weekly astrology forecast | July 10th to 16th, 2023 - a busy week ahead as the conversation shifts and what we need to do to get what we want Changes

Busy week ahead!

The conversation and our actions change as two inner planets move into new signs and 'smack' into new stories 

(think of the Chinese word for crisis which means both challenge and opportunity, with these aspects). 

MONDAY - Mars enters Virgo, Mercury opposes Pluto

TUESDAY - Mercury enters Leo, Mercury squares the Nodes, Mars trines the North Node

WEDNESDAY - Sun squares Chiron

Once Mars gets into Virgo, he is on course for his/our Saturn opposition later in the month. We will WANT TO BE PRODUCTIVE NOW - that opposition will bring consequences as well as RESULTS. Keep in mind Saturn is retrograde, so we are doing the "re's" as prep work for our January 2024, Pluto out of Capricorn (since 2008) and into Aquarius really BIG changes and results.

Mercury leaves emotional Cancer for fiery "me, me, me" Leo. People will not be saving the drama for their mamas. But before he/she can get into Leo, she will have to oppose, from the very end of Cancer, that retrograde Pluto in Capricorn. Power struggles. Intense information/conversation. Financial and intimacy challenges and ENDINGS. Then Mercury squares the Nodes - crossroads/decisions. Are we wanting to stay mired in the complicated crap or are we truly ready to take the conversation/our ideas in a more practical and self-sufficient direction. 

At the same time Mercury is squaring the Nodes - decisions/tension/frustration - our freshly minted Mars in Virgo (as us) will be trining the North Node of Fate. Practical action, efficiency, being of service, doing the work, cleaning up the mess, focusing on a stable/healthy routine are all things that WILL MOVE US IN OUR BEST DIRECTION now. 

(not many more days left with the North Node in Taurus - so, I will say it one more time - what make the most sense/cents?)

There could also be some ego hits this week, uncomfortable financial or career news, health situations that require action and times of feeling disempowered. We will handle what we need to handle with this stuff with our big girl/boy pants on as always. Mars in Virgo will help. 

Let's unpack the week!

On MONDAY, Mars exits fiery Leo for grounded and practical Virgo. Our movement forward is best done in a Virgo manner. This means practical, precise steps focused on what is right in front of us.

Mars in Virgo can be excellent for productivity AND and it can also run entirely off course with perfectionism.

The good things about Mars in Virgo is our ability to organize, to be productive, to focus on the details and what needs doing right now; the next step. Since Virgo is a service sign, the actions we take that help us will most naturally help other people. Mars in Virgo can really clean up the mess and improve the situation. The wheat is separated from the chaff - yes maybe rather ruthlessly, this is Mars we are talking about. But in the end we are left with the wheat or whatever it is we need to grow the wheat. Either way the superfluous sh*t is gone.

On the other hand if we let fiery Mars get out of control in pious Virgo territory we could have a bigger mess on our hands even though everything looks all clean and sparkly. Mars can get very pissed off here if everything doesn't meet his exacting standards of perfection. So let's not go there. We could find ourselves taking action toward some quite impossible something or other. If everything has to fall precisely into place for something to work out - well, Mars in Virgo is the man for the job - on the other hand he doesn't see the big picture - just the details right in front of him - and can toil rather tirelessly with not much to show in the end

(of course SOMETIMES this 'not much to show' thing isn't taking into account the muscles we are building and experience for next time, let's not discount it, sometimes without the things that don't work out we would never get to the things that do).

If we find ourselves, or someone else, demanding an impossible to meet goal or impossibly high standards of perfection we will know we have veered off course here. Mars has run amok.

Mostly Mars in Virgo is an excellent transit for reality based progress and he will be trining that Taurus North Node - our most abundant way forward - right out of the gate which is good news. And, we are in the cycle of that Cappy Full Moon which adds to the earthy power of this. TAKE EFFICIENT ACTION. 

At the same time, Mercury at the very end of Cancer is opposing Pluto. This can lead to some challenging information. We can feel disempowered. Be dealing with fearful or obsessive thoughts. Uncomfortable truth/honesty/intimacy/financial or career information can come out. Mercury is fresh off his trine with a potentially "lalaland" Neptune, so something that feels like "reality" might bite us in the butt now. Keep in mind Pluto is retrograde, so this is the kind of information/conversation that is needed as we close out Pluto in Cappy's, almost, last dance over the next few months. 

On TUESDAY - and remember everything this week is going to play out as it applies and unwinds, too (not just on the day it is most exact) - Mercury moves into Leo and right into a square with the Nodes just as Mars in Virgo trines the North North.

Leo is the space we carry what 'makes us special'.

With Mercury (communication, intellect) here it will be easier to put our 'special' into words and to connect with the ideas and conversations that will push forward whatever we are most passionate about. We will want our words to be heard and appreciated now. So will other people. Even the most reticent among us will want an audience. Our thinking/ideas (Mercury) can catch fire (Leo).

Speaking from our hearts will connect us to other people's hearts. Encouraging words will matter.

This is very powerful energy. Leo is our superpower and should be used wisely. People will hear us with their heart and well as their head. 

This gives the potential for hearts to expand as well as to be broken into little, tiny pieces. Keep this in mind.

Leo is a fixed fire sign, so words can burn now and words can dig us even more rigidly into our positions.  

With Leo there is great opportunity for win-win and also for 'nobody wins'. Do people listen to us? Does what we say matter? We will care about this now ....... 

As soon as Mercury gets into Leo, he squares the Nodes of Fate, so immediately there is this tension/frustration, turning-point-conversations, ideas and information. Are we moving into a more simple, self-sufficient future or are we still caught up in the complicated Scorpio intensity of the past. 

At the same time, Mars making a smooth trine - brakes off - with the North Node is HELPING US. Do your Virgo. 

On WEDNESDAY, the Sun gets to 19 degrees Cancer and squares Chiron. Old wounds/vulnerabilities are illuminated. People will be SENSITIVE as our insecurities, maybe particularly around our ability to be ourselves/take care of ourselves are right in our face. This is alot about family/childhood triggers getting activated. The way through this square will be today's Sun/Moon sextile. Cancer/Taurus. Let's not wallow in the past, be too needy or whiny - let's focus on what we have. LET'S APPRECIATE WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE HAVE. 

Keep it simple.

The answer, with Taurus, is not going to be some big complicated thing - focus on what is right in front of you that can be done that will make you feel safe, valued, comfortable and NOURISHED.

We'll check out the Moon at the end of the week in a later post!

xo all