The Astrology Blog 1 August 2018
All times given are stated in BST
Welcome back to the many readers who’ve re-subscribed this week and my thanks to all my students, clients and colleagues who made the London trip so busy and interesting. I seem to have come home with significantly more work than I went away with, so many new ideas to develop, but as this is the year of my Jupiter Return, planet of expansion, travel and finding your path of good fortune, this makes sense.
On that note, I always put my faith in Jupiter as many of you know, and right now he’s the only planet really making any sense. Otherwise, it’s planetary chaos…
- Mercury turned retrograde at 23 Leo last Thursday 26th – and won’t turn direct again until 19 August
- Venus is in Virgo – her sign of “fall” and also “void of course”, ie has no other aspects to make to the other planets before changing sign next week
- Mars is retrograde in Aquarius, was conjunct the Lunar Eclipse at 5 Aquarius last Friday 27th and is on a collision course with Uranus
- Saturn is retrograde in his own sign of Capricorn until the beginning of September
- Uranus is about to go retrograde
- The outer planets of Neptune and Pluto are also on long retrograde journeys
- Chiron is retrograde until December
Jupiter, on the other hand, turned direct at 13 Scorpio on Tuesday 10th July. He’s still very slow moving – travelling from 14 to 17 of Scorpio throughout August – so a distance of only three degrees in a month but will then continue to pick up speed towards his new destination of his own sign of Sagittarius early November. Just to remind you that Jupiter spends a year in each sign so it’s 12 years since he was last in Sag. Bring it on!
But whatever sign Jupiter is in he’s still the king of the gods. And in traditional astrology he’s the Greater Benefic. And he’s the only one going in the right direction so if you want to hitch your star to a wagon, Jupiter is the front runner. Just don’t think in terms of immediate results, but be Jupiterian in your approach to life and your current battles.
Think expansive. For example, spread your net wide. All the other planets are conspiring to coop you up in your own back yard but freedom loving Jupiter in magical and mysterious Scorpio has already spotted the escape routes and the get out clauses. He’s digging tunnels, putting you in touch with the right people, reminding you of your own inner strength and urging you to trust your vision. Act with wisdom, not in haste. All the retrograde activity says that there are chances to do things differently if you’re willing to learn, really learn, and you can start by not making the same mistake twice or staying in a rut. No matter how tempting an easy or lazy option might be, it’s definitely not the answer for the long term, and could easily create more work or more difficulties.
In the meantime, what are the other messages and lessons to be learned? Here’s the usual checklist for retrograde Mercury, followed by some extra red lights for retrograde Mars –
- Guard against trying to construct situations or distress 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 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
- 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 – never buy any mode of transport under a retro Mercury
- Plan any journey with extra care and don’t trust to luck
- Kill your speed when driving – allow extra time for getting there slowly but safely
- Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines
- 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 …
- And finally reserve the right to change your mind, and keep an open mind. As you start to see something from a different angle you may then also start to question the truth, reality or logistics involved
Also throw into the mix with a retrograde Mars –
- Don’t do anything in a hurry or in anger. Slow down and cool down
- Impatience is now Public Enemy Number 1 – you don’t want to look back in a few weeks time and think, “I blew it”. Bide your time and be a strategist
- Things take as long as they take. Life is all about timing – and the hidden hands at work. You might even find that you’ve been steered away from something or someone you thought was perfect but actually wouldn’t have been good for you
- The right things or people are worth waiting for – lay the right foundations, especially if you’re being presented with a second chance
- THINK (Mercury) about what you’re DOING (Mars) and focus on what you want an outcome to be – don’t act in haste, repent at leisure
- Watch your energy levels. You can’t be everything to everyone or rescue the world
- Decide on your personal priorities
- Take to heart this quote, broadly attributed to Einstein – “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”.
All of this, and more, is coming home to us this week as Mars is squaring up to Uranus –
Thursday 2 August
- Mars 2 Aquarius square Uranus 2 Taurus 03.42
Uranus is now “stationary retrograde” which means that he appears to have stopped in the skies in order to switch direction. He’s “stuck” at 2 degrees of Taurus for the next six weeks. The exact turning point is next Tuesday but this clash with Mars, and maybe also the Moon conjunct Uranus in the early hours of Saturday morning, may give a taste of things to come or bring sensitive issues to a head.
Uranus symbolism to look out for includes shocks, surprises, the thing you couldn’t possibly have seen coming, a sudden and unexpected turn of events, the twist in the tale, rebellious behavior, resignations or sackings, separations or whirlwind romance. Anything that is already unstable or strange is likely to get even more wobbly or even stranger. But there can also be light bulb moments of brilliance and understanding. In essence Uranus is the unpredictable planet but his hallmarks are events or personality types that are different, innovative, whacky, unusual, unconventional or original in some way.
For now, and without wishing to be alarmist, retrograde Mars backing into Uranus is also the stuff of accidents so be extra cautious and stay practical. I was definitely caught out by this yesterday as my car broke down and had to be pushed out of a side road onto the main road. Enthusiastic volunteers were on hand and it all happened very quickly, but nobody actually looked to see if the road was clear… it was pure luck that it was, especially as it’s high season here and the roads are incredibly busy! It just goes to show how a moment’s inattention can be disastrous, yet we can’t live our lives in fear.
But for me this was a little cameo and metaphor for a little more vigilance. I have a couple of situations unfolding that are very tricky and I’m aware of the need to tread carefully. We could say that life is always precarious in some ways but astrology warns us of flashpoints. If like me you have a tendency to rush into things, either because of enthusiasm or because of wanting to get quick results, then take a step back.
There’s only one other aspect this week which is a minor one at the weekend –
Sunday 5 August
- Mercury 19 Leo quinqunx Pluto 19 Capricorn 05.20
This aspect happens when planets are exactly five signs apart and again it’s associated with blind spots. It’s also the stuff of misalliances, so guard against anything that smacks of finding the cap and making it fit. With retrograde Mercury involved communication issues are paramount but I would avoid being a truth freak. The time for speaking out will come but for now it doesn’t make sense to light the blue touch paper. Be content to know your own truth as this could save you from unnecessary drama. And with Pluto ruling invisibility hidden stuff is being underlined yet again. Missing pieces of puzzles are a theme but there are things we may never know – or secrets we will never tell!
Next week Venus will be entering her own sign of Libra, which bodes well for all love stuff, and I’ll be talking more about this next week.
Until then take care
With love from Greece
Joanna