This week holds lots of potential for moving forward with our projects, thanks to a helpful conjunction of the Sun and Saturn.

Although the cardinal T-square has mostly dissipated, we continue to feel its effects. There does seem to be a big difference, though, now that the planets aren’t in such tightly conflicting aspects with one another. It feels like something has released. I felt it very strongly a couple of days after last week’s Full Moon, which stimulated the degrees of the T-square at its peak in early August. Energies that were blocked back then are flowing now.

Monday may get off to a slow start, but by Tuesday we’ll be cranked up and ready to roll. Thursday is a power day, when the Sun catches up with Saturn at 7 degrees Libra. This is just far enough past the early degrees of the cardinal signs, where the T-square peaked, to create an outlet for movement. As I mentioned last week, I don’t think it’s going to be a sudden power surge, but rather a natural, easy flow. You might feel an urge to look around, wondering who or what is going to get in your way this time, surprised to find out that you’re free to go.

The Sun-Saturn conjunction often is interpreted as having negative effects such as run-ins with authorities. If nothing else, it’s seen as the stern parent, saying “no” to whatever it is you want to do. I don’t see it that way. My take on this conjunction – especially since Saturn is exalted in Libra – is that if you work hard toward your goals and don’t give in to fear of failure (even if that’s all you experienced all summer), you can get the results that have eluded you.

Now, some people told me they had no problem at all getting “results” over the summer. To the contrary, they felt as though they were on a treadmill, forced to run faster and faster just to keep up with everything that was happening in their lives. If that sounds like you, then this week still should hold positive developments, possibly because you finally see the finish line and some rewards for hanging in there.

Just before the Sun and Saturn meet, the Moon moves through the early degrees of cardinal Cancer and forms a brief T-square. It’s not as powerful as the configuration at last week’s Full Moon, but nevertheless, it’s another potential time marker for seeing the seeds planted during the summer start to materialize and grow.

On Friday and Saturday, Mercury in the last degrees of Virgo opposes Jupiter and Uranus and squares Ceres. Although Jupiter and Uranus are retrograde, their close conjunction continues to suggest sudden opportunities and innovative solutions. Mercury is the “thought planet,” so keep a notebook handy to write down any great ideas that come to you toward the end of the week. One word of caution, though: All of the ideas you come up with may not be viable. Don’t act on impulse. Take note of what comes up for careful consideration in a day or two. The T-square between Mercury, Jupiter, and Ceres also could manifest as negotiating with powerful forces to get back something that belongs to you.

Mercury enters Libra on Sunday and, once again, we’ll have a passage over the degrees of the T-square. Since Mercury is mostly about thought and not action, this will be a time for looking at the new reality and figuring out how to keep up your momentum. If you began a new project or initiative, you may need to make some changes, but you can count on that for awhile. Whatever is new in your life is a work in progress.

Also on Sunday, Venus aligns with Mars at just under 13 degrees Scorpio. Venus-Mars aspects are supposed to be great for love and sex, but because of the conditions of this conjunction, I have a feeling it’s going to be about something else entirely. Not only is Venus in her detriment in Scorpio, but she’s stationing to turn retrograde in less than a week. That means she’s moving very slowly (from our perspective here on Earth), and Mars is the faster of the two, which usually is not the case.

Venus represents the divine feminine and what we most desire, and she’s at a serious disadvantage here. Last time they met, on August 20, it was in Libra – in other words, on her terms. This time, it’s on his, and male and female energies are going to be in a temporary state of imbalance. Passion and desire run high, and without some sense of fairness and equanimity, there’s a risk that some people may go after what they want without any consideration for how it might harm others or even involve consequences for themselves.

On another level, masculine aggression (which occurs in people of both genders) may be so raw and exposed that we finally have to deal with it. Mars in Scorpio holds tremendous power to create and transform, but without the love and wisdom represented by Venus, his power can become cold, calculating, and self-serving. Perhaps in some kind of logical pattern of the universe, Venus has decided to stand still for a bit and let Mars catch up with her.

Wishing you all much love, courage, and joy,
Pat