A fairly jargon-y follow-up to last week’s transits, feel free to skip Paragraph 1:

So this is why I don’t make concrete predictions. Maybe someday I’ll git gud enough to be confident to call shots on a national news level, but I’ll give myself a little credit for sensing that things were about to pop around the Sun-Jupiter square. I’ve seen a number of more in-depth takes on last week’s astrology, (which, for posterity, saw SCOTUS first expand open-carry gun rights and then overturn Roe vs. Wade) including a compelling take on the moon’s in Taurus’ declination around the conjunction to Uranus by Bruce Scofield. For my part, I’ll note that this was the first Moon-Uranus conjunction to take place since Saturn went retrograde. So we had the powderkeg around body autonomy vis-a-vis pregnancy (Moon-Uranus) in a hostile relationship with the powers-that-be which have begun actively regressing. By Hellenistic aspect doctrine, Saturn is in the superior position here, too. So the wrong-headed retrograde planet prevails for now, and while my pride wishes I caught that last week, I probably also didn’t want to see it even in the event that I could have known.

Okay, we now resume our regularly scheduled programming.

The week begins in the wake of this new moon in Cancer. The Sun-Jupiter square is now exact. New moons have oft been coded with “new beginnings/new chapters,” and this one is tense. Jupiter is empowering individuals toward action, but it’s doing so with hostile doctrine. The moon, often representing the general populous, has a rough go of it in the coming days: today, she is rubbing up against Chiron in Aries, aka individuals’ insecurities, especially around their personal power and identity – basically, all the social media arguments from folks who all feel they have to weigh in on every little thing. That doesn’t only happen during Moon-Chiron squares, no, but expect a spike. There is also a sextile to Uranus in play, which might give offer a window to positive concrete change.

A couple other notable features to start the week off: Venus in Gemini is in an exact sextile to Jupiter in Aries, which sounds like low-pressure competitive fun. Could be a good entree to picking up a craft or just an excuse to play some games. On the flip side, we have Mars pulling into the late degrees of Aries, where it will make sextile to Saturn in Aquarius Rx and square Pluto in Capricorn Rx. I want to hope that this has something to do with corrupt people going down, but I think it is more likely to resemble a riot being quelled brutally.

Thurs 6/30 – More Moon weirdness; she moves into an adversarial relationship with Pluto in Capricorn, highlighting the impasse between the will of the people and institutional corruption. But both parties cast positive aspects to Neptune in Pisces Rx, meaning there is probably a healthy amount of disillusionment or delusion on both sides.

Fri 7/1 – The moon throws the spotlight on Jupiter in Aries. Auspicious for picking up empowering skills. Mercury moves into a tight trine with Saturn Rx, which may manifest in myriad ways, but is useful for actively restructuring thoughts, plans, systems. A positive relationship to Mars helps with the drive to make that happen. Also auspicious for thorough analysis. The retrograde component makes it feel like a retrospective, or a deep-dive on the classics. Mercury is also moving into a square to Neptune here, so there may be some brain fog to contend with, white noise to tune out, substances to avoid, but this mix also may provide the necessary artistic je ne sais quois.

Sat 7/2 – Volatility with the moon against, as she catches a square to Uranus and an opposition to Saturn. This could be a challenging day, full of landmines and blockages. Comfort foods/media/activities advised. Connect with what makes you feel like yourself in spite of it all.

Mon 7/4 – A Moon-Venus square doesn’t bode well for enjoyment of the holiday: Independence Day is cancelled. A weak Mars makes fireworks a dubious proposition, and it’s not great for willpower, either. A tight sextile to Mercury might mean it’s good for commiseration. So there is that.

Tues 7/5 – Mercury makes ingress into Cancer, and the dialogue may shift here. Stories of lived experience take precedence here and the voice of the people gets a little louder. More feminine voices, though that doesn’t mean they aren’t aggressive. Then again, Mars has also made ingress into Taurus, one of his laziest, most passive-aggressive and weakest positions. A good occasion to hunker down and get into the grind; plow fields, lay foundations. Not so great for taking down the final boss. Mars will be in Taurus until August 20th, then it will be in Gemini for the rest of the year due to his retrograde.

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, something I completely whiffed on recording in last week’s transits. Oops. Still a little rusty. Anyway, Happy Solstice, Juneteenth and Father’s Day.

This, of course, means that the Sun has made its ingress into Cancer, and due to a contentious aspect to Jupiter, the general mood might be a little testy/pissy this week, but should also come with a flavor of “onward and upward.” The Sun in Cancer wants to reconnect to a self-image of fecundity, domesticity and nourishment of both the self and of those held dear – Jupiter in Aries seeks expansion beyond the confines of the home, pushes the self to make its mark on the world, to learn to be more capable, to be tougher and stronger in both will and form. So these impulses are at odds, though time can be made to honor both, and pressure can create diamonds that encapsulate them. Jupiter finds its exultation in Cancer (where to Sun currently sits) and the Sun finds its exultation in Aries (where Jupiter resides,) so there is a special foundation behind this relationship that makes it more promising even through the friction. Conditions such as these are known as Reception.

If I’m spending a lot of time on this one, it’s because it seems to be all over this season’s news, and one hopes for some positive results. Protecting our children from gun violence (Sun in Cancer) vs. the freedom to own weapons (Jupiter in Aries.) A woman’s right to choose (Jupiter in Aries) vs. the biological mandate to reproduce (Sun in Cancer.) The established-but-craven U.S. political base (Sun in Cancer) deciding what to do with the information presented by the Jan 6th Committee (Jupiter in Aries) who seek to hold Trump and his cronies accountable, and thus defend democracy. Russian military expansion (Jupiter in Aries) vs. Ukrainian sovereignty (Sun in Cancer.) Regular Joes (Sun in Cancer) feeling the squeeze of inflation caused by insane corporate growth (Jupiter in Aries.) I am not saying any of these stories will neatly wrap up this week, only that it would be nice to hear some good news in these areas where the spotlight clearly lies.

Anyway. The Moon makes the contentious mood itchier still, as it stokes both insecurity and a call for action, sandwiched between Mars and Chiron as it is. Have a care before you fly off half-cocked, as it’s this type of configuration that causes bad decisions. There is also potential here for active and positive restructuring and reorganization, as the Moon moves into a sextile with a retrograde Saturn.

Venus is not herself today. A planet is said to weaker on the final degree of a sign, even a sign where they are naturally strong. (Venus is at 29 degrees Taurus today, one of her two home signs.) Not only is it classically weak here, it is also on top of a powerful fixed star cluster, The Pleiades. A planet should be more pronounced and powerful on top of a fixed star, and indeed, that is likely the case here, but it will also absorb the qualities of that star. As the Astrology King site points out, the Pleiades are “noted in astrology for their association with deep sorrows and tragedies, bereavements showing strongly with this star.” Many tragic tales across many cultures are associated with the Seven Sisters, as the Pleiades are often known. Many of these tales deal not only with loss, but the loss of innocents and or innocence. The Ojibwe people have a myth about losing their children to the stars, after they performed a ritual meant only for adults. To me personally, I think the Seven Samurai is a great Pleiades story. At any rate, maybe not a day for wine and roses, but a good day to process grief. This general mood may persist for a day even after Venus makes her ingress into Gemini.

Some other notable features of the week:

• Friday 6/24 sees the Moon in Taurus hit Uranus and then the North Node by evening. This is an echo of Venus’ walk through Taurus from last week: potential for sudden shake-ups, potential to capitalize on material opportunities, potentially running up against ethical barriers or actual authority figures (trine to Pluto and square to Saturn.)
• Sunday 6/26 has the Moon in Gemini running across Venus first (now free of the Pleiades’ influence) and then Mercury in his dignity. All of this is bolstered by a positive relationship to Jupiter. This feels like a fun day: a great day to socialize, to play games, to make plans and schemes. There’s also an opportunity to descend into gossip and shit-talk, but that may all be part of the fun.
• Monday 6/27 may feel annoyingly foggy, as the intellectual Moon is caught between the vivifying-but-abrasive influences in Aries (Mars and Chiron) and Neptune’s quagmire-of-all things.
• Then we get a New Moon in Cancer on Tues 6/28. If my hopes (NOT predictions) from the top of the article bear out, we might see some lunation-style “new beginnings” around some of the news items covered. Or perhaps just on a personal level, if those two flavors seemed resonant. By now, Venus will have moved into a nice sextile with Jupiter, which may soothe some of its bellicose overtures.

This Wednesday opens on the heels of the Full Moon in Sagittarius, which presented a call to take bold steps forward, a challenge to articulate the messy space between or hearts and our dreams, and an opportunity to actively do some restructuring work on a foundational level. What’s more, Mercury has made his re-entry back into Gemini, bringing the train of thought back to the station it visited at the beginning of May, freeing us to fly higher and think bigger while talking all the shit we care to. Venus is fresh off of a conjunction to Uranus and is about to transit the North Node – if any shake-ups or surprises blew up your life in the past week or so, this may be a good time to capitalize on your new position, especially where it concerns the ol’ love life.

Another big story is the Mars-Chiron conjunction. Mars is strong in Aries; drive-to-accomplish levels should be running higher than average, as well as general hot-blooded feistiness. But Chiron throws a whole mess of insecurity onto the powerful warrior spirit. This is a time to invest in mistakes, to step back and analyze after a frustrating experience, though the impulse may be to dive right back into the fray. Don’t fly off the handle at the wrong person. (Or at all, if you can help it.) Outlets for rage recommended. Pour it into a workout, a work bench, an art project.

Building on this scene, we see the following notable shifts throughout the week:

• Thursday, the Moon will conjoin Pluto midday while touching the Venus-North Node conjunction. An opportunity to plumb hidden depths and bring hidden treasures into the world. A good day for artistic expression, deep self-exploration, for considering power dynamics. The Moon makes it into Aquarius by the evening, supporting Mercury’s recharged push toward writing, conversation, and multi-textured thinking.
• Saturday, the midday Moon in Aquarius conjoins Saturn retrograde. Potentially a taxing day emotionally, but one with the potential to examine structures and thoughts around the heart. Are there boundaries that you’re avoiding putting up, or that you’re running up against? Could an objective view on your desires be of assistance?
• Sunday through Tuesday, Venus is right on top of Algol, a powerful fixed star. A good window for the goths, as dark aesthetic and cathartic art sees a moment in the deepest shade it can find. Beware losing your head in matters of romance. Algol is often tied to the retribution of those who have been victimized.
• Monday sees the Moon on Neptune, leading to a more slippery grip on reality until it makes its evening ingress into Aries, where it will meet Jupiter on the following day, once again stoking the impulse to grow through decisive action. With Mars on the other side of Chiron now, this course of action may appear with more clarity and reduced friction.