The Astrology Blog 12 July 2021
All times in BST
“The madness of love is the greatest of heaven’s blessings.”
“At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet.”
Plato
“If someone cares about you, you won’t ever have to wonder how they feel – they’ll constantly remind you.”
Anonymous
WIMBLEDON WINNERS
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Ashleigh_Barty
First words from the new Women’s Champion –
“Ashleigh Barty says it was a “miracle” she was at Wimbledon and that her team had kept from her the chances of her recovering from injury in time. The world number one pulled out of last month’s French Open with a hip problem. That was 37 days ago – this injury was meant to sideline her for two months.
“[My team] kept a lot of cards close to their chest and didn’t tell me a lot of the odds … I think them not telling me that just proved how much we were against the odds. I think now to be playing pain-free through this event was incredible.
“It’s funny, sometimes the stars align, you can think positively, you can plan, and you can chase after your dreams. Being able to be able to play here at Wimbledon was nothing short of a miracle.”
Yes Ashleigh sometimes the stars do indeed align! No time of birth for her so I can’t draw up the horoscope but at a glance Ashleigh is born on a challenging but powerful Moon – Jupiter opposition. In the physical body Jupiter rules the hips and at a universal level any aspect to Jupiter is helpful as he’s the Greater Benefic, bringer of goodies like optimism, luck and thinking big, and he is also “exalted” in the Moon’s sign of Cancer so the two planets work well together.
A midday chart puts her natal Moon at nearly 15 Cancer – Jupiter 17 Capricorn. Even if she were born the full 12 hours either side of midday this opposition would still be on. She went onto the court yesterday under the New Moon at 18 Cancer (sign of “dignity”) so my guess is that her own Moon is even nearer to that degree. Mercury also turned direct the week before Wimbledon started, conjunct her Venus, the other Benefic.
But the real reason for loving this story is that it’s a fabulous illustration of the power of the mind. I’ve been saying regularly in this blog that it’s a good idea to stop watching so much news, to decide that you don’t “do” fear and to trust that if there’s anything you really need to know, someone will tell you. Try stopping them. Relentlessly scary information seeps into our brains, affects our mood, our beliefs and even our abilities.
By not telling Barty how serious her hip injury was her team did the best thing possible, minimizing the fear instead of escalating it, watching over her but allowing her to move forwards with her self belief intact. If you’re a tennis fan as I am then you’ll know how vital the psychological factor is.
And this is a brilliant showing of retrograde Mercury (information being withheld) as 37 days ago – as reported above, when the hip injury stopped her in her tracks – would have been 3 June, just four days into the retrograde cycle, hiding the true info but in this instance for the best possible reasons.
My colleague Sally Kirkman is known for her sports predictions and she said from the very beginning that the men’s title was Djokovic’s to lose. She was right as usual. Again, a planet at the critical Gemini degree, he has Mercury at 18 Gemini.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Mercury is now back up to full speed, entered Cancer yesterday evening (Sunday) and his first aspect on this new journey is the positive trine (same element) to Jupiter, who is now retrograde but still strong in his own sign of Pisces –
Monday 12 July
- Mercury 1 Cancer trine Jupiter 1 Pisces 20.46
Harmonious Mercury – Jupiter combinations generally spell good news. This can take many shapes such as receiving good news for yourself or others, making the right decisions or getting the right information, enjoying the company of those on your wavelength and, this one being in water (feelings) signs, enjoying emotional connections or being able to give/receive care or protection.
This aspect is also good news for anything related to Jupiter’s concerns of long distance travel, anything connected to overseas or anything connected to education and legal matters. It’s slowly dawning on me that September Summer School is only 7 weeks away and I’ll be doing a separate mailing soon with updates on flights, testing, accommodation and so on.
Overall the key point is to remember that Jupiter’s main principle is expansion – he’s Mr Big of the skies and his job is to make our lives bigger and better. So pay close attention to news and information that comes your way today as the new week kicks off as it could also point you in the right direction.
THE LOVE PLANETS
The real highlight of the week though is the Venus – Mars fiery conjunction in the Sun’s sign of Leo –
Tuesday 13 July
- Venus conjunct Mars 19 Leo 14.34
In theory this conjunction should happen once every two years – ie Venus with her cycle of a year catching up with Mars with his cycle of two years – but because of retrograde periods this is actually quite variable as you’ll see below.
Venus’ next retrograde period starts mid December so on that occasion, instead of racing ahead, loops backwards to meet up with the still forwards moving Mars. So we have to wait only 7 months for the next one, which is in fact not just one but two, next Feb/March –
Venus Conjunct Mars Dates
- 24 August 2019 – 4 Virgo
- 13 July 2021- 19 Leo
- 16 February 2022 – 16 Capricorn
- 6 March 2022 – 0 Aquarius
- 22 February 2024 – 7 Aquarius
Venus (women) and Mars (men) making this union is simple and textbook astrology for love matches, new relationships starting or significant milestones in an existing relationship, especially if you have planets or Angles at or close to the signs and degrees in question. And this isn’t just for heterosexual relationships, any gender combination applies.
There’s nothing quiet about this combination. On the contrary, coming together in big, bold and bossy Leo it’s nothing short of a fanfare. It’s also regal so I wonder if we’ll hear news this week of matches/engagements/weddings in the worlds of royals or celebs.
Leo correlates to the 5th House of the horoscope where we locate fun, creativity and those with whom we enjoy life, especially children and lovers. Someone new coming into your life at this time will probably be hard to miss.
If you want to breathe new life into your relationship and/or your sex life, find a new lover or move a mutual attraction to the next level then waste no time. It doesn’t get much more passionate and demonstrative than this. Mercury back up to full speed also says that it’s time to put ourselves back into circulation, not necessarily in big crowds – the sign of Cancer is very clannish and likes familiarity – but anywhere and anyhow you feel comfortable.
Here’s the flavor of these two planets in this sign in natal charts, excerpts from Be Your Own Astrologer, descriptions which equally demonstrate the current message, the joy and importance of letting your other half know exactly how wonderful they are. It’s also the right time to be lavish with praise anywhere that it’s deserved, not just in your love life.
Venus in Leo
Venus in the Sun’s sign is big hearted, warm and vibrant. These individuals are usually incredibly generous in the giving of love and their appetite for receiving it is even bigger. They aim to impress and a diet of attention, admiration and adoration is an inexhaustible feast for this Venus. Being told that they are special and wonderful are messages that they cannot hear often enough. However, rejection or embarrassment are their biggest dreads so they usually won’t show their own feelings until they are sure of yours. They are also unlikely to seek a mate who is “beneath” them. This Venus can be haughty and wants someone to be proud of.
Actress Mira Sorvino shot to fame after winning the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite, stunning symbolism for Venus at 29 degrees of Leo, the degree of the royal fixed star of Regulus. Also known as the Heart of the Lion Regulus denotes ambition, honour, success, status and leadership.
Pippa Middleton has the Moon conjunct Regulus. She also has Venus in Leo conjunct her Ascendant, the angle that rules the physical body. In her figure hugging Alexander McQueen creation and with perfect poise and straight backed posture – Leo rules the spine – she all but outshone the bride at the royal wedding.
Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst embodied this lionhearted Venus in another way, through the bravery of her lifelong campaign for the enfranchisement of women.
Mars in Leo
Mars in the Sun’s sign is a royal, commanding, creative and powerful combination. These individuals have forceful personalities and their talents are usually expressed in a centre stage way. Their self belief is wholehearted but they need others to believe in them too. They are highly motivated by praise, recognition and adulation. The Mars drive coupled with the Leo knack for drawing a crowd creates a showmanship quality, charismatic performers and “the show must go on” work ethic.
This placing often bestows an excellent physique. Amongst the women we find statuesque types such as Charlene Princess of Monaco, and supermodels Yasmin Le Bon and “The Body” Elle McPherson. Amongst the men think Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars or as the intrepid Indiana Jones, and “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen.
THE TRICKIER BIT …..
It’s not all fire and glory as the second half of the week sees the Sun align with the two slowest planets, with Neptune in particular even slower than usual at the moment as he’s newly retrograde and hardly moving, seemingly “stuck” at 23 degrees Pisces –
Thursday 15 July
- Sun 23 Cancer trine Neptune 23 Pisces 09.51
Saturday 17 July
- Sun 25 Cancer opposite Pluto 25 Capricorn 23.44
Taken by itself the harmonious trine to super sensitive Neptune is nevertheless by far the easier of the two aspects, the best interpretation being romance, tying in with the Venus – Mars conjunction theme. This can be love or emotional developments stopping you in your tracks.
But the opposition to Pluto (endings, loss) is in on the act, so it’s probably misguided to look at these Solar aspects separately. Pluto is always tough and, as the aspects are so close together, there are inevitable themes of non negotiable changes. Ultimately Pluto is death and rebirth, one of his images is the Phoenix, so whatever falls through or “dies” on you at this time is best left behind, not that you’re likely to have any choice.
Family and property issues rank high on the list while the Sun moves through Cancer and especially as we’ve just had the New Moon in this sign too. So for example if you lose a buyer or if moving plans come unstuck stay philosophical. There’s a “not meant to be” factor at work. We can’t always figure out the “why” with setbacks but we don’t need to but for some it will be quickly obvious, such as a better place coming up, or changes in other areas of your life meaning that you would need plan B anyway.
This week we also have a stack of those awkward quinqunx aspects, one on Friday and three on Sunday –
Friday 16 July
- Venus 23 Leo quinqunx Neptune 23 Pisces 07.43
Sunday 18 July
- Venus 25 Leo quinqunx Pluto 25 Capricorn 08.46
- Mercury 11 Cancer quinqunx Saturn 11 Aquarius 18.15
- Mars 23 Leo quinqunx Neptune 23 Pisces 19.24
These are minor aspects, so they can work through quickly, but when they pile up on top of each other like this it adds up to a stressful day. As noted last week this aspect loves blind spots and that’s why they’re linked with accidents. On the last Mercury – Saturn one, having warned everyone, I then tripped over some building materials when they were digging up the high street and went flying. Nothing more than grazes, a bit of shock and ripped trousers so could have been much worse!
At a personal level these aspects can indicate issues of incompatibility, mismatches and uncertainty, especially with someone you don’t know well OR they can feature strongly in relationship breakdowns, such as the secrecy of affairs or communication breakdowns. If you get the feeling that you’re not talking the same language as someone else you’ll be right.
Venus – rules love, relating and all financial matters – is the main concern though as she’s following the Sun by playing into the Neptune and Pluto. This creates what is called an Aspect Pattern – when three or more planets are in a distinct formation. This one is called a Yod – when joined together the three points make an isosceles triangle, sometimes called the Finger of Fate. No alarmism but these aspects are ultimately about what you can’t see and therefore not great for virus control – don’t drop your guard and boundaries in crowds or with anyone you’re unsure of.
Until next week, with love from Greece
Joanna
