Uranus Stations Retrograde | loosening our grip

trio by alkapralka

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo all

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

head in the clouds by pawssou

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

Wouldn't the odds be "astronomical"?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo all

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

hanna by aufzehengehen

Venus moves into nurturing Cancer today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo all

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

melf by aufzehenhgehen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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