We should all get a breather this week, with the Sun moving into light-hearted Leo and, more importantly, no heavy outer planet transits to deal with. But that “other shoe about to drop” feeling just won’t go away.

Actually, I’d say there are quite a few shoes dangling in the power lines overhead, and a good wind could blow one of them down at any moment. Action planet Mars likely will supply the gust, so I jotted down a few dates to watch.

The Mars force often is the trigger to activate degrees that have been sensitized by a recent eclipse or major aspect. If you’ve already experienced a big change or significant event tied to these aspects, then it’s not likely you’ll get a sudden surprise when Mars crosses these degrees. The Mars trigger is more important for those who haven’t yet had the closure or “grand finale” of the Capricorn-Cancer eclipse series.

In Gemini, Mars is cruising through the territory of the new series of eclipses that began on the solstice in December 2010. The eclipses on June 1 and June 15 were in this series, which is marking a departure for many people, a new path to follow. Mars activated the June 1 eclipse a couple of weeks ago and crosses the lunar eclipse point on July 26.

This week, he conjoins the lunar South Node, which will be direct at the time of conjunction. The lunar nodes normally move retrograde. The periods when they are direct seem to provide access to dimensions beyond the human perception of time. For some, this can manifest as glimpses of the future or distant past, or meetings with people from other incarnations.

The bigger impact will occur August 2-3, when Mercury turns retrograde and Mars enters Cancer. The first three weeks of August are potentially explosive, individually and collectively. That’s why I suggest resting and having fun now, while things “up there” are processing in the background. The Sun enters Leo on Friday, just in time for an enjoyable weekend.

Even before he enters Cancer, Mars will start activating last summer’s T-square and at the same time form a grand cross with Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn. Although Saturn is in a fairly wide square at this point, Mars will “carry forward” the energies of the other planets, and in the famous words of baseball great Yogi Berra, it will be “déjà vu all over again.”

I do know some people who have completed a cycle and are starting a new one. For me, the new path is that I’m now officially registered to go back to school this fall for film and video production. It’s a rigorous two-year program, so I won’t have as much time and energy to devote to RealAstrologers or individual consultations. If you’ve been thinking about a reading, I strongly encourage you to schedule it in the next two months. Once classes start, I’ll keep you updated about my availability.

However, as I’ve pointed out in previous posts, many of us (myself included) have faced multiple issues over the past two years, and not all of them are wrapped up. This is partly due to the nature of the T-square and grand cross; they affect several houses in your chart. Moreover, others you’re involved with have their own transits, and what’s happening between you may be part of their big picture rather than yours. If they haven’t completed the cycle, then it’s not complete for you, either. Mars crosses the degree of the July 1 eclipse – the last in the Capricorn-Cancer series – on August 17, which is another potential “wrap-up” date.

Appropriately, Berra also is credited with the saying, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

Wishing you all the love and courage of Leo,

Pat