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

Inner lion by DorottyaS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And drive safely.

xo all

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

Discover your destination by m-topolska

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

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

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

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

2. release outdated roles and outgrown restrictions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo all

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

Summer breeze by TheNightSheDied

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This doesn't mean we give up.

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

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

Either way, we keep moving forward.

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

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

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

Also, Houston needs underwear.

xo all

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

haaam by TheNightSheDied

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OK, back to the RED ALERT. 

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

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

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

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

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

xo all