Mercury conjunct Mars

Astrological update for the week of November 8, 2021: Mars and the cycle of change

As you may know, I’ve been calling the square from Saturn to Uranus the story of 2021 – the pressures between control for the sake of society (Saturn) versus the rebellion and radical motivations of Uranus.  There is no more vivid representation of the Saturn/Uranus square than the global battle over masking and vaccinations during this pandemic and the extreme path which this debate has taken.

Saturn and Uranus are five degrees apart from an exact square, but the aspect is tightening over the next month until it culminates in mid-December.  Every time a faster-moving planetary body activates Saturn or Uranus, the themes of the square are also activated even if it’s the Moon which lasts just a few hours.  This week Mercury (mind and communication) aligns with Mars (aggression and motivation), and both planets will ignite the Saturn/Uranus dynamic.  Expect the themes of rebellion and domination to be more pronounced, and with Mars in Scorpio the power of passion will be intensified.

In other words, duck.  Try not to inflame already heated situations if you can help it. If you can, speak your truth with conscious intention and the light of awareness, without seeking blame or needing to win (both Scorpio themes).  This is not a good week for difficult conversations or confrontation, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen so be prepared. We often can’t avoid situations that emerge in challenging planetary times because these times are meant to promote personal and global evolution.

Here’s the forecast for the week.  Dates and times are given for Eastern time zone, please adjust for your own locality. ❤️

art by Keith Malett

Monday November 8.  The planets are relatively quiet on Monday and […]

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By |2021-11-08T07:37:06-05:00November 8th, 2021|Planetary news this week|5 Comments
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Astrological forecast for the week of October 4, 2021: Libra New Moon and stationary planets

art by Myles Pinkney

This week we are at peak retrograde, with six planets retrograde including Mercury.  Expect and prepare for communication glitches under the Mercury retrograde which is at its midpoint this week.  Pluto turns direct on October 6th to be followed by Jupiter and Saturn, and all three planets are stationary throughout October. This is not a good time to try to “push the river” as the saying goes – instead we will benefit from finding a point of stillness in which we can hear the inner voice of guidance and from which we can release the stress of unmet expectations and hidden resentments.  That is especially true during the first half of this week with Mercury (mind and communication), still moving slowly after its retrograde turn last week, in a stressful square to Pluto (intensity and power issues).

These energies are all a part of this week’s Libra New Moon on October 6th which also includes a stellium in Libra with Mars and Mercury along with the Sun and Moon.  This New Moon packs a powerful punch with the Libra stellium opposite the Moon and Chiron.  Libra is the sign of relating, but it also is the sign which teaches balance and integration, and encourages us to find harmony at the midpoint of stressors. The planets have chosen two different ways to deliver that message (three stationary planets is the other) and it’s a good one!!

Here’s the forecast for the week. Dates and times are given in EDT, please adjust for your locality. 

Monday October 4.  A harmonious trine from the Libra Sun to Ceres in Gemini helps us to find the mental balance we need in order to achieve the integration this week […]

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By |2021-10-04T08:52:25-04:00October 4th, 2021|Planetary news this week|3 Comments
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Astrological forecast for the week of August 16, 2021: Retrograde season and a Full Moon

There is a lot going on this week, so grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s get started!

Retrograde season. This week Uranus turns retrograde, but it has been virtually stationary at 14 degrees Taurus for six weeks.  When a planet prepares for a direction change it appears to be at a standstill, just like a car that is making a U-turn.  At that time its influence can be the most potent, especially if it is hitting a sensitive point in your chart (anywhere from 10-20 degrees of the fixed signs Taurus, Scorpio, Leo or Aquarius).

With Uranus turning retrograde we will have four major planets retrograde plus Chiron, for a total of five.  That is on the high side of normal and nowhere close to the retrograde energies of 2020 when every planet which could turn retrograde WAS retrograde.  Still, in September Mercury will turn retrograde and then there will be six so we are definitely in retrograde season.  This means that life will not progress at the pace which we strive for, and there may be a lot of looking in the rear view mirror to see where mistakes were made, and having to make those repairs before we can look ahead once again.  Meanwhile the Uranian influence is powerful – revolution, reaction, breaking free of restraints and regulations – all of these energies are deep at work to rip away the trappings of the old age as we go hurtling into the new one.

Venus enters Libra.  Venus enters its own sign of Libra just after midnight on August 16.  Venus is most at home in Libra, and for the next few weeks harmony and a peaceful experience will be of paramount importance.  Venus craves […]

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By |2021-08-16T07:41:58-04:00August 16th, 2021|Planetary news this week|7 Comments
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Planetary news this week: Sun, Mercury and Mars

Deviant Art

In traditional astrology, when a planet comes “under the beams” of the Sun, meaning it conjoins the Sun, it is considered to be “combust.”  This means that the energy of the planet under the beams can literally burn up in the fire of the Sun, which is considered a bad thing.  After all, that planet in the sky is rendered invisible by the light of the Sun and is therefore seriously debilitated.

There is often a difference between the philosophy of astrology and the practical observation of the way that certain things work.  Being a practical person, I am more interested in whether an astrological idea has practical application than how old the idea is.  Just because someone came up with it 2000 years ago doesn’t make it a useful tool, in my opinion.  For this reason, I am typically not concerned about this idea that the Mercury and Mars will conjoin in combustion to the Sun.  I have seen where the Sun conjunct Mercury activates the mind in a way that is not normally possible, and a conjunction from the Sun to Mars can open a portal to greater action and enhance motivation.

This week the Sun conjoined Mars (on September 2nd) and then Mercury (on the 3rd).  The presence of Mars, the planet of war and aggression, is often a concern when it is strongly positioned, but in this case the two planets and the Sun are all in the sign of Virgo.  Virgo is a sign of reason and practical thinking, and tends to tone down the aggression of Mars and focus the intelligence of Mercury.  The Sun here tends to amplify the energies of Mars and we did in […]

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By |2019-09-03T19:04:15-04:00September 3rd, 2019|Planetary news this week|1 Comment
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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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