Chiron retrograde

Planetary news this week: Time to get organized with Mercury in Virgo

Astrological update for the week of July 24-31, 2023

Mercury in Virgo July 28. Mercury was known to the Romans as the messenger god, and was the only one of all the gods to be able to travel between the world of the gods, the world of humans, and the Underworld, the transformational realm governed by Pluto. I love this story because astrological Mercury, as the planet which guides our understanding of our life experiences and helps us to transmute these learnings into knowledge and wisdom, can be a powerful activator of these transformational forces.

Virgo is one of the signs ruled by Mercury (Gemini is the other), and as an Earth sign Virgo is involved in earthly matters of the mundane world. Our habits and routines, our learning ability, our daily routines – all of these fall under the domain of Virgo. When Mercury, planet of the mind, is in Virgo, our ability to organize and structure our lives with greater precision and analytic mindfulness is increased. Mercury is quite at home in this earth sign where a practical application of our ideas can be put to good use as we sort through puzzle of ideas and mental data which flow through the mind constantly, and assemble it into a cohesive picture in the pursuit of perfection.

Mercury usually travels through a sign in a few weeks but it will turn retrograde in Virgo and remain in Virgo for quite a long time – all the way until October 4th. This period is well suited for anything requiring detailed analysis or the paring down of non-essentials in order to reveal that which is most important. This can happen in all kinds of venues: In your closet, […]

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By |2023-07-24T09:31:44-04:00July 24th, 2023|Planetary news this week|0 Comments
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Planetary news this week: Cancer New Moon and Venus retrograde

Astrological update for the week of July 17-24, 2023

art by Lia Van Elffenbrinck

Cancer New Moon. I wrote about this in last week’s forecast so that we could be ready for the New Moon on Monday the 17th, but you may want to catch up here if you missed it. The lunar energies peak in the early afternoon EDT and will fade over the next few days. This a time to reassess the threads of our connections to others and the strength of those connections.

Cancer represents the family of origin but it’s more than that – it’s the tribe in which we find ourselves, the communities that we build for ourselves, and the families which we create. Ruled by the Moon, Cancer teaches that communities and interpersonal bonds nourish the heart and give us a safe space from which we can emerge as truer versions of ourselves.

New Moons are always times of new beginnings, and under this New Moon we can create new connections to better serve our ever-evolving selves. It’s a time to nurture and be nurtured, but more importantly to delve into the depth of our feelings and emotions and recognize the truths that lie within. In this chart there is a boost from both Neptune, symbolizing inspired creativity, and Uranus, representing liberation and emancipation. These forces will assist us in severing any ties that are hindering our progress towards forming new connections which enhance our lives.

The nodal grand cross. The lunar nodes are the points where the orbital path of the Sun crosses the path of the Moon, and represent the evolutionary journey of the […]

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By |2023-07-18T11:11:34-04:00July 17th, 2023|Planetary news this week|3 Comments
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Astrological news this week: Leo season begins!

Astrological update for the week of July 18-25, 2022

Chiron turns retrograde. Chiron is unlike any other planetary body in the solar system in that it has a cometary tail with the volume and size of a planet. Orbiting between the personal planets, bounded by Saturn, and the outer transformational planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, it acts as a bridge between the personal and transpersonal. By encouraging the healing the soul wounds of this and previous incarnations, Chiron facilitates the growth and evolution of the soul as well as the personality.

When any planet turns retrograde it appears to be stationary in the sky, and this can intensify the experience of anyone whose natal chart is being activated by that planet. Chiron has only traveled one degree in the past two months, and it will take another two months to retrograde back one degree. If you have planets in your own natal chart between 12 and 18 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn) this may present emotional challenges as undigested feelings and dramas emerge to be released. If you have planets in those degrees of a fire sign (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius) this process of healing and release will be just as important, but since this is a harmonious trine aspect the release will come more easily.

Sun and Mercury both enter Leo this week. Leo is the sign of the Sun – under its auspices we receive the warmth and vitality of its light and heat, and we learn to fully identify with the Self that is given to us for this lifetime. Leo is the ruler of the Sun, and expresses this need to fully express the Self as offered by the […]

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By |2022-07-18T07:36:41-04:00July 18th, 2022|Planetary news this week|0 Comments
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7.15.21 – Chiron stations retrograde and we learn to let go

art by Ximena Vasquez

Chiron’s orbit tells an interesting story – most of the time this little planetoid with comet-like properties sandwiches itself between the last of the personal planets, Saturn, and the first of the transpersonal planets, Uranus.  This is significant because in facilitating the healing of psycho-emotional and spiritual wounds that keep us stuck, it assists in the process of transformation. Most of us have developed good coping strategies to deal with any lingering emotional pain, but under Chiron’s tutelage we have to face these areas of trauma and ultimately release them.  This isn’t comfortable, but it is exhilarating as we let go of all that stuck energy!

Today Chiron turns retrograde – not an unusual event since Chiron, like the outer planets, is retrograde approximately half the year.  When Chiron is retrograde its influence is more personal – it’s like having a teacher move into your home.  The process of evolution can be accelerated if your personal chart is being activated by Chiron (any planets between 10-20 degrees of the cardinal signs Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn are affected right now by Chiron).  The key to getting the most out of Chiron events is to learn to relax around the heart, feel the energy of emotion, and leave the story behind. ❤️

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By |2021-07-15T07:46:02-04:00July 15th, 2021|Chiron, Planetary news this week|0 Comments
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Planetary news this week! Mercury retrograde, Chiron and Mars

Chiron astrologyLast week’s eclipse brought the expected earthquakes and seismic events like the big one in Ridgecrest, California, and may have affected you personally as it did me – back spasms and some emotional catharsis was the manifestation of the eclipse in Cancer for me!

Mercury retrograde, and Mars

This week we have Mercury, the mental planet which just turned retrograde and is about to cross paths with Mars, the action planet.  As I wrote the other day:

This particular retrograde period begins with Mercury in the sign of Leo – the sign that celebrates the Self and seeks joy in everything.  Mercury is pretty happy in Leo – it’s love for movement and discussion is enhanced by Leo’s expansive view of the world.  But Mercury is aligned with Mars right now, and that alignment will tighten when Mercury turns retrograde on July 7th.  Expect tempers to flare, resulting in arguments or heated discussions.  Both planets are in Leo which can be a bit self-righteous, especially between July 6th and the 9th,

and then Mars faces off against Uranus (shock and rebellion) between the 9th and the 11th.   During this period we may be tempted to act more impulsively which is NOT a good idea under Mercury retrograde.  Try to reconsider every decision, and then reconsider it again.

Chiron changes direction

Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing, turns retrograde this week.  Any planet about to change direction slows down to a standstill just as a car making a U-turn will do.  If we are experiencing a planetary cycle involving that planet and our own chart, it will be especially powerful when that planet is virtually still, shining a laser beam of energy into our psyche so this can […]

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