I will keep remarks brief(ish) this week since I poured a lot of thoughts on upcoming astro weather into a monthly post on Virgo Season 2022.

The Sun and Mars make a real “reluctant rivals forced to work together” action movie duo, coloring the week with an itchy feeling that’s geared toward dynamic problem-solving. The engine under the hood of this mean machine is Mercury in Virgo, clean and calm and ready to research deeply, due to a positive aspect to Pluto. This is a powerful configuration for productivity.

Venus’ position at the start of this week is also notable. She is still looking loud and vibrant in Leo, but may have a little trouble on her hands. For one thing, a trine to Chiron may leave her feeling vulnerable and inadequate, things Venus never likes to feel and especially not in Leo. There is potential to face down insecurities and rise from this stronger, but the process may feel uncomfortable. The real problem is that for the next few days (and especially when the moon runs into Venus on Thurs 8/25,) Venus may trigger the volatile Uranus-North Node conjunction, which may cause irrevocable and sudden change to preferences, values, self-image, etc. Sashay with caution.

Friday (8/26) sees Mercury enter Libra, where he will be taking orders from that very same Venus – so she will be on the brain. Mercury will go retrograde in this sign next month, so the process of rethinking attitudes and pathways around Venusian issues – fashion, aesthetic, self-presentation – may be brewing here. Mercury still performs well in Libra, but while it has a lot of great thoughts and ideas, may lack follow-through. Still, inspiration is more likely to strike even if analytical ability takes a hit. Mercury will spend a lot of time in relationship to Mars in Gemini and Jupiter in Aries retrograde during this and next week, and should get us thinking around how to be more efficient and capable.

The new moon in Virgo is on Saturday, 8/27, and will highlight much of what has already been described as major elements of the coming lunar month. The coming days pass without major fanfare. The only other major aspect to discuss is, unfortunately, more trouble for Venus. It may feel like it all rolls into the previously described business, but late on Sunday (8/28,) Venus will perfect an opposition to Saturn retrograde in Aquarius. Here, we can see that the week’s Uranian volley may have rocked our sense of Venus – again, around aesthetics or attraction, values – and that the structure of Venus’ influence on our lives has become harder to recognize, that it may be in need of revision or overhaul. Mileage may vary big time, though this will have greatest effect on those with fixed placements around 20 degrees. Venus will soon leave Leo, but it looks to me like the upcoming Mercury retrograde, occurring in a Venus-ruled sign, will carry on this story. More on that as it develops.

Until next Hump Day!

Today, the Sun left its natural home in hot and sticky Leo more the harvest fields of Virgo. Here are a few of the big-ticket items to keep an eye on as Sol makes his way through this earthy patch of zodiac.

The solar month begins with a feeling that we’re grinding our teeth toward solutions. This comes from a square – a combative aspect – between the Sun and Mars, which perhaps will make some feel their hard work is being overshadowed while others may feel a marked challenge toward their sense of identity. Luckily, cognition is our friend here, as cool-headed assessment is likely the way to reach satisfaction here. It may not feel nice, but a lot can be accomplished in the friction between these Mercury-ruled planets. This aspect is active through 9/12 or thereabouts. Mars remains in Gemini throughout Virgo season, and in fact, will remain here until March of 2023 due to his retrograde that will begin in late October. More on that as it develops.

Mercury, meanwhile, begins the month in a very powerful place – in Virgo, where his mental acuity is at its most crisp. His trine to Pluto means that he’ll be able to spelunk to the greater depths in search of treasured answers. By the 26th, however, he will enter Libra – still sharp, though perhaps a bit more easily distractable. This Mercury will highlight the gap between where our heads are at and where we’d like to be more capable, more spiritual, more charitable – the places we’d like to grow and why we aren’t getting there. This comes from an opposition with Jupiter in Aries, which will only grow more tense as Mercury begins to slow in preparation of his semi-annual retrograde, but which will be mitigated by Mercury’s positive relationship to Mars.

Yes, we get a Mercury retrograde this Virgo season, all the more under the spotlight since Mercury rules Virgo. As ever, it’s important to remember that Mercury Retrograde is not just code for “everything sucks.” It’s an opportunity to reflect on and revise our thinking around a certain sector of life – in this case, wherever Libra lies in your chart, and in how your head connects to your values and what you’re drawn to. During this time, yes, it is important to be aware of and stay ahead of potential brain farts. Are you about to get on the highway during rush hour? About to hit “send” on an email you shouldn’t? Some things will be out of your control, but you’d be surprised at just how many problems you can “think ahead of” during Merc Retro; at least, that is what I have found. Mercury will begin its retrograde on the full moon in Pisces on 9/10/22. It will dip back into Virgo and station direct at 24 degrees Virgo on 10/1/22.

Venus remains in Leo for the moment, slinging glam and drama. But she begins the solar month in a trine to Chiron, which may feel a little uncomfortable, as Venus is drawn toward some insecurities around personal capability and even *gasp* confidence. Those drawn to confront these reflections may find healing and peace around these issues. The moon will be with Venus on 8/25, lending a special night-time spotlight on this area of the chart. On 9/5, Venus will be with the moon again (by trine this time) as she dips into Virgo. Venus in Virgo is a sticky wicket. On the one hand, it’s said to be where Venus performs her worst, as detail-obsessed Virgo cannot help but find fault in appearance and presentation. On the other hand, Venus has dignity by triplicity here, meaning that she is at home in the earth element. I have known many a thrifty bargain maven to have this placement and Judo that into an affordable-but-unique style. So all is far from lost here, but it is useful to know when it’s okay to splurge and on what; also useful to know when to stop picking at a defect, as overworking a blemish to make it worse is kind of textbook Venus in Virgo.

It is also worth noting – with gravity – that the contentious aspect between the conjunction of Uranus and the North Node square to Saturn Retrograde is still very active. For those new to this concept, it’s basically created a background atmosphere of oily rags left around gasoline, that things could be set alight at any given moment. Uranus is unpredictable revelation, accident, surprise, a blot from the blue. His conjunction to the North Node means that these lightning bolts will have material effect, and the square to Saturn seems to indicate that they will smash against the wall of structure and authority. That system may be internal, the routines and hierarchies which shape a life, or it may be more obvious than that. Anyway, this array is going to be triggered several times over the course of the month. In fact, the Sun’s movement through Virgo will add an oil-lamp to this oily rag-gasoline pairing, and that aspect will perfect on 9/10, which may also be a trigger.

I’ll be continuing my weekly Wednesday write-ups, so I’ll stick with these broad strokes for the time being. Here is a chronology that may prove useful:

8/23 Sun enters Virgo, square to Mars in Gemini.

8/25 The moon in Leo may potentially trigger the Uranus-Saturn configuration.

8/26 Mercury enters Libra.

8/27 New Moon in Virgo. May potentially trigger the Uranus-Saturn configuration.

9/1 The moon in Scorpio may potentially trigger the Uranus-Saturn configuration.

9/4 Venus is particularly weak, anaretic at 29 degrees.

9/5 Venus makes ingress into Virgo.

9/6 Mercury really begins to slow down in preparation for his retrograde. Big highlight on his relationship to Mars and Jupiter, discussed above. Today, we also have a Grand Earth Trine, meaning that three planets in earth signs are very tightly configured in a positive, grounding way. However, one corner of that triangle is Uranus, so this may be another trigger date. Incidentally, the trines are between the Sun in Virgo, the Moon in Capricorn, and Uranus and the North Node in Taurus.

9/7 Another Grand Trine! This time in Air, meaning that ideas and freedom of thought, conversations and games and abstract thinking are all at a premium. This trine is completed by the moon in Aquarius, Mercury stationing in Libra, and Mars in Gemini.

9/8 The moon in Aquarius on top of Saturn retrograde may potentially trigger the Uranus-Saturn configuration.

9/10 Mercury retrograde begins! Full Moon in Pisces on top of Neptune! This day may take on a dreamy and disorienting quality. A great day for escapism, less so for administrative, left-brained duties.

9/14 The moon in Taurus may potentially trigger the Uranus-Saturn configuration. So may Venus in Virgo, who is configured by trine through 9/25ish and who will make an exact trine to the North Node on 9/16 and to Uranus on 9/19.

9/18 A potentially tense day. Three planets configure again (Mercury in Libra retrograde, the moon in Cancer, and Jupiter in Aries retrograde,) but this time, by disharmonious aspect…what’s more, of all these cardinal signs, there is a piece missing in Capricorn. We call this aspect a t-square, and proceedings in the day may take on a Capricorn shape in order to account for the missing piece of this puzzle.

9/21 The moon in Leo may potentially trigger the Uranus-Saturn configuration.

9/22 The Sun enters Libra. A special day because Mercury’s close conjunction with the Sun creates a condition known as cazimi, as rare day in Mercury’s retrograde where communication is said to be clear and sharp, like a structure suddenly visible in the eye of a storm.

Some of the cumbersome and heavy blockage of last week may linger leading into this one, as the Sun moves past a number of tough-but-instructive aspects, which may have called into question how to restructure oneself – the Sun caught a rough opposition to Saturn, a trine to Chiron, and square to Uranus. A big call to reorganize, heal, and switch up the gameplan in double-time, may have included a few metaphorical dodgeballs aimed for the head, thrown by the universe.

Well, it’s game on at the start of this week, as the moon will trigger some of that volatile, revelatory current from Uranus the next few days, while the Sun walks into a Mars’ outstretched fist. The Sun is personality, identity, vitality, and it’s strongly expressed in Leo. Mars, our will to achieve our goals and defend from threats, is less strong in Taurus. Or it would be, if it were not conjunct two of the most powerful fixed stars in the cosmos: Algol and The Pleiades. This is sounding like big personalities biting off more they can chew, or grappling with the idea of asserting one’s will under sensitive conditions. The Pleiades story is often one of loss and sacrifice; Algol’s is about being mindful of those who have been victimized and of not losing one’s head in obsession. With these unpredictable conditions, it will be best to take time to breathe through difficult situations, and if time permits, to try to assess strategic pluses and minuses coolly before taking action.

These shenanigans culminate on Thurs (8/18.) A mitigating player in this equation may be Mercury, the planet of cognition, who is very strong in Virgo. He is positioned to dialogue with some of those “big angry change” forces and help us to put them to positive use. All the more reason to assess dispassionately. The messenger god is welcome everywhere, even the oft-shelled battlefield. In fact, Mercury will creating what is called a Grand Earth Trine by his aspect to Pluto, which gives greater grounding and practical perspective to the entire proceedings. The fly in the ointment here is our sense of fantasy and grandeur, the dreams which inspire and the nightmares that cast doubt, all personified in the planet Neptune, which will be in opposition to Mercury at this time. Thus, we can say that Mercury may be able to help us makes use of unpredictable change, but he may not help us see a way to use that to realize our hopes or protect us from our fears…at least, not yet. But in that the two planets are speaking, there may be a breadcrumb trail to stumble on.

Along with these conditions, we’re treated to a positive relationship between Venus and Jupiter, which speaks to me of dynamic fashion, to visual and performing arts, to looks and attitudes exuding a range of confidence, from dapper to fierce. This may also be a good time to cultivate such a style.

Saturday (8/20) is kind of a big day, in that it sees Mars’ ingress into Gemini. This is notable for a couple of reasons: a) Mars’ presence in Taurus has been like an oily rag moving through a powder keg, and this bumpy August weather should mellow a little in the wake of its departure, and b) Mars is about to spend quite a long time in Gemini, as he does not leave until 3/25/23. This is because of Mars’ retrograde cycle, which sees the red planet’s apparent backwards movement through the heavens. More on that mischief as it unfolds. For now, suffice it to say that Mars in Gemini may open myriad avenues to achieve our goals, to keep safe, to hurt someone. This is the Mars of a detached strategist, of one who loves to game-ify things, of a massive shit-talker, of one who knows the power of a cutting word, of a damning exposé.

Venus, radiating confidence early in the week, may run into some self-doubt and insecurity from this weekend through next Hump Day, as she runs into a trine with Chiron. Still, this is not a hard aspect, and may provide good opportunities to heal from past trauma, especially around living one’s truth and loving what (or who) one would choose to love.

Finally, Tues (8/23) sees the Sun leave its Leonic manor for the harvest fields of Virgo, where personalities demure and focus on practical concerns. This is not to say Virgo cannot have the Sun’s confidence, rather that it is expressed less through force of personality and more through capability. This is amplified by Mercury’s co-presence and by Mars’ entry into Gemini – though it should be notes here, the Sun and Mars are still at odds. But while the conflict began as one that pitted raw personality against values and practical concerns, now the combative parties are joined together by a common interest in solving the puzzle, in getting the motor fixed, in getting the assignment finished before the deadline. A wonderfully active current to ride, though the moon’s opposition to Pluto may make whatever the problem is feel more serious and doomy than it really is. When I worked hospitality and things got tense, I used to ask my team to take a deep breath and repeat after me: “We’re not saving lives here.” And if it does happen to be your job to save lives, still do take that breath and do your best. Stay frosty.

Until next Hump Day!

This week may feel heavy and intense; small emotions getting super-sized, annoyances into emergencies, drowning in birdbaths, etc. This is because the moon is passing through the two signs ruled by Saturn, and so our hearts may feel oppressed, constrained, crushed under the weight of our troubles. Not only that, but the moon will first ping Pluto, today on Weds 8/10, before building up to the full moon on top of Saturn in Aquarius which occurs tomorrow night, Thurs 8/11.

Pluto takes our hearts down to the plumb their depths, and if we do not panic and thrash, we may find glittering treasure within – for a start, are the things rattling us the ACTUAL problem, or a symptom of other matters? Something left undone? Which, if addressed at its root, could potentially nip other problems in the bud and raise the overall quality of life? Venus opposes this conjunction of the Moon and Pluto, and so it may be a place that seems unattractive and to be avoided (and perhaps with good reason!) But even if the antidote is covered in centipedes, it’s still the antidote, and you might want to take that medicine.

The Sun also may have us feeling icky and uneasy this Hump Day – his trine to Chiron may call attention to insecurities of personality and how to move past them, but the exact square to Uranus and the North Node may throw unseen banana peels into ego’s path. I may be downplaying this aspect, but it’s only because I’ve been harping on about hard aspects to Uranus-North Node for a while now, so to reiterate: expect monkey wrenches and substantial surprises. The Sun is also moving into an opposition with Saturn, which will feel especially potent on Thursday with the full moon, so many of these obstacles may feel insurmountable. But all escape rooms are solvable, and the key here may be Saturn’s retrograde, which calls into focus the directive to redefine structures and boundaries. A detached approach to one’s heart may serve here, at least in this moment, as a means to analyze the way your emotions are serving, are hindering, and are perhaps losing at the whole risk/reward, return-on-investment thing.

On a brighter note, Thursday night sees Venus exit the deep well of feeling that is the third decan of Cancer, and enter the hot girl summer savanna of Leo. Venus will soon meet many of the same challenges that plague the Sun this week, but for now, styles can get wild, looks can get curated, freak flags can fly. Express yourself!

I wish I could say that Friday (8/12) keeps the sunshine and lollipops rolling in, but no, Friday brings a conjunction of Mars and the very malefic fixed star, Algol, for the remainder of the week. Both are volatile forces known for severing connections, and Algol in particular is known for making folks lose their heads – literally, in historical record, but more often these days, the act is figurative. Either way, there may be some gruesome outbursts this week. Algol is also known to expose those who victimize the weak, so hopefully we’ll see some of that in the news. Justice against the powerful is a best-case scenario, but we may also be subject to horrors that have little to do with that.

Meanwhile, Mercury in Virgo slides closer into a trine with Uranus-North Node. Unlike the contentious relationship that the lights had with this array (discussed earlier,) Mercury is in a position to receive benefit from this relationship, though it may still come in way that is unexpected or even jarring. Smells like a brain breakthrough. This aspect persists throughout the week, and may be triggered (and also possibly challenged) by the moon’s opposition to Mercury on Saturday (8/13,) which may mean the heart isn’t ready for some of what the mind has manifested.

Sun (8/14) seems a touch softer. The Sun itself is still being assailed by tough aspects to the planets in Taurus, but the Moon is first wading through the waters of Neptune, which usually seems a harmonious relationship (at least, for those who can go with the flow,) before joining Jupiter late Sun into midday Monday, enflaming a spirit of competition and self-betterment. Just remember the state of Mars – don’t lose your head!

The remainder of the week sees Venus close in on a tight trine to Jupiter, reiterating earlier comments on style and expression. New horizons may be found by ambitious creatives here, or really anyone looking to more confidently do what they love. After a week front-loaded with heavy feelings, it’s nice to close out with a little self-care. So whatever form that takes, take the time to indulge.

Until next Hump Day!

It’s still “big change season,” as we just saw the exact conjunction of Mars, Uranus and the North Node in Taurus. I’ve been making a lot of noise about it these past few weeks, and will continue to do so for a few more, as it’s a volatile force that will really shake things up in a material way for many. Transformation can be beautiful, but none of the forces at play here are known for being gentle.

That said, we’ve POSSIBLY seen the worst of it. The array will continue to be triggered by the moon and other fast moving planets, but Mars is already making its way through the gauntlet and onto more placid pastures. As Hump Day dawns, many of the relationships from last week continue – Venus is still also within range of the “big change” array, though her influence remains more gentle and offers the possibility for pleasant surprises. Also though, Venus is approaching an opposition with Pluto, which will perfect on Monday…more on that later. The Moon opposes Chiron, inviting us to ponder the impasse between our capabilities and our insecurities. Mercury is hanging onto the edge of Leo, the person dominating the conversation is running out of steam. Senses of self have been nurtured into greater agency by the Sun’s relationship with Jupiter, and that confidence may be tested both by its incoming trine to Chiron and its own contentious relationship to Mars-Uranus-North Node.

Thursday (8/4) sees Mercury’s ingress into Virgo, where he is most comfortable and capable. The running monologue of Leo gives way to cooler, more reserved voices, keen on assessment and analysis. A fine time to truly take stock of a situation’s nuts and bolts, to commit to a left-brained project, to administrate like the devil’s day planner. Mercury is not catching any major aspects out of the gate, but will soon.

The change array may be set off by the moon’s movement through Scorpio on Friday (8/5,) when she is conjunct to the South Node. The South Node is a negating force, a vacuum which can disintegrate, and therefore it may be a good chance to consciously uncouple from some toxic influences, to excise some poison in one’s heart. The moon will also be in a tough relationship with Saturn during this time, so there may be some fundamental, structural hurdles to clear in order to do this, or some you may run into if the choice to do so is made for you – also a possibility here. It is also worth noting that the Sun is well within orb to be a part of the activity here, which creates a condition called a “Grand Cross” – people may feel as though they’re being pulled in multiple directions on this day.

Saturday (8/6) is a little less eventful, the moon creating a harmonious relationship with Pluto, offering the possibility to touch bottom on one’s emotional deep end before the moon moves into more hopeful Sagittarius by evening. Its movement through Sag the following day, Sunday (8/7) should generally be pleasant and stoke growth – a good day to train or engage in art, though potentially a frustrating one for study or number crunching-adjacent activities.

By Monday (8/8), the aforementioned Venus-Pluto opposition will be exact. This aspect has been tightening throughout the week and its presence was likely felt beforehand, but it will be highlighted by the moon’s midday movement into Capricorn. Venus in Cancer is the actively sensitive, nurturing lover; Pluto in Capricorn represents deeper appetites, the taboo, control issues, and may even shine a light on places where the structure of relationship has rotted and is in need of shoring up.

Finally, on Tuesday (8/9,) the Sun’s slide into a combative relationship to Mars-Uranus-North Node is just about complete, and will loom large for the coming week. This represents the way personality and consciousness is assailed by some irrevocable changes in one’s life, a thing that’s not hard to believe given the news cycle of the last…I don’t know, all of recent memory? It feels like that square is active all the time, to be honest. But while mileage may vary as to the scope of its personal effect on the native, it is worth taking a breath in the eye of the storm and taking stock of exactly how the tumult has affected what makes you yourself. Because there have been a lot of changes for just about everyone lately, and recognizing and accepting those changes is the only healthy way to roll with them. Thus, I encourage the reader to do just that. Alternately, I know that a Uranus transit can feel electric and energizing, so after taking a pause to breathe through it, if you feel compelled to work off that energy – ideally on something that needs changing in life – then I encourage the reader to ride that lightning. We’re in the build-up to a full moon here, and the charge in the air may reflect that.

Until next Hump Day!

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.

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.