Today is the prelude to a new moon. The moon is in late Cancer, squaring up to oppose Pluto in Capricorn, echoing last week’s impasse between the Sun and Pluto. Combined with the trine between Mercury and Chiron, this is perhaps a good day for introspection, for thinking through emotional blockage. Possibly to do with barriers to artistic expression, to fantasy? To emotional closeness? Or are there personal boundaries that should be set? Mapping the landscape is the first step to planning your route.

Thursday (7/28) brings us the New Moon in Leo. The flinty sparks of this lunation may give way to a conflagration of inspiration, confidence, and willpower, as it is heavily supported by Jupiter in Aries. It’s also playing with fire in the bad way, as the lunation occurs perilously close to a square with the volatile pile-up in Taurus – depending on how wide an orb the astrologer uses, one might consider this close enough to be a big problem.

I’m more likely to bet on the configuration being triggered by Friday’s (7/29) truer conjunction of the Moon and Mercury, as they cast a much tighter square to Mars-Uranus-North Node. As mentioned last week, this conjures such colorful expressions as “watch your fuckin’ mouth,” or even “fuck around and find out,” as the kids are wont to declare. That erratic concoction is further pressurized by the Moon-Mercury opposition to retrograde Saturn and a trine to Chiron in Aries, basically looking like a recipe for self-importance and haughtiness fueled by insecurity and a persecution complex. A more positive spin might be the potential for dynamic self-expression, or an opportunity to redefine the structures of self – but again, steel yourself in you go down this road, for the results to be explosive and perhaps even profoundly transformative. (Mileage may vary, big time. But it’s the point is, it’s potent!)

Things mellow a bit by early afternoon Saturday (7/30,) as moon makes ingress into Virgo, where its passage through the first decan pass without much fuss. Some notable aspects are tightening and perfecting; for example, unexpected pleasures may be just around the next corner, as Venus creeps into a sextile with the Mars-Uranus-North Node pile-up in Taurus. While I have made a lot of noise about the second half of this equation being a powder keg, this represents one of the most toned-down and potentially lovely versions of its influence, as it makes a totally optional and harmonious connection to the planet of love. This may take the form of a spontaneous outing with a loved one, the kindling of some new romance, or the like – an unexpectedly great time! The Sun has also been creeping into a tighter and tighter trine to Jupiter, lending a sheen of self-improvement and empowerment over the entire week, beginning to crest here.

Sunday night (7/31) into midday Monday (8/1,) the moon will set off the volatile pile-up once more, while also pulling in the influence of Pluto, which typically acts an intensifier. What’s more, the conjunction between Mars, Uranus, and the North Node is partile on Monday, all parties locking in at 18 degrees Taurus. Be ready for anything! Not necessarily a bad time if you’re ready to roll with the unexpected, but probably not a great day for either strict plans or dangerous risks.

Tuesday is a bit more restrained. Though the conjunction is still very tightly wound, Venus’ sextile becomes exact, hopefully tonight things down. Venus’ sextile was active yesterday, of course, but feels like it could be overpowered by the spicier ingredients in the soup. The moon in Libra stares down Jupiter, leading us to consider in which ways being polite, easy-going, or social has dampened the powder of growth. None of those things should be seen as a negative, but the obligation thereof can certainly stifle.

Until next Hump Day.

In one corner, we have the impassioned and heartfelt impulse to nurture and build organically; in the opposite corner, the impulse to undermine current systems through dubious methods and skullduggery. Fueling the fire from yet a third corner of the ring is a surge toward individual accomplishment, and the missing piece of the equation, where things are likely to end up, is here: diplomacy through gritted teeth, art made with anger for fuel, aggressive discourse.

What on earth am I talking about? Wednesday begins with a configuration we call a t-square: the Sun in Cancer opposes Pluto in Capricorn, both squared by the moon in the late degrees of Aries. The missing piece, what we call the terminal point here, is Libra. Nothing sits there, and nature abhors a vacuum, so despite the powder keg of contention, things are likely to get Libran. I don’t mess with a lot of aspect patterns, but I see this one at play in birth charts often, so there you go. By the evening, the moon will have entered Taurus, and we’ll just be left with the face-off between Sun and Pluto, a configuration which has been building up throughout the previous week and will wane over the next few days.

Worth noting: the Sun is conjunct to the fixed star Procyon today, and has been for the past few days. Today is the last day it can be considered “within orb.” Procyon can make a person overly impulsive, strong-willed, and this may lead some to smash their head against the brick wall that Pluto puts up. Procyon is also one of the stars that’s meant to protect against evil, which sounds like a potentially good trade-off.

Also at play is the soft aspect between Neptune and both the Sun and Pluto. It’s in soft aspect to both: Sun, by trine and Pluto, by sextile. This leaves a layer of fog over the configuration, de-emphasizing clarity and amping up fantastical thinking. Unrealistic expectations may follow. But! This can be a good configuration for those pursuing kindness and softer goals, particularly those that lie in art and spirituality.

What else? We have two fresh ingresses from the end of last week. Mercury is newly entered into Leo, and will soon be chatting up Jupiter, which could be great for leveling up in the space shared between confidence and cognition: language proficiency, public speaking, creative writing, becoming an Excel ninja. Jupiter is in hard aspect to Venus, however, who has newly entered Cancer, marking a conflict between enjoying what is safe and comfortable and the call to step out of comfort zones and become someone more rad. Not everyone wants to be rad, some folks just want to hobbit up and eat delicious food under a warm, heavy blanket. The Bilbo of your heart may find itself conscripted into some dwarven shennanigans.

Lastly, and to bring things around to the front of the article, there is an antiscial connection between Venus and Pluto for today only. Without getting too jargony, suffice it to say that antiscia is like a shadow that connects two planetary bodies. Thus, Venus and Pluto are skulking in the same shade, and may get up to no good. Possible results are a compulsion to dig down deeper on the status quo of what is pleasant and comfortable, to seek comfort in what isn’t good for us, or in what is hidden, or in what is supposed to be taboo. Venus, for her part, can be a calming balm on any sharp-toothed goblins that emerge today.

Friday 7/22 – Duck and cover: the moon runs across the Uranus-North Node conjunction. It may be a day of accidents and surprises, some of which may engender change on a structural level. If there’s something material you’ve been wanting to alter, maybe ride the lightning? Cautiously, of course.

Saturday 7/23 – The Sun makes ingress into Leo. Mercury locks into an exact trine to Jupiter, fully juicing that confident cognition connection.

Monday 7/25 – The Moon in Gemini, which perhaps made things chatty and ebullient on Sunday, feels a little more heavy and drowsy today, catching aspects from Saturn and Neptune. A dream may be brewing but it still itches to find purchase. Mars is meanwhile moving properly into the blast zone of the Uranus-North Node conjunction, and will only make things more volatile over the coming week. The moon gets into Cancer by mid-afternoon, which should make for a comfortable and pleasant evening.

Tuesday 7/26 – Mercury is reaching a tight trine to Chiron, perhaps causing some old wounds and insecurities to itch, but with an eye toward learning from them, healing and moving on from them. But Mercury is also moving into the blast zone of the Mars-Uranus-North Node configuration, and may set off something material and unexpected. This is a real “watch your mouth” configuration, because the thing that escapes it may have consequences both unintended and unforseen. On a brighter note, the moon is still in Cancer, but now fully with Venus, and seems relatively unmolested except for that waning square to Jupiter. So outside of efforts toward self-betterment, this is a good mix for snuggling and snacking.

Full moon on Pluto tonight. The Sun in Cancer is with Mercury, emphasizing connections that are familial regardless of blood, minds on hearts as it were. But that well of feeling is beholden to the moon’s dance around the black hold of corruption and influence. There may be gross power dynamics around what we feel, and as is typical of the Moon in Capricorn, what we think we are SUPPOSED to feel given hierarchy and position. Old shit may come up, some of these dynamics may be called into question.

There are other dynamics informing the mix – the whole thing takes place in soft aspect to the now infamous Uranus-North Node conjunction, which will continue to loom large for a season, which is short-hand for sudden, disruptive manifestation. In relation to the above configuration, these disruptions are less likely to be destructive, could even be of unexpected benefit. So we can hope. On the other hand, the lunation takes place square to Chiron in Aries, which may be a catalyst to the healing process and reclamation of individual agency, but will probably feel itchy or possibly even poopy.

We also kick the week off with Venus in Gemini trine to Saturn Rx in Aquarius. Venus (the love/attraction planet) in Gemini has no discernible type in my experience, other than “not an idiot.” The Venus in Gemini folks I’ve known have often been serial monogamists, trading out for a completely different flavor every two years or so, the only common thread being that the partner in question was intellectually and culturally stimulating. This is a Venus who loves games and puzzles, museums and libraries. Met with Saturn in Aquarius, this Venus is met with the prospect of restructuring around the utopian, of finding better ways to satisfy its cerebral delights. Go do an escape room, break out the board games, flirt over crosswords. Speed dating would not be objectionable except that speed dating is always objectionable.

As for the rest of the week?

Friday 7/15 – Most of the above is unchanged, but the moon is in Aquarius, on top of that Saturn. Oppressive in a different way, one more actively involved in restructuring tasks. This impulse may come on suddenly, given the hard aspect to Uranus, which is likely to engender sudden change.

Saturday 7/16 – We get a Mercury cazimi today, meaning that Mercury will be in the heart of the sun. Planets too close to the sun are said to be drowned out by its light; very close is considered “combust,” close enough is considered “under the beams.” This further layer, cazimi, posits that the planet is showcased as shadow in the center of the sun, and thus transmits more clearly in a period where it transmits poorly. Milage may vary, though; I have not always found this to be especially true. But if you have an important communique or problem to work through this week, this may be the day to tackle it.

Sunday 7/17 – Moon in Pisces on Neptune may cast a pleasant (?) fog on the day, but Venus in the last degree of her sign may make it a little more difficult to enjoy. “I should be having fun, but I’m not.” She’ll make ingress into Cancer by the end of the night, a boon to those seeking new connections or to those looking to revisit/revive standing connections.

Tuesday 7/19 – The moon on Chiron in Aries might feel uncomfortable, especially for those who know want to heal or take on greater agency but do not know how. Mercury makes ingress into Leo, promoting a more self-involved version of trust, but certainly a dynamic one. Excellent for self-expression or self-representation, less so for unbiased representations of truth, though it could be worse than a personal lens.

Yesterday saw some shifts in mood, as both Mercury and Mars made ingress into new signs – Mercury is now in sensitive Cancer after an extended stay in Gemini (and the later degrees of Taurus) due to one its retrogrades; Mars has meanwhile moved on from bellicose Aries and into Taurus.

Mercury is of middling strength in Cancer, neither doing particularly well or poorly. It’s the messenger planet trying to communicate clearly in an element known for distortion, thus, a lot of communiques may be (more than normally) colored by personal feeling on a matter, or delivered with some unnecessary or unhelpful emotional charge. On the other hand, Cancer is cardinal, so messages may still be delivered in an effervescent manner, timely if not direct, and are likely to be given proper weight and urgency. Mercury in a water sign is also a boon for artists, storytellers, songwriters, or anyone else trying to put feelings to words. That said, planets moving through Cancer have some tough aspects to contend with right now: for this week, Mercury will contend with a square to Jupiter, likely to be a source of some mountain-out-of-a-molehill-style arguments, and given the state of the nation lately, very likely to be the source of some ill-conceived proclamation or pushback on policy change. Protests? We’ll see.

Then again, tempers may (hopefully) have cooled sufficiently to prevent any major violent events this week. Mars is thought to perform sub-optimally in placid Taurus, a sign not known for its rages. So in a way, that’s good; the planet of destruction gets a little sleepy here, prone to attack a nap and snacks. The problem is that this may plunge personal willpower into sub-optimal levels, too. Underperforming Mars also means a higher-than-normal tendency to stuff down anger, sometimes even to lash out at the wrong person because you didn’t respond with the appropriate level of force to a party that DID personally affront you. Mileage may vary. The best things to work on now are the things that form a single, cohesive unit: a standing curriculum, a regimen, some plain that can be tilled slowly and steadily, as is the Taurean wont.

Mercury and Mars are currently in a good relationship, so forming plans to the above effect and either recording or communicating them effectively are at a premium right now.

Another big to-do around Mars moving into Taurus is that he’ll be co-present with the Uranus-North Node conjunction, which is kind of like putting oily rags next to the explosion machine. So let’s talk about that a bit more:

Uranus inching closer and closer to full conjunction to the North Node. Uranus is sudden revelation, an irrefutable bolt from the blue which changes what is true. The North Node is a point of manifestation. Thus, when this configuration is triggered, big changes may happen in a way that has material impact. The shameful overturn of Roe v. Wade is one such example. We can expect that the faster moving planets (mostly thinking of the moon and Mercury) getting into tight orb may set off more bombshells like this. Uranus is a highly unpredictable energy though, so please don’t think I mean that the Supreme Court will just keep dumping on the will of the people. (I mean, that’s objectively likely in the long run, but you don’t need astrology to tell you that and it’s not all happening this week.) Mars being anywhere near this mix, even as far away as he currently is, even in his weakened state, adds powder to whatever the lightning bolt decides it’s coming for. And hey, that might sound doom-y, but I’m hoping that lightning bolt creates more unions in unexpected industries/companies, a developing trend which also seems to be connected to the Uranus in Taurus story.

With the big stuff out of the way, let’s examine some other notable features of the week:

Thurs 7/7 – The moon travels through the last decan of Libra, encountering some tough aspects as she does. The early morning sees a mix of playful-and-pleasant from a Venusian trine mixed with a deep ache of insecurity from Chiron. By noon, she’ll start catching rays from retrograde Saturn (which COULD be a helpful restructuring element, but may also just feel oppressive,) and a square from Pluto (which will almost certainly feel oppressive, touchy, a lot of potential for high-pressure situations and hurt feelings.)

Sat 7/9 – The moon in Scorpio hits the South Node, also opposing the Uranus-North Node conjunction. This is a volatile array, but there is potential for positive purgation here, of letting out what is making one’s heart heavy. This array creates what astrologers call a t-square, and the long and short of it is that Leo ends up being emphasized: thus, performance and dramatic self-expression may be positive uses of said purgative impulses.

Tues 7/12 – We’ll get a full moon tomorrow, and the swelling completion of this lunation has probably been palpable throughout the week. Mercury has been edging closer to the Sun, and is now within 5 degrees. Planets that get too close to the Sun are drowned out by its light, so Mercury has been getting weaker and weaker. This will pass swiftly, but we’re in the thick of it here, and indeed, Mercury will get caught up in the soup of that full moon on Pluto tomorrow. For today, the moon’s aspects to Mars and Jupiter give a little shot in the arm to agenda, a good day to buckle down and get some work done.