Venus into Cancer | wanting what feels like home ....

Now You are Safe by Borda

At 9:11AM EDT Venus (love, money, values, resources, self-esteem, women, beauty) moves into Cancer until June 13th.

Cancer Suns and Risings become more attractive - both able to attract what they want and easier on the eye. All of our Cancer houses become more attractive, too.

Venus themes will be emotionally tended to. We will require more emotional connection to feel safe and secure. We will want (or feel the lack of) whatever feels like nurturing to us.

Home becomes a more valuable space. Family is a resource.

Our empathy increases along with our hurt feelings when we don't get what feels like "mom and apple-pie".

What we want (Venus) is to feel safe (Cancer).

Cancer is both the mother and the child. So we get what we want/need by being cared for and by caring for others now. Ruled by the Moon, who changes signs every two and a half days, Cancer can be moody. Our emotions around what we want are subject to lunar whims now, but the actual thing we want can become more solid. The active feminine energy (Venus) connects with the responsive feminine energy (Moon). What we need (Cancer) meets what we want (Venus).

Venus rules love, money, women, beauty, harmony, balance, relationship, our values - everything money can buy and everything it can't. She rules the signs of Libra and Taurus (and if either of these signs is your rising sign - ascendant - she most likely rules your chart) and the 2nd and 7th houses of our astrology charts.

She's a BIG deal. And since she's an inner planet, when she changes signs, we feel it and experience it personally - and we move the collective energy forward (as opposed to the outer planet transits that move the collective energy and then we adjust to that).

Venus is much more comfortable in Cancer (ruled by her friend the Moon) than she has been for the last month in Gemini where she's been attracted to and attracting "one thing after the other". She's been flirting and "keeping things light" but nothing really turns into anything here.

This morning as she heads into cardinal energy (initiating) - the first planet in 2018 to come into Cancer, the sign of summer - she's more than a little ready to settle down. 

Cancer is about nurturing, history, mother, comfort, home. The Cancer house in our natal chart hosts lovely Venus for the next few weeks. So, let's say you are a Gemini rising with Cancer in your 2nd house - this transit will wake up your finances/values house and allow you to be more attractive to what you want and need. If you are a Taurus rising with Cancer in your 3rd house - this transit will allow you to more effortlessly attract new opportunities through communication (also sibling, transportation, local community issues will almost certainly improve), etc, around the zodiac. 

Universally, home and family will feel more precious. We will want to feel safe. We'll want to move in the direction of whatever feeds this need now. With Mars in detached Aquarius, for a long stay, there are some challenges ahead.

For now, we might be more emotional. Maybe a little more needy and vulnerable.

These do not have to be bad things. If we are waiting for someone else to take care of us though, remember Venus is an active energy herself - and Mars is off saving the world. The one we are waiting on to mother us is most likely the person standing in our shoes, looking back at us in our bathroom mirror.

The fly in the ointment with Venus in Cancer is the kind of smothering/mothering that suffocates or we overindulge ourselves in some unhealthy way or we have an unrealistic expectation of someone else filling some childhood need. Watch for emotions that are "over-the-top" compared with what is actually happening. What are we storing that is triggering these emotions?

The first move Venus makes is a sextile (opportunity) to Uranus at 1:29PM EDT. Uranus is just getting his toes wet in Taurus and answering to her. I know it is a Saturday, but the opportunity comes from doing something differently. Maybe we make a new income deal or a positive change with a home/family situation or with a relocation/renovation or a home business. We might make a new social, romantic or business contact.

On Sunday, Venus is going to square Chiron (ouch) and inconjunct Mars (a rock and a hard place). It sounds like we don't get what we want here. And Chiron will have us feeling every other time we didn't get what we wanted!

And the times our grandmother didn't and so on and so on and so on.

With Mars in detached Aquarius and Venus in sensitive Cancer the energetics are especially ripe for someone to get hurt and for someone else not to notice (ie appear to be indifferent and this indifference can just be because a situation is what it is - the numbers don't add up to do what we want for example). Keep in mind this aspect is a transit and so transitory. 

Venus will be part of a truly GRAND and beneficial Grand Water Trine at the end of May and into early June - so we have something very special to look forward to! Jupiter, Venus and Neptune- it sounds like the sky is the limit with this one.

xo all

Mercury trine Saturn | the right words, time to think, find someone who knows what you need to know, our words are our bond now, results, explanations, solutions

time out by evivalarte

Today we have Mercury (at 8 degrees Taurus) trining (brakes off) Saturn (at 8 degrees Capricorn). 

We want to be careful (and purposeful) with our language now.

When Mercury aspects Saturn our spoken/written words, and maybe most especially the things we tell ourselves about what is possible, create iron-clad contracts. Only make promises you know you can keep now because you will be held accountable. If you say you are going to do something, you are actually going to have to do it or it is going to come back and bite you in the ass.

Avoid gossip. With Saturn being the king of karma and all that, it has a way of coming back around.

Opportunities come through careful planning and preparation as Mercury (communications, conversations, ideas, thoughts) trines serious Saturn (time, stability, hard work, authority) now.

Deliberate, thoughtful and sober words create the most impact. If we want to be taken seriously we need to take ourselves seriously. Conversations should be respectful. Do we know what we are talking about? If not, it's time to connect with someone who does. Lessons learned now stay with us. What are we learning?

Communications and conversations with authority figures are helpful now. ANSWERS COME IN. Pay attention to what you are hearing. Be sure you are understanding what is being said and that you are being understood.

(which is making me think of the whole Yanny/Laurel thing - perfect timing!)

This is great energy to work toward developing mastery of a subject.

Just the right words/ideas/information could drop into our lap.

We could have a clearer solution/explanation/result now from the New Moon energy earlier in the week or last week's Uranus/Mercury MESSAGE.
 
Saturn rules time, so this won't happen overnight. That's OK. We have more time than we think we do. We are in the energy of that fresh new Taurus Moon encouraging us to start again; to take fresh action, to get those seeds into the Earth.

This aspect (Mercury in Taurus trine Saturn in Capricorn) offers us the perseverance and concentration that creates stable structures.

Mercury and Venus are in mutual reception and strengthening each other AND we have Venus conjunct Pallas - being able to strategize to get what we want or maybe being smart about what we want - is what we want the smart choice? Plans are our friend now.

This is good energy for paperwork that requires accuracy and a time when we can focus on what is most important rather than what might at first appear most urgent.

It is perfectly alright to say, "no", "not yet" or "I have to think about it". We may hear these words now, too.

Six of ten planets will be retrograde this summer - are we ready for this ...... xo all

Mars into Aquarius (for what will seem like forevah and evah), Mars Square Uranus, Venus Conjunct Pallas - unexpected action, break-throughs, break-downs, break-aways, restless urges vs reckless urges, maybe what we want can be the smart choice, too

Spaceman by Mishelangello

Yesterday Mars moved from Capricorn into Aquarius and then quickly squared Uranus (ruler of Aquarius!), freshly minted in Taurus. The square (tension) will be in play until May 26th.

Due to Mars upcoming retrograde he is going to be hanging his hat in Aquarius (with a dip back into Capricorn from August 12th- September 10th) until November 15th.

This is an especially long transit for the planet that rules our initiative, passion, enthusiasm, anger, action, aggression, our Aries house and co-rules our Scorpio house. In Aquarius, he (as we) will experience the summer eclipse season and the Nodal Axis switch to Cancer/Capricorn along with about a gazillion planetary interactions.

Aquarius is the space in our natal chart where it's never going to work to follow the crowd just for the sake of fitting in.

Our rough, uncomfortable edges are there for a reason. Mars in this space says "I am going to do my own thing and I am going to do it RIGHT NOW".

Pushed into Aquarius with this frustrating square to Uranus, Mars energy will be super-charged! This is manna from heaven if your area of life ruled by Aquarius is stuck in a rut - which as a fixed sign Aquarius tends to get. Where is Aquarius in your natal chart?

A square with Uranus often indicates some kind of sudden break (although it's actually been building for a while). This could be a break-through, break-down, break-up. Maybe we are the one initiating this or some situation/person/event outside of us is. Either way something SNAPS and off we go. This will be most strongly felt as tension/frustration, right now, by people with planets or points around 0-2 degrees of the fixed signs - Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.

What we want to avoid now with the square to Uranus - because we might feel a strong need to speed things up (Mars hates to WAIT, but Aquarius, co-ruled by Saturn, can wait) is reckless action.

Sometimes some kind of impulsive move is necessary to get things un-stuck, but keep in mind, with Mars freshly minted in Aquarius and walking degrees he will re-walk two more times, there is something here that cannot be rushed even when we find ourselves rushing. If we rush something it will likely have to be re-done later.

If we can work the best of the Mars in Aquarius energies - innovative action, movement that creates greater freedom, idealistic courage, starting something that sticks - and use the frustrating square as a springboard - we will be way ahead of the game. And, yes, it's still a long game and we are in the first quarter and the last quarter at the same time. 

Top buttons are going to come undone now.

If we find ourselves aggravated out of proportion to the situation we are faced with - we need to give ourselves some space. Anything binding us to a too-tightly-tethered past is ripe for change here. We don't have to toss out what is working, but with Aquarius we need to keep one eye on the future - is this really sustainable?

People think Aquarius represents independence (nope, that's Aries but with Mars ruling Aries we have that energy in play, too) although more accurately Aquarius represents individuality. There is a difference. Think about it. There is an independent spirit here, yes, but since Aquarius rules the 11th house of groups, it shows people bound together by a cause. So, in Aquarius we find a better way to work together so it benefits everyone or else we go our own way. These are the only two outcomes for Aquarius.

Mars in Aquarius is excellent energy to take action with group projects and humanitarian causes. This doesn't mean these situations will be stress-free, probably the opposite in fact, but we will be amazed with what we learn/get done between now and mid-November and then it will be ALL SYSTEMS GO.

The stuff that was in the collective news/media yesterday/this week will likely play a big part in our collective journey through this transit. And on a universal level this will have our collective Mars energy focused on Aquarian themes : groups, the internet, technology, sudden change, rebellion, invention, freedom, independence, charity, our vision and the 'collective'.

We are going to have SIX planets retrograde this summer folks!

We will make progress now, then Mars will station retrograde on June 26th. Progress will halt in some way to allow us to go back over things. When Mars dips back into Capricorn in mid-August this will allow us to go back over old structure/old goals and responsibilities and hopefully integrate this stuff with the new.

Also because the South Node is in Aquarius, Mars will meet the South Node three times over the next few months - June 8th, July 20th and September 27th. There is some past situation(s) - this life, past life, familial karma passed to us through our DNA, etc - here that is ripe to be wrapped up. This could be one thing we are dealing with again and again or different things. We will talk about this as we move through it.

We also have Venus meeting Pallas at 27 degrees Gemini today. The Goddess of Love sits with the Goddess of Wisdom in the sign of choices/our thinking/learning/information. We can think with our head and our heart as one now. We can make a plan (Pallas rules strategy) to remedy financial/love issues.

Maybe there is something here about what we want (Venus) being the wise choice (Pallas/Gemini), too.

xo all

In the meantime the New Moon in Taurus is waxing (growing) - what seeds are you getting into the ground?

Taurus New Moon | Uranus into Taurus - part ll

The VOLCANO by beymen0

See Part I HERE

Less than four hours after the Sun and Moon come together in Taurus, the planet Uranus (technology, science, revolution, liberation, genius, lightning fast CHANGE) slips into Taurus, too.

People with early degree Taurus placements (or planets/points in the very beginning degrees of the other fixed signs), a strong Taurus house or a strong Uranus will feel this first and strongest right now. But, all of us will be impacted during Uranus's seven year transit through Taurus and those with planets and points in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) - which Uranus will conjunct, square and oppose - will be most impacted as those fixed positions get SHAKEN up.

Taurus is that comfortable space in our chart we rely on to ALWAYS BE THE SAME - Uranus - think "bull in a china shop" here - will likely be disruptive.

Something is very likely to get broken.

At the same time Uranus, who has been barreling through Aries for the last seven years - changing the way we see ourselves, changing the way we start things, the way we do Aries things and the way we go about getting what we want - slides into the comfortable mud that is Taurus.

Imagine a kindly old woman who likes to rise at dawn, have her tea on the terrace listening to the birds precisely at 8AM, then take a walk around the block where she will stop at the local bakery to purchase a hard roll, which she will test with her fingers for precisely the right amount of firmness, for lunch at noon with a tomato she has picked from her garden. She naps at two on that same terrace with a book in her lap, has tea at four and dinner at eight. You get the idea.

Now imagine a rebellious teenager (and Uranus is no teenager - he was Saturn's father after all, but you can see where I am going with this), her grandson, moves in with our kindly old woman. He is a nice guy, too, in his own way, but doesn't think about things like time and routine and comfort. He does what he wants. And what he mostly wants to do are things he has never done before. He will shake up her perfectly timed, comfy/cozy little world. AND she will slow his down.

What can we expect in our own lives?

Well, since Uranus rules the new and unusual - we could expect newness with the things Taurus rules. New ways to make money, new ways to save, new ways to share, new ways to spend. Likely changing financial markets - ups and downs. New values. The things we value will shift over the next seven years. Our self-esteem will shift. The way we hold onto things and the things we hold onto will shift. The way we care for our resources (including the planet) will shift.

The events that will transpire, situations we will face, the thoughts we will think, the actions we will take, the people we will meet - that facilitate these changes are laid out in our natal charts to some degree and are also dictated by our own free will. This will be different for everyone. But we are all on the same ride together.

Also keep in mind Uranus will operate differently while visiting stable Taurus. So we can flip this whole thing around. Uranian things become more stable. Groups and humanitarian causes can get more focused and establish stronger footings. Technology more comfortable. The things that were previously 'ahead of their time' can start to 'bring home the bacon' now. Revolution plotted and planned. Scientific advancement that aids the planet. Scientific advancement that aids the human body. Aliens could come to earth (!) and yes, I mean this exactly as it sounds, and also the flipside of this with human people exploring other planets in new ways, but just as likely more alien history is unearthed - maybe something that sets the official creation story on its ear a bit. All kinds of comfortable things will likely get less comfortable due to innovative/advanced movement.

Some changes we will welcome and probably some we won't.

So, our ability to be comfortable - to feel safe and stable - will be dependent to our ability to embrace CHANGE and instability. Fixed planet people, like me, are probably in for a whole lot of shaking (ack!).

My first astrology teacher was very Uranian. In the late 1980's she talked about the 2020's (she saw the Age of Aquarius as kicking off when the Mayan calendar ended in 2012) as the time when we would be talking to people anywhere on the planet at anytime without wires and telephones. She thought this would be telepathic and even used the word "net" to describe the process, but because we couldn't really picture, in those days, the inter-net and how we would all be "connected" she didn't know what she didn't know. That's how the future is. We can guess at what Uranus might do (and yes, you can think Trump here) but we never really know until it happens.

When the planet Uranus was discovered science was taking over and humanity's connection to a living planet was tossed into a scrapheap called "superstition". We threw the baby out with the bathwater. Maybe with these two energies combining now - technology and a living, breathing planet - the energies, through us, can finally begin to work together to strengthen each other!

Think about our connection to energy - do we really think electricity has to move through wires? This is just the way it has been monetized. This could change now. Free energy IS a real possibility over the next few years and almost certainly will be a reality in the future. Thinking about what needs to break down to get us there is kind of scary though. But also exciting.

Let's take a brief look by sign - we can't pigeon-hole Uranus, folks - but this should be somewhat accurate over the next few years! Check your rising and Sun signs.

So the things I wrote about earlier in this post we will all experience and then individually we will experience some more and different experiences, some of which could be listed here.

ARIES/Aries Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 2nd house of money, your values, your resources and self-esteem. Maybe your job changes. Maybe you start a new business. Your income could be up and down. The way your money connects to your self-esteem will shift. The things you value will shift. These changes will play out over several years. First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 11th house of the collective - your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology. Maybe competition? Some challenge to your public reputation or within a group setting? Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 8th house of other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, inheritance, sex, reproduction. The best news for you - Uranus is exiting your sign! Breathe Aries - the ways your life has been turned inside out since 2011 will start to stabilize. Freelance work and passive income will be more possible now if this is something you are working toward.

TAURUS/Taurus Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 1st house of yourself dear Taurus! This is your once in a lifetime chance to totally reinvent yourself and many people never get this chance. Anything listed in any of the sign posts is open to you. Any area of life where you are feeling yourself wearing too tight a collar is going to be broken wide open. First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 7th house of partners and partnership, so keep this in mind. The best news for you - all the ways you have been playing too small and too safe a game are on their way out!

GEMINI/Gemini Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing. Your ghosts and self-sabotaging tendencies are ripe for removal Gemini! First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 9th house of travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 6th house of day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health. You have had Uranus in your 11th house for seven years shaking and breaking your friendships and groups, your relationship with the internet and technology. Hopefully you have the right tribe in place now Gemini. You are off on a deep soul journey starting this month.

CANCER/Cancer Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 11th house of the collective - your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology. New people are coming and old people are leaving. You will join new tribes and leave behind groups where you are no longer growing. Relationships that are strictly based on duty will get freed up. First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 8th house of other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, inheritance, sex, reproduction. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation. You have had Uranus in your 10th house for the last seven years creating change within your career and your goals, your public face and what you need to feel safe and secure. Your tribe is coming Cancer!

LEO/Leo Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility. It is likely your career, goals and public face will change over the next seven years Leo. The need for the freedom to do the work you are called to do will surface. The degree your life is shaken up will depend on how far off course from your own authenticity you have drifted. A course correction is coming Leo. First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 7th house of partners and partnerships. Something has reached a tipping point here with another person. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business. You are now charged with a once in a lifetime (and many people never get this!) opportunity to totally revamp the most visible part of your life dear Leo - what are you going to do with it?!

VIRGO/Virgo Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 9th house of travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking. This house harmonizes with your sign so these changes will be mostly good news Virgo! You have had Uranus in your 8th house of other people's money for seven years so it has probably been feast or famine for you Virgo as you learned not to hold on to material things too tightly. Changes within intimate situations have also been possible. These challenges will begin to smooth out now! First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 6th house of day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health. An abrupt change with something here will open new doors. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 3rd house of communication, information, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood. You are off on an exciting journey around your beliefs - what is really real, what is possible - keep your mind open Virgo!

LIBRA/Libra Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 8th house of other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, inheritance, sex, reproduction. You have had Uranus in your 7th house de-stabilizing partners,  partnerships and professional contracts over the last seven years, now he moves into the space of how you share resources with other people. First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation. Impulsive spending or sharing is possible. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 2nd house of money, your values, your resources and self-esteem. You are rebuilding your security from the ground up Libra! Watch your dollars.

SCORPIO/Scorpio Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 7th house of partners and partnerships. Expect some upheaval and changes within your relationships over the next seven years Scorpio. Partners could be less reliable and more unpredictable. Also more spontaneous and exciting. You will probably learn to stop second guessing other people and to rely more solidly on yourself. Over the last seven years with Uranus in your 6th house you could have found yourself continually updating your job skills or health habits. Your day-to-day activities and pet issues should stabilize a bit now. First challenge to that partnership house, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 1st house of yourself so changes from the outside world that you likely can't control could dictate changes for you. Stay on top of your health now. Stay flexible - I know this is like telling a piece of steel to stay flexible, but steel can bend, too Scorpio! New people will come into your life, probably people you would never expect to come into partnership with (business, friendship, romance). Start a yoga practice. Think - FLEXIBILITY.

SAGITTARIUS/ Sagittarius Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 6th house of day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health. Your daily life is going to change, maybe several times, over the next few years Sag! Expect eye opening revelations about what doing the same old thing is going to get you. Your job could change - as a result of your action or it could be forced upon you - either way Uranian changes create greater freedom. Your health/diet routine could be upended with a diagnosis or you could take it upon yourself to make needed changes. First challenge, almost immediately will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 3rd house of communication, information, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood. Maybe an impulsive/demanding (angry?) conversation/information/idea comes at you out of left field. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing. Likely multiple tickets to freedom will be offered to you over the next few years Sag. Your daily life will look totally different by the time Uranus exits Taurus!

CAPRICORN/Capricorn Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation. A new development could happen fast and YES you are the one who created this. With Uranus in your 4th house of home and family for the last several years you may have changed houses or had people move in or out of your home. Maybe you started or ended a home business. Maybe you got into real estate or renovation. Maybe you have worked through family patterns that have been limiting your choices/decisions. Any turbulent (up and down) family situations should begin to smooth out. First challenge, almost immediately though will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 2nd house of money, your values, your resources and self-esteem. If you are the one pushing for something that is a real stretch financially there is a caution here. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 11th house of the collective - your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology. You are being handed a Uranian lightning bolt of creativity Capricorn use it wisely.

AQUARIUS/Aquarius Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business. Over the next several years you will likely move or someone will move into or out of your house. A home business could start or end. You might be involved in real estate or renovation. You will likely work through family patterns that have been limiting your choices/decisions or creating isolation or move away from a family situation that is limiting you. First challenge, almost immediately though will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 1st house. Maybe an action you take will disrupt the family situation? Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility. Changes here may involve situations outside your control and we know you like to be in control Aquarius - remember our mantra now - change is good. A bigger life is heading your way Aquarius - you can exhale now!

PISCES/Pisces Rising - Uranus (CHANGE) is moving into your 3rd house of communication, information, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood. Your fixed ideas and way of thinking will be shaken up over the next several years. You will learn new things, write, read, maybe even speak an entirely new language! With Uranus in your 2nd house of income over the last few years it is likely your money/resources have been up and down. You learned how to be flexible, trust yourself to move on from any losses and reach out for sudden opportunities. With Uranus in your 3rd house there will be sudden conversations, ideas, teachings that will propel you in new directions. First challenge, almost immediately though will come through Mars squaring Uranus from your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing. Maybe a secret is spilled or something happening behind the scenes starts the ball rolling somehow. Avoid self-sabotage and keep a cool head. Over the long haul (the next seven years) Uranus will be opposing your 9th house of travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking. Your connections with other people will deepen dear Pisces as your patterns of communication do a 180!

xo all

Please don't forget to set your intentions this month!

Taurus New Moon | Uranus into Taurus - embracing change and learning to survive and THRIVE through uncertainty, our stability gets shaken but so does our sense of what is impossible! part l

Take me there by ideoda

At 7:48AM EDT on Tuesday, May 15th, the Taurus Moon exactly meets the Taurus Sun offering us the annual Taurus New Moon (24 degrees).

This year we have a hugely powerful New Moon with the literal power to shake (Uranus) the Earth (Taurus) - and the lives of its inhabitants! What house (area of life) holds 24 degrees Taurus in your natal chart? Something here is about to shake loose!

The New Moon (and Sun) trines (brakes off) a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn) and Mars (in Aries).

Venus, ruler of Taurus and so ruler of this New Moon, is in "multi-tasking, information accumulating, chatty, the more choices the merrier, two heads are better than one" Gemini. She is also out of bounds and not interacting with any of the major planets at the New Moon, so a bit of a wild card here and maybe creating somewhat of a disconnect between our head and our heart. She is conjunct Pallas (more creative intellect in Gemini) which gives us an increased ability to strategize now and initiate.

When trines are formed "the brakes are off" the energies of the planets connected - there is nothing stopping the energies. This can be a good thing - we are trying to get somewhere and an obstacle is suddenly removed from our path and we can keep going or not such a good thing if that obstacle was the only thing standing between us and the side of a cliff.

And fiery Mars and unpredictable Uranus are going to exactly square each other the day after the New Moon, so this is even more restless energy creating an urge to break-free of constraints. This is excellent energy for creative break-throughs but also primes the pump for distracting accidents and break-downs. If it ain't broke, this wouldn't be the time to try to fix it.

So, the energies surrounding the New Moon (and we haven't even looked at Uranus moving into Taurus within hours!) are challenging the usual Taurean ways of doing things - taking it slow, staying comfortable and secure, getting rooted, building things that can be sustained, taking the time to touch life and smell the roses. Taurus is the first earth sign and relates to what we have. And our experience of what we have via our five senses. She rules our collective 2nd house - our money, values, resources, self-esteem.

Taurus doesn't like to rush. She likes comfort and ease and stopping to smell the roses. This isn't about being lazy. This is about our ability to savor. And to put down roots. We live on a beautiful, miraculous rock hurtling through space. How is this even possible? 

So, yes, maybe what we thought was stable won't be quite so stable - but keep in mind - what we thought was impossible will not be quite so impossible either!

We have Mercury in Taurus now. With Venus (ruler of Taurus) in Gemini (whose ruler is Mercury) these two planets, Mercury and Venus, are in mutual reception and strengthening each other. There is also more flow between these two energies so we are communicating (Mercury/Gemini) about money (Venus/Taurus) now or we are comforted/stabilized (Venus/Taurus) by more information (Mercury/Gemini). Mercury in Taurus is an observing energy - it likes the time to think things through, but can sometimes take so much time or dig so deeply into a position that it gets itself stuck. Venus in Gemini via more information, conversations, movement pulls Mercury out of the mud. Venus in Gemini says "let's try this and that and the other thing" and Mercury brings her back to reality, "uh, Venus we only have five bucks, two hours and half a tank of gas here".

Having them working together at the New Moon is good news for whatever we have going on in our lives and for the things we are initiating now. And Mercury is only at 3 degrees of Taurus, so he will grow through Taurus during this entire New Moon cycle (through to the Full Moon at the end of the month).

He/she (Mercury is rather androgynous energy) will trine stable Saturn on Friday - and THAT is when we will probably have a clearer solution/explanation/result.

OK back to those New Moon trines. The trine to Pluto (retrograde) in Capricorn adds stability to whatever this New Moon is launching. There is a commitment being made here. This is important. The trine to Mars (in Aries) speaks of action based on our instincts. Also, initiating actions that move things forward quickly.

At the New Moon, Uranus is at 29.59 degrees - literally the very, very last space of Aries. This is UBER powerful and then just a few hours after the New Moon, 11:23AM EDT, Uranus slips into Taurus for the first time in 84 years!

We talked about this in the weekly and month ahead and we will talk about this tomorrow in Part II by sign. In the meantime start thinking about your intentions because this is UBER powerful energy we are heading into.

 NEW MOON INTENTIONS 

This new moon in Taurus is an excellent time to begin a grounding practice, make affirmations and set intentions about Taurean ruled themes (also the theme of your natal Taurus house): love, money, contentment with what we already have, patience, self-worth, releasing stubbornness, health issues regarding our neck, throat and voice in the world - this would be a great time to start a singing practice or class, simply committing to singing loud and strong every time you are in the car can begin to carry your voice to new spaces and places (are you wanting to get your voice heard? think about it, I am totally serious, this is how life works) - nutrition, nature, self-care.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a happy, contented frame of mind - HUG A TREE (she needs you, too!) - always make affirmations from a positive place, and both definitions of positive apply here - happy and certain. Write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then release your attention from these things knowing that your intention is known.  

Know these things are already yours.

Also remember affirmations are action -  they set the energy in motion and by working with the right things at the time of the New Moon we are literally creating the affirmation within the energy that is needed to bring it to life.

Words are not just words and now we have Venus - ruler of the New Moon - in Gemini and answering to Mercury - ruler of words and in mutual reception! This makes our words even more powerful - PLEASE create your intentions this month.

If done properly, in the right frame of mind and heart-felt, they line us up energetically with the thing we are seeking. Always. 

The stuff we start now will benefit us later.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 14th - Uranus into Taurus, Taurus New Moon - New Earth, new ideas about what makes us wealthy, the other side of the COIN drops, aliens coming to earth (?) - a preview of 2019-2026

*** by oprisco

SUNDAY - Mercury Conjunct Uranus, Mercury into Taurus
TUESDAY -  Uranus into Taurus, Taurus New Moon
WEDNESDAY - Mars into Aquarius, Mars Square Uranus
FRIDAY - Mercury Trine Saturn
SATURDAY - Venus into Cancer
SUNDAY - Sun into Gemini

You might be tired of reading - "this is a big week" - but this is a BIG (!!!!) week.

On SUNDAY, Mercury - after MONTHS in Aries - slips into Taurus for just 26 days. Mercury (communication, conversation, thoughts, ideas) is grounded and steady (and fixed) in Taurus. The war of words is over.

Communications and thinking turn to practical things. The pace slows. It's back to basics.  

Taurus gets results through self-sufficiency, by bringing ideas and concepts 'down to earth', by being sensible. Information and the physical world are adjusting to each other. 

This is not the time to enact complicated plans unless we want to make ourselves (and everyone else) cray-cray. Better to drill down to the fundamentals now.

Now, the thing to keep in mind this year (Mercury transits Taurus annually) is that Uranus - the planet that is anything BUT steady - is moving into Uranus for the first time in 84 years in about 48 HOURS. So, how steady Mercury will ACTUALLY be for the next 26 days in Taurus is anyone's guess.

The fly in the ointment with Mercury in Taurus has always been its fixed nature. One of the reasons for the information slowing down is that everyone becomes entrenched in their position and digs in. Compromise becomes a four letter word and there aren't alot of choices. The answer is either yes or no, there is no maybe with Taurus.

With Uranus moving into Taurus on Tuesday some of this Mercurian 'entrenchment' won't be possible this year. I have been saying Trump is Uranus since the election (with Uranus on his Sun and North Node natally), so we'll see how Uranus's change of position - from fire to earth - will work for him. Will he stable out a bit? or double down on his scorched Earth maneuverings until he burns out?

For more about Sunday - check the weekend post HERE.

On MONDAY, the Moon (in Taurus) will trine stable Saturn while we sleep - we should wake up feeling steady and grounded. At 5:44PM EDT the Moon will sextile (opportunity) mystical Neptune - excellent energy to relax, meditate, create art, be all dark Moon lazy. At 8:08PM EDT the Moon will oppose Jupiter (in Scorpio) - this is expansive energy, could be a bit overbearing and too much if we meet it outside ourselves. If we use this energy to look within, it can bring to light buried issues about how we get in our own way and block Taurean flow - love, money, resources. The entire day's energy really flows perfectly into Tuesday's big events.

At 7:48AM EDT on TUESDAY, the Moon conjuncts the Sun and gives us the Taurus New Moon (24 degrees). The Moon trines (brakes off) a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn) and Mars (in Aries). This is stable, ambitious energy. An excellent launch pad to create something lasting within your natal Taurus house theme and the universal Taurus themes of money, physical resources, our values and self-esteem.

This is about bringing all our resources/talents/skills to the table. It's use it or lose it time. Remember we tend to undervalue the things we inherently do well. There is no time for that crap any longer. You have to bring everything you carry. We are late in the day, folks.

Taurus is the sign of Mother earth.

This would be the time to stop weeding and get those seeds into the ground.

At 11:23AM EDT Uranus slips into Taurus. He was last in Taurus from June 1934 to May 1942.

This is about the revolution (Uranus) of what we value (Taurus). The Earth (Taurus) will shake (Uranus).

Uranus will be in Taurus until he slips back into Aries late fall for his retrograde, returning to Taurus for the long haul in February 2019. So we get a taste of this now, then he heads back to finish up the last 7 years in Aries, then he hunkers down into Taurus until .

Anything past its expiration date in your Taurus house is going to go bye-bye.

See more in my post HERE about Mid-May.

So, the New Moon starts off in grounded Taurean fashion and then heads off in a new direction. An entirely new direction.

I will write a post by sign this week. I just wanted to get something up today.

Changes, likely something that challenges our sense of security, could start off with a BANG. 

xo - back tomorrow.

Learning Astrology with the Donald | part Il - Trump and the ladies, Moon and Venus

Part I is HERE

I thought it would be interesting to do a series of astrology posts focused on learning astrology by analyzing Donald Trump's natal chart (it's a doozy) - and then we will take what we have learned and look at his upcoming transits to  

make some predictions about what he might do and what could happen.

Now, let's take a look at Trump's lunar side - let's talk about his Moon.

His natal Moon is in Sagittarius in his 4th house. Sagittarius ruler Jupiter is sextile the Moon in his 2nd house. The planet on his 4th house cusp (keep in mind the Moon rules the 4th house) is Scorpio answering to Pluto in the 12th. His Moon opposes that dynamic Sun/Uranus/North Node conjunction (born on a Full Moon), is conjunct his South Node and trines his Mars and his Ascendant.

The Moon is the natural ruler of our 4th house - where we come from, the roots of our chart, our heritage, the influence of our mothers. It is through our Moon that we continue our matriarchal line and our mother's emotional journey. She influences our relationship with the public. She shows our emotional temperature. She speaks of the instinctual feelings and responses that we may/or may not actually give expression to. The Moon is the celestial body closest to the Earth and influences all areas of our lives. Her phases regulate our lives.

I feel that I am taking away from her MAGIC by trying to pigeon-hole her with words here and this is way too brief, but you can get a basic idea.

The Moon's natal sign and house offer us very precise information about the kind of things that make us feel safe.

Trump's Moon is conjunct his South Node with Scorpio on the house cusp with ruler in the 12th, so we know his relationship with his mother and with his own children - the people his mother's lineage passes to through him - is karmic with past life connections being worked through in this lifetime (especially his female children). I think with that powerful solar opposition to his Moon he would tend to see his mother as weakened - or needing protection somehow - even though she is clearly the nurturing presence here, maybe in Sagittarius encouraging some kind of broader thinking or higher education in Donald.

That weakness he senses in her could even make him angry (that Mars trine), but it would likely be an unconscious thing (Mars in the 12th house).

Moon in Sagittarius could (and does in this case) indicate a foreign (Sagittarius) mother (Moon), also real estate (Moon) in foreign countries (Sagittarius). And keep in mind this is an excellent indicator of what he needs to feel safe - and he went on to have multiple foreign-born wives. This would also make him feel safe with foreign people and benefit from them (that trine to his Mars/Ascendant) - and I know this runs counter to his immigration rhetoric, but remember that Moon is being opposed by his life force Sun/North Node/Uranus energies, since he was born on a Full Moon and will be filled with contradictory and complicated energies. This foreign energy is the BASE of his chart. He is foreign and feels (Moon) all the ways he doesn't fit in.

His chart gives him too much Moon and too little Moon at the same time.

Too much Moon (which he has) and a purely matriarchal consciousness might ignore the value of the individual and give total importance to the value of family and "tribe"- this becomes our narrowed view of patriotism. What is needed to stay safe - build a wall (and the Moon is the natural ruler of Cancer where Trump's Saturn - walls, limits - sits conjunct his Venus, making it hard to feel the love remember, the wall is a perfectly logical expression of this), anything is justified to preserve home/family/country.

Too little Moon (which he also has with that powerful opposition) and we lose our sense of connection and care for our physical body, nature, feminine impulses, our connection to the present moment, Mother Earth. The Moon also rules 'the public' and we can see how he runs hot and cold with people.

The Moon is the natural ruler of the sign of Cancer and so rules his 11th house. That's where his very important Mercury sits as well as his Saturn with a close conjunction to Venus.

Saturn conjunct Venus echos the South Node/Moon conjunction - karmic connections with women - with Saturn ruling his Capricorn house (5th house - children, recreation, creative projects, romance) there would be karmic connections with his sex partners (fun, no strings attached sex is the 5th house not real intimacy) and his children - I think we said that before (ECHO).

Venus conjunct Saturn would allow him to attract older more successful mentors/protectors to help 'polish him up' when he was younger and younger partners when he is older/past mid-life - all through the public sphere (11th house). Venus/Saturn is also a "being in the right place at the right time" kind of energy.

Usually Saturn/Venus people are very loyal, but with Saturn ruling his 5th house of casual sex this might not apply as much.

His Venus/Saturn could have played out as needing to be like Saturn (serious, goal-oriented, business-like, successful) in order to be loved (Venus) in his childhood (Cancer/Moon); having to grow up fast - but then being that serious Saturn walls him off and brings a loss of closeness - so the Donald child can't win - he can't be loved unless he is Saturn, but he can't feel the love if he is Saturn. He can earn the love, but it won't feel like love because it is earned. See what I mean?

I know you are thinking - oh for pete's sake - play me some violins ... (I played the flute for just six months in 4th grade so can only offer an awkward rendition of jingle bells!) but Venus conjunct Saturn has some heavy challenges. Some people with this aspect, sometimes oldest daughters, are very late-bloomers, but when they bloom, they BLOOM. Everything improves with age here. And it is never too late for Saturn/Venus people to flower. I would never count them out.

Trump's is actually a very good chart to support the rising feminine energy on the planet and the releasing of generations of feminine/masculine karma. I know it might seem that the opposite is true, but shadow energy is powerful stuff.

In Part III - we will look at his other planets and begin to lay out what could lie ahead for the Donald

xo all

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | May 12th thru 13th - feeling like time is running out, keeping our cool, shrugging off the nasty, the slow down

random 21.2 by 7oretta

With Venus ruled Taurus late into Aries and changing signs on Tuesday coupled with a dark and moody Aries Moon focusing us on "me, me, me" - we might be feeling/seeing the results of prior thoughts, actions and in-actions that have resulted in our current Venusian situation (love, money, values, self-esteem) - do we have enough love? do we have enough money? what have we been doing/not doing that is screwing things up for ourselves?

(ie a good thing to do with Venus ruled Taurus preparing to shake things up is to avoid focus on bad habits - procrastinating, distraction, addiction - but on filling more hours with good habits or productive activity - so instead of limiting your computer time, for example, get a part-time job that will require you to limit your computer time, instead of quitting smoking find a way to fill more time with something that requires you to not smoke - you get the idea - you don't say to yourself I am not going to waste an hour every morning on the computer, you say to yourself "I will do XYZ for an hour every morning" - the bad habits shake loose naturally)

SATURDAY could be testy with both the Moon and Mercury in Aries and squaring fiesty Mars. This is great energy to lose our cool - so let's try to avoid that.

You have the benefit of astrology. You know the weather and can bring an umbrella or stay home and do something productive with your head and hands. This isn't the time for a heart to heart conversation/negotiations because everyone will be focused on their own best interests (Aries). Words could be curt and cutting.

The Moon is dark now as we build toward the Taurus New Moon early next week. Things could feel uncertain and kind of muddy. When the Moon and Mercury meet in Aries it will be at the final degree of the sign - this always makes us FEEL LIKE TIME IS RUNNING OUT. And we have Mercury set to meet (and then pass Uranus) at this same degree on Monday. I am not going to say the sense of urgency isn't real because in some cases it will be, most likely though as these planetary energies whoosh out of cardinal "let's get this party started" Aries - we will be regretting all the things we didn't get started.

Keep a cool head. Many people carry Mars all wound up in a tight ball ready to spring, so stay mindful of where you are and what you are saying/doing. Don't regurgitate your Mars all over other people. And excuse other people, who don't have the same benefit of knowing the astrological weather, their outbursts. The Moon in independent Aries will make it easier to shrug off the nasty, if our Mars has a healthy outlet. Get some exercise. 

Drive safely now.

The Moon will square Pluto at 10:54PM EDT which could bring up jealousy, compulsion, manipulative behavior - feeling like we need to manipulate a situation to get what we want. It could make us focused on what we don't have. Then, if we are still awake to see any benefit, the Moon will sextile (opportunity) lovely Venus at 1:01 AM EDT - charming conversations to send us off into dreamland.

On SUNDAY, Mercury will conjunct Uranus at 6:49AM EDT.  

Our plans will be subject to change. We could change our minds. New information can come in now. Uranus is the higher octave of Mercury connecting us to group consciousness - this would be an excellent time for writing! Don't sleep in writers!

At 8:40AM EDT Mercury enters stable Taurus - our thinking slows down. So do communications and commerce. Things should begin to feel a little less urgent (maybe not with Uranus still at 29 degrees though!). Decisions will be made more cautiously now. Get outside and hug a tree. Mercury has been in Aries since the beginning of March due to its recent retrograde so this slow-down (if we feel it!) could feel good if we have been go-go-go.

At 2:05PM EDT the Moon enters Taurus, too, focusing us on our money, resources, values and relationships over the next couple days.

We are REALLY building toward Tuesday's New Moon now and we will feel it. The Moon will hook up with Mercury at 2:57PM EDT (in Taurus). Our heart/emotional needs and our head are together here. We know what we want.

We have a BIG week ahead, so try to enjoy late Sunday's slower energy.

xo all

pulling weeds ... in the midst of a deep Scorpionic purging, secrets exposed, surgery, a need for some rest - clearing the ground for Uranus

Tree People by newjuventud

The Sun in Taurus (18 degrees) is now opposing Jupiter (retrograde in Scorpio). The Taurus Sun is seeking something stable and comfortable, asking us what is OURS. Jupiter in Scorpio is digging through old/deep stuff - do we still have the right tools for the job? - the Moon in Aquarius tells us that something new and unusual, something Uranian is needed now. And right on time - isn't astrology amazing! - Uranus is set to enter Taurus in 1 week. But who's counting? Is your hand up? Mine is!

To back up, we had a Full Moon at 9 degrees Scorpio on April 30th.

So now, one week later (exact yesterday), the Moon is in its first quarter square to the Sun (they were exactly opposite each other at the Full Moon). If you can picture a clock on the wall with the hands at 6:00 on the Full Moon - it would now be 3:00 (astrological movement is counter-clockwise).

The Moon is in Aquarius and connecting to the South Node - this is stress/tension, maybe obstacles, building around an old situation that has been requiring or trying to get our attention since January.

Now, the Moon is going to keep on keeping on, as the Moon tends to do, and in another week (May 15th-16th), she will arrive at 24 degrees of Taurus at the same time that the Sun, which, of course, has moved on, too - will arrive at 24 degrees Taurus giving us the Taurus New Moon (the clock hands are both now at the 12).

Jupiter by then, moving slowly in reverse, will be at 17 degrees Scorpio, loosely opposing the Sun and the Moon.

Now, back in the beginning of 2018, on January 6th, we had Mars meet up with Jupiter at that same 17 degrees Scoprio - HERE is a post about that.

There is something from then we are being reminded about now.

In early January (when all the planets were direct, but we still weren't getting anywhere for some reason!) this was all exactly squaring the North (Leo) and South (Aquarius) nodes (past/future, karma) and at the New Moon next week, the star players will be loosely squaring the nodes, too.

What does all this mean?

Well, this will look like something different for each of us,

but there is a deep purging of something Scorpionic happening within the collective and within our personal lives - secrets, obsessions, compulsions, manipulations, intimacies, shared resources (debt, inheritances, other people's money), sex, life/death scenarios, reproduction, past-life entanglements, ancestral IOUs.

Ground is being cleared. Weeds are being pulled. Diets are being cleaned up and lightened.

This is the perfect time for a surgery to have something removed. And this could, of course, be a metaphoric extraction - which would also leave us tired and needing to recuperate.

Something is each of our lives is about to be MODERNIZED. Change is coming folks. And keep in mind that North Node in Leo - if our heart's not in it, the rest of us shouldn't be in it either.

xo

Note - the South Node is where we have ALREADY earned our degree (where is the south node in your natal chart? what house is it in? what planet rules that house?) so with the Moon touching the South Node now - even though it is in future-oriented Aquarius - there is something here we have already mastered. It can feel great to sit in our south node. It is very comfortable and we are uber successful here. The gains/skills found here WE CANNOT LOSE.

BUT when we sit too long in our south node energy - life starts to feel kind of dull and stagnant and like it is missing something - that's because at a soul level we are still sitting "in the familiar" - it's like we have our degree and we are still taking classes in that same subject!

So, yes we can ace these classes, but so what?! We could all ace 8th grade if we took it three times, but we would never get to explore high school!

So, now that we are living in the Age of Aquarius AND this year having the South Node in Aquarius (been there, done that) - there is a certain general kind of malaise we have to break out of. This is what Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) is going to do. The stuck energy will come unstuck. The wild erratic energy will have a place to begin to take root and get settled and comfortable just in time for the North Node to move into Cancer next summer.

This won't be easy, but we didn't come here for things to be easy. It's always good to keep this in mind.

Also keep in mind it is Taurus season and the Moon (ruler of Taurus) is in lively Gemini - there is a youthful detachment to ideas here, an available flexibility. Also the Mars/Pluto challenges with authority/standing up for ourselves .... this stuff is all connected. Remember the Moon is waning now - get enough rest, take a step back from something if needed, catch your breath.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 7th - AVALANCHE of news and information, intense conversations, adjustments, rose colored financials, luck and optimism, wrapping up that 2011 story, making the decision to GROW

The Story Maker's Tools by The Fox and the Raven

A BUSY and exciting week ahead as we wrap up the Uranus in Aries story we started back in 2011. 

Lots of big energy this week - focused on news/information and our money, relationships, values and resources. BIG SURPRISES next week as everything that isn't nailed down (or I should say - everything that IS nailed down) starts to SHIFT.

The aspects this week are:

SUNDAY - Sun Sextile Neptune
MONDAY - Mercury Square Pluto, Venus Square Neptune
TUESDAY - Sun Opposite Jupiter
WEDNESDAY - Mercury Conjunct Eris
FRIDAY - Sun Trine Pluto, Mercury Trine Galactic Center
SATURDAY - Mercury Square Mars
SUNDAY - Mercury into Taurus, Mercury Conjunct Uranus

We start the week on SUNDAY with a lovely, lazy Sun sextile Neptune. The Sun is in Taurus and wants to relax and get comfortable. Neptune says let's dream this day away. And it's Sunday, so why not? Around the same time - 10:48AM EDT - the Moon moves into Aquarius. So we will be focused on group activities for the next couple days. We will all require a little more freedom. There could be unexpected events, dealings with unusual people (or an actual Aquarian) and situations that are more impersonal. Monday's Mercury square Pluto might start to be felt on Sunday night.

MONDAY is probably going to be challenging. Hang in there - the week will get EASIER.

The Moon continues her journey through Aquarius. We may find clues about what we can expect next week, especially if we take the time to reflect on how we are feeling now.

Before we wake (4:49AM EDT), Mercury (in Aries) will move into his/her square with Pluto (in Capricorn) - moving forward she will square Mars on Saturday, so the news, information and events of these days could be connected and tense. We will need to adjust.

This is excellent energy for diving deeply into something mentally - for puzzling our way through problems and dilemmas, for deep study or test taking. 

Interactions with other people - especially people in authority (power dynamics) can be tricky though. It will be hard to stay objective - although the Aquarius Moon should help.

Words might feel like the lava spewing from the Kilauea volcano. Communications could be harsh. Maybe simply particularly blunt or maybe even coarser - something manipulative/threatening. This aspect can also trigger worried/compulsive thinking - situations could seem like life and death.

Words that have been buried can come up now. 

Think twice before making off-the-cuff public statements. We could be pushed to speak out as our passion/anger is activated, but we will need to keep a cool head and at the same time not allow ourselves to be manipulated. This is tricky energy designed for power plays.

Mercury in Aries is already apt to use words like a hammer and interactions with others now can be particularly INTENSE.

This week's challenging Mercury energies are designed to dis-entangle us from our safe, but limiting ideas and thinking.

Words will really deliver a punch now. Maybe even a knock-out blow. 

Keep in mind the high road is the one with the best views and the fewest mosquitoes. 

Take care when driving and operating machinery, too.

Mercury also rules (besides our mental abilities, ideas and communication) thru Gemini - transportation, including the transportation of information ie computers, phones, and the movement of goods ie commerce, also our siblings, our local environment and thru Virgo - our pets, daily activities, co-workers, work and health. Any of these themes (as well as the themes of our natal Aries/Capricorn houses) could be feeling the squeeze with transformative Pluto.

At 5:59PM EDT Venus (in Gemini) will square Neptune at home in Pisces. Then she will move on to inconjunct (rock and a hard place) Jupiter on Wednesday and Pluto on Saturday. Venus rules our money, love, relationships, values, resources and self-esteem. With Venus in Gemini challenged by dreamy, foggy Neptune things could be CONFUSING.

What looks at first like a smorgasbord of fancy lunch options could turn out to be a choice between a baloney sandwich that's been pulled out from the couch cushions and a ham sandwich that's been rolled around on the sidewalk. Just how hungry are we exactly?

DOUBLE CHECK everything.

What are the actual facts around what you WANT? What do you really know?

Keep assumptions to a minimum because we will be looking through rose colored glasses now. We could come to regret the things we jump into. Boundaries are blurry. Answers only bring more questions. Avoid alcohol and drugs under this aspect - the effects will be magnified.

On TUESDAY - our lovely Taurus Sun will oppose Jupiter (in Scorpio). The Sun will move on to trine (brakes off) Pluto on Friday. THIS is the space where we need to keep our eye on the prize. HERE is a post by sign of the area of your chart Jupiter is exploring - keep in mind this will likely be most accurate if you use your rising sign AND keep in mind that Jupiter is currently retrograde, so this won't be a brand new thing. The Sun will bring something Jupiter has unearthed either INTO THE LIGHT or toward a culmination now.

If we don't allow the week's Mercury/Venus (see Monday for the highlights) challenges to throw us off our game - today's faith, hope and optimism will carry us FAR.

We decide to GROW and we do. It sounds like magic and it is because Life IS Magic.

At 11:11PM EDT (!) the Moon will move into compassionate, spiritual, artistic Pisces. We will be more sensitive and emotional for the next couple days. In Pisces the Moon will make some nice contacts with those serious Capricorn planets and expansive Jupiter.

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury will conjunct Eris in Aries. We will need to continue to be mindful of our words. The angry feminine "outsider" energy could be given a voice now in the news and within our personal conversations. If OUR Eris is activated, they will be talking about US.

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY look generally calm - although of course, we have earlier energies unwinding and the upcoming ones moving into position.

The Moon on Wednesday will sextile Saturn (one of the positive Capricorn aspects I spoke of earlier) at 4:22PM EDT, so we will be acting responsibly, doing what we have to do.

On THURSDAY, the Pisces Moon will conjunct Neptune while we sleep - hopefully bringing us some nice dreams! - and move on to trine benefic Jupiter at 10:26AM EDT encouraging idealistic emotions and expansive feelings. The Moon will square Venus and then sextile (opportunity) the Sun, followed by Pluto - all before dinnertime EDT.

Friday and the weekend are HUGE and explosive. This week is part of the bridging that carries us into THAT. Folks with a strong Uranus/Aquarius - and you probably wouldn't be reading an astrology blog if you didn't have this! - are surely already feeling this as well as those with planets and points being hit.

I wrote some about it HERE but will be back later in the week to talk it all out.

xo all 

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Mid-May 2018 - Not Letting Sleeping Dogs Lie

the source of inspiration 2 by David Shermann

Mercury left his retrograde shadow yesterday. He is still in Aries, but no longer walking degrees he has walked before. Whatever we were going back and forth over should be finished.

There is no more to be gained by continuing to rehash this information/conversation.

May's crazy middle will start to come alive around next Tuesday, May 8th, when the last quarter Moon in Aquarius (answering to Uranus, Aquarius ruler) squares the Sun in Taurus. This brings the month's major energies - Uranus/Taurus - to the same table, although they will be sitting at odds with each other. One desiring the ease of the comfort foods she is familiar with, the other demanding to try takeout from that new Sushi place in the city where robots make your meal.

This is tension between something new, innovative and unproven vs something safe and comfortable that doesn't push our buttons or stretch our boundaries. Except no matter which way we are leaning, routines will be busted anyway this month.

Old habits may die hard, but they can also die fast. 

On May 12th, Mars starts walking the degrees he will walk during his upcoming retrograde. In four days he will move into Aquarius where he will stay for MONTHS (not his usual weeks!). Buckle up Aquarius! Where are your actions focused now? Whatever we do now will likely need to be re-done later. Mars will station retrograde on June 26th. Start moving direct again on August 27th and be back in Aquarius on September 10th. His retrograde in Aquarius added to the fact that Uranus, the planet that co-rules Aquarius in changing signs for the first time in 7 years and the other co-ruler of Aquarius, Saturn is strongly settled in Capricorn, a sign he also rules - is all uber important and so perfectly timed for our Age of Aquarius lightning bolt changes.

On May 13th, Mercury exits Aries (finally) and moves into Taurus. News comes in. The conversation shifts to Taurean matters - our possessions, our money, our values, the planet. Mercury in Taurus slows down communications and conversations and our thinking. That's OK. Snap decisions will be less snappy.

(snaps are highly over-rated anyway, am I right seamstresses, aren't buttons more practical?)

The monkeys in our brain will quiet down now - although maybe only for a moment with Uranus blowing into town in two days (!!) - imagine them quietly hanging in a tree, eating their bananas and watching the sunset. Maybe they eat so many bananas they tumble to the ground in a banana coma for the next few weeks - imagine whatever it takes to quiet those chatterers. They will not do us any good now. They are not needed. And don't worry about the little fellows, they will wake up as soon as Mercury moves into fast moving Gemini on May 29th. 

On May 15th, (one of the BIGGEST days of the year, although you know stuff doesn't always happen when transits are exact) we have the New Moon in Taurus AND Uranus moves into Taurus - after seven years in Aries. Uranus will retrograde back into Aries in a few months while retrograde - to toss a final wrench into the wheel of Aries, then move back into Taurus for a nice, long stay. I will write a big post about this by sign.

Hosting both the New Moon and the "anything-can-happen" (think Trump here) planet Uranus at the same time tells us any early degree Taurus placements (and the other fixed signs - Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo through squares or oppositions) will be rocking and rolling.

This is technology/fast future (Uranus) vs nature/cycles of life (Taurus). Earthquakes. Money changes. Changes with what we value. Here we go!

We have been building toward these energies clashing/figuring out how to work together for a LONG TIME and now here we are.

Uranus is the planet of innovation and fast future-focused change and rules Aquarius - the genius, rebel, revolutionary, criminal. Taurus (ruled by lovely Venus, maybe one day astrology will assign Ceres); stable, stubborn, earthy and patient is the sign that rules our collective 2nd house - our money, our values, our resources, everything money can buy and everything it can't, our values and self-esteem.

I will write a big post about this and I did charts for some readers a few weeks back about this transit. It is going to be BIG.

Changes, likely something that challenges our sense of security, could start off with a BANG.

Remember our natal Taurus houses are the spaces we probably do the least amount of innovation - this is our space of comfort that comes from complacency - the place we are usually willing to LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. Uranus will confront us about our fixed position through people and situations that make us UNCOMFORTABLE. Sleeping dogs will not be allowed to lie - sleeping dogs will be awake and barking. 

On May 16th Mars will roll into Aquarius and start answering to Uranus and then square Uranus ON THE SAME DAY. Due to Mars upcoming retrograde this square will be a series of three - the 2nd one in the first half of August and the final one in the second half of September. If we think we are done with something now we aren't. Mars/Uranus disrupts the group - the ground beneath our feet is shaking.

Now, if you are reading this stuff and thinking "NO" (this probably means you have strong Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, Leo - fixed energy - in your chart), well this doesn't have to be a negative thing. Change is good. Change is good. Let this be our new mantra people! Where are those t-shirts when we need them?! This is the Age of Aquarius and the world is NOT working well for many, many people. Change is good.

Uranus/Aquarius rules the group - the hive-mind. 

Think about the power of that for a minute. Think about how THAT could get harnessed in stable, earthy Taurus and the amazing good that could come from that.

All possibilities are on the table now - the comfort food, garden grown like grandma used to make and the robot-shaped sushi with seafood grown in a tank.

Likely we are going to have some struggles first as we get our bearings, but keep in mind this is a LONG transit.

And remember Taurus is sextile (opportunity) our Cancer and Pisces points and planets and trine (brakes off) our Virgo and Capricorn planets and points. The fixed stuff (Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo) will take most of the whomping, but that is the stuff that needs to be shaken up. Life could feel less stable for all of us, but unless we are asleep with the covers pulled up to our chin -  

we are already feeling this.

The last Uranus in Taurus brought us the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II. Cycles repeat, but never exactly.

Maybe this newest Great Depression - has more to do with what is happening to our central nervous systems (there is only one of here) with millions of people passively absorbing information (and pretty pictures) all day long. We have had the South Node in Aquarius for the last year bringing our - addiction to technology, addiction to distraction, addiction to over-thinking - to our attention. Taurus (nature, the touch of another human being, food grown in the ground, trees) is the balm here. Taurus rules our 2nd house of what we own, "do we own our phones/laptops or do they own us?".

Maybe we are about to find out.

I will write a post about this transit by sign, and we will talk about it as we move through it.

In the meantime - heads up about next week and the middle of May. Stay flexible. Have a nice weekend. The Moon is in productive, ambitious Capricorn and then moves into humanitarian Aquarius on Sunday morning. Also on Sunday we have a lovely, opportunistic sextile from Neptune to the Sun (in Taurus). Anything artistic, healing or mystical is favored. Monday morning's energies could be kind of challenging for connecting with other people, keep this in mind. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 30th - imperfect options, compromises, adjustments, making the best of what we have on the table now, contracts, partnerships, take some 'noses in the roses' time because Taurus season won't last forever

Perceive the light by anaispopy

What has all this Scorpio/Plutonian energy brought to light for you? What is dead in the water? What has risen from the ashes or been brought back to life?

There is more lunar activity than anything else this week - we are processing what has happened through our emotions.

I can't tell if this week looks calmer than we have seen in awhile or if we are all just exhausted. There are multiple "rock and a hard place" situations, some positives around the middle of the week, but a lot of the week's energy could feel either unsatisfying or challenging depending on how directly your chart is impacted. We are riding the waves brought by Sunday's Full Moon for the next two weeks.

BIG changes (and REAL opportunities) ahead in May!

On MONDAY, the Moon (in Scorpio) trines Neptune at 8:32AM EDT. What were you dreaming when you woke up this morning? We start the day/week maybe feeling more sensitive and compassionate. Good energy to meditate, make art, do imaginative work. To make magic happen. To pull up anchor and drift off to sea. At 3:11PM EDT the Moon conjuncts Jupiter. This is a good business aspect. It might be a good time to ask someone for a favor. We could all be feeling more generous than usual. By 6:43PM EDT the Moon will sextile a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn). There is an opportunity here to repair something, to have something that felt "dead in the water" suddenly rise from the ashes.

If you are entering into any sort of partnership/contract this week make sure you are looking behind corners and under rugs. Both partners need to be fired up (Juno in independent and fiery Aries since Saturday) and given enough space to move about freely for this thing to work. This won't be about merging multiple energies into one thing, but separate people/situations/groups working together because both benefit from the alliance. Like someone has a spare bedroom and needs extra money and someone else needs a place to sleep and has the means to pay the rent. This kind of stuff can fall into place now, but keep in mind with Aries energy being so independent and inclined to not look too far ahead - you need to take a more long-term view of what you are getting yourself into, there could be trouble not too far down the road if you are not both moving in the same direction and at the same speed off the starting line.

The Moon goes void at 10:56PM EDT off a sextile to Mars.

On TUESDAY, we kiss April good-bye - don't let the door hit you April (a challenging month with LOTS of growth!) - the Moon moves into BIG picture, big thinking Sagittarius at 11:19AM EDT. The next two and a half days will be fast moving!

This will feel similar to the Moon/Jupiter energy from yesterday. We might be more idealistic with more of a desire to travel and stretch our boundaries over the next couple days. It will be hard to restrict ourselves to one of anything - note to self - hide the Thin Mints.

Venus in versatile Gemini will inconjunct a retrograde Saturn, strong in Capricorn. This is a "rock and a hard place" aspect between what we want and what is actually available. We might not get exactly what we want here, but Gemini tells us there are options available. There could be a choice that doesn't really feel like a choice or a compromise needed. We might have to confront some relationship issues that make us irritable.We could be facing a financial limit, authority issue or maybe just not enough time/resources to do what we want to do!

The good news here is that WEDNESDAY, that same Venus is going to make a sextile to the North Node In Leo (our way forward), at the same time trining (brakes off) the South Node in Aquarius (what we are moving away from). Stay flexible. Adjust toward the new.

Maybe that imperfect option is actually exactly what is needed NOW to move things forward in the long run. 

Saturn will make sure we are working within our limits and means, but also make sure whatever is being built here is stable and lasting.

EXAMPLE FOR VIRGO, Virgo Rising (Gemini 10th house) - Venus is in your 10th house - your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility - something here is between a rock and a hard place now. Staying flexible in your professional life, even as challenges to your goals/status/authority present themselves will keep you on the North Node path within your career/public life. Adjust toward the new. Sunday's potent Full Moon (your 3rd house) could be bringing you evaluations/feedback/criticism on any changes/actions you took early in the year - pay attention and stay open-minded. There are big changes for all of us that start next month. You are going to need MORE SPACE Virgo.

The Moon squares Neptune making things a bit confusing.

On THURSDAY, the Moon goes void at 8:50PM EDT off a trine to Uranus then moves into steady Capricorn at 10:06PM EDT. Do something different.

The Capricorn Moon will make us more focused on our goals, career, duty and responsibilities for the next couple days. The Moon in Capricorn makes people less compassionate and more hard-hearted - pull yourself up by your bootstraps, like I did, buddy. Also more inclined toward self-protection, just staying alive. Every can in our cupboard could feel like the last can of beans in a blizzard. Good energy for business and building stability.

On FRIDAY, the Moon (in Capricorn) conjuncts Saturn at 3:02PM EDT for their monthly pow-wow. This is yesterday's energy on STEROIDS. Things are taken seriously. If you are prone to depression - give yourself a break now. Stuff could seem harder than it actually is. It could feel like we are facing whatever it is we are facing ALL ALONE. Stepping into your responsibility is required. Hard work pays off.

On SATURDAY, Mercury makes a "rock and a hard place" inconjunct to a retrograde Jupiter. With Mercury in "just get it done/said/out there" Aries - we could say something we regret or make too fast a decision on something. Words could be inflated - ours or other people's. Expectations could be too high. We could be making assumptions. We could be rushing something that shouldn't be rushed. With Jupiter in Scorpio we could reveal too much and put ourselves in a difficult position.

The inconjunct tells us to proceed cautiously, especially with our communications/sibling issues and written and verbal contracts - also whatever is happening with your Aries/Scorpio natal house themes. Jupiter's retrograde in Scorpio has us zeroing in on something in the shadows, something we missed - next week when the Sun (in Taurus) opposes Jupiter, something will conclude or come out into the light.

EXAMPLE FOR Capricorn/Capricorn Rising - (Aries 4th house) With Mercury in your house of - home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business - family communications, real estate decisions, renovations, etc could be challenged by over-ambitious plans, inflated expectations, making assumptions about what is possible or just by rushing through a choice or decision. Late July's first eclipse on the Cancer/Capricorn axis could be a game changer for you Capricorn - you might be catching a glimpse of what's in store then now.

I will be back with some longer term stuff including Uranus into Taurus (May 15th) and some updates on the Donald series - since we finally have a week with no major transits - I can catch up!

xo all