The August Eclipses | Part II - the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse August 7th

Breath by Tanja Moss

Part l is HERE - read it first.

August is a huge game changer month!

The way we go into the month (although some people strongly influenced by what is happening will be going into the month swimming in these turbulent waters already) will not be the way we come out.

If we don't have BIG news (real news, not the current stuff that passes for news where we can't tell up from down) in the collective during August my shock will be 'astronomical'. And, yes, I'm going to use this word often from now on, why the hell have I been saying BIGLY when I can write ASTRONOMICAL - although now that I see it in capital letters I am not liking it quite as much.

Anyhoo, let's start with a look at where all the players are as we head into our first eclipse, the partial Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius on Monday afternoon.

Venus went into Cancer last week. Venus loves being in Cancer. Her placement here will allow us to value (Venus) Cancer territory ie home, family, safety, security, mother, ancestry, country, women. She doesn't move into anything challenging until around the middle of the month.

Mercury is in Virgo. Mercury loves being in Virgo (a sign he rules). His/her (Mercury is a rather androgynous character) placement here allows our thinking to be more analytical. We want the facts. We want the numbers to balance. We want conversations to get to the point. Virgo rules our day to day activities, our work, our health, our pets, our service to others (without self-sacrifice please) and because Mercury will soon be re-tracing the exact steps he is covering now while moving backward, we know some information we are working with NOW will be up for review, pretty much all month.

He will station retrograde on August 12th (right in the middle of the two eclipses!) and station direct on September 5th - the same day Mars changes signs and at the same degree of the August 21st eclipse so we know Mercury ties into the eclipses AND we will not be totally clear with everything that is happening until at least September 5th and maybe not until Mercury starts covering entirely new degrees a couple weeks later.

Mars is in Leo. Mars loves being in Leo. His placement here asks us - although Mars isn't much of an "asker" - to take action (Mars) from our heart (Leo). Fiery Mars (action, initiative, passion, anger, war, military) in equally fiery Leo (enthusiasm, heart, love, ego, pride, creativity, courage, greed) is a major player in BOTH eclipses his month. At some point during August all the personal planets - Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars and Mercury will be in Leo!

Jupiter is in Libra. His placement here is about expansion within our relationships. It's about art, women, justice and balance. The final Jupiter/Pluto square (the major transit of 2017) was exact yesterday. This has been playing out, since last November's first square, within the collective as media vs government, courts vs government, media/courts vs big business, sexual abuse and sex trafficking stories in the news and courts, etc. In line with this transit we had that greedy "pharma bro" guy going to jail and  U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions tell a room full of reporters yesterday he will make it easier to jail them for not releasing sources (watery Neptune is home in watery Pisces for a good long stay they should let it 'sink in' that leaks are probably going to continue).

And Pisces placement in Trump's chart (which impacts the U.S. chart while he is running the place) makes everything Neptune in Pisces is likely to bring even more likely - leaks, lies, secret enemies, prisons, hospitals, water, poisons, toxins, confusion, addiction, miscommunication, foggy thinking, isolation. On the other hand Neptune in Pisces can make it easier to hide what we need to hide (not during eclipses though!), dream, imagine, see what is behind the curtain, see what others can't, etc.

Uranus is retrograde in Aries. He stationed retrograde right at the beginning of August AND he rules Aquarius and the Lunar Eclipse on Monday. Uranus in Aries has been fighting and disrupting his way through everything since 2011. He is a major player this month, so we know whatever the eclipses "bring to light" or 'eclipse out" will be unexpected. Keep in mind eclipse action can happen for a couple months prior and after the actual eclipses - usually on or near the eclipse date (so around June 21, July 21, August 21, September 21, October 21st).

Saturn is retrograde in Sagittarius. He will station direct a couple days after the Solar Eclipse (August 21st) so he will be pretty much standing still at the time of that eclipse and uber powerful. A stationary planet is like moving your finger through a flame and stopping over the flame!

Pluto is retrograde in Capricorn and Neptune is retrograde in Pisces. So at one point during all the crazy August energy we will have Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto and Neptune retrograde!

The Sun is in Leo. The Sun loves being in Leo, the sign that he rules. The Sun has just recently moved past Mars for the first time in a very long time. Our intuition, our trust in the universe as a safe and abundant place for us, our higher guidance is leading our actions. I see the Sun overtaking Mars just before eclipse season as a good signal that whatever is happening has a higher purpose for all of us. We need to be following our heart. We need to be brave - and yes, we learn to be brave by encountering situations that require us to be brave, but with the Sun in Leo, we have the courage to face whatever we need to face now.

If we are on the fence about something, this isn't really the best time to make an important decision and jump off (unless we are pushed, of course) - let's see how everything shakes out by the end of August/early September. Some splinters in our ass will be a small price to pay for letting the stuff that is going to unravel, unravel FIRST.

Know that stuff is happening to get us in touch with our hearts (the north node in Leo) and detach us from our detachment (Aquarius).

I want to stick with talking about Monday's Lunar Eclipse until we are through it.

The big Solar eclipse a couple weeks later will take a couple posts to unpack. With unpredictable Uranus ruling the first one - let's see what that one shakes loose first. 

During the first week of August we have Venus changing signs, Mercury hitting his retrograde degrees, Uranus stationing retrograde, the final Jupiter square Pluto AND a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius. Whew!

So in early August we might feel a strong urge to make a big change (and this change could be made for us and we'll talk about that next). But we can't see everything we need to see yet. Jupiter in Sagittarius needs to check out everything and Pluto in Capricorn wants to focus like a laser beam on one specific and probably ambitious move. We might be willing to take risks that are too big here. We need to take a breath and look around some corners and under some beds. If we are wanting to break away from something now, let's slow down and think it through. Are we sure will be better off on the other side of these shifts without this thing/situation/person? Maybe we are. But does it really need to happen right this second?

(this doesn't mean we don't make the move away from something or someone or some group, but if we can wait, let's wait until Mercury is direct on September 5th and then we will know for certain it is the right decision)

With Jupiter in Libra in the middle of this Full Moon we should be looking at the big picture within our relationships, thinking more diplomatically, weighing the pros and cons, being willing to compromise.

Now, if this change is forced upon us. Poof! Something is gone. Or maybe something come to light that pushes us to make a change. Maybe we see something we can't un-see. Let's not panic and make a crazy move that is the first thing that pops into our head. Slow down. Take a breath. Let's let a little bit of this erratic energy unwind a little. It may not be possible to control what is happening but we can control our response/reaction. Take small actions if possible until you have a clearer picture of everything that is happening.

Monday's Lunar eclipse is in our South Node of Aquarius. The South Node is what we are releasing. We need to release in order to move forward, so for certain something's gotta go here.

My first astrology teacher in the early 90's said in the late 2010's and early 2020's people would be going mad as a hatter and mad as a hornet. She was right, but since she couldn't imagine both the gifts and challenges of the technology headed our way she was wrong, too. She saw the future, through astrological patterns, where we were 'all connected' but couldn't see the technology that got us there, so thought the 'all connected' thing was a more solid way of being connected. She saw it as something like we would be reading other people's minds in a way that made it difficult to tell fantasy from reality, borders would be thin and we would all be 'blending together'.

We aren't reading each other's minds, but we do know what is happening around the world as it is happening. The line between what is truth and what is a lie is very blurry. Our news has become like the commercials we watched as children with an agenda and corporate sponsorship. The borders between us are thin. We are blending together - nationalities, sexes, etc.

She saw the patterns, but couldn't see the vehicles we would create to get us there. It's the same for all of us now when we look ahead into the Age of Aquarius - we just don't know what we don't know.

At the end of 2012 many intuitive people were feeling that the world as we knew it was ending and we were ascending into a higher energy (which it did and we were). In the 3D world, this process looks more like the 'Facebook effect' where we are all seeing different things. We are all living in different realities. There are problems inherent in only looking at the stuff we want to look at, in only seeing the stuff we agree with, in only relating to our own flock. And now we have to figure these problems out. That's one of the things the Age of Aquarius is all about. Learning how can I stay me and let you be you and we can get along and live together even though I do not agree with you.

We are moving from the age of patriarchy (Pisces) into the age of equality (Aquarius) ready or not. Keep in mind this will not be the age of matriarchy (yes, we have the rising feminine now because the feminine in all of us, women AND men, has been suppressed and is rising to meet the masculine energy, not to run the whole show) - we've been there, done that - although most of the age of matriarchy has been erased from our 'his'tory books.

For now, we have this Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius asking us to release our Aquarius shadows. 

Fake connections, detachment, over-thinking, over involvement with the group at the expense of the individual and at the expense of ourselves, over investment of time and resources in technology. 

It is not a coincidence that the last New Moon, the one in Leo, had us working through issues of real family vs our hive mind family and tribal shock.

So hold on loosely. Focus on the highest attributes of both Leo and Aquarius - following our heart, generosity, dignity, enthusiasm (Leo), logical thinking, non-judgement, vision, non-conformity (Aquarius). 

Don't get into a power struggle now. Compromise maybe or don't commit until you are clear. For certain, the high road is the one with the best view and the cooler breezes.

Individually this eclipse is about the polarity themes of our natal, and progressed, Leo/Aquarius houses -  if you don't know where they are in your chart just leave a comment or email me.

We are preparing for Pluto's move into Aquarius (Age of Aquarius - we are probably already in the Age of Aquarius, but by the time Pluto hits the sign we will all be certain) in just 6 short years!

Whether we get a robotic future, run by a small elite class, where the many, the rest of us, are numbed out and equal in our hidden desperation or an egalitarian society where we can all live together, expressing our authentic selves in a free society. This isn't wishful thinking (although there is always the possibility I am mad as a hatter AND  a hornet) - this is truly our only options. Ages last over 2600 years, so we won't get to see the full roll out. We are here for the kick off though, the ones to get this whole party started. We are the ones who matter (LEO!).

My best advice for this first eclipse if you have stuff hitting the fan now, is to make small solid steps where you can, but not to make any big moves until we come out the other side of this crazy month.

xo all (back with the weekly tomorrow)

Final Jupiter Square Pluto | 3rd times the charm .... what are we willing to risk to succeed

1935 by arvael18

Jupiter (in Libra until October 10th) and Pluto (in Capricorn 2008-2024) have squared off three times this year. First in late November, then in late March and for the last time today. 

Squares create friction and challenge. They are stressful. They test us. They reveal to us how we react and respond to tense situations.

Jupiter in Libra wants justice or peace. Pluto in Capricorn wants power or transformation. In our own lives we could feel this as a hunger to succeed at something and the questions around what we are willing to do or risk to succeed.  

This could be conflicts between work responsibilities and our personal relationships, power dynamic tension within relationships, authority issues and even infidelity issues - some kind of unfaithfulness within a relationship or partnership structure. Imbalances will show up if one person is compromising too much and/or one person has too much power.

If this stuff is hitting personal planets in your chart, major breakthroughs are possible now.

This is a series of aspects that started around last Thanksgiving, so where are we now? Maybe we have taken a leap of faith (Jupiter) and increased our power (Pluto) or maybe we have taken on too much and are dealing with the realities of that now. Know however the story is playing out in our lives, things will start to cool down as the planets begin to separate and this square unwinds itself.

This could be a major turning point (with its connection to next week's Lunar Eclipse - you might not see results for a few days) for some 2017 stories since this is a major transit for this year.

For today, let's check ourselves when trying to push our beliefs on other people - not a good idea. Judgemental attitudes will create conflict with others. Know everyone else is dealing with this, too, so keep a cool head. 

Relax. Fear of the future is what is getting us all tangled up now. It's eclipse season and we just don't know what we don't know. Loosen the reins a bit ....

xo all

(I had two people tell me that advice to let someone's mother move in with them and sleep on their couch was very bad advice - this was something I wrote about in a recent post. Now, I didn't tell the person to take in her mother. I asked her what her heart wanted to do - what was the simplest, least complicated thing. This person gets along well with her mother. Her mother is already in her house about twenty hours a week watching her children. She just didn't want the added interruption/responsibility. She was really asking me "if I let her move in - will she ever move out?" so we were looking at timeframes, etc. The couch part is my own invention. I have no idea if an actual couch is going to be used, although if you want someone's stay to be short, offer them your couch - turning over the master suite and having it painted in their favorite color is probably a bad idea. Please don't take this story as meaning we need to help other people at our own expense - which I think is what both readers were saying I was saying. I wasn't saying that. Or if I was saying that I wasn't meaning that. This was her mother. And maybe mom sleeping in her car would be more heartache than safe in our livingroom, right?")

Uranus Stations Retrograde | loosening our grip

trio by alkapralka

Late last night Uranus stationed retrograde. He will be retrograde through the end of the year.

If we have been hit by a curveball recently things may smooth out a bit. For other people it will be the retrograde degrees that bring the intensified changes.

The degree Uranus stations (28 degrees Aries) trines the August 21st Solar Eclipse also at 28 degrees. Trines allow things to happen faster by removing roadblocks. This could be a good thing because now you can get where you are going. Or it could be a not so good thing if say the roadblock is preventing your car from speeding over a cliff. The best use of a trine is to take action rather than allow the action to happen to us.

And, of course, the best way to take a good fall if your car is already too near the cliff to change course - is loose limbed, don't tense up - or drunk, that works, too.

Uranus is also the ruler of the August 7th Lunar Eclipse since it is in Aquarius - his station, meaning his seemingly erratic energy that gets us from point A to point B in the most expeditious manner our current situation can possible line up with - ties in to both eclipses. He has been sitting almost still in the sky for a while now which is why the eclipse commotion (area of focus) is already in play for many people.

This is where knowing your natal (and progressed) charts will come in handy. Uranus is at 28 degrees Aries and moving backward. Let's say you have a planet at 29 degrees Aries - well, Uranus will be backing away from that planet. If you have been on a rollercoaster ride with changes this year in the area of life ruled by late Aries in your chart (remember Uranus moves very slowly and transits last a long time), then your rollercoaster ride will slow down - you might even be able to exit the damn ride. 

But, let's say you have a planet at 25 degrees Aries, well now Uranus will begin to move toward that planet. So, just when you think it's safe to go back into the water, you see another shark. Whatever this disruption is - it will be strong enough to finally shake loose whatever it didn't manage to shake loose the last time it crossed your planet (while it was moving direct). So, things might appear to get worse before they get better. What is really happening is that you are being freed up. With the eclipses involved I am thinking the stuff we are "freed up" from is not stuff we are so intent on losing. But it won't be a total surprise either, even for those people who claim it is ....

If you have planets or important points (think of 12,3,6 and 9 on the face of a clock) around 28 degrees of the cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn - you will feel this whole thing strongest.

The best way to work with Uranus (this would be kind of like working with Donald Trump, who with his natal Uranus sitting on his natal Sun, would probably cause the people who work with him to age in dog years, trying to keep up) is to loosen our grip on things. Stay open to changing our mind and direction. Expect the unexpected. Maybe what seems totally crazy, will make sense later on.

After he moves into Taurus next year, his retrograde then will take us back into Aries. Yes, another trip over those beleaguered late degrees of Aries - sorry! But by then I suspect most of us will be so focused on what he has been shaking up in Taurus (ruler of our money, our resources, the planet, weather, food) that we might not even notice ....

Uranus is retrograde for 5 months of every year and for most people it is like background noise. We don't notice unless he is touching our charts directly. This year, with his tie in to BOTH this month's eclipses, we could all be feeling this.

xo all

The August Eclipses | part 1 - the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse August 7th

head in the clouds by pawssou

The Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon and 400 times farther away. Does the chance of this being anything even slightly random strike anyone else as impossible?

Wouldn't the odds be "astronomical"?

As we approach the big "American" eclipse on August 21st - which will not just impact America btw - there will be more and more astronomy talk on the news, hopefully some astrology voices will be heard, too.

Someone told me recently that it was such a coincidence that the eclipses were in Leo/Aquarius this year and the Nodes of the Moon have moved into Leo/Aquarius, too (North Node in Leo, South Node in Aquarius). Hehe! The nodes of the Moon, the points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic ARE the eclipse points so eclipses ALWAYS happen in the signs of the North and South Node because that's what the North and South Nodes are! I thought it was funny that she said this because I always say North Node this and South Node that and probably never explained them!

Maybe the big news this summer is the August 21st Solar Eclipse in Leo. But before we talk about that one and there is ALOT to talk about, let's take a look at the first August eclipse next week - in many ways this one looks bigger to me than the next one!

On Monday we have a Lunar eclipse (Full Moon) at 15 degrees Aquarius. Full Moons are the culmination point of the monthly cycle. There are natural endings and conclusions. The night sky is lit up and something comes to light down here - both in the collective and within our own lives. It's a time when the Moon is opposite the Sun. With the Sun in Leo and the Moon in Aquarius - the Leo/Aquarius polarity themes (as well as the polarity theme of your Leo/Aquarius natal houses) will be in play.

This polarity (warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my lockets?) is about our ego vs the collective, the king vs the people, the stage star vs the audience, our heart vs our head, following the rules vs breaking the rules, following our heart vs maintaining unity within a group, yada, yada - we work this polarity best when we blend big heart (Leo) with big mind (Aquarius).

The Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius is just a few days after Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) stations retrograde. There are multiple aspects involved with this Full Moon, but the Uranus station is important.

This might be about stepping away from a group or feeling like we don't fit in anymore. We could be re-evaluating something that is restrictive or that we perceive as "holding us back". I also get the feeling from looking at the other aspects and seeing what I am dealing with in my own life (my natal Sun is at 15 degrees Aquarius) that there is something here about a person, situation or event, taking away our personal power.

Or more correctly stated, this loss of personal power is the feeling that is generated. It could feel like a threat to our safety, security or way of life.

We'll want to work through our feelings about whatever is happening between this eclipse and the next one. Releasing what is happening to God/Goddess/the Universe - trusting that what is happening is what needs to happen ....

Eclipses are usually about loss and often the thing or situation or belief or person we lose is not something we are ready to let go of.

Things that are already shaky and uncertain, areas that are already volatile, these are the spaces where things tend to come to a head. Often the 'eclipsing out' appears to be 'out of the blue' or sudden, but it is almost always something we could have or should have or did see coming.

Because we have the big Solar Eclipse a couple weeks later, it makes me think the things we lose or see at this one might be particularly challenging (this doesn't mean it is necessarily a big devastating loss, just that whatever it is we are tasked with releasing is challenging to let go of or whatever it is that 'comes to light' is challenging to look at probably because we won't want to take the action it is forcing) - since this eclipse is kind of clearing the space and making room for the next eclipse.

At the time of this first eclipse on August 7th, the Sun will be hanging out with Mars (in Leo) - so both planets will be opposing the Moon. The Full Moon is always a time of Sun vs. Moon - hence its reputation for crazy stuff to happen - but with Mars involved here, this one has an extra kick. Mars can bring passion and initiative. Mars can also bring anger and violence. Managed poorly we could see shocking abuses of power (this Lunar Eclipse also carries the energy of this Friday's final Jupiter/Pluto square). Managed well - a gigantic creative push to get us to the top.

There are some GREAT aspects for this eclipse, too. The Moon is trining Jupiter and the Sun is sextiling Jupiter. Both increase our opportunities for GOOD LUCK and expansion (Jupiter). Let's focus on them. We'll likely have to wade through the other, muddier aspects to reach these, but they will be worth the dirty boots.

So hold on loosely. Focus on the highest attributes of both Leo and Aquarius - following our heart, generosity, dignity, enthusiasm (Leo), logical thinking, non-judgement, vision, non-conformity (Aquarius). Don't get into a power struggle now. Compromise. The high road is the one with the best view and the cooler breezes.

If something ends or someone leaves, eclipses are reset points - it's/they're gone. If something comes to light now that pushes us away from a group or situation or ideal or vision - it is something we are meant to see now.

This is a karmic culmination point - we have been building toward it for a long time ....

We'll talk more about the Lunar Eclipse in next week's post, but I wanted to post a heads-up.

Eclipse season is not the time to make any big crazy moves if we don't have to because we don't know what we don't know.

We can't see there from here. Let's let the eclipses do their job first. Let's see where we are all sitting by the first week or so of September when Mercury has done his magic, too, and assess from there.

With that North Node in Leo the right move is not going to be some super complicated thing where twenty things have to fall into place for us to get what we want. Following our heart should feel natural. There is an ease to this. 

I have a friend whose mother lost her house (so many people have lost long term housing situations in the last few months!) and the friend is unsure and worried about her mother moving in with her. She loves her mother, but is thinking about all the problems that could happen and the changes her own family will have to make. So, I'm asking her, "well what is the simplest thing here? If your mother doesn't come to stay with you what will happen?" She tells me, "well, there isn't really any other place right now, but I'm not sure I want to do this!".

The North Node in Leo is saying to go with our heart. So what does she do? Is she following her heart (oxygen mask on own own face first, right?) by helping her mother or isn't she? Is she really hurting herself by helping her mother or is she overthinking and projecting the situation too far ahead?

Leo brings us to the bottom line. She loves her mother. She has a couch and a pillow. Her mother has a head that needs a pillow. There you go. That is the simplest thing (and yes, I know this isn't simple, but the first, next, best step almost always is).

(and, of course, if there is any way to push this whole decision off until mid September she should do that and she will be glad she did)

Thinking twenty steps ahead is what Aquarius does - we don't want to be doing that. Right now we follow our heart. We have to trust this stuff to work out. This overthinking thing "my mother is going to live on my couch forever!" which our heart knows is ridiculous, but our head is stressing over is often what keeps us from following our heart.

This "following our heart" thing isn't about all of us hopping into an Uber and heading to California to be movie stars. Your head might want to be a movie star (and I guess someone has to be one), but I can promise you your heart's desires are much closer to home .....

xo all

Venus into Cancer | July 31st - August 26th ... attracted to what feels like home

hanna by aufzehengehen

Venus moves into nurturing Cancer today.

Venus in Cancer is the maiden becoming the mother. It is a natural fit. 

Cancer Suns and Cancer Risings (Cancer ruling the first house of our natal chart) get more attractive - both easy on the eye and able to attract what they want. What house holds Cancer in your natal chart? That house will be more attractive now, too - meaning able to attract our attention, and other people's attention, to that house's theme. 

If you have any planets in that Cancer house in your natal (or progressed) chart Venus will meet with (conjunct) those planets over the next month. Planets in Scorpio and Pisces will trine Venus at various times. Planets in Taurus and Virgo will sextile. Trines and sextiles offer opportunities and we will need all the easy energy and opportunities we can find over the next few weeks!

While Venus is in Cancer we will be dealing with everyone's inner child and inner mother AT THE SAME TIME. We might look in the mirror and see our mother. We will be attracted to people who remind us of mother, home or safety. Our own and other people's childhood patterns related to love and mothering or lack of love and mothering will be observable. We will all be more likely to touch each other - physically, emotionally and verbally - in comforting ways.

So, when that strange guy at the post office with the four inch sideburns and two inch nose hairs, steps a little too close and even touches your elbow while chatting you up about the dangers of cellphones you probably won't even flinch. Probably. Especially if mom had sideburns, too.

Kindness matters now. Yes, of course, kindness always matters. But people will be needing it. Most of us, especially women because Venus rules women but not only women, will be more sensitive. More sensitivity can bring us closer to other people. It can also make life more painful. An offer to make someone dinner or a few extra moments spent with someone who needs a shoulder to cry on can make all the difference now.

We will feel a stronger urge to fit in ... somewhere. Most especially somewhere that feels like home.

The primary urge of Venus in Cancer is toward security. Safety and security, home and family - will be what everyone is wanting. The people and places and situations that make us feel protected will be the spaces we can recharge our Venusian batteries.  

The things we want and the things we need will turn out to be the same things.

Venus in Cancer is less direct. People influenced by this transit will be hinting at what they want/need instead of reaching out. Know this and allow everyone a few extra moments to get to whatever it is they need to get to. Our vulnerabilities will not turn off the people they normally turn off. We will not be walking past that homeless guy quite as easily.

This doesn't mean we open up to just anyone although we will be surprised at who is opening up. A crab's shell (Cancer means crab) keeps it alive, but it is continually being outgrown. We most likely know by now where the safe spaces and safe people are.

We'll go to them and we'll be them.

The next three weeks are setting up to be pretty challenging. Hugs will help. I have a niece who hugs long and hard and hardly ever lets go first. She's a Cancer. Let's try to follow her example now - and not let go first.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 31st - storms are brewing ....

melf by aufzehenhgehen

Another big, powerful week as we build toward the eclipses! I'll do a big picture forecast this week as well as some dailies for the stuff that stands out.

I am starting with Sunday this week, even though I am writing this Sunday night (!) since we have the First Quarter Moon today. You might have felt it. A crisis point. We kicked off the week SUNDAY morning with the Moon (in Scorpio) squaring the Sun (in Leo). This brings a challenge to whatever started at the New Moon a week ago. Our awareness (Sun) moves to the problem, so we can reform (Scorpio) the situation.

This monthly aspect (in different signs and areas of our lives) is determined to show us how strong we are on an emotional level - how well we can keep our cool when things don't go our way. More could be demanded from us than we expected or we could be the one doing the demanding. The Moon is squaring Mars, making power struggles even more likely. There is a nice healing Neptune/Scorpio trine (brakes off) in the evening though.

On MONDAY, the Moon is void all day. This is not a good day to launch anything, start something new, have a conversation/meeting you want 'something to come of'.

This is the longest void we've seen in a long time!

Mini astrology lesson: The moon is called "void" or "void of course" when she makes no aspects to any other planets. This is important because our moon lives in imagination where all our possibilities are kept alive simply because we never choose to live them out. So, in astrological terms, the Moon has to make an aspect to a physical planet before she leaves the sign she is in, before she 'changes the subject' so to speak, for anything to actually happen in the physical realm.

When an action is taken under a void of course moon - "nothing will come of the matter". 

Venus moves into nurturing Cancer until August 26th - a space she loves. I'll do a post about it tomorrow - Cancer Suns and Risings get more attractive (both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want), our Cancer natal houses get more attractive, our wants (Venus) and our needs (Cancer) will be working together. People (especially women) will be more emotional, more sentimental AND maybe need more reassurances and more mothering.

EXAMPLE FOR LIBRA/LIBRA Rising (Cancer 10th house) - Venus moves into your public life/career house increasing your ability to attract attention in this area. Emotional connections within a professional setting are possible now. Your naturally fine line between work and home or professional and personal softens even more than usual. You attract/earn more/gain more recognition and self-esteem by being a professional "mother" in some way. Empathy attracts. Vulnerability attracts. You don't have to be Superwoman to be a super woman.

On TUESDAY, the Moon will be in Sagittarius making us feel a little more optimistic and broad-minded. The Moon will be adjusting to Venus (freshly in Cancer) and Sagittarius themes could have our attention - travel, education, weddings, foreign issues, media, marketing, politics, religion. We might also be dealing with other people's finances, debts, loans, taxes, reproduction, sex, death issues now. At night the Moon is squaring Mercury making everyone more opinionated and then trining Mars - we could have a burst of energy late in the day or maybe someone wants/demands our attention.

On THURSDAY, Uranus stations retrograde (post to follow). He will be retrograde for the rest of the year. His change of direction could bring some people a temporary release from whatever crazy-making is happening in their lives. For other people the retrograde itself will shake things up. Uranus has been standing almost totally still for the last week or so, so the change/surprise, could be something that has already happened and now we will be dealing with the aftermath ...

EXAMPLE FOR SCORPIO/SCORPIO Rising (Aries 6th house) this retrograde will have you going back over something in your day to day activities, work and health sector (also pets). There could be a sudden or unexpected change to your daily routine or job. An existing health issue could ease up or maybe an issue from the past returns in a more intense way to allow you to re-work the problem. Think lifestyle "re"flection, lifestyle "re"vision, lifestyle "re"boot.

By May of 2018 Uranus will be in Taurus - shaking up our Taurus natal houses, Taurus people, any planets or points we have in Taurus and bringing revolution to our (collective) money, women's issues, our food supply, weather and climate through 2025. Buckle up!

On FRIDAY, we have the third of the Jupiter/Pluto squares of 2016-2017. Post to follow. The first was in November 2016, the second the end of March 2017. Do you have a story playing out? This has been THE major 2017 transit and it will take awhile to unwind itself. In the United States we have been watching a battle between government (Pluto) and media (Jupiter) and government (Pluto) and the courts (Jupiter) - among other battles!

This transit is very ambitious. Power can make us greedy. Success is possible here but there will be consequences for over the top acts of power/revenge/manipulation. With Jupiter in social Libra and Pluto in all-business Capricorn damaged relationships/partnerships/alliances and powerful enemies could be the price to pay for abuses of power and control. This year's transits could bring great success if we haven't pushed (Pluto) our luck (Jupiter) - but could also bring big losses, bankruptcy and time in the slammer for some overly ambitious and unethical power divas.

EXAMPLE FOR SAGITTARIUS/SAGITTARIUS Rising - this week's final square is about a financial opportunity - maybe a cash bonus, big sale or serious source of new/improved income. This would likely come through friends, groups or the internet making this a good time for promotion, sales, media exposure - return those emails! If some opportunity from last November or late March didn't work out, now would be the time to reach out again. The caveat is not to go so extreme that you look desperate, unethical or greedy and have it all backfire. Less will get you more now. 

Mercury is walking the steps he will re-walk two more times - yes, Mercury retrograde is coming! - so pay attention to the news/information/conversations now. AND BACK UP YOUR FILES.

xo all - back later in the week with some dailies and the big picture lead up to the eclipses!

Mars Conjunct the Sun, Venus Sextile the North Node | a new action cycle, investing in what we love

swing by mh22

Mars conjunctions are new beginnings.

Whenever another planet conjuncts (meets at the same degree) the planet Mars we get a fresh start for that other planet's energy because Mars rules Aries and the first house of fiery initiation.

So something from the last Mars/Sun conjunction (mid June 2015, check your Facebook to see what was going on in your life if this time frame doesn't ring any bells) is ending now and something new will begin to open up. Since Sunday's New Moon was conjunct Mars there is likely a connection to that.

This is a fresh start for our Leo house theme (triggered by an ending or culmination) because this is the space the planets are meeting up and this is a fresh start for our Sun sign.

Mars transits encourage action. Leo transits elicit attention. Combined with our natal Sun sign energy (I know everyone knows their Sun sign!) this is our sweet spot of power now.

This is excellent energy to start a new, long term, project!

Two days after the last Mars/Sun conjunction which was conjunct Donald Trump's Sun/North Node/Uranus he announced his run for the Presidency. We might not have this kind of super-potent connection to our natal chart with this one - any planets or points near 5 degrees Leo in your natal chart? - but BIG, or should I say BIGLY shifts, are possible. The impossible can be made possible with this kind of kick-off.

We are living in the days between ages, moving from patriarchy into equality, from the Piscean age (patriarchy, authority) into the Aquarian age (equality, freedom). Anyone who expected the incoming Aquarian age to look like late 1960's hippie culture (peace, drugs and rock 'n roll was pure Piscean energy) is being badly shaken up. Aquarius (ruled by erratic Uranus) is about creation through chaos. With every leap forward (and technology, ruled by Aquarius and Uranus is making sure our leaps are often with lengths unrivaled by Olympic athletes) we face the risk of losing everything.

And yes, right now we, as a collective, are leaping - there are no guarantees of a smooth or even safe landing. Maybe we have to let go of the idea of even landing at all to enjoy (Leo) the trip! My thinking (!) is we can't think too far ahead now because what we are thinking and feeling and doing is constantly interacting with and changing the paths ahead that will be available to us. The "good old days" are what we carry inside us. We aren't going back there. This doesn't mean we don't have good days ahead of us, we have GREAT days ahead of us. They are just different days!

The fear that is crippling us/our planet at the moment, is the closing act of the Piscean play. It's the act whose lead characters are the parts of us - acted out by the people "in charge" - that refuse to change; the parts of us that would rather drown, and take the rest of us with them, than deal with and face up to how wrong their ideas/thinking has become. We see this in the collective, especially in politics, but we also see this within ourselves.

Our heads can't get there from here.

Our future is just too different from our now. And that's OK. With perfect synchronicity our loving Universe/God/Goddess has given us the North Node in heart-centered and Sun ruled Leo to guide us. Our hearts can get there.

With the Moon and Mercury in Virgo today we might be overthinking something. Our overthinking is actually holding the whole world back. Yes, we are that powerful! This doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking at all. With Mercury in Virgo our thinking and reasoning skills are sharp and needed now.

But it's important to stay centered in our heart with whatever is happening. Remember that North Node in Leo. What do we want to create is this situation? What do we want to be recognized for?

We also have Venus (love, money, women, beauty, balance, fairness, self-esteem, what we value) sextiling  - OPPORTUNITY - our North Node in Leo. The opportunity comes from recognizing what we value now. What do we want to do with our precious hours on this precious planet? If some kind of balance needs to be reset - this is the time. This is the energy to beautify our environment and ourselves. This is the energy to be investing in what we love - what does that make you think about doing with your time, money, attention? Do some of that. This sextile is fleeting but not some small thing - please don't assume because it is only one tiny paragraph here that is isn't as important as all my ranting. It's more important.

xo all

Mercury into Virgo | precise language

emely by sollena fotografie

Mercury (communication, ideas, thinking, siblings) moves into organized and clear-headed Virgo today. Mercury rules Virgo and is uber-happy to be in his/her own sign after blasting through bombastic Leo.

Since Mercury will station retrograde during his stay in Virgo, this will be a good long chunk of time for us to tend to the details of whatever we have going on.

For the next few weeks our thinking will be more analytical. Conversations will be to the point. We will want the facts. Other people will want the facts from us. The numbers will have to balance out. Practical thinking matters. Mistakes will be noticed, so double check language, spelling, grammar, etc (I need to triple check because I always double check and still find errors in these posts!).

We will need to put on our magnifying glasses because if we don't see that missed punctuation mark, mathematical error, problem we have glossed over or unsubstantiated fact we are spouting - there is a very good chance someone else will. 

The shadow of Virgo is self-criticism (and criticism of everyone and everything) and self doubt - setting too high a standard. Perfectionism. Nothing is ever good enough and sometimes things don't get finished so we don't have to be judged and come up short. Since Virgo energy - and we all have Virgo somewhere in our charts - is one of the ways we learn to love ourselves unconditionally, we are pretty much guaranteed to miss something and make mistakes now and then.

We really can figure out and work with the things that need improvement without beating ourselves up when we come up short.

If we have been searching for a solution - this is great energy to nail one down!

Bottom line - it's time to get our sh*t together.

This is a good time to start/reactivate a mindfulness practice. Slow down. Think about what we are doing - ie I am doing the dishes, this water is warm and soapy, these dishes are cool, the sun is shining through the window, etc. There is so much wisdom encoded inside each one of us that gets bypassed when our lives get too noisy.

Mercury will soon be retrograde.

He is walking a path RIGHT NOW (started yesterday) that he will re-walk two more times. This means it is time to pay attention to what is going on in our Virgo/Leo houses because this is the stuff we will be going back over. When he turns direct on September 5th we will be sinking or swimming.

So what is happening now? Yesterday? Today? What are we working with - what are we in the middle of? What is just beginning? What is falling apart?

We are all aching to turn the world around. The collective world and our own personal worlds have reached an impasse with something. Everyone is dealing with their own intractable situation and at the same time we are all dealing with the world's problems that seem insurmountable.

Lots of stuff is about to get shaken up. Have I said recently - the eclipses are coming?!

For today, with Saturn sitting across from Venus and Venus about to confront Chiron next weekend, it is easy to get all mired in our own victim stories and focus on what isn't working. It would be better to step into our own Saturn now (responsibility) and find a way to bring love, balance and kindness (Venus) to someone else .... remember our collective North Node is in Leo - we need to be following our heart. We could start by loving what is right in front of us. xo

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 24th - alice ... meet wonderland

alice in wonderland by needcaffine

MONDAY is a powerhouse kind of day.

Leo season is officially started - marked by the Sun's entry into Leo on Saturday and we won't have another Leo season like this ... ever!

Hello Alice meet Wonderland!

We wake up to the Leo Moon sextiling (opportunity) Jupiter (in Libra). Emotions expand. Partners will be looking for recognition and appreciation. So will we. Let's be generous. Let's be grateful for what we already have.

Venus (in multi-tasking, choice loving Gemini) opposes Saturn (still retrograde in Sagittarius).

Venus ruled - love, money, women, self-esteem, values, beauty - hit a wall (Saturn). There are limits (Saturn) to what we can attract (Venus) now. Maybe we are forced to be charming when we don't feel like it. Maybe we just want to be alone (Saturn) with our own thoughts (Gemini), but we are forced to be social (Libra). Maybe someone else (Venus) is tossing a wet blanket (Saturn) on us.

It could be that a less than satisfying (Venus) result (Saturn) is delivered now. With Venus set to square Chiron next week, there could be more painful stuff ahead. Ouch.

Remember that even as Saturn is forcing us to face some kind of limit it might not be as bad as it seems with so much Leo encouragement to go BIG - it could be a kind of counter-balance. Smart choices come with built-in restrictions - that's why we don't always make them! Stop signs, walls, or losses are par for the course and not because the smart choice is meant to curb our fun, happiness or freedom, but because smart choices have built in limits (Saturn!) - that's usually what makes them smart choices.

We don't get the good stuff in spite of the bad - we get the good stuff because of the bad! Two sides, same coin.

EXAMPLE FOR SCORPIO/ SCORPIO RISING - Venus opposing Saturn in your 8th house of other people's resources/values/skills means a clear financial or intimacy limit needs to be faced. Results could show up now related to your partner’s earnings/resources, taxes, debts, loans, inheritance, sex, death, rebirth, fertility. This week's opposition and next week's square to Chiron in the same space could mean a painful disconnect between what you want and what you have. This could connect back to this past spring's Venus retrograde.

We also have Mercury (in passionate Leo) trining (brakes off) Uranus (in Aries) on Monday. Mercury will be at the same degree of our big eclipse next month - so the breaking news/new idea now will tie in to that even bigger FRESH START.

Information/news/communication is sudden, liberating or inventive. Bright ideas will hit us right between the eyes. Our minds will be sharp with access to lightning fast, original thinking!

In the collective (as well as our individual lives) news will be unexpected.

Misuses of power will be called out this week. Lies will be called out. The reality police are on the job. Don't over-promise or over-commit now or we could get ourselves in trouble. With a crazy August ahead of us, if you don't need to make a life altering decision right now then don't - unless your heart is certain, then listen to your heart, but prepare for twists and turns.

Mercury is about to enter Virgo (a sign he rules) and then he will go retrograde (yes, the dreaded retrograde coming right smack in the middle of eclipse season!) and he will station direct (in early September) on the exact degree of the big Solar Eclipse in Leo next month, so whatever comes up now - it will tie in to eclipse season and all the revisions, reinventing we will be tasked with! Pay attention. Act I starts now -and it will be a doozy. Act II is scheduled for early September.

EXAMPLE FOR VIRGO/ VIRGO RISING - Mercury trining Uranus from your first house indicates that new idea, which might seem nuts to other people, is something you need to take a closer look at. Move toward whatever has caught your interest, knowing Mercury's upcoming retrograde and his tie-in with the eclipse energies means this won't be a fast or smooth process.

On Tuesday the Moon and Mercury both move into Virgo. This is good energy for organizing, paperwork, health issues, pet issues, day to day stuff. With Mercury in Virgo we will be more discriminating, more analytical, more careful with our words and more able to think things through.

On Wednesday, the Sun conjuncts Mars - plan to do something creative! We talked about this aspect last week - anytime a planet conjuncts Mars we get a fresh start with that planet. So something from the last Mars/Sun conjunction (mid June 2015, check your Facebook to see what was going on in your life if this time frame doesn't ring any bells) is ending and something new will begin to open up. Since Sunday's New Moon was conjunct Mars there could definitely be a connection to that. Passion, initiative, motivation (also anger) will be amped up, especially around Leo ruled romance, children, games, risk and our creative pursuits.

EXAMPLE FOR TAURUS/TAURUS RISING - the Sun is meeting up with Mars in your 4th house of home, family, home business, security. A cycle that started mid June 2015 has finished and you’ll be starting a brand new home/family chapter that involves assertively creating or going after what you want (have courage Taurus!) in terms of your security needs, appreciation and/or recognition within your home, home business goals and what YOU need to be happy within a family situation. It you want to move or change something in your home situation - well here's a fresh start toward that. This energy will be connected to Sunday's New Moon in Leo.

Creating what we want or going after what we want (including recognition and appreciation) will be driven by our daring and confidence. It takes daring and confidence just to say we want recognition and appreciation ... doesn't it?!

On Thursday morning the Moon enters Libra. This is good energy to be social, get out there and meet with people. The Moon will sextile the Sun at night - good date night!

On Friday, the Libra Moon conjuncts Jupiter in the afternoon - expansion via groups and partners - and squares Pluto in the evening - jealousy, manipulation, compulsion - not a good date night!

xo all

New Moon in Leo | time to set new intentions for what we are known for, our creative work, what we are prideful about

king of the lions by prudicast

Today's New Moon in Leo kicks off a very BIGLY Leo season. I have already talked about it HERE and HERE. We are going to be talking Leo, Leo, Leo for the next few weeks!

The New Moon slips in, plants the seed and pushes things forward. Are you ready?

Our natal Leo house is where we are meant to "shine" - this is where we create, take risks and are "recognized".

This "recognition" doesn't mean everyone is going to love what we are doing. But the stuff we are doing will stand out.

Following our heart is what we do for ourselves. This is a hard pill to swallow for many people (and of course, we can take this too far - some of the shadows of Leo are greed and approval chasing) - the idea that the most important things we do, the stuff that is true to our heart, is really all about us.

New Moons in fire signs like this (we only get 3 a year!) are enthusiastic and impulsive and starting now, within the next couple days, especially with a blank sheet of paper and an OPEN heart - enable the energies at play to work with us. 

Imagine the Gods and Goddesses rubbing their hands together excitedly, "OH! YES! NOW we've got a PROJECT!".

This fresh start will be about what we are known for, our creative work and what we value and are prideful about. 

What is the theme of your natal house activated by these energies?

That's your work space.

Where is 0 degrees LEO in your natal chart? Don't know? Email me or go to astro.com and print your chart for free.

If you have natal or progressed (remember the universe didn't stop moving the moment we were born) planets in fixed or fire signs at close to or on 0 degrees you will feel this New Moon the strongest. Anything ending now is standing in the way of what our heart really wants - let it go.

INTENTION TIPS: 

Let your heart guide you, forget logic with this one, clear your head, write what your heart wants not what you think you should write, write your intentions down by hand in script on a blank piece of paper, speak the words out loud, burn the paper - release your attention from these things knowing your intention is known. 

Life has heard you. 

Know these things are already yours.

xo all - back later with the weekly!

In the last post I linked to Marina's New Moon post about the energies at play during this particular Moon and how they might reflect "tribal shock" and "hive mind". I thought it made so much sense with last week's energies and the Sun leaving Cancer precisely before the New Moon. I felt the rightness of her words, but I didn't see it connecting to my own story.

Within just a few hours of linking to her post I found out my aunt - only family member left from my mother's generation, and only family older than me - had been moved across the country, away from my state, with her son and daughter in law without them telling anyone AND hubs had a big phone fight with his sister and told her to never call him again (in my family we'd be back on the phone within a week, but in his, the end very well could be the end and would leave him rather frozen out) ... families falling, drifting, breaking apart - there could be a familial part of our story that gets left behind as the new energy carries us into this brave, new Leo season ....

Mercury Conjunct the North Node, Sun Trine Chiron | what hurts is what helps, words that point the way forward

home by imagomundi

This week's diverse aspects have been a struggle to think/write about in a way that recognizes they work together and stand on their own.

Taken separately they are like looking at a complicated dinner recipe one ingredient at a time and trying to figure out what you are supposed to make. I am sure an experienced cook with a good eye and mature palate could create something delicious, but this week I have felt more like your average hungry person tossing all the ingredients into a pot and adding some salt.

We have only a couple more days of Cancer season - the season of nourishment. I have been using Blue Apron food delivery service, 3 days a week, for the last month - having lost most of the garden this year to animals. The biggest eye opener is how little food we actually need to make dinner. When I lay out the night's ingredients on the counter I am amazed they will feed 2 people - it looks impossible.

But we always have just enough. No wonder I toss so much uneaten food every week - for years I have been making way too much.

I think this applies to many things other than dinner ...

Today we have the Sun (our self, ego, light) trining (brakes off) Chiron (deep wound). The Sun is still in Cancer so maybe opening up (shining a light on) our home/family issues or childhood trauma actually makes us less hurt or less vulnerable. Maybe under the spotlight we can see these 'vulnerabilities' are part of our strength, too. Somehow they look more friendly in the bright light of day, don't they? What were we so afraid of?

Mercury (communication, ideas, thinking) hooking up with our North Node (collective way forward) means we need to pay attention to what is being said, what we read, what we see, etc now. Since Mercury trined Saturn on Wednesday - there could be some news or information guiding us toward a more stable future.

With the North Node in Leo, ruled by the Sun, these two aspects could work together.

Living our Sun doesn't mean we reject our inheritance. The opposite is actually true - the more we are truly ourselves then the more openhearted and genuine we can be to other people including the ones with the fingers on all our buttons. It's not that their fingers will move on, although they may seem to, it is actually that we won't be carrying around the hidden buttons anymore! AND although we can still see/feel their buttons we also see their frailties and vulnerabilities in a new way giving us the compassion to keep our own trigger fingers safely tucked in our own pockets.

The psychic skeletons that haunt our families - many for generation after generation, so often seen in our birth charts - the power ploys subconsciously designed to keep people 'close', the subtle and not so subtle undermining of talents and potentials, the scapegoating, the envy and resentment and fear that accrues within familial groups - the Sun, our heart, following our heart, has the power to break these family curses.

They need to come into the light.

(and yes, now I am picturing Poltergeist and that poor little girl trapped in the walls, or was she not supposed to go into the light, I don't remember)

I will do a final New Moon post this weekend to set our intentions. See Part I HERE and Part II HERE

The Moon has so many dots to connect and I hadn't been connecting it with all the family drama playing out within this week's closing aspects - here is a post by Marina at Darkstar Astrology where she does this very well ... the possibility of "sacrificing true family connections in order to please a fake, cult family" could resonate now. 

xo all

Sun Square Uranus, Venus Inconjunct Pluto | shaken not stirred

shaken by tori-f

I accidentally set this post to go live at 8PM instead of 8AM. I guess my previous, more upbeat Mars in Leo post wanted a little more center stage airtime - how very Leo!

****

Today we have the Sun (in Cancer) squaring Uranus (in Aries) at 28 degrees. This could be disruptive.

Maybe a surprise situation or unexpected action (by someone else or by us) challenges or brings uncertainty to our security/stability or to a home/family situation.

Change directions too quickly and we could cause an accident, but this is good energy for a change in our appearance or the way we "shine" in the world. This is great energy to break out of a rut!

People will be restless and won't want to be pinned down. Today's stress/challenge could relate back to something from earlier in the week. Stay flexible.

We also have Venus (in Gemini) inconjunct a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn) at 17 degrees. Our own choices and decisions regarding Venus ruled money, love, values, self-esteem or beauty situations could be contrary to whoever/whatever holds the power now.

Maybe something we thought/hoped we were finished with comes back around or maybe our "rehab" hits some roadblocks. Jealousy, manipulation, obsession, compulsion and power plays could cause issues within our relationships. Whatever the situation we are dealing with, if this transit is hitting our chart, the answers aren't easy and could be out of our hands for now ....

xo all

Mars into Leo | leading from our heart

in heart by Marta Syrko

Today we have fiery Mars (action, initiative, passion, anger) moving into equally fiery Leo (enthusiasm, heart, love, ego, pride, creativity, courage) until September 5th.

Mars will be in conjunction with both the Sun and the Moon on Sunday at the time of the New Moon and Mars will be exactly conjunct the Sun next Wednesday - which ends whatever started at the time of the last Sun/Mars cycle (something started mid June 2015) and launches something NEW

involving universal Leo themes (and/or for us personally the themes of our Leo natal houses) - how/what we initiate, how we take action, how we express our passion, our anger issues or issues we are angry about, something involving our creativity or children or romance. Mars will be active during the August 7th Aquarius Full Moon, too.

If you are a Leo Sun (or other fixed sign - Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio) this transit is going to wake you up. If you are an Aries rising or a Scorpio rising (your chart is ruled by Mars) this is going to wake you up. Everyone's natal Leo house is waking up BIGLY!  

We will all feel this one.

The great thing about Mars in Leo is that it not only provides that Martian kick off at the starting line, it also provides the Leo ability to stick with it once we get it started!

Leo is the sign of the lion - the king of the jungle. One of the best ways to understand the king of the jungle is to understand the little lions we keep in our homes - those creatures called cats.

Everyone who "owns" a cat knows what a misnomer this word is when applied to the feline species. Cats can't be "owned". We know it and they know it. It is perfectly natural for them to convey an attitude of comfortable superiority.

This energy, this "presence" is what Leo is all about.

Everyone has Leo somewhere in their natal chart - a space we are meant to feel "comfortably superior". Ruled by the Sun, this is an area of life (in addition to our Sun sign) we are meant to SHINE. We are all about to get a whole lot more shiny. I think we will need those eclipse glasses no matter where we live now!

This is a great time to take action with something we are passionate about. Leo energy will not be ignored and doesn't like to wait, so if something needs to happen now - let's make it happen. The two weeks following Sunday's New Moon in Leo are PRIME make it happen days!

If we need courage, if we need confidence, if we need attention - this transit will provide the fiery push to take the action we need to take. Fresh starts don't get any fresher than this.

We have the North Node in Leo now - it is important to focus on the things that call our heart forward. Our blood is flowing faster (seriously I think someone needs to check on this) - our passions are stirred up!
 
Sometimes when we ask what our heart really wants we do not like the answer we get because we know it will force us to disconnect from something else - maybe something we used to love or maybe something that made/makes us feel safe or maybe something that is comfortable - start with those ratty old slippers, toss them!

Or because Leo's instinct is primal we (Aquarius polarity's shadow) start overthinking all the ways this new thing isn't going to work. 

We use our minds and words to start creating problem "cords" and entanglements from our new thing to all kinds of crap we don't want to happen. 

We don't need to do that right now. It is actually counter-productive.

Looking for dragons doesn't protect us from dragons - it actually creates the dragons!

We don't have to get too far ahead of ourselves - we don't have to know HOW we are going to do it. We just have to get clear on WHAT we want/need and take some kind of action. Life can use whatever action we take to get us where we need to go.

The energies on planet Earth have changed since the end of 2012 - we have lost the the energetic gatekeepers that kept things from happening too quickly - they have folded up shop and left the building! 

We don't need them, but we still think we do. 

We really can get there (wherever there is) from HERE. 

(Donald Trump is President people, I mean, who ever thought that could happen - well HE did and that's how it did happen. Instead of, or in addition to if we insist, bemoaning that fact let's celebrate what it shows us is actually possible - so, what do WE really want?)

By the end of the year we will have Saturn coming home to Capricorn the sign he rules - we will have to work harder and there could be more restrictions on us. Things will be a bit more "set in pace" so we want to be doing/living what we love NOW since we could be doing it for a while!

What is the theme of your Leo house? This is the space of our lives where we are all "lightworkers" - we are all able to channel the Sun's (Son's, if you resonate with this) energy unfiltered. It's going to be a space/theme of life we LOVE. And yes, there will be work, notice the word lightworker includes those four letters, too! We are spreading light (knowledge) through work.

Work doesn't really feel like work when we are loving it though, does it?

xo all

Venus Trine Jupiter, Mars Trine Chiron | smoothing things out, do you feel lucky?

beauty outside, myth inside by cobraromania

Yesterday's challenging energies (still in play, but to a lesser degree) give way to today's more manageable aspects.

Trines bring natural grace, support and the ease of things "falling into place".

In our natal chart, trines (120 degree aspects) are our natural gifts, sometimes so innately a part of us we don't even realize they are gifts. They work in similar ways during times of transit - smoothing things out, easing us over rough patches, quietly removing road blocks, sometimes while we are still miles away. They do their work so seamlessly we might not even feel them. We'll just look back later and see the ease with which something potentially complicated fell into place.

With Venus (in Gemini) trining Jupiter (in Libra) at 15 degrees (those with planets or points around 15 degrees of the air signs - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - will feel this most)

communications within relationships will be more harmonious. Conversations can be more relaxed. This is great energy for socializing. Be out and about. Return the call. Send the email. Situations with Venus ruled themes - love, money, women, beauty, self-esteem, our values - expand (Jupiter) under this transit. We get lucky. 

With Mars (in Cancer) trining Chiron (in Pisces) at 28 degrees (those with planets or points around 28 degrees of the water signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - will feel this most)

we are offered a cooling balm for any wounds yesterday's Mars/Uranus square opened up. Here's the band-aid. It's a stretchy fabric one that stays put in the shower and, look, it's even got a picture of Bambi on it. Also mom has kissed our boo-boo and given us a cookie. Oatmeal!

Actions (Mars) can be healing (Chiron). Family (Cancer) connections (Pisces) can be repaired. Compassionate (Pisces) action (Mars) heals. What hurts? What needs mending? Work on that.

xo all 

Venus Square Neptune, Mars Square Uranus | proceed carefully

Out of View by FlewDesigns

Today we have two inner planets, Venus and Mars, squaring off with two outer planets, Neptune and Uranus. This gives us multiple ways things can go off the rails. With more positive transits coming as early as tomorrow, today is not the day to leap into something without looking.

Keep a cool head. Don't say/do something you will regret tomorrow.

Neptune squaring Venus is good energy to simply want too much. Expecting too much from other people or from a certain situation dulls our vision to what we already have and where we already are. The grass looks greener on the other side, but that's only because we are not the one who has to water it.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the next thing that we miss out on our connection to the thing we have now. Someone I know with this aspect in his natal chart is always having his hopes dashed. He thinks he has bad luck, but what he really has is a natural tendency to want/expect so much that he is continually disappointed.

(this doesn't mean that wanting/expecting too much is a bad thing - it can be a great thing and most people probably settle for too little - but with today's skies this is something to be aware of)

With Venus in Gemini (choices) it will be easy to make the wrong decision or pursue the wrong thing today. Snap decisions could snap back at us. Keep things realistic. Is this thing "we want or need to take action on NOW" really something we want/need to do? If something logically looks like a long shot, this is not the best energy to have a go at it. Invest your time and money carefully .....

With Mars in Cancer squaring Uranus in Aries, we, and other people, could feel a strong urge to rebel within the family, home or an environment that feels like family. Or things could get pretty passive/aggressive - for example we don't want to go to dinner with someone so we lose our keys and can't leave the house. Or maybe someone is stubbornly holding onto a position simply to annoy the other person or not finishing something as a way to have power over someone else or power over a situation where they feel out of control (ahem).

Something unexpected (Uranus) could be in conflict with what we are doing or trying to do (Mars). There are many tricky situations that can lead to conflict now.

Take care when driving. If it ain't broke don't try and fix it today.

On the other hand if we need to find real courage against something that truly is oppressing us - today's energy could stoke a fire that needs to be started. Chew on that.

Baby steps people, the Sun will come out tomorrow and we are heading into Leo season - the sign that rules HAPPINESS and FUN .... and today's Moon is in Taurus - get outdoors, eat some good food, focus on the things you already have ... xo

(there may be more info in the weekly HERE)

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 17th - high stakes, getting fired up, chickens coming home to roost

cutting light by alltelleringet

Last week was fairly quiet in the skies but this week should more than make up for it.

This is a busy week with the most notable transits Mars squaring Uranus on Monday and the Sun squaring Uranus on Thursday. We also have both Mars and the Sun moving into a fire sign and the week ends with a BIG New Moon in Leo!

A Sun/Mars/Uranus mix-up can be rough and challenging. Even angry and violent. We need to be prepared for some unexpected twists and turns over the next few weeks. 

The stuff happening now is reactivating the Pluto/Uranus square we were all dealing with a couple years ago (that we never really stopped dealing with) - chickens are coming home to roost (hoping mine are guinea hens and will eat these damn ticks and mosquitoes).

So, if something needs to be fixed, it needs to be fixed NOW. 

If this means something to you, if something popped into your head when you read that - then deal with that. If there is something we can't outrun - we need to turn and face it. Maybe we can suddenly clock in a 4 minute mile and get away clean, but more likely that thing we have been avoiding is not as far behind us as we thought it was.

On MONDAY, fiery Mars (in Cancer) squares unpredictable Uranus (in Aries). We also have Venus (in Gemini) squaring a retrograde Neptune (in Pisces).

This is confusing energy.

Venus squaring Neptune can leave us inspired but insecure or maybe disappointed or taken advantage of. This is the first square of the Venus/Neptune cycle that started on January 13th, if that date rings a bell. Boundaries could be leaky now and our discernment could be lacking. Let's be diplomatic, but we need to take our time with this one and not rush into something blindly (like maybe rushing in to help someone or agree with someone without all the facts)

because on TUESDAY Venus trines Jupiter (the BEST aspect we could have), so whatever "crisis" is stirred up on MONDAY, the winds will change on TUESDAY, very likely for the better (give life your best shot on TUESDAY - get dressed up, be nice to other people, expect communications to go well). Tuesday is a good day for investments - our money/value of what is purchased grows.

Later in the day on MONDAY Mars is squaring Uranus. People's actions will be unpredictable. We will be restless and so will other people. Crisis points could center around freedom and taking action. Arguments and disruptions are possible now. Keep a cool head.

Taking action (Mars) for the good of the community (Uranus) is favored. New action is favored. The Moon is waning, so it's not necessarily the best time to launch something new, but it's very good energy to do something in a new way. Work outside the box. By TUESDAY Mars will be trining Chiron so it looks like the fight/argument leads to healing. Compassionate, creative action is best.

Our waning Moon will be in Taurus both days which is great energy to get your hands into the dirt, prepare fresh food and enjoy eating it, walk barefoot in the grass, slow down, sing, dance, take an afternoon nap - get out of your head and feel the weight of your physical body on our physical planet.

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury (in Leo) trines Saturn (in Sagittarius) then on FRIDAY Mercury goes on to conjunct the North Node. There is something to pay attention to here. This is the news/communication/conversation/idea (Mercury) that will last (Saturn). This is something you can take to the bank. Something stable. There is not only security here and something tangible (Saturn), it is connected to your best way forward! Like all trines we need to put out some effort. The Moon will be balsamic, so we might want to take another nap, but be out and about. Put yourself, and your words and work, out there.

On THURSDAY, the Sun squares Uranus. This is a bookend to whatever was happening on Monday. Know people will be restless and maybe looking for a confrontation. The best way to use this crisis point (use it or be used by it!) is to understand there is a cost to preserving the solid structures in our lives. Throwing babies out with the bathwater may clear the tub and we won't be cleaning any soiled diapers, but then we don't have that cute little baby to sing to when the lights go out. There are trade-offs.

Of course, if someone else is really stepping on us - this is the energy that will bring the situation to a head. Oppressive situations come up to be worked out. Where there is anger energy, there is also courage.

Also on THURSDAY Mars enters Leo (this is about us putting energy into our creative endeavors) followed by the Sun on SATURDAY (more passion, more creativity, more energy). On SUNDAY we have the New Moon in Leo (fresh start!), so the week ends with a whole lot of Leo fire!

Things are very combustible now. Take care with fire. Everyone will want to be the king of the jungle now. With so much Uranian energy - expect the unexpected (and yes, with the energy focused on Uranus and Leo, expect Trump to be back in the news - has he ever been out of the news?).

xo all - back with the dailies and to finish up and sort out that New Moon post!

New Moon in Leo | July 23rd - start something new, be careful what you wish for ... part II

star wars tcg luke skywalker by anthony foti

In astrology-speak the Moon is essentially regressive in nature. It is always pulling us back to the past, to the mother-child bond, to our basic security needs, to our core. 

The stuff the Moon rules does not really change much over the course of our lifetime. The sign our Moon is in, the house our Moon is in, the sign on the cusp of our 4th house, planets in our 4th house, the degree of our IC - the very bottom of our chart, if our chart were a clock face it would be at 6:00 - Cancer's placement in our chart - all tell the story of our very essence. What we need to feel nurtured at 2 won't be that different from what we need to feel nurtured at 82.

The Sun is different. The Sun is progressive in nature. It changes. It is active and productive and unfolds over the course of our lifetime. It gives us - our "hero story".

You have probably at some time read something about the work of Joseph Campbell (maybe most famous these days with inspiring George Lucas's Star Wars hero journey) and something he calls the "mono-myth" - which is basically the "hero story" that is told in every culture's mythology. This is our solar story. It's the story of the Sun in our natal chart.

Now in every story the hero isn't born a hero. Even if he is born a prince, he has to earn the right to be a hero.

This earning comes in the form of tests and quests.

If we think about pretty much every movie we have ever seen - there is a hero who starts out looking much like you and me (well maybe not so much like you and me if we are not a white man or boy, but you get the idea - so excited to see the promos for a Wrinkle in Time!), there is a journey, there are some dangers and conflicts so we can muck things up a bit, there is adventure, there are tears and fears, there is joy, finally there is a reward and then the hero returns home (to his family, to his home, to his God), maybe to a hero's welcome.

Sometimes the hero will shirk his duties the first time he is called into service - this often happens and it is often then that he meets some kind of mentor or guide. And of course it is even possible to refuse the call of our Sun totally, in which case it comes back around in a different form, with harder tests and more dragons. Trying to escape the destiny of our Sun during important chart movements and we will likely pay dearly on another level for our refusal to become ourselves.

Sometimes the burden is passed on to our children. And we all carry some unfinished solar business from our ancestors.

Now, our Sun (think movie hero/heroine) starts out with everything it needs to fulfill its journey. It has all the right planets in all the right places for what it needs to do (strengths, weaknesses, upcoming transits representing challenges and opportunities). It has the Moon, which although it can give voice to that part of ourselves that can feel wronged and sorry for itself when we dragged away from our comforts, but can also be depended upon, in times of crisis, because it shows us how to look after ourselves. We have many helpers in our chart that are the energies we carry within us to attract what we need - just what/who/where we need at just the right time.

Now maybe the most important thing to remember about the hero's journey is that although it looks like we are doing what we are doing for ourselves - because the journey is really about becoming who we really are - we are doing this 'becoming' for the collective. The actual thing we are doing though must be pressed into us by some inner necessity - if we do it so other people will be happy, or so other people will love us or because we don't want to rock other people's boats by properly manning our own - we wind up in a whole lot of trouble because we won't be true to ourselves, which is, in a nutshell, what our journey is all about.

Test failed. Quest mucked up. It's tricky and a paradox.

There is a reason the Sun rules the 5th house of our chart - creativity, children, fun, enjoyment, romance - the things that give life meaning! So, the sign our Sun is in, the house our Sun is in, the sign on the cusp of our 5th house, planets in our 5th house, planets talking to the Sun, Leo's placement in our chart - all tell the unfolding story of the hero/heroine within us. The role we are called upon to play.

And just like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz who had a life before and after her journey through Oz that likely involved milking the cows and walking Toto - we have other aspects of our life, too. Life is not all witches and wizards and yellow brick roads.

But we enact the hero's journey (our Sun story) in many different chapters of our life story - some of them so short they come to completion in a week, some maybe even a day. And as soon as we have made any step forward in consciousness and self-unfolding, another call comes in and we are off again. 

The Sun is progressive - it is never finished with us (until we draw our final breath and it is).

So what does all this have to do with next week's New Moon in Leo, well we'll talk about that in part III.  xo all enjoy the day!

New Moon in Leo | July 23rd - start something new, be careful what you wish for ... part l

dragon daughter by Makusheva

I'm writing this one a little early so heads up.

If you have anything fresh and new in any kind of preliminary "launch" mode

(particularly if related to your Leo natal house theme or the universal Leo themes of creativity, fun, games, romance, children, sport, hobbies, pleasure - that just about covers everything good anyway, right!)

you might want to get a jump on things and get it out there during the waxing (growing) cycle of this fiery New Moon. This would mean sometime between July 23rd and August 7th.

And by "launch" I am not talking about the space shuttle here or a dotcom start-up. ANYTHING you are looking to get started or do in a new way will get a boost from this energy.

This New Moon is at zero degrees Leo and will be the first of two New Moons in Leo this year - the second will be the "Great American" Solar Eclipse of August 21st at 28 degrees Leo. So one New Moon will take us into Leo - and we have the North Node (our collective way forward) in Leo! - and an even bigger one will take us out.

Events intensify as we move forward from this New Moon. 

Zero is the first degree in astrology and connects to the Magician card in the Tarot. This is excellent manifesting energy since anything is possible here so we should be setting our intentions with this in mind. Take this stuff seriously or skip it altogether this month. I'm not kidding. We need to be careful what we are wishing/intending now because we are much more likely to get it.

This New Moon will be conjunct Mars giving it even greater power.

Mars is all instinct, fiery passion and initiative. Mars is that first powerful kick off at the starting line. We don't have to know exactly where we are going with this, we just have to START. So take some action toward what you want during the waxing days of this New Moon. We'll talk about this more as we move through the week. There is also a Venus/Saturn opposition at the time of this New Moon which is not normally such a great aspect, but I think it will help narrow our choices down for us toward what is most stable and this will be a good thing in the long run.

Leo is ruled by the Sun and with the Sun ruling this New Moon - and the North Node of our collective way forward now in Leo also - this is all about following our HEART. Whatever new thing/situation/person/belief/action we choose to work with needs to be something we are excited about, it needs to stir us. It needs to not have any self-sacrifice or victim mentality connected to it. It needs to come with a certain ease. This doesn't mean there won't be work involved, but it can't be only work involved.

With the North Node in Leo now if we really don't want to do something and we do it anyway, it isn't going to work. What we want, what is calling to our heart, is the only thing that will work now. Choices get easier.

So this New Moon is about our Leo natal house and about our Sun (the Sun rules Leo and is the ruler of this New Moon). Where is 0 degrees Leo in your natal chart? Go to astro.com, free horoscopes, natal chart - find it.

This will be a fiery new beginning. xo all

Up next tomorrow - part ll our Sun signs and the road ahead