing how, over countless iterations, the suppression of the feminine has been woven into the fabric of these survival impulses. Vulnerability, once dismissed as an inferior trait, now stands unveiled as the deeply feminine strength that this evolutionary leap demands, challenging the dominance-driven paradigm that has held sway for far too long.
By the final opposition in April 2025 at 3º Leo, we face a culmination—a forced reconciliation between the shadow and the self. Pluto in Aquarius demands an evolutionary leap, a redefinition of gender-based and primal identities. The old paradigms are disintegrating; the constructs that once dictated what it meant to ‘be a man’ are no longer tenable. The Martian impulse must evolve, shedding its attachment to domination and control, embracing instead a more integrated expression of strength—one that acknowledges emotion as a source of power rather than a liability.
Pluto’s journey through Capricorn has been a relentless excavation of patriarchal toxicity, unearthing the entrenched systems that perpetuate control and suppress authenticity. Its corrosive energy doesn’t merely destroy; it regenerates, compelling a rebirth from the ashes of outdated modes of being. In opposition, Mars cannot escape this transformative force. The warrior is compelled to confront his own shadows—the hidden fears, the unspoken traumas, the aggression that masks insecurity. This is a crucible moment, a psychological alchemy where the base metals of primal urges are transmuted into a more evolved expression of masculinity.
The implications of this transit ripple through the collective consciousness. As Mars and Pluto enact their cosmic dance, we are challenged to examine the ways in which unacknowledged pain perpetuates cycles of harm. The patriarchal structures symbolised by Capricorn have long enforced a stoic denial of emotional depth, particularly in men. Yet, this denial is unsustainable; what is repressed demands expression, often in destructive ways. The shadow cannot remain hidden indefinitely. Pluto ensures it surfaces, whether we’re prepared or not.
Entering the Aquarian age, we’re confronted with a paradigm shift. Aquarius heralds innovation, collective consciousness, a breaking away from the hierarchical in favour of the egalitarian. The traditional definitions of Mars—aggression, dominance, the solitary hero—are called into question. What does masculinity look like in a world that values collaboration over competition, vulnerability over invincibility? The evolutionary leap demanded is not just personal but species-wide. It’s a higher calling—perhaps a divine ultimatum—to redefine strength, to integrate the emotional with the physical, to recognise that the preservation of the tribe now depends not on conquest but on connection.
It’s fair to warn that this transit is more than any run-of-the-mill astrological event; it’s a powerfully intense mirror, held up to humanity’s face, reflecting the fractures and fissures we’ve long ignored. The toxic masculinity that has been allowed to fester is being dismantled, not gently but with the relentless force of Pluto’s transformative power. Mars must adapt or become obsolete, his traditional armour rendered useless against the demands of a new era. The evolutionary pressure is immense, but so too is the potential for growth.
In this intense cosmic interplay, we’re all participants. The shadow work demanded is arduous, unflinching. It requires us to delve into the depths we’ve avoided, to confront the unhealed wounds that, left unattended, poison not just ourselves but the collective well. The stakes are high, but the reward is profound—a chance to redefine what it means to be whole, to be human, to be connected in ways that honour both the individual and the collective.
As we navigate this turbulent passage, the imperative is clear: face the shadows, integrate the pain, and emerge transformed. The era of unchecked egos and unexamined motives is drawing to a close. Those who’ve been collateral damage in this prolonged avoidance are no longer willing to accept the status quo. The call to action is universal, transcending gender, demanding that we all participate in the collective healing. Because in the end, unexamined pain doesn’t just haunt the individual—it becomes the ghost that haunts us all.
MARS, now moving through its retrograde shadow, is heading straight into some heavy clashes. The first real hit builds up this Sunday/Monday as our masculine energy takes a shameful blow from both the SUN and CHIRON. At the same time, VENUS is preparing for some equally diabolical work before she makes her shift into righteously ordained Sagittarius late next week.
By next Thursday, as the Aries Supermoon axis intersects the Mars/Pluto opposition (Grand Cross), you might feel pulled in every which direction, perhaps more violently than usual, as if the cosmos is dragging you from all sides, screaming, “this is important! No, this is important! worry about this, no that, no forget you!” But the day is almost here when, exhausted to death, you’ll pull back your hand, place it firmly on your heart, and say, “No. This is what’s important.”
No one’s exempt from this energy. In the wake of the eclipses, these coming days lead us into Thursday’s Full Moon—the most intense Supermoon of the year.
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