Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 18, 2017 | new moon, new season, new energy to move that eclipse story forward - sex, lies and videotape

autumn by Lubitella

This week we get a New Moon, a new season and a new area of focus for both the Sun and Venus as we build toward the final Jupiter/Uranus opposition at the end of the month! Mercury starts walking NEW ground. Uranus is active so maybe something unexpected comes to light and must be responded to.

Chiron is active so our response is probably not going to totally fix whatever is broken or replace whatever is missing and will quite possibly ... hurt. Since our Chironic wounds are carried from childhood when we were innocent there is a large degree of unfairness about them. We will talk about this in the New Moon post.

Venus has reached the North Node and will now hit the Solar Eclipse degree of 28 Leo and then move into Virgo. Whatever the eclipse has removed/ripped from around our heart (stems from family story and "unfair" wound/weight) it has created the space for loving Venus to penetrate.

Note - if we need to make a decision and haven't made it yet, this week is NOT the best energy since we have two Neptune oppositions. Facts will be blurry, things could look better than they are or worse than they are, we could be deceived.

On the other hand if you have already made a decision this might not be the week to un-make it either. I know I said we need to make decisions and we do and we will, but new information that comes in this week may not be totally reliable. We'll need to do our homework. We'll need to double check our facts.

What are we aware of now that we were not aware of just a few weeks ago? Pay attention. This week's New Moon in Virgo is another chapter in this story and it takes us back to 2015 or spring 2016. The main message/gist of the thing has probably already been delivered though.

Let's look at the Moons and this week's action:

On MONDAY, we are coming off Sunday's trine between Venus and Uranus, so something/someone new and unusual may catch/have caught our eye. With Venus still so near to the North Node of fate - this could be life-changing. This is about our Leo and Aries natal houses. Venus will hit the 28 degree Leo Solar Eclipse degree early this week, too. Something is beginning to seep inside the heart-space the Solar Eclipse has left unguarded - something good.

The Moon is in Virgo now, so our minds are clear and active. It is easier to stay organized. This is good energy to get work done, to be of service to others, to take care of our pets and our health. We will be focused on organization, stream-lining what we need, eliminating what we don't. Keep in mind Virgo energy can create problems just so we have something to fix!

The Moon will hook up with Mars in the afternoon - we will be more assertive, people could be more aggressive and even well-intentioned criticisms will carry some bite. The Moon then hooks up with mental, communicative Mercury - this is good energy for negotiating, working with complicated information, remembering details. By night fall the Moon is opposing Neptune - dissolving boundaries and maybe coaxing us to the dark side with cookies .... stay strong!

(Speaking of boundaries has anyone seen the new movie "mother"? Hubs and I went Saturday night. He didn't like it - hated the final acts. I was traumatized and need therapy ... I am not kidding. Am I the only person connecting this movie to Mother Earth and patriarchy? Probably not, need to google.)

On TUESDAY, Venus moves from Leo to join the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars at the Virgo party - which is, yes, attended to by staff who clean up our crumbs before they even hit our napkin.

Imagine a baby born today - Virgo on steroids, challenging to be her/his mama! Of course that baby would have a Virgo Moon, so see me (mama) through the lens of Virgo and that would force me to really get my act together.

Collectively we will be applying Virgo's penetrating practicality to our Venus themes (love, money, values, self-esteem) until October 15th. This transit also makes us more receptive (Venus) to our Virgo themes (health, work, service, practicality, organization, pets, co-workers).

Virgo Suns and ascendants get more "attractive", meaning both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want, and all of our natal Virgo houses get more attractive, too. In Virgo, Venus won't be impressing anyone with Leo drama - the appeal of Venus here will be about the work, the service, the quality, the devotion. Love can be more fussy and people can show they care by nagging and criticism, so let's try not to take it personally when someone points out the flaws in our plan, typo on our report, lipstick on our teeth, etc. And let's try to reel this tendency in a bit with ourselves. Venus in Virgo can cause affection to fizzle when we, and others, start zeroing in on the flaws.

The Moon (in Virgo) will square (tension) Saturn (in Sagittarius). Mercury (in Virgo) will oppose Neptune (in Pisces). We have had dreamy Neptune in Pisces since 2012 and we have 8 more years of a strong Neptune (ruler of Pisces) opposing Virgo! No wonder our thinking is muddled, we can't tell truth from fiction, we are drifting off course, we are under water, everyone wants to escape and no one can make a clear decision. Neptune!

All the planets in Virgo are also working their way through an opposition to Chiron (also in Pisces). If we try to escape our reality in Virgo - we are going to have a health crisis, an injury - we will be called back into our body. Remember the Virgo/Pisces nodes of 2015 and early 2016 - how is that story playing out now? I don't have enough hours in the day to write about this. Ugh!

Anyhoo, this is NOT a good day to come to an important decision or sign a long-term contract - we will have missed something, change our mind later, things could look better than they are, yada, yada. This is the culmination of the Mercury/Neptune cycle that started on March 4, 2017 if that date means anything to you.

(in U.S. politics Google is telling me this was the date Trump accused Obama via Twitter of wiretapping Trump Tower and the date of the March 4 Trump - which I don't actually remember, although with his Uranus/Sun aging us in dog years I think I can be forgiven for forgetting this one - ack!).

This is not a good time to leave things unsaid because the other person will walk away with the wrong impression. Speak clearly. Be specific. State the facts. And know that even if you do all these things - the other person could still walk away with the wrong impression. We could, too.

Mercury/Neptune is a great combination for lies and wishful thinking. Avoid drugs and alcohol - we will need a clear head. And if you were born around 1962-1965 be especially attentive and focused this week - watch that what you say is what you mean. It will be easy to say something that comes back to bite you or to hear something that bites and make a move you regret. Keep a cool head.

Think about what is happening here when these energies connect - our mental boundaries (Mercury) are dissolved (Neptune). We could think of things we haven't thought of before with this boundary gone, see things in a new way - just know that everything we are seeing/thinking may not be ... real. This doesn't mean having access to these realms isn't a good thing and it doesn't mean we can't make these thoughts/ideas real. Maybe we can. Maybe not. It's a fine line between practical reality (Mercury in Virgo) and our unbounded imaginings (Neptune in Pisces) now. Or no line, actually ...

Let's try to avoid making important decisions until next week when these two planets separate.

On WEDNESDAY, we have the New Moon in Virgo at 27 degrees (I will do a post). This is the first New Moon since the big Solar Eclipse in Leo on August 21st. I'm not a huge fan of this Moon's aspects, but it is what it is. We will be doing more adjusting to the Solar Eclipse energies. The Moon is inconjunct Uranus and opposing Chiron and with the Sun and Moon fixated (in Virgo) on what is not working, broken, unhealthy or missing, we could feel an urgency to fix something that just can't be fixed. We'll do our best with it. And we will avoid those Piscean escapes (vices) ...

On THURSDAY, the Moon in social Libra squares powerful Pluto. This is about power games within relationships - control issues, obsession. Relationship secrets/ stuff we don't want to look at, could come out now. By night-time the Moon is sextile (opportunity) Saturn in Sagittarius. This allows us to prioritize the right stuff, stay grounded and respond responsibly.

On FRIDAY, the Moon is void until 1:40PM EDT when it enters Scorpio - this is not a good morning to start anything new or put anything out that we want something to come of.

Mercury (in Virgo) trines (brakes off) Pluto (in Capricorn). Good for communications regarding career matters. We could say something that deeply impacts someone or they could say something to us. Good for deep conversations. Good for research. Good for organizing our business communications, emails, etc. We could be dealing with other people's resources, taxes, debts, loans, inheritances, sex, reproduction, death, rebirth.

The Sun enters Libra kicking off a new season with the Fall Equinox (spring if you are down under). We'll talk about this chart later in the week because we will be dealing with it (collectively) for a while. We still have alot of Virgo, but our Libra houses are waking up!

All our cages are being rattled or are about to be. Hang in there, it really does all work out in the end, so if it's not working out we know it's not the end .... back with the dailies. xo

Please remember the Moon transits are in play on the dates listed, the other planets for some days before and after the dates listed. The Mars/Mercury argumentative energy from previous weeks continues to be in play. Drive safely. The energies combining this week (Neptune/Mars, Neptune/Mercury, Mercury/Mars) could feed things like misleading action and/or words, force or aggression out of proportion to the situation, anger fed by fantasy, unrealistic plans and actions and generally lots of confusion over how to best move forward or what to do. Give yourself a break. Nobody else knows what the hell they are doing either.

All the nasty Trump jokes (Mars/Mercury) at the Emmys were not very helpful. Anything divisive is not very helpful right now ....

Mercury Conjunct Mars ... again | headstrong, argumentative, pushing the conversation, pushing the idea, the review is over and we are ready to get started

Odyssey by Vertu Design

Mercury and Mars have been dancing together for weeks (highly unusual!). They met up on September 3rd when Mercury was moving backward (retrograde). They meet again today with both energies (our head and our ability to act) moving forward - we are post eclipse, eyes wide open.

So what are we going to do? The review, the reflection - is over.

Maybe we get a second shot at something from early September. Maybe this is another argument (Mercury/Mars is great energy for a rip roaring confrontation) or more likely the same one being rehashed - last time Mars was strong and direct in a fire sign and Mercury was still retro in Leo. Now Mercury is strong in Virgo, a sign he rules and Mars is not quite so flashy. So Mars is a little less powerful now and Mercury is a lot stronger. There is greater potential for a cool head to win this round.

Maybe we need to have the uncomfortable argument to find where the blockages are. The bigger the blowup the older and deeper the pain.

Or maybe we need to walk away from unproductive discussions and focus on how to get what we thought we needed from the other person from ourselves. Maybe we need to just let it go.

We are more likely to be comfortable expressing anger OR sorrow, but not both (the Course in Miracles teaches they are really both fear in disguise). So we will be more comfortable with anger and repress sorrow (hubs) or be more comfortable with sorrow and repress anger (me).

We'll push whatever we are not comfortable with onto other people for them to act out for us. This is mostly done unconsciously, but when we get conscious about this stuff - well, first our world is majorly rocked then majorly ripe for real change. Alot of this past season has been about family dynamics, old stories that need to be put to bed - we will know what these are by the way they trigger our bodies and emotions. This isn't so much a time of progress as a time for healing ...

****

(I decided to take an hour beach-break yesterday morning and enjoy a little "local-summer" now that the tourists are mostly gone. I am sitting in the front of a long line of cars making a left turn at a red arrow waiting for the bridge to close and the gates to open. This arrow is new and I'm sitting there thinking it's a smart new addition because when the gates come down, and block the traffic in front of the bridge, everyone used to pile up in the intersection and the traffic going straight through (not over the bridge) used to get stuck, too.

We are sitting for a bit. Bridge openings on this road can take a while. Suddenly someone behind me beeps their horn. Then someone else. Soon at least a dozen people are beeping and yelling out their windows at me. I am not sure they can all see what I see, but I am still looking at a red arrow and the bridge rails closed. I am thinking WTH. Well maybe I am thinking WTF. Well maybe by now I have my arm out the window with my middle finger extended.

And yes, I am thinking to myself that I must be really pissed off to be attracting this much "pissed off" in my direction.

I inch up a bit, so the tractor trailer behind me can get around me and into the empty right lane (there is an empty right lane next to me for cars going straight and not left over the bridge) - maybe he wants to avoid the bridge wait and drive straight? But no, he swoops around me to the left, along with four other cars, blocking the intersection and piling in front of the gate.

I was thinking about Mars/Mercury (Mercury also rules transportation) and about how this could have, in the past, triggered old stuff for me the way traffic situations tend to do to us - other times in life we have been cut off, left behind, out-maneuvered - but it didn't this time. I kept a cool head - well, my left middle finger got a little hot and itchy, but as a person more comfortable with sadness than anger, that anger had to come out. It felt appropriate to the situation (plus I live in Jersey).

I could see the red arrow and the closed gates. Maybe the other drivers could, too, but maybe they couldn't. Maybe they got around me and said to themselves "oh, so this is the hold up".

With the Mars/Mercury energy peaking today knowing that other people don't have the info/view/background knowledge that we have can help avoid a tussle. It can also show us our triggers.)

***

Maybe we push (Mars) the idea/conversation (Mercury). We decide (Mercury) we take action (Mars).

We still have the Black Moon Lilith (the uncontrolled woman, sexual freedom) story in play, the Venus (love, money, values) story in play, the Moon in fun-loving Leo, the Sun in practical Virgo shining a light on our harvest AND all the ways we screwed this harvest up (damn nit picky Virgo) and all the ways it was screwed up for us (not everything is under our control) and all the ways we freaking got lucky.

What are we going to do with all of this?

I am about to hit a local flea market and then clean the pool, so we can close it up for the season (sniffle). I hope everyone enjoys their Saturday.

We'll use Mars/Mercury to move forward. We'll watch for Mars/Mercury triggers.

.... xo all

Venus Sextile Juputer | increased expectations, opportunities for more love/more money, shop smart, drive safely, watch your tongue, play with the kids

kids by Joa Gna

Today, Venus (in Leo) sextiles Jupiter (in Libra) at 24 degrees. There is opportunity for expansion/celebration/to get lucky. Personally, the opportunity will be between your late degree Leo and Libra houses.

Collectively this will be about love, money, self-esteem, our values, women, beauty, children, recreation, romance, fun jiving (all those Venus and Leo themes) finding their happy places through our groups, social activities, chance encounters (Venus is still conjunct that North Node!), women, travel, education, foreign, weddings, higher thinking.

I know this sounds like a word salad. Because it is. Take what you need!

This would be a good time to begin a new relationship - personal or business. With Mercury so close to Mars (exact tomorrow) there could be some bickering, maybe quite a lot of bickering, but it might be worth it!

Watch your wallet because Venus/Jupiter is good for spending money and might not care if we actually have any. On the other hand funds spent on our appearance or our relationships is probably not a bad thing. Just keep your eye on the benjamins today and through the weekend.

Jupiter brings increased EXPECTATIONS.

In this case it would be around our relationships, love and money. And because we often seem to get what we expect we are going to get this can be very helpful. Hence, his reputation as a kind of astrological Santa Claus.

Keep in mind though that Jupiter is a planet made up entirely of hot air (gases). Not everything will pan out in huge ways. Some things will just kind of fade away like a dream. Venus is moving toward an inconjunct with wounded healer Chiron, so some of the promise of this energy will need to be fine-tuned. Something might trigger a previous wounding.

With Venus in Leo new doors will open (North Node!) fastest with a Leo attitude - optimistic, happy, generous. There are multiple opportunities here and we simply can't screw this up.

The greatest opportunities for our collective will come through our belief that things can get better for all of us.

The Moon is in Cancer. It opposed Pluto just about the time of the London bombing. And we have Mercury (transportation) moving toward an exact conjunction with Mars (violence) tomorrow. What we see in the collective is always at work in our own lives, too. So take care with machinery. Drive safely. Passionate conversations and arguments can be dropped like bombs so don't initiate confrontations. Think before you speak.

By mid day the Moon will be sextiling (opportunity) the Sun - in Virgo, so opportunities for a light to be shone on detailed work, service or our health. This is good for seeing both sides of a situation and for having alternate views work together. The Moon goes void at 5:23 EDT. With an interaction with unexpected "out-of-the-blue" Uranus as her parting shot - we could have some unexpected emotions (ie a reason for unexpected emotions) later in the day. After the Moon gets into Leo late tonight would be a good time for fun, romance, kids.

Don't plan to get to sleep early! xo all

Venus Conjunct the North Node | affirmation we are moving in the right direction, wild women make history plus a warning about too many green bean casseroles

If the dream flies away by Julie-de-Waroquier

This week we have seen Venus (in Leo) trine (brakes off) Saturn, then the Sun moved into an exact square with Saturn (brakes on) and now Venus (love, money, self-esteem, our values, women, beauty) in Leo (creative work, children, romance, recreation) moves into an exact conjunction - at 23 degrees - with the North Node (our future).

Pay attention to what comes to your attention now.

There should be an affirmation that you are moving in the right direction - or a nudge in a new one! This will involve the themes I have listed above and/or the theme of your natal Leo house - yes, this is the same house/theme we have been talking about for weeks via that total Solar Eclipse in Leo.

Venus is going to hit the eclipse degree next week but we might get a preview now. There could be an opportunity to push a little further toward what "our heart" (Leo) wants. With Saturn playing a part in this week's story line working with Saturn's discipline, limits and responsibilities will be key here. Nothing works unless we do.

At the same time Venus is also trining Black Moon Lilith (the out of bounds woman, the woman who plays by her own rules, sexual freedom, power) in Sagittarius. Interesting that it is Margaret Sanger's birthday (Planned Parenthood founder) and Hillary Clinton has been in the news again lately. Black Moon Lilith will conjunct the North Node in a couple days, so there could be even more of a spotlight/acceptance for out of bounds women/women's issues or personal power.

Her trine to Venus as Venus conjuncts the North Node of destiny hints (not that BML ever speaks softly about anything!) the part of ourselves/the situation/the relationship/the creative project that might normally be in some way "out of bounds" or not conventionally accepted (even offensive, think - the things we don't talk about in polite society - sex, money, power, our flaws, our vulnerabilities) - will need to be included. If we leave the uncomfortable pieces of ourselves to wither on the vine now the whole orchard goes down, too. The trine should make this acceptance process move smoothly.

We might not even notice the trine, we'll just realize later on that some formerly unacceptable part of us has been merged into the whole and we are better for it. Or we take the new job and realize we didn't ask about the money! There is always a flip-side.

We don't want to be putting up with a "dis-empowerment" in whatever situation we are dealing with (although with Saturn involved we know everything won't be all sunshine and flowers). We are connecting with the fire of millions of female voices that have been dis-empowered. We have more power than we think we do. 

The Moon is in Cancer today and tomorrow so we will all be feeling more sensitive, more in need of nourishment and care. The Moon will have some nice aspects with Neptune making us more compassionate and more imaginative. We can hold a space for someone else without judgement more easily now. This is a good day for meditation or some kind of grounding practice.

Mercury isn't covering new ground yet and the Moon is waning - this is the time of tying things up, planning, not rushing into something new. As early as next week we'll have Mercury covering new ground and a New Moon in Virgo - we will be pushed into something new soon enough, trust me on this one.

We might want to push off those big decisions, and we likely can for a few more days, but they need to get resolved this month or life will force our hand anyway.

Decisions made now need to take into account the lessons we learned over the last few weeks. Then we decide. Then we decide to not look back. 

That's all that is required of us. Life can use whatever decision we make to get us where we need to go if we don't disrespect life by disregarding these last few weeks. Really. 

Save the big new moves for a few more days though. Let Mercury start covering new ground and the Moon to start waxing. For now, tie up loose ends. Plan. Do what is right in front of you.

The Moon in Cancer is squaring Uranus and hooking us into the next big aspect - the Jupiter/Uranus opposition on September 28th. That date and the following couple weeks will be challenging for many people (in the collective the Trump vs legal issues or Trump vs media story will be peaking). And Pluto will station direct in Capricorn the same day!

There are BIG changes ahead for all of us - both collectively and personally. By next April we will have 3 outer planets in new signs, including Uranus, who last changed signs on March 11, 2011 (the day of the Fukushima earthquake). And both Mars and Venus will go retrograde in 2018! It will be another big year to go over and over things.

We have October, November and December to make the big personal changes (and you may have already made them - many, many people have - but if you know you were/are supposed to make some kind of move/change, but haven't - this timing is for YOU, get something started with this). At the end of December Saturn comes home to Capricorn. Daddy's home. Things could get more stable but also more stuck. We might miss this mutable, crazy year.

How is that possible? Well, have I said before that winter is coming? 

We are still in the season of the harvest and we are all harvesting something. If you have a kitchen filled with green beans (like me) and really wish you had planted some eggplant and kale (actually the critters ate the kale) - well, it's too late to plant eggplant and kale now!

So stop obsessing over that and make what you can make with the green beans.

Figure out a way to use your green beans to get the eggplant and kale or you will be eating green beans all winter. Maybe you like the stability of knowing what you will have for dinner (green beans!) but most likely you will feel stuck with them.

And now I've made myself hungry ... but not for green beans. xo all

Sun Square Saturn | meet the wall (no, not THAT wall)

the wall by alice faux

The Moon, still in multi-tasking and communicative Gemini has some nice aspects this morning with both Venus (sextile) and Jupiter (trine) - this would be a good morning for communicating with a partner, teaching, some kind of PR opportunity, social something or other.

Before going void, she sextiles (opportunity) Uranus (the unexpected, the future, freedom). Uranus is in Aries for a few more months and her interactions with our Moon today could have us feeling ambitious and looking for something new. 

At 2:35PM EDT the Moon goes void until dinnertime. We'll be left dangling with that sextile to Uranus pushing us to close up early and make a run for it. The Moon will enter Cancer at 6:12PM EDT leading to a couple days where we would all prefer to hunker down at home or with people and places that feel like home. Our emotions will naturally be soothed by what nourishes us and its lack will be more strongly felt.

The Moon is in the last quarter phase of her monthly cycle. And Mercury is getting ready to begin covering new ground next week - this is the time to put any finishing touches on projects started before late July or follow up with any appropriate situations from before that time.

With the Quarter Moon happening in fast moving and "too many irons in the fire" Gemini we could be feeling rushed, under-appreciated or over-worked. The Moon is winding down now. Find some time this week to unwind a bit, too.

In the meantime, back on the ranch, the Sun (in Virgo) is hitting her exact square with Saturn (in Sagittarius) at 21 degrees. These two will be close enough to have this tension/stress in play all week.

This is Saturn's 2nd square (due to his retrograde) with the Sun since we started our new Saturn cycle back on December 10th at 18 degrees Sagittarius when these two power players met up.

This is that wall, or obstacle, we talked about in the weekly (ie fire breathing dragon). There are GROWING PAINS.

The Sun will shine a spotlight this week on whatever this is for us. Our life force/creativity is blocked somehow. There is pressure, tension, frustration. Maybe too much work or too much service is being required of us. We could doubt our own abilities and any space we "don't have what it takes" could be right in our face and possibly even on view for others.

Maybe we'll get a "no". Maybe something that stabilizes us comes to an end or something requiring additional responsibilities/work could begin.

Whatever this wall is for our egos in this cycle - we hit it. "DAM!" said the fish when she did. Ack!

Patience and diligence (sorry!) are the only antidote to a Saturnian wall. We'll get through this. Time is on our side here.

(September is a big decision month and no one is going to feel like they have enough time/facts, etc to make the best decision. In October, Jupiter - higher thinking and remember Saturn is answering to him! - will move from Libra where he can see both sides and wants things to be fair, and into Scorpio where he will not be dealing with any crap.)

This square could be most strongly felt by the mutables - Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces - and anyone with planets or points around 21 degrees Sagittarius or 21 degrees Virgo. But since this is the Sun we are talking about we will all be feeling blocked somewhere.

The way through this tangle (since the Sun is in practical Virgo) is working with whatever is right in front of us in the current moment.

Don't look too far ahead or too far back. Saturn likes things to stay exactly as they are, but that opportunistic sextile between Uranus and the Moon today tells us something new needs to happen here. The square makes any move challenging since we are between a rock and a hard place. Just do your Virgo and get through the briar-patch - small, practical steps, focus on quality, don't get caught up in a 'perfectionist/criticism/mired in the details' trap. Keep moving. Do your best. If you don't know what to do - there is probably some weeds to be pulled or dishes to be washed somewhere. 

Doing something for someone else (very Virgo-like) can help bring us out of any depressive funk - Saturn can be heavy-duty. Of course, if this over-doing is part of the tension, this would be the thing to ease up on a bit. Virgo also rules our health - if this is the space we are hitting the wall - take things seriously. Make the difficult changes. Do it one step at a time.

Tomorrow, we have Venus crossing the North Node - she is on a roll people! Whatever it is we are doing to bring more beauty to the world is ripe for a BIG PUSH in the right direction.

xo all

Venus Trine Saturn | commitment, investing for the long haul - Rome wasn't built in a day, attracting the stuff that lasts, mentors and muses show up

like stars on your skin by quadratiges

Today, we have Venus (in Leo) trining Saturn (in Sagittarius) at 21 degrees. 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. It's strongest today though.

Venus rules love, money, our values, women, beauty, our self-esteem (Libra and Taurus) and in Leo, ruler of our 5th house, concerned with romance, creative work, fun, recreation, children. Saturn rules structure and things that are real and have weight, time, goals, hard work, discipline, fathers, older men and responsibility (Capricorn) and in Sagittarius, ruler of our 9th house, concerned with higher education, travel, the things, the people and the places that are foreign to us, legal issues, politics, the media, weddings, higher thinking and religion. Trines create smooth energy - the brakes are off - the vitality will flow and work together naturally.

This trine will apply to our natal Leo and Sagittarius houses (21 degrees) 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.

For me, this is about my 10th house (21 Leo) and my 1st house (21 Sag). So good energy for my (10th house) career, business, the way I show up in the world, my visibility - to support and jive with my (1st house) physical self, name, brand, image. A good time to make a bigger commitment with this stuff.

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. Fire signs could be especially ready to settle down (Aries, Leo, Sag). *

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

When dealing with authority (Saturn), pulled over for speeding for example, it can't hurt to show them some respect (Leo) ... and maybe a little leg (Venus). When channeling Venus in Leo it is best to be unafraid to be noticed - spider veins and cellulite be damned, our legs are coming out!

(Many years ago someone was talking about cellulite and hubs said "Catherine, doesn't have any cellulite". Later I asked him why he said that, since it wasn't true, and he said, "hmm, well what the hell is cellulite?" I think he thought it had something to do with poor phone reception.)
 
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 today to cement their merger?

ALSO NOTE - our fast-moving, multi-tasking Gemini Moon is challenged by both Mars and Neptune today.

Numerous distractions are likely. Stay focused on what your heart wants. With Venus stabilized by Saturn and within orb of the North Node in Leo ... our heart's desire (what you seek is seeking you ... Rumi or in astro speak, "what's in your heart is in your chart") is quickly catching up with us and much closer than it appears ... time to check that rearview mirror.

Check the weekly HERE for more info.

xo all

* A few words about this "settling down" thing. 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 ....

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 11, 2017 - moth meet flame, rushing just creates more lack, know when to shut the hell up, a dragon in our path could be a dragon, could be a fire extinguisher

Runaway by Lukreszja

We know whenever the work week includes the complete Gemini Moon cycle it is going to be busy and we have other stuff happening that looks busy, too.

Rushing doesn't seem to get us anywhere faster though.

Remember we have had, through a strange set of circumstances, Mercury traveling with Mars for weeks and we still have one more week of this. This is fast moving energy and can lead to arguments and accidents. People will continue to be quicker to speak out, quicker to be annoyed and will speak out more forcibly.

The flow of information and daily tasks has been challenging to keep up with. Customers/clients can be irritable and want things done yesterday. Good advice (yes, from grandma) if you can't say something nice about someone, well then just shut the hell up (yes, my grandma was from New Jersey).

The Course in Miracles teaches we have two ways we can respond - through love or through fear. Love knows when to shut up. This can be the harder, higher ground. Fear requires little regulation of ourselves as we blather out something to eradicate our anxiety or cement our identity. Let's choose the higher ground this week.

All the chaotic energy that is trampling on Mother Earth's body is trampling ours, too.

There are multiple situations converging, but the Mars/Mercury piece of the puzzle (just a few more days of this one!) is impacting our liver (perfect storm for something like a bladder infection or digestive issues), stomach/solar plexus (2nd chakra).

This chakra is super impacted by Neptune's stomach churning storms (Solar Eclipse plus Pisces Full Moon ruled by Neptune and conjunct Neptune), Leo's fires (Grand Fire Trine, Eclipse, more anxiety!), dis-empowering lies and the media blasting "catastrophe" at us 24 hours a day. This chakra really needs healthy boundaries. If we are feeling something like "I can't digest all this information" or "I have lost my center" or the feeling that our gut instincts are letting us down - it's time to reset our boundaries here.

(and on the flip-side some people's boundaries are drawn so tight - we can be so sure we are right and that what we believe is TRUE - that tightness and rigidity creates similar issues with an out-of-balance 2nd chakra. I know someone who can literally only eat three different foods.)

Life on planet Earth is not for sissies folks.

Flipping that pancake and checking out the positive side (yes, that will be the side with the most visible blueberries)- Mercury/Mars, now that both are in Virgo and moving forward, is good energy for learning and applying our skills - not bad energy for back-to-school if the teachers can keep the kids from bickering and in their seats!

On MONDAY, the Moon will be void until 3:29PM EDT. This is not a good time to start anything new if we want something to come of it (so if you are filing a late tax return or something you want 'nothing to come of' this would be a green light).

Even void the Taurus Moon (ruler of our resources) and the Virgo Sun (ruler of work and service) can get alot done. Work efficiently with what you already have.

After the void, the Moon enters communicative and multi-tasking Gemini squaring Mercury (Gemini's ruler) and Mars. This would not be a good time for any kind of challenging conversation because people can be testy and words sharper than we intended. We could say/do things in haste that we might regret later. Try to avoid rushing - especially if you are a fire sign - Aries, Leo or Sagittarius. Good timing if a hard-headed (hopefully not heart-less, remember that North Node in Leo), strategic game plan needs to be announced/implemented, but not everyone is going to like it.

Jupiter (in Libra) is trining (brakes off) the South Node in Aquarius. This could be a smooth/simple opportunity to interject something Aquarian into a group or social situation. Maybe it's our freak flag - whatever makes us uniquely ourselves. Something quirky, new and innovating (or rebellious - Aquarius is that, too, of course) creates expansion and "luck" now. Since we are talking about the South Node of what we are releasing, we could be stepping away from something that is "distracting or distancing" ourselves from others (technology? many people are without electricity right now). We get lucky by getting involved and being ourselves - just keep in mind that Mercury and Mars are squaring the Moon and take your time, know when to shut the hell up.

On TUESDAY, Venus (in Leo) is trining (brakes off) Saturn (in Sagittarius). This is excellent energy for manifesting into physical form (Saturn) what we want (Venus). This energy is in play all week. This is still Saturn so results come through work and time, but they do come. The investments we make now (love, money, what we already have, women, beauty, self-esteem, values) can pay off later. We can also see the results of our prior labors this week and next.

On WEDNESDAY, the fly in the ointment (damn flies) to yesterday's exact Venus/Saturn trine is today's Sun square Saturn. This could take us back to something started when the Sun met up with Saturn back in December. With the Sun ruling the Leo North Node of our collective way forward AND our HEART this obstacle/restriction/wall is actually a positive. In both the same way all obstacles are positive in the end when we look back at what we have learned and in the sense, at this particular time in our history with the collective way forward about following our HEART - whatever stands in the path of that will need to be dealt with.

For now it might look like a fire breathing dragon. And in fact it could be an actual fire breathing dragon, but it could be the dragon that will lead us directly to the acquisition of the fire extinguisher that we will need moving forward. Whatever we use - skill, resources, etc - to get around or over this thing is going to be needed later on, too. We have the Sun in Virgo and Virgo loves to make something. We might have to build it as we go.

Any tension or challenges now that come up are part of the process that gets all of us to a happier space. Yes, we will have to deal with whatever comes up now, but life is magical and we get the square at precisely the right time - Virgo season! - so we'll use that Virgo Sun to fix what needs fixing here. It doesn't have to be a perfect fix and it won't be some big, splashy thingamajig. Virgo rules the small, practical steps that are helpful. Work small with whatever is challenging while keeping your heart (North Node Leo) firmly fixated on what you WANT (that Venus!).

The Moon goes void at 2:35PM EDT.

On THURSDAY, Venus (still in fiery Leo and approaching the eclipse degree next week - that's when the benefits of that monster Solar Eclipse will become more visible) meets up with the North Node of our collective destiny. Pay attention to what comes to your attention now. Maybe a woman comes into your life and moves your whole story forward somehow. This is the energy for desire (Venus) to meet up with whatever it takes to make the desire come true. Moth meet flame. We'll talk more about Venus's journey this week in the dailies including a sextile (opportunity) with big-time opportunity maker Jupiter on FRIDAY.

Lots more to write about including Mars and Mercury's final exact conjunction on Saturday, but I am out of time this morning. I have a largish store order to get to and another store owner who wants a face-to-face skype - which means I have to think about what my own face looks like this morning. Which reminds me with all this Venus we will want to be looking our best this week (and next week). It will make us more attractive - ie more able to attract what we want.

Venus loves all the lace and polish and we want her on our team now. We will be a stronger channel for our favorite muse's energy if we take a little extra care with ourselves.

xo all

Today's Astrological Weather Report - handcut carrots, small tweaks adjust BIG things, practical language, the audience goes home

South wind by painted poppy

Today, we have the Sun (in Virgo) trining (brakes off) Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn), Mars (action, initiative, passion, anger) changing signs from fiery Leo into stable Virgo and Venus (in Leo) inconjunct Pluto. The Moon is waxing in Aries this morning and moves into Taurus at 12:23 EDT (after a short void around lunchtime). The Moon is exalted in Taurus - the sign of prosperity and ruler of our resources.

First, let's look at Mercury.

You might remember he moved into Virgo on July 25th before reversing course and traveling back through Leo. So, now we are kind of back where we were then, but with a clearer grasp on whatever information/facts we need to be grasping to move ahead. We are older and wiser now. The retrograde forced us to deal with delays, to take another look at something, to ask the right questions, to revise, to review, to reconsider - and now we have the results/the decision/the info we need. It won't get much clearer than this.

Retrogrades force our hand with this stuff. They can't always force us to use what we have learned, but let's face it - if we were planning to do X, and, during the last few weeks learned Y and Z that impact X, we would be a fool not to use what we have discovered/learned as we move forward. So we will.

Mercury (communication, thinking, ideas, local neighborhood, siblings, transportation) is quite happy to be back in Virgo - a sign he rules.

In Virgo, our thinking, writing and communication will be more practical and commonsense. We will be all about the details. Nothing gets by Mercury in Virgo.  But lots of things get dismissed. If it's not real, if it doesn't work - it's gone. This is an excellent transit for organization, cleaning, paperwork, working on the tedious trivia we have overlooked during Mercury's days in star-studded Leo. The curtain gets drawn, the crowds go home, the star of the stage (us!) hones his craft without an audience, without applause. This is the work that gets done right because it needs to be done right. This is also excellent service energy - for taking care of our health, for taking care of other people, for taking care of our animals.

The Virgo house in your natal chart gets a visit from active Mercury - this is where the solutions will be. This is where we can drill down the details and become more efficient.

This is where we will be walking our talk.

The shadow side of Mercury during this transit (through September 29th when he moves into Libra - note he will start covering entirely new ground in Virgo on September 19th) is that we can't always see the forest for the trees. We might get so caught up in the details the big picture gets away from us. We could forget/lose sight of why we are doing the thing we are doing in the first place. Or we get so caught up in something being so perfect, that it never gets finished. Or we pare something down so much that in the end we end up with nothing .... keep an eye (yes, we need three eyes now!) out for this stuff.

The big news today is the perfection of the trine between the Sun and Pluto.

This is an aspect we don't want to waste. Here is where a precise adjustment (Sun in Virgo) creates career/place in the outer world opportunities (Pluto in Capricorn). A tweak to our day-to-day activities or work routine (or diet/health routine! or some regimen with our pets!) STARTED NOW is very powerful. We have to do what is right for other people here, too, because our Virgo Sun rules service - we can't take more than our fair share or cop out on something that is necessary. 

POWER comes through the details now. Use this transit to set up an improved schedule. Prioritize. Do the most important thing first. Take a look at the houses in your natal chart this trine is impacting (your Capricorn and Virgo houses) - there is an increased opportunity for these houses to work together now. Trines are easy to miss because things fall into place easily. Note where this is already happening. Help it along with increased efficiency toward what we are passionate about!

The fly in the ointment with this and yes, there is always a damn fly in the ointment. Maybe without the fly there would be no ointment!

We have Venus (love, money, women, beauty, our values, our self-esteem) inconjunct (something not solvable here) the same career/place in the outer world/authority Pluto.

It looks like something we want (Venus) won't happen quite the way we want it to. Or maybe a situation with a woman isn't working out. Love/money can be tricky. To the extent we are not valuing the right stuff the support won't be there. Whatever this is, it will impact this final leg of our Pluto story which started when Pluto met up with the Sun back in early January.

The trine with Virgo though tells us the way through this is to do our Virgo.

Cross our t's and dot our i's. Do what is right in front of us. Clean up the mess. Share. Put one foot in front of the other now. Eat right. Go for a walk. There won't be any shortcuts, but we won't need them because with Pluto answering to Saturn - whatever it is we are building it is going to be sticking around for a long time ...

xo all

Enjoy that Taurus Moon this afternoon - take comfort in what really matters. Get out in nature (Ack - I am writing a post for tomorrow about the crazy weather!). Get your hands in the dirt. Balance your checkbook. Get a massage. Cut the vegetables with a knife, not one of those fancy electric choppers. You get the idea.

Today's Astrological Weather Report - peacocks strutting their stuff, something about not trying so hard, imperial ambitions and alpha dogs going at it plus an empty nest "no one needs my homemade cookies anymore" sniffle

Insecure by Birdy-7

Today we have the Moon in fiery, independent Aries. Trining Venus (love, money, women) in Leo this morning making it a good time to push (the Moon is answering Mars today!) for something close to our heart that we started working on/dealing with before the end of July when Mercury went retrograde - remember Mercury is walking old territory until September 19th.

This energy is good for strong females who want to be noticed ... hmmm :)

It's also good for independent action.

By lunchtime, the Venus trine is fading out (dammit, I want my spotlight!) as the Moon moves into a square with Pluto (in Capricorn) AND Mars - in possibly today's biggest aspect - a sesquiquadrate with Pluto (yes, that's a word).

That's alot of Pluto. And since Pluto is in Capricorn, that's alot of Capricorn.

This will likely direct our action, emotions and possibly our anger at Capricornian thingamajigs - Cappy people, serious people, fathers, our career, authority, limits, rules, time constraints, security, safety, physical things we can touch, walls, things that can't be moved.

Pluto will always beat Mars in an arm wrestling contest, so this is good energy to find out who is really in charge. Battles for dominance and power are likely. It looks especially treacherous ground for the earth signs - Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn - to slug it out.

On the other hand somebody has to come out on top. Note - it will probably be whoever started out there ....

With Pluto there is always the possibility of destruction. We will be holding a hammer so everything might look like a nail. Or maybe someone else is holding a sledgehammer. Either way the good news is with Pluto there is always the potential for the destruction to lead to rebirth. Things/people/relationships can, and often do, come back better and stronger after a Pluto whomping. Or they end up six feet under. There is rarely an in between. Keep this in mind.

Another aspect perfecting today - is Ceres (in Cancer) inconjunct the South Node (in Aquarius).

I have been feeling this one and went looking through today's chart to see what it was. With perfect timing as always (kids going off to school although that's not my story now) the universe offers up an "empty nest", "miss the good old days when I was taken care of or when I took care of something/someone" transit.

There is "mothering/smothering", "nurturing", "sustenance" that is no longer needed. Maybe it has been outgrown entirely or maybe we just need to find a new way of doing it because the seasons (of life or the year) have changed.

With the South Node involved we know something is leaving. With Aquarius involved we know the ending/release is liberating. Whatever is happening will be a big deal to us to the extent our past includes issues of separation and insecurity (and whose doesn't!). And the extent 24 degrees Cancer or Aquarius - or thereabouts - might factor into our natal or progressed charts.

We'll work through this. Maybe we need to mother ourselves now!

If you have some choices about what you are doing today - and you do! - remember it is Virgo season. We are going to have an even greater heap of Virgo to work with/deal with over the next couple weeks, so it's good to embrace it.

Let's focus on what is right in front of us. Clean stuff up. Get organized. All this Pluto today makes it a good day for purging and recycling, plus the Moon in waning. Take care of the details now. Know when good enough is good enough.

With Mercury heading back into Virgo (moving forward) it is best to say what needs to be said and then drop the matter. Too many directions, extra words, etc, will be taken as criticisms ... even though we are thinking we just want something done right. Let's go easy on others, who don't have the benefit of astrology that we do, when they seem to be criticizing us. Isn't it possible they just want things done right/to go right, too?  

Best to talk about what you know for sure NOT what you are worried about that hasn't even happened yet. This is probably always good advice. Make a bumper sticker. But don't forget to credit your grandma. She probably said it first. xo all

Full Moon in Pisces | the mystical, watery dreamer's moon - seeing what we want to see

Tree Of Life by Dani-Owergoor

You have probably noticed the Moon appearing larger and fuller over the last few days as we've approached this morning's Full Moon in Pisces. I hope you have been able to get out and walk in it!

With the Sun at 13 degrees Virgo and the Moon at 13 degrees Pisces - anyone with planets or points around the middle degrees of the mutable signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces - and people with planets or points around the middle degrees of the water signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - will feel this Full Moon energy strongest.

Check your natal and progressed charts (astro.com).

Today's Full Moon is conjunct a retrograde Neptune at 12 degrees Pisces and Neptune is the ruler of Pisces and so the ruler of this Full Moon - its strength is GREATLY increased. Neptune reflects the longing in us to lose our separateness and merge with the greater whole. It's our quest for Eden, the draw to return to the vanished magic of the womb - to God, to the source of life. It's about everything we can feel and nothing we can touch.

With imaginative and illusory Neptune so strong now whatever is going on - coming to light, culminating, releasing - can be beyond our wildest dreams. 

This can be a real thing or it can be a total delusion - smoke and mirrors.

It might be hard to tell which is which. We will see what we want to see now, especially within our relationships with other people since Full Moons are times of Sun/Moon oppositions.

Something stirred up by the recent Solar Eclipse energy comes to light or culminates now.

The Moon is also sextiling (opportunity) Pallas in Taurus. So, there is opportunity energy between our natal Pisces house and our natal Taurus house themes. Sextiles are the kind of opportunities that require some kind of action. Think about how you might be able to work with this.

(for example Pisces rules my 4th house of home and Taurus my 7th house of partnership, so an opportunity for me to take action, and meet with success, combining these two themes)

Pisces rules the 12th house of what is hidden and put away, the ways we self-sabotage, escape, our addictions, our imagination, lack of boundaries, connection, compassion, charity, hospitals, prisons, the things we do last, the things we have forgotten, our distant pasts, water, sleep, illness, healing, spirituality ....

Our Piscean spaces (the roles we play and the roles we have rejected within ourselves and passed out to other people to act out for us) will be on full display. Dreamers will dream. Escapists will run away. Victims and martyrs will play out some endless saga we will all have to hear about. Saviors will march into action. Seekers will look within. Artists will make art. Drifters will drift off course. Anyone whose boat is only lightly tethered to the dock will be pulled out to sea ...

Maybe a whole lot of people could just feel like giving up.

The invitation to regress, to have permission to suspend the hard work of critical thinking/doing, to indulge "poor me", can be mightily seductive in Pisces. We need to be especially gentle with ourselves and others now.

It will be best to seek to balance the Virgo/Pisces polarity (warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my Polarity Lockets HERE - I am having a rare sale) through some combination of imagination (Pisces) and practicality (Virgo) with whatever we are dealing/working with.

Know that things that look too good to be true now ARE too good to be true. This doesn't mean the whole thing is necessarily a total tosser though, use the Virgo Sun to see what is really going on.

We can ask ourselves - what is our big pie-in-the-sky Piscean dream? How can channeling our inner Virgo and breaking it down into practical, doable slices help make our dream come true?

AND in what ways is life feeling tense and stressed because of a pressure to do something just right or to have something show up in a very specific way? How can channeling our inner Pisces help us let go of the specific version of the way something has to be, or how perfect it needs to be or any need to micro-manage the process - go with the flow and allow ourselves to trust that life really does have our back, now and always?

Neptune is a trans-personal planet ruling the collective - it rules the realms where we are all connected and there are no boundaries between us (one of the reasons since "like cures like" that connection is the most powerful tool to aid addiction). And just as our dreamy Pisces Moon reaches its peak, Trump, whose 12th house has been on fire for weeks with that 28 degree Leo, announces an end to DACA (the dreamers program) .... hopefully Congress - with the help/push of the American people and the people who want to be American people - will use practical Virgo and idealistic Pisces to make this all work out.

For today - get your body into water (this is good advice for all week!), get rid of something/give it away/clear it out - we are FULL UP, too, and it is good practice to make some room for something else at this time of the month. Get out and walk in the Full Moon energy. See what opens up. It is magical!

Make art. Write a poem. Journal. This week has some crazy long Void Moons, too - we might really need some extra rest now (written at 4:44AM since I can't sleep - ack!). Give yourself permission to take a time-out if you need it. Take a nap. Thin boundaries make it easier to catch colds and things from each other (also bad moods!) so take some extra Vitamin C or whatever works best for you.

Our intuition will be strong, but we could pick up the wrong signal and there are other energies at play advising us to be cautious now - not guarded exactly, but it's certainly NOT the time for any big decisions.

Make the time to meditate today - truly this is the best use of the energy. The portals between yourself and yourself are wide open.

xo all

(see yesterday's post HERE for more details on this Moon - and take this breather today because the end of the week is going to see more KABOOM energy with the Aries Moon again clashing with Pluto! Also the Moon goes void at 4:30PM EDT today and stays void until 8AM EDT tomorrow morning - the longest we've seen in a long time.)

Mercury Stations Direct, Mars Into Virgo, Sun Opposes Neptune | BIG ENERGY, take your time

listen to your heart by dorottyas

There is alot happening in the skies today!

Mercury stations direct at the big Solar Eclipse activation point of 28 degrees Leo. Mars moves from fiery Leo into practical and precise Virgo. And the Sun (in Virgo) opposes Neptune (in Pisces) at 12 degrees.

Let's look at Mercury direct first.

Happening at the exact degree of the Solar Eclipse, our Eclipse stories move forward now. We have all the facts we need - we may not know everything, but we know what we need to know. We know enough to take practical and precise action (Mars into Virgo).

With Virgo, there has to be a plan. Things must be done in a piece by piece, step by step manner. It is a great gift to us for all of this to end in Virgo, believe me.

During the last few weeks we have been back over the Leo part (the theme of our natal Leo house, the creative project, the children, the romance, the recreation) AND the Virgo part (the theme of our natal Virgo house, the day-to-day activities, health issues, job issues, the practical details of something).

Maybe we've had a rip-roaring fight, maybe we haven't (that energy is still in play).

Now as Mercury stations to move forward - and we know how powerful Mercury is at stations we've seen multiple terrorist/vehicle events in the days around this energy peak, so take care now - there is a shift that moves us forward, too.

This has been a very challenging Mercury retrograde. I think we'll all be glad to see it in our rearview mirror! Note- Mercury will be covering old ground until September 19th, so action on things in play BEFORE late July is still favored.

With Mars (our action. initiative, passion, anger) changing signs at the same time we know our movement forward is best done in a Virgo manner. This means practical, precise steps focused on what is right in front of us. Mars in Virgo can be excellent for productivity and it can also run entirely off course with perfectionism.

The good things about Mars in Virgo is our ability to organize, to be productive, to focus on the details and what needs doing right now; the next step. Since Virgo is a service sign, the actions we take that help us will most naturally help other people. Mars in Virgo can really clean up the mess and improve the situation. The wheat is separated from the chaff - yes maybe rather ruthlessly, this is Mars we are talking about. But in the end we are left with the wheat (I think - I am not really sure I need to ask a grain farmer or google) or whatever it is we need to grow the wheat. Either way the superfluous stuff is gone.

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

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

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

So, we have Mercury (words, ideas, communications) moving forward. And Mars in focused and practical (also service oriented) Virgo - we are no longer going to be just thinking about what we want/should do, we will no longer just be talking/communicating about it - we will be taking action.

You will notice I am not saying full steam ahead. This is because we have one more piece of today's puzzle - we have the Sun (our ego, our life force) opposing dreamy, imaginative Neptune.

So, although the urge to plow ahead will be strong this week - things might not be quite as they seem right now. We are building toward tomorrow's elusive, watery and mystical Full Moon in Pisces (note - clear some time today and tomorrow, the bigger the chunk the better, for meditation and quiet time - the channels will be WIDE open).

Don't sign on the dotted line just yet.

We might be telling ourselves something that isn't really true. Someone else might be telling us something inflated, too. This doesn't mean they are lying necessarily, although they might be - but with the Sun opposite Neptune we are susceptible to deception and confusion; to wearing rose colored glasses.

If we find someone glossing over the truth or if something seems too good to be true (or too bad to be true), this is a RED ALERT to use that Mars in Virgo to filter out the deception and dig for facts. We don't want to move forward with a fantasy during Virgo season!

If we still don't know what to do, do like Mercury and just stand still for a while longer.

Actually, even if you are sure you know what to do (and if you are I need your help pronto!) first let's look inside - we are fast approaching that miraclulous Full Moon and it is full enough right now to be VERY illuminating. Pisces rules the 12th house of what is behind the scenes, put away, done behind our back, self-defeating.

Let's see what the Full Moon brings to light. Neptune rules the seas and cannot be controlled - what is meant to flow in or out will be unstoppable.

Meditation today and tomorrow, even if you never meditate and maybe especially if you never meditate, will be VERY effective to get clear. The Sun is shining a big, old spotlight on our inner life. We don't want to miss the chance to see it more clearly!

Full Moon post coming tomorrow morning. Sorry I missed writing the weekly. Sully turned four and I never had enough time or focus to get it done. Today's energy pretty much sums up the week though and I will write dailies.

If you are still waiting for news or info to come in, especially from events put into play before late July, your wait is almost over.

xo all
hang in there

RED ALERT | Mars Conjunct Mercury at the Eclipse degree - fighting words, the courage to speak, part lll

Inner lion by DorottyaS

To recap - the Solar Eclipse on August 21st set up a powerful event chart when the Sun and Moon met up at 28 degrees Leo. The chart's influence could extend for months.

The faster moving planets, and in particular Mars - the planet of action and aggression - can act as "triggers" for Eclipse events as they hit these degrees.

Today we have Mercury (retrograde and about to change direct on Tuesday - we've seen how powerful Mercury stations are with world events) and Mars meeting up at the Solar Eclipse degree of 28 degrees Leo.

Even without this meeting happening at such a powerful degree (kind of like fighting on a minefield) Mars and Mercury together are tricky energies to manage AND we still have that trine to "anything-can-happen" revolutionary Uranus in play.

The best use of this energy - we have the courage (Mars) to say (Mercury) what needs to be said. Fresh ideas (Mercury/Uranus) allow us to initiate (Mars) something we can be proud of (Leo). Passionate (Mars) language/thinking (Mercury) changes (Uranus) the situation. Unexpected (Uranus) news (Mercury) encourages generous/optimistic (Leo) action (Mars).

The most challenging use of this energy - our words (Mercury) result in a rip-roaring fight (Mars). Our speech (Mercury) could be harsh or self-centered (Mars). We could blurt out exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time (Uranus). We could have an accident. Unexpected (Uranus) news (Mercury) starts a war (Mars).

In Leo, things could get very dramatic and VERY LOUD.

I am not going to advise to avoid challenging conversations or run and hide (the North Node is in Leo, courage is required now) because Eclipse events carry a large degree of fate with them - the argument may need to happen. The bad news may need to come out. On the other hand, we can use our astrology knowledge to prevent a nuclear meltdown. Keep a calm head. Choose your words carefully. Mars wants to go, go, go. Take a moment and think things through.

And drive safely.

xo all

RED Alert | part ll ... connecting our desire for change with our actions

Discover your destination by m-topolska

Today we have Mars moving through the eclipse degree of 28 Leo. He is trining (brakes off) Uranus in Aries and within one degree of a retrograde Mercury who he'll meet tomorrow. Mercury will be at 28 degrees Leo on Tuesday as he stations direct. And the day after Mercury stations we have a Full Moon in Pisces conjunct Neptune. Whew!

Today's most exact aspect is Mars trining Uranus. We talked about this a bit yesterday.

With our warrior planet Mars in brave and confident Leo (at the powerful Eclipse degree of change, change, change!) and connecting by trine (releasing roadblocks and smooth transitions) to revolutionary Uranus in independent Aries (answering to Aries' ruler Mars) this is excellent energy to

1. truly express who we are - I am imagining women all over the world sitting in hair salons saying "cut it all off" or "dye these babies purple" - this aspect doesn't say we are going to like the outcome, just that we will feel the push to "go for it".

2. release outdated roles and outgrown restrictions

Anything that feels even remotely like a cage or collar is going to feel way too small. 

3. make some kind of radical move, do (Mars) something different or differently (Uranus)

Now, the Moon goes void today at 12:30PM EDT until about 4PM and it's a Saturday and a holiday weekend here in the United States, so I am not sure what we can do productively with this today.

I know someone who just quit a new job she worked hard to get after one little thing went wrong yesterday - not such a good use of this radical energy. People prone to radical moves or people whose "go-to"emotion is anger anyway could really muck this up. But we all could, so stay frosty. 

This is "shortcut" energy. Uranus can get us from here to there very quickly. And we have the courage and the strength to put something into action here. Something that tastes like authenticity. Something that tastes like freedom.

Now, Mercury is still retrograde, so this isn't about leaping off tall buildings and this is also excellent energy to get into a rip roaring argument or ACCIDENT. Keep this in mind, too.

Again this will be about our eclipse Leo houses. Do you know where 28 degrees Leo is in your natal chart? Check that house and your Sun, Rising signs.

ARIES (Leo 5th house of creativity, children, romance, fun) - the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change or to take a risk with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 5th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery clashes are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

TAURUS (Leo 4th house - home, family, mother, real estate, renovation, home business, roots) - the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 4th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

GEMINI (Leo 3rd house - communications, conversations, teaching, writing, siblings, transportation, local community) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 3rd house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

CANCER (Leo 2nd house - money, values, personal resources, self-esteem) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 2nd house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

LEO (Leo 1st house - self, physical body, your life) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your action, pushing you along a path you have probably been thinking about for a long time. Courage and risk-taking is required here. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 1st house themes. Maybe you relook at some old info and decide it could be possible now or finally decide to give something one more chance - this is YOUR life changing eclipse, it will be up to you to ask for what you want to make it work. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

VIRGO (Leo 12th house - behind the scenes, escape, addiction, imagination, spirituality, intuition, delusion) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions, this is likely about moving something private forward through help from background sources, your own gut feelings, etc. With this stuff happening in your 12th house whatever is meant to happen will happen, you won't have to push for it. Breaking away from self-sabotaging bad habits and the psychological stuff holding you back is happening at a deep level. Look inside. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with something private. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

LIBRA (Leo 11th house - friends, hopes and dreams, internet, groups) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 11th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

SCORPIO (Leo 10th house - career, public life, authority) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 10th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

SAGITTARIUS (Leo 9th house - travel, foreign, higher education, legal issues, politics, humanitarian/social causes, the big picture) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 9th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

CAPRICORN (Leo 8th house - other people's values and resources - spouse's income, taxes, loans, debts, inheritance, intimacy, finances, sex, reproduction) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 8th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

AQUARIUS (Leo 7th house - partnership) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 7th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

PISCES (Leo 6th house - work, health, day-to-day activities, pets) the trine with Uranus connects your desire for change with your actions. With a retrograde Mercury you will want to take a second look or have second thoughts or maybe you get a second chance at something going on with those 6th house themes. Mercury's delays and Mars fiery passions are intended to focus you on your most HEARTFELT path forward. Events connect to the August 21st Full Moon Solar Eclipse.

Tomorrow, Mars meets Mercury. Passionate words could really move us forward. This is also the rip-roaring fight, have an accident energy - so use caution. Mercury and Mars will be close enough for the next couple weeks to feel this one.

I will post next week's forecast on Monday morning and we'll look at Mercury's station and that Pisces Full Moon. The eclipse energy isn't something that will be 'going away' anytime soon. It's a process. It will take us through next February's Eclipse at 27 degrees Aquarius.

Remember we have the North Node in Leo. We are creating our path forward. In whatever areas we have taken a backseat we are being pushed behind the wheel. We might drive the car right off the cliff that first spin around the block (my advice is to stick to parking lots for a while longer), but who knows, maybe that free fall is where we finally find our voice.

xo all

Mars inconjunct Chiron and trine Uranus | yes, it might hurt ... no, that isn't going to stop us

Summer breeze by TheNightSheDied

I was going to jump back into the weekend series, but we have a lot going on today so let's stay where we are for a little while longer.

First, let's talk Moon - this stuff is fleeting but powerful.

The Moon is in stable and ambitious Capricorn. As it moves through Capricorn today, the Moon will conjunct Pluto giving us stamina and the ability to focus. On the downside (fly meet ointment) it could excavate intense energies that are not so great for harmony with others.

If we need to end an emotional attachment though (my personal plan is the solid defeat of SUGAR) and take our own power back - this is good energy to do that.

Tonight the Moon will square Jupiter. This could bring up relationship issues or tension between work/goals and partners/other people. Our emotions could be over-the-top and out of proportion to what is going on. This might lead us off course. Things can feel better than they actually are, too. Our standards could get lowered.

We also have Mars (action, initiative, boldness, anger) inconjunct Chiron. Inconjuncts can't be solved. With Chiron involved someone is going to get hurt.

Maybe our confident action (Mars in Leo) rubs someone else the wrong way (Chiron in Pisces). Or maybe we are the one who gets hurt. We can't win here, but I'm not really sure we will be able to avoid whatever this scenario kicks up (or if we want to), especially if we have planets or points around 27 degrees Leo or Pisces.

This doesn't mean we give up.

If we want/need to step up now (Leo North Node/Mars) and are worried about making a mistake or worried about what other people will think, we also have a trine (brakes off) from Mars to innovative Uranus (in independent Aries). Action creates freedom. Self-expression is freeing.

Bold, brave actions may lead to some difficult moments with/for other people (and for ourselves!) and we surely don't need to toss salt in the wounds, but we don't need to stop in our tracks to avoid any chance of injury or hurt feelings either. And, of course, it could be someone else's bold action that hurts us.

Either way, we keep moving forward.

Remember, Mercury is still retrograde and we have him (news, information, communication, siblings, transportation) meeting up with Mars this weekend and Mars hitting the Eclipse degree. I will post part II about that tonight or tomorrow morning.

This is not the best time for big changes because we can't see far enough ahead. Let some stuff unwind itself first. Let's see where the cards have fallen after Mercury stations direct next week.

In the meantime we can keep moving forward toward what our heart wants. Don't stop. Now is the time for planning and revising. The eclipse has reset everything, but we are not fully operational quite yet. Let's be gentle with ourselves and others.

Also, Houston needs underwear.

xo all

Mercury backs into Leo and approaches Mars | RED ALERT for the next few days ... part l

haaam by TheNightSheDied

Now, a red alert isn't necessarily a bad thing. Think about those red light specials the department stores used to have when people actually shopped there. They were designed to get us to look over here. There is something over here we need to be paying attention to. Red lights (and alerts) are attention grabbers.

Whenever an event/situation/person is grabbing our attention we will react or respond. Now, many of us, have been training ourselves to respond to situations rather than react to them. To slow down, take a breath, think about what the most intelligent, compassionate response would be and most of the time this is exactly what we should do.

Sometimes we just need to react though. If we find ourselves in one of those situations hopefully we can turn the wheel into the slide and not screw things up even more by turning away. But we just don't know until we are in it what we are going to do.

And I once, with my car sliding on ice, instinctively turned my wheel away from the slide - exactly what they say not to do. I spun in a few complete circles and came to rest, without a scratch, precisely between two metal guideposts.

(Of course, this was years ago and just yesterday I was pushing Sully on the swing and Olive walked right in front of Sully's legs and almost got clobbered. My reaction was very slow, sloth-like actually and I pride myself on my good reflexes. I need more sleep. And to stop watching sloths on the internet. I'm serious.)

Anyway, this post is your red alert. Let's look at the astrology.

Today we have a retrograde Mercury backing from Virgo into Leo.

His journey through Virgo had us picking over the details of something; making revisions, dealing with criticism, determining if this thing is even possible.

Now we are back into the Sun's territory (Sun rules Leo). This could have us re-thinking what our heart (Leo) wants. Does something we thought we wanted still making us happy? Do we still want to do this? This could be about a creative project, romance, child, something recreational or involve the theme of our Leo natal house. With the retrograde tied so tightly into the Eclipse all of this has a much bigger importance than we can see from our current vantage point.

Saturn (in Sagittarius) is squaring Vesta and inconjunct Ceres. This could be about home/family issues or legal/educational/foreign issues - there is something happening here where we are being forced to take on greater responsibility, exercise more patience, shoulder a greater burden, etc. The inconjunct tells me there may be no way out of it. Devotion, service, nurturing and security will feature in our smoothest path forward.

In a few months Saturn will come home to Capricorn. It will be best to find a way to take on any increased responsibility with a welcoming heart because following our heart is what is moving all of us forward. Know that things falling apart now are setting us up to be in the right place at the right time later - and by this I am talking about the space we are most needed.

I am not advising we take on more than we have to take on. We are not victims or martyrs here. We are not here to carry other people's burdens. That said, there might be a responsibility here that cannot be shrugged off. And we can't see the whole picture. No point kicking and tossing a tantrum when we can just get on with it. 

Hurricane Harvey isn't just happening in Houston. And this isn't to minimize what is happening in Houston! In some way the energy represented by this Hurricane (forced loss, forced responsibility, dealing with something we don't want to deal with, under water, accepting nature, accepting authority, being homeless, loss of security, loss of solid ground beneath our feet, being all wet, etc) which is the physical manifestation of the Eclipse - the largest storm in the United States in 60 years in our 4th largest city, the ramifications of which can't be remotely seen yet - is playing out in everyone's lives. Our energy is all over the place right now.

OK, back to the RED ALERT. 

As we come into the weekend we have Mercury beginning to conjunct Mars (exact on Sunday) AND Mars hitting the Eclipse degree of 28 Leo. And this is all (once again) trining (brakes off) a rebellious, reactionary, "anything-can-happen" Uranus. And then on Tuesday Mercury will station direct at that same 28 degrees! You can't make this up. WTH, people.

We've seen all kinds of previous madness during recent Mercury retrogrades and now we have Mars - anger, initiative, passion, war - thrown into the mix at the exact degree the Solar Eclipse previously set up as an activation point.

We'll talk more about ways this can all play out tomorrow, but as we approach this energy - it will be important to keep a cool head since Mercury rules our thinking and Mars is a hot-head.

Know that angry (Mars) words (Mercury) or unexpected (Uranus) information (Mercury) that makes us mad (Mars) or requires action (Mars) will have consequences far beyond whatever situation we are dealing with because Eclipse energy is in the mix, too!

We'll talk about all of this tomorrow, but in case your personal RED ALERT allows you to respond and not react (please drive safely starting right now) - it will be good to be prepared, so you can choose the most intelligent and compassionate response. The words we use can wound other people mightily now, too - they can hit someone like a hurricane. Keep that in mind. 

xo all