I’m feeling all jumbled up, and I’m getting reports that others are, too. It’s hard to maintain our balance when planetary energies are this chaotic.

The week starts out well enough, with Venus conjunct the Sun in Gemini. We feel the love and want to express it, but with Mercury retrograde, our attempts may be clumsy at best. At worst, they backfire, and the person on the receiving end may hear something quite different from what we intended.

The Moon in nitpicky Virgo won’t help. “You could stand to lose a few pounds, but I love you anyway” and similar backhanded compliments obviously aren’t going to go over very well. Resist the urge to be critical, and instead channel that Virgo attention to detail into getting your work week off to an organized start. You’ll be glad you did, especially if you’re on an emotional roller coaster.

Mercury just passed the halfway point through his retrograde cycle and, as Jeff Kishner noted on Astro-Twitter, it’s getting “suckier” by the day. Speaking of which, Twitter appears to have fixed everything but the flash badge, and we can’t get Astro-Twitter back up without it. I can still see your twitters, though, so go ahead and post. Ironically, Neith and I figured out that Twitter was launched during Mercury retrograde. No wonder they’re experiencing so many technical difficulties.

The Chiron/North Node/Neptune conjunction remains active, and this week it will be triggered by planets in Gemini. Self-image and ego both get a boost on Tuesday and Wednesday, when Venus and then the Sun trine Chiron. On Friday and Saturday, Venus and the Sun trine Neptune. Merging with a romantic partner is a powerful experience, and it will be even more positive if we go in with a good sense of who we are.

Friday is the 13th, of course, which is a little eerie, but only because we’re programmed that way. Friday is named for Venus – Freya in the Norse mythology for which our days of the week are named, and the number 13 was sacred in ancient Earth religions. Somehow, we’ve got to retrain ourselves to think of this day as exceptionally lucky!

Also on Friday, Pluto returns to Sagittarius, where he’ll stay until November 26. This is the biggest news of the week. Most people won’t feel this transit individually, but we’ll see the effects on a social and political level. Pluto’s entry into Capricorn in January brought some bad news, especially in global financial markets, and so we should get a brief reprieve, just in time for summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Neith and I both will be writing more about this on our blogs, Neith.net and The Pisces Chronicles.

Sunday is Father’s Day, and there is an intense buildup of energy as Mars conjoins the lunar South Node, exactly opposite Chiron and Neptune on the North Node. Mars rules cutting implements and surgery, and he also represents the universal masculine. Individually and collectively, it’s time to open up old wounds that are deeply embedded in our psyches and to allow toxic energy to drain out. Healing “father issues” could be a common theme.

I’ll have an in-depth post about this on PiChron in a few days for anyone who’s interested. Meanwhile, remember to breathe, and give yourself all the space you need to heal. If you need extra rest, take it and don’t agonize over what’s not getting done. It’ll still be there next week.

Love and blessings,
Pat

Remember, if you need help sorting through challenging life events, Neith and I are here to help. Check out our exclusive forecasts and synastry readings. 

Image: Happy birthday to Gemini twins Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, who celebrate their 22nd birthday this Friday.