27 JULY 2025
This is a copy of the free newsletter that was mailed out yesterday, and it includes –
- Preview of next week’s blog
- How to receive a complimentary copy
- Summer School in September
- New book update
- Retrograde Mercury Checklist
Apologies for the radio silence for the last few months in terms of the usual fortnightly newsletter. I was snowed under with book writing and deadlines back in April and May, followed by all the preparation for two weeks of Summer School courses here in Greece in the first half of June.
During the second course the big heat arrived, and it’s been climbing ever since. High 30’s/low 40’s for the last five weeks, and it hit 47 yesterday. The air temperature in the car, even through sun screens, was 52 degrees. Normal life, suspended. If it’s not done by 11am, forget it.
LOLA
The day that Summer School finished 18 June I had the heartbreaking task of saying goodbye to my dog Lola. I rescued her from Cephalonia five years ago after seeing her photo, on a chain in a garage forecourt. That was during lockdown so it was no easy task, but when there’s a will there really is a way. She eventually came over on a cargo ferry as “an unaccompanied small parcel”.
Regular readers may remember that was during a retrograde Venus in Gemini, ruing planet of my 6th House of small animals and going backwards and forwards opposite my natal Venus. She most certainly was a Venusian addition to my life, so much love and personality. How tragic that the people who neglected her had no idea what a fantastic dog they had. Here’s that moment of arrival.
NEW BOOK – ESSENTIAL MOON ASTROLOGY
Back to the new book, no it isn’t finished. If normal life gets suspended you can imagine what heatwaves do to the creative life, or you will know from your own experience if you’ve had heatwave weather this summer where you are or if you live/have lived in a hot country. It isn’t just a matter of putting on the aircon, as if that were some kind of magic wand.
Anyway the editor has nevertheless announced the book on Amazon so no need to keep the title under wraps any longer. Apparently Essential Moon Astrology will be available from 10 March 2026 … I refrained from saying that she’d made this announcement under a retrograde Mercury lol, but temperatures are now starting to drop again so we’ll see. I’ve got six weeks before September Summer School fortnight.
https://tinyurl.com/Jo-Watters (Amazon UK)
https://tinyurl.com/Joanna-Watters (Amazon Germany, that we now use in Greece since Brexit)
DISCOVERING ASTROLOGY
- 10 September 2025
- With Sally Kirkman – suitable for beginner & refresher levels
- 4 of 10 Places Available
Sally is a hugely experienced astrologer with a thriving personal practice and a brilliant website. If you want to start learning about your own horoscope and how astrology really works then this is the course for you. Here’s Sally’s link for the full course description –
https://sallykirkman.com/discovering-astrology-course-in-greece-sept-10-17-2025/
THE ASTROLOGY BLOG
A COMPLIMENTARY COPY ANYONE?
Miraculously, in spite of the inferno conditions, the weekly blog of 3k words has gone out every Monday as usual, I’ve just had to write it in three sittings instead of two.
If you’re a new subscriber to the general mailings, or if it’s a while since you’ve seen a copy of the weekly blog, then this coming week you can receive a complimentary copy. Just let me know so that I can add you to the mailing – name and email address.
When you’re ready to subscribe there is NO INCREASE in subs for now, and you can choose from a monthly or annual subscription –
- Annual subscription £57.00 (£1.09 a week)
- Monthly subscription £5.95 (£1.37 a week)
- SINGLE ISSUE – any week, any time £1.65
It’s easy to subscribe. Just reply to this mailing or message me on WhatsApp 00306976296085 with “Please subscribe me” – I will reply with UK bank details and add you to the mailing at this end.
Or you can click on the yellow PayPal button on the home page of my website –
PREVIEW OF THIS WEEK’S BLOG
The weekly blog covers a variety of material, including the horoscopes of those in the news, the astrology of world events, feedback on current astrology and commentary on the astrological picture for the week ahead.
The blog always starts with quotes from well known people of the relevant sign which are chosen to be inspirational – everyone tells me how much they love these quotes, and also my own stories about how astrology shows for me, in my own life and for those around me.
Here’s the astrology for the coming week that I’ll be writing about in this week’s blog. The summary is that it starts well with the Mercury – Jupiter combo, even though it’s a minor aspect and even though Mercury is retrograde, Jupiter is always helpful.
Any planet changing sign is immediately running into the four slow moving planets who have all recently started new journeys. This week it’s Venus’s turn, arriving in Cancer on Thursday and making that series of aspects over the following two days. These are all wrapped around the highlight of the week which is the cazimi Mercury at the end of the week –
Tuesday 29 July
- Mercury 11 Leo semi-sextile Jupiter 11 Cancer 04.45
Thursday 31 July
- Venus ingress Cancer 04.58
Friday 1 August
- Venus 0 Cancer semi-sextile Uranus 0 Gemini 00.03
- Sun conjunct Mercury 9 Leo, cazimi 00.42
- Venus 1 Cancer square Saturn 1 Aries 14.35
- Venus 2 Cancer square Neptune 2 Aries 21.50
Saturday 2 August
- Venus 2 Cancer quincunx Pluto 2 Aquarius 06.44
I’ll leave you with the retro Mercury checklist and I’ll be including a lot more feedback on this in tomorrow’s blog,
love from Lefkada
Joanna
RETROGRADE MERCURY – CHECKLIST
At a universal level these backward loops (3 times a year, 3 weeks at a time) are when Mercury wears his Trickster’s hat – gremlins everywhere! Compiled from many years of observation these are the kind of themes to be aware of, now and during the next 3 weeks.
Look at point number 4! Yesterday I was stupidly busy and stupidly hot, and in a rush to get to an appointment, and I thought oh I’ll just quickly do my Wordle! Any fellow enthusiasts? You know what’s coming …. I lost my 716 winning streak! I rest my case …
- Second chances are there – look at what went wrong the first time and do it differently
- Get back to the conversations and the things you wanted to say but didn’t, no matter how long ago
- Don’t take things to the wire. Allow as much extra time as possible for your “must be done” list on the basis that you could easily be caught out by something going wrong at the last minute
- Similarly, try not to do things when you’re in a tearing hurry – more likely to be easily distracted, forgetful, clumsy
- Be cautious or at least selective in your use of social media. Avoid posting anything too personal or getting involved in any kind of angry debates. Also check privacy settings
- Guard against trying to construct situations or distressing yourself with regard to anything beyond your control. Forcing any kind of round pegs into square holes won’t be worth the effort and could cost you dearly
- Try not to struggle on with things that are clearly beyond your area of expertise. You can’t be good at everything! Ask for help
- Adopt the mantra of one day at a time … going too far ahead creates anxiety, especially with problems which have no clear or immediate answers
- Know that there are things you don’t know – yet
- Try to operate by “re” words – review, revise, research, reappraise, rethink, repair, redress the balance and so on. Also remember rest and relaxation, give the brain some time off and try not to put yourself under unnecessary pressure
- Expect cancellations or rescheduling of appointments or personal arrangements
- Buy yourself time wherever needed – keep options open
- When in doubt, check it out – second hand opinions are a dead cert for getting hold of the wrong end of the stick – and don’t believe everything you hear
- Write things down and double check everything – forgetfulness, being distracted, inattention etc can be a troublesome theme
- Back up all your computer work
- Don’t delete any documents – you may need them at a later date
- Getting back to ideas on the back burner
- Getting back in touch with those who’ve been neglected or important to you in the past – let them know how much they matter
- Keep a close watch on all belongings – especially keys or anything linked to communication such as phones, laptops, tablets, cameras etc and don’t even think about buying new ones for the time being
- The same for cars – it’s best to avoid buying any mode of transport under a retro Mercury BUT it’s the ideal time for doing all the hunting and research
- Plan any journey with extra care, don’t trust to luck or to fine timing, and make sure tickets are covered on your insurance
- Kill your speed when driving – allow extra time for getting there slowly but safely
- Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines – paperwork and admin of all kinds are a minefield
- Decide to ease the pain or cool the resentment. Write the letter you can’t send or you’ll never send – whether it’s to someone you’ve lost or to someone you want to strangle it’s great therapy
- Turning this the other way around you can also write a letter to yourself from someone you’ve lost – which is even greater therapy
- Stop trying to fix others – just focus on yourself. Changes starts with us, and within us, from the inside out, not the other way around
- Assume nothing. No matter how certain a situation might seem there is a good chance that it will morph into something else over the next couple of weeks – the “x” factor is at work …
- Reserve the right to change your mind/keep an open mind. As you start to see something from a different angle the truth, reality or logistics will evolve in a way that you couldn’t possibly have planned or expected
- KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOUR lol
