This week begins with Jupiter at a dead stop as he shifts into retrograde mode, while Mercury returns to his home sign of Gemini and begins to pick up speed. The result could be the kind of agitation we feel when our minds are spinning out of control but we’re too tired to move a muscle.

I could barely get off the couch yesterday, except to bake a batch of oatmeal cookies. I could have eaten them all, but fortunately got sick after the second one. With Jupiter in the first house, just looking at a cookie will make you gain five pounds. A friend said it felt like her body had been “unplugged.”

Seriously, though, this means that Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron are all retrograde until early November. Our healing processes will continue, but on a more subtle level. On one hand, we may be better able to go all the way back to the source of our wounds, thus allowing healing at a deeper level. Or, for some, there may be resistance to the initial wakeup call or escape into denial. I see that happening with a couple of people I know who have the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction in a sensitive place in their charts.

It’s safe to say that many of us are going to feel a little discombobulated this week. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but our minds and bodies may need a few days to adjust to the energy shift.

As for that “something big is coming” feeling, several of you left comments on my Saturday Extra! post saying you felt it, too, but your point is well-taken that we’ve heard this before, and nothing happened. With Jupiter now retrograde, I’m wondering how this unfold. Jupiter retrograde periods aren’t associated with the frustrations, delays, and relationship difficulties we tend to experience when Mercury or Venus are retrograde. It’s simply that the growth and expansion halt or slow down. If you’ve been in a period of sweeping change, the break might feel good. A pause may even be beneficial for those who are resisting growth. For some people, especially fixed signs, the more they feel pressured, the more they resist. If this sounds like you, the pressure is off now for several months, which should help you more easily assimilate new information.

We should know more on Wednesday about how retrograde Neptune & Co. is going to affect us, as the Sun will form an easygoing trine with all three planets in turn. If we need to assimilate new information, this will give us a boost, as the Sun can have broad-spectrum healing abilities. Perhaps this will manifest as a sudden awareness of what needs to heal and what we can do about it.

Of course, since Uranus is traveling in a semi-sextile with Neptune & Co., this also means that the Sun will square the Magician, and that could mean that awareness comes as a result of a disruption or upset.

I am happy to report that the rest of this week’s aspects are much lighter and happier. Mercury comes out of shadow on Tuesday and moves into new territory, so wherever he is in your chart, you may experience increased activity or communications. This past Mercury retrograde has got to be one of the weirdest I’ve ever experienced, so it will be interesting to see what happens next.

On Saturday (late Friday on the West Coast of the United States and later time zones), the Sun enters Cancer, which is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Whether you live north or south of the equator, the moment when the Sun stands still is a gateway to higher consciousness. The Sun rules the heart. Open yours and see what good things flow in.

On the same day, Venus conjoins Mars, their third and final meeting in less than a year. This time, they are in Taurus, which means they are in her territory. In relationships, love and desire prevail over lust and the need for conquest. With our hearts already opened to the energy of the solstice, I think this could be a day filled with magical memories for many of us.

Wishing you all open hearts brimming over with love,
Pat

Image: This magical photo was taken at last year’s Summer Solstice at the Kokino megalithic observatory in Macedonia. The observatory was discovered in 2001 and is estimated to be 3,800 years old. Photo by Ognen Teofilovski for REUTERS.