Astrology Report July 25-August 1
Friends, we have before us a week that is mostly rather sassy but probably not in a positive way, and it ends with a potential thud. After that we finally get a bit of a break from the recent celestial difficulties. Mars inconjunct Pluto continues to indicate conflict and danger until August 1. This aspect suggests problems around health issues, that can be caused by reckless actions. Hostility can lead more easily to violence with this aspect, and as pointed out in last week’s report, if a more dangerous mutation of the pandemic virus appears it’s possible researchers will find its initial spread to have begun during this aspect. Not a good time for taking risks even if the worst potentialities are avoided.
This afternoon Mercury opposition Pluto is exact (all times Pacific), while yesterday’s Mercury trine Neptune remains an influence, allowing us to benefit from the long-lasting Neptune sextile Pluto transit. There is some deep evolution, but also destruction, going on in the psyches of the collective. With it’s threats of death, violence, and disaster Pluto forces many of us to ponder the soul and the psyche. A more soulful way of viewing the world is being born, very slowly. Neptune sextile Pluto began in 1950 and will end in 2032. Fifty exact sextiles are spread out over three generations. Is the world more soulful now that it was in the 1950s?
Mercury opposition Pluto can indicate household breakdowns, delayed or detoured travel, obsessive suspicion or paranoia, preoccupation with the criminal or the perverse. The prospect of losing two summers of our lives angers people. Battles are fought in the feed. Snappy comebacks and provocative arguments abound, but for the most part both sides address only their own, divided by algorithms and geography. Every day becomes a shouting in the wilderness, no matter how many likes a post gets. But this aspect can also indicate deep healing. Research and communication can have a transformative impact. Cathartic conversations can lead to fresh starts. Do some deep thinking about how to improve your life.
Saturn square Uranus continues to dominate this year with the last exact conjunction in late December. But the aspect will be with us in 2022, with a near exact conjunction in October. The midterm election is going to spotlight the divide in the United States and the world that we have seen in the last two presidential elections, and in the competing mythologies of the pandemic. Here’s how this aspect works. If we ignore Saturn and go full speed ahead in the name of freedom, the future or science we invoke harsh consequences involving depletion, limitations, and isolation. If we ignore Uranus and cling to the immobility of Saturn there are shocks that force us to embrace needed change. The trick is to find a balance between the two. They can work very well together, especially with Saturn in Aquarius, which Uranus rules. Modernize, liberate, but also conserve, and be patient and cautious. Great progress can be achieved with hard work enhanced by new technologies and perspectives.
Tue July 27 Mercury enters Leo about a quarter after 6 P.M. indicating a sunnier state of mind. The desire for summer experiences will be stronger. But these aren’t normal times, so choose activities wisely.
Also Tue Mercury inconjunct Jupiter is exact. Inconjunctions can indicate news about a health crisis, but it can also indicate spread caused by travel and by over-optimism and misplaced confidence. The desire to get back to business as usual might not go smoothly and plans may have to be postponed or canceled. As the great poet Rilke wrote, “So like children, we begin again — to fall, patiently to trust our heaviness. Even a bird has to do that before he can fly.”
Wed July 28 Jupiter retrogrades back into Aquarius about a quarter to 6 A.M. Aquarians will enjoy the opportunities and the good feelings. Jupiter will remain in Aquarius until Dec. 30 so make the most of it! This transit only comes around every twelve years.
Thu July 29 Mars opposition Jupiter is exact in the morning then Mars leaves Leo for Virgo just after 1:30 P.M. This can be a problematic aspect. Energy is high, the desire for good times, for success at any cost, for travel on your own terms, can cause unwanted consequences. Of course, for many these good times will have no negative repercussions. But for a few they could. With patience and intelligence we can find our way. Have we found joy at home? Are we involved in creative or spiritual work? Should we be in a big rush for things to go back to “normal”? Perhaps there are still more lessons to be learned here. Is there still work to be done?
Mars in Virgo is not an easy placement. The irritation is in the details. The desire to put your complaint or criticism in writing or at least a meme increases. Feelings could get hurt. But this is a good placement for taking care of those irritating details, you might even find it fun if you’re able to relax away from the frustrations of the contrary aspects.
Friday July 30 Venus inconjunct Saturn is exact. There’s another of those damn inconjunctions. This one suggests that good times, the pursuit of sociable pleasures, and even of romance could lead to Saturn knocking on the door. Will this happen to each individual who nevertheless dares to follow their urges. Of course, not. But it may possibly contribute to an over-all trend toward imposing more restrictions again. And for the few the consequences could be drastic.
Sunday August 1, the holiday of Lughnasadh, the celebration of summer, sun conjunct Mercury is exact in the morning. The desire to get out and shop, to chat, to sparkle in the sunshine, to take a trip will be stronger. Many will feel that with August arriving summer is almost gone. As Jim Morrison sang, “Morning found us calmly unaware. Noon burn gold into our hair. At night we swim the laughing sea. When summer’s gone where will we be?”
Also next Sunday in the late morning Venus inconjunct Chiron is exact. Another inconjunction, this time with Chiron, which can indicate health crisis. Here again the suggestion is that over-doing the good times, ignoring risk, leads to problems. There could ultimately be further restrictions to businesses concerned with matters of Venus, such as restaurants, bars, and beauty parlors. Of course, this will not occur everywhere.
Also next Sunday in the afternoon Mercury opposition Saturn is exact. We’ll begin getting the news from the Mars inconjunct Pluto aspect and it may not be good. There may be talk of further travel and other restrictions. And with the sun about to join Mercury in opposition to Saturn these restrictions could happen quickly. In our own lives Mercury opposition Saturn can be a time of mental exhaustion, depression, pessimism, and criticism of self and others, which with Mercury opposition Pluto so recently, makes this week a danger zone for arguments, but also for self-sabotage, and the fight against feelings of futility. But these aspects can help us get hard work done. They are excellent for editing creative work, streamlining how we approach each day, and organizing ourselves so that we are able to get the most out of our lives. Meditation and conversations with mentors can help. Study, patience, practice, and careful attention to detail could make this a time of accomplishment. Oh, and get extra rest.
Also next Sunday about 45 minutes before midnight sun opposition Saturn is exact, yet again bringing up the possibility of restrictions. The temptation will be to turn the fear and disappointment toward the perceived enemy. That shouting in the wilderness stuff again. It’s very difficult for human beings to accept uncertainty, but it shows great wisdom to be able to admit that we do not know. We don’t know how the pandemic or anything about it will turn out. We only know that we must find the best possible lives for ourselves and our loved ones in a dangerous situation where the conditions can change quickly. We do not want to exaggerate the need for caution. But we do want to be aware that these are not ordinary times. Learning to flourish given the circumstances is an important skill we can practice now. As Orson Welles said, “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” Life is an art.
The good news is that Aug 2–9 is the first rather quiet week astrologically speaking that we have seen in awhile. A bit of relief is on the way. It may be easy to miss in the ongoing crisis. Here’s the rest of that Camus quote I shared with you recently. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger — something better, pushing right back.”
