JULY 2019 – ECLIPSE SEASON + MERCURY RETRO

“Ancestors or Poem”
Remedios Varo

July will see 3 major astrological happenings mainly: Mercury retrograde in Leo/Cancer and, two eclipses in Cancer/Capricorn.

Art by Tomislav Jagnjic

MERCURY RETROGRADE 

Mercury will station retrograde in Leo on July 7th and move back into the sign of Cancer on July 19th. Mercury stations direct on July 31st. This means that we have to contend with Mercury retrograde for the whole month of July.

Simply knowing this will make it a lot easier already. Rule of thumbs during Mercury retrogrades are: No major purchases, commitments and signing contracts if possible, but if you have to, don’t sweat it, it’s meant to be that way. Lay low if you can, and wait until August for major decisions or commitments. On a mundane level, the news will probably be far more fear-inducing than usual so if you can unplug for the month, do it!

THE NEW AND FULL MOON IN JULY WILL BE ECLIPSES

The New Moon in Cancer on July 2nd is a total solar eclipse and the Full Moon in Capricorn on July 19th is a partial lunar eclipse.

Eclipse season is a time of change and movement which often contains unforeseen elements. It’s not necessarily negative or positive but eclipses are associated with new elements being introduced in the picture while other ones are being removed. These can range from small to major occurrences. Not everyone will be affected the same way, and it really depends on your birth chart. Look at where Cancer and Capricorn sits in your chart.

People who have the Sun/Moon or their Ascendant(rising sign) in Cancer or Capricorn will be the ones handling this astrological weather the most in July.

The time between eclipses, is considered a liminal space. If you add the Mercury retrograde to the mix, July and especially mid-July is not a super good time to make major decisions as it will be more of a transitional space with some back and forth re-visiting/re-shaping/re-questioning and all the *re* associated with Mercury retrograde.

All this heavy lifting happening on the Cancer-Capricorn axis (this year) and in July is bringing some understanding in regards to the structures in our lives and how they sustain us, or fail to do so. There is a lot of anxiety and fears associated with security, nourishment, the ecological crisis (our mother Gaia who sustains us (Cancer), and how the system (Capricorn) is failing us. On a personal level, people are working on healing themselves through understanding generational trauma, doing ancestral work and getting at the roots of some of their emotions.

Time and time management is also on the radar and we are super aware of where and who is waisting our time. We are de-constructing the structures that are not sustaining/nourishing/supportive. Before we are able to build stronger foundations, we have to deal with a lot of garbage and darkness personally but also on a societal level. Ultimately, I think this process also brings genuine healing and connections to our roots, our deep past but also closer to our tribe within and without.

Brian Kershisnik Angels

 

EMERGENCE

EMERGENCE. Sculpture by Buddy Jackson. Hartman Park

The Sun entered Virgo a week ago and we can already feel the beneficial and grounding influence of this Earth sign after a VERY intense retrograde/eclipse Summer season.
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We also have a trine between Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus right now and this is an aspect that will permeate much of September. Trines in astrology are considered supportive aspects between planets in the SAME ELEMENT. In order to benefit from trines, one must be willing to actively take part and to consciously work with it. In other words, you don’t sit on your ass and wait for things to happen.
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Saturn entered Capricorn in December of 2017 and will be there for another 2 years: Saturn in Capricorn is all about the tearing down of old structures that are not sustainable anymore. (on a personal level but also a collective one). It’s also about time management – meaning you don’t waste it on people and scenarios that do not support you. Saturn in Capricorn is your opportunity to simplify your life, be pragmatic about your trajectory, and invest where it’s worth it.
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Uranus will be in Taurus for the next 8 years (with a short stint back into Aries at the end of this year but officially back in Taurus in March 2019). Uranus in Taurus will most likely bring many disruptions on a societal level. Uranus is associated with rebellions and change. Taurus is a Fixed Earth sign and so we will most likely see more and more ecological crisis. On a personal level, Uranus in Taurus is your opportunity to revolutionize the way you relate to your comfort and the way you manage your resources and energy. Flexibility will be a major asset in the next 8 years.
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Uranus in Taurus will see more and more people interested in self-sufficiency and a return to DIY ways of living as the Earth continues to be damaged by the crumbling and unsustainable systems of consumer culture.
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You might start to get a hint of what it is that you want for your future, and perhaps even the opportunity to start moving in a new direction. Simplicity, flexibility and health IS the new wealth.
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With the Sun in Virgo for half of September, it’s an excellent time to implement or get back to healthier habits. The Moon is in Aries and will enter Taurus (the sign of her exaltation) later tonight and will be there for the next few days. This is your cue to root down in your body, go into nature and move with your natural rhythms.
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September is the recovery phase after a stressful and powerful Summer battle. Take this opportunity to get back to basics and reconnect with your medicine.

Sun in Virgo: Boldness & Patience

The Sun is now at 0º Virgo in a conjunction with the fixed star Regulus (The heart of the Lion). This interesting part of the zodiac is often associated with The Sphinx; the meeting of the lion with the maiden.

We are on the other side of the much-anticipated and powerful Solar Eclipse/New Moon at 28º Leo. It will take a few weeks before we assimilate and understand what this means for us on a personal scale but also for the world we live in.

We are being pushed towards bold new beginnings but with Mercury retrograde in Virgo until September 5th our ambitious goals will need careful and deliberate planning. With the Sun in Virgo for the next month, we must bow down to the earth and the natural rhythms of nature. A shift has occurred but it will take time before it becomes visible and we must tend to the ordinary in order to bring about the extraordinary.

Mercury goes direct on September 5th at 28º of Leo; the degree of the Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Leo. By then, we should gain greater clarity and have a pretty good idea of where we are heading.

MERCURY RETROGRADE: Ordinary & Extraordinary

Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary
-Blaise Pascal

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Mercury retrograde always brings some form of revision either willingly or imposed on us by unforeseen circumstances. There is no reason to hop on the Mercury-Retro-Freak-Out-Train as this occurs approximately 3 times a year.

Mercury will be retrograde in the sign of Virgo and then Leo from August 12th to September 5th, 2017.

One of the striking aspect of this particular retrograde is the Mercury/Neptune opposition mere days before the beginning of the retrograde.

This means that the week leading up to the retrograde is somewhat foggy or tinted by wishful thinking and clarity is already lost. There could be confusion between facts and fiction. It could be that a situation is not seen for what it is and we are getting lost in glamorous thinking. Venus is also trine to Neptune and the Sun is in Leo after all!

Mercury/Neptune is not a terrible aspect in itself but decision making might not be anchored in reality. If you know this already, work it to your advantage and take into account that your perception will shift considerably by the time this retrograde is all said and done.

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 7th was the first of 2 Eclipses happening this month and this also has to be taken into account. The liminal space between Eclipses can be thought of as a transitional period. Often the time surrounding Eclipses bring unforeseen circumstances which shake the foundations in our lives. Events pushes us to take a leap of faith or break with the old ways. Sometimes these events are forced upon us and the path we were until then walking on vanishes aligning us on a totally new and unforeseen trajectory.

Mercury retrogrades are best spent re-evaluating, sorting out, and revising what is already in place. Mercury retrogrades are not so great for launching major new projects and ideas. Since this retrograde begins in the Mercury ruled sign of Virgo, there is no better time to get down to the nitty-gritty details of your life and put them in order. Mercury will retrograde back into the sign of Leo on August 31st. The subject of self-esteem, pride, the desire for recognition, following one’s heart, dreams and passions will all be added to the mix.

*If the eclipses are already bringing major changes in your life, embrace them and apply a good strategy to insure your success.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate the upcoming retrograde in Virgo & Leo:

☿-Don’t sweat the small stuff: Virgos can be hyper critical and self-loathing since they have such unreachable high standards for themselves. Give yourself a break and pay attention to your internal dialogues; keep it positive and guilt free.

☿-Sweat the small stuff: Mercury retrograde in Virgo is a great time to revise and organize. A great time to tackle all the menial jobs that you have been putting off. Paper work, writing, editing and organizing could really put you ahead of the game. Re-evaluate the processes in your life and find solutions that will help you be more efficient.

☿-Find activities that help alleviate anxiety: Over-thinking and the endless quest for perfection is a modern diseases. Step-away from it all with activities that help you disconnect from the over-achieving mind. Go pet a goat.

☿-Find healing

☿-Be easy on yourself: You are where you are suppose to be. Trust the process.

☿-Get in touch with your procrastination: The more you put things off the tighter the grip will get. Maybe your to-do list is to big? What can you do to alleviate the pressure?

☿-With Mercury going back into the sign of Leo, issues of pride and self-esteem could come up. Following our heart is always a work in progress. Practice asking for what you need directly and without shame. Allow your heart’s desires to express themselves in a healthy way.

☿-Understand that success is a state of mind.

☿-Do not let your pride get in the way of the hard work needed to succeed.

☿-If you know your chart, look at where Virgo and Pisces are located. Do you have important planets or is your Ascendant in Virgo or Pisces? Perhaps some organizing is called for in those areas of your life.

☿-Since this Mercury retrograde is weaved in with the 2 eclipses in August, look at where Leo and Aquarius fall in your chart. Do you have any important planets or is your Ascendant either in Leo or Aquarius? Events surrounding the next two months will bring opportunities to break away from an old way of being. This could be subtle or dramatic depending on your natal dispositons.

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                              Jack Kerouac (Virgo rising and Moon in Virgo) on Self-Loathing
                                                          

“The rucksack sits hopefully in a strewn mess of bottles all empty, empty poorboys of white port, butts, junk, horror … ‘One fast move or I’m gone,’ I realize, gone the way of the last three years of drunken hopelessness which is a physical and spiritual and metaphysical hopelessness you can’t learn in school no matter how many books on existentialism or pessimism you read, or how many jugs of vision-producing Ayahuasca you drink, or Mescaline take, or Peyote goop up with – that feeling when you wake up with the delirium tremens, with the fear of eerie death dripping from your ears like those special heavy cobwebs spiders weave in the hot countries, the feeling of being a bentback mudman monster groaning underground in hot steaming mud pulling a long hot burden nowhere, the feeling of standing ankle deep in hot boiled pork blood, ugh, of being up to your waist in a giant pan of greasy brown dishwater not a trace of suds left in it – the face of yourself you see in the mirror with its expression of unbearable anguish so haggard and awful with sorrow you can’t even cry for a thing so ugly, so lost, no connection whatever with early perfection, and therefore nothing to connect with tears or anything.”

 

 

 

Uprooting beauty

DARA SCULLY

”The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” 
-The Bible, King James Version, Song of Songs 7:12–13

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The upcoming trine between Venus and Pluto will be exact right after the New Moon in Cancer on June 24th. This aspect conjures up the rich scent of the earth exuding from freshly pulled roots. The hands are dirty and have been working hard.

On a table laying in broad day light is a collection of various treasures dug out of the ground; buried objects carrying with them long forgotten stories. To keep or to discard?

Destruction and beauty are an odd pair. 

Craving more ease, you might get excited at the sight of the decaying past – hypnotized by the promises and possibilities of new beginnings. Suddenly the forbidden becomes alluring; desiring something that is denied to you.  Can it be yours? 

Be warned that the price is steeped but it’s already too late.

What was unearthed is taking hold.

The distant lure of beauty animates you and you keep digging in the hopes of finding more.

The process is difficult but you cannot back down. You know how important this is for your well-being. Feeling good might even sting a little but you keep digging. The sight of beauty hurts your eyes. Your heart is pounding in your chest.

Don’t stop now.

Tectonic shifts are happening.

Your heart wants more, aching for new intensity.

Renovations are well underway and you must get rid of some things to make space for what you have discovered.

Introducing more beauty, more love, more pleasure is an arduous task and things will need to be destroyed.

Be willing to leave the comfort of your garden and trade-in all of your jewels for that gut feeling.

 

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Venus @ 18 Taurus 30 trine Pluto @ 18 Capricorn 30 on June 24, 2017  @ 3:59 AM EST    

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“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi

 

February’s Fire

Hey everyone,

We’re almost done with January which has been a good example of what is to come. We also have entered the Chinese Year of the Fire Rooster. Even if the Chinese Zodiac has nothing to do with the Tropical Zodiac (the one we use) there is one thing in common for 2017 and that is: there is a LOT of planets in FIRE signs all year.

Uranus is in Aries and Saturn in Sagittarius plus we have an upcoming Venus retrograde (beginning March 4) in the sign of Aries.

There is also a series of eclipses on the Leo/Aquarius axis beginning this month with the Full Moon in Leo (a Fire sign) on February 10. Eclipses generally comes in sets of 4 over the course of the year.

So what does it mean? Well, If you have important planets in the late degrees of the Fixed signs (Scorpio, Taurus, Aquarius, Leo) this year eclipses will highlight that part of your chart.
Eclipses in astrology are considered triggers that brings fundamental changes. These changes can be sudden or they can be more of a gradual shift towards something completely new over a period of time. Of course it’s easier to pinpoint the area affected by studying the natal chart.

The New Moon in Pisces at the end of February is also a Solar eclipse and it is the last one in the Pisces/Virgo series that has happened over the course of the last 2 years. There was a lot of changes for these guys (Virgo and Pisces) and an evolution towards something that is either being born now or on the last stretch of its journey.

The Sun is in Aquarius and will move into the water sign of Pisces on February 18.

Saturn in Sagittarius (a fire sign) continues to fuel dogmatic beliefs and wars on ideologies and Jupiter goes retrograde later this month which will bring the second Jupiter/Uranus opposition.

Mars in Aries (fire sign) all month is excellent for pushing ahead with your own ideas and
projects. If you feel tense, go sweat it out.

Stay noble, stay bold.

 

Nature’s wisdom

In the early hours on Friday November 11, Black Moon Lilith met up with the Sun at 19’24 degrees of Scorpio.

There are a lot of meanings attributed to Lilith. She is a very complex figure and her story originates way back. This famous Sumerian plaque which depicts a woman with owl talons and wings, standing upon two lions and owls  is believed by some to represent Lilith.

She is a dark and eccentric mythic figure coming to us from the dawn of civilization. She connects us to the wild and instinctual female archetype that cannot be controlled or tamed. In the Torah, Lilith is banished into the wilderness for rebelling against God who wanted her to submit to Adam.

She is impulsive, confrontational, defiant and disruptive.

Words associated with Lilith:
Wild-Raging
Feminine Sexuality
Raw-Erratic
Instinctual-Knowing
Primal-Castrating
Defiant-Disruptive

With the Scorpio Sun in conjunction with Black Moon Lilith the light shines brightly at the bottom of the pit. Scorpio is akin to a deep and dark body of water.  When the Sun transits in Scorpio, the obscured reassess of these stagnating waters come to the surface to get processed. We are seeing the ugly, the offensive and the foul putrefied bodies of the old patriarchal system rise up and all the ugliness exposed. With this revelation sitting blatantly in our faces, it is obvious that things will have to change. Anything that feels oppressive will be violently opposed. Anger, rage and revolt are Lilith’s domain. We are speaking of a gutt reaction; an instinctual knowing linked to survival.

I love this take on Lilith by Artist Kevin Rolly (Kevissimo) called ”Wilderness Forever”

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The Chandra Degree for 19’24 Scorpio:

A SERPENT WRAPPED AROUND AN IMMENSE EGG

”Bearing deeply an entirely different future for yourself and everybody. Condemned to hold this off, preserve it, keep it warmed through, not break into it until the signal is given. This is a punishing ordeal, for you know inside a different kind of reality and bear it directly within. But still you must live as if without it. This eventuates in a barren world, an outwardly determined existence in which things must be endured just about forever. You are testing yourself, making sure that you are worthy to bear your great treasure across the abyss. Do you have the forces to be steady, implacable, sound and reliable, and not turn negative and become the resentful martyr?

Do you know how to do the right thing even when you do not quite feel it inside? Deep at the core of your being incredible things are completely and utterly alive. And they will come through when you have fully overcome the old karmas and shown yourself to be strong, clear, and true, even in a divided world that is past-fixated and at the end of its cycle, hanging on a bit too long.”

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For more on Lilith in Scorpio you can read this article from collegue Vanessa Guazzelli Paim at Cosmic Intelligence Agency

Victims and Survivors

The Aries season is officially on. The return of the light for us here in the northern hemisphere means the return of life. Everything is slowly waking up, including us. The urge is to forge ahead, break new ground and create a new set of circumstances. You could feel like you are full of new ideas/momentum for the future and ready to go! You might also feel like things are not moving fast enough.

Venus is lingering in the sign of Pisces triggering the recent eclipse material and she will conjunct Chiron on Wednesday. There is a need to integrate older material (crap) that surfaced or perhaps completely let it go. Venus in Pisces support us in doing so with full awareness and compassion not only for ourselves but for others. It’s a great week to integrate past hurts without staying stuck in the quagmire.

This is definitely a time of evolution so don’t linger too long in your wounds but move with the awareness of why you are doing what you do and where you are going. Take the time to process your recent realisations or experiences. You can forge ahead towards new territories, but still very much be fueled by the past and by what came before. Remember WHY you are doing what you do and this will help you progress.

The Jupiter/Saturn square is still on – slowing down progress and asking us for a full detailed report. Advancement is possible but it has to be slow and deliberate.

In a broader sense there is a clash between philosophical/political/religious/spiritual ideas and a general cacophony of voices on the public stages. The urge to take a strong stance to defend our beliefs is definitely one signature of this Jupiter/Saturn square.

Whatever transitional space you find yourself in, remember that perspective and flexibility are your best assets and stay cool.
xx

 

 

 

 

The Just Measure

A Full Moon in Libra and partial lunar eclipse happened yesterday in the early hours close to the North Node of the Moon sometime called the head of the Dragon.

Eclipses will vary in intensity depending on many factors including whether it is a total or partial, Lunar or Solar eclipse and if it takes place close to the South Node (Tail of the Dragon) or the North Node (Head of the Dragon).

They usually come in pairs and we had a Solar eclipse in Pisces on March 8th and one yesterday March 23rd in the sign of Libra.

Some astrologers compare eclipses or the time in between them as having similar effect as the more widely known Mercury retrograde. Unexpected events, delays, misunderstanding or problems with technologies can be one of the symptoms.  An eclipse represent a time when one of our two major luminaries (Sun or Moon) is being obscured either by the shadow of the Moon in the case of a Solar eclipse or the shadow of the Earth in the case of a Lunar eclipse. This temporary darkness is an opening, an energetic trigger for things to come into existence or disappear into the void.  Shadows are associated with what we cannot see, blindness or a lack of something. While something is being obscured, it is also an opening into the deep and eternal darkness. This time can be very energizing for some while others can feel extremely drained, stressed out and tired.

Eclipse will also affect people differently depending on where it falls in their natal birth chart.  Positive or negative effects like the birth of a child, a marriage, sickness, a major turning point, ending and beginnings are associated with eclipses.

The temporary obstruction of the light sees the darkness that dwells in between the worlds take shape and materialize. This blackness colours our awareness for a moment and can bring about surprising turn of events.

Yesterday’s eclipse in Libra is the last one of a series on the Libra-Aries axis that started in 2014.

This eclipse highlights themes of interpersonal and personal relationships and the need to find balance between taking and giving. We can feel torn between selfish or bold reactions versus selfless compromises to reach middle ground. There is an emphasis on whether the motives behind our decisions are ego driven of based in the higher spirits of fairness and harmony.

This is definitely not an easy feat.

We could be torn between the need to follow our own path while also being asked to collaborate or compromise. We cannot exclude the need we have for others in our lives, our need to be seen and acknowledged. Every relationship is a mixture of give and take with a small dose of compromises and a big dose of collaboration.  Problem arises when we compromise our own integrity.

This last eclipse in Libra could be the final push towards solidifying an alliance, a situation, a state of mind or letting it go all together and realigning towards a more balance and centered state. A process that started in 2014 could find resolution but whether this will be fair and just could be a matter of circumstances. We could see ourselves oscillating between two opposites for another few weeks until we find the just measure.

 

 

HADES

We will be entering some dark territories over the weekend. Our relationships will be the prime battle ground for the darkness that is trying to emerge and come into the light. Remember that precious gems are not found above ground. Keep that in mind and take a step back from whatever is happening. There is a New Moon on Monday and a definite shift for the better.