Vincent Van Gogh “Peasant Burning Weeds”

To the earliest humans, fire was rare magic and a gift from the gods. If you were lucky enough to capture the lighting bolt of Zeus, you would be wise to keep it burning, for all the advantages it would give you for survival. Those who were successful at taming it, controlling it and utilizing it were favored by the gods and goddesses of wisdom–civilizing forces at the forefront of a quantum evolutionary leap in humanity.

This week, the cosmos has a tale to tell about fire in its transformative, awakening function. It’s not the lengthy battle novel that is Mars in Aries, but it’s in the same genre. This story appears to be about the magician who creates and sustains life, while the gods whisper into one ear. It is a story about rebellion, breakthrough and, sometimes, sacrifice. Foresight as both a gift and a curse.

Today, retrograde Mercury disappears into the burning heart of the Cancer Sun. It is the start of a new cycle for the magus, akin to the waxing phase of a new moon. Astrologer Dane Rudhyar named this reborn planet Promethean Mercury, in reference to the Titan trickster of Greek mythology. Prometheus, whose name means “forethought,” was an ally to mortals and a maverick, who stole fire from the gods of Olympus and gave it to humans, concealed in a fennel stalk. This Sun-Mercury combination is subversive and innovative, and incites independent thinking. 

Meanwhile, astrologer Richard Tarnas has argued convincingly that the planet Uranus would have been better named Prometheus, as it is the archetypal Awakener. Well as it happens, Uranus is making an exact sextile from Taurus, increasing the friction and upping the voltage on this transit and in our lives. Prometheus is speaking through both of his astrological channels.

But that’s not all! From there, as Mercury continues backward along its path, on Saturday the Sun moves forward to meet with asteroid Vesta, another primordial fire goddess, conjoining over the fixed star Sirius. Sirius, whose name means “scorching,” is the brightest of all the stars in the sky, and the herald of the hottest time of year. Coupled with the midsummer strength of our star, this makes for quite a crucible. 

And so, Prometheus strikes a match, lights the taper, and smuggles it to Vesta for safe-keeping. The sacred flame flares hotter, and the goddess is pleased. Down below, we receive this transmission in the form of divine download. For some, it feels like revolutionary fervor; for others, it will be flashes of insight or sparks of genius. Either way, there is agitation and stimulation in the air. It certainly sets an electrifying scene for this year’s Fourth of July: the sky lit up with fireworks and tear gas, and our synapses lit up with incendiary thoughts. It’s a fine line between exciting and explosive. With this much of a powderkeg, remember to exercise caution. When the lightning strikes, we want it to bring brilliance, not burns.