Astrology Forecast for Creatives | this weekend and a peek ahead into September

mettres les voiles by Marion-Volant

On FRIDAY, we have Venus (in Libra) semi-square the Sun (in Virgo). If we had these planets semi-square in our natal chart we might find it hard to accept a compliment or take money for our services. We might continually short change ourselves. Or maybe our self-worth would get wrapped up in our bank account in other unhealthy ways. With Venus in the sign of relationships now and the Sun in the sign of the critic we might have to bite our tongue to avoid talking about the things we notice that said out loud could be more unkind than helpful. There is probably no such thing as constructive criticism.

The Moon is active. We have the Moon conjuncting Uranus disrupting our comfort zone then moving into a stabilizing trine with Saturn in the early A.M. which is good for taking action on things we want to last. The Moon (uber comfortable in Taurus) trines the Virgo Sun at 12:45PM EDT. This is opportunity for material gains and good energetics for business, negotiations with co-workers, progress with health issues, etc. We will do our Virgo. Play the hand we've been dealt. Focus on the little things. Do the thing that is right in front of us. The Moon will sextile Neptune in the evening, so a good movie/date night. Good for creativity, imagination, healing.

SATURDAY has an active Moon and is another mixed bag. Just being a Saturday should help!

By SUNDAY at 4:02AM EDT the Moon will move into Gemini focusing us on Gemini themes for the next couple days - information, communication, local issues, transportation issues, sibling issues. We will be busy, more chatty, better able to multi-task.

At 10:37PM EDT on Sunday we have the last quarter Moon of the month with the Gemini Moon squaring the Virgo Sun. We are likely overloaded with information by now, much of which we don't need. Virgo wants to cut to the chase and Gemini wants to check out every angle. It is time to be discerning. This speaks of a crisis of choice. The Virgo Sun advises us to choose what is most practical/realistic now. We might want to keep our options open, but that will just keep us stuck - for many situations it is time to choose (but not all, remember, I can't see your chart- use your own discernment). This is also the day Mercury exits his retrograde shadow - meaning he begins to travel new degrees. This summer's Mercury retrograde in Leo is behind us. Whatever we were supposed to learn we have learned. What we do with what we have learned is up to us.

Spending Sunday doing the weeklies means I never seem to have the time to look further than a few days ahead which really hampers these forecasts. I am not sure what to do about it!

Let's review a bit.

We had a Pisces Full Moon last weekend. It might have left us physically drained, especially in the early part of this week.

With a Pisces Full Moon something is released/drifts away/dissolves/culminates. We move into a new cycle leaving something behind us and we know what we need to carry into the new cycle by what has been lost if that makes any sense. We carry what we are left with. We dance with the one left on the dance floor. You get the idea.

The Grand Earth Trine (during the Full Moon) speaks of loss leading to gain - but maybe we can't see that part yet. Earth signs won't be rushed! Earth progress takes time. Earth represents real things - things we can see and touch. Baking a cake takes time. Growing a tomato takes time. Cakes don't bake if we keep opening the oven door. Seeds won't grow if we keep digging them up to check their progress. KNOW the space created by the loss creates a vacuum to be filled. Trust it.

This summer's eclipse season and retrograde cycles have put us through the wringer. For some people the resulting changes are visible things/visible losses/visible changes. For other people this stuff is more internal. Or I should say this stuff is internal for everyone and for some people there are external changes.

We are moving ahead now, but we want to take it slow.

Mercury leaves his retrograde shadow on SUNDAY. He is squaring Jupiter. So we want to RECEIVE the information (remember Jupiter is deep in Scorpio) and then be patient with what we do/say/think with it.

Mars is direct now (since Monday), but had been retrograde since the end of June and he has a few weeks before he leaves his shadow (starts covering totally new territory). He is now back to the degrees he covered around the middle of May (a big time astrologically because we also had Uranus move into Taurus at that time). There was likely something back then we were really wanting (where is 28 degrees Capricorn in your natal chart?). Then over the summer something shifted. This could have been something big or something small. But now Mars (as us) is back here again.

We have learned alot this summer. Goals changed. Soul contracts finished up. Where do we now stand with this thing we were wanting then? How do we move forward from this same space now that we have been re-booted?

By around September 6th Mars will be in full force and moving forward in Capricorn - where he is exalted. This is the day Saturn will station direct. We have been on a long, backward journey this summer. Now our thinking (Mercury) and actions (Mars) reach their logical conclusion. Saturn rules karma. And karma is really just cause and effect. We have consequences.

Maybe we meet a goal. Maybe a responsibility clobbers us in the head. Daddy's home.

On the same day Mercury finally leaves Leo and moves into Virgo where he will begin trining (brakes off) both Saturn - authority, stability, structure - and Uranus - change, revolution, freedom - for the next few days.

If a decision wasn't reached at that Quarter Moon - here is where our minds are finally made up - we are READY TO GET TO WORK.

Remember Mars is exalted (at his best) in Capricorn.

This is because hot-headed, fiery Mars gets the structure he needs to succeed within Saturn's limits and constraints. Limits are our friend now. We don't rush with Mars in Capricorn. We are grounded. We are determined. We can work alone or we can lead. We can get things done.  

So we have a couple weeks in September to settle in and get things going especially the stuff that feels like it has been dragging on and on and

then on September 10th - 11th, Mars moves into Aquarius - for the 3rd time! - here's to hoping the "third time is the charm" rather than "three strikes we're out"!

NOTE - we are far from out.

In Aquarius he will once again journey over Black Moon Lilith and the South Node and by the end of September he gets back to 4-5 degrees Aquarius where we had the Lunar Eclipse at the end of July.

Mars in Aquarius doesn't play by the rules. He can be restless and impatient and dangerous. And he will be squaring anything-can-happen Uranus. So there is alot of wildcard energy left.

Lots of loose ends and shifts are still ahead of us this month.

Another thing we have setting up is a long T-Square between Venus (women, love, money, relationships, self-esteem, our values), Mars (our initiative, action, passion, anger, courage) and Uranus (freedom, individuality, change, innovation) beginning around September 2nd and lasting almost all month. Mars is the focus of the T-Square so we will need to be active and brave. There could be relationship/financial challenges (we want freedom - Uranus AND we want the relationship/money - Venus). We don't want to go all hot-headed and do things we will regret later. We don't want to toss the baby out with the bathwater (babies are kind of cute after all). Mercury will be in Virgo to help us think things through.

Venus starts walking the degrees she will walk back over (three times total) beginning on Monday. So a Venus storyline is opening up. Most of her retrograde will be spent in deep, dark Scorpio in October, so October will be a complicated month and whatever we are dealing with begins to take form next week.

It's Virgo season though so not the time to look too far ahead with any of this - it's like we would be walking through the woods looking off into the distance and stepping on the flowers and mushrooms! Where are our feet?! Watch out for the fungi, folks! The fungi are our friends. Mostly.

September is active with lots of challenges and gifts. The time around September 11th, when Mars gets back into Aquarius will be IMPORTANT, the time  when Mars returns to square Uranus around the 18th will be IMPORTANT and the time around September 27th when Mars returns to his eclipse degree of July 27th will be IMPORTANT.

AND that is just Mars! We have alot of other pieces to the cosmic puzzle!

First up, a long weekend for many people in the United States because we have the Labor Day holiday on Monday, so appropriate for Virgo season, don't you think? Uranus in square to Mars has totally taxed our nervous system - let's give ourselves a break.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of August 27th - the delays come to an end, proceed cautiously and strategically, hair-trigger tempers, communication challenges, intense emotions, big plans and even bigger ideas, life speeds up

Time goes by like a train by Julie-de-Waroquier

Some of the big aspects for the week ahead are:

SUNDAY - Full Moon in Pisces
MONDAY - Mars stations direct in Capricorn!!
TUESDAY - Mercury square Jupiter
WEDNESDAY - Mercury inconjunct Pluto
SATURDAY - Venus opposes Eris
SUNDAY - Mercury leaves retrograde shadow

SUNDAY Morning EDT we have the Full Moon in Pisces I wrote about HERE. The day is colored by its aspects as well as a couple I missed in that post including Venus (strong in Libra) opposing Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn) which could bring relationship power struggles, money issues, an almost suffocating desire for something, maybe outside interference in a relationship - the bottom line for us - know this aspect, in play for a couple days, could bring up intense feelings and strong emotions. 

On MONDAY, the Moon (in Pisces) conjuncts Pisces ruler Neptune at 8:05AM EDT. We might feel more sensitive/compassionate and we are certainly more likely to take on other people's emotions - this would be an excellent morning to meditate.

At 10:05AM EDT Mars stations direct at 28 degrees Capricorn - a space where he is exalted.

Whatever stalled or stopped around August 12th will get moving again.

Maybe ego-driven plans (or some area where we wanted our way) and positions that did not work out quite as we expected have caused us to re-flect and re-vise. Between now and September 18th (the final Mars square Uranus) we should get a wrap-up/resolution. If we are smart and paying attention we have received clues from Mars this summer about how to deal with Uranus in Taurus over the next few years.

Mars won't be covering entirely new ground for a few weeks and it will take him a few days to get back up to speed. The Sun is in Virgo. Mars is in Capricorn. Let's take our cues from that. We'll proceed cautiously and strategically.

EXAMPLE FOR LIBRA/Libra Rising - Mars stations direct in your 4th house of home and family. Progress can now be made with a home renovation, relocation, home business or mother/family situation that may have stalled around mid-month.

Mars is very powerful at station and rules violence and anger so stay safe. No dark alleys. Step back from any potential altercations. Expect to feel rushed. 

The Pisces Moon will be active on Monday - keeping us busy - good for business and good for having the energy to do what we need to do.

On TUESDAY, (in play for a couple days before and after) at 1:31AM EDT, Mercury (in fiery Leo) squares Jupiter (in deep, dark Scorpio).

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 - our communication, conversations, information, local issues, sibling issues, transportation issues - has multiple challenges this week and remember until next Sunday he/she is walking degrees she has walked before (twice!) so this is a repeat pattern from July 9th and then August 11th.

Some people will feel like they are living Groundhog Day (the movie!).

The square with Jupiter can mean we communicate too much. There might be big, floaty ideas without legs now. The details can be missed or glossed over. Words can be over-the-top now. We can be enthusiastic, but also preachy. Any challenges to Mercury mean we need to take care driving. Sibling issues could also come into play.

Remember this isn't an entirely new situation.

We have been through this before - we should have the tools in our tool belt for this one now. We are ready.

EXAMPLE FOR SCORPIO/Scorpio Rising - Mercury is squaring your sign from Leo, your 10th house of career and public life. There could be an optimistic business idea, professional information or exuberant career news now. Make sure you are reading the situation from a grounded space. Don't over-promise. Don't expect too much. The Sun is in Virgo - stick to the facts. Keep in mind Mercury is walking degrees he walked first on July 9th and then again on August 11th (retrograde) - so what have you learned?

The Moon (at the end of Pisces) sextiles (opportunity) Mars (at the end of Capricorn) at 9:54AM EDT. A good time to exercise - we are feeling strong and satisfied with whatever we have completed. 

We have the courage and ability (Mars/Capricorn) to handle the things we can't see coming (Pisces).

The Moon goes Void for a couple hours until she moves into Aries at 12:35PM EDT.

At 5:37PM EDT the Moon (in Aries) will square Saturn (in Capricorn). This could feel a little (or alot) depressing/pessimistic and isolating so stay centered and know this will pass. Chocolate will help.

The Aries Moon will give us a focus on Aries themes for the next couple days - courage, passion, action, initiative, maybe anger, anything new and ambitious.

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury (in fiery Leo) inconjuncts Pluto (in sober Capricorn).

This is a rock and a hard place aspect between our Leo and Capricorn houses. There could be power plays, obsessive thinking and persuasive, manipulative information/conversations. Avoid pushing your ideas onto other people. Avoid being pushed by other people's words. Secrets can come out now. There probably isn't any middle ground here, so just know that. Agree to disagree. Not really the time for an intimate conversation. Not the time to send the boss a memo (which could be misconstrued) or make an impassioned statement publicly. People could feel manipulated even if you think you are coming in with a higher agenda. Let sleeping dogs lie ... for now.

On THURSDAY, the skies are testy. The Moon in Aries will oppose Venus in Libra at 6:56AM EDT and then move into a square with Mars (in Capricorn). People might be aggressive and unwilling to compromise. Not easy energy for everyone to get along. The Moon goes void at 7:04PM EDT and then moves into Taurus at 9:30PM EDT focusing us on Taurus themes for the next couple days - comfort, security, our money, our values, eating well, taking care of ourselves.

I will write about Friday and the weekend later in the week and get up a big picture post for autumn.

xo all

Pisces Full Moon | August 26th - something new and solid built from the ashes of whatever has slipped through our fingers

I have to go by Julie-de-Waroquier

On SUNDAY at 7:56AM EDT the Pisces Moon will oppose the Virgo Sun at 3 degrees giving us our annual Pisces Full Moon.

You have probably noticed the Moon appearing larger and fuller over the last few days. I hope you have been able to get out and walk in it!

Anyone with planets or points in the early degrees of the mutable signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces - and people with planets or points in the early degrees of the water signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - will probably feel this Full Moon energy strongest.

Pisces and Virgo are opposite signs, but really the opposite sides of the same coin - the same energetic loop. The balance of these two signs is where we bring God (or whatever word you feel most comfortable using here) to earth through our actions of service.

Virgo/Pisces is about the highest levels of service and compassion - it doesn't take on the burdens of others - compassion holds a higher vibration. It's not about removing the pain or suffering of another person which we literally can't do because the karma (ie energy attraction, cause and effect, our perfectly pre-planned, but not predestined life experiences) - that created it in the first place will just recreate it in another form.

Pisces is the last and final sign - the place where the buck stops - Pisces energy knows this.

Pisces compassion shows patience, lends an ear or a shoulder without the need for recognition - without the need for thanks - knowing the service is its own reward; the work is often invisible. It holds open doors and holds the spaces for others to be strong and courageous and confident. 

Full Moons bring energy to a "peak"; to a culmination, maybe to an ending. Pisces rules the 12th house of what is hidden and put away, the ways we self-sabotage, escape, sacrifice, our addictions, our imagination, lack of boundaries, connection, compassion, charity, hospitals, prisons, the things we do last, the things we have forgotten, our distant pasts, water, sleep, illness, healing, spirituality ....

Our Piscean spaces (the roles we play and the roles we have rejected within ourselves and passed out to other people to act out for us) will be on full display. Dreamers will dream. Escapists will run away. Victims and martyrs will play out some endless saga we will all have to hear about. Saviors will march into action. Seekers will look within. Artists will make art. Drifters will drift off course.

Anyone whose boat is only lightly tethered to the dock could be pulled out to sea ...

Now, the wonderful thing about this particular Pisces Full Moon, because it is stabilizing, is the chart includes a Grand Earth Trine between the Sun, Saturn and Uranus. There is solid ground here. With both Saturn and Uranus still retrograde whatever we are dealing with at this Full Moon will have its feet in the past.

The Virgo Sun speaks of us putting one foot in front of the other, developing a solid routine, figuring out what doesn't work, seeing the trees - we know the forest is there, that big old Pisces Full Moon will light up the periphery - but keeping our focus on the details.

The Moon (in Pisces) forms a Kite at the top of the Grand Earth Trine with sextiles from Saturn and Uranus. So we have the new/unexpected (Uranus), the stable/solid (Saturn) enabled into something REAL through that sacrificial Pisces Moon. What are we willing to give up/release to get something new/solid and lasting? Something has to give here. 

Keep in mind with Pisces there is always the chance things can look better than they are and we can be pretty sure that even with that bright light in the night sky we aren't seeing everything. But for those who have done their summer "work" - there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

At the same time we have the Sun (in Virgo) inconjunct Chiron (in Aries) telling us that there is no "perfect" Virgo solution. We also have Saturn (in Capricorn) squaring Chiron.

The rock/hard place (inconjunct), the limit/responsibility (Saturn), the Pisces focal point and the Virgo/Pisces opposition are all reinforcing the same message - to get the manifestion (the new, real solid thing) something else needs to be released. 

"Life is complicated", says Virgo, looking at all the moving parts and noting what needs fixing. "It doesn't need to be" says Pisces, seeing all the ways everything is already working together perfectly.

I hope everyone can get out and walk in the Full Moon. Mars (our action, initiative, passion, anger) moves direct on Monday people. It may take him a few days to get up to speed, but something in our Capricorn house is about to get a big forward PUSH.

xo

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | transition time, the king gets humbled, looking ahead, preparing for lift-off, creating something real, keeping that kite in the air

... by oprisco

I've been finding it hard to get to these charts and write about them lately ... focus Catherine!

Let's take a look at where we are.

We closed out Leo season last week with the Sun's move into practical and "let's get on a routine" Virgo. The time of the harvest (and I have the garden filled with tomatoes to prove it), in Virgo season we move into mutable energy. Shifts happen. The weather changes. Kids go back to school. We adjust our schedules and daily routines. Health issues catch our attention.

The transition from Leo (ruled by the Sun) to Virgo can be hard or welcomed depending on how ready we are to come in out of the Sun!

With the Sun in Virgo we focus on the details. We clean things up. We get organized. Small steps lead to big changes. Small is BIG now.

The astrology wheel is the hero's journey of self discovery. When the sun moves into Virgo, it is the hero's (our) first encounter with service.

We are learning when to help and when helping isn't really helping. Virgo is the modest healer with the critical eye that takes care of the details. Meaningful work and competence are key now.

Virgo knows we are not here to do the work we love - we are here to love the work we do. There is a difference. This is the difference that changes the world. This is the difference that changes us.

Every sign has something to learn from the sign that follows it.

Leo learns from Virgo (and we all have Leo and Virgo in our charts somewhere - its placement will affect how this activates in your own journey) - to do the work. Virgo teaches Leo to let go of the need for the spotlight and recognition and to just focus on the work.

The king gets humbled ... and we might now, too!

(and speaking of kings - last week the Sun moved through the last degrees of Leo - powerful degrees already and uber activated from last year's "Great American Eclipse" - at precisely the time the press was reporting Cohen's guilty pleas and Manafort's guilty convictions. You might remember this eclipse was right on Trump's ascendant and his guiding star Regulus - the star promising 'success and riches if revenge is avoided' - and was followed immediately by multiple powerful weather "storms" and then the more personal, for Trump, 'Stormy' Daniels payoff allegations which are part of Cohen's guilty pleas)

It is no coincidence that Virgo comes in autumn; the time of the harvest - the time we separate the wheat from the chaff.

The Sun in Virgo needs to do good work. In order to do this, we need to figure out what isn't working. We need to be able to see the flaws and problems.

We have Mercury direct now, although still covering old ground. Things are not wrapped up all nicely with a big pink bow, but we are thinking about the future again. We have one eye in the past and one on "what comes next".

Mars is still retrograde, but turns direct on MONDAY. So this past week our attention turned to the future (and on wrapping things up - where do we find that big pink bow?) and next week our actions get green-lighted.

We act. We get acted upon. Things come unstuck. There is movement. 

And, yes, Mars also will be covering old ground for a while, too - so we are moving forward, dragging one, unfinished, foot behind us.

Then on September 6th Saturn stations direct. We have been on a long, backward journey this summer. Now our thoughts and actions reach their logical conclusion. We have consequences. Maybe we meet a goal. Maybe a responsibility clobbers us in the head. Daddy's home.

This weekend we are building toward Sunday's Full Moon in Pisces with a Sun/Saturn/Uranus Grand Earth Trine - a powerful energy for manifesting something REAL. Then at the Full Moon (ruled by dream-maker Neptune) - and this is very rare - the energies form a high flying Kite aspect. As a kid I was never very good at flying kites. Mine would always quickly crash to the ground. This one feels a little different with that solid Grand Earth Trine behind it. Whatever story we have each been walking back and forth over the last few weeks here is the fresh air - inspiring movement toward HIGHER GROUND complete with a detailed Virgo step-by-step action plan/roadmap. What more do we need?

On FRIDAY we have an active Aquarius Moon. First, opposing Mercury and making us mentally restless maybe or compelled to give voice to the unconscious. Maybe we change our mind. It's like we are leaving post-it notes all over the place, even if we don't have any post-it notes. Then the Moon squares Jupiter - this isn't the best aspect to make a good financial decision. We could make a mountain out of a molehill. We could feel overwhelmed - which might be a good thing or not so good. Maybe something here about protecting, or feeling protective of, our home or family. The Moon will finish her day (12:39AM EDT) with a trine to lovely Venus at home in Libra - good for socializing and finding balance. Then she turns void and will be void all day Saturday. Saturday is not a good day to start something new even with the grounded Grand Earth Trine.

Today (Friday) we also have the Sun (in Virgo) inconjunct - that rock and a hard place - Chiron (in Aries). Something here about something that can't be fixed, can't be put back together, can't be made perfect. If we have done our best with it, that is all we can do. I know it hurts. At the same time devoted Vesta (in Sagittarius) is trining (brakes off) strategic Pallas (in Leo) at 24 degrees. This is where we put our energy as we move toward HIGHER GROUND this weekend. Bring an optimistic, big-picture focus on Leo - creative projects, children, romance, fun - our heart's desire, that thing that pushes us into the center stage of our own life, what we are here to be proud of.

We will talk more about the Grand Earth Trine and the powerful Pisces Full Moon in this weekend's post.

xo all