Nurturing and healing are this week’s themes, with Mars entering health-conscious Virgo on Tuesday and the New Moon in Cancer on Wednesday (Thursday for those of you in the Eastern Hemisphere).

This is a good week for staying home and working around the house. Organizing and cleaning are favored. Internal housecleaning is a good idea, too, especially if you’ve let your diet slip. I know I have, and Wednesday’s New Moon in Cancer falls in my sixth house, the best New Moon of the year to start a successful health regime. I’m looking forward to live juice and lots of fresh veggies.

Before moving into the sign of the Virgin, Mars forms a harmonious trine with Pluto. Mars and Pluto are co-rulers of Scorpio, and both planets are in masculine fire signs, representing the life force, which goes hand in hand with sexual desire. This aspect is the perfect set-up for Mars in Virgo.

In the sign of the Virgin, Mars is concerned with sexual health. Sexual desire is a measure of our overall energy level. When it is suppressed or denied, our well-being is damaged, and our systems are thrown out of balance. Some people get seriously ill as a consequence.

Mars also is about action, and Virgo is the sign of hard work and service to humanity. Virgo also is into details. So don’t put off the boring tasks around the home, garden, or office. Once they’re done and out of the way, you’ll feel better.

Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which currently is in Gemini, the other sign he rules. On Tuesday, the Moon in Gemini conjoins Mercury, just as the Messenger is about to move of his post-retrograde shadow phase and as he approaches an edgy square with Uranus. The Moon often acts as a trigger, so don’t be surprised by events mid-week that you normally would experience during a Mercury retrograde period. These could include missed phone calls, misunderstandings, computer problems, lost checks, and so forth.

Wednesday’s New Moon in Cancer could be moody, and you might get flashes of your worst fears. Don’t try to shove unpleasant feelings back down, but explore them to learn more about yourself. The wide sextile of this New Moon to Mars and Saturn in Virgo will provide some grounding. You can find out more about this potent New Moon in the previous post by Neith.

On Thursday, Venus opposes Jupiter (late Wednesday on the Pacific Coast of the United States and points west), which will bring out tendencies to overindulge, especially in comfort food. We need it after what we’ve been through. Just don’t do anything with lasting consequences, like squandering your rent money on clothes or unnecessary household items.

Thursday through Sunday, Mercury trines the conjunction of Chiron, the North Node, and Neptune in Aquarius. This will be a powerful time to talk about your healing process with another person, especially if that person was a catalyst.

Sunday’s Venus-Uranus trine could bring a surprise encounter with a love interest or a female friend. Mutual understanding and support will part of the package, so enjoy it.

Later in the day, the Moon enters Virgo and conjoins first Mars, then Saturn, setting the state for next Thursday’s Mars-Saturn conjunction. Stayed tuned for more next week …

Love and blessings,
Pat