Mercury squares Jupiter & the Nodes of Fate | important information

the age of information by pati makowska

My first thought with Mercury (information, communication, ideas) squaring Jupiter (expansion, excess, luck) - since I am a negative thinker which I have written about before - is to be aware that information can be blown out of proportion.

Your grown daughter living on the other side of the country calls and gets you all worked up about some problem she is having. You spend the afternoon brainstorming ideas, stressing out and pricing travel info. You call her back with your ideas, thoughts, plans to fly out there - and she seems to not know what you are talking about, she has almost forgotten the whole thing.

Communication, conversation and ideas could seem more urgent than they actually are.

A customer emails and says, "I must have this by tomorrow" and when you say "this is not possible", and I hope for the sake of your sanity this is what you would say, they will reply, "well, I really need it by the weekend." Keep this in mind.

My second thought with Mercury squaring Jupiter now, since he is also squaring our North (where we are collectively heading) and South (what we are collectively releasing) nodes is that some of the information that comes in now could be important. Also Mercury is conjunct Vesta (focus). Jupiter's rush of adrenaline could be distracting but there might be an idea now that can grow into something or a conversation that points us in a fresh (and fruitful) direction. If something comes along now it could be worth pursuing (just not urgently).

We've had a stressful couple weeks with much outflow of energy (compassion, grief, love, stress) - it's Cancer season - let's practice some good self nurturance now, too. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of June 19th - only one of us here

us by lacy drawers

Hello Summah!

On Monday we have a fruitful and positive Full Moon in Sagittarius (early a.m. EST before we wake) followed, within a few hours, by the Sun's movement into Cancer - otherwise known as the Summer Solstice.

A Full Moon on the Summer Solstice hasn't happened since 1969 - wasn't that the summer of Woodstock?! Mud and music could be just what the world needs now!

Cancer is a cardinal sign (initiating energy that kicks off a new season) ruled by the Moon and it's a water sign so we have another emotional, volatile week ahead of us and it could pivot our focus in a new direction.

The Sun is going to come along and trigger the same story we walked last week. In Cancer our priorities are home, family, history, patriotism, safety and stability.

With the Full Moon followed so closely by the Summer Solstice - Cancer themes take the spotlight now and our Cancer natal and progressed houses are IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

The first degrees of Cancer (and every cardinal sign) are what astrology calls the world axis. The world axis is the space where our personal energy and the collective energy come together.

Events that happen at these points are felt universally and personally; outside and inside. Our decisions, actions and beliefs really matter here - what I do affects you and what you do affects me and what is done globally affects all of us and each of us.

Planets at the world axis make everything easier to see and everything that happens has a greater significance. It can be helpful to look at the ways what is happening in the world is happening in our own life and the other way around. Stories in the news (just like last week when this energy was starting to come together) will have a larger 'spotlight' and be more impactful either literally or symbolically.

There is also the possibility of an important door opening for us now. It might be something just getting fleshed out - maybe the door frame is just going in. If you are not sure if it's time to act (and Mars is still retrograde so it may not be), then wait. Our attention will likely begin to focus in a new direction.

We've got some other aspects at the Full Moon that I talked about HERE. There might be some bad news delivered to us or challenging situations arising. But the Full Moon has many positive aspects including an aspect with Uranus that can get us moving in a universally good direction together.

Know that a no or ending now will be one of those things that make sense later and turns out to work in our favor. We've got bigger and better fish to fry. Have faith.

Expect a busy, mixed week. On Tuesday, the Moon is in "just get 'er done" Capricorn and we are focused on our goals and working hard or an authority figure may need to be dealt with. On Wednesday we've got a void Moon so it's a good day for practiced, routine work and not a good launch day. Mercury is squaring Jupiter so we'll try not to over-promise or blow things out of proportion. There could be some kind of blow up or ending or just a last minute change now. Good news can also come that expands our world in some way.

On Thursday and Friday the Moon is in Aquarius (Friday has a void Moon from lunch on so keep that in mind). On Thursday something Venus related (love, money, beauty, women) might require extra effort and focus. Ceres (mother, nurturing) is conjunct Uranus (an unexpected turn, break for freedom) - maybe mom runs off and joins the circus - I know I'd like to! Whatever it is, with an inconjunct to a retrograde Mars in Scorpio - it will be uncomfortable. The weekend could be an emotional roller coaster. On Sunday, we've got Jupiter conjuncting our North Node taking us back to November 1979 and promising growth, expansion and that whatever the week's crazy energy kicks up will all be OK in the end. Really.

A few things to keep in mind now. 1. Jupiter is in Virgo thru August. Small is the new big (later in the year it will be who we know not what we know and all about keeping our balance). Our Jupiter houses have expanded - for better or worse!

2. Saturn is in Sagittarius through the end of 2017. Our beliefs are being tested as well as our comfort level with what is "foreign", restrictions and roadblocks (the kind that make things better in the end) with our Sagittarius houses and Sagittarius themes.

3. Neptune is in Pisces for another 9 years! Our imagination and intuition will be strong but so will any tendency to drift into escape, over-medicate, over-meditate. Reality will be slippery. Keep this in mind when you read my blog :)

4. Mars is retrograde for just one more week - YAY! 5. Venus just moved into Cancer to start the ball rolling with Cancer season (home, family, tradition, security, patriotism) 6. The Sun moves into Cancer on Monday 7. Mercury is still buzzing through Gemini - information overload, busy, busy.

8. Uranus (new, sudden, change, revolution, rebellion) is in Aries (war, action, initiative) until mid 2018 when (if we haven't killed each other off by then) he moves into Taurus and upends our relationship to the planet, our money and our values. 9. Pluto (transformation, karma) is in Capricorn steamrolling our structures, safety nets and business paradigms until 2023. Note- the United States has a natal Pluto in Capricorn and is approaching its Pluto return!

When Pluto moves into Aquarius in 2023 and humanitarian changes sweep over the world (yes, it's all coming together) it will be hard to believe how far we have come. What this is going to look like is being seeded now! Aquarian energy can be a detached, robotic, cold wasteland of the 'greater good' or a humanistic paradise of equality, freedom and ingenuity or most likely something we haven't thought about yet! Hopefully it still includes chocolate.

(and yes, of course, there's still time for binge watching the new season of Orange is the New Black)

xo all

Full Moon in Sagittarius | yes, another one and it's a goodie!

summer solstice by dilekt

It seems appropriate that in this year when everything feels larger than life we get two Full Moons in Sagittarius (the larger than life sign ruled by larger than life Jupiter). This one is literally in the final hours of the Sun's journey through Gemini.

Gemini season has been bookend-ed with these two Full Moons. The first Sagittarius Full Moon (May 21st) and the second in the early morning hours of June 20th. Maybe something that seemed over in late May and had new life breathed into it really is over now or reaches some kind of pinnacle, is brought to light or culminates. There could be a celebration or achievement or maybe some piece of the puzzle that was missing at that time becomes clear to us or shows up now.

With this Full Moon at the very last degree of Sagittarius - there is the potential for something to be blown out of proportion. Which could be a good or not so good thing! We'll work with it either way.

We have Chiron (wounded healer) squaring the Full Moon (and of course also the Sun - yes, another T-Square!). Squares are tension - something happens that pushes us to do something else. With Chiron growth comes through discomfort and relief comes from learning to live with whatever can't be fixed.

Now, if this doesn't sound like good news it's because I wrote the fly in the ointment part first this time!

(probably because I bought one of those velcro screen doors for Olive to go in and out in my studio and I've had about five giant flies in here within the last 24 hours making me nuts)

There is lots of lucky and positive energy around this Full Moon.

First, the Grand Cross is back at the Full Moon but this time we've got Mercury filling in that last square. So Mercury (communication, ideas) is opposite Saturn (in Sagittarius). Oppositions often require a decision. There is an answer or a commitment here.

With Mercury squaring Jupiter and Neptune it will be easy to get sidetracked, drift off into lalaland or think too big. This year (North Node in Virgo) is about being practical, prioritizing health, doing the work, servicing others, taking care of the details - we will not miss out on some big opportunity by doing these things - these are the opportunity.

Also keep in mind our South Node (what we are releasing, what isn't working now) is in Pisces. The expression "dreams don't work unless we do" comes to mind with this. Usually I am a strong believer in raising our own energy level to change the world and trusting our intuition (Pisces).

But with our South Node in Pisces we are not going to be able to imagine, intuit, pray, meditate or medicate our way out of a mess. It's going to take those Virgo small, measured steps to move us forward.

One of the best aspects about this Full Moon is it makes an exact conjunction to our North Node (in Virgo ruled by Mercury) - the space we have collectively decided working toward moves us all forward now.

This is a HUGE indicator that however anything appears (win or lose) at this Moon the bottom line result will be good. It will be to our benefit.

Then the best news is within a few hours of the Moon, the Sun enters Cancer, and we have the Summer Solstice! We transition smoothly from one intense (and beneficial) energy to another - more on this in the weekly post later.

This Full Moon energy is with us tonight and tomorrow night. Get out and walk in it. The time is very ripe for SOMETHING BIG!

(my phases of the Moon locket with 6 interchangeable lids is 15% off with coupon code FULLMOON $32.00 $27.00)

Venus into Cancer | wanting to feel safe

now you are safe by borda

A way that energy shifts and moves our story/stories forward is we have these big outer planet transits or aspects, like the Neptune/Saturn square strongly activated right now, and they shift collective energy - then the inner planets move and our individual energy shifts.

Tomorrow, as she does every year (not at this exact time), Venus moves into Cancer. Now we are not the same people who experienced Venus in Cancer last year, so although it might look like we are in the same place, covering the same degrees in the skies, the landscape has changed because we have. This is the same way we spiral upward and run into the same situations and people again and again.

Sometimes when this happens we ask, "why is this happening to me again? haven't I worked all this crap out already?!" and we think life is sending us another lesson to work this out or another test to see if we have and I used to think like this, too.

Through astrology and cycles I can see more clearly that these 'tests and lessons' are really just experiences and we get to choose how we react and how we react sets into play what happens next.

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 kind of 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 things like the Neptune/Saturn square and 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 is in Gemini where she has been attracted to and attracts "one thing after the other". She's been flirting and "keeping things light" but nothing really turns into anything here.

Now headed into cardinal energy (initiating a new season) Cancer, she's ready to settle down. 

Cancer is about nurturing, history, mother, comfort, home. Cancer Suns (and ascendants) will be more attractive now - ie physically attractive to the rest of us and more able to attract what they need/want.

The Cancer house in our natal (and progressed charts) gets more attractive, too, as it 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 move in the direction of whatever feeds this need now. 

We might be more emotional; maybe a little more needy and vulnerable. These do not have to be bad things. 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.

We are approaching a very beneficial Full Moon energy starting this weekend I will post about later. And the Solstice is coming. Hang in there. xo all

Neptune Stations Retrograde | our dream, our faith, our compassion under review

into the sea by aimes likes to take pics

The planet of our dreams, our imagination, our compassion - will station retrograde today. She will move backward from 12 to 9 degrees Pisces between now and mid November when she will station direct and begin to move forward again.

Neptune's retrograde (unless we have a strong Neptune or Pisces or its backward walk touches sensitive spaces in our chart) is sometimes a more subtle energetic shift. But this year since she is part of both of 2016's strongest energetic alignments - the Neptune/Saturn square and the Mutable T-Square and our collective south node - what we are releasing - is in Pisces (Neptune rules Pisces), we will all feel this one.

If we have any planets or points in our natal or progressed charts from 12-9 degrees Pisces (and other mutable and water signs) we will feel this transit most strongly.

Neptune rules the ocean, the seas, sleep, our dreams (both the dreams when we are sleeping and the dreams when we are awake), the unconscious, the subconscious, our inter-connectedness, flow, imagination, compassion, meditation, medication, illusion, deception, lies, addiction, alcohol, exhaustion, escape, baptism, sacrifice, spirituality, detox, faith, psychology, mental health, mental illness, intuition, mysticism, fantasy, the ethereal realms (things that cannot be seen, touched, tasted or heard with our five senses), art, dance, music, film, chemicals, drugs, poison, ghosts, victim, martyr, saint, religion, Christ-like, fanaticism, hospitals, healing, research, confusion, retreats, release, isolation, orphans, nursing homes, retirement, our feet, vision, karma, hidden enemies, what is hidden, what we do in secret, lack of boundaries, the 12th house of our charts (things we do last, things that are put away, our subconscious, our undoing, all the things above), the house that holds Pisces in our charts.

At first glance this might look like a list of unconnected things - but when you look closer can you see/feel the connections? Even as we look for the connection we are using Neptune!

Something here is up for review which means situations, people, circumstances will come up that will re-focus our attention on one or more of these areas over the next few months.

This will be a time to reflect, re-do, re-evaluate, re-examine, release or re-visit what we are working with here. Neptune always turns us inward.

Remember when a big energy shifts like Neptune does today we will literally be "off" so things can just feel "off" - let's not push where we don’t need to push. Instead let's stay alert to the signs and feelings around us and take our cue from them. We might require extra (or less) sleep, more (or less) time alone or more (or less) meditation time. I would stay away from mind altering chemicals.

(last weekend's shooting in these days leading up to the exact Neptune/Saturn square - the Paris shooting was in the days leading up to the last Neptune/Saturn square - had (and will produce) many Neptunian elements - happening in the night, the nightclub where likely music, dance, alcohol and drugs were present, Florida sea, fanaticism, confusion, hidden enemies, secrets, hospitals, connected-ness, isolation, faith, victim, mental illness, compassion)

Back tomorrow with the weekly post. xo all

Mercury into Gemini | information overload

ideas by bucikah

A couple people told me recently that Mercury retrograde, has felt to them, like it never ended.

Probably because 1. Mars is still retrograde and 2. Mercury in Taurus can feel a bit bogged down, as words and information are examined more carefully, even as we are moving forward.

Mercury (communication, local life and travel, transportation) moves into his home sign of Gemini today. We will feel a difference in the week ahead as information and communications switch from turtle pace to rabbit.

Increased choices, conversations and ideas will start to flow. We won't put everything to use, Gemini can be rather chatty so some stuff will just move in and out, but the change in momentum will be noticeable.

(Gemini is a big player in this year's collective story via the Mutable T-Square and Grand Cross and Donald Trump - Gemini Sun. Mercury, Gemini's ruler and also the ruler of Virgo - our North Node path forward and host of Jupiter right now - is a big player this year, too. Hopefully this transit will help us make decisions about our next steps!)

Keep in mind with Gemini there are more questions than answers and the information might be unreliable.

But easy, adaptable conversations suitable for the moment can pull everything forward now.

With Mercury's long slog back and forth through Taurus we went over and over a few important details. Now fresh information and conversations will come in and expand whatever we are dealing with.

This can be stimulating if we've grown weary of Taurus's scrutiny and demand for truth or like information overload if Mars retrograde has us drained and exhausted or both. xo all