Venus into Libra | Mercury Retrograde in Virgo!

sleeping beauty by suzi9mm

Last night Venus moved into Libra - one of the two signs (the other is Taurus) where she is most at home.

After being cramped up in tidy Virgo, she can breathe again and there is room for other people. Venus in Libra is about love and partnership, collaboration and compromise. Venus in Libra is about balance.

This transit (until September 23rd) makes Libra Suns and Risings, who are already naturally attractive, even more so - both physically attractive and more able to attract what they want/need. Everyone's Libra house gets more attractive, too (what house was Libra in when you were born? where is it in your progressed chart?).

We will be attracted to what we find 'beautiful'. We will be attracted to what we find 'just'. We will be attracted to what we find 'peaceful'. And these are the qualities people will find attractive in us and our work in the world. These are the qualities we'll want to bring to the table (and yes, flowers that would be a good thing to bring to the table now, too) to attract whatever we are wanting to attract now, particularly in the area of life housing your natal (and progressed) Libra.

The potential for peace increases as we (the collective) move from critic (Virgo) to diplomat (Libra).

The potential for people pleasing increases, too. Balance is the key now. Making life too much about the other person is Libra's shadow side. It's easier, or I should say, lazier, to just give in to something to have "harmony" than to work out the win-wins. We need to honor ourselves as well as the other person. It's simple, but not easy. If we think balance is easy we should stand on one leg for a while!

In Libra, there is power in groups and alliances - but the emphasis (for now) is on the shared human experience of connection rather than on what might emerge later. It's not the time for thinking about how it will all play out, what we are getting or giving. It's just the time for the experience. We come into real harmony when we can see each other clearly. We don't have to always agree with each other. Agreeing isn't step two or even step one hundred and two.

If you are in the United States I don't need to tell you we have what appears to be a crazy election going on, but what we really have is an election where our blinders are off (Saturn/Neptune square - reality vs the dream, what do we really believe).

We can see what we are really getting here, so no one looks all that great.

Hillary's chart is all Plutonian power, but who do we think gets to the top of the heap the way the political system is set up? She didn't create the system, the system created her. We created her. We stepped back from our responsibility and created her. She is totally fixed energy.

Donald is totally mutable energy. With Uranus (expect the unexpected) conjunct his natal Sun, Donald truly cannot be controlled and I mean by anyone. It is not possible to predict what he will do. He is a businessman, but what he really is, is a celebrity. Again, he didn't create the system that got him to the top of the heap - we did. Every time we watched some mind numbing reality television or bought into some get rich quick scheme. The entire 'abundance/secret' movement which sounds so much prettier and spiritual than "let's all be greedy bastards" has helped make him a celebrity.

Whoever wins will face a tough road ahead because in 2020 so much changes that I can't imagine they will be re-elected. Probably either candidate will get us where we are going - Donald will likely get us there much faster, although that might be a train ride we don't want to get on. Neither ride will be smooth though. We're moving past the energy of "rulers" and patriarchy and what's on the other side of this we haven't figured out yet. Everybody wins or nobody wins.

For now, the Venus in Libra transit is great energy for being able to feel when other people are putting their stuff on us and when we are putting our stuff on them. It's also great energy to be a lover, not a fighter in our relationships. We'll talk more about this transit as we move through it.

You might remember last week Venus met up with Jupiter, I believe it was last Friday. Next week, Mercury will meet up with him. So something with our Venus story (what we love, what we value) requires more information/thinking/research before it expands.

TODAY, we have Mercury stationing retrograde in Virgo.

So instead of following Venus into Libra - he would typically be right behind her now - he turns around and starts walking backward into Virgo.

Let's think these archetypes through. So, our head (Mercury) instead of following our desires (Venus), says, "hold up a bit, let's double check this.

We missed something - there is some missing information we need or we will need later. Or something that needs to be re-done. Let's go back."

Something gets held up here.

Virgo (where Mercury is back pedaling) rules our day to day activities, our work, our health, our pets, our service to others (without self-sacrifice please) - something here is up for review. He's also backtracking through our Virgo house and if you have planets from 29 degrees from 14 degrees Virgo he will walk right over top of them. This will make this retrograde more impactful for you. He's also going to bump into Jupiter who is finishing up in Virgo himself. Jupiter (expansion) has recently met Venus (what we love, what we value) so when he hooks up with Mercury (communication, intellect) just before he joins Venus in Libra there will be news/thinking/information we will need. Also, maybe news about a woman (Venus) in the public eye.

We'll talk about this later.

As always, a retrograde is a good time for the "re" stuff.

Redo, reconnect, rethink, repeat, revise, redesign, recuperate, repair things or buy recycled (rather than new) - stuff like this (warning shameless plug ahead) amazing jewelry.

We'll talk about our great big eclipse in Virgo (the last one in Virgo for about a decade) next post.

xo all

Meanwhile in my neck of the woods - on Sunday, Olive's right eye was badly clawed by a neighbor's cat in our backyard. The emergency vet told us to find an eye vet on Monday. He gave us all kinds of worst case scenarios and basically scared the hell out of us. On Monday (knowing Venus was talking to Mercury) - I called everywhere trying to find a female eye vet.

Hubs thought I was nuts, but I wanted good news. No luck finding a female eye vet (I should add that I have never had a male vet - most vets around here are women, so as you can imagine, I took it as a bad sign I couldn't find one).

When we got to the new vet's office though - the eye vet wasn't able to meet with me. He saw Olive briefly in the back, but sent another vet out to talk to me (a female vet) - she gave me a slightly better, although guarded, prognosis.

Olive goes back to the vet on Friday when we see if she gets to keep her lens and vision. This is the day after the solar eclipse eclipses something out - hopefully just my money (happening in my house of other people's money) and not Olive's eye! The Moon (emotions), Mercury (information) and Jupiter (something gets bigger) will all be meeting up that day, and Olive is a Virgo, so I'm worried. :(

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of August 29th - truth and reality coming our way

precious illusion by pinkmango77

On Monday, Mercury (in Virgo) conjuncts Venus - we could get information or have a conversation or meet someone (most likely a woman) with a helpful message. This is excellent flirting energy if we are up for that! People will like what we have to say and we will like what we hear. This is a good time to reach out to someone. Or maybe some words/ideas (Mercury) are both beautiful (Venus) and truly useful (Virgo) now!

Right after she meets Mercury, Venus comes home to Libra (until September 23rd), the sign she rules. I'll do a post about this tomorrow. Know this will make Libra Suns and Risings more attractive (both able to attract and yes, easier on the eye, too) and make everyone's Libra house (natal and progressed) more magnetic and able to get what it needs. Our focus will be on our relationships. Also because Jupiter is about to move into Libra (after his last year in Virgo) next week - we may get a little preview this week of what we have to look forward to over the next year!

(this will be about our partnerships and diplomacy and equal relationships in all forms - did someone say flock??)

Also on Monday, Mars (in Sagittarius) squares the Nodes. This could feel like a crossroads or point of decision regarding what action to take or what to aim for. The way forward is still Virgo - small, measured, accurate steps toward a chosen target. It will be easy to put a lot of energy into the wrong thing. The "dream" (south node/Pisces) needs to be do-able and actionable right now. This just means we break it down into bite-sized pieces. The next step is do-able and right there in front of us.

On Tuesday, Mercury goes retrograde (in Virgo) - time to "re"visit, "re"view, "re"evaluate - you know the drill! We can imagine Mercury leaning conspiratorially toward us, "OK, we've gone as far as we can go at this point in time - we need to backtrack a bit to recheck a few things, allow the stuff we've lined up with to catch up with us and gain a little more experience".

Stuff ruled by Mercury gets wonky because he is looking over his shoulder - this includes communications, electronics and transportation (think - stuff with fast moving parts - he is the fleet footed messenger, after all).

We get re-routed. Something gets put on hold here.

Now, we can try to plow ahead anyway and sometimes things must be plowed through - we will just know that some of the stuff we have plowed through, would have been easier to move through later or we will have to plow through this stuff again when Mercury moves direct and passes over these same degrees. We'll talk about this as we move through it. If you haven't backed up your files - DO IT TODAY.

On Wednesday, the Moon (in Leo) hooks up with "anything can happen" Uranus. Have some fun - this feels like a good hookey day to me! If you do work though, you could get a lot done.

All week we are building toward Thursday's New Moon Solar Eclipse in Virgo. Something is eclipsed out of our way. 

For the next 2 weeks - take the meeting, make the call, the universe will bring in stuff and say "this is for you" - people, places and things (and yes with Mercury retrograde they could have a connection to the past) and the universe will take away options, people, situations that no longer work. Holding on will only break the nails we haven't bitten off stressing out about what is leaving. Whatever this is if it impacts you - this won't be totally out of the blue - we can already see this coming.

Most of life is free will, but eclipse seasons are fated folks.

This eclipse also activates the Saturn/Neptune square. Mercury meets Jupiter. There could be fear and paranoia here. This one is rather epic and we will talk about it in lots of detail on Wednesday! Next year we will have Saturn trining Uranus and be done with this damn square (we actually have the last exact square this month!) and that will feel much better!

xo all

not a time to rush .....

the magic of literature by ponti55

Mars has moved past Saturn - the young upstart promoted over the old faithful employee, the brash young soldier plowing ahead of his commander's orders, the new bride tucks her mother-in-law's gifted china into a cabinet and displays the assorted, handmade pieces she loves and has chosen for herself - PERSONAL WILL is asserted.

(and if these analogies seem strange I just binge watched 20 episodes of Manhattan, a tv series about the Manhattan project and am lost in the 1940's right now)

Yesterday we had Venus (love, money, values, women) inconjunct Uranus (the unexpected) and with all this Virgo maybe our careful plans were disrupted. Inconjuncts require adjustments.

Remember this isn't the time for big, splashy moves (unless they flow into place and are the result of past efforts) or big decisions (unless our heart leaps with joy at the thought of the choice and our mind agrees).

We are in eclipse season. Mercury is going retrograde on Tuesday. Jupiter is about to change signs. Pluto will move direct. Stuff is in flux. After the New Moon in Libra things will get a lot easier. We have to get through September first and see what is eclipsed out, what comes to light (maybe something big involving a female?). We still have another week to see what the Mars/Saturn conjunction could shake up.

If we are starting something big and splashy and it can wait until October, let it wait. If it is business related and can wait until Scorpio season when Mars is in Capricorn, even better. If not, just move ahead with it, knowing things will require adjustments. Let's not make a big deal out of everything - this is Virgo season and everything can feel like a major thing. Most stuff isn't.

Tomorrow, Venus will conjunct Jupiter. This is about what we want, what we love or what is beautiful -a fresh start maybe? an opportunity? a little luck? The Moon will be in Cancer, so home issues will be emotional and also satisfying. There may be some adjustment required with a male. See the weekly for more info.

Today, Mars squares Neptune. This is tension and frustration (think of that young upstart getting the corner office and then the reality of that responsibility hits her or maybe there is some let down after the climb when that peak is reached or maybe we are starting back down the mountain without ever reaching the peak). Maybe we feel lost or disillusioned or like we have lost the plot of our own story. We have a Gemini Moon squaring a bunch of Virgo planets today so making a half-baked decision, or move, is not a good idea.

There is no rush right now. There aren't any shortcuts that won't come back to bite us in the butt later. We still have some summer left ..... enjoy the weekend.

 xo all

BACK UP YOUR FILES!

one chapter closes, another chapter opens ...

starting point by fox-orian

As Mars meets up with Saturn today in Sagittarius initiating a new chapter of Saturnian lessons we can be grateful for two things

(and gratitude and patience will help us immensely today).

First, even as Saturn narrows our options and requires us to step into new responsibilities, Sagittarius expansion and optimism widen our story.

Jupiter (Sagittarius ruler) is soon to move out of his tiny leased apartment in Virgo where things have been tidy, maybe, but so cramped Jupiter had no space to be Jupiter. The good stuff he's used to unleashing via growth has had no space to unfurl itself.

Well, he's got some new, more spacious digs over in Libra starting next month. He can finally unpack all the goodies he's had stored in the closet the past year. His influence (and the magnetism of Venus who he will be answering to) will be activated.

Influence is what moves us and how we are open and available to be moved. It's good to respond to the power of influence (what are we drawn toward? what do we attract?) with constancy - steadying the motion (action) it inspires and creating a space to contain it. This is where Saturn will be very helpful, because this is what he does.

It might be best to see it in very old fashioned terms. A man (Jupiter) marries a woman (Venus) and brings her into his home (and yes, I know he is actually entering Venus's home, but let's not split hairs, no story is perfect and I'm writing this from my sick bed - play me some violin music and toss me some mentholated cough drops, please) and he makes room for her there. Good luck comes to him from this more feminine way of relating - being open and allowing space for new influences. This will be our good luck, too, in our next chapter.

Influence might first enter our life as a stirring realization that we might be somewhere else. Something starts pulling us thataway with no clear ideas of what it all means other than damn we have itchy feet. 

OK, back to the second thing we have to be grateful for today.

That Scorpio chapter, the chapter that included whatever lessons we learned while Saturn roamed Scorpio from 2012-2015 and whatever was reinforced while Mars retrograded there earlier this year - well that chapter is concluding. Some of the characters and situations make an appearance in future chapters, of course, that's how stories work - but the lessons Saturn tightened up our life to impart on us, well we either got them or we didn't. And I think we did.

So, what have we learned since 2012? Let's be grateful for whatever has made us the people we are today.

Now, we not only have Saturn and Mars getting together today, we also have another Yod (finger of God - fate - cosmic course correction) and something called a Mystic Rectangle, known to ancient astrologers for its power to resurrect old (even very old) dreams.

So, as we head into this new chapter some things will be out of our hands, some dreams will be carried from our past (and our ancestors past) and new influences will soon draw us in new directions and toward new people and experiences and draw others to us (and I hope to hell you've put time into that flock I told you, you were going to need in this next chapter).

Saturn's lessons have steeled us for this next part of our journey. Are we ready?

xo all

Merc's about to go retro - BACK UP YOUR FILES!

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of August 22nd - hitting that wall (part ll)

OK, let's dig right in.

This week is a bit nuts and I'm sorry I didn't get this posted on Sunday night. I am starting to take more seriously how Mars (Scorpio rising) and Saturn (Sun in Aquarius conjunct Saturn) impact my health.

If we have any options this week with scheduling important meetings maybe avoid Tuesday through Thursday. I know this isn't always possible. We can use our knowledge of astrology to realize there will be alot of crazy background noise everyone will be dealing with. If we must present something, interview, etc during this time - know things could be challenging and channel this energy to BE AMBITIOUS.

Ambition is rewarded now.

It's Virgo season, so stay detail and solution focused if things get hairy or move off course.

On Tuesday/Wednesday, we have the Mars/Saturn conjunction we've been talking about

(hitting the wall and doing what it takes to get over that wall). This is a moment of truth - the culmination of some long and unfolding situation is here.

One reason this is so important is that this is happening on the fixed star Antares which is historically been connected to violence and the military and the Sagittarius themes involved (religion, freedom, politics, foreign) have been so much in the news lately. Anyone planning mayhem could get really lucky with this energy. We'll hope that doesn't happen.

The other reason this conjunction is important is that it initiates a new two year cycle of Saturn lessons expressed through Mars.

What does that mean? We have Mars, finally covering new ground in Sagittarius, remember he was retrograde for most of this year and much of the time in Scorpio. And we have Saturn just beginning to pick up speed and move forward from his own retrograde.

They meet now at 10 degrees Sagittarius.

The last time they met was on August 25, 2014 at 17 degrees Scorpio - this initiated the Scorpio cycle that is currently ending.

So, collectively, we (humanity), will be taking action (Mars) and learning lessons through challenges (Saturn) focused on Sagittarius themes. 

Sagittarius is the sign of the gypsy, the scholar and the philosopher. Sagittarius rules the 9th house of the higher mind and higher (meaning further from the place we started) experiences. It rules religion, morality and philosophy. It rules freedom. It rules what is foreign to us (and that will mean different things to different people). It rules: legal, travel, foreigners, education, media, marketing, wedding, religious and political themes.

So we have Mars, which is our initiative and our drive and our physical energy working through Saturn - and Saturn means roadblocks and challenges and success through hard work and taking the time to get things right - focused on those Sagittarius themes.

Considering what is happening in the world with the refugee crisis, religious conflicts and political unrest it makes sense that our actions and focus would be here. Saturn will show us all the ways what we are currently doing is not working. He will make us walk our talk here.

By the time Mars and Saturn meet up in Capricorn in 2018 - our Sagittarius themes will have evolved (how they evolve is the free will part that is up to us). This doesn't mean we will solve the refugee crisis or religious conflicts or the current political systems that serve the few at the expense of the many, but two years of action and energy directed in these areas will create real change and Saturn will make the changes stick!

With Mars there is always the threat of physical violence. Mars is war. Mars is act first and ask questions later. These are dangerous times. I don't want to sugarcoat anything because we will have our collective energy focused on the very themes that have brought us so much violence. On the other hand Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, is about new adventures and new opportunities and new truths coming to light. 

The reason astrology is not a perfect predictor of the future is that the actions we take change what will happen. So astrology can see the patterns and the archetypes we bring to the patterns but we always get to choose how we act and how we re-act. What we do always affects the outcome. There is a great opportunity for the collective here (and yes there are great opportunities for crazy zealots and military crazies, too, because they will have this energy to work with also) - hopefully we will use it well.

Because we have two malefic planets meeting up in a malefic space this week, it is important to dial down any type of conflict. So, let's say someone says something on Facebook you would normally comment on. Maybe this time you step back, take a deep breath, see that they are allowed this other point of view and just let it go. Exhale. Take a walk. Don't engage.

Your daughter has a new boyfriend and his name is Taylor and he wears skinny jeans and thinks she shouldn't have to stay home on Saturday morning and cut the front lawn because you shouldn't have a front lawn. Take a walk. Don't engage.

You get the idea. 

Now, this new two year cycle is a personal cycle in our own chart as well as a collective cycle. I write about a lot of very fleeting transits in these weeklies but this one matters and will be more impactful.

Where is 10 degrees Sagittarius in your natal (and progressed) chart? We will naturally find this house becoming more and more the focus of our actions and energy. AMBITION in this area of our life will reap the rewards. We will see the road blocks and the ways things are not working, but when we do the work to make changes in this area the rewards will be multiplied by tenfold.

(if you don't know which house this is or what this house rules - ask me!)

If you have planets in mutable signs (Sagittarius, Virgo, Pisces and Gemini) from 8-12 degrees you are undoubtedly feeling the pressure of this week's conjunction already.

For many people, some part of our life is a pressure cooker and this week as Mars meets Saturn - exact tomorrow, maybe most challenging on Thursday - it could feel like we have hit a wall. Because we have.

Our energy, our actions and our anger can take us over that wall or create new and different obstacles - wall gone - pool of slimy muck straight ahead! We're standing on the other side like, tell me again why I needed to get over this wall?!

Of course, there's also the possibility of something dazzling on the other side!

We could give up now or climb by our fingernails over the top.

Whether we make it over or let go of trying (which might be exactly the correct course) - something has to end here.

When Mars moves past Saturn later in the week that wall is behind us one way or the other.

After Mars meets Saturn he squares Neptune in Pisces. This activate the Saturn/Neptune square we have been dealing with all year. Our dreams vs reality- what do we really believe.

On Thursday, we also have Venus (love, money, values, women) inconjunct Uranus so there could be an unexpected adjustment with one of those Venus themes.

The Mars/Saturn stress ease up as we hit the weekend although certain tensions will continue to build as we approach the September 1st solar eclipse. 

On Saturday, Venus hooks up with Jupiter (good luck, expansion) at 27 degrees Virgo, this is an EXCELLENT opportunity for all those Venus themes and if you were born around the 20th of March, June, September or December, even better! Single people get out and mingle.

So we have the most malefic planets meeting the same week we have the most benefic planets meeting!!

And still ahead we have the September eclipses - something eclipsed out, something coming to light, big somethings, Jupiter moving into Libra and Mars leaving Sagittarius. Lots of change ahead for all of us.

xo all (back later this week with a big picture post)

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of August 22nd - hitting that wall (part l)

On Monday, the Sun joins Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and the North Node in detail oriented Virgo.

We are all burning Virgo fuel now! I've been talking about Virgo and our need to prioritize - our health, service to others, small steps, what is right in front of us, the details, quality - since 1. our North Node went into Virgo and it became our collective way forward and 2. Jupiter went into Virgo and it became our way to expand. Little was the new big this year. We are familiar with it. This continues with an even stronger emphasis now.

With a solar eclipse in Virgo on September 1st we can expect major changes for Virgos and our Virgo natal houses.

The shadow of Virgo is self-criticism (and criticism of everyone and everything) and self doubt - setting too high a standard. Perfectionism. Nothing is ever good enough and often things don't get finished so they don't have to be judged and come up short. Since Virgo energy is here to learn to love themselves unconditionally, we are pretty much guaranteed to miss something. 

Learning when good enough is good enough is our job now. This is an excellent time to put our energy (Sun) into Virgo tasks like organizing, sorting, thinking, managing.

The key to getting the most from any Virgo season is focusing our energy in one direction and not getting distracted with all the shiny objects that are outside our control.

With Virgo's ruling planet Mercury about to go retrograde - BACK UP YOUR FILES - we will have extra time to cross our t's and dot our i's with whatever we are about to have in front of us.

The Moon is void all day Monday (working hours) so if you play hookey (or make a big presentation) nothing will come of it. Sleep in. :)

On Tuesday, the Moon in Taurus has us focused on our income, our possessions. There will be adjustments with legal themes or something related to educational, travel, media, marketing, wedding or religion as Mars and Saturn (in Sagittarius) approach their conjunction.

I am going to write the rest of this post tonight - just wanted to get Monday out there. I am sick again -ugh and need a clearer head to write the rest of the week! Big changes ahead! Going back to bed for a bit. xo all