Mercury square Neptune

Planetary news this week: Inspiration and dreams, with a sprinkle of fairy dust

Astrological update for the week of November 27 – December 5, 2022

artist unknown?

It’s a pretty quiet week in the astrological skies, and the lunar influences will be more noticeable (scroll down for the details of the week). This is the end of the Sagittarius influences – next week Mercury and Venus will both enter Capricorn and pave the way for the Sun to move into Capricorn at the December Solstice on December 21st. Every change from one sign to the next brings a release of the matters of one sign and the introduction of something new, and from Sagittarius to Capricorn we transition from an expansive view of possibilities and optimism (Sagittarius) to a more focus and finely honed set of goals and objectives, with strategies for meeting those goals (Capricorn).

That’s what’s coming next week, but this week is the last of the buoyancy that Sagittarius brings and along with it, the tendency to overpromise and under-deliver.  With Ceres opposite Neptune having just peaked last week, we may not have the energy we think we do under the optimistic Sagittarius influences, so it’s a good week to conserve our energy while having a great time in the pursuit of Sagittarian happiness. Jupiter, the planetary ruler of Sagittarius, has just turned retrograde and is still virtually stationary in the sky making sure that we are looking for opportunities and the positive side to things. And Neptune, turning direct this week after a retrograde stint of about six months, is at a standstill with the siren call to experiences of magic and dreamy adventures which could bring bliss or ruin. Ideally the bliss part! At any rate, if you have planets between 20 and 25 degrees of […]

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By |2022-12-02T09:28:14-05:00November 28th, 2022|Planetary news this week|4 Comments

Astrological update for the week of December 6, 2021:

This week we really don’t have any major planetary events of any note so it’s a good time to re-center and find your balance going into the holidays.  A little later in the month we have the final-ish phase of the square from Saturn to Uranus, the cycle which has brought so much social crisis, but the two will still be within range of a square aspect throughout 2022 especially in the late summer and early fall so we can’t relax quite yet.  Especially in the United States where we are just going into the US Pluto return.

But that’s another story, and this week with Venus beginning to slow down in preparation for her retrograde turn on December 19th we can take some time to relax and re-discover ways to find pleasure and enjoyment. Under Venus retrograde, relationships can be repaired and re-discovered, and while it’s true that these are not the best times to begin new relationships of any kind. a relationship begun under a retrograde Venus can help us to learn more about ourselves.

In the meantime though, Venus and Pluto are close to a conjunction throughout the week, and this can create some rough waters for relationships and perhaps financial difficulties as Venus represents everything that we value and not just people.  Avoidance of difficulty isn’t always helpful, and if you value personal transformation this is the week to enhance and deepen the bonds of all kinds of liaisons from romantic, to business, to children.

And now, the week ahead. Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, please adjust for your locality. 

Monday December 6.  Mars forms a sextile to Pluto very early in the morning and this aspect (building since Saturday and Sunday) will remain throughout the […]

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By |2021-12-06T08:11:48-05:00December 6th, 2021|Planetary news this week|0 Comments

7.6.21 – The last of the Mercury/Neptune confusion! And Venus as change agent

[art by Celestial Moon Fire Art] For some reason not mysterious given the nature of the post, this never posted and was never sent out to subscribers.  It’s a little late but I wanted it to go out anyway.

This Mercury retrograde has been exceptionally fraught with confusion and uncertainty, for me at least!  We can blame Neptune for that, since Mercury (mind and communication) has been in a square aspect cycle to mystical Neptune  since May 22, 2021.  Neptune has been virtually stationary for several months due to its retrograde turn on June 25th.  It’s tempting to try to gain control of situations in chaos, but the Neptune lesson is to let go and allow our life to unfold rather than try to control the details that may seem to be falling apart.  Neptune will remain stationary for the next month or so, meaning we will remain under its tutelage for some time, but in the meanwhile Mercury will be moving out of range of its fog and some level of clarity will resume.

We’ve been talking about how Mars (action) has activated the challenging square from Saturn to Uranus – the story of change which is the story of 2021 – and over the next few days Venus will soothe the rough edges wrought by Mars as it interacts with first Saturn today and then Uranus tomorrow.  Venus aspects are usually mild and serve to bring a touch of peace and beauty into a situation – something which is sorely needed right now!  Today and tomorrow are good days to focus on the things that are good and lovely in our world, and open our eyes to ways in which we can find greater balance and harmony. ❤️

 

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By |2021-07-11T07:32:27-04:00July 11th, 2021|Planetary news this week|0 Comments

Planetary news this week! Astrological forecast for May 27-June 2, 2019

Photo from Flickr

Last week we saw the peak of the challenging square from Mars (aggression) to Chiron (wounding and healing).  Perhaps you noticed, with Mars in the emotional sign of Cancer, that people around you were more reactive, either passive aggressive or outwardly aggressive, with feelings more easily hurt?

That influence is behind us, and this week he planetary influences over the next week are sweet and benign.  It’s a good week to rest and recharge, especially if (like me!) you are experiencing an intense planetary shift in your own chart.

The only real difficulty, and it is a mild one, occurs between the 28th and the 31st when Mercury (the mind) faces off in a square to Neptune (dreamy confusion) and opposite Jupiter (confidence).  This is an excellent time for creativity and spirituality – meditation, yoga, creating music or art.  It’s not such a good time for difficult conversations as much can be misunderstood under this influence.  The potential for arguments is high since Jupiter bestows the idea that WE are correct and others are not.  It’s not a good time for making business decisions as we may be overconfident and tend to miss small details – but it IS a good time to listen for your small voice within and your intuitive guidance.  After the 30th, Mercury will be out of range of both Jupiter and Neptune and the clouds will clear.

Venus (love and beauty) harmonizes with Saturn and Neptune between May 30th and June 2nd, a beautiful end to the month.  This enhances our relationships and all of our interactions with others, and also inspires us to seek a more peaceful approach to the matters at hand.  An awkward Venus/Jupiter aspect […]

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By |2019-05-28T08:02:05-04:00May 28th, 2019|Planetary news this week|7 Comments

Taurus Full Moon, October 29 2012

Taurus Full Moon 2012 Art by Gustav Verderber

The Full Moon in Taurus is a blessing from the Earth.  Taurus is the earthiest of all of the earth signs – it is a fixed sign so it encourages stability and perseverance, but is also stubborn and unyielding.  As an earth sign, Taurus is concerned with practical matters and physical comfort.  Sensual experiences of food and touch are important for Taurus, and for all of us under the Taurus Full Moon.

When the Moon is full in Taurus, the Scorpio Sun is exactly opposite the Moon.  Full Moons are the apex of the lunar cycle, and the opposition  (180 degree) aspect requires integration of polar opposites.  Where Taurus longs for peace and comfort, Scorpio demands intensity and passionate involvement.  Where Taurus seeks security, Scorpio is an emotional risk-taker.  It is this tension that creates the emotionality that Full Moons are famous for.

Still, Venus (attraction and relating) will have just moved from Virgo into Libra, bringing light into our relationships and bringing greater interpersonal balance.  In addition, Mercury moves into Sagittarius on the day of the Full Moon which begins a few weeks of a more optimistic period in which we seek a larger view of life and find more hope and faith.

Mercury is preparing to turn retrograde and has slowed down in preparation of its change of direction, so Mercury is very important right now.  A challenging square from Mercury to Neptune (delusion, spiritual yearning) is embedded in the chart of the Full Moon and can bring some confusion as some of the details that keep us anchored in the physical world become unraveled. If we let go and spend some time in meditation and inner […]

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