( Last week I was far from a computer and had this on wordpress auto-publish– but Mercury retrograde will have it’s way and it never posted. My phone also fell into my coffee while I was travelling; I put it on my map of Canada, at the next intersection I picked the map up and heard its fateful plop. But otherwise we were safe (thank you Mercury!).This week’s article will be published shortly)
Relax and don’t push the river. This week can be both entertaining and frustrating, depending on our attitude and circumstances. We can feel like our potential is unrealized, either because we’re not sure which way to go or because it’s not quite the right time for to move forward with Mercury retrograde along with a few minor but uncomfortable aspects. But we do have some personal homework to do, and need to fill up our personal reserves for the year ahead. Our life may feel on hold while we complete an old cycle or tend to one of life’s side bars, an unexpected agenda or time away. Don’t worry, life will pick up the pace come September. Since we can’t push forward now, let’s use this time to renew and reconnect.
It’s all about self-expression as the Sun and Mercury as conjunct in Leo. It’s time to gather around Leo’s symbolic hearth-fire and share, whether that hearth fire is a camp fire with marshmallows, a barbeque, candlelight or a cause that warms our hearts. We just need to give as much attention to others as we ask for ourselves. Let’s listen deeply, and call people together for good reason.
In Leo season we are encouraged to put ourselves in the center of our world and find healthy self-expression. But it can be hard to really see another person’s perspective from this position; even if we’re feeling generous it’s hard to understand what another truly wants and needs. Some people can get lost in their own drama or act out to snag attention, but we don’t have to go there. Yet from this central place we can fill up with all life has to offer and so have more to give in the year ahead.
At the same time we need to hold ourselves responsible; our vote, our choice, our attitude, our needs and how we choose to meet them, create our world. That’s not to say other people are irrelevant; they contribute to our circumstances but they are not responsible for how we unfold. To use this Leo fire as a gift without being obnoxious we have to stay responsible for ourselves and our own happiness, and be humble, rather than opinionated, about how we can help others.
Not that it’s so easy to kick back and relax Mercury retrogrades from July 15 through August 8; we’ll need extra patience and a good sense of humor. Items can seem to misplace themselves at the most inconvenient time. Cell phones lose their charge in the middle of a thoroughly charged conversation. The store is out of the one thing we wanted. Misunderstandings and conflicting needs can act like a burr in our heart. Our schedule gets all turned around. And while we may be telling some wonderfully deep stories and really getting to know a few great people, we have to navigate carefully around potential missteps and misunderstandings.
After an intensely subdued Friday, the weekend starts out up beat, restless and ready to roll under a Sagittarius Moon. We are easily amused by joyful things, easily bored but ordinary and repetitive. Take a beloved anywhere of the beaten track. Keep an ear open for news about international politics and the ecosystem and check in with overseas friends.
Early next week can test our relationships as a Capricorn Moon brings out our efficiency and also our control issues. Everything flows where we all agree on the work that needs to be done, but there are just too many cooks in the kitchen. Watch out for a tendency to jerk someone’s chain just to see if it’s possible.
Politics can get particularly polarized early in the week as a Sun-Uranus trine inspires progressive innovation on one side while a Venus-Saturn trine encourages an emotionally based conservative streak on the other. When we get this working together we can see progressive, sane, built on history but forward-thinking ideas.
The Full Moon in Aquarius midweek is time to celebrate whatever we can do better with a group that we can do by ourselves. The best crowd is made up of fully actualized and expressive individuals and the best way and individuals can shine is if they’re connected to a community. We don’t need to feel like competition between our individual fulfillment and the collective needs.
This Aquarius Moon helps us see the bigger picture but can make us farsighted, making it harder for us to see what’s really going nearby; we can miss signals from the ones we love. So let’s enjoy life to the hilt and also listen carefully to those nearby.
Friday, July 27: Still waters run deep, and may have monsters lurking beneath. We can be both outspoken and keep our real feelings inside, dealing with a vivid interior world under a Scorpio Moon. Let’s be honest with ourselves.Don’t poke the monsters or ask for attention. Meet crankiness with respectful self- sufficiency; much will be revealed later.
Saturday, July 28: Laughter can be healing medicine as the Moon enters cheerful and curious Sagittarius and sextiles Uranus. Make life a range of motion exercise and stretch body and soul a little farther than comfortable. During social awkward moments, irrepressible humor can speak otherwise painful truths. Restlessness can be explored with beloveds; it doesn’t need to take us away from them. Tonight, let’s express; we can take it over the top.
Sunday, July 29: Morning can bring conflicting plans; enthusiasm is juicy but out of synch. It helps to smile at people but engage and commune with nature. Midday our relationships move to the front burner, it’s more important to hear than be heard in order to build connection; let’s not worry, our time will come if were gracious and insistent. We may feel held back by some more serious concern; though this interrupts our fun, it keeps us on track for life’s real work.
Monday, July 30: The mood takes a more serious turn as the Moon enters Capricorn. We can organize, orchestrate, and follow through, but need to watch out for a manipulative, controlling streak when under stress. If we run into that attitude coming from others, let’s not take it personally and not argue with them unless the issue is truly important, or our energy gets wasted wrangling as the Sun and conjuncts Pluto. Loss or leave-taking can haunt us tonight, but it wakes up our heart.
Tuesday, July 31: After a cranky morning as the Capricorn Moon squares Mars, explore practical, innovative action as the Sun trines Uranus. We see what needs to be done but probably have to refine the vision before beginning as the Sun trines transiting Uranus. If people are controlling, it can help to get more formally diplomatic to stand our ground rather than just shut down. Tradition and old friends inspire, we lean on people we’ve come to trust as Venus trine Saturn, but are leery of taking on too much.
Wednesday, August 1: This Full Moon in Aquarius is the best day to gather, collaborate, demonstrate, celebrate, party, or brainstorm. Full Moons highlight a paradox and this one shows any tension between our personal need to shine and our relationship to our community. People want to actively participate and join with others for constructive purposes as Mars aspects the nodes. A stubborn streak slows progress unless we make it a win-win situation.
Thursday, August 2: Keep decisions simple this morning as the Aquarius Moon trines Mars. Our eyes may be bigger than our reserves. We may think expansively under this Aquarius Moon but need to take care of our emotional material resources in order to follow through. Although we may not know which way to go on the bigger plans in our life, some side agenda or unexpected personal short story can bring short term success. Approach it as one of the team of equals and lead by bringing out the best in others.
Starcodes 