Happy Mercury Day, as Mars retrograde in Gemini (the home of Mercury) conjoins fixed star Alnilam, the belt of constellation Orion.
Alnilam is the central star in Orion's Belt, making up a configuration that the Arabic people called a "string of pearls". This constellation is known in countless cultures as a giant and a warrior.
Usually this star (and the others that span the "string of pearls") indicate that unity around a cause is possible, bringing about great leaders. One such example of someone born with Mars conjoined Alnilam is Martin Luther King Jr.
However, good leaders also mean a form of division. To unite for something, you must be against something. In it's best form, the unification is against injustice--but that means rocking the boat against that which is unjust. Standing against the corrupt status-quo naturally makes enemies, even if that is not the intent.
With retrograde Mars as translator of light for this star, the likeliness of being misunderstand (willfully or unintentionally) is high, causing further division and disruption.
Remember that you are the bad guy in someone's story, even if it's factually untrue. Learning to be true to your convictions is vital wisdom in this age, and requires we sit with the tension of disappointing others and their expectations put upon us.
It's your one and precious life that requires the mastery of relations. A necessary relationship to get right is the one with yourself and your values. Mars (courage, action, confrontation, defenses) needs marching orders from Venus (values, needs, desires).
When we work from a place of people pleasing we are not actually in good relation with others. Good relationships are reciprocal and require both parties to take responsibility and accountability for themselves and their expectations. Giving in blindly sets you both up to fail.
Are you willing and able to meet someone's expectations? Have you actually talked about and negotiated it? Or is it unspoken projection that you are enacting or accepting? (This is especially true for relational patterns in our lives. Things don't happen in a bubble.)
Villainizing someone else is so much easier than looking for how we are responsible for continued relational challenges.
If you're the villain to someone else, let me suggest you free yourself from trying to change the narrative.
The narrative won't effectively change or become healthy until both parties accept their part in co-creating relational stories.
Defending yourself while someone is hellbent on making you a villain will only entrench the story further.
Instead get clear about your values and convictions and act from those before anything else. This will ultimately lead to right relationship with people who resonate, because there is no betrayal of self, and no need to project onto others.
When you take responsibility to act upon what matters most to you, there is no need to put that expectation on someone else. Instead you can co-create a relationship with clear roles and healthy communicated expectations. There's no betrayal of self or other.
May you find the courage to stand and act upon your values, including divesting from someone's fairy tale that you are unwillingly being cast within. Be the bad guy, sit with the tension.
Go live and act with the gusto of an adventurer to create an aligned life.
(Are you someone with the heart of a warrior who needs guidance in focusing on the most spirit-aligned mission? Do you require fortitude as you face trials in a wilderness? A companion to help you on the uncharted road of courage and conviction? Check out my newest fixed star readings, particularly the Modern Battle Stars special focus reading.)
