The Astrology Blog 20 August July 2019
“ The past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation.” Anonymous
The blog is a day later than usual as I only got back from London on Sunday late afternoon. My feet didn’t touch the floor for the ten days away and it was a fantastic trip. I met some truly delightful new clients and it was the first time running the Astrology Summer School in London, which will definitely happen again as we had a great turnout, including a lot of new faces. If you think you’re too young or too old to learn astrology you might like to note that the age range for classes was from 15 to 84!
Here are some of the comments that were waiting for me on my email when I got back –
It’s been rather a long time since I had to struggle with absorbing a mass of information. But a quick thank you to say I had a blast..so much fun & an exploding brain after Thursday afternoon. Am I right in thinking there was quite a lot of energy in the room?! Jilly
Thank you for a wonderful workshop on Sunday and the last three days at Summer School. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so great to meet like minded people and it has further consolidated my knowledge and understanding. I am getting there! Elizabeth
Massive thank you for a brilliant workshop. We enjoyed every minute! Lu & Remi
Thank you for these wonderful classes. The Predictive Astrology workshop in particular was absolutely fantastic. Jill
Great to meet you, you’re quite amazing and the events were awesome – you have fuelled my astrology fire! Noreen
Next London events will be in October, dates and schedule to be announced. Am now gearing up for the last two courses of the season here in Greece, Talking Tarot (4 places available) and Working with Tarot (2 places available):
Talking Tarot 28 August
https://joannawatters.com/course/talking-tarot-beginners-course-28-aug-2019/
Working with Tarot 11 September
https://joannawatters.com/course/greek-island-working-with-tarot/
Checking Charts
If you want to see the sign and degree of the planets in your own or any other natal chart, to check against the signs and degrees important this week as outlined in the blog, here’s the link to Astrotheme. Enter your data into the boxes provided:
https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php
So yesterday (Monday) rather vanished in a haze of phone appointments, unpacking and tiredness, but I realized at the end of the day that I’d actually got a lot done, including a brilliant conversation with my very clever website and marketing lady Lynne Stainthorpe. Yes it’s official, my Instagram account is now up and running, I just have to learn how to use it! I put a photo up yesterday from the London summer school but missed how to add caption first so have to start again. So if you’re a techno novice you’re not alone, but am really excited about using this as an extension to the blog, ie daily insights. You can find me on greekastrologytarot.
The above was a good showing for yesterday’s astrology which featured only a minor aspect but between two major planets –
Monday 19 August
- Jupiter 14 Sagittarius semi-sextile Saturn 14 Capricorn 15.48 BST
Jupiter’s main principle is expansion and Saturn is the empire builder. Both planets are especially strong right now as they’re both in their own signs, Jupiter has just turned direct (after four months of being retrograde) and Saturn is poised to turn direct in four week’s time (also after four months of being retrograde). So whatever is coming together for you at this time with regard to Jupiter matters (learning, travel, the law, making your world bigger and better) is being supported by Saturn (work, effort, authority, built to last and all things serious).
The rest of the week is also packed with significant events. Mercury is playing the lead role, travelling through Leo and therefore following in the footsteps of the Sun, Venus and Mars who have all just travelled through this sign, and who have all made this same series of aspects to the same four major planets.
Just to remind you, the quinqunx is a minor aspect formed when planets are exactly 5 signs apart, when they have nothing in common and no meeting point other than an awkward one. Blind spots, missing links and gremlins are likely to characterize your plans this week but persevere. The one major aspect is to lucky Jupiter who, having just turned direct, is pointing us in the right direction –
Wednesday 21 August
- Mercury 14 Leo quinqunx Saturn 09.27 BST
- Mercury 14 Leo trine Jupiter 14 Sagittarius 11.06 BST
Friday 23 August
- Mercury 17 Leo quinqunx Neptune 17 Pisces 03.28 BST
Saturday 24 August
- Mercury 21 Leo quinqunx Pluto 21 Capricorn 09.13 BST
The Mercury – Jupiter combination is basically good news, helpful information or people, opportunity or the coming together of the ingredients for this new cycle recipe. In particular, whatever has been stuck or frustratingly absent in your life should now start shifting and springing to life. It promises a new clarity and optimism, looking to the future rather than being stuck in the past, and a realization of what or who is good for us. Remember that Jupiter is also about faith so, whatever your current aspirations, don’t let fear hold you back. Trust that life is unfolding as it should.
This doesn’t mean that everything will be handed to us on a plate, although there is certainly an element of apparent luck in play! But the other theme this week is the move into the Virgo time of year, so work, diligence and attention to detail will count for a lot. If you’re prepared to roll up your shirt sleeves and dive in the conditions are about perfect for success. Mars moved into Virgo last Sunday (18 August) and Venus and the Sun now follow –
Wednesday 21 August
- Venus ingress Virgo 10.08 BST
Friday 23 August
- Sun ingress Virgo 11.03 BST
All three of these planets are heading for trines (harmonious) to whacky and brilliant Uranus throughout the course of next week and I’ll be exploring this exciting scenario next time. As Uranus rules amongst other things everything to do with the collective and groups this is fabulous astrology for next week’s group coming over to Greece for the tarot course.
Love Stuff
Just ahead of that theme the love planets Venus and Mars come together, a union that happens only once every two years –
Saturday 24 August
- Venus conjunct Mars 4 Virgo 18.06 BST
The last time these two cuddled up was at 19 Virgo on 5 October 2017. Looking ahead they’ll oppose each other at 15 Libra/Aries on 9 November 2020 and the next conjunction will be 19 Leo on 13 July 2021.
If you have planets or angles at or close to (within 2 to 3 degrees) of 4 Virgo then this conjunction will be especially important for you, underlined by the fact that next week’s New Moon will be at 7 Virgo, very close to this degree. But at a universal level this conjunction regardless of what sign it falls in is textbook stuff for new romance, or for landmark moments in existing relationships.
The coming together of Venus and Mars is usually equated with passion but just note that this quality isn’t Virgo’s strong point. That doesn’t mean that Virgos are unsexy! There are tons of sex symbols born under this sign (Colin Firth, Sophia Loren, Hugh Grant, Beyonce, Cameron Diaz, Raquel Welch to name but a few). But in traditional astrology Virgo is Venus’s sign of “fall”. This makes sense when you think about the fact that Virgo belongs to Mercury, the mind planet, and that the sign of Virgo is associated with being analytical and fastidious. From my book Be Your Own Astrologer –
“Virgo’s primary task is to evaluate and analyze. Information, feelings and decisions are all fed through some kind of mental sieve, separating fact from fiction and isolating essential details. If they ask you a question, which they generally love to do, they’ll pick apart your answer to find out exactly and precisely what you mean.
This sign is not given to extravagance or lavishness. Virgo is economical with all resources and can be frugal to the point of extreme self denial. They can be fanatically tidy and fussy, with a place for everything and everything in its place. However, the goody two shoes image is frequently a cover for inner turmoil and a wonderfully whacky streak which most certainly does not tally with the somewhat dry and boring image often ascribed to this sign.”
The most important thing about this current conjunction in my view is that it’s serious. Virgo is not associated with being flighty or insincere. New relationships started at this time, especially if there’s been a long running attraction with one or both parties being super cautious, carry the hallmark of success. This combination in Virgo speaks of two people sharing the same goals, interests, skills or views, of coming together in a way that is gentle but earthy, subtle but sure. And if your sex life has been flagging, the jump leads have just arrived.
Until next week, with love from Greece
Joanna