The Astrology Blog – 21 July 2014
All times stated are in BST
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This is a busy and complex week. Rather than discuss the aspects and themes as they’re unfolding as I usually do I think it may make more sense to isolate the different strands at work. You’ll see that a lot of days and times overlap, which suggests that the good, bad and the ugly are all intermingled. As above so below, this signals that the pleasures and difficulties of life will be doing the same.
The week doesn’t get off to the easiest of starts as Uranus turns retrograde at 16 Aries on Tuesday (03.54). This in itself is not especially momentous, as it would be with one of the personal planets of Mercury, Venus or Mars. These planets spend only a matter of weeks in retrograde motion whereas the outer planets spend months. However, it’s important if you have natal planets at 16 degrees of anything as Uranus will then be making some kind of aspect – good, bad, major or minor – that will be particular to you – and marking a turning point or crossroads.
Also as I posted last week, Saturn has just turned direct at 16 Scorpio, so the aspect between Uranus and Saturn is an awkward quinqunx – exactly 5 signs apart from each other. This aspect is known as a blind spot, notoriously linked to accident and illness, and is operational until the end of August so we still have several weeks to go. Out in the world you don’t have to be an experienced symbolist to see that Uranus (shocks, explosions) in quinqunx to Saturn (boundaries and endings, ultimately death) in Scorpio (power/death) is the astrological picture for the horrific tragedy of the Malaysian flight. Note also that Aries and Scorpio are both ruled by Mars, god of war.
The egotism of the warmonger can work in the microcosm as well as the macrocosm so it is currently vital not to place your faith in anyone who does not have your best interests at heart. For some the push-pull nature of the Uranus – Saturn activity will be about a relationship that looks fine to the outside world but which is a different matter behind closed doors. Any relationship that has hidden agendas or which has a blind spot, where the unacceptable has been accepted for too long, will now be highly sensitized and will need careful handling.
Mercury
Mercury is currently travelling through Cancer and comes into play a few hours after Uranus turns retrograde:
Tuesday – Mercury opposite Pluto (07.48)
Friday – Mercury square Uranus (01.08) and then trine Saturn (03.12)
This means that Mercury is aspecting three slow moving planets that are all considered to be malefic in nature so no matter how I might try to dress this up it adds up to bad news, things that are troublesome to sort out or issues that are highly contentious. The positive factor is that the final aspect to Saturn is harmonious which signals the possibility of some kind of resolution or drawing a line under something that you no longer have the power to influence. This sequence of aspects is actually a repeat – the Sun made the same three aspects between the 4th and 9th of this month, and the main event here was my sister’s business email account being hacked, then someone posing as her in an attempt to divert money into a “new” bank account. That same week another reader told me that her bank card had been cloned. So look out for any kind of suspicious activity and take the same kind of precautions as you would when Mercury is retrograde – such as double checking information and making no assumptions of any kind.
The Sun, Moon and Jupiter
Also on Tuesday the Sun enters Leo, his sign of dignity. The ingress is exact at 22.42, which paves the way for a more positive and cheerful strand in the astrological tapestry of the second half to the week, with two major features to look forward to:
Thursday – Sun conjunct Jupiter in Leo (21.45). The Sun/Jupiter conjunction is an annual event as Jupiter changes sign once every 12 months, so the Sun catches him up at the same speed. Last year’s conjunction was in Cancer, the year’s before in Gemini and so on. I’m already booked for a party that night which is perfect! Jupiter says enjoy yourself and, in the sign of the Lion, let your mane down! Also if you are waiting for any news connected to Jupiter’s concerns of education, liberation, the law, publishing or travel/foreign matters then you can expect matters to take a definite turn for the better. Jupiter at a universal level rules luck and good fortune so also clock any particular events unfolding at this time, or new faces coming into your life, as these will prove to be good for you.
Saturday – the New Moon at 4 degrees of Leo (23.43). New Moons are about new cycles and therefore always carry the symbolism of optimism and fresh starts. This New Moon is conjunct lucky Jupiter who has now reached 2 degrees of Leo, so anything that captures the Leo vibe will be part of an unfolding picture. Leo loves creativity, the power of the individual, children, confidence, good self esteem and managerial skills. Get organized and focused, believe in yourself and let loved ones know that you believe in them too. It’s amazing what results can come when you automatically expect the best, especially with children.
Venus
Venus, planet of love and pleasure seeking, is also travelling through Cancer. This week she makes two aspects:
Thursday – Venus trine (harmonious) Neptune (12.11)
Early hours of next Monday, and therefore an aspect that will be at work over the coming weekend, Venus opposite Pluto (07.38)
The Neptune trine is text book romance stuff but even so, if you’re getting to know someone new, take it easy. Venus is always a lovely showing for spending time with your girlfriends too. The opposition to Pluto is much trickier. Pluto is loss or absence, but he can also signify all the difficult feelings that can be triggered when love goes wrong – jealousy, control, despair, love triangles – so if you are going through any kind of romantic crisis this coming weekend is a bit of a tinder box but could bring about decisive turns of events.
Mars
Finally Mars changes sign for the first time in 7 months. Usually Mars changes sign approximately every 2 months but owing to a long retrograde period he’s been stuck in Libra since early December. His ingress into his own sign of Scorpio is on Saturday at 03.26 so, along with the New Moon, there is a definite sense of movement and progress. It may, however, be partly linked to “no more Mr Nice Guy” type themes! Libra is the sign of compromise and equality, but the flipside is avoidance and keeping things sweet for the sake of peace. Mars moving into determined Scorpio signals a much more powerful and realistic approach to life’s problems, and a willingness to tackle the difficult stuff rather than sticking your head in the sand.
Also if you’ve been dithering about something for months, or if someone has been keeping you waiting, the egg timer is running out fast. Whatever gets the green light at the end of the week will set the tone for many weeks to come.