Today's astrology Forecast | Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 - Sun trine Jupiter, Mars stations retrograde - getting lucky by noticing what we missed, using our gifts, having faith, learning/teaching, backing up

 

 

The Moon is in Gemini now - we are nurtured through communication/information, our local community, siblings, education - her only aspect today a trine (brakes off) to ruler Mercury at 4:38AM EDT.

The BIG news - one of those "luckiest" days of the year aspects you hear some astrologers rave about - the Sun (in practical Virgo) is trining Jupiter (retrograde in Capricorn). Having this aspect in play as Mars stations retrograde tonight is, I think, also good news. 

Sun/Jupiter in earth signs - expansion grounded in reality. Something we can hold or touch. Confidence. Jupiter rules higher education and Gemini elementary, so this is a good time to learn/teach. Note what comes to your attention now and draws your interest. Jupiter gets lucky because he isn't afraid to take chances AND because he has FAITH. Keep in mind, he is retrograde here, so maybe an old opportunity comes back around. A lucky penny turns up. A light shines on an open door somewhere that has maybe been there for a very long time and why are we only now noticing it anyway. This is about USING OUR GIFTS. Shining. Keep in mind also that Venus (love, money, our resources and self-esteem) is in Leo answering to the Sun while the Sun is trining Jupiter. How often do we see this?! Not very often believe me!

 

Our "lucky breaks" come through the small details now, so pay attention. Also tend to those small details as if they were more important than they are, because they are actually - more important than they are.

At 6:23PM EDT, Mars will station retrograde at the uber critical degree of 28 Aries. So he (as us) gets all the way to the very, very end of Aries (that sign that needs simply to push through and be brave - not that this is easy for all of us or even for many of us) and must stop and turnaround. As the sign that is much better at starting than finishing this is not such good news. Having been brought to a crisis point through this standing still thing he (as us) has had to do - hold up there fellow, this exercise of "will" hasn't been as successful or conclusive as it could be. We need you to take this class over again (we are connected in some ways now back to 1988 - so what did you have going on back then?). 

 

And he (as us) can either buckle up/back up and work the retrograde process - in Aries this can be about re-starting something - or fight against this which in itself is a lesson in the use of our "will", but which we know from the upcoming Cappy squares may not be as productive as we might like. Still, for some, it will be the only way through this. We will be back here in January 2021, but the road will look ALOT different by then.

As always contained within the seed of the way something starts is the way it grows and the way it ends, so we can look at today's chart for some clues about what this Mars retrograde will be about. In your own life look to what slows down now or what re-starts. Look to what has triggered your anger/passions over the last few days as Mars slowed down. Just look to what is happening right now/what you are doing.

 

We talked about Mars journey this summer/fall in this 2020 post HERE. Look for an update to this, this week.

Today's chart shows the Sun trining Jupiter - an auspicious aspect for Mars dicey retrograde, so good news. A way through this - confidence, some risk-taking, education, faith.

 

Mars is opposing Juno. Jupiter's wife, but much more than that - Juno rules our relationships/contracts - she holds us to task to uphold hierarchical structures within familial relationships. She can also be said to stay too long at the party - look the other way when things are not going so well, avoid unpleasant confrontations to keep the peace/relationship/her power position in tact. With Mars sitting between Lilith and Eris, this is not going to be a good plan right now. Cooperative arrangements/partnerships are going to reach a crisis point/culmination point (sometimes an ending) during this retrograde. And, we already know in Aries he (as us) will be squaring all the Cappy "authority/power" planets as we move through the fall. 

 

2020 continues to be, just as it started, a long chapter in a very old book about how we handle "power".  Buckle up ...

We'll look at the retro chart in another post and again you can take another look at that 2020 series post.

 

During Mars retrograde, unless you have a natal Mars retrograde, there will be a tendency to push when we should pull or pull when we should stand still. This is all part of the learning process and also the decision making process that gets us to November when Mars will station direct at 15 degrees Aries. If you have planets/points around 15-28 degrees of the cardinal signs, you will feel this retrograde strongest, but we will ALL be feeling it. Keep in mind this retrograde's auspicious start with the Sun/Jupiter - the delays, the re-dos and missteps - will all be worth it in the end.

 

In the meantime, ENJOY THIS DAY with the Sun/Jupiter - pay attention, look up, push your luck a little bit!!

 

xo all

 

photo by the amazing Julie-de-Waroquier

Today's Astrology Forecast | Tuesday, September 8, 2020 - adjusting, balancing what we want to do with what needs to be done, long void moon

 

 

The Moon (exalted in Taurus) trined a retrograde Pluto (transformation) at 2:39AM EDT then goes void off a trine to a retrograde Saturn at 8:46AM EDT (good for dealing with authority and stepping into responsibilities), although exalted in Taurus, she continues to perform. 

 

She will be void until she moves into Gemini (and things get busier/more chatty for the next couple days) at 5:28PM EDT.

Void Moons brings twists and turns that don't amount to much. Time gets stretchy. I find I can get alot done (be productive as long as I stay flexible), but also that if I start anything brand new I somehow end up having to do it all over again later anyway. 

At the same time we have Venus (in Leo) inconjunct a retrograde Ceres in Pisces AND Vesta (also in Leo) inconjunct Pallas in Capricorn. With both our Leo planets needing to adjust to other energies - our egos might take a hit today. We could feel unappreciated/unrecognized. Leo is ruled by the Sun and needs to shine, so any adjustments to that will be felt. Maybe we want to do this fun thing/or work on a creative project and we are pinned down by care-taking responsibilities now (which may or may not be needed because Ceres in Pisces can be a bit self-sacrificing/smother-mothering) or maybe someone else is actually ill and needs our help. Stay flexible. Both energies - Leo/Pisces, which is happening at 3 degrees BTW - need a seat at the table. There won't be any real winners, but no one needs to feel like a loser either.

Leo/Cappy (at 12 degrees the Vesta/Pallas) is also a rock and a hard place. We want to shine/feel good through our attention to this one IMPORTANT thing, but there are these prickly responsibilities, plans (maybe career related or dealing with authority or old business) that need to be attended to, too. Again, adjustments are needed. 

 

With inconjuncts if somebody wins then nobody wins. 

This means friction and Leo is fiery and, of course, we have Mars standing strong and still in fiery Aries just itching for a fight, so keep a cool head. We don't want/need to burn anything down today. 

 

The comforting Taurus Moon being unaspected and coming off those smooth trines to the Cappy planets (structure, authority) will help us with this. Probably quite alot.

xo all

photo by the amazing ankazhuravleva

Today's Astrology Forecast | Monday, September, 7th, 2020 - Grand Trine in Earth - a solid opportunity

 

 

The Moon, exalted in Taurus today (and most of tomorrow) met up with Uranus last night (2:00 AM EDT) then trines the Sun at 12:09PM EDT (this month's Waning Trine Virgo/Taurus), trines a retrograde Jupiter at 4:07PM EDT - Grand Earth Trine - and finally sextiles a retrograde Neptune at 8:35PM EDT. She makes a couple nice aspects tomorrow morning and then spends most of tomorrow void, but, exalted in Taurus, continuing to perform. 

 

So even though this Grand Trine is a lunar event, so usually fast moving we have this for SEVERAL HOURS TODAY as the trine to the Sun is followed by the trine to Jupiter. This is the smooth progression of our New Moon in Leo beginning, coming through the stuff from the past we have been re-doing. Old opportunities can come back around. The gold we missed the first time through. HERE IT IS. And we have to be smart enough and practical enough to RECOGNIZE IT this time.

 

Taurus/Virgo. Grounded practicality. The details working together to make something real. Soemthing that can be counted on. Stability. Nothing has to be pushed/forced here. Remember our Lao Tzu (ancient Chinese philosopher and father of Taoism) quote from yesterday - we are doing the work/our thing and letting it speak for itself.

When the Moon trines Jupiter at 4:07PM EDT (Jupiter is strong and still and nearing the end of his long summer retrograde) - this is success/expansion/optimism/confidence. Grounded in real world things we can touch. Again, this is smooth (brakes off). We won't have to push for this. Whatever we returned to/or slowed down near when Jupiter went retrograde back on May 14th - well, here, is where, if we've used the retrograde to our advantage re-visioning/re-working  - here is where something can fall right into place.  

 

Don't judge the size of it - small is the new big. From tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow - you know the drill.

 

Finally, the Moon sextiles (opportunity) Neptune - "the dream" is pulled into this positive energy. Magic working through us. Mystical forces. Our ancestors. Our past. Pray. Meditate. 

Taurus is all about our resources/products, our money, our values and self esteem. With Jupiter in Cappy - this is about business, responsibilities, our authority and outside authority. Virgo is about our work, our service, our health, our daily activities/schedule, our co-workers/employees, our pets. All of this stuff, plus those Neptunian dreams - are working together today. 

Everyone has access to this. If you have planets/points in the earth signs near 15-17 degrees that is even better! This will also be about your personal house themes - Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn. Today is a holiday in the United States, but some of this good lunar flow will continue tomorrow plus tomorrow is the day the Sun trines Jupiter - so a light on an old opportunity! Our confidence returning.

 

xo all 

 

Keep in mind the way things grow in the Earth - over time (and requiring Sun - attention, and water - an emotional investment) also that Mars is going to station retrograde tomorrow, so there will be some necessary back and forth with all of this over the next few weeks (until mid-November, when full steam ahead).

photo by the talented Mike F Shaw

 

Weekly Astrology Forecast | September 7th - September 13th, 2020 - changing directions, luck, loss, painful words that lead to healing, more options

 

 

This is a BIG week with two planets standing strong and still and then changing directions. This mean we will be changing directions, too!

 

We start the week with Mars strong and still in his home sign of Aries. Right between Eris and Lilith. What a line-up! Have you been able to control your temper the last couple days?! Whoa - it's been challenging, right? Are we supposed to let it happen or fight against it? And who has the strength? Maybe we will be too worn out to fight. Maybe this is life's bottom-line plan for us. Maybe not.

 

Either way I think I need better vitamins!

 

MONDAY - Saturn squares Juno - what are we committing to? Who is in charge? What are the rules? Are the old rules (within close relationships and familial systems) still working? This is a closing square, so what is unwinding/wrapping up? Note this won't really be wrapped up until they meet in Aquarius in April 2022. So, I guess we will spend some time with this!

WEDNESDAY - Mars stations retrograde until November, Sun trines Jupiter (luck!)

THURSDAY - Mercury opposes Chiron (painful words)

FRIDAY - Sun opposes Neptune (karmic ending, maybe a disappointment/loss)

SATURDAY - Jupiter stations direct (expansion)

SUNDAY - Venus trine Chiron (a healing balm)

 

Midweek Mars stations retrograde until the middle of November. Remember Mars is just coming off that square to Saturn (blocked by rules, limits, authority, reality checks) and he will face Saturn again at the end of this month. If that last square - August 24th - was challenging for us, we want to be doing whatever we can to prepare for the next one - September 29th. We don't always get second chances and now we do (actually a third chance in January, but let's keep our feet here in September for now!). 

 

We are backing up. Probably re-doing some previous actions. Regaining our strength/our courage over time. We will know more/do better. We can act more responsibly. Apply focus. Patience. This is not the time to give up, but know we are going to have to circle back with a few things. Something slows down. 

 

Our yang goes yin. 

 

Life becomes even more of an inside job - our strength to accomplish comes from within. And we will find we have more resilience/power than we thought we did. This is almost surely not a mental figuring out, because our minds in Libra could have us saying yes to a whole lot of things that leave our body nodding off! This will be part of the process of figuring out what we are passionate about now.

 

Also midweek - the Sun (in Virgo) will trine a retrograde Jupiter in Capricorn. Sun trine Jupiter is auspicious. Expansive. Confidence enhancing. Maybe our work/or whatever has been the focus of our day-to-day life is getting ATTENTION. Trines remove roadblocks. There is an ease. Our faith can be restored. The Sun is our life-force - we move toward MORE. This is considered by some astrologers to be one of the luckiest days of the year. Buy a lottery ticket. Someone is going to get rich - maybe it will be you!

The fly-in-the-ointment is the Sun's dissolving opposition to Neptune a couple days later, so some of the MORE may not quite materialize the way we are expecting. Some hopes will be dashed. We could be tired. Confused about what is real. We could feel invisible. Remember this is a very karmic time where we are in between worlds - dashed hopes are designed to show us what we really want. Losses here are a karmic re-balancing (ours, past life, ancestral) - let it go.

 

Finally Jupiter, having done his job (as us) with his LONG retrograde through the end of Cappy (near where "time ran out" back in January) - stations DIRECT. We are back to March 2020, older and wiser now, we hope, and retracing our steps for the THIRD time.

 

After months of internal expansion - we could feel like we have outgrown our skin! - life will start to expand externally again. Here is a gift for the kids who did their homework. Keep in mind Jupiter is still in Capricorn until December, so answering to a strong and restrictive Saturn in his home sign. Saturn is still retrograde until the end of the month though, so, Jupiter gets a little breathing room. WE'VE GOT OPTIONS!

 

With Jupiter is Capricorn for most of 2020, there was never going to be a million open doors this year, our expansion was always going to be limited - we get what's truly ours and not a morsel more. There is something opening up this month. And next month looks very dicey and November, too, actually, so we want to be laying any solid groundwork we can NOW.

 

In September - these Virgo trines and even Grand Earth trines! - are designed to rise something practical from the crumbs of 2020's Capricorn demolition. It can be slow going, but it will still be GOING, growing over the next few months as we move toward the Winter Solstice when Jupiter meets Saturn (in air for the first time in hundreds of years) and kicks off a brand new WORLD. 

 

And the world we are living in then will depend, to the extent we have freewill here, on what we do with the next 15 weeks!

Mercury, in Libra now, will oppose Chiron later in the week. Painful words/conversation/information comes in. At the very end of the week though, as Venus (love, money, self-esteem, our resources), in fiery Leo trines Chiron (brakes off) we should see progress from the pain. A healing balm. Beauty. Happiness. Love!

Keep in mind - it's Virgo season - time to be practical, dot the i's, cross the t's. The outer planets are ALL retrograde. Still we know we can't just wait, can't just sit this one out. There is a reason we are being slowed down though. There is a reason Saturn is in his home sign now - bringing all our chickens home to roost. There is a reason Mars is in his home sign showing us what we are most passionate/pissed off about (OUR TRIGGERS!) AND allowing us to see the ways we have numbed out. There is a reason we have lost our passion for many things. Life is going to look/feel very different later and the retrogrades are helping us get clear on what we want/what we need to finish/clear up. There is a reason Venus is in Leo, so we are attracting through what makes us most special. There is a reason Mercury is in Libra desiring balance, wanting us to finesse it, speak cordially, collaborate/cooperate, talk about contracts/relationships. There is no faking this stuff. We can't pretend to care about things we don't care about anymore. We can't attract through anything other than SHINING.

 

We are going through the eye of the needle and there may not be a hell of alot going with us.

As the Sun continues to make his productive trines from Virgo to the Cappy planets over the next week or so, 

 

and then especially when we get to the New Moon in Virgo trining (brakes off) sober Saturn mid-month (instead of the restrictive Moons we've had this summer opposing and squaring Saturn) - we are starting to open up the next chapter; a stronger, better chapter. Not much will come fast and easy, but that's because it will be strong and long-lasting. 

 

Our only real security going forward coming through our ability to say YES to being alive.

xo all

 

"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.

Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.

Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.

Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back."

.... Lao Tzu

 

 photo by the amazing Julie-de-Waroquier

 

Today's Astrology Forecast | Friday, September 4, 2020 - the pressure cooker day 2 (of three)

 

It's a very Martiany day. Cue the guys with the big eyes in the space suits.

 

First - and this isn't in chronological order, but just the order it is popping into my head - the waning Aries Moon inconjuncts the Virgo Sun (12 degrees). 

 

This is a rock vs hard place aspect; a regular part of our monthly lunation cycle. We get the Full Moon, then we have to make the adjustment to the Full Moon.

 

The Full Moon earlier in the week brought something to light, to a culmination, to an ending and offered a new/possibly chaotic way forward. Now as the Sun (who remember opposes the Moon at the Full Moon) works his way through diligent Virgo ie dealing with our natal Virgo house theme, considering the details/facts/information, being of service, doing the work, taking care of our health/our pets - the Moon, pushy in Aries now and answering to a strong, but still Mars (in Aries) says, "OK enough information gathering or enough perfectionist procrastination - DO SOMETHING". This is an inconjunct, that win-win, that can feel like a lose-lose, if we are too heavily invested in either side. 

 

We need to adjust. Everyone gets a seat at the table this year. Our brave, but maybe too impulsive Moon. Our practical, but maybe too critical/proscrastinating Sun.

 

At the same time, Mars and Venus reach the exactness of their frustrating square.

 

What we want won't be had by pushy/impulsive actions. What we want won't be had by just our wanting it either. 

 

Venus is in Cancer desiring mothering, safety, a home baked apple pie. Mars, strong in home sign, but frustrated by his slow down and approaching retrograde (5 days and counting, people!) is antsy/angry. So, we show vulnerability we get slapped down or we make an impulsive/selfish move and we feel the insecurities we have wrought. Our more gentle nature vs our need to assert ourselves. This could all be happening within us or through situations with other people. 

At the same time Venus and Mars are having their spat - and I don't say this to make light of it because this is actually quite an intense pressure cooker, especially for relationships and finances - we have Mercury (news, information, conversations) inconjunct Mars and sextile Venus. 

 

So, again, like the Moon (our emotions), our thinking (Mercury) is not so compatible with our actions. Maybe we are burned out. Maybe we are overwhelmed with the details. We can't choose/decide. We can't seem to get going. Analysis paralysis. Or maybe we've made impulsive moves and now we have to figure out how to make them work. 

The only smooth aspect is a sextile from logical Mercury (strong in his home sign of Virgo and at the critical and final 28th degree, so this relief probably comes after the tension) to emotional Venus. Here's our way through this. Caring and practical language. Talking about what we need without sounding needy. Compassionate facts. Thinking about our security.

 

Remember Venus is in Cancer and Cancer is the sign of the mother and the baby. 

 

Let's be kind to ourselves. Let's nurture ourselves. Let's LISTEN to other people. Know that any unsteady ground (instability) or unsure decisions will be exasperated now and trigger other times/spaces we didn't feel safe/sure. The sextile to a thinking/practical Mercury in Virgo speaks of our minds and our feelings working together. 

 

Keep in mind - reasonable language will make others feel safe/nurtured. Babying other people or looking for them to baby us will get us push back. What we see as helping, the other person can see as criticizing. We don't have to pick anything apart, especially someone else's argument. Think - compassionate language. Think about the difference between an open mind (staying curious) and a critical mind (seeing the flaws, the dragons, snapping shut and closing other people out). Both are attributes, but only one will work right now.

Yes, this is a tightrope walk and instead of those grippy shoes and an umbrella to manage the wind, we have our practical brains and our caring hearts. Our actions can trip us up, but we can't just sit on our butts either because Mars is about to go retrograde - did I say 5 days, yes, I did - and things are really going to start to SLOW DOWN. 

 

Tomorrow will be dicey, too, then Sunday will start to open up and by Monday the Moon will be exalted in Taurus, smoothly trining all kinds of goodies. 

 

Get through the next couple days by being gentle with yourself and other people. Soften any critical eye. Almost always good enough is good enough. Know actions will be awkward and we will probably have to make them anyway (and remake them because as I said Mars is about to go retrograde and will be retracing these steps). Speak kindly. 

Keep in mind the Full Moon's best move was something different/new, maybe even radical. That is our ace in the hole. Do something NEW.

Hang in there.

xo all

 

(Example - Virgo/Cancer stress - can be a situation where one person is very focused on the details of something the other person sees as not contributing to security/stability. This showed up for me this morning as hubs spent 30 minutes cleaning an old cutting board to cut up peppers to freeze, irritating the hell out of me for no reason other than, because he, in my mind, should be doing something else that needs to be done - triggering all the ways his over-doing/hyper focused machinations have contributed to our instability and conveniently forgetting all the times they have contributed to our stability. I can use the astro to not be a rude jerk and shoot from the hip with my words and make a big deal out of something that isn't - because small things are not small things right now. Does this make sense?)

photo by the amazing oprisco

 

Today's Astrology Forecast | Thursday, September 3, 2020 - practical action, staying flexible, the pressure cooker day 1

 

The Moon continues her journey through Pisces today - she sextiled Pluto and Saturn while we slept (cooperation, blending the work and the dream, getting along with authority), opposes Mercury at 8:56AM EDT (challenging communications, the details vs the dream/illusion) and goes void off a productive trine to Venus as 10:34AM EDT (good for creative work, social connections) - she will be void until 4:22PM EDT when she moves into fiery Aries. 

 

During the void - go with the flow, do productive stuff, but nothing we need something to "come of", keep in mind situations that flare up during this time won't amount to much, so don't make a mountain out of a molehill. 

The Moon's move into Aries late this afternoon should energize those who have been worn out by the Pisces Full Moon, but it can also turn up the pressure. Time to get moving, good for independent work. Keep in mind, if we don't want life to feel like a battleground over the next couple months - we need to stay flexible. 

 

Mercury is trining Saturn while squaring the North/South Nodes. 

 

Saturn is retrograde so still focused (as us and as authority) on re-working something, old responsibilities. We can't yet move forward/know what will happen. We can't yet release what needs to go/go back and change the past. We have to stay focused on the facts and taking care of the details. The uncrossed t's and undotted i's that are biting us in the ass - we have to focus on those. 

 

There could be one big thing, and this won't be a totally new thing, but it could be something the Full Moon energy has 'brought to light' - that needs our focus/attention/manning up to deal with this. 

 

This is Virgo season - take the next solid step. Virgo opposes Pisces (the final sign), so we can't see how this all turns out from here - just do the next practical thing. 

We also have Juno (in Libra) opposing Black Moon Lilith (in Aries) The wife vs the other woman. The commitment to the contract/partnership vs personal freedom/autonomy. Oppositions can bring endings. They show us what we are projecting - the dutiful wife clinging to the contract needs more freedom, the other woman needs some solid ground. Life is a mirror.

 

Let's use the Mercury/Saturn trine to deal with authority, our responsibilities/goals. The practical stuff that needs our attention. Let's use the Moon/Venus trine to allow ourselves to dream/feel good - somehow we need to combine these energies without looking too far ahead or getting mired in the past.

 

Use the void to chill out/rest if you need to! 

There is alot of complicated Martian/impulsive/sometimes angry energy coming up, so let's not do foolish stuff. Stay safe and smart. 

 

We will get through 2020!

xo all

photo by the amazing oprisco