Venus Trine Saturn | commitment, investing for the long haul - Rome wasn't built in a day, attracting the stuff that lasts, mentors and muses show up

like stars on your skin by quadratiges

Today, we have Venus (in Leo) trining Saturn (in Sagittarius) at 21 degrees. This has been within orb for a couple days and will continue to be within orb for a couple more when Venus finally pulls away from the old slow poke. It's strongest today though.

Venus rules love, money, our values, women, beauty, our self-esteem (Libra and Taurus) and in Leo, ruler of our 5th house, concerned with romance, creative work, fun, recreation, children. Saturn rules structure and things that are real and have weight, time, goals, hard work, discipline, fathers, older men and responsibility (Capricorn) and in Sagittarius, ruler of our 9th house, concerned with higher education, travel, the things, the people and the places that are foreign to us, legal issues, politics, the media, weddings, higher thinking and religion. Trines create smooth energy - the brakes are off - the vitality will flow and work together naturally.

This trine will apply to our natal Leo and Sagittarius houses (21 degrees) and their themes.

Now these houses are always in trine, but today, inhabited by attractive Venus and hard-working Saturn, the vibes are particularly useful.

For me, this is about my 10th house (21 Leo) and my 1st house (21 Sag). So good energy for my (10th house) career, business, the way I show up in the world, my visibility - to support and jive with my (1st house) physical self, name, brand, image. A good time to make a bigger commitment with this stuff.

We could make a commitment (Saturn) within a relationship (Venus) now. We could make a commitment with our money. We could make a commitment to valuing ourselves. We could commit to the hard work of being more beautiful (ie Venusian) or birthing something beautiful. We could beautify (Venus) our career (Saturn). This would be a great time for cosmetic changes within a business. Spruce ups now will pay off over time.

Venus/Saturn is not going to be about developing some trendy thingamajig because with Saturn the payoff comes over time and our trendy thingamajig will be gathering cobwebs in the corner. For creators this isn't so much about new styles as new methods. Both form (Venus) AND function (Saturn) will matter here. People will be drawn to more traditional, quality items that will last. Venus/Saturn will only be together for a couple more days, but this is the card to play now.  

Our existing relationships can grow stronger. There is a mutual respect here. Relationships between people of different ages started now would likely be long-lasting. Fire signs could be especially ready to settle down (Aries, Leo, Sag). *

Mentors (Saturn) and muses (Venus) can show up. 

When dealing with authority (Saturn), pulled over for speeding for example, it can't hurt to show them some respect (Leo) ... and maybe a little leg (Venus). When channeling Venus in Leo it is best to be unafraid to be noticed - spider veins and cellulite be damned, our legs are coming out!

(Many years ago someone was talking about cellulite and hubs said "Catherine, doesn't have any cellulite". Later I asked him why he said that, since it wasn't true, and he said, "hmm, well what the hell is cellulite?" I think he thought it had something to do with poor phone reception.)
 
If Venus and Saturn were people they would be a young, loving, attractive woman and a serious, responsible older man. You can see how these two people could bring out the best in each other (not in a sugar-daddy kind of way - Saturn ain't nobody's free ride).

We carry both these archetypes within us - what can we do today to cement their merger?

ALSO NOTE - our fast-moving, multi-tasking Gemini Moon is challenged by both Mars and Neptune today.

Numerous distractions are likely. Stay focused on what your heart wants. With Venus stabilized by Saturn and within orb of the North Node in Leo ... our heart's desire (what you seek is seeking you ... Rumi or in astro speak, "what's in your heart is in your chart") is quickly catching up with us and much closer than it appears ... time to check that rearview mirror.

Check the weekly HERE for more info.

xo all

* A few words about this "settling down" thing. I have a friend who lived with a man for 12 years. They didn't want children, but she wanted to marry. He was always firm that he would never marry. Then one summer during responsible Saturn's transit of his 7th house (partnership) and her 2nd (values, self-esteem) she drew an equally firm line in the sand. They married within weeks.

All was well for about a New York minute and then ... everything changed, it all felt like work (her words here). He started to feel like her father even though they were close in age. She couldn't figure out what the hell had happened.

Saturn transits grow us up. And the things we commit to during Saturn transits will not be easily discarded. She needed to draw a line in the sand. And he needed to commit. They loved each other, but had suddenly become each other's ball and chain (Saturn!). Ack!

Now this guy has a very challenged 7th house - multiple tense aspects and a very beneficial 5th house. So when my friend moved from 5th house (girlfriend, romance, fun) to 7th house (partner) she stepped right into all these strained spaces he was learning about through his dealings with equal partners. And he stepped into her equally tricky 2nd house self-esteem issues.

She now says she thinks all she really wanted was, "the respect of not being someone's girlfriend" and she wishes things were back as they were before. Saturn rules time and Saturnian commitments often have a "before and after" feel to them. There is no going back. They both stepped up to the plate to play a bigger game. They moved from the minors into the majors and will need some time to find a new rhythm. The good news with Saturn is that time is always on our side ....

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 11, 2017 - moth meet flame, rushing just creates more lack, know when to shut the hell up, a dragon in our path could be a dragon, could be a fire extinguisher

Runaway by Lukreszja

We know whenever the work week includes the complete Gemini Moon cycle it is going to be busy and we have other stuff happening that looks busy, too.

Rushing doesn't seem to get us anywhere faster though.

Remember we have had, through a strange set of circumstances, Mercury traveling with Mars for weeks and we still have one more week of this. This is fast moving energy and can lead to arguments and accidents. People will continue to be quicker to speak out, quicker to be annoyed and will speak out more forcibly.

The flow of information and daily tasks has been challenging to keep up with. Customers/clients can be irritable and want things done yesterday. Good advice (yes, from grandma) if you can't say something nice about someone, well then just shut the hell up (yes, my grandma was from New Jersey).

The Course in Miracles teaches we have two ways we can respond - through love or through fear. Love knows when to shut up. This can be the harder, higher ground. Fear requires little regulation of ourselves as we blather out something to eradicate our anxiety or cement our identity. Let's choose the higher ground this week.

All the chaotic energy that is trampling on Mother Earth's body is trampling ours, too.

There are multiple situations converging, but the Mars/Mercury piece of the puzzle (just a few more days of this one!) is impacting our liver (perfect storm for something like a bladder infection or digestive issues), stomach/solar plexus (2nd chakra).

This chakra is super impacted by Neptune's stomach churning storms (Solar Eclipse plus Pisces Full Moon ruled by Neptune and conjunct Neptune), Leo's fires (Grand Fire Trine, Eclipse, more anxiety!), dis-empowering lies and the media blasting "catastrophe" at us 24 hours a day. This chakra really needs healthy boundaries. If we are feeling something like "I can't digest all this information" or "I have lost my center" or the feeling that our gut instincts are letting us down - it's time to reset our boundaries here.

(and on the flip-side some people's boundaries are drawn so tight - we can be so sure we are right and that what we believe is TRUE - that tightness and rigidity creates similar issues with an out-of-balance 2nd chakra. I know someone who can literally only eat three different foods.)

Life on planet Earth is not for sissies folks.

Flipping that pancake and checking out the positive side (yes, that will be the side with the most visible blueberries)- Mercury/Mars, now that both are in Virgo and moving forward, is good energy for learning and applying our skills - not bad energy for back-to-school if the teachers can keep the kids from bickering and in their seats!

On MONDAY, the Moon will be void until 3:29PM EDT. This is not a good time to start anything new if we want something to come of it (so if you are filing a late tax return or something you want 'nothing to come of' this would be a green light).

Even void the Taurus Moon (ruler of our resources) and the Virgo Sun (ruler of work and service) can get alot done. Work efficiently with what you already have.

After the void, the Moon enters communicative and multi-tasking Gemini squaring Mercury (Gemini's ruler) and Mars. This would not be a good time for any kind of challenging conversation because people can be testy and words sharper than we intended. We could say/do things in haste that we might regret later. Try to avoid rushing - especially if you are a fire sign - Aries, Leo or Sagittarius. Good timing if a hard-headed (hopefully not heart-less, remember that North Node in Leo), strategic game plan needs to be announced/implemented, but not everyone is going to like it.

Jupiter (in Libra) is trining (brakes off) the South Node in Aquarius. This could be a smooth/simple opportunity to interject something Aquarian into a group or social situation. Maybe it's our freak flag - whatever makes us uniquely ourselves. Something quirky, new and innovating (or rebellious - Aquarius is that, too, of course) creates expansion and "luck" now. Since we are talking about the South Node of what we are releasing, we could be stepping away from something that is "distracting or distancing" ourselves from others (technology? many people are without electricity right now). We get lucky by getting involved and being ourselves - just keep in mind that Mercury and Mars are squaring the Moon and take your time, know when to shut the hell up.

On TUESDAY, Venus (in Leo) is trining (brakes off) Saturn (in Sagittarius). This is excellent energy for manifesting into physical form (Saturn) what we want (Venus). This energy is in play all week. This is still Saturn so results come through work and time, but they do come. The investments we make now (love, money, what we already have, women, beauty, self-esteem, values) can pay off later. We can also see the results of our prior labors this week and next.

On WEDNESDAY, the fly in the ointment (damn flies) to yesterday's exact Venus/Saturn trine is today's Sun square Saturn. This could take us back to something started when the Sun met up with Saturn back in December. With the Sun ruling the Leo North Node of our collective way forward AND our HEART this obstacle/restriction/wall is actually a positive. In both the same way all obstacles are positive in the end when we look back at what we have learned and in the sense, at this particular time in our history with the collective way forward about following our HEART - whatever stands in the path of that will need to be dealt with.

For now it might look like a fire breathing dragon. And in fact it could be an actual fire breathing dragon, but it could be the dragon that will lead us directly to the acquisition of the fire extinguisher that we will need moving forward. Whatever we use - skill, resources, etc - to get around or over this thing is going to be needed later on, too. We have the Sun in Virgo and Virgo loves to make something. We might have to build it as we go.

Any tension or challenges now that come up are part of the process that gets all of us to a happier space. Yes, we will have to deal with whatever comes up now, but life is magical and we get the square at precisely the right time - Virgo season! - so we'll use that Virgo Sun to fix what needs fixing here. It doesn't have to be a perfect fix and it won't be some big, splashy thingamajig. Virgo rules the small, practical steps that are helpful. Work small with whatever is challenging while keeping your heart (North Node Leo) firmly fixated on what you WANT (that Venus!).

The Moon goes void at 2:35PM EDT.

On THURSDAY, Venus (still in fiery Leo and approaching the eclipse degree next week - that's when the benefits of that monster Solar Eclipse will become more visible) meets up with the North Node of our collective destiny. Pay attention to what comes to your attention now. Maybe a woman comes into your life and moves your whole story forward somehow. This is the energy for desire (Venus) to meet up with whatever it takes to make the desire come true. Moth meet flame. We'll talk more about Venus's journey this week in the dailies including a sextile (opportunity) with big-time opportunity maker Jupiter on FRIDAY.

Lots more to write about including Mars and Mercury's final exact conjunction on Saturday, but I am out of time this morning. I have a largish store order to get to and another store owner who wants a face-to-face skype - which means I have to think about what my own face looks like this morning. Which reminds me with all this Venus we will want to be looking our best this week (and next week). It will make us more attractive - ie more able to attract what we want.

Venus loves all the lace and polish and we want her on our team now. We will be a stronger channel for our favorite muse's energy if we take a little extra care with ourselves.

xo all

Today's Astrological Weather Report - handcut carrots, small tweaks adjust BIG things, practical language, the audience goes home

South wind by painted poppy

Today, we have the Sun (in Virgo) trining (brakes off) Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn), Mars (action, initiative, passion, anger) changing signs from fiery Leo into stable Virgo and Venus (in Leo) inconjunct Pluto. The Moon is waxing in Aries this morning and moves into Taurus at 12:23 EDT (after a short void around lunchtime). The Moon is exalted in Taurus - the sign of prosperity and ruler of our resources.

First, let's look at Mercury.

You might remember he moved into Virgo on July 25th before reversing course and traveling back through Leo. So, now we are kind of back where we were then, but with a clearer grasp on whatever information/facts we need to be grasping to move ahead. We are older and wiser now. The retrograde forced us to deal with delays, to take another look at something, to ask the right questions, to revise, to review, to reconsider - and now we have the results/the decision/the info we need. It won't get much clearer than this.

Retrogrades force our hand with this stuff. They can't always force us to use what we have learned, but let's face it - if we were planning to do X, and, during the last few weeks learned Y and Z that impact X, we would be a fool not to use what we have discovered/learned as we move forward. So we will.

Mercury (communication, thinking, ideas, local neighborhood, siblings, transportation) is quite happy to be back in Virgo - a sign he rules.

In Virgo, our thinking, writing and communication will be more practical and commonsense. We will be all about the details. Nothing gets by Mercury in Virgo.  But lots of things get dismissed. If it's not real, if it doesn't work - it's gone. This is an excellent transit for organization, cleaning, paperwork, working on the tedious trivia we have overlooked during Mercury's days in star-studded Leo. The curtain gets drawn, the crowds go home, the star of the stage (us!) hones his craft without an audience, without applause. This is the work that gets done right because it needs to be done right. This is also excellent service energy - for taking care of our health, for taking care of other people, for taking care of our animals.

The Virgo house in your natal chart gets a visit from active Mercury - this is where the solutions will be. This is where we can drill down the details and become more efficient.

This is where we will be walking our talk.

The shadow side of Mercury during this transit (through September 29th when he moves into Libra - note he will start covering entirely new ground in Virgo on September 19th) is that we can't always see the forest for the trees. We might get so caught up in the details the big picture gets away from us. We could forget/lose sight of why we are doing the thing we are doing in the first place. Or we get so caught up in something being so perfect, that it never gets finished. Or we pare something down so much that in the end we end up with nothing .... keep an eye (yes, we need three eyes now!) out for this stuff.

The big news today is the perfection of the trine between the Sun and Pluto.

This is an aspect we don't want to waste. Here is where a precise adjustment (Sun in Virgo) creates career/place in the outer world opportunities (Pluto in Capricorn). A tweak to our day-to-day activities or work routine (or diet/health routine! or some regimen with our pets!) STARTED NOW is very powerful. We have to do what is right for other people here, too, because our Virgo Sun rules service - we can't take more than our fair share or cop out on something that is necessary. 

POWER comes through the details now. Use this transit to set up an improved schedule. Prioritize. Do the most important thing first. Take a look at the houses in your natal chart this trine is impacting (your Capricorn and Virgo houses) - there is an increased opportunity for these houses to work together now. Trines are easy to miss because things fall into place easily. Note where this is already happening. Help it along with increased efficiency toward what we are passionate about!

The fly in the ointment with this and yes, there is always a damn fly in the ointment. Maybe without the fly there would be no ointment!

We have Venus (love, money, women, beauty, our values, our self-esteem) inconjunct (something not solvable here) the same career/place in the outer world/authority Pluto.

It looks like something we want (Venus) won't happen quite the way we want it to. Or maybe a situation with a woman isn't working out. Love/money can be tricky. To the extent we are not valuing the right stuff the support won't be there. Whatever this is, it will impact this final leg of our Pluto story which started when Pluto met up with the Sun back in early January.

The trine with Virgo though tells us the way through this is to do our Virgo.

Cross our t's and dot our i's. Do what is right in front of us. Clean up the mess. Share. Put one foot in front of the other now. Eat right. Go for a walk. There won't be any shortcuts, but we won't need them because with Pluto answering to Saturn - whatever it is we are building it is going to be sticking around for a long time ...

xo all

Enjoy that Taurus Moon this afternoon - take comfort in what really matters. Get out in nature (Ack - I am writing a post for tomorrow about the crazy weather!). Get your hands in the dirt. Balance your checkbook. Get a massage. Cut the vegetables with a knife, not one of those fancy electric choppers. You get the idea.