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| July Sunset Afterglow Catherine Al-Meten |
Prepare yourself for a week of great shifts and transitions. The Sun moves from the constellation of Cancer into Leo, as does Mercury. Venus begins her retrograde phase in Virgo on July 25. Remember, planets and the Sun begin drawing of the power of such shifts days and weeks before, depending on the speed of their orbit. Over the last few weeks, you may have been sensing the changes coming. Mars remains in Cancer until August 8, and so the muted nature and security-focused nature of Cancer infuses our actions. Jupiter entered Leo on July 16, reviving up the energy for increased abundance and returns on investments. Between now and August 11 when Jupiter enters Virgo, take advantage of all the good will, resources, opportunities, and new adventures that you will soon be engaging in.
Venus retrograde’s phase which runs from July 25 through September 6, happens to be a 40-day cycle. Such cycles are often thought to be sacred times. Spiritual retreats and times of great reflection and enlightenment often follow a 40-days and 40 nights pattern. Venus symbolizes the goddess of Love as well as War, according to the ancient Babylonians. We all know that love, turned inside out, can be used as a weapon against the those whose love was once so precious. A retrograde phase is a time for reflection, and it is also a time to look at the shadow side of whatever issues are unexamined, unhealed, or unresolved in that area of our lives.
During Venus retrograde cycles, old flames may show up, new, unorthodox approaches to relationships may be tried out. Complications from any unresolved past issues related to love, marriage, romance, or other intimate connections may result. Whatever is strong and durable, will survive. Whatever is not, will end or become much less a focus. Energy that has been drained in trying to make something work that isn’t meant to, now depletes those who have run out of excuses, solutions, or tolerance for untenable situations.
Venus in Virgo has us looking for pragmatic, down-to-earth ways to express and experience love. Whatever we do that pertains to Venus-ruled experiences, has to have a practical application. Art we buy, clothes we wear, entertainment we choose, and of course, the way we view love and relationships. Venus in Virgo has us looking at anything we do with impeccable care. We pay attention to the details and we tend to the small, but important aspects of our lives. Clearing clutter and cleaning house, become part and parcel of our lives right now. When we release clutter during this period, it is infinitely more rewarding. Energy is released and movement is spurred along, especially since the Sun and Mercury are entering Leo during this same period. The focus and direction of our energy flow now is into direct action.
The retrograde phase of Venus which starts this week, is a time when we will each have the opportunity to discover what is ready for resolution and healing. This can be a time of great vulnerability, a time when we question and doubt the choices we have made regarding love. We may wander into the past, looking for reassurance from something or someone that is no longer on our side, so to speak. Our own vulnerabilities create a tension that finds us needing reassurance and validation, but not ready to go into uncharted territories. The tendency during times like this is to fall back into patterns from the past, seeking to relight an old flame or cling to ideas and relationships that no longer honor who we are.
While this retrograde time may bring temptations that draw us into old patterns and behavior, it can also be a time when we are brave enough to put an end to what is dead and gone. Time to symbolically bury the past. Over the last week or so, you may have already entered into temptation’s garden, and discovered yourself back in the energy of a relationship you have had a difficult time letting go of. If that is the case, you may have ignored your intuitive red flags or found yourself making excuses for your lover’s behavior—a pattern that you seem to want to ignore. If this is the case, hopefully you will wake up now, and takes time during the 40-day cycle to extricate yourself from whatever is not life-affirming, love-giving, and healthy. This requires personal courage and a clarity of mind that you can have some perspective on what the wrong choices will result in if you choose to slip back into an old routine and opt not to grow stronger and move forward.
This retrograde period of Venus is excellent for healing and creating. Go back and discover the beauty that has been within you, that you share and sometimes squander with those who do not appreciate it. Spend time building up your inner sanctuary, tending to the beauty, love, gifts, and treasures you have within. Take what is best from the past, and give it a new polish. Involve yourself in creative endeavors you do as a form of self renewal. Step into sacred space in the Divine Temple where you allow yourself to heal, nourish, and experience a rebirth of yourself in a new form and shape, tempered, honed and strengthened by your experiences. To do so promises you that you will emerge from this period a transformed person, capable and ready to move over the threshold to a new kind of experience in love, beauty, relationship, and life.
Over the weekend of the 25-27, Venus will parallel Uranus in Aries. This finds us embracing whatever new energy is flowing into our lives right now. It ushers in the 40-day period and sends significant energy into areas of our lives and love relationships, that find us looking in new directions, being presented with new ideas and opportunities, and discovering entirely new fields of exploration in our search for love, truth, and beauty. It can be an exhilarating time, yet a bit unstable. Enjoy the ride, and let yourself take things slowly when it comes to making long term commitments or plans. Let things develop slowly and organically.
During this week, Mercury is going to trine Chiron in Pisces, making for an excellent time for communications. Listening is easier for us now, and we find we have little need to push our ideas across or fail to listen because we are so worried we won’t be heard. We may find it easier to feel comfortable not having to say everything we think. Also on Monday, Venus seisquiquadrates Neptune in Pisces causing some fuzzy thinking or a desire to wool gather and day dream. This may be great for artistic inspiration but may not be so for anything that requires clarity or technical skill. Later in the evening, the Sun in Cancer trines Saturn in Scorpio. Despite their presence in water sings, this trine brings a kind of grounding that makes u feel very at home and stable. We are more content with not only what we are doing but also how we are doing it. We feel the capacity to deal with whatever we are responsible for doing, and we do so with a greater sense of being able to look at the reality of our lives and ourselves, rather than dwelling on wishing we could change or do things better. We are riding the horse in the direction it is going.
On Wednesday, Mercury in Cancer trines Saturn in Scorpio, another aspect that brings clarity, energy, and focus to whatever we are organizing, planning, or preparing for. This is a positive time for clarity and sound decision making. Whatever you have worked hard to develop in your life and the lessons you have learned from self inquiry and honest reflection, now manifest in bringing form and substance into whatever plans, projects, or choices you are now making or working on. What you set into motion now, brings forth your future crop of ideas and creations.
Also on Wednesday, the Sun enters Leo. We move into the active arena of fire energy. Almost immediately, the Sun in Leo conjuncts Mercury, so we might actually start this solar transit with some very good news or receive something we have been waiting for. In any event, our mind, body, spirit, and all levels of communication are in perfect alignment, making this a time when we are clear and concise, full of ideas and plans, capable of solving complex problems, and no doubt saying or writing exactly what we feel and mean. Our words, in whatever form, have an impact and will result in tangible effects. Choose your words wisely. Be careful what you wish or ask for becaue you are bound to see it manifest.
On Thursday, Mercury also enters Leo leading up to some interesting and powerful energy and meetings.
Also on Thursday, all day Friday and into the weekend, the Moon is in Scorpio. The Moon is making aspects each day with all the major inner and outer planets and the Sun. Saturn still in its retrograde journey into the last decan of Scorpio, is causing us to revisit a lot of old thoughts, patterns, and behaviors. It is as if we are going through the trunks in our attics or basements, reviewing the history of who we are and where we came from. We are assessing, during this period, and with the Moon also transiting this sign, we are apt to feel very emotional if not downright melancholy. You may find yourself facing deeper levels of grief than you have in a long time. Outbursts and emotions are on the surface for many at this time. Something you say or do may trigger feelings in someone else—feelings that may not actually have anything to do with you, but you may be on the receiving end of their unhealed grief or unacknowledged anger. Steer clear of encounters with anyone who may use you for a punching bag or toss their own unhealed garbage your way. Whether or not it is conscious or unconscious, intentional or unintentional, you don’t need nor do you deserve to be the recipient of anyone else’s anger, rage, or unhealed stuff.
Also on Friday, the first quarter square of the Moon occurs. This is a time when whatever we have already set into motion or been focusing our energy on, meets its first tests of this lunar cycle. With the New Moon setting off the Cancer cycle, our emotional well being depends on feeling at home, feeling safe and secure, and feeling we are capable of taking care of those for whom we are responsible. Notice how this square triggers or energizes you on Friday, and notice what your natural inclination is. By observing our behavior under different stellar aspects, we begin to understand that we are fluid, dynamic beings, and that we are always learning how to adapt to the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexpected.
On Saturday, July 25, Mars in Cancer squares Uranus in Aries, a very explosive, unpredictable aspect. Our feelings and need for security and safety, may be jostled by unexpected event, changes, or other challenges and obstacles. Our own behavior may be affected by this aspect, and so it is helpful to remember to curb our impetuousness and rein in our desire to act or react impulsively. Keep your cool, and count to ten if you feel the temperature rise in discussions that are edging on arguments. We may feel distracted because the energy (Uranus in Aries) and all the planets and the Sun now in Leo, are heating things up and increasing our levels of energy. Rash actions and choices are likely, so notice where you are likely to be affected.
All in all, it’s a pretty active week, with major shifts in energy, changing signs of planets, and a cartload of aspects that challenge us to remain true to ourselves, remain connected to the Divine guidance we need, and ride the seas of change ready to adjust our sails according to the weather and our destination. Navigating through changing seas, requires vigilance, both of the inner and outer realities of Nature. What is the natural course that you find yourself on at this time in your life? This is the guiding question
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