Weekly Forecast August 17: New Moon in Leo, Sun Enters Virgo

There are a couple of trouble spots this week, but overall it should be quite lively and a lot more positive than the past several weeks.

On Monday, the Sun sextiles Mars, with both making exact contact with Neptune — the Sun by opposition, and Mars by trine. A Sun-Neptune opposition alone would suggest confusion and possibly difficulty speaking up for yourself, but with Mars in on the act and at a favorable angle, I don’t think this is going to be a problem. With the downside of Neptune’s energy mitigated, I am hopeful that this will be a good day for increased spiritual awareness and new insights.

Communicating these thoughts with others could be difficult, however, as Mercury and Saturn are conjunct. Some of you may feel alienated and isolated for a few hours. The best antidote will be to throw yourself into a project that requires a lot of mental focus. Journaling may be a means of gaining new insight, and this could have some practical, real-world application.

Tuesday is potentially troublesome, with Mars square Uranus. These two in difficult aspect can indicate accidents and explosions, especially in shipping or transportation. Likewise, conversations could be incendiary, so if you’ve got a potentially loaded subject you need to discuss, wait until the end of the week.

On Wednesday, the Moon in Leo opposes Neptune & Co., which will set the stage for Thursday’s New Moon at 27 degrees Leo. Neith did a full report on Saturday. My take on the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction is that it has opened a rare window for healing, even though it may not feel like it for everyone right now. Often, getting worse before you get better is part of the healing process. In homeopathy and natural medicine, it’s called a healing crisis. Typically, a healing crisis lasts for a few days. Because we are healing very deep wounds, some of which are embedded in the collective, the healing crisis in this case could take weeks and even months. As a result, we are very unsettled and disoriented.

I think we’ll get some clues this week, so be sure to leave comments and let us know what’s happening for you.

Otherwise, this New Moon may contain a new beginning connected to recent eclipses.

Mercury opposes Uranus on Friday, and communications suddenly will pick up. Still, the Moon’s conjunction with Saturn could leave us feeling a little down and fatigued, and I’m betting a lot of you will bypass happy hour and head straight home after work.

Saturday night looks a little brighter, with a trine between Venus and Uranus. This aspect often brings little surprises in love, and since these two are in water signs, unexpected emotional outpourings could be part of the scenario. Ah, but the Sun enters Virgo a few minutes later, and suddenly the party’s over and it’s cleanup time. If you drink Saturday night, take care, because the price on Sunday morning may be way too high.

Sunday’s Sun-Pluto trine is good for rolling up your sleeves and tackling that project you’ve been putting off all summer. Gardening, accounting, and cleaning out closets or the garage will seem less daunting, so seize the day!

Wishing you much love and many blessings,
Pat

Image: Get to work! What better symbolism for the Sun in Virgo? The sixth sign of the zodiac represents your daily grind, especially if you work in a service industry. These two are migrant workers at a construction site in Shanghai. Photo by Aly Song for REUTERS.

New Moon in Leo, August 20, 2009

The Moon in Leo The New Moon on August 20 at 27°31′ Leo is the centerpiece of a dramatic chart as befits a lunation in this bold, outgoing sign ruled by the Sun.

Even though the Sun has moved past the point of exactly opposing Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune in turn, these oppositions can still be felt in the atmosphere. Jupiter loves being in the limelight, and Neptune is not above adding to the drama, either. This opposition could play out as the individual need to shine outweighing the needs of the collective. Or, Leo could bring its considerable creative gifts and enthusiasm to help resolve intractable social issues. Either way, this is a good time to let your inner lion roar.

Speaking of the Aquarius stellium, the three bodies are slowly moving apart, lessening the intensity we experienced earlier this year. I have heard of more people reporting running into difficulties dealing with Neptune & Co. than experiencing the potentially uplifting, healing effect. This does not surprise me because in my personal opinion Jupiter is vastly overrated. And most of the time Jupiter seems to enlarge and expand whatever energies are on hand rather than adding a consistently positive spin to events. However, if we have been in denial about certain issues, Jupiter’s waning influence may allow for more clarity. Neptune and Chiron will travel in close proximity until the end of 2012, and without Jupiter acting as a magnifying lens, the effect will be much more subtle.

We have a mutable T-square that is bound to produce a yelling match or two, with Mercury in razor-sharp Virgo squaring Mars in verbal Gemini. Uranus in Pisces opposes Mercury and squares Mars, electrifying both. This is definitely not the best time to approach your crotchety relatives and hope to kiss and make up. Mercury also conjoins Saturn in Virgo, and this combination is very good for remembering all the bad stuff from the past. A far better strategy would be to let bygones be bygones for now, especially if you value peace and quiet, because it is all too easy to slip from constructive criticism into plain criticism.

While Venus in Cancer is supported by a trine from Uranus in Pisces, she is also dealing with a deeply irritating inconjunct from Jupiter and Chiron in Aquarius. Cancer and Aquarius lack common ground, to put it mildly. Cancer is a very personal sign, interested in what’s going on at home with family, while Aquarius is inclined to see those things as trivial, because their eyes are on the big picture. A work-around might be via Uranus, Aquarius’s ruler, currently in sympathetic Pisces. Uranus is very good at thinking outside the box and coming up with unique answers.

“Many little birds chirping on the limb of a large tree” is the Sabian symbol for 28 Leo and sounds very much like the opinions flying all over the place right now. What we need to do is consider the RAMIFICATIONS (the keyword for this symbol) of what is being said before moving ahead.

Like many other folks out there, I am still recovering from the extremely intense eclipse season this summer. So rather than speculate about future sky patterns, I’m going to encourage everyone including myself to take some time to enjoy life under this Leo New Moon. Make a space in your life for your favorite form of relaxation, whatever it may be. Theatricals, movies, socializing with family and friends, going out for a night of dining and dancing – the important thing is to have fun. Leo knows how to seize the moment as well as the limelight!

posted by Neith . . .

Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.

Image: Even though this is not exactly a new moon, it is still the sort of setting a Leo Moon would feel right at home in. :-)

Ask Real Astrologers: Is South Node in Scorpio Recipe for Disaster?

This week’s question comes from Rafael in Brazil:

I know the north node is a difficult energy to channel, since it’s about letting go of the south node for contrast to the other side of the equation. But does Pluto in the 10th house in Scorpio and the south node also in Scorpio in the 10th house indicate a kind of public self-destruction in a potent way or what? It’s hard for me to know exactly the south node implicates in my life, because astrologers say you have to let go of your past life, but still, is the primitive force of Pluto in Scorpio telling me to master this area? I am really confused.

Neith’s response:

Rafael, one of the places I start when determining how large a role the Moon’s nodes play in a natal chart is to look for planets conjoining them. Since this is not the case in your chart, this reduces the impact they have.

I also checked to see what aspects Pluto made to your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars). It is widely trine your Moon and is square your Sun-Mars conjunction by the numbers. I would take this to mean that overall you are comfortable with the intensity of Pluto in Scorpio. It may be that you are more attracted to living on the edge (South Node in Scorpio) than the quiet orderly life of the North Node in Taurus.

Something else to keep in mind with any opposition is that the signs involved are always in compatible elements. Taurus and Scorpio are comfortable partners with a great deal of respect and appreciation underlying all their exchanges. You have your Sun and Moon in a water sign with earth on the Ascendant – all harmonious with your nodal axis.

As for Pluto in your tenth house, perhaps you are on your way to becoming someone to be reckoned with or you come in contact with many intense, powerful people in your public life.

Please relax and trust your feelings, Rafael. You have the chart of a well-grounded, practical person – very helpful for navigating the rough spots!

Pat’s response:

Rafael, since your lunar nodes are very near the end of the fourth and tenth houses, I would interpret them to be in the fifth and eleventh houses. This gives yet more distant between your natal Pluto and the South Node, which actually is closer to your natal Saturn.

The idea that the South Node represents what we need to let go of is not universally shared by all astrologers, but if you want to use that interpretation, then your “past life” is more influenced by Saturn in the eleventh house than Pluto in the tenth house. Saturn, of course, is very powerful, too. Perhaps there is something about the groups your parents belonged to or ancestral affiliations that you need to overcome in order to express your true self, which is what the North Node in the fifth house suggests.

Because your North Node is in Taurus, you may also have a desire to make money and create a comfortable, even luxurious life for yourself, and perhaps something is holding you back from this. Breaking free of constraints in order to pursue your dream is one thing, but then you have to have the discipline and motivation to stick with it until you achieve your goal.

As always, I strongly suggest a complete reading with an astrologer you can trust. This column is not a substitute for that, since we are limited in space and can’t explore all the complex factors that go into a natal chart.

Best of luck to you, and thanks for writing!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact us, or we don’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Weekly Forecast August 10: Mars Transits

The eclipses are over, but they will continue to have a ripple effect for weeks and, in some cases, months.

But at least we’re out of the inter-eclipse period, and the dust will start to settle. It may not feel like it early this week, though, as Mars in Gemini squares Saturn in Virgo. If you’re grumpy and slow, or if you encounter others who aren’t being very kind, chalk it up to these two, who in traditional astrology are the Big Meanies of the solar system. Actually, they called them malefics. They definitely put a crimp in my writing this weekend (Mars is transiting my fifth house).

In modern astrology, we make allowances for grumpy old planets and try to find the good in them. If you’ve followed Neith, you know that she attributes lots of good qualities to Saturn. Likewise, Mars has a positive side. He rules muscles and blood, and when he’s behaving, you can get an energy boost and a strong dose of motivation. Just not when he’s square Saturn.

On Thursday, Mars trines Jupiter in Aquarius, and it’s a whole different ballgame. You may feel an energy surge, and depending on where these planets are transiting your chart, you could feel motivated to move mountains.

The Sun and Mars are moving in a close sextile, so the two of them are transiting the same set of planets, Mars by trine and the Sun by opposition. On Friday, the Sun in Leo opposes Jupiter. This is one of the “good” oppositions. It’s energy is cheerful and optimistic. On the downside, you might overestimate you capabilities and do something stupid. Think before you dash across five lanes of traffic to get a latte. Or before you tell your boss that you can get through all that paperwork by 5 p.m. in order to pick up the client at the airport and check out all the catering arrangements for dinner at 8.

Over the weekend, Mars and the Sun both aspect Chiron. Normally, I would issue a cautionary note about this, but since we have to look at the chart as a whole, this is really about a Sun-Mars combination aspecting Neptune & Co. On the whole, I think this is conducive to deep healing that will clear the way for a leap in spiritual growth. But, as with all healing, sometimes you have to reopen a wound first, and Mars trine Chiron could do that. I don’t think it will be extremely painful, though, and the post-op recovery should go very fast.

Looking at the lunar cycle this week, we start out with the Moon in impulsive Aries, adding a bit of impatience to Monday’s Mars-Saturn square. Stifle the urge to do anything rash. By Wednesday, when the Moon enters Taurus, you’ll wonder why you were so irritated. The Moon squares Neptune & Co. all day Thursday, sending us a little reminder that we’re still wounded in some way. Many of us will say to that, “Thank you very much for telling me what I already know.”

On Friday and Saturday, the Moon is in Gemini, where she’ll conjoin Mars and amplify his trine to Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune. Again, I see this is as a healing balm, and since Gemini is an air sign, this combination of planets is conducive to greater understanding of what ails us. If you’re not yet aware of the repeat patterns in your life, spend some time alone this weekend in quiet meditation. For those who are having repeated “failures” in love, think about how each successive relationship contained the same pattern. Likewise, if you’ve had similar experiences every time you get a new job, think about the pattern and see if you can detect its underlying source.

We’re on a fast track of expanded consciousness, and part of the process may be tearing down and reconstructing. That’s actually more Plutonian than anything happening this week, but it all goes into the same pot.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Image: Bridge repair. Washington State Department of Transportation workers repair a bridge over the Naches River after a collision. I like the symbolism here. Repairing internal structures after a collision. The delays and stops in traffic during repair. Bridges as our means of connection and communication. I’m sure you can think of more metaphors. Photo courtesy WSDOT.

Saturday Extra! Lunar Eclipse Debriefing

We’re now out of the inter-eclipse period. Thank goddess for that!

The past week and a half has been very rough for me. I wish I could tell you what’s happening, because it tracks 100-percent with the eclipses. I can’t provide any details, unfortunately, because it is important that I keep my personal life extremely private right now.

Because of these events, I haven’t been able to respond to the many comments you’ve posted, mostly on the weekly forecast. Some of them are astounding, and I have felt deep sympathy and compassion, even though you might not have thought so because of my silence.

Although we’re out of the inter-eclipse period and the Aquarius-Leo series of eclipses is over, the issues raised during this series are still playing out for me, so I assume that this also may be true for others. It’s hard to know whether it will take another two weeks or 30 days or perhaps even longer. This is typical of eclipses, and since we also had two eclipses in a new series prior to the lunar eclipse in Aquarius on August 5, it’s hard to know which energies are in play and which are dominant.

I’d like to throw in another complicating factor, and that is Comet Lulin, which was conjunct the Sun on July 6, just a day before the lunar eclipse in Capricorn. That eclipse, as you may recall, was the first in the new series of eclipses in Capricorn and Cancer.

I had forgotten all about Comet Lulin until about a week ago, when he (she?) suddenly popped into my head. I am sure that this visitor came with a message or perhaps with a new set of “instructions” for us. Lulin is still inside the orbit of Jupiter and will remain there until February 2010, which tells me that he is still very much an influence. The mysterious retrograde motion of his orbit puzzled astronomers, who have never seen this before. Moreover, unlike other comets, Lulin is roughly following the ecliptic, which is the path that the planets take.

When Comet Lulin first came to the attention of the mainstream media in January, the Oscars were imminent and also were making headlines. One of the major contenders was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, in which the main character is born old and ages backward. One of the taglines for the film was, “Life can only be understood backward; it must lived forward.” The hero has a love interest, and they can connect romantically only during the period in which they are the same age. At that point, his beloved says, “We’re almost the same age, meeting in the middle.” (You can read more about Comet Lulin in a post I wrote earlier this year.)

It’s still hard to draw any conclusions at this time, except to say that we are still processing the information of this highly unusual visitor and may be for some time to come. If anyone has any ideas, post them here and let’s get a discussion going (keeping in mind that my participation may be limited).

As always, wishing you all much love and strength of heart,
Pat

Image: Comet Lulin on Feb. 21, 2009. Photo by Conrad Pope of Kelly, NC.

Ask Real Astrologers: Which Horoscope Is More Accurate?

This week’s question comes from Dee in New Zealand:

In my boyfriend’s chart, the recent eclipse in Cancer fell in his fifth house. When reading some horoscopes for that week, I noticed that for Virgo, the eclipse was apparently in the eleventh house, and it was Pisces whose fifth house would be activated.

Now I am a bit confused as to how the houses work and wondering whether it would be more accurate to attribute a Pisces horoscope for him. I realize the beginning of his fifth house is at the end of Gemini, but when you look at it, most of the fifth house is taken up by Cancer. So is Cancer in his fifth or is Gemini his fifth house “ruler?” Or both? And does that mean both Virgo and Pisces horoscopes would be accurate? I have really got myself confused over this one and hope you even understand my question!

Pat’s response:

Oh, yes, Dee, we understand your question! It made me chuckle, actually, because Neith and I have written a lot about why Sun sign horoscopes are of limited usefulness. Your boyfriend’s chart is a perfect example.

As you note, your friend is a Virgo. In astrology, we say that Virgo is his Sun sign, because the Sun was moving through the sign of Virgo at the time of his birth. However, we also have a Rising sign (or Ascendant), which is the sign that was on the eastern horizon at the moment we were born. In your friend’s case, that was 28 degrees Aquarius.

The horoscopes you read in newspapers, magazines, and online are written by Sun sign, not Rising sign. So for your Virgo boyfriend, the astrologer puts 0 degrees Virgo on the Ascendant, 0 degrees Libra on the cusp of the second house, 0 degrees Scorpio on the cusp of the third house, and so forth. Sun sign astrologers have different techniques for writing horoscopes, but the most popular method is to look at transits to the solar houses. In my opinion, this is usually not very accurate, and it leaves astrology open to very valid criticism.

Even though your boyfriend is a Rising Aquarius, his first house is taken up mostly by Pisces, and that’s why his chart appears to be more like a Pisces, and he will get the most out of Sun sign horoscopes if he reads for Pisces. This won’t be 100-percent foolproof, but he may get pretty good results a lot of the time.

If you’re interested, you can find out more about Sun sign horoscopes in an article in my archive.

I hope this clears up some of your confusion, Dee, and thanks for the really great question!

Neith’s response:

Dee, thankfully you do have a birth time for your Virgo, because that clarifies matters considerably. This is also a great opportunity for you to learn more about how astrology works.

Another way to double-check which house is activated by the eclipse is to review what the dominant themes in his life are right now. The fifth house traditionally is associated with Leo, so we’re talking children, creativity, romantic encounters, and the desire to enjoy life a little.

It is so easy to get lost in the forest of details with astrology that one is often further ahead to stay with the simplest explanation. My rule of thumb is always to check to see if a transiting planet forms an aspect of two degrees or less to natal planets, the Ascendant or the Midheaven. If there aren’t any aspects, then relax!

This has been a very busy eclipse season, and naturally the most dramatic events are those being reported on various astrological blogs. Do keep in mind there are millions of folks around the world whose lives were not disrupted at all.

Remember to have fun with your study of astrology, Dee! It has a lot to offer just about anyone.

Weekly Forecast August 3: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius

Well, this is my big week, with a lunar eclipse exactly on my Sun at 13 degrees Aquarius on Wednesday. Over the past year, I’ve been alternatively dreading and anticipating this moment, hoping that something would shift to bump me up a notch.

Anyone with the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant within five degrees of this eclipse is likely to experience sudden or sweeping changes. An eclipse on Venus or Mars will be noticeable, too.

Even if this eclipse doesn’t touch any of your personal planets or chart angles, a situation or relationship that has dominated your life in the past year and a half will come to closure or resolution now. That’s because this is the last eclipse in a series in Aquarius and Leo, which began in February 2008. Wherever Aquarius and Leo fall in your natal chart, that’s where you can expect to experience a final chapter. I wrote about this in a Saturday Extra! column on July 11. Also, for more information on this Full Moon eclipse, check out Neith’s excellent post (we skipped last week’s Q&A in order to get it to you as soon as possible).

Wednesday’s Full Moon may have an entirely different meaning for you, in that it brings to fullness the energy of the powerful solar eclipse on July 21 at 29 degrees Cancer. If you didn’t notice anything in particular then, you may feel the effects now. Admittedly, there’s so much going on in the sky that it’s hard to tell which celestial phenomena are associated with particular events in your life (notice that I didn’t write “caused”). If you’re confused and want to know more, I highly recommend a session with your favorite consulting astrologer.

Whether this lunar eclipse or the previous solar eclipse is the bigger influence for you, you may be feeling the effects already. In 1990, the last time we had eclipses at these degrees, I started feeling the lunar eclipse two months in advance, and those events reverberated into my life for a good year afterward. It should be noted, however, that the lunar eclipse at 13 degrees Aquarius in 1990 was not the last one in a series, so events continued to unfold as the eclipses in Aquarius and Leo progressed into 1991. Perhaps this eclipse will be the last chapter to more than one book, kind of like the gripping conclusion of the Harry Potter series.

So, enough about eclipses! There are other things happening this week, too, although they pale in comparison. On Monday, Mercury in Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn. Virgo is one of Mercury’s two home signs, although it can make a nitpicker out of the Messenger. Fortunately, this easy trine aspect lends itself toward constructive criticism, and Pluto in Cap will get right on the job and fix whatever needs repair, whether it’s your garden fence or a ding in your self-esteem.

After being eclipsed by the Sun on Wednesday, the Moon spends Thursday carrying that energy to Neptune & Co., all of whom are retrograde I’ve written a lot about the healing potential of this triple conjunction. Since they’re all going back, we might expect a final chapter in a healing process than began sometime in the past 18 months. Or, you might have been working on issues from the distant past. Again, to understand how this energy is active in your life, look at which house in your natal chart Neptune is currently occupying.

On Friday, Mercury sextiles Venus. Once again, the nitpicking tendencies of Mercury in Virgo are softened by an easy aspect. Venus in Cancer is receptive, and so this combination is good for discussing potentially upsetting issues in a sensitive and caring way. Remember, you don’t need a sledgehammer when a simple tap will suffice. Moreover, the Moon in Pisces on Friday and Saturday make it easy to empathize with others. Being kind was never so easy, so take every opportunity to open your heart.

Much love and courage to all, see you on the other side.
Pat

Image: The “solar eclipse of the century,” July 21, 2009. Alan Dyer, who was on a cruise ship sailing in the Northern Cook Islands, captured this amazing image at the peak of the event. You can see more images by Alan and other eclipse chasers on SpaceWeather.com.

Saturday Extra! The Lunar Eclipse and LD 50

As many of you know, next Wednesday’s lunar eclipse falls exactly on my Sun at 13 degrees Aquarius. Being an astrologer doesn’t ease the jitters. I have to tell you, I’m very anxious.

When I counsel clients, I ask whether they can recall what happened at the last eclipse in whatever position we’re concerned about. Eclipse cycles run every 19 years, so in my case and for anyone who has personal planets near this degree of Aquarius and Leo, we want to look at significant events around Aug. 5, 1990.

I was in a committed relationship that year with the man I considered the love of my life. We were both reporters in Washington, D.C., and were rubbing elbows with high-level government officials. In June, his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. His mother was dying of cancer and had been at home, with his father as her primary caretaker. His death threw everything into turmoil, and we left our jobs and moved to the West Coast.

His mother died two months later. For the better part of a year afterward, we were both in shock and totally disoriented. Finding work was hard, and we made ends meet largely with the help of long-time friends and neighbors of his parents. My ex grew up there, so he was at least on his home turf. I was completely out of my element, and after a “power career” was stunned to find my worth measured by how well I cooked, kept house, and hunted for bargains.

All of the hardship notwithstanding, moving to California changed my life for the better in ways I would not understand until several years later. If there’s a moral to the story, that’s probably it. We have to take it on faith that we’re heading in the right direction, and if we insist on going down the wrong road come hell or high water, course correction typically is very painful.

“How painful?” is the question I’m asking myself now. In scientific research, there’s a test called the LD-50, used to determine the level of toxicity required to kill half the test subjects, usually rats or mice. I’ve often joked about being a guinea pig in the cosmic lab, and in these last few days before another critical eclipse, I’m wondering whether the dose of life will be lethal or whether, once again, I’ll manage to live through it.

It’s said that knowledge is power, but knowledge is only half the equation. For it to be any good, you have to know how to apply it. That’s why astrology is a lifelong study. No matter how good we get, there’s always more to know. It’s also pretty much a given that we are too close to our own issues to be objective.

Before I end, I’d just like to thank you all again for being a part of our fledgling community and for sharing your stories. I wish I could share more with you about what’s happening for me, but I am not able at this time, and I can’t even tell you why not. And no, I am not having a sign-change operation to turn me into a Scorpio!

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Image: The road to Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. Photo by Natacha Pisarenko for The Associated Press, 2009.

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius, August 5-6, 2009

Full Moon in Aquarius The lunar eclipse at 13°43′ Aquarius on August 5 (August 6 in the Eastern Hemisphere) is the last in the Aquarius-Leo series, which began in February 2008. This eclipse promises to bring resolution to matters related to the areas in our charts these eclipses have activated, and one way or another, pleasant or not, this is the final hurrah.

The main feature in this chart is the Full Moon, with the Sun in Leo and the Moon in Aquarius. The only aspect to the luminaries is a benign waning aspect from Mars in Gemini. Because the luminaries are not tied in to the rest of the eclipse chart in a major way, all of the energy of the eclipse is contained and tightly focused for maximum effect. My sense is if either the Sun or Moon conjoins a planet or angle in your chart, you will know it.

Moving outward from the Sun, we find Mercury happily in analytical Virgo, one of the two signs he rules, conjunct Pallas. This combination offers clarity and precision. Pallas is the quintessential organizer, and Virgo is a very comfortable place for this cerebral asteroid. If you need help tackling some long overdue project requiring patience and clarity of thought, these two are there to help, since Virgo is happiest when being of service to others.

Venus in Cancer is recovering from her opposition to Pluto in Capricorn, and a sextile from the Mercury-Pallas conjunction is supporting that recovery. The first thing that popped into my head was that this is a perfect time to get down and seriously reorganize closets and junk drawers! Digging into paperwork related to your home and family also is favored.

The opposition from Venus to Pluto could have pried loose old memories from childhood that need to be released to the higher good. Plus, we are all still reeling from the two eclipses in Cancer and Capricorn and could use the nurturance offered by Venus in Cancer right now.

A note of frustration is brought to the table by Mars in a waxing square to Saturn in Virgo. The upside is that Mars is moves quickly, and this will not be a long-lasting event. The downside is that disagreements could quickly degenerate into slanging matches with the square in mutable Gemini and Virgo, both of whom prefer words as weapons.

Ceres has just found her way into Libra and is exactly square Pluto in Capricorn. Since Ceres is the goddess who forced Pluto to deal with her as an equal, this is an interesting exchange and a prelude to what we can anticipate when Saturn enters Libra in late October. Ceres in Libra is focused on helping us develop a cooperative attitude and a willingness to share in an equitable manner, while Pluto in Capricorn is more interested in the bottom line. I definitely get a sense we will be seeing power struggles along those lines emerging within the collective over the next month or so.

This lunation marks the gradual end of the influence of the stellium of Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter in Aquarius and the reemergence of the next Saturn-Uranus opposition, which will take place on September 15 at 24° Virgo-Pisces. As Jupiter pulls away from Neptune, I am inclined to believe we will start waking up and realizing the extent to which we were basing our decisions on wishful thinking rather than hard facts. Naturally, this will be a painful period for many as reasons returns and the need to make serious adjustments in priorities emerges.

As for Saturn and Uranus, Mars in Gemini will square both of those between now and the New Moon in Leo on August 20. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take note of what issues are front and center during this time.

The Sabian symbols for this lunation offer hope for an opportunity to make a leap forward now. The symbol for the Sun at 14 Leo is, “a human soul seeking opportunities for outward manifestation,” with the keyword INGENUOUSNESS. For the Moon at 14 Aquarius, the symbol is “a train entering a tunnel,” with the keyword COURTESY. Staying present and focusing on behaving with kindness and consideration toward others as well as ourselves appears to be the best option.

We need to take time to live consciously more than ever now and to avoid acrimonious exchanges where there are no winners. Ralfee Finn offers this advice, and I concur: The antidote is simple – refuse to engage in any mean-spirited, harsh, or brutal behavior. Period. But applying this remedy will take a deep commitment to conscious living.

posted by Neith . . .

**Please read Pat’s weekly forecast for this week, August 3, for her thoughts this week’s lunar eclipse.

Image: I felt this dramatic photo suited this Full Moon on the Leo-Aquarius axis.

Weekly Forecast July 27: Venus Enters Cancer

Thank goddess this is our last week of the inter-eclipse period. I’m on pins and needles, as I know many of you are, although I also sense that the overall energy has calmed down quite a bit since the big solar eclipse on July 21.

Speaking of the goddess, Venus is a major player in this week’s astrological lineup. She trines Jupiter and Chiron on Monday and Neptune on Tuesday. If you’ve identified a core wound and are going through an intense healing process, talking or writing about it will help, as you’ll realize that you are very definitely not alone. Your situation may be unique, but deep healing is hard work and takes a lot of courage, no matter what your circumstances, and we’re all in the same boat.

Venus goes on to square Uranus later in the day on Tuesday. Whenever Uranus is involved in an aspect, the outcome is hard to predict, but at least any surprises that come your way should be in the pleasant category. For example, if a certain someone expressed serious romantic interest, I might go into medical shock, but I’d be thrilled nonetheless.

On Thursday and Friday, it’s Mercury’s turn to have a go at Neptune & Co., this time as an opposition from Leo. Some things just have to be said. Hopefully you set up a foundation for love and respect early in the week so that you can address unresolved issues in a positive and productive manner. Mercury in Leo can devolve into “all about me,” but you also can use it to stay on the moral high ground by sticking to “I” statements rather than confrontational “you” phrases. Use this technique with sincerity, and you just might get the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

However, if those talks go south, Venus may save the day again when she enters Cancer on Friday. In tender, emotional Cancer, Venus can be the nurturer. The pitfall to watch for here is thinking that you’re doing something for someone else’s good when you’re really just trying to get them to do whatever is convenient for you. True nurturing makes it possible for others to grow into their own shoes, not the ones you think look good on them.

Manipulative tactics may take over this weekend, especially in intimate relationships. Venus opposes Pluto on Saturday, with the Moon in Capricorn joining the party on Sunday. Recklessly playing with another’s heart just to get them into bed is not nice and will boomerang on you eventually. If you really must have someone (or something) so badly that you can’t be honest and upfront, do some serious soul-searching. Likewise, if you find yourself going along with someone else’s manipulation of you because you just have to have him or her, take a time out and think about what’s going on.

Staying detached will be hard this weekend, but I’ve found that I can use obsessive episodes to learn something important about myself. If you find yourself obsessing, ask yourself what you really want. Do you need it? Why? What will happen if you don’t get it?

You might decide you’d rather spend much of the weekend in solitude. Not a bad idea, given that the first half of next week will be a tense build-up to a lunar eclipse, the last in the Aquarius-Leo series. Neith will have more later this week, so stay tuned for the exciting conclusion …

Love and courage to all,
Pat

Image: This photo was taken last year at the Old Port of Montreal. The stunt was sponsored by a local radio station to raise money for the Quebec Breast Cancer Society. Cancer, the astrological sign, rules the belly and breasts. Photo by Christinne Muschi for REUTERS.

RealAstrologers

The astrology of world affairs, human evolution, the future, and the state of the universe.