New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer | we can look back but remember - we're not going THAT way

New Moon July 11, 2018

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner.

I wrote the post on Monday night and then accidentally highlighted the whole post to delete one sentence at the same time Blogger did an auto-save, so managed to lose the whole damn thing! As anyone who has ever had to rewrite something you were finished with knows (the dog ate my homework) it is hard to re-do, plus it took me a couple days to stop banging my head on the table.

Anyhoo, here we go again -

This is the chart for Thursday's New Moon.

At 10:47PM EDT the Moon meets the Sun at 20 degrees Cancer. At the same time we have Pluto at 20 degrees Capricorn - exactly opposed.

The Nodes are still in Leo/Aquarius - but at 5 degrees they are close enough to this New Moon (Sun and Moon conjunction) for a Solar Eclipse, although a partial one. The Moon partially blocks the Sun and the flow of energy to planet Earth is interrupted - focusing our attention on that point. We get a cosmic reset, much like a computer being turned off and back on and the program that uploads at restart is a little bit (or quite a lot) different than the one we ran on before.

Eclipses change us, and we, (vibrating differently), change our circumstances by attracting or repelling what our new self lines up with.

This summer we have THREE eclipses and this one is the first. The next one on July 27th (Lunar Eclipse) looks like the biggie and then we have another Solar Eclipse on August 11th - the next two will be the final eclipses of the Leo/Aquarius polarity before the nodes move into Cancer/Capricorn.

Cancer New Moons - and this one is powered up by this partial Solar Eclipse - are about collective Cancer themes (so, this theme is applicable to all of us both individually and collectively and then the theme of our personal natal Cancer house will come into play, too - see the themes by sign below).

Cancer rules home, family, our roots, mother, mothering, our ancestry, real estate, country, patriotism, the root of the matter - our emotional security - this is where we get the new beginning,  
and with Pluto opposing plus the eclipsing of the Sun it will come with a powerful ending. 

The Pluto opposition can also be about facing a fear and finding our strength through that, but more likely a powerful ending. 

And the two things will be connected even when we can't see the connection - even when they look like two totally unrelated things. Releasing something in one area - and yes, it can be pulled away from us - creates a more extreme focus for that Cancer house. For some people this could be about work/life balance issues, the shifting of parenting roles or relocation/renovation issues.

Eclipses (similar to a super charged full moon) will eclipse something out or bring something to light or alternately cover it up and then the New Moon seeding will activate the promise of any slow moving transit currently present in our life.

One tricky thing with eclipse energy that I have found from personal experience as well as other people's charts is they often work backward. The thing the eclipse is "eclipsing out" or "bringing to light" can happen days or weeks before the physical Sun is overtaken by the Moon. Often almost exactly one week or one month before (or after).

You can see in this chart for Washington D.C. at the time of the Eclipse - the Sun and Moon are meeting in the 5th house which rules children. In the United States we have the heartbreaking stories of the immigrant children taken/hidden from their mothers (Cancer) by the government (Pluto in Capricorn). We have also had the story of the boys in Thailand (Aries rules young men and Chiron in early Aries was strong and still and stationing retrograde last week) taken from their mothers and hidden in a dark, wet cave - very Plutonian (God of the underworld) and finally rescued as Jupiter (deep in watery, Pluto-ruled Scorpio) woke up on Tuesday. Jupiter also rules foreigners and what is foreign to us and sits strong and still in the 8th house of death and rebirth (Pluto's house) of Thursday's solar eclipse chart. We've got Neptune - fog, scandal, behind the scenes machinations, deceit, faith, imagination, healing - in the 1st house. Mars, retrograde and out-of-bounds and - again stuff happening behind the scenes - in the 12th house of self-undoing heading toward the South Node in Aquarius again.

(hidden children also makes me think about how all year I have written about that North Node in Leo - our creativity, our passion, taking center stage in our lives, giving birth to something we can be proud of - and I am certain I did not say often enough that Leo also rules CHILDREN!! where are the children? are the children in your life OK? is your inner child OK?)

The best news with this New Moon is, at the same time, we have a beautiful Grand Trine in Earth as Venus (in Virgo), Saturn (in Capricorn) and Uranus (in Taurus) all line up for us in a smooth energetic flow with Saturn, strong at home in Capricorn, solidly anchoring the whole thing. Uranus brings CHANGE and Venus (critical in Virgo, yes, but also discriminating) brings our love/money/resources/values and self esteem into the mix.

Saturn demands whatever is seeded at this New Moon be a real thing - something solid and lasting.

Let's look at some potential themes by sign. Please remember "by sign" is kind of a guideline. We are all under the energetic of the Aries themes - because Aries rising, Aries in his natural 1st house, in a whole sign house system is a collective theme. Sometimes we find the theme of our Sun sign - regardless of house - at play and other times our Rising sign theme fits better. Of course, just because you are a Taurus rising, doesn't mean you have Cancer ruling your 3rd house, so if you know the actual house check that, too.

Depending on your individual chart (if you have planets or points near 20 degrees of the cardinal signs this will be stronger for you) you may feel this Eclipse to a greater or lesser degree, but all of us get eclipsed. The energy we carry for the collective - the energetic lineup when we drew our first breath - shifts.

We change and then we attract changing circumstances - and because there is no time and eclipses somehow work backwards, too - these changing circumstances can precede the actual eclipse!

ARIES/Aries Rising - (Cancer 4th house/Capricorn 10th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

TAURUS/Taurus Rising (Cancer 3rd house/Capricorn 9th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 3rd house of communication, information, ideas, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing 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, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

GEMINI/Gemini Rising (Cancer 2nd house/Capricorn 8th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 2nd house of your money, your values, your resources and self-esteem, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing 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, the resources you share with other people so something here is ENDING/transforming.

CANCER/Cancer Rising (Cancer 1st house/Capricorn 7th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 1st house of yourself, so a new chapter is kicking off for you. Pluto is opposing from your 7th house of your relationships so something here is ENDING/transforming.

LEO/Leo Rising (Cancer 12th house, Capricorn 6th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 6th house of your day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

VIRGO/Virgo Rising (Cancer 11th house, Capricorn 5th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 11th house of your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

LIBRA/Libra Rising (Cancer 10th house, Capricorn 4th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 4th house of home, family, your roots, mother, mothering, your ancestry, real estate or a home business, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

SCORPIO/Scorpio Rising (Cancer 9th house, Capricorn 3rd house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in 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, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 3rd house of communication, information, ideas, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

SAGITTARIUS/Sag Rising (Cancer 8th house, Capricorn 2nd house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 8th house of other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, death, inheritance, sex, reproduction, the resources you share with other people, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 2nd house of your money, your values, your resources and self-esteem, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

CAPRICORN/Capricorn Rising (Cancer 7th house, Capricorn 1st house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 7th house of partners and partnerships so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 1st house of yourself so something within you is ENDING/transforming.

AQUARIUS/Aquarius Rising (Cancer 6th house, Capricorn 12th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 6th house of your day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing 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, so something here is, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

PISCES/Pisces Rising (Cancer 5th house, Capricorn 11th house) the Sun and Moon are meeting in your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, children, romance and recreation, so something here is BEGINNING/new. Pluto is opposing from your 11 house of your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology, so something here is ENDING/transforming.

Remember 2018 is the bridge year to 2019 and 2020 which will be life changing for all of us. With Saturn in Capricorn we can't skip steps anymore without falling on our ass. The crazy leaps were for last year. This year we have to work for what we want - this doesn't mean we won't get it though and it will last longer when we do! It's winter -yes, even when it is 100 degrees outside - we have to be practical, stow some canned goods - which could take the form of our relationships and connections with other people - and wear snow shoes.

We are literally holding space while the structures disintegrate. It can be depressing because we are under pressure. We are deleting worn out patterns, generations of physical and emotional wounding and ancestral inheritances that have kept us stuck. Inflexible entanglements that we have outgrown have already crumbled into a pile at out feet (Saturn hasn't really ruled the universe since the discovery of the telescope!)- we just can't totally see/feel that yet. AND this sounds all well and good and empowering when we see the words on a screen, but can actually feel like shit as it is happening. Our connections to other people can weaken along with the ties that bind us, our bodies can weaken - be sure you are getting enough sleep, eating well, moving! - from trying to maintain our balance on fast-shifting soil, our minds may seem to weaken as our intuition increases - this can also happen from just trying to absorb too much information, remember that South Node in Aquarius - step away from toxic technology. This shit is not for sissies.

We have alot going on this summer and alot of changes ahead - hold on loosely, keep moving forward - Cancer rules nurturing and sustenance - take care of yourself!

SETTING AFFIRMATIONS

This is a powerful energy to focus our intentions and make affirmations on Cancer stuff : mothers, motherhood, self-care, nurturing, home, family, real estate, home business, food, breast health, stomach and digestive health, gut health, SECURITY ...

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a positive frame of mind - always make affirmations from a positive place (positive meaning both happy and certain) - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known.  

Know these things are already yours.

xo all

let's all include an affirmation for the immigrant children and all children everywhere who are lost and hidden - that they are safely reunited with their families, with their mothers .... also note we had an eclipse very near this degree in July 2010, so there could be a connection to that time or a similar theme, but this one now with the Pluto opposition is more powerful

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 9th - love gets practical, let's pay attention to what we are talking and thinking about, big news, tension, partnership potentials and decisions, whatever got gummed up in March starts to move forward, grounded assistance, life and death, the eclipses are HERE

gaia by ezorenier

This is a very important week and kicks off our summer eclipse season - three eclipses this time, instead of the usual two! Keep in mind eclipse events don't usually happen at the exact date of the eclipse and can start weeks before and unravel for months after the actual events. I often see events one week or one month, usually almost to the day, before or after the eclipse date.

The biggest aspects this week are:

MONDAY - Venus enters Virgo, Mercury squares Jupiter enters shadow
TUESDAY - Jupiter stations DIRECT
WEDNESDAY - Venus trines Uranus and Juno
THURSDAY - NEW MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE IN CANCER opposing Pluto
FRIDAY - Venus trines Saturn

Let's unpack this massive suitcase!

I am not going to write all the Moon aspects because we have enough to cover with the planets. Note there are multiple long Void Moons this week.

The Moon goes VOID on Tuesday at 4:01PM EDT until Wednesday at 1:59PM EDT (into Cancer after the void) AND on Thursday at 10:48PM EDT until Friday at 1:31PM EDT (into Leo after the void) AND on Saturday at 7:12PM EDT until Sunday at 1:31PM EDT (into Virgo after the void).

On MONDAY, Venus moves into Virgo until August 6th. She puts away her queen of the jungle Leo crown, ties her hair back in a neat little bun and gets to work (it's not a surprise Virgo is not her favorite place to be!). On her way out of town she hits that still-hot degree from last August's eclipse - so if that eclipse triggered something for you it will likely be re-activated now.

The bad news for us - Venus is in her detriment in Virgo (not able to function as her best, most attractive Venusian self), the good news - during her stay in Virgo she will trine (brakes off) the other planets in Earth signs and we get two of those trines this week, so a Grand Earth Trine which will really help ground us during this week's de-stabilizing solar eclipse!

Since Venus collectively rules our 2nd and 7th houses (Libra and Taurus) the themes of these houses - love, money, self-esteem, values, relationships, women, beauty, our resources - are subjected to Virgo's keen focus and attention to detail over the next month.

We will be analyzing what we want and what we have. We will be analyzing our relationships.

The problems will stand out. We won't be able to miss them. And since what we focus on grows, sometimes things get worse before they get better during this transit. But this is excellent energy to fix what needs fixing and accept (or eliminate) what just isn't fixable.

Our Virgo natal houses get a visit from lovely Venus. Virgo Suns and Ascendants get more attractive - both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want. Our natal Virgo houses get more attractive, too.

We could also use this energy to criticize the people we love. But please let's not do that. Constructive criticism is not possible. It's still criticism. Nothing constructive there.

Things could get bitchy and people could get hurt.

It's always best to work on ourselves and not try to change others. We will then attract from others something different as they mirror the something different we project onto them. We can't change people. So we allow Venus (love) to soften Virgo (critical thinking, seeing what is wrong).

Note Mercury has started walking the degrees (as of Sunday) he will walk during his upcoming retrograde - yes, Mercury retrograde is coming - BACK UP YOUR FILES.

This means whatever we have going on now is stuff we will be going back over, so pay attention,  and, YES, we are already doing this with Mars retrograde and Mercury is opposing Mars (Mercury in Leo, Mars in Aquarius) so that polarity is what we are all going back over. These are the areas of life we have been talking about all year!

Also on MONDAY, Mercury (in Leo) squares Jupiter (in Scorpio). With Mercury going retrograde - we will have this same aspect three times between now and the end of August. Monday is the first hit.

This is BIG News or information or a conversation. Good or bad the square indicates tension. Jupiter will make everything bigger, but also 'appear bigger' than it actually is. So keep this in mind.

Mercury also rules sibling issues, local issues, childhood issues and transportation. Know that things here are going to change over the summer as we go through the retrogrades and two more squares, so whatever is happening now will be in play for awhile and won't be the end of the story.

EXAMPLE FOR TAURUS/ Taurus Rising - Mercury is moving through your 4th house of home and family (your Leo house) and squaring Jupiter in your 7th house of partners/partnerships (your Scorpio house). Conversations/news - possibly tense - could be happening now within these themes. Because Jupiter is going to move direct later this week - whatever your partner has been sitting on/waiting for/re-imagining will begin to move forward (something expansive). Keep in mind we have two more squares this summer and they could change their mind/thinking/opinion, maybe multiple times! That's OK. That is what this retrograde period is for! We are not wasting time, we are GETTING IT RIGHT. So don't jump too far too fast. By Labor Day issues regarding partnership and home/family or home business will be on more solid footing. You will have worked through alot of the crap and know (Mercury) what to do.

On TUESDAY, Jupiter stations direct at 13 degrees Scorpio. I wrote about his retrograde HERE. It is very hopeful that he moves forward now - we need him awake! We had the Sun trine Jupiter last Thursday as part of that "feel-good" Grand Water Trine (the one where I warned you not to feel TOO good, because well, that's just how I am - Pluto on my Mercury for months and months folks, you will thank me for this later).

Jupiter moved into Scorpio last October, expanded the hidden stuff in our Scorpio (power) houses (one big example is #metoo) until it couldn't be ignored. Then stationed retrograde in early March. Jupiter tends to rush and the details can get overlooked. He (as we) needed to slow down  - stop adding more pieces to the Scorpio puzzle and look closer at what we had uncovered since October. So now we've had four months to go back and look at the pieces already on the table. And remember he was going back over an area of our chart that Mars retrograded through in 2016. So the re-evaluation (or the re-re-evaluation!) was likely very Martian in nature (and Mars co-rules Scorpio) based around our past actions or in-actions, initiative or lack of, anger or repressed anger, sexuality or repressed sexuality, etc. Anyway, now he (as us) moves forward. Our natal Scorpio house - and collective themes of the way we share resources, collective money, banking,debt, sex, fertility, reproduction, power, death and rebirth - WAKES UP. Jupiter will continue expanding Scorpio, for better or worse, until November 8th.

Because expansive Jupiter naturally rules our collective 9th house of foreigners, what is foreign to us, our higher beliefs, the stuff we have to reach for - travel, higher education, weddings - politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, stuff outside our comfort zone, exploration, our beliefs and higher thinking - things here will pick up where they left off in March, too. Maybe a vision/project we put on hold in early March can begin to move forward now!

Keep in mind the series of Mercury squares this summer along with Mercury's retrograde - this situation will be in flux over the summer as we re-think, re-do, re-vise, yadda-yadda. Multiple tensions, or the same thing again and again, between our Scorpio and Leo houses (and these are both fixed energy and not so inclined to want to change - fixed signs I feel your pain!) will push things forward - as we move BACKWARD!

EXAMPLE FOR SCORPIO/Scorpio Rising - Jupiter is in your 1st house of yourself (Yay that he will be moving forward for you now Scorpios - keep in mind your ruling planet Mars is still retrograde, so if you do not feel the forward movement right now that is why - you will have something shift though - the squares with Mercury will wind down right around the same time as Mars stations direct so by the very end of August/early September all systems will be GO!) so something about your physical self, your body, your brand moves forward now. Note the square this week and two more in August with your 10th house of career and public life. Career moves and plans will be subject to change as you move through the summer!

On WEDNESDAY Venus trines Uranus (and Juno) - she will exactly trine Saturn on FRIDAY - this is ALL IN PLAY now and through the middle of the month. This is the solid ground (yes, there is solid ground available) we need to get through this week's eclipse. This is our Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo houses - they work well together naturally - supercharged with Venus, Saturn and Uranus.

Collectively (Virgo ruling 6th house, Capricorn 10th, Taurus 2nd) - this is good for work and money. An organized, healthy daily approach attracts new ways to make money or get the most from existing or new resources, support from those in charge and the ability to reach our long term goals - something like that - there are many ways this can play out. With Juno conjunct Uranus now, partnership agreements, even sudden or unexpected alliances or good stuff for a partner could bring us greater money and stability. Where are Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus in YOUR chart? How can you make use of this trine? Trines create smooth flow, but can also make us lazy and we miss the good stuff.

Saturn is in Capricorn - it's winter even when the temperature is hitting 100, folks - don't miss the good stuff.

We will talk more about this energy, too, in the New Moon Solar Eclipse post.

On THURSDAY the Cancer Sun meets the Cancer Moon at 20 degrees - exactly opposing Pluto at 20 degrees Capricorn and although the Moon's nodes have not quite reached the Cancer/Capricorn polarity - where they will be in November - they are close enough to trigger our first Solar Eclipse on the Cancer/Capricorn axis, so a kind of preview of where these things are heading in 2019.

We are are like computers being turned off and on when the skies go dark and the program that uploads at restart is a little bit (or quite a lot) different than the one we ran on before.

Eclipses change us, and we, (vibrating differently), change our circumstances by attracting or repelling what our new self lines up with.

Solar eclipses are New Moons and have themes of newness and beginnings. With this one opposing Pluto (ruler of death), the beginning requires an ending that is very much an ENDING (yes, I am running my finger across my jugular - ouch).

What are we willing to give up to get this fresh new beginning? Not that Pluto is asking - ha!

As we move through the early years of the Age of Aquarius we are holding space while the structures disintegrate. This is what we came to do, but this work is #notforsissies.

We will talk about this in the next post, but for example if you are an ARIES/Aries rising with Cancer in your 4th house and Capricorn in your 10th house - something in your 4th house (home, family, real estate, renovation, mother, ancestry, your roots, possibly home business) is BEGINNING and something in your 10th house (career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, stepping into your responsibility) is ENDING.

These things may or may not be connected. There are as many ways this can play out as there are Aries people and this will be more important for people with planets or points on or near 20 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn).

For LIBRA/Libra rising the same houses are activated but in the opposite way, so the 4th house has the ending and the 10th the new beginning. This will be as complicated or as simple as it needs to be for us.

We'll talk this all out in the Eclipse post, but remember Eclipse energy is wild card energy so we won't be able to see or prepare for everything!

This is the first eclipse of the season - the second eclipse at the end of the month is really a whopper - with even greater potential for a blow-up. For now let's concentrate on this first one on Thursday - start thinking about our New Moon wishes - plantings at a Cancer New Moon (Cancer is ruled by the Moon) are especially fast growing and potent.

xo all

We will also take a look at where we are in the collective/world news with the Solar Eclipse post, too.

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | breaking with tradition, hair trigger tempers, the touch that feels like love, compassionate action, hands in the dirt, balance the books, go jump in the ocean

Breaking the waves by Phoenixstamatis

Heads up - this is our final call to get stuff done before Mercury starts to hit her retrograde degrees on Monday. Keep in mind the stuff we are doing/thinking next week we are likely to be re-doing/re-thinking.

On FRIDAY the Moon finishes her travels through independent Aries. Let's get done what we can.

The Moon reaches her last quarter of the month squaring the Cancer Sun. This month's third quarter square speaks of tension/frustration around security/home/family issues. This is about us moving in a new more independent direction vs. what we have done/what has happened/what kept us safe or comfortable or just comfortable enough to feel safe enough in the past.

With the Moon in Aries squaring the Sun, people (including us) could be quicker to anger, more anxious and abrupt. Patience could be required of us now. The dark of the Moon approaches - what can you finish up?

The Moon goes void while we sleep off a lovely trine to Venus - sweet dreams.

By SATURDAY (8:50AM EDT) the Moon has arrived in Taurus where she is exalted. We would do best to focus on more Taurean things for the next couple days - nature, comfort, gardening, tending to the things we own that are in dis-repair, balancing our books, getting our hands in the dirt, preparing food grown in the dirt with our own two hands, getting/giving a massage, taking a long bath -  

whatever brings us back into our body and in touch with the value of our existing resources is a good use of Taurean energy.

The Moon immediately hooks up with "anything-can-happen" Uranus - do something different this morning.

We might not have a choice in this! Expect the unexpected - surprising circumstances and emotional reactions. We could also be dealing with an unusual person or an Aquarian.

By the afternoon she is trining (brakes off) serious Saturn in serious Capricorn. Excellent energy for solid, practical maneuverings, goal setting, getting work done - our emotions and our ambitions are working together. Dealings with authority and older people should go smoothly. The Moon will square Mars at 1:51AM EDT, so if we stay up late or we start feeling this energy sooner (some will and of course, not everyone is on EDT) we could be impatient, short tempered and even itching for a fight - so could other people. This is NOT the night to close down the bar. We might say or do something impulsive we later regret. This aspect also makes us accident prone - keep this in mind.

On SUNDAY we have the Sun (in Cancer) trining Neptune (in Pisces). This is excellent energy for healing, charity work, compassionate action, meditation, spiritual practices, using our imagination. This would be good energy to start a creative project. Church pews and meditation circles should be occupied. We will be very sensitive to where we are and who we are with now - keep this in mind. Get near, and in, water if possible!

The Moon is uber busy today - squaring Mercury, opposing Jupiter, sextiling Neptune (adding greater opportunity to the Sun/Neptune trine!), sextiling the Sun and trining Pluto. A mixed bag so things will be in flux.

By Monday, Mercury (our thinking, ideas, communication, information, sibling issues, transportation and local community issues, childhood and children issues, early education) will be walking his first steps over degrees he will walk two more times and the Moon will move into Gemini - ruled by Mercury - so add an exclamation point (or two or three)!

Eclipse season is approaching. I will write a post by sign on the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer - July 12th!

Enjoy the weekend everyone - a Taurus Moon on a summer weekend is a nice gift - let's find a way to be good to ourselves and unwrap it!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 2nd - a message is delivered, what words are we noticing, what needs to be said, where are we saying one thing and doing another, an argument, sib trouble, car trouble, things falling into place but what place and where's that HORSEFLY

words by andaria

This week is all about building toward our first eclipse of the summer season (and first eclipse in Cancer/Capricorn) which will be NEXT week when the Cancer Sun (home, family, real estate, home business, mother, mothering, security) opposes a Capricorn Moon/Pluto conjunction!

Let's take a breath first, see where we are and look at the week ahead:

Mars (what we do to get what we want, passion, impulse, action, anger) is moving backward through Aquarius toward the South Node (what is ripe for release) and toward an opposition with the North Node (our future).

Mars doesn't mind being in Aquarius. He is not exalted here, like he is in Capricorn (the sign where his backward movement will end up), but Aquarius is about advancement and the future, and ruled by Uranus - fast change - so Mars can usually make it work here.

Moving backward though is not so fun at high speed as he (as us) is finding out. Retrogrades always have us going back over something - in this case maybe something started around mid-May when he first entered Aquarius. So, we might be re-thinking something or re-doing it or delays and obstacles could have something stalled. Retrogrades are a GIFT or we would be falling off cliffs all the time.

Venus (in Leo for just a few more days) is still desirous of attention, still in love with love, still wanting what she wants, being ignored is hard to handle as are compromises. On July 10th, Venus will take up her position for the first half of this intense summer, with her move into Virgo.

This will put relationship issues as well as issues around what we want and what we already have under the microscope. Venus doesn't like being in Virgo. In Virgo, problems will stand out because the details of things move front and center, and remember Venus rules Libra and Taurus, where problems maybe get smoothed out, but just as often get pushed under the rug in favor of diplomacy and comfort.

Now, the problems will be visible. We won't be able to miss them. They might be all we can see. And since what we focus on grows, sometimes things get worse before they get better during this transit. But this is excellent energy to fix what needs fixing and accept (or eliminate) what just isn't fixable. This is all part of getting us clear on what we want and appreciative and aware of what we already have.

Mercury, freshly unpacked in Leo, and moving full steam ahead, is headed toward his North Node meetup TOMORROW (in play NOW). This is a message being delivered. This is a communication or information or a conversation or an idea that hooks us into our future. PAY ATTENTION. This might also be us delivering just the right information or saying just the right thing that will open a door (or window!). 

So, connect with people - be verbal, be out and about! If nothing is happening - go online, visit a bookstore.

The outer planets are all retrograde, too, except Uranus. Plowing full steam ahead is unlikely now. 

The Sun is in Cancer all week - we are burning Cancerian fuel and our Cancer houses are LIT - remember that first eclipse next week is in Cancer because the North Node - our future! - is moving into Cancer in the fall. We are focused on Cancerian matters - home, family, real estate, renovation, home business, mothers, mothering, our security, the theme of our natal Cancer houses.

The Moon this week will move from Pisces - dreaming, escaping, art, imagination - through Aries as we build toward the last quarter square Moon late in the week (triggering a crisis point, people with planets/points around 12-16 degrees of the cardinal signs will feel this one most strongly - Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) initiating, being passionate, fighting, taking action (and yes Aries ruler Mars in moving backward, so likely either actions we have previously taken or actions where we are going back over things) and finally by Friday morning EDT she will move into Taurus - where she is exalted - nature, comfort, pleasure, sustenance.

Some of the big aspects this week are:

TUESDAY - Mercury conjunct the North Node
THURSDAY - Chiron stations retrograde, Mercury opposes Mars, Grand Water Trine
SATURDAY - Mercury enters his retrograde shadow

We kick off MONDAY morning without much kick. The Moon is void until 1:31PM EDT when she moves into dreamy Pisces. The next couple days will be good for imaginative work, meditation, healing, escaping from reality, making art and music and endings. 

On TUESDAY, Mercury (in fiery Leo) will conjunct the North Node. A message is delivered. This is a communication or information or conversation or idea that hooks us into our future. PAY ATTENTION. This might also be us delivering just the right information or saying just the right thing that will open a door (or window!). So, connect with people - be verbal, be out and about!

On WEDNESDAY - Happy 4th of July America! - the Moon is void all day until she moves into Aries at 12:50AM EDT (early Thursday morning). An excellent time to kick back and relax.

There is alot happening on THURSDAY, but of course, some of this will be playing out a couple days before or after - this is just the date the energy is exact!

Chiron (wounded healer) stations retrograde until December 9th. Yes, another retrograde energy!

He has been SLOWLY moving through Aries since mid-April when he left Pisces and now he stops (at 2 degrees Aries) and reverses course. Chiron in Pisces had been about feeling and then surrendering the wound. Chiron in Aries is requiring us to take action on the wound. Individual action. The kind of action that isn't always supported by other people.

If his retrograde motion means he is moving nearer to a planet or point in our chart whatever is hurting will intensify now - maybe we will be required to be brave, do something we don't want to do, stand up for ourselves, etc. For most people though, and especially those with planets or points that Chiron is backing off - this will be about us doing the re's here - reflecting, re-evaluating, revising - with whatever eases up a bit. With Chiron in Aries answering to Mars and Mars retrograde and moving toward the South Node, too, whatever has been zapping our ability to get what we want (do Mars!) is up for review/release - our motivation, passion, courage. See my April post about Chiron in Aries HERE

Also on THURSDAY we have Mercury (in loud and proud Leo) opposing Mars (in detached humanitarian Aquarius).

An argument now is probably covering old ground (or about what Mars retrograde is delaying) but it could also be constructive. We might be compelled to speak up/out this week. New ideas could oppose actions we have perfected through practice. This could also be about us (or them) saying one thing (Mercury) and doing another (Mars). We could have an argument with a sibling or a transportation/local community issue - all Mercury ruled. This is not the day to call your sister or operate heavy machinery. Or operate heavy machinery with your sister. Drive safely.

Also exact on THURSDAY but in play pretty much all week is a Grand Water Trine (our 3rd of three within the last few weeks!) - this time between the Sun in Cancer, Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. We had this energetic when Venus was in Cancer (June 1-2) and when Mercury was in Cancer (June 19th-20th).

Trines remove roadblocks. If the roadblock IS the problem, then great, things improve. Things slide into place. If the roadblock has been holding the problem at bay - things might appear to grow worse, but really it is a closed loop and we can only deal with what is already in here.

While we have the trine energy, working to remove the block - forgiveness, compassion, etc -  is very helpful. These are water signs so expect to be emotional about whatever is happening here.

The fly in the ointment here and he might have grown into one of those nasty, biting horseflies by this time, is that because this is our THIRD Grand Water Trine in just a few weeks - we might start feeling something abnormal is normal.

An unhealthy activity turns into a habit, we overdo, we overspend, we drift into something dangerous or destructive because the energy is starting to feel comfortable now. Miracles appear commonplace. We start believing the odds are 'ever in our favor'. We increase our bets.

It will be easy to make a very impractical decision that we will be living with long after the trine's 'easy-breezy' power-player energetic is gone. 

Horseflies aren't easily shaken.

Avoid mind altering chemicals and known addictions.

Life's natural anesthetic is moving in reverse now - Neptune retrograde, so the lure of outside numbing agents - another day at the beach or shopping spree or pain pill will be stronger - keep this in mind. Yes, I know I am a negative thinker (and Pluto back and forth over my natal Mercury in Capricorn is like being besties with a Dementor).

I am sure other astrologers are reporting good things with this and they are totally correct.

Just be careful. This is excellent energy to feel good (and to feel like that big thing is possible and yes, the only way that big thing is possible is for us to feel it is!) - just keep it real - be cautious with big decisions this week that can't be unwound later when that trine is gone. Saturn in Capricorn is making everything sticky and that horsefly could be left biting our ass for years.

Back later in the week - xo all!