Venus into Cancer | July 31st - August 26th ... attracted to what feels like home

hanna by aufzehengehen

Venus moves into nurturing Cancer today.

Venus in Cancer is the maiden becoming the mother. It is a natural fit. 

Cancer Suns and Cancer Risings (Cancer ruling the first house of our natal chart) get more attractive - both easy on the eye and able to attract what they want. What house holds Cancer in your natal chart? That house will be more attractive now, too - meaning able to attract our attention, and other people's attention, to that house's theme. 

If you have any planets in that Cancer house in your natal (or progressed) chart Venus will meet with (conjunct) those planets over the next month. Planets in Scorpio and Pisces will trine Venus at various times. Planets in Taurus and Virgo will sextile. Trines and sextiles offer opportunities and we will need all the easy energy and opportunities we can find over the next few weeks!

While Venus is in Cancer we will be dealing with everyone's inner child and inner mother AT THE SAME TIME. We might look in the mirror and see our mother. We will be attracted to people who remind us of mother, home or safety. Our own and other people's childhood patterns related to love and mothering or lack of love and mothering will be observable. We will all be more likely to touch each other - physically, emotionally and verbally - in comforting ways.

So, when that strange guy at the post office with the four inch sideburns and two inch nose hairs, steps a little too close and even touches your elbow while chatting you up about the dangers of cellphones you probably won't even flinch. Probably. Especially if mom had sideburns, too.

Kindness matters now. Yes, of course, kindness always matters. But people will be needing it. Most of us, especially women because Venus rules women but not only women, will be more sensitive. More sensitivity can bring us closer to other people. It can also make life more painful. An offer to make someone dinner or a few extra moments spent with someone who needs a shoulder to cry on can make all the difference now.

We will feel a stronger urge to fit in ... somewhere. Most especially somewhere that feels like home.

The primary urge of Venus in Cancer is toward security. Safety and security, home and family - will be what everyone is wanting. The people and places and situations that make us feel protected will be the spaces we can recharge our Venusian batteries.  

The things we want and the things we need will turn out to be the same things.

Venus in Cancer is less direct. People influenced by this transit will be hinting at what they want/need instead of reaching out. Know this and allow everyone a few extra moments to get to whatever it is they need to get to. Our vulnerabilities will not turn off the people they normally turn off. We will not be walking past that homeless guy quite as easily.

This doesn't mean we open up to just anyone although we will be surprised at who is opening up. A crab's shell (Cancer means crab) keeps it alive, but it is continually being outgrown. We most likely know by now where the safe spaces and safe people are.

We'll go to them and we'll be them.

The next three weeks are setting up to be pretty challenging. Hugs will help. I have a niece who hugs long and hard and hardly ever lets go first. She's a Cancer. Let's try to follow her example now - and not let go first.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of July 31st - storms are brewing ....

melf by aufzehenhgehen

Another big, powerful week as we build toward the eclipses! I'll do a big picture forecast this week as well as some dailies for the stuff that stands out.

I am starting with Sunday this week, even though I am writing this Sunday night (!) since we have the First Quarter Moon today. You might have felt it. A crisis point. We kicked off the week SUNDAY morning with the Moon (in Scorpio) squaring the Sun (in Leo). This brings a challenge to whatever started at the New Moon a week ago. Our awareness (Sun) moves to the problem, so we can reform (Scorpio) the situation.

This monthly aspect (in different signs and areas of our lives) is determined to show us how strong we are on an emotional level - how well we can keep our cool when things don't go our way. More could be demanded from us than we expected or we could be the one doing the demanding. The Moon is squaring Mars, making power struggles even more likely. There is a nice healing Neptune/Scorpio trine (brakes off) in the evening though.

On MONDAY, the Moon is void all day. This is not a good day to launch anything, start something new, have a conversation/meeting you want 'something to come of'.

This is the longest void we've seen in a long time!

Mini astrology lesson: The moon is called "void" or "void of course" when she makes no aspects to any other planets. This is important because our moon lives in imagination where all our possibilities are kept alive simply because we never choose to live them out. So, in astrological terms, the Moon has to make an aspect to a physical planet before she leaves the sign she is in, before she 'changes the subject' so to speak, for anything to actually happen in the physical realm.

When an action is taken under a void of course moon - "nothing will come of the matter". 

Venus moves into nurturing Cancer until August 26th - a space she loves. I'll do a post about it tomorrow - Cancer Suns and Risings get more attractive (both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want), our Cancer natal houses get more attractive, our wants (Venus) and our needs (Cancer) will be working together. People (especially women) will be more emotional, more sentimental AND maybe need more reassurances and more mothering.

EXAMPLE FOR LIBRA/LIBRA Rising (Cancer 10th house) - Venus moves into your public life/career house increasing your ability to attract attention in this area. Emotional connections within a professional setting are possible now. Your naturally fine line between work and home or professional and personal softens even more than usual. You attract/earn more/gain more recognition and self-esteem by being a professional "mother" in some way. Empathy attracts. Vulnerability attracts. You don't have to be Superwoman to be a super woman.

On TUESDAY, the Moon will be in Sagittarius making us feel a little more optimistic and broad-minded. The Moon will be adjusting to Venus (freshly in Cancer) and Sagittarius themes could have our attention - travel, education, weddings, foreign issues, media, marketing, politics, religion. We might also be dealing with other people's finances, debts, loans, taxes, reproduction, sex, death issues now. At night the Moon is squaring Mercury making everyone more opinionated and then trining Mars - we could have a burst of energy late in the day or maybe someone wants/demands our attention.

On THURSDAY, Uranus stations retrograde (post to follow). He will be retrograde for the rest of the year. His change of direction could bring some people a temporary release from whatever crazy-making is happening in their lives. For other people the retrograde itself will shake things up. Uranus has been standing almost totally still for the last week or so, so the change/surprise, could be something that has already happened and now we will be dealing with the aftermath ...

EXAMPLE FOR SCORPIO/SCORPIO Rising (Aries 6th house) this retrograde will have you going back over something in your day to day activities, work and health sector (also pets). There could be a sudden or unexpected change to your daily routine or job. An existing health issue could ease up or maybe an issue from the past returns in a more intense way to allow you to re-work the problem. Think lifestyle "re"flection, lifestyle "re"vision, lifestyle "re"boot.

By May of 2018 Uranus will be in Taurus - shaking up our Taurus natal houses, Taurus people, any planets or points we have in Taurus and bringing revolution to our (collective) money, women's issues, our food supply, weather and climate through 2025. Buckle up!

On FRIDAY, we have the third of the Jupiter/Pluto squares of 2016-2017. Post to follow. The first was in November 2016, the second the end of March 2017. Do you have a story playing out? This has been THE major 2017 transit and it will take awhile to unwind itself. In the United States we have been watching a battle between government (Pluto) and media (Jupiter) and government (Pluto) and the courts (Jupiter) - among other battles!

This transit is very ambitious. Power can make us greedy. Success is possible here but there will be consequences for over the top acts of power/revenge/manipulation. With Jupiter in social Libra and Pluto in all-business Capricorn damaged relationships/partnerships/alliances and powerful enemies could be the price to pay for abuses of power and control. This year's transits could bring great success if we haven't pushed (Pluto) our luck (Jupiter) - but could also bring big losses, bankruptcy and time in the slammer for some overly ambitious and unethical power divas.

EXAMPLE FOR SAGITTARIUS/SAGITTARIUS Rising - this week's final square is about a financial opportunity - maybe a cash bonus, big sale or serious source of new/improved income. This would likely come through friends, groups or the internet making this a good time for promotion, sales, media exposure - return those emails! If some opportunity from last November or late March didn't work out, now would be the time to reach out again. The caveat is not to go so extreme that you look desperate, unethical or greedy and have it all backfire. Less will get you more now. 

Mercury is walking the steps he will re-walk two more times - yes, Mercury retrograde is coming! - so pay attention to the news/information/conversations now. AND BACK UP YOUR FILES.

xo all - back later in the week with some dailies and the big picture lead up to the eclipses!

Mars Conjunct the Sun, Venus Sextile the North Node | a new action cycle, investing in what we love

swing by mh22

Mars conjunctions are new beginnings.

Whenever another planet conjuncts (meets at the same degree) the planet Mars we get a fresh start for that other planet's energy because Mars rules Aries and the first house of fiery initiation.

So something from the last Mars/Sun conjunction (mid June 2015, check your Facebook to see what was going on in your life if this time frame doesn't ring any bells) is ending now and something new will begin to open up. Since Sunday's New Moon was conjunct Mars there is likely a connection to that.

This is a fresh start for our Leo house theme (triggered by an ending or culmination) because this is the space the planets are meeting up and this is a fresh start for our Sun sign.

Mars transits encourage action. Leo transits elicit attention. Combined with our natal Sun sign energy (I know everyone knows their Sun sign!) this is our sweet spot of power now.

This is excellent energy to start a new, long term, project!

Two days after the last Mars/Sun conjunction which was conjunct Donald Trump's Sun/North Node/Uranus he announced his run for the Presidency. We might not have this kind of super-potent connection to our natal chart with this one - any planets or points near 5 degrees Leo in your natal chart? - but BIG, or should I say BIGLY shifts, are possible. The impossible can be made possible with this kind of kick-off.

We are living in the days between ages, moving from patriarchy into equality, from the Piscean age (patriarchy, authority) into the Aquarian age (equality, freedom). Anyone who expected the incoming Aquarian age to look like late 1960's hippie culture (peace, drugs and rock 'n roll was pure Piscean energy) is being badly shaken up. Aquarius (ruled by erratic Uranus) is about creation through chaos. With every leap forward (and technology, ruled by Aquarius and Uranus is making sure our leaps are often with lengths unrivaled by Olympic athletes) we face the risk of losing everything.

And yes, right now we, as a collective, are leaping - there are no guarantees of a smooth or even safe landing. Maybe we have to let go of the idea of even landing at all to enjoy (Leo) the trip! My thinking (!) is we can't think too far ahead now because what we are thinking and feeling and doing is constantly interacting with and changing the paths ahead that will be available to us. The "good old days" are what we carry inside us. We aren't going back there. This doesn't mean we don't have good days ahead of us, we have GREAT days ahead of us. They are just different days!

The fear that is crippling us/our planet at the moment, is the closing act of the Piscean play. It's the act whose lead characters are the parts of us - acted out by the people "in charge" - that refuse to change; the parts of us that would rather drown, and take the rest of us with them, than deal with and face up to how wrong their ideas/thinking has become. We see this in the collective, especially in politics, but we also see this within ourselves.

Our heads can't get there from here.

Our future is just too different from our now. And that's OK. With perfect synchronicity our loving Universe/God/Goddess has given us the North Node in heart-centered and Sun ruled Leo to guide us. Our hearts can get there.

With the Moon and Mercury in Virgo today we might be overthinking something. Our overthinking is actually holding the whole world back. Yes, we are that powerful! This doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking at all. With Mercury in Virgo our thinking and reasoning skills are sharp and needed now.

But it's important to stay centered in our heart with whatever is happening. Remember that North Node in Leo. What do we want to create is this situation? What do we want to be recognized for?

We also have Venus (love, money, women, beauty, balance, fairness, self-esteem, what we value) sextiling  - OPPORTUNITY - our North Node in Leo. The opportunity comes from recognizing what we value now. What do we want to do with our precious hours on this precious planet? If some kind of balance needs to be reset - this is the time. This is the energy to beautify our environment and ourselves. This is the energy to be investing in what we love - what does that make you think about doing with your time, money, attention? Do some of that. This sextile is fleeting but not some small thing - please don't assume because it is only one tiny paragraph here that is isn't as important as all my ranting. It's more important.

xo all