Mercury Stations Retrograde in Leo | finding our voice, re-thinking what our heart wants, expect delays, mechanical glitches, give yourself time to think, expect over-reactions when things go wrong

anna-o photography

At 1:03AM EDT last night Mercury (communication, ideas, thinking, fast moving gizmos, transportation, siblings, our local neighborhood) stationed retrograde at 23 degrees Leo.

He will move backward (our perspective) to 11 degrees Leo through August 19th and then reverse course and begin moving direct again, finally covering new ground in early September.

If you have planets or points between 11 and 23 degrees of the fixed signs - Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio - you will probably feel this retrograde strongest.

When a planet stations he/she is very powerful. I like to use the finger through a flame analogy - you can easily move your finger quickly through a flame without burning your finger, but if you stop mid-flame (like Mercury is doing now), the heat is much more intense and you burn your finger. We have seen violent acts in the world at the time of Mercury's station and this one takes us into a big (and rather nasty looking) Lunar Eclipse conjunct a retrograde and out-of-bounds Mars, so take extra care with your personal safety.

The usual Mercury retrograde disclaimers will apply for the next few weeks.

It's time to think "re".

Rethink, redo, re-examine, research, repeat, reunion, reminisce, revise, remove (clutter ie the stuff that gets in the way of our life moving efficiently), revisit, relax.

This is not the best time to plow full steam ahead with new things. It's not the best time to sign a contract because things will come to light later that require revision or our thinking (Mercury) can change after Mercury moves direct (September 5th).

It's a good time to READ THE FINE PRINT.

Use clear language - we need to be doubly sure people are understanding what we are saying and that we are understanding other people, because wires get crossed now. Double check the email before hitting 'send'. Mercury, the fleet footed messenger, rules things that are fast moving from our computers to our cars. BACK UP FILES. People and projects from our past can show up because we are looking backward.

Take extra care driving. Slow down. We need to give ourselves extra time to get where we are going. There will be delays - bring a book. This is not a good time to make a major decision and even small decisions will go wonky. THINK THINGS THROUGH. Be clear about the consequences. With Mercury going retrograde in Leo we could be rethinking issues regarding Leo themes (and the theme of our natal Leo house) - things we say/do in public, things we say/do with children, recreation, gambling, romance, creative projects.

Since Leo is a fire sign and fire rules ACTION - we need to be thinking AND RE-THINKING what we are doing. And since fire rushes forward and is impulsive we need to avoid making hasty moves after the re-thinking. We will just have to do things all over again if we do that because more information will come to light later and our ideas/thinking will change.

Be prepared to do the "re's" without any big pushes forward now. With Leo ruled by the Sun and the Sun being the center of the universe - we could be rethinking the way we present ourselves PUBLICLY.

Rushing, while Mercury is moving backward, can trip us up.

Taking our time with important decisions, hesitating, being unsure of which direction to take, needing to think things through slowly and carefully and allowing things to fall into place in their own right timing - are par for the course now.

With Mercury in the white-hot-spotlight of center-stage Leo we can expect people to over-react publicly to delays, mistakes, all the usual Mercury retrograde glitches. Leo is a fixed sign so people will be digging in their heels.

We can catch mistakes and catch up with MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. 

Someone could leave or someone/something from the past could reappear. There could be miscommunications. Stuff could break down. Delays are likely. Plans will change. We can't prepare for everything, but we can slow down and double check what we are doing.

Maybe something from the past needs a second look - something started before Mercury hit his/her retrograde degrees on July 7th. Go back over it. Is it still worth fixing/finishing? Does it stand out (remember this whole journey is in the limelight of LEO)? 

Is it still special? Is your heart still in it?

Until August 19th, when Mercury stations direct, it would be best not to focus too much on future situations, 'what ifs' and final conclusions - let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Let's take care of what needs taking care of in the present and the stuff from the past that has "re"appeared or "re"mains unfinished. Let's take care of the children and our inner child.

We are straddling two worlds now, sitting in the space between the three powerful eclipses -  this stuff is all working together in ways we can't quite see yet! Hang in there. We are all in this together.

xo all

Sun Square Uranus | unexpected outbursts, out-of-the-blue situations and people, getting ATTENTION, staying open to change, the white hot spotlight, healing by re-inventing ourselves

Seaside by rabbit888

Today we have the Sun (at 2 degrees Leo) move into square with Uranus (at 2 degrees Taurus).

This energy will play an important role in Friday's Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus).

Uranus is unpredictable and will not be fenced in. Changes occur suddenly (although not always totally without warning). Routine is upended.

The square to the Leo Sun creates tension/frustration and speaks of the likelihood for whatever is happening to happen in a "white hot spotlight". Whether attention is sought or not here is hard to say. Ruled by the powerful Sun (center of our universe), Leo naturally seeks the center stage's bright limelight.

This week's situation will, too.

We could also be feeling any lack of appreciation or attention very strongly now. 

If we are stuck, Uranus contacts can attract people/things/situations that allow/force us to break out of stuck constructs. Or require us to see/act on things in a new way.

Uranus is the planet of genius and rebellion and 'anything can happen'. Now keep in mind Uranus only cares about getting us from A to B via the fastest possible route, he doesn't care if we land on our ass or if the route (like my GPS when I get near a certain body of water and it urges me forward although there is no bridge) drowns us in the ocean.

We will most assuredly wash up at point B, but we might not wash up still breathing. 

So when Uranus whispers in our ear "this job sucks, you need to quit this job" remember he will be out of town when the rent comes due and our wallet is empty.

On the other hand without his "quit this damn boring job already!" we might still be toiling at that job when our grandchildren head off to college.

Uranus rules the sign of Aquarius, our collective 11th house, technology, the future, electricity, social change, groups, equality, science, robotics, liberation, fast change, chaos, PTSD, trends, the genius, the rebel, the criminal, anything new and cutting-edge.

Uranus will always seek to overturn anything traditional or conventional that has outlived its usefulness.

Uranus is charged with disrupting the status quo. It rips apart our safety net. It tears up our contracts. It breaks up stagnant energy. It is electricity. It gets our *ss moving. Uranus is the higher octave of Mercury - the way Aquarius is the higher octave of Gemini - Uranus is like Mercury on steroids ... and we have all seen how powerful Mercury is.

And by the way Mercury is standing still and powerful and preparing to go retrograde while we sleep tonight (1:03AM EDT). We have seen violence and trouble before when he/she stations and this time we have the Sun squaring Uranus and we are building toward a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse - so take this seriously and stay safe.

Avoid unnecessary confrontations

(we probably can't totally avoid any confrontation now - our sharp edges will be rubbing up against other people's sharp edges and the rubbing is part of the polishing/smoothing process! - but let's not take things too far).

People could be impulsive.  

Please don't venture into any dark alleys with a flashlight looking for your lost cat. The cat will be OK - the nine lives thing and all, but I can't be sure about you.

With the Sun trining Chiron (in independent Aries) at the same time - changes that "re-invent who we are", particularly in a public way, can be especially HEALING.

xo all

the best way to deal with Uranus is to stay open to changing our mind and direction - big moves are not encouraged with Mars retrograde this summer, but tweaks, especially internal tweaks, are REQUIRED - expect the unexpected - maybe what seems totally crazy will make sense later on

note - with Trump embodying our collective Uranian energy something loud and unexpected will come out with him now and during this next eclipse - although it's hard to say, because eclipse energy moves backward and forward and we have been in eclipse season for a couple weeks - how much of this has already happened, how much will be new and how much is fallout ... with Friday's eclipse activating his 12th house Pluto - secrets will almost surely come out or come to an end.

Venus in Virgo Opposite Neptune in Pisces | when the fantasy clashes with reality

playing with origami cranes by holunder

Neptune retrograde has been very SLOWLY backing through mid-Pisces, and today, Venus, moving industriously through Virgo hits 16 degrees Virgo and opposes Neptune (at 16 degrees Pisces).

I wrote about this transit HERE for Tuesday.

This is Venus - ruler of Taurus and Libra - love, money, relationships, our resources, our values, our self-esteem, women, beauty - standing across from Neptune - modern ruler of Pisces and the ancient ruler of Jupiter - our imagination, spirituality, connection, no-boundaries, water, escape, victims, sacrifice, addiction, illusion, delusion, the things we put away/put behind us/ do last, hospitals, healing, our undoing. Venus is in careful, cautious, dot your i's and cross your t's Virgo and imaginative/drifting Neptune is strong at home in Pisces.

My natal Jupiter is at 16 degrees Pisces in my 4th house (home) and trines my natal Neptune which sits on my ascendant (self).

Neptune activity brings water issues - rainy weather, flooding - and because this is my 4th house usually leaks, etc. Little things, too, that only a crazy person like me would connect - like hubs drops a huge stack of ice cube trays and 100 cubes bounce to the floor and wet every crevice of the kitchen. The washer fills with water for no reason. Our backyard pool (remember we buried that above ground in the ground a couple years ago because we are cheap and think we're crafty) that has had crystal clear water for weeks no matter what the weather is suddenly cloudy and starting to grow algae, and with guests expected next weekend the problem is taking up this huge space in my brain - which luckily for me is kind of swiss-cheesy anyway after months/years of a Pluto transit - so has plenty of space to worry about this kind of crap.

Neptune in the 4th house, because it dissolves boundaries, sometimes brings insect/rodent infestations (also other unwanted pests including the kind that walk on two legs). Last week I bought some ant stuff because like a fortune teller with a crystal ball I knew they were coming and sure enough, late last night, while we slept, their little scouts invaded our kitchen. Olive started scratching (fleas?) and needs a bath (more water) today.

Now Venus opposes Neptune and brings our Venusian themes into clash with Neptune's imagination.

On Sunday I went to the baptism (more water!) for my brother's son.

I always wear a gray or black t-shirt (yes, always, I KNOW!), so was having trouble finding something to wear that was kind of "celebration church-y", but finally settled on a colorful, summery dress I bought back in early spring and had never worn. I thought, "wow I look really good in this - I need to wear more color!".

All afternoon and evening I was thinking "damn, I look good".

The next morning I headed to Madewell/Anthro to find me some "color".

Now, I knew the Venus/Neptune thing could make my money boundaries leaky too and encourage overspending, so I left my cards at home and brought $100 cash - which I admit didn't work - damn you Visa - because my hand found a loose card in the bottom of my bag at exactly the moment "more COLOR!", another really cute and colorful top caught my eye. I bought myself a kind of splurgy lunch and came home with my bulging bags which dropped to my studio floor with a satisfied plop.

Before getting back to work I decided to check Instagram, which I don't do much anymore, and a photo collage from the baptism/reception caught my eye.

WTF. I looked terrible. Really terrible. They were bad pictures, yes. Bad lighting and my eyes were half closed all the time - I swear I didn't get into the Priest's stash - but even beyond bad pictures the colorful dress (and safety pin I used to make the neckline a little more church friendly) didn't work in reality the way it worked in my imagination. My hair was a mess. I looked a wreck.

Ugh! Venus always seems to be hitting my vanity/self-esteem button lately. 

I grabbed the bags of goodies from my studio floor and tossed them in my car along with the RECEIPTS. This shit was going back. I was kidding myself and it was depressing.

Driving back to the stores I was thinking about the Venus/Neptune opposition, because although I write about these things I don't always practice what I 'preach' and kicking myself but then realized that even as I was kicking myself ("there is no point in even trying here!") I had only flipped the whole thing around again - I was still in a Neptunian delusion!

Drowning in anything is Neptunian trickery.

I am a Neptune expert, but he still gets me.

One of the Virgo (where Venus is), Pisces (where Neptune is) TRAPS is avoiding reality because of the whole perfection thing. We will never be perfect enough or have enough money or enough love, yada, yada, so why bother at all. It is a good excuse to 'escape'.  

I stopped the car. I pulled into a parking lot. I took a deep breath and sorted the stuff in the bags. I kept a couple pieces I knew I would wear, but took most of my purchases back to the stores.

When I got home, my feet were firmly on planet Earth. There was something I could do that was pretty obvious in those photos. I made a hair appointment. I tossed the chocolate donuts. Ack!

I have a family member with a Neptune/Venus opposition in her natal chart with Neptune on her ascendant (we are a family of people with Neptune on our ascendants) - she attracts all kinds of illusory partnerships. She sees all kinds of things in these guys that are not really there - with Neptune on her ascendant they see what they want to see in her, too, of course, until they see what they don't want to see and then things go bad. Then everything is the guy's fault. And it looks like it is. The guy's fault. The other person. The opposition. But she is really setting all this up herself.

Like is tricky people.

Keep it grounded today. Let's look at what we are avoiding because it isn't perfect. Check your bag for that loose Visa. Take care of your roots.

xo all

Astrology Forecast For Creatives | Week of July 23rd - unpacking Monday and Tuesday, wanting and wanting and wanting, something could be looking a little too shiny right about now

Perceive the light by anaispopy

I hope everyone enjoyed Sunday's relaxing sextile between Venus and Jupiter.

This is setting up an energy we are going to be working with later when Mercury goes retrograde off a square to Jupiter - we will get back to this later in the week.

I didn't have much time to write on Sunday so I am doing dailies this week. Let's unpack the first two days.

If you have something that absolutely, positively has to be done this week I would try to get it done on MONDAY, the Moon will be waxing in optimistic Sagittarius. Yes, there will be squares to Venus (love, money, women, our values, resources and self-esteem) and Neptune (our imagination, illusion. deception, escape) that will create tension and stress, especially with Venus in critical (though perceptive) Virgo, but squares get things done. It is energy we can work with. Sagittarian themes - higher education, legal issues, foreigners, travel, weddings, media, publishing - could be especially worth the effort, although not without some challenges.

On TUESDAY the Moon will go Void at 4:22AM EDT off a trine (brakes off) with Mercury, sitting very strong and nearly still in Leo and preparing to reverse course this week - BACK UP YOUR FILES.

The Moon will be void all day until she moves into stable Capricorn at 5:49PM EDT.

This would not be a good day to start something new or launch something you need "something to come of", but the trine to mental Mercury pre-void tells us it could be a good time for productive writing, public speaking, communications and commerce.

The BIG news on TUESDAY though - and this will be building and then unwinding all week - is an opposition between Venus (in Virgo) and Neptune (in Pisces) at 16 degrees.

Venus in Virgo has had us taking a closer look (like magnifying glass close or bad breath in the morning close) at our relationships, our money, what we want and what we already have.

In "just the facts Jack" Virgo, Venus wants to keep it real.

Now she moves into opposition with, and yes, an opposition is just what it sounds like, imaginative Neptune in confusing "unlimited" Pisces.

Neptune can dissolve Venus's ability to focus in on the details - things can get confusing.

Yes, more confusing than they already are, especially if this is hitting a planet or point in your natal chart!

It can be hard to tell what is real now. Maybe with an opposition to boundless Neptune we want and we want and we want. Things can appear better than they actually are, maybe easier to have. And those things that seem to be just a hair's breadth away from our reach are actually a mile up the round, around the corner and buried under 40 feet of cement. Remember with Neptune we are looking through water.

Things can fall short later.

This would not be a good time to invest/make large purchases since Venus rules money and Neptune dissolves. Bye-bye logical Virgo, bye-bye hard earned cash.

Watch for unrealistic expectations around love and relationships and women, too.

Oppositions can also play out as actual people - so if we are being dutiful Venus in Virgo with our head down in a pile of paperwork, we could come up against a dreamy Pisces-type person - maybe our girl Polly calls with a plan to ditch work and head to the beach. Or maybe we are the dreamy Pisces energy and our creative work comes up against a nitpicker-type who wants i's dotted and t's crossed in a very specific way that cramps our style.

This opposition CAN expand romantic/financial possibilities AND this can be excellent energy for spiritual growth - Neptunian experiences are designed to open us up and Neptune and Venus can work well together 

BUT we have to be CAREFUL, so we don't screw up and fall into some kind of illusion/delusion.

With Venus set to trine powerful Pluto (brakes off) in a couple days we will know soon enough what is true and what is rose-colored inspiration.

We NEED inspiration, we don't need to marry it or hand it our Visa card.

Stay focused - keep it real. Tuesday evening's responsible Cappy Moon will help.

xo all

back up those files!

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | regrets, second chances, keep a cool head, power plays, a deep cleaning, words hurt, cooperation, generosity, the SUN will come out tomorrow .. and then he does

confetti by quadratiges

Let's finish unpacking this week!

By FRIDAY morning EDT the Moon is in Scorpio and squaring Mars (retrograde in Aquarius) sitting on the South Node. This will make for some tense interactions and frustrations. 

With Mars conjunct the South Node for the second time (of three!) this could be a second chance with something that happened around June 8th or regret over whatever we did/didn't do at around that time.

Mars retrograde and out-of-bounds creates a boomerang effect for aggression and anger, so we don't want to be the one tossing out the snide comment or landing the first blow right now.

If trouble is stirred up now - walk away. Walk away.

With our actions squaring that secretive Scorpian Moon we also don't want to be the one withholding information that other people need - secrets will have a way of coming back to haunt us later. This summer's long and winding Mars retrograde has, and will continue to, provide us with multiple opportunities for self-sabotage. We likely slept through a sextile to stable Saturn, but staying focused on the important stuff, our responsibilities and commitments will come in handy today.

By Friday night the energy does a 180 (WHEW!) with the Moon's sextile to lovely Venus (persnickety in Virgo, but still Venus) at 7:40PM EDT followed by her conjunction with expansive Jupiter. Good energy to be out and about, optimistic and having a good time. Good relationship energy. I vote - DATE NIGHT! Hoping to drag hubs to Mamma Mia (that cast!).

On SATURDAY the Moon (in Scorpio) will sextile (opportunity) Pluto (in Capricorn) at 10:28AM EDT - opportunities for deep, emotional healing and POWER moves that pay off. Good energy for research, deep cleaning, a counseling session or even hunting for buried treasure. Where is your metal detector? I used to have a metal detector. The sextile will have moved on by the time I find it though! Also good energy for financial stuff - doing taxes, estate planning, taking care of bills, investments, etc.

By 3PM EDT, the Moon will square (tension/frustration) Mercury (in Leo) - this is tension between our head and our emotions. People could be moody and opinionated. Someone might be digging in their heels. Or someone could be changing their mind. Someone might be spilling our secrets. Things might get LOUD.

Take care when driving. Take care when operating heavy machinery - not a good afternoon to pull out that wood chipper! Take care with your language. Don't fight with your sibling or neighbor.

Likely with this aspect - words/ideas/information will arouse emotions that are STRESSFUL. 

Don't fear though because "cue little red-haired Annie" - the Sun will come out tomorrow!

Very early on SUNDAY EDT, while we sleep, the Moon goes void off a trine with the Sun (this will actually be late night on the West Coast so it could be a good LATE date night there!) making us feel safe and secure.Yes, we might sleep through all of this - tuck and cover - but we should wake feeling comfortable.

Venus (in Virgo) will sextile (opportunity) Jupiter (in Scorpio). 

I missed this in the weekly forecast - and this is probably the best aspect of the week. So glad I put up a weekend forecast and took a second look! 

These two beauties don't move as fast as the Moon so this will be in play for a couple days. 

This is opportunity for our love/money/resources/values/self esteem to EXPAND. Good for relationships, good for business, luck, positive change - good news for our natal Virgo and Scorpio houses. 

This is about cooperation and generosity!

At 6:12AM EDT the Moon moves into Sagittarius (more optimism!) focusing us on Sagittarius themes for the next couple days - our higher thinking, foreigners, higher education, travel, weddings, the media, legal issues, publicity.

The good news continues with the Sun's roar into fiery Leo - the sign he RULES - at 5:01PM EDT.

The Sun in Leo is naturally generous, proud, self-expressive and CREATIVE. Leo rules the 5th house of fun and recreation, romance and love, children and creativity. This is the space of the North Node and our collective way forward. Are we following our joy? Are we playing all-in? Are we taking the center stage of our own life? Are we removing all roadblocks to our most heart-centered life? What are we proud of? How are our children - personally and collectively? Is our own inner-child given time to PLAY? We are all burning Leo fuel now!

I will get a preliminary post up this weekend about next week's challenging Eclipse and also see what the hell is going on with the Donald. We probably need to be following the Maria Butina story because she burst into the headlines with Eris and BML activity this week and we know "Russian spying" connects back to that 2010 eclipse. The plot thickens ....

xo all

Astrology Forecast For Creatives | Week of July 16th - rocks and hard places, hard to compromise, the scorned feminine/underdog bites, dealing with that thing AGAIN, karmic contracts torn up, the eye of the storm

(tribute to football 2 by ZNZtazmanijus) - viva la france!

We are fully in Eclipse season now, with this week looking like the eye of the storm, but eclipses are anything but predictable!

Some major aspects this week are:

MONDAY - Venus inconjunct Mars, Mercury inconjunct Pluto
THURSDAY - First Quarter Moon in Libra
FRIDAY - Mars retrograde conjunct the South Node, Eris stations retrograde, Sun opposes Black Moon Lilith
SUNDAY - Sun into Leo

MONDAY is a tricky day with multiple inconjuncts (rock vs hard place) - the good news here though is we can be sharp and focused and with the Moon still in practical and organized Virgo sextiling (opportunity) expansive Jupiter there is good energy for public relations and group activities - the day is just NOT so well suited for one on one dealings that require any kind of tactfulness or negotiation.

The Mars/Venus inconjunct could be a man/woman issue, a relationship issue - it could be what we want (Venus) and what we have to do to get what we want (Mars) is not so compatible right now or maybe we can't get along and get what we want, too!

Compromises - the only real way through an inconjunct - are not so likely when Venus clashes with Mars! Inconjuncts require adjustment and give and take - there aren't easy any real solutions.

Remember where these planets are - Mars is retrograde in detached Aquarius moving toward his second conjunction with the South Node later in the week. He (as us via our actions, passion, anger and initiative) is going back over something or meeting delays as we attempt to plow straight ahead and Venus has just stepped into practical, dot your i's and cross your t's productive Virgo.

EXAMPLE FOR Aquarius/Aquarius Rising (Mars in your 1st house, Venus in your 8th house) - that 8th house issue - other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, inheritance, sex, reproduction, the way you merge your resources/intimacies with other people - is the hard place and you (Mars in Aquarius) are the rock. You could be using a hammer with a situation that could benefit from a gentler touch or a hammer to hit a fly and miss your mark entirely. There could be something you have been avoiding that Venus in "sharp-eyed" Virgo isn't allowing you to just skim over this time. Inconjuncts don't offer the solution - there isn't a tidy solution to an inconjunct - instead they bring our attention to the problem and require us to adjust both sides or come to a standstill. With Mars retrograde and set to hit the South Node in your sign for the second time this week and last week's eclipse in your health/daily habits house Aquarius AND next week's eclipse in your sign (Mars/South Node's first conjunction was June 8th, so something could be related back to that time) you could be seeing the results of many years of action/inaction on your physical body, your physical situation/possessions, your brand, etc. Mars demands action (and that anger/passion/force be expressed). MOVE it or lose it.

On the same day Mercury (in Leo) is inconjunct Pluto (in Capricorn). Words are the rock and power is the hard place. We could get fixated on one particular idea - yes, there will probably be a song stuck in our head! We could feel paranoid or suspicious. We could speak way too LOUDLY or boastful or say things that are way too personal. On the flipside we might not be able to get a word in at all if someone else has taken the reins. Cross this date off your calendar for that important conversation with your boss - if you have one scheduled, feign a stomach ache and leave early #kidding, #notkidding. People could try to manipulate us with their words or we could be the one doing the verbal manipulation that will not be very effective - maybe nix that stomach ache story.

This is the day Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin. I don't think anyone is getting what they want with whatever is going on with that.

After I posted the eclipse blog the other day someone asked me if last week's eclipse related back to any previous date and the closest eclipse I found was one in mid July 2010 and I added a sentence at the end of the post about that.

Later when I googled for newspaper stories from around July 11, 2010 to look for any connections to current events I spied (!) a story back then in both the Washington Post and New York Times about a big spy swap (the largest in decades) between the U.S. and Russia that took place in Austria. One of the spies was the Russian who was poisoned last March (along with his daughter) in the U.K. and note that story is back in the news now because of further poisonings with that same chemical.

The swap also included a married couple living in the U.S. (the TV series 'the Americans' is loosely based on their story) and one of the most senior FBI agents working on that case for many years was FBI agent Peter Strzok who was up before Congress at this eclipse testifying about the Clinton/Trump election and Russia. Then the next day, last Friday, we had the indictments of a dozen more Russians in connection to meddling in the U.S. election. And last week's eclipse degree is almost exactly opposed to that UBER hot degree where Saturn and Pluto will meet in Capricorn in January 2020. Hmm.

EXAMPLE FOR CANCER/Cancer Rising (Mercury in your 2nd house, Pluto in your 7th house) the rock is your money/values/resources/self esteem and the hard place is a partner/partnership. This speaks of power struggles within a relationship over money or something you own or the value you place of yourself. An argument/disagreement is possible. Keep in mind you just had a big eclipse in your own house Cancer (the first of multiple coming next year and the next) - if big decisions are not forced on you now, give yourself a break and some time to catch your breath. Next week's eclipse will be in your 8th house of other people's money/taxes/debt/sex/reproduction and will bring a square with unpredictable Uranus in your career/public life house so there are more surprises ahead.

The Moon makes a nice trine to Pluto at 10:29PM EDT favoring deep emotional connections.

On TUESDAY, the Moon is Void until 3:42PM when she moves into sociable Libra likely turning our focus to Libra themes over the next couple days - our relationships, cooperation, beauty, women, diplomacy, partners and social activities.

On THURSDAY, we have the Moon's first quarter square with the Moon finishing up in Libra and the Sun finishing up in Cancer.

This is the halfway point between last week's eclipse and next week's eclipse and will probably focus us on a relationship/balance/diplomacy tension. Our relationships with other people are important things to care for now. And any Cancer square could make us emotional and have us feeling that our security is threatened. It will also be important to keep in mind though, especially if it feels like someone lets us down now or does not have our back that with wounded healer Chiron in independent Aries, some things will just be up to us. We don't want to lose ourselves in another person any more than we should lose ourselves in our work or in our fantasies or in a bowl of spaghetti. Although if the spaghetti is homemade with a homemade sauce and a crusty loaf of bread on the side ... well, I don't know ...

The Quarter Moon will form a T-Square with Eris, who has exactly squared the Sun on TUESDAY. This could bring a pissed off woman (the one who was NOT invited to the party and also reminding me of the 30,000 plus women burned at the stake as witches during the Inquisition) or an issue regarding women into the LIGHT.

Maybe Trump will have another woman issue come to light this week since he could be playing the Sun for us collectively here. We'll have to see how big a collective news week this eclipse midpoint turns out to be.

The Moon goes Void at 3:52PM EDT until 9:13PM EDT when she moves into Scorpio turning our focus for the next couple days to finances, intimacy issues, life/death issues, reproduction, sex, power dynamics, issues around the resources we share with other people.

On FRIDAY we have a retrograde Mars meet up with the South Node (again! the last meeting was June 8th) - this could be  a repeat "Groundhog Day" style situation, the movie I mean, not the 'seeing his shadow' thing (the final conjunction is on September 27th) where we are dealing with something again and again in order to wrap the damn thing up or this could be various karmic situations designed to release us from old contracts - ours and our ancestors. With Mars long summer journey there could be some lessons, too, about learning to express anger, passion, aggression and force in healthy, positive ways.

EXAMPLE FOR PISCES/Pisces Rising (Mars retrograding through your 12th house) - this is happening in your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing. This could take you back over something you thought you had already put behind you - likely related to something near that June 8th date and/or connected to when Mars first went into Aquarius on May 16th. Something here is ready to be released - it might not be quite as easy as simply opening your hand, but some part of your load is surely and sorely wanting to be lightened.

Also on Friday we have Eris stationing retrograde - yes, another energy retrograde in Capricorn! - and the Sun opposing Black Moon Lilith - our other pissed off feminine energy.

We'll take a look at Friday in the weekend forecast - it's too much for me to unpack on a Sunday night!

In the meantime - we are in between eclipses now folks AND we are going to be saying this again in two weeks because we have three eclipses instead of two this summer. Next week's Aquarius Lunar Eclipse is a biggie hooking into Mars sitting on the South Node and squaring "anything-can-happen" Uranus.

Get some extra sleep. Stay hydrated and limber. Don't over-schedule yourself.

xo all

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | July 13th thru July 15th - volatility, impulsiveness, a need for attention, then things begin to settle down a bit, material gains over time, practical love, mentors and muses show up, cleaning things up

like stars on your skin by quadratiges

On FRIDAY we start the day with a Void Moon until the Moon moves into Leo at 1:31PM EDT. The Leo Moon will direct a focus on Leo themes - romance, children, recreation, sports, risk, creative projects - over the next couple days.

The Moon is going to make a series of strained aspects as she gets triggered by the Mars/Uranus square. Leo is a fixed sign and seeks the spotlight - people will be headstrong, less likely to bend, wanting attention, assertive and even possibly aggressive.

At 5:10PM EDT she squares Uranus, so we might be dealing with some kind of disruption - a pull toward something outside our comfort zone. With Uranus in Taurus whatever is happening could make us more aware of what we don't/can't have. By 1:12AM EDT the Moon will be opposing a retrograde Mars in Aquarius. Our emotions will be more volatile, we (and other people) more impulsive and easier to anger.

At 2:44AM EDT on SATURDAY, Venus (in Virgo) trines Saturn (in Capricorn). This is very practical, very grounded energy offering self discipline, financial maturity - positive changes made this weekend can last a long time (especially changes, even small things, involving Venus themes - love, money, our resources, our values and self-esteem). This is good energy for dealing with authority and stepping into responsibilities - good for 'cleaning things up'.

This is part of the Grand Trine in Earth we talked about for the eclipse and good for material gain. This has been within orb for a couple days and will continue to be within orb for a couple more when Venus finally pulls away from the old slow poke.

Venus rules love, money, our values, women, beauty, our self-esteem (Libra and Taurus) and in Virgo, ruler of our 6th house house is currently concerned with our day-to-day activities, our routine, work, co-workers, pets and our health. Saturn rules structure and things that are real and have weight, time, goals, hard work, discipline, fathers, older men and responsibility (Capricorn).

Trines create smooth energy - the brakes are off - the vitality will flow and work together naturally.

This trine will apply to our natal Virgo and Capricorn houses and their themes.

Now these houses are always in trine, but today, inhabited by attractive Venus and hard-working Saturn, the vibes are particularly useful.

If Venus and Saturn were people they would be a young, loving, attractive woman and a serious, responsible older man. You can see how these two people could bring out the best in each other

(not in a sugar-daddy kind of way - Saturn ain't nobody's free ride).

We carry both these archetypes within us - what can we do now to cement their merger?

We could make a commitment (Saturn) within a relationship (Venus) now. We could make a commitment with our money. We could make a commitment to valuing ourselves. We could commit to the hard work of being more beautiful (ie Venusian) or birthing something beautiful. We could beautify (Venus) our career (Saturn). This would be a great time for cosmetic changes within a business. Spruce ups now will pay off over time.

Venus/Saturn is not going to be about developing some trendy thingamajig because with Saturn the payoff comes over time and our trendy thingamajig will be gathering cobwebs in the corner.

For creators this isn't so much about new styles as new methods. Both form (Venus) AND function (Saturn) will matter here. People will be drawn to more traditional, quality items that will last. Venus/Saturn will only be together for a couple more days, but this is the card to play now.

Our existing relationships can grow stronger. There is a mutual respect here. Relationships between people of different ages started now would likely be long-lasting.

Mentors (Saturn) and muses (Venus) can show up.

The Moon will go Void at 7:12PM EDT off a 'rock and a hard place' aspect with Pluto, so maybe something between our emotions and our ego is out of whack here. Maybe we are coerced into doing something we don't want to do (or someone around us is) and our/their behavior is more and more forced. The Moon is void for the rest of the night.

On SUNDAY the Moon is Void in the A.M. so a good day to sleep in. She moves into practical, steady Virgo at 1:31PM EDT.

With the Moon finally in an earth sign now, any emotional Eclipse drama can start to slow down and unwind a bit.

With the Moon is Virgo for the next couple days - and we know she will meet up with lovely Venus at some point and also trine powerful Uranus and Saturn - our focus will be naturally directed to Virgo themes (and the theme of your natal Virgo house - which is why it pays to have your chart handy!) - the details, our daily activities, our pets, our work and co-workers, our HEALTH.

At 5:21PM EDT she will trine (brakes off) eccentric, unpredictable Uranus (in Taurus) to add a bit of brilliance and the unexpected to our Sunday night. We get the trine from Saturn at 8:55PM EDT - this is good for organization, following through with responsibilities, dealing with older people or authority and building something lasting. At 12:35AM EDT we get the conjunction to Venus and a lovely mood for anyone who has stayed up for it.

This is a great aspect to end this important week.

We are in the eclipse spin cycle now folks - in between eclipses. Have a good weekend.

xo all

* Some insight about this "settling down" Venus/Saturn thing we talked about for Saturday from a post last year-

I have a friend who lived with a man for 12 years. They didn't want children, but she wanted to marry. He was always firm that he would never marry. Then one summer during responsible Saturn's transit of his 7th house (partnership) and her 2nd (values, self-esteem) she drew an equally firm line in the sand. They married within weeks.

All was well for about a New York minute and then ... everything changed, it all felt like work (her words here). He started to feel like her father even though they were close in age.

She couldn't figure out what the hell had happened.

Saturn transits grow us up. And the things we commit to during Saturn transits will not be easily discarded. She needed to draw a line in the sand. And he needed to commit. They loved each other, but had suddenly become each other's ball and chain (Saturn!). Ack!

Now this guy has a very challenged 7th house - multiple tense aspects and a very beneficial 5th house. So when my friend moved from 5th house (girlfriend, romance, fun) to 7th house (partner) she stepped right into all these strained spaces he was learning about through his dealings with equal partners. And he stepped into her equally tricky 2nd house self-esteem issues.

She now says she thinks all she really wanted was, "the respect of not being someone's girlfriend" and she wishes things were back as they were before. Saturn rules time and Saturnian commitments often have a "before and after" feel to them. There is no going back. They both stepped up to the plate to play a bigger game. They moved from the minors into the majors and will need some time to find a new rhythm.

The good news with Saturn is that time is always on our side ....

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer | we can look back but remember - we're not going THAT way

New Moon July 11, 2018

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner.

I wrote the post on Monday night and then accidentally highlighted the whole post to delete one sentence at the same time Blogger did an auto-save, so managed to lose the whole damn thing! As anyone who has ever had to rewrite something you were finished with knows (the dog ate my homework) it is hard to re-do, plus it took me a couple days to stop banging my head on the table.

Anyhoo, here we go again -

This is the chart for Thursday's New Moon.

At 10:47PM EDT the Moon meets the Sun at 20 degrees Cancer. At the same time we have Pluto at 20 degrees Capricorn - exactly opposed.

The Nodes are still in Leo/Aquarius - but at 5 degrees they are close enough to this New Moon (Sun and Moon conjunction) for a Solar Eclipse, although a partial one. The Moon partially blocks the Sun and the flow of energy to planet Earth is interrupted - focusing our attention on that point. We get a cosmic reset, much like a computer being turned off and back on and the program that uploads at restart is a little bit (or quite a lot) different than the one we ran on before.

Eclipses change us, and we, (vibrating differently), change our circumstances by attracting or repelling what our new self lines up with.

This summer we have THREE eclipses and this one is the first. The next one on July 27th (Lunar Eclipse) looks like the biggie and then we have another Solar Eclipse on August 11th - the next two will be the final eclipses of the Leo/Aquarius polarity before the nodes move into Cancer/Capricorn.

Cancer New Moons - and this one is powered up by this partial Solar Eclipse - are about collective Cancer themes (so, this theme is applicable to all of us both individually and collectively and then the theme of our personal natal Cancer house will come into play, too - see the themes by sign below).

Cancer rules home, family, our roots, mother, mothering, our ancestry, real estate, country, patriotism, the root of the matter - our emotional security - this is where we get the new beginning,  
and with Pluto opposing plus the eclipsing of the Sun it will come with a powerful ending. 

The Pluto opposition can also be about facing a fear and finding our strength through that, but more likely a powerful ending. 

And the two things will be connected even when we can't see the connection - even when they look like two totally unrelated things. Releasing something in one area - and yes, it can be pulled away from us - creates a more extreme focus for that Cancer house. For some people this could be about work/life balance issues, the shifting of parenting roles or relocation/renovation issues.

Eclipses (similar to a super charged full moon) will eclipse something out or bring something to light or alternately cover it up and then the New Moon seeding will activate the promise of any slow moving transit currently present in our life.

One tricky thing with eclipse energy that I have found from personal experience as well as other people's charts is they often work backward. The thing the eclipse is "eclipsing out" or "bringing to light" can happen days or weeks before the physical Sun is overtaken by the Moon. Often almost exactly one week or one month before (or after).

You can see in this chart for Washington D.C. at the time of the Eclipse - the Sun and Moon are meeting in the 5th house which rules children. In the United States we have the heartbreaking stories of the immigrant children taken/hidden from their mothers (Cancer) by the government (Pluto in Capricorn). We have also had the story of the boys in Thailand (Aries rules young men and Chiron in early Aries was strong and still and stationing retrograde last week) taken from their mothers and hidden in a dark, wet cave - very Plutonian (God of the underworld) and finally rescued as Jupiter (deep in watery, Pluto-ruled Scorpio) woke up on Tuesday. Jupiter also rules foreigners and what is foreign to us and sits strong and still in the 8th house of death and rebirth (Pluto's house) of Thursday's solar eclipse chart. We've got Neptune - fog, scandal, behind the scenes machinations, deceit, faith, imagination, healing - in the 1st house. Mars, retrograde and out-of-bounds and - again stuff happening behind the scenes - in the 12th house of self-undoing heading toward the South Node in Aquarius again.

(hidden children also makes me think about how all year I have written about that North Node in Leo - our creativity, our passion, taking center stage in our lives, giving birth to something we can be proud of - and I am certain I did not say often enough that Leo also rules CHILDREN!! where are the children? are the children in your life OK? is your inner child OK?)

The best news with this New Moon is, at the same time, we have a beautiful Grand Trine in Earth as Venus (in Virgo), Saturn (in Capricorn) and Uranus (in Taurus) all line up for us in a smooth energetic flow with Saturn, strong at home in Capricorn, solidly anchoring the whole thing. Uranus brings CHANGE and Venus (critical in Virgo, yes, but also discriminating) brings our love/money/resources/values and self esteem into the mix.

Saturn demands whatever is seeded at this New Moon be a real thing - something solid and lasting.

Let's look at some potential themes by sign. Please remember "by sign" is kind of a guideline. We are all under the energetic of the Aries themes - because Aries rising, Aries in his natural 1st house, in a whole sign house system is a collective theme. Sometimes we find the theme of our Sun sign - regardless of house - at play and other times our Rising sign theme fits better. Of course, just because you are a Taurus rising, doesn't mean you have Cancer ruling your 3rd house, so if you know the actual house check that, too.

Depending on your individual chart (if you have planets or points near 20 degrees of the cardinal signs this will be stronger for you) you may feel this Eclipse to a greater or lesser degree, but all of us get eclipsed. The energy we carry for the collective - the energetic lineup when we drew our first breath - shifts.

We change and then we attract changing circumstances - and because there is no time and eclipses somehow work backwards, too - these changing circumstances can precede the actual eclipse!

ARIES/Aries Rising - (Cancer 4th house/Capricorn 10th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

TAURUS/Taurus Rising (Cancer 3rd house/Capricorn 9th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 3rd house of communication, information, ideas, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 9th house of travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

GEMINI/Gemini Rising (Cancer 2nd house/Capricorn 8th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 2nd house of your money, your values, your resources and self-esteem, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 8th house of other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, inheritance, sex, reproduction, the resources you share with other people so something here is ENDING/transforming.

CANCER/Cancer Rising (Cancer 1st house/Capricorn 7th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 1st house of yourself, so a new chapter is kicking off for you. Pluto is opposing from your 7th house of your relationships so something here is ENDING/transforming.

LEO/Leo Rising (Cancer 12th house, Capricorn 6th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 6th house of your day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

VIRGO/Virgo Rising (Cancer 11th house, Capricorn 5th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 11th house of your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

LIBRA/Libra Rising (Cancer 10th house, Capricorn 4th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

SCORPIO/Scorpio Rising (Cancer 9th house, Capricorn 3rd house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 9th house of travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 3rd house of communication, information, ideas, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

SAGITTARIUS/Sag Rising (Cancer 8th house, Capricorn 2nd house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 8th house of other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, death, inheritance, sex, reproduction, the resources you share with other people, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 2nd house of your money, your values, your resources and self-esteem, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

CAPRICORN/Capricorn Rising (Cancer 7th house, Capricorn 1st house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 7th house of partners and partnerships so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 1st house of yourself so something within you is ENDING/transforming.

AQUARIUS/Aquarius Rising (Cancer 6th house, Capricorn 12th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 6th house of your day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing, so something here is, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

PISCES/Pisces Rising (Cancer 5th house, Capricorn 11th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 11 house of your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

Remember 2018 is the bridge year to 2019 and 2020 which will be life changing for all of us. With Saturn in Capricorn we can't skip steps anymore without falling on our ass. The crazy leaps were for last year. This year we have to work for what we want - this doesn't mean we won't get it though and it will last longer when we do! It's winter -yes, even when it is 100 degrees outside - we have to be practical, stow some canned goods - which could take the form of our relationships and connections with other people - and wear snow shoes.

We are literally holding space while the structures disintegrate. It can be depressing because we are under pressure. We are deleting worn out patterns, generations of physical and emotional wounding and ancestral inheritances that have kept us stuck. Inflexible entanglements that we have outgrown have already crumbled into a pile at out feet (Saturn hasn't really ruled the universe since the discovery of the telescope!)- we just can't totally see/feel that yet. AND this sounds all well and good and empowering when we see the words on a screen, but can actually feel like shit as it is happening. Our connections to other people can weaken along with the ties that bind us, our bodies can weaken - be sure you are getting enough sleep, eating well, moving! - from trying to maintain our balance on fast-shifting soil, our minds may seem to weaken as our intuition increases - this can also happen from just trying to absorb too much information, remember that South Node in Aquarius - step away from toxic technology. This shit is not for sissies.

We have alot going on this summer and alot of changes ahead - hold on loosely, keep moving forward - Cancer rules nurturing and sustenance - take care of yourself!

SETTING AFFIRMATIONS

This is a powerful energy to focus our intentions and make affirmations on Cancer stuff : mothers, motherhood, self-care, nurturing, home, family, real estate, home business, food, breast health, stomach and digestive health, gut health, SECURITY ...

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a positive frame of mind - always make affirmations from a positive place (positive meaning both happy and certain) - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known.  

Know these things are already yours.

xo all

let's all include an affirmation for the immigrant children and all children everywhere who are lost and hidden - that they are safely reunited with their families, with their mothers .... also note we had an eclipse very near this degree in July 2010, so there could be a connection to that time or a similar theme, but this one now with the Pluto opposition is more powerful

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 9th - love gets practical, let's pay attention to what we are talking and thinking about, big news, tension, partnership potentials and decisions, whatever got gummed up in March starts to move forward, grounded assistance, life and death, the eclipses are HERE

gaia by ezorenier

This is a very important week and kicks off our summer eclipse season - three eclipses this time, instead of the usual two! Keep in mind eclipse events don't usually happen at the exact date of the eclipse and can start weeks before and unravel for months after the actual events. I often see events one week or one month, usually almost to the day, before or after the eclipse date.

The biggest aspects this week are:

MONDAY - Venus enters Virgo, Mercury squares Jupiter enters shadow
TUESDAY - Jupiter stations DIRECT
WEDNESDAY - Venus trines Uranus and Juno
THURSDAY - NEW MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE IN CANCER opposing Pluto
FRIDAY - Venus trines Saturn

Let's unpack this massive suitcase!

I am not going to write all the Moon aspects because we have enough to cover with the planets. Note there are multiple long Void Moons this week.

The Moon goes VOID on Tuesday at 4:01PM EDT until Wednesday at 1:59PM EDT (into Cancer after the void) AND on Thursday at 10:48PM EDT until Friday at 1:31PM EDT (into Leo after the void) AND on Saturday at 7:12PM EDT until Sunday at 1:31PM EDT (into Virgo after the void).

On MONDAY, Venus moves into Virgo until August 6th. She puts away her queen of the jungle Leo crown, ties her hair back in a neat little bun and gets to work (it's not a surprise Virgo is not her favorite place to be!). On her way out of town she hits that still-hot degree from last August's eclipse - so if that eclipse triggered something for you it will likely be re-activated now.

The bad news for us - Venus is in her detriment in Virgo (not able to function as her best, most attractive Venusian self), the good news - during her stay in Virgo she will trine (brakes off) the other planets in Earth signs and we get two of those trines this week, so a Grand Earth Trine which will really help ground us during this week's de-stabilizing solar eclipse!

Since Venus collectively rules our 2nd and 7th houses (Libra and Taurus) the themes of these houses - love, money, self-esteem, values, relationships, women, beauty, our resources - are subjected to Virgo's keen focus and attention to detail over the next month.

We will be analyzing what we want and what we have. We will be analyzing our relationships.

The problems will stand out. We won't be able to miss them. And since what we focus on grows, sometimes things get worse before they get better during this transit. But this is excellent energy to fix what needs fixing and accept (or eliminate) what just isn't fixable.

Our Virgo natal houses get a visit from lovely Venus. Virgo Suns and Ascendants get more attractive - both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want. Our natal Virgo houses get more attractive, too.

We could also use this energy to criticize the people we love. But please let's not do that. Constructive criticism is not possible. It's still criticism. Nothing constructive there.

Things could get bitchy and people could get hurt.

It's always best to work on ourselves and not try to change others. We will then attract from others something different as they mirror the something different we project onto them. We can't change people. So we allow Venus (love) to soften Virgo (critical thinking, seeing what is wrong).

Note Mercury has started walking the degrees (as of Sunday) he will walk during his upcoming retrograde - yes, Mercury retrograde is coming - BACK UP YOUR FILES.

This means whatever we have going on now is stuff we will be going back over, so pay attention,  and, YES, we are already doing this with Mars retrograde and Mercury is opposing Mars (Mercury in Leo, Mars in Aquarius) so that polarity is what we are all going back over. These are the areas of life we have been talking about all year!

Also on MONDAY, Mercury (in Leo) squares Jupiter (in Scorpio). With Mercury going retrograde - we will have this same aspect three times between now and the end of August. Monday is the first hit.

This is BIG News or information or a conversation. Good or bad the square indicates tension. Jupiter will make everything bigger, but also 'appear bigger' than it actually is. So keep this in mind.

Mercury also rules sibling issues, local issues, childhood issues and transportation. Know that things here are going to change over the summer as we go through the retrogrades and two more squares, so whatever is happening now will be in play for awhile and won't be the end of the story.

EXAMPLE FOR TAURUS/ Taurus Rising - Mercury is moving through your 4th house of home and family (your Leo house) and squaring Jupiter in your 7th house of partners/partnerships (your Scorpio house). Conversations/news - possibly tense - could be happening now within these themes. Because Jupiter is going to move direct later this week - whatever your partner has been sitting on/waiting for/re-imagining will begin to move forward (something expansive). Keep in mind we have two more squares this summer and they could change their mind/thinking/opinion, maybe multiple times! That's OK. That is what this retrograde period is for! We are not wasting time, we are GETTING IT RIGHT. So don't jump too far too fast. By Labor Day issues regarding partnership and home/family or home business will be on more solid footing. You will have worked through alot of the crap and know (Mercury) what to do.

On TUESDAY, Jupiter stations direct at 13 degrees Scorpio. I wrote about his retrograde HERE. It is very hopeful that he moves forward now - we need him awake! We had the Sun trine Jupiter last Thursday as part of that "feel-good" Grand Water Trine (the one where I warned you not to feel TOO good, because well, that's just how I am - Pluto on my Mercury for months and months folks, you will thank me for this later).

Jupiter moved into Scorpio last October, expanded the hidden stuff in our Scorpio (power) houses (one big example is #metoo) until it couldn't be ignored. Then stationed retrograde in early March. Jupiter tends to rush and the details can get overlooked. He (as we) needed to slow down  - stop adding more pieces to the Scorpio puzzle and look closer at what we had uncovered since October. So now we've had four months to go back and look at the pieces already on the table. And remember he was going back over an area of our chart that Mars retrograded through in 2016. So the re-evaluation (or the re-re-evaluation!) was likely very Martian in nature (and Mars co-rules Scorpio) based around our past actions or in-actions, initiative or lack of, anger or repressed anger, sexuality or repressed sexuality, etc. Anyway, now he (as us) moves forward. Our natal Scorpio house - and collective themes of the way we share resources, collective money, banking,debt, sex, fertility, reproduction, power, death and rebirth - WAKES UP. Jupiter will continue expanding Scorpio, for better or worse, until November 8th.

Because expansive Jupiter naturally rules our collective 9th house of foreigners, what is foreign to us, our higher beliefs, the stuff we have to reach for - travel, higher education, weddings - politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, stuff outside our comfort zone, exploration, our beliefs and higher thinking - things here will pick up where they left off in March, too. Maybe a vision/project we put on hold in early March can begin to move forward now!

Keep in mind the series of Mercury squares this summer along with Mercury's retrograde - this situation will be in flux over the summer as we re-think, re-do, re-vise, yadda-yadda. Multiple tensions, or the same thing again and again, between our Scorpio and Leo houses (and these are both fixed energy and not so inclined to want to change - fixed signs I feel your pain!) will push things forward - as we move BACKWARD!

EXAMPLE FOR SCORPIO/Scorpio Rising - Jupiter is in your 1st house of yourself (Yay that he will be moving forward for you now Scorpios - keep in mind your ruling planet Mars is still retrograde, so if you do not feel the forward movement right now that is why - you will have something shift though - the squares with Mercury will wind down right around the same time as Mars stations direct so by the very end of August/early September all systems will be GO!) so something about your physical self, your body, your brand moves forward now. Note the square this week and two more in August with your 10th house of career and public life. Career moves and plans will be subject to change as you move through the summer!

On WEDNESDAY Venus trines Uranus (and Juno) - she will exactly trine Saturn on FRIDAY - this is ALL IN PLAY now and through the middle of the month. This is the solid ground (yes, there is solid ground available) we need to get through this week's eclipse. This is our Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo houses - they work well together naturally - supercharged with Venus, Saturn and Uranus.

Collectively (Virgo ruling 6th house, Capricorn 10th, Taurus 2nd) - this is good for work and money. An organized, healthy daily approach attracts new ways to make money or get the most from existing or new resources, support from those in charge and the ability to reach our long term goals - something like that - there are many ways this can play out. With Juno conjunct Uranus now, partnership agreements, even sudden or unexpected alliances or good stuff for a partner could bring us greater money and stability. Where are Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus in YOUR chart? How can you make use of this trine? Trines create smooth flow, but can also make us lazy and we miss the good stuff.

Saturn is in Capricorn - it's winter even when the temperature is hitting 100, folks - don't miss the good stuff.

We will talk more about this energy, too, in the New Moon Solar Eclipse post.

On THURSDAY the Cancer Sun meets the Cancer Moon at 20 degrees - exactly opposing Pluto at 20 degrees Capricorn and although the Moon's nodes have not quite reached the Cancer/Capricorn polarity - where they will be in November - they are close enough to trigger our first Solar Eclipse on the Cancer/Capricorn axis, so a kind of preview of where these things are heading in 2019.

We are are like computers being turned off and on when the skies go dark and the program that uploads at restart is a little bit (or quite a lot) different than the one we ran on before.

Eclipses change us, and we, (vibrating differently), change our circumstances by attracting or repelling what our new self lines up with.

Solar eclipses are New Moons and have themes of newness and beginnings. With this one opposing Pluto (ruler of death), the beginning requires an ending that is very much an ENDING (yes, I am running my finger across my jugular - ouch).

What are we willing to give up to get this fresh new beginning? Not that Pluto is asking - ha!

As we move through the early years of the Age of Aquarius we are holding space while the structures disintegrate. This is what we came to do, but this work is #notforsissies.

We will talk about this in the next post, but for example if you are an ARIES/Aries rising with Cancer in your 4th house and Capricorn in your 10th house - something in your 4th house (home, family, real estate, renovation, mother, ancestry, your roots, possibly home business) is BEGINNING and something in your 10th house (career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, stepping into your responsibility) is ENDING.

These things may or may not be connected. There are as many ways this can play out as there are Aries people and this will be more important for people with planets or points on or near 20 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn).

For LIBRA/Libra rising the same houses are activated but in the opposite way, so the 4th house has the ending and the 10th the new beginning. This will be as complicated or as simple as it needs to be for us.

We'll talk this all out in the Eclipse post, but remember Eclipse energy is wild card energy so we won't be able to see or prepare for everything!

This is the first eclipse of the season - the second eclipse at the end of the month is really a whopper - with even greater potential for a blow-up. For now let's concentrate on this first one on Thursday - start thinking about our New Moon wishes - plantings at a Cancer New Moon (Cancer is ruled by the Moon) are especially fast growing and potent.

xo all

We will also take a look at where we are in the collective/world news with the Solar Eclipse post, too.

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | breaking with tradition, hair trigger tempers, the touch that feels like love, compassionate action, hands in the dirt, balance the books, go jump in the ocean

Breaking the waves by Phoenixstamatis

Heads up - this is our final call to get stuff done before Mercury starts to hit her retrograde degrees on Monday. Keep in mind the stuff we are doing/thinking next week we are likely to be re-doing/re-thinking.

On FRIDAY the Moon finishes her travels through independent Aries. Let's get done what we can.

The Moon reaches her last quarter of the month squaring the Cancer Sun. This month's third quarter square speaks of tension/frustration around security/home/family issues. This is about us moving in a new more independent direction vs. what we have done/what has happened/what kept us safe or comfortable or just comfortable enough to feel safe enough in the past.

With the Moon in Aries squaring the Sun, people (including us) could be quicker to anger, more anxious and abrupt. Patience could be required of us now. The dark of the Moon approaches - what can you finish up?

The Moon goes void while we sleep off a lovely trine to Venus - sweet dreams.

By SATURDAY (8:50AM EDT) the Moon has arrived in Taurus where she is exalted. We would do best to focus on more Taurean things for the next couple days - nature, comfort, gardening, tending to the things we own that are in dis-repair, balancing our books, getting our hands in the dirt, preparing food grown in the dirt with our own two hands, getting/giving a massage, taking a long bath -  

whatever brings us back into our body and in touch with the value of our existing resources is a good use of Taurean energy.

The Moon immediately hooks up with "anything-can-happen" Uranus - do something different this morning.

We might not have a choice in this! Expect the unexpected - surprising circumstances and emotional reactions. We could also be dealing with an unusual person or an Aquarian.

By the afternoon she is trining (brakes off) serious Saturn in serious Capricorn. Excellent energy for solid, practical maneuverings, goal setting, getting work done - our emotions and our ambitions are working together. Dealings with authority and older people should go smoothly. The Moon will square Mars at 1:51AM EDT, so if we stay up late or we start feeling this energy sooner (some will and of course, not everyone is on EDT) we could be impatient, short tempered and even itching for a fight - so could other people. This is NOT the night to close down the bar. We might say or do something impulsive we later regret. This aspect also makes us accident prone - keep this in mind.

On SUNDAY we have the Sun (in Cancer) trining Neptune (in Pisces). This is excellent energy for healing, charity work, compassionate action, meditation, spiritual practices, using our imagination. This would be good energy to start a creative project. Church pews and meditation circles should be occupied. We will be very sensitive to where we are and who we are with now - keep this in mind. Get near, and in, water if possible!

The Moon is uber busy today - squaring Mercury, opposing Jupiter, sextiling Neptune (adding greater opportunity to the Sun/Neptune trine!), sextiling the Sun and trining Pluto. A mixed bag so things will be in flux.

By Monday, Mercury (our thinking, ideas, communication, information, sibling issues, transportation and local community issues, childhood and children issues, early education) will be walking his first steps over degrees he will walk two more times and the Moon will move into Gemini - ruled by Mercury - so add an exclamation point (or two or three)!

Eclipse season is approaching. I will write a post by sign on the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer - July 12th!

Enjoy the weekend everyone - a Taurus Moon on a summer weekend is a nice gift - let's find a way to be good to ourselves and unwrap it!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 2nd - a message is delivered, what words are we noticing, what needs to be said, where are we saying one thing and doing another, an argument, sib trouble, car trouble, things falling into place but what place and where's that HORSEFLY

words by andaria

This week is all about building toward our first eclipse of the summer season (and first eclipse in Cancer/Capricorn) which will be NEXT week when the Cancer Sun (home, family, real estate, home business, mother, mothering, security) opposes a Capricorn Moon/Pluto conjunction!

Let's take a breath first, see where we are and look at the week ahead:

Mars (what we do to get what we want, passion, impulse, action, anger) is moving backward through Aquarius toward the South Node (what is ripe for release) and toward an opposition with the North Node (our future).

Mars doesn't mind being in Aquarius. He is not exalted here, like he is in Capricorn (the sign where his backward movement will end up), but Aquarius is about advancement and the future, and ruled by Uranus - fast change - so Mars can usually make it work here.

Moving backward though is not so fun at high speed as he (as us) is finding out. Retrogrades always have us going back over something - in this case maybe something started around mid-May when he first entered Aquarius. So, we might be re-thinking something or re-doing it or delays and obstacles could have something stalled. Retrogrades are a GIFT or we would be falling off cliffs all the time.

Venus (in Leo for just a few more days) is still desirous of attention, still in love with love, still wanting what she wants, being ignored is hard to handle as are compromises. On July 10th, Venus will take up her position for the first half of this intense summer, with her move into Virgo.

This will put relationship issues as well as issues around what we want and what we already have under the microscope. Venus doesn't like being in Virgo. In Virgo, problems will stand out because the details of things move front and center, and remember Venus rules Libra and Taurus, where problems maybe get smoothed out, but just as often get pushed under the rug in favor of diplomacy and comfort.

Now, the problems will be visible. We won't be able to miss them. They might be all we can see. And since what we focus on grows, sometimes things get worse before they get better during this transit. But this is excellent energy to fix what needs fixing and accept (or eliminate) what just isn't fixable. This is all part of getting us clear on what we want and appreciative and aware of what we already have.

Mercury, freshly unpacked in Leo, and moving full steam ahead, is headed toward his North Node meetup TOMORROW (in play NOW). This is a message being delivered. This is a communication or information or a conversation or an idea that hooks us into our future. PAY ATTENTION. This might also be us delivering just the right information or saying just the right thing that will open a door (or window!). 

So, connect with people - be verbal, be out and about! If nothing is happening - go online, visit a bookstore.

The outer planets are all retrograde, too, except Uranus. Plowing full steam ahead is unlikely now. 

The Sun is in Cancer all week - we are burning Cancerian fuel and our Cancer houses are LIT - remember that first eclipse next week is in Cancer because the North Node - our future! - is moving into Cancer in the fall. We are focused on Cancerian matters - home, family, real estate, renovation, home business, mothers, mothering, our security, the theme of our natal Cancer houses.

The Moon this week will move from Pisces - dreaming, escaping, art, imagination - through Aries as we build toward the last quarter square Moon late in the week (triggering a crisis point, people with planets/points around 12-16 degrees of the cardinal signs will feel this one most strongly - Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) initiating, being passionate, fighting, taking action (and yes Aries ruler Mars in moving backward, so likely either actions we have previously taken or actions where we are going back over things) and finally by Friday morning EDT she will move into Taurus - where she is exalted - nature, comfort, pleasure, sustenance.

Some of the big aspects this week are:

TUESDAY - Mercury conjunct the North Node
THURSDAY - Chiron stations retrograde, Mercury opposes Mars, Grand Water Trine
SATURDAY - Mercury enters his retrograde shadow

We kick off MONDAY morning without much kick. The Moon is void until 1:31PM EDT when she moves into dreamy Pisces. The next couple days will be good for imaginative work, meditation, healing, escaping from reality, making art and music and endings. 

On TUESDAY, Mercury (in fiery Leo) will conjunct the North Node. A message is delivered. This is a communication or information or conversation or idea that hooks us into our future. PAY ATTENTION. This might also be us delivering just the right information or saying just the right thing that will open a door (or window!). So, connect with people - be verbal, be out and about!

On WEDNESDAY - Happy 4th of July America! - the Moon is void all day until she moves into Aries at 12:50AM EDT (early Thursday morning). An excellent time to kick back and relax.

There is alot happening on THURSDAY, but of course, some of this will be playing out a couple days before or after - this is just the date the energy is exact!

Chiron (wounded healer) stations retrograde until December 9th. Yes, another retrograde energy!

He has been SLOWLY moving through Aries since mid-April when he left Pisces and now he stops (at 2 degrees Aries) and reverses course. Chiron in Pisces had been about feeling and then surrendering the wound. Chiron in Aries is requiring us to take action on the wound. Individual action. The kind of action that isn't always supported by other people.

If his retrograde motion means he is moving nearer to a planet or point in our chart whatever is hurting will intensify now - maybe we will be required to be brave, do something we don't want to do, stand up for ourselves, etc. For most people though, and especially those with planets or points that Chiron is backing off - this will be about us doing the re's here - reflecting, re-evaluating, revising - with whatever eases up a bit. With Chiron in Aries answering to Mars and Mars retrograde and moving toward the South Node, too, whatever has been zapping our ability to get what we want (do Mars!) is up for review/release - our motivation, passion, courage. See my April post about Chiron in Aries HERE

Also on THURSDAY we have Mercury (in loud and proud Leo) opposing Mars (in detached humanitarian Aquarius).

An argument now is probably covering old ground (or about what Mars retrograde is delaying) but it could also be constructive. We might be compelled to speak up/out this week. New ideas could oppose actions we have perfected through practice. This could also be about us (or them) saying one thing (Mercury) and doing another (Mars). We could have an argument with a sibling or a transportation/local community issue - all Mercury ruled. This is not the day to call your sister or operate heavy machinery. Or operate heavy machinery with your sister. Drive safely.

Also exact on THURSDAY but in play pretty much all week is a Grand Water Trine (our 3rd of three within the last few weeks!) - this time between the Sun in Cancer, Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. We had this energetic when Venus was in Cancer (June 1-2) and when Mercury was in Cancer (June 19th-20th).

Trines remove roadblocks. If the roadblock IS the problem, then great, things improve. Things slide into place. If the roadblock has been holding the problem at bay - things might appear to grow worse, but really it is a closed loop and we can only deal with what is already in here.

While we have the trine energy, working to remove the block - forgiveness, compassion, etc -  is very helpful. These are water signs so expect to be emotional about whatever is happening here.

The fly in the ointment here and he might have grown into one of those nasty, biting horseflies by this time, is that because this is our THIRD Grand Water Trine in just a few weeks - we might start feeling something abnormal is normal.

An unhealthy activity turns into a habit, we overdo, we overspend, we drift into something dangerous or destructive because the energy is starting to feel comfortable now. Miracles appear commonplace. We start believing the odds are 'ever in our favor'. We increase our bets.

It will be easy to make a very impractical decision that we will be living with long after the trine's 'easy-breezy' power-player energetic is gone. 

Horseflies aren't easily shaken.

Avoid mind altering chemicals and known addictions.

Life's natural anesthetic is moving in reverse now - Neptune retrograde, so the lure of outside numbing agents - another day at the beach or shopping spree or pain pill will be stronger - keep this in mind. Yes, I know I am a negative thinker (and Pluto back and forth over my natal Mercury in Capricorn is like being besties with a Dementor).

I am sure other astrologers are reporting good things with this and they are totally correct.

Just be careful. This is excellent energy to feel good (and to feel like that big thing is possible and yes, the only way that big thing is possible is for us to feel it is!) - just keep it real - be cautious with big decisions this week that can't be unwound later when that trine is gone. Saturn in Capricorn is making everything sticky and that horsefly could be left biting our ass for years.

Back later in the week - xo all!