Are you ready for change?  Did you think that 2021 was bringing "the new," and didn't deliver on its promise?  Well then, get ready, because equinox (Wednesday, September 22nd) is the gateway through which we access the real magic 2021 has for us.  

Up until now we've been laying the foundation, doing the groundwork, for what's in store for us in the remaining months of this year.  

From now through the end of the year, we are in rolling waves of change sweeping us forward into "the new."  2021 is a big year of transition, and we are about to start seeing the results of the work we've been doing all year.  

This change is basically coming in four parts ~ Mercury retrograde in aspect to Jupiter and Pluto from now until the beginning of November along with Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter stationing direct in October, Scorpio season (sun, Mercury, and Mars in Scorpio squaring Saturn and then opposing Uranus, respectively), eclipse season, and then the big finale-the third and final square between Saturn and Uranus on December 24th, Jupiter back into Pisces on December 28th, and Uranus direct on January 18th.  (And lets not forget Venus' retrograde in Capricorn in December.)

If you've been waiting for the shift this year, this is your week.  This week we walk through the gateway that opens the door to the new.

Virgo and Pisces sit directly opposite each other in the sky, creating one of six axes of the zodiac.

Along with the twelve constellations that make up the wheel of the zodiac, astrology uses twelve houses, or temples of life, which denote twelve different areas of human life.  The first house is the self and identity, the second house is resources and how the self is supported in the world, and so on.  The sign that occupies the first house is always the rising sign or the sign that is on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth.  The rising sign determines which sign of the zodiac, or energy, will occupy which temple of life for the individual, as the rising sign will change, but the placement and order of houses is always the same.  

Yet in astrology, we work with associations.  Each sign of the zodiac has its specific energetic characteristics, as well as an associated element and modality.  Each sign also has a planetary ruler it is associated with as well as rulership over a house or area of life. ​

I just saw a Brene Brown post with a quote about "Pandemic Flux Syndrome."

This is the first time I've heard about this, and if this is on your mind right now or orbiting in your awareness, I would like to offer some astrological perspective.

The quote was from a Washington Post article, citing Dr. Amy Cuddy and JillEllyn Riley, and said this: "If you're experiencing increased sadness and anxiety along with an urge to dramatically change something about your life - some of the markers of pandemic flux syndrome - be assured you're not alone. Many people are feeling such tensions. Although human beings are more resilient than we generally appreciate, it will take time for many of us to stably recover, to reflect and recalibrate."

My first thought was, "oh no, now a syndrome?"

​But of course. And it deserves acknowledgement. The pandemic has traumatized us collectively. Even though it is the last thing we may want to hear more or talk more about, trying to sweep it under the rug and just move on will only keep us from truly moving on - that's the number one rule of trauma - it must be acknowledged, witnessed, recognized, rather than being dismissed and minimized.

But what does the astrology tell us about how the events of 2020 played out, what the bigger picture of 2021 is, and most importantly, what's next?

Here's a little perspective....

In 2018 Saturn entered its own sign of Capricorn, where Pluto has been since 2008, and started moving towards its January 2020 rendezvous with Pluto. These two are heavy hitters, Saturn being authority, and Pluto being power, Saturn being tradition and Pluto being regeneration, and the 2020 conjunction was the beginning of a fresh 35 year cycle.

The end of 2019 saw a Capricorn season including eclipses on the Cancer-Capricorn axis with Capricorn a planetary packed house. When so many planets are in a "traffic jam" in one sign, this makes the energy heavily weighted to just that one sign. With that sign being Capricorn, cardinal earth, the energy was that of being constipated, like compacted soil that needs to be aerated and then watered to bring life back to it.

That's how we began 2020 - energetically, like compacted soil.

Then as the year progressed, at equinox, on March 21, 2020, Saturn entered into Aquarius. It stationed retrograde there, returning to Capricorn on July 1st, 2020. Where I live, late March 2020 coincided with pandemic lockdown/shelter in place. That was Saturn, the planet associated with authority, rules, restriction, limits, boundaries, sickness, and depression, taking its first dip into Aquarius, the air sign (think lungs, breath) that rules the collective, innovation, the future, and humanitarianism.

Then, the last half of 2020, from July on, was dominated by Mars, the warrior, strong in its own sign of Aries and retrograde, coming into three challenging squares with Saturn retrograde in Capricorn. This was an energy of being forced to grow and transform under great pressure and restriction - transformation under circumstances much like a diamond might be formed.

Then in December of 2020, both Jupiter and Saturn entered into Aquarius, coming into the Great Conjunction on Dec. 21st, 2020, beginning a new 20 year cycle.

Keep in mind that Jupiter, planet of expansion, growth, abundance, and gifts, was traveling with Saturn through Saturn-ruled Capricorn all of 2020, so under the more strongly positioned Saturn and unable to bring gifts in its normal style. Then in 2021, it moved into Aquarius with Saturn. Jupiter is a little better positioned in Aquarius, but with Saturn also there, Saturn is still stronger, as it ruled Aquarius before Uranus was discovered. This won't be the case as we move 2022 - Saturn will remain in Aquarius while Jupiter moves into Pisces, the sign it traditionally ruled before Neptune was discovered. This puts Jupiter in the strongest position to bring growth and gifts its been in since when it was in its own sign of Sagittarius in 2019. (We got a taste of what Jupiter in Pisces in 2022 will feel like from 5/13 to 7/28 of this year - whatever expansive good things came onto the horizon then will be back starting Dec. 28th, 2021.)

Again, for most of 2021 (except for mid-May to late July), Jupiter has been under Saturn and debilitated.

The defining energy of 2021, however, is Saturn in Aquarius making three squares to Uranus in Taurus. The first one was February 17th, the second one was June 14th, and the third and final one, the resolution of the issue, will be December 24th (right before Jupiter returns to Pisces).

Just as 2020 began with a traffic jam of planets in Capricorn, 2021 began with a traffic jam of planets in Aquarius. Over these two years, we have made a monumental move from earth energy to air energy. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction of 2020 ushered in a new cycle of power, rules, and traditions. The Saturn-Jupiter conjunction of 2021 was the shift from us having this conjunction every 20 years in earth signs for the past 200 years to us having this conjunction in air signs for the next 200 years. When we look at the big picture, we can see how the pandemic forced us away from our traditions around a "brick and mortar" lifestyle of the earth element to one that is more of the air element - work from home, Zoom, online shopping, etc.

In general, the three squares between Saturn and Uranus over 2021 are helping us work something out having to do with innovating the way we feel secure and enjoy the everyday pleasures of life. Saturn is what is established and the past. It is tradition, authority, systems, structures, and rules that are time-tested. Uranus is the future and what is innovative. It is outside-of-the-box thinking and creating new traditions based on what is relevant to our present experience, and what benefits the good of the collective. Squares between planets create an energetic impasse - pressure that forces us to grow. They ask us to build a new foundation and new structure that was not there before, and this is exactly what we are doing in 2021.

From now, equinox, through the end of the year, we will be reaching resolution and moving forward via rolling waves of energetic shifts as Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter station direct and resume forward motion in October, we have our third and final Mercury retrograde, we move through our second eclipse portal of the year late November to early December, we reach the final Saturn-Uranus square on December 24th, and Jupiter returns to Pisces on December 28th. Then the big finally comes in mid-January 2022 when Uranus stations direct and we really start moving forward with "the new."

Keep in mind, astrologically speaking, retrograde planets always mean we are turning inward and in review mode, and Saturn in retrograde, as it has been since May, can have us feeling blocked, challenged, frustrated, unable to move forward, fearful, limited, anxious, and depressed. It is even more strongly felt being in Aquarius and in square to Uranus - a planet that pushes for innovation and forward motion which is now retrograde as well since August. Saturn is a centerpiece of this year, so we are feeling its repressive energy and push to keep nose to the grindstone and "do the work" even more acutely. At an impasse with Uranus calling for change, this can definitely have us feeling impulsive and restless and feeling like there is no way out and no end in sight - but there is.

Saturn stations direct in under a month on October 10th, amidst several other astrological shifts forward, and it will resolve its issue with Uranus on December 24th, just before Jupiter returns to a very strong position in Pisces for 2022 on December 28th. Whatever good stuff came up between mid-May and early July is back on at the end of the year, and after our several month review period, we will be more than ready to hit the ground running.

Change is the only constant and divine order is always at work.  Keep going.  We've got this.

*P.S. We have been under the influence of outer planets squares with Saturn in challenging aspect more or less since as far back as 2012 when we began "the awakening" with those 7 squares between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. 2022 is the first year we will not have any of that in play!

After a bumpy last month featuring two Uranus -ruled full moons in Aquarius in a row with a new moon in between in challenging aspect to Uranus, this month is a welcome change.

As we move towards equinox (September 22nd), we come to a turning point in the year with September 6th's Virgo new moon in supportive aspect to Uranus.  

This year's biggest energetic signature is the set of three squares between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus that are helping us work something out between past and future, tradition and innovation, and find a new way forward.  We are truly in the home stretch of that now, with two of the three already behind us and the third and final one coming up December 24th, and September 6th's new moon is a big piece of this puzzle.

Here is a 6 card "success" tarot spread for the coming month until the September 20th full moon that breaks down how to successfully navigate the next few weeks.

Card 1:  3 of Cups.   The 3 of Cups is a card of revelry and people coming together joyfully.  This is also the suit of water, so think emotions and creativity.  This shows that the situation currently is of connecting with others and having a good time.  This includes mutual support, and maybe even more structured collaborations.  ​

​Card 2:  The World, reversed.  ​The World is the final card of the Major Arcana - a card of completion.  However, when reversed, it says "not quite yet."  Card 1 shows we may have been enjoying a fun social break, but this card in position 2 representing "current challenges" tells us that there is still work that needs to be done and we need to now return focus to that.  Now is the time to ask how we are holding ourselves back from completion.  We may need to fully release the past in order to move forward and complete this chapter now.  The World also is a card of Saturn.  This means no short cuts.  Only showing up fully now and taking responsibility for ourselves will do.  This is a time for discipline and integrity.  There's only a little farther to go.  Be aware of distractions and a tendency to self-sabotage because of fears that may come up now.  If necessary, break what's left to be done to get you across the finish line into small daily doable action steps, and just focus on the task at hand each day, steadily continuing to put one foot in front of the other to reach the goal.

Last week, with the Aquarius full moon on July 23rd (the first of two in a row), I did a monthly astrological forecast along with a five card "success" tarot reading for the month.  (Check that out here.) 

​We know the course of this month features a strong Uranus vibe, so there are likely to be lots of changes happening and in a sudden or unexpected manner that keeps us on our toes. 

But, the cards showed the sun (a big positive indicator of joy and success) and the outcome was the Ace of Cups - new beginnings that are emotionally fulfilling.

The main theme of the reading for this month was simply, "follow your heart."  And that is really fitting as we approach this weekend's Leo new moon on the same day that the Lion's Gate is at its peak (more on that below). 

This weekend's August 8th new moon at 16 degrees Leo is book-ended by two full moons in Aquarius - the first was July 23rd at 1 degree Aquarius, and the second will be August 22nd at 29 degrees Aquarius - the first and last degrees of the sign.

Aquarius' modern ruler is Uranus, and Uranus is active all of this week, including being in growth aspect to this weekends Leo new moon.  In fact, with Uranus being the ruler of both the July 23rd and August 22nd full moons, its energy is strong all month. 

​Adding to that, it will station retrograde on August 19th, just a couple of days before the August 22nd full moon, not turning direct again until January 18th, 2022.  (December and January are going to be bringing us a lot of positive shifts, so eyes on the prize!)

As this week begins, the sun-Saturn opposition, strong over the weekend, still lingers, as Saturn reminds us there is still work to be done.  Saturn retrograde is a review, and one that ultimately helps us by holding our feet to the fire around integrity, responsibility, duty, and showing up and doing the work that needs to be done.  Saturn is a harvest god - this "work" is the work that lets us enjoy a successful harvest.  It is never just busy work - this is serious stuff, and Saturn acts now as our mentor, helping us stay the course and get the job done.  But in opposition as it has been all weekend to sun and Mercury, it can feel like harsh and relentless outside authoritarian pressure coming down on us.  The only medicine here is patience and diligence - we must be our own authority to alleviate the feeling of the authority coming from "out there" down on us.  The energy is the same either way.  Do the work, and keep doing the work.

Luckily this is subsiding on Monday the 2nd, and while Saturn is still doing its retrograde thing in Aquarius until October 10th, when it isn't directly firing at another planet, we feel a bit of relief.

Plus, we get a boost on Monday/Tuesday as Venus in Virgo comes into alignment with Uranus in Taurus.  Later in the week we will be feeling Uranus in challenging aspect as it squares Mercury midweek and then the sun through the weekend, which will be asking us to grow and evolve, but at the beginning of the week, we get Uranus in the form of enlightening insight or supportive change, grounded, and in the realms of love and money, and especially how we value ourselves.  Be on the lookout for something good, whether it is a paradigm shift or something more tangible.

From midweek right through Sunday's Leo new moon and the peak of the Lion's Gate portal, we get Uranus in square aspect, meaning that it is bringing its signature change vibe through tension via energetic impasse with first Mercury (the mind, thoughts, communication, expression, and everyday money) and then the sun (our source, light, and light of consciousness/conscious focus), now both in Leo, sign of creative self-expression.  

Uranus tends to work through sudden upheaval, insight, or even disruption, and the square aspect between two planets brings tension that requires us to evolve and grow in order to move forward, so with sun and Mercury in Leo and Uranus in Taurus, there is something to work out between our creative self-expression and finding new ways to feel secure amidst these great waves of change and still being able to enjoy life's little luxuries and our daily creature comforts.  

With Uranus ruling the July 23rd and August 22nd full moons as well as being in growth aspect to this August 8th new moon, this is a main theme of this month.  This new way of feeling secure is everything right now, and we are in the process of working it out, creating new rules and new traditions, (with Saturn retrograde in Aquarius reminding us all the while that it must be solidly structured and foundationed, and there are certain "rules" and laws in this earthly existence that must be adhered to, and also that it all has to benefit the greater good of the collective).  

Remember that the overview for the month from July 23rd to August 22nd was about following our hearts - that was the pathway to success.  When it is in true alignment with our hearts and souls, then it is always true that what benefits us benefits the greater good, and what we give to others we must always give to ourselves first.  When we identify with what we truly need to give to ourselves on our most authentic level, we identify what our gift is to the world as well.

This is really perfect, because Leo season is all about the heart, our hearts, and what sets our hearts on fire.  It is about creative self-expression, but on a deeper level, it is about our expression of the Divine - about being a vessel for what wants to come through us out into this world.

And this all ties right in to something else happening in the cosmos right now - the Lion's Gate portal, on from July 26th to August 12th, but at its strongest on August 8th - the same day as the Leo new moon.

As I said before, this month (from the July 23rd full moon to the August 22nd full moon) is carrying a strong Uranus vibe, and Uranus is the planet of change through sudden upheaval.  But Uranus is also a planet of the 4th dimension (Saturn is 3D, and Chiron, the wounded healer, has an elliptical orbit that goes back and forth between the two), and a planet of change through sudden and out-of-the-blue insight.  It's a planet that can bring lasting change to our lives through revelation and sudden shifts in consciousness.  In this way, it can push us through a doorway into the future and there is no pathway back, because there is nothing left to go back to.  Once we know, we cannot un-know - we simply cannot go backwards in consciousness, even if we find ourselves uncomfortable in an unfamiliar, "wild new world."  

There is another force at work right now, besides Uranus, bringing us higher consciousness, and that is the 8:8 Lion's Gate portal.

This is an alignment between the earth and the fixed star Sirius (it sits at 16 degrees Cancer), that happens every year between July 26th and August 12th, and reaches its peak on August 8th.  

Sirius is sometimes referred to as the "spiritual sun" of the earth (and it is two times the size of our sun and 26x brighter).  

It is called the "Lion's Gate" portal because it occurs when the sun is in Leo every year.  

Sirius was associated with goddesses of ancient Egypt, with Ishtar for the Babylonians, and with Inanna for the Sumerians (both of which are associated with lions, like the lion relief from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, in the picture above which I took at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum in 2009).  Although Venus refers to both a goddess and a planet, the fixed star Sirius is associated with the goddess Venus as well, as Ishtar and Inanna were her predecessors before Greek and Roman times.  Thus, Sirius is associated with the goddess energy of the divine feminine, of harvest, and fertility in ancient times, which translates to simply to abundance across cultures and time, and the higher frequency of love and the law of attraction.

When we talk about love, abundance, and the law of attraction, and the goddess, it is simple:  as above, so below; as within, so without. 

​This is illustrated clearly in the Sumerian myth of Inanna's Descent, where Inanna (Venus), Queen of Heaven and Earth, becomes conscious of her sister Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld - her shadow self - and sets off on a long and arduous journey to meet her, where she descends into her own underworld, is stripped of her worldly status, and ultimately dies to her old consciousness and is reborn to a new one - one in which she reclaims her throne, whole unto herself, and rules both light and shadow from a place of wisdom and love.

So what does all this mean for us for this weekend and Sunday's Leo new moon?

Sirius is known as our "spiritual sun," and with this alignment between earth and Sirius peaking at the August 8th Leo new moon, we are getting a consciousness upgrade!

Leo rules the heart, inner child, and our creative self-expression - our being the vessel for the divine to shine through us out in to the world to benefit all.

What did you love doing the most as a small child?  What ignited your imagination and inspired you?  What did you dream of doing when you grew up?  

This is the authentic you before the world told you what you needed to be and do to "make it."  Reconnect with this you.

Beginning now, using the last few days of this waning moon before Sunday's new moon, think on how you most want to experience your life.

How do you want to BE in the world?

What sets your heart on fire?

What gift would you like to give the world?  (Remember, whatever you give to others, you must first give to yourself - what do you need to give to yourself?)

What service, that is uniquely you and lights up your heart, would you most like to provide to the collective of humanity? 

(Keep in mind that this month is Uranus-charged, and that means big change vibe, innovation, and most likely getting out of our comfort zones - if your answer to these questions feels exciting and really uncomfortable at the same time, you are in the sweet spot!)

It's that time of the month again, and by that I mean full moon time.  

This full moon (July 23rd, 2021) is at 1 degree Aquarius, and is the first of two full moons in a row that will be in the sign - the coming full moon on August 22nd will be at 29 degrees Aquarius.  In between the two, we will have a new moon on August 8th at 16 degrees Leo that will be in growth aspect to the ruler of these two full moons - Uranus.  

Looking from full moon to full moon, we have three lunar events all with one important thing in common - Uranus.  

Uranus is the planet of sudden change, the future, innovation, liberation, insight, and breakthroughs - prepare for a month of growth and fast-paced change  that will keep us on our toes.  Uranus is known for bringing us change through sudden upheaval and/or insight, so expect the unexpected, and keep in mind that with Uranus, many times it is the "breakdown" that clears the way for the "breakthrough."  Consider, however, that things might just be falling together rather than falling apart - this month is preparing us for a beautiful new beginning.

In honor of this (and the energy of creating new traditions that the square between Saturn and Uranus is bringing to this entire year) I took the time to do a "success" tarot reading for the coming month, from full moon to full moon, as full moons are times of illumination.  This is a new monthly tradition and ritual I am beginning as a part of MoonWorks, a women's circle for consciously creating life that meets four times per month with the four points of the lunar cycle.  (We begin with the August 22nd full moon, and space is limited, so if you are interested, click here for more information.)

The sun just entered Leo yesterday, on July 22nd, making it officially Leo season.  Although Venus is ahead of the pack now, having already transited Leo and moved into practical and service-oriented earth sign Virgo, Mars is still in Leo, and Mercury has yet to make it out of Cancer.  (Mercury will join the sun and Mars in Leo on the 27th.)  By August 22nd, sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars (the personal planets) will all be in Virgo - the sun will be the last to enter the sign just hours after the full moon in Aquarius that day.  

As the personal planets move through Leo this summer, they one by one will oppose Saturn in Aquarius and then square Uranus in Taurus.  Both of these aspects are challenging ones that bring tension that fosters growth in our lives.  In this case, as each planet bounces through the cross-hairs of the Saturn-Uranus square, it is giving us necessary additional information.  (The Saturn-Uranus square is exact three times over 2021 - the first was February 17th, the second was June 14th, and the third one, the resolution of the issue, will be December 24th.  We are working out something between old and new, past and future, tradition and innovation, and it has to do with finding new ways to feel secure and enjoy life's pleasures amidst the great changes we currently find ourselves in collectively.)

But here's the thing.  As those same planets move through Virgo, they will then one by one make a supportive aspect to Uranus in fellow earth sign Taurus.  Where we experienced tension as the planets moved through Leo, we will begin to see some solutions or answers as those same planets move through Virgo.  And Virgo is an earth sign, so that means we are in the energy of being able to take action and apply this in our lives.  

On August 19th, Uranus stations retrograde until January 18th, 2022.  This means it is going into review mode, and it also means it will still be in review mode for the final Saturn-Uranus square on December 24th.  Uranus is turning back to retrieve something that we missed along the way, and it most likely will have everything to do with resolving the Saturn-Uranus issue that first popped up around February 17th.  

In the lead up to the full moon on August 22nd (which again is Uranus-ruled), not only does Uranus station retrograde, but both Mercury and Mars will be making their supportive aspects to the planet, from August 20th through the 22nd.  

While the coming month is going to have some bumps (especially the first week of August), the energy is shifting in a big way, and we are moving into the new; the cards for the coming month tell us that things are breaking loose in beautiful ways, but we need to be ready to move with the current and stay focused.  

​This week we are waxing to Friday evening's (MST) full moon at 1 degree Aquarius, but before we get to that, we have two big energy shifts:  Venus into Virgo on Wednesday, and sun into Leo on Thursday.

The first quarter square moon - the halfway point between the new moon and full moon - was just on Saturday.  That is always an energetic impasse between our conscious focus and subconscious that requires some effort or growth on our part in order to resolve the conflict and move forward.  On that same day, the sun's opposition to Pluto retrograde was exact.  This only increased our sense of tension.   Although we will be feeling that opposition into Tuesday or so, it is dissipating now.

Looking forward, the energy is growing towards Friday's full moon, and it is the prime growth/building/all-forward energy of the month.

On top of being the energetic high point of this lunar cycle, this full moon is the completion of the six month cycle that began with the February 11th Aquarius new moon. 

What was beginning in your life then? 

With this full moon being at 1 degree Aquarius, we are also revisiting the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction that occurred at zero degrees Aquarius on December 21st, and began both a new 20 year cycle, as well as a new 200 year cycle - the previous one has been earth, and this one is air - that means we are transitioning into a new structure that is more intellectual and mobile, not as connected to place, not as "grounded."

Full moons are vantage points - what is being illuminated?

The other thing to keep in mind around this Friday's full moon is that is the first of two full moons in a row in Aquarius - the next one will be August 22nd. 

The modern ruler of Aquarius is Uranus, but the traditional ruler of the sign (before modern technology discovered the outer planets) was Saturn.  One of the key astrological signatures of 2021 is Saturn in Aquarius making three squares to Uranus in Taurus over the course of the year - the first was February 17th, the second was June 14th, and the third will be December 24th. 

With the ruler of these two full moons being Uranus, and the new moon in Leo on August 8th being in challenging aspect to Uranus, we are going to be working with strong Uranus/Aquarius energy over the coming weeks, and it will most likely be feeling a bit uncomfortable. 

Part of this is the challenging planetary aspects that are coming with this series of three lunar events, another part is that Uranus is known for bringing change and in unexpected ways. 

This energy can have us feeling restless or even anxious.  It is unpredictable.  It shakes things up in order to move us into the future, into the new, and to prompt us out of stagnation and into innovation. 

Full moons are always the energetic climax of the month and intense on their own by their very nature, but having two in a row that are Uranus-ruled during a year that is strongly influenced by Uranus, along with a new moon challenged by Uranus in between, is a unique situation, and one that will no doubt be pushing our comfort zone and keeping us on our toes with the unexpected.  

When uncertainty is what is certain, the question is, how well can we adapt? 

Can we find our balance in motion and surf the waves when they come? 

Can we find new ways to align and flow with the shifting energies and be flexible and innovative, of agile mind, rather than getting mired in what's familiar and our habits of doing things and thinking about things?


Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

Welcome to the week of July 12th, 2021!  

This week we are waxing off of last Friday's blissful new Cancer moon, and waxing towards the tension of the first quarter moon choice point and sun opposing Pluto this weekend (both exact on Saturday, but on Friday through Sunday).

Between now and then, however, we have a really sweet few days of astrology.

For more specifically on this week's astrology, click here.

To bring some additional light to this week (and to celebrate Mercury's move on Sunday, July 11th, from Gemini into Cancer, which has us fully out of the shadow of the recent retrograde as well as the square with Neptune which added confusion), here is a "success spread" for this week.  (The deck is Shadowscapes, art by Stephanie Law.)

In this spread, Card 1 represents the major concern or obstacle, Card 2 shows the current challenges or complications, Card 3 is hidden factors affecting the situation, Card 4 represents what can help growth, and Card 5 is what needs to be done or avoided to ensure success.

For this week, the cards came up as follows:  Card 1 - The Emperor; Card 2 - The Star, reversed; Card 3 - 6 of Cups;  Card 4 - 10 of Cups, reversed, and Card 5 - The Hanged Man, reversed.

I'm Kasey, and I hope you have enjoyed this little energetic reading for this week.

You can find me at the links below....

This week the moon is waxing off of Friday's new moon in Cancer, gaining steam as it approaches the first quarter square with the sun, exact Saturday, July 17th.  

And what a lovely new moon that was, bringing a sense of new beginnings in emotional fulfillment, contentment, satisfaction, and how we derive a sense of belonging and connection.

The 10 of Cups is the tarot card that came up along with that new moon last Friday the 9th, speaking to arriving in calm and supportive waters after the bumps of the past few weeks.​

First quarter moons always occur one week after new moons, and they mark the halfway point between the new moon and the full moon, and a choice point.  

The first quarter square brings some energetic impasse between our conscious minds and whatever is stirring in our subconscious, and this requires a decision on our part in order to release the tension and resume forward motion.

Thus, the lunar energy for this week is that of growing and cultivating whatever is beginning with last Friday's new moon.

That new moon was in Cancer, and Cancer rules the emotional body, past, home, and our sense of belonging, family, tribe, connection, nurturing and nourishment, ancestors and origins, so this new beginning is coming to us through that energetic prism.

As we approach the first quarter square, we get added tension Friday through Sunday as the sun in Cancer also opposes Pluto retrograde in Capricorn.  Pluto rules our shadows, and in retrograde it is bringing lessons, so tread lightly with this one, as it is bound to bring up power dynamics.  Stay very aware at hidden motives for yourself and others, stay away from people and situations that are known triggers, and if at all possible, just stay low profile and take yourself out of the equation entirely.  The best rule of thumb for dealing with Pluto in hard aspect is don't engage.  If you end up engaged, as soon as you realize it, step back and walk away.  With this energy, it is likely a lose-lose dynamic.  The lesson is to not get drawn in.

This goes especially for those of us with anything in our natal charts at 24 to 26 degrees of any of the cardinal signs (Cancer, Capricorn, Aries, and Libra). 

When there are big energies swirling around such as this one, they either come in through us, or through others to us, and sometimes even both at the same time.  If we stay aware and don't give them an entry point to play through, they don't get a chance.  This is especially true when these transits are hitting sensitive points of our natal charts or those close to us (and quite likely that it will be both) - that makes the aspect personal to us rather than just a general vibe floating around. 

Aside from some bumps over the weekend, this is a sweet week of building off of last weekend's Cancer new moon, which kicks off with Tuesday's Venus-Mars conjunction in Leo - bringing the creativity (and the romance).

Venus and Mars represent the divine feminine and divine masculine energies, the law of attraction and our self-assertion and passion, respectively.  They come together every two years to begin a new cycle, and this time they are coming together in Leo, sign of our creative self-expression - our ability to download inspiration from source and channel it through our humans into a gift to the world.  Remember, Leo is the artist and performer - the vessel through which art, human creations that expand our awareness, open us, and move us, is manifest.  We all have Leo in our natal chart, the house that it rules in our charts tells us what area of life Leo expresses through for us, and in this case, what area of life this new beginning on Tuesday is occurring.

As I said last week, save new moon intention setting (the actual "planting" of the intentions) for Tuesday with the moon waxing in Virgo and this lovely Venus-Mars conjunction in Leo.  It is a great way to tie in the energies of the Cancer new moon and the beginning of this new two year long creative cycle.  The last couple of weeks were full of growth and realization as Mars in Leo and then Venus bumped through the cross-hairs of the Saturn-Uranus square (in Aquarius and Taurus, respectively), that is a major growth aspect for this entire year, but now they are making this conjunction, this new beginning, on the other side of that.  

What did you learn over the past couple of weeks about your passions and desires, and your self-worth, relationships, and resources, and how they tie into the new structure you are innovating around feeling secure in this changing world and enjoying the everyday pleasures and creature comforts of life?

What showed up last Friday/Saturday with the Cancer new moon that feels like it is ready to come into your life now around home, emotional expression, connection, nurturing, and belonging?

What would you like to manifest through you and your life as a gift to the world that inspires and opens over the next two years?

The answers to these questions will form the intentions for planting this Tuesday and set your course forward.

~Kasey

Hello and welcome to July and summer (in the northern hemisphere), 2021.

I am writing this on Saturday, July 3rd, from the beautiful mountains of southwest Colorado, and I am writing this, now, for a reason - we have some particularly bumpy astrology that started last week and goes through mid-July.  It isn't just a pain though - it's important.  It is giving us some additional information to help us grow as part of a larger phase that's happening for this entire year.

This began building last week, and "round one" began Thursday, July 1st, and goes right through the weekend.  "Round two" overlaps that, coming on this weekend and extending through midweek next week, and "Round three" is on all next week.  

All of this then shifts and we move forward out of this phase (and also out of the recent Mercury retrograde and eclipse season phase) with a series of three astrological events:  the new moon in Cancer on Friday, July 9th, Mercury into Cancer on Sunday, July 11th, and then the Mars-Venus conjunction in Leo on Tuesday, July 13th.  

The growing pains over last week and this week we are feeling are all tied into the big overarching energy of 2021 - the series of three squares between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus.  This series of three squares, exact February 17th, June 14th, and December 24th, are helping us work something out so that we can move forward into the new, and it is between innovation and tradition, security and freedom, past and future.  It is also about finding new ways to feel a sense of security in our lives and experience life's pleasures, comforts, joys, and pleasures in day to day living. 

2020 shook our collective foundation pretty hard.  Now we are working out how to move forward - that's what the three squares between Saturn and Uranus this year are doing, and we've already had two out of three.  Now we are on the road to resolution, which comes with the third meeting of these two on December 24th.

To get an idea of how this is playing for each of us personally in our own lives, we can look back to the first two squares on February 17th and June 14th, and see if we can notice a certain theme that events in our lives around those two dates had in common.  This is the theme we will be working with on December 24th when we resolve this issue as well.  

Until December 24th, we are working towards that resolution, working through the issue or issues that have come up for us around this.  The astrology of last week and next week is helping us with that.

That is because Mars and Venus are moving through Leo right now, which means they are one by one opposing Saturn (retrograde) in Aquarius and then squaring up to Uranus in Taurus. 

Mars was last week, making its opposition to Saturn on July 1st and then its square to Uranus today, July 3rd.  Mars is the initiator and warrior, the leader, the one who wants to move.  But running into tangles with Saturn and Uranus has us feeling frustrated with restriction as we feel impulsive and restless with the urge to break free of what is binding us.  

Venus moves through the cross-hairs of the Saturn-Uranus square next week, making the opposition to Saturn on July 6th and square to Uranus on July 8th.  Venus is relationships and resources, love and money, and our self-worth, so as she runs the Saturn-Uranus gauntlet next week, we can expect to have our self-worth poked at through these areas of our lives, and again, it will be coming through this energetic impasse between the past and future, tradition and innovation, and how we are being asked to come up with new ways of feeling secure and comfortable in life.  It will be a new layer of information around the same issue of wanting to break free but feeling held back or shut down somehow.

Overlapping that is Mercury in Gemini squaring Neptune, exact on July 5th, but building even now.  This only confuses the issue - all of the issues!  Mercury is the mind, thinking, messages, and communication, and Neptune rules hidden realms, the dreamworld, and the spiritual and subconscious.  Neptune in challenging aspect (square) can create confusion, like a fog.  This is the third of these squares in a series of three, so this one is resolution.  This began May 22nd, right before Mercury stationed retrograde on May 29th, so this is like a continuation of the Mercury retrograde from May 29th to June 10th that also tied into the new moon eclipse in Gemini on June 10th.  It's almost like we had the new moon eclipse but have been on hold for moving forward the past couple of weeks.  It just hasn't been time to truly move forward yet, and for good reason - we are still in the process of getting all of the information - things are still unfolding.

This all has been a process happening layer by layer by layer, one bit at a time.

But we are reaching a significant shift point, and soon.

As I mentioned before, we will be moving out of this phase, which is tying together the recent eclipse season/Mercury retrograde and the three Saturn-Uranus squares that spanning this entire year.

These two weeks of Mars and Venus in Leo running the Saturn-Uranus gauntlet are giving us valuable information for reaching resolution in December with whatever the specific issue Saturn and Uranus at cross-purposes is presenting in our lives.  Mars is the divine masculine energy, and our leadership, passion, motivation, and assertion, and Venus is the divine feminine energy, our self-worth, resources and relationships, and the law of attraction.  Each planet as it moves through these aspects with Saturn and Uranus is giving us its own perspective on the issue at hand.

Then on July 13th, Venus and Mars will come together in a conjunction in Leo to begin a brand new two year cycle.  Being the divine feminine and divine masculine, respectively, they are helping us begin a fresh cycle of creation, and they are doing so after gathering pertinent information via their oppositions to Saturn and squares to Uranus over the weeks leading up to this.  (July 13th is actually a perfect day to set new moon intentions that take advantage of this Mars-Venus conjunction!)

Keep in mind that this is just another layer of moving through the larger dynamic at play via this square between Saturn and Uranus over 2021.

The Sun and Mercury will be arriving in Leo in late July and each making their own opposition to Saturn and square to Uranus, adding the layers of information from the perspective of conscious focus and mind and thinking, respectively.

Then, in the fall, all four will be doing this again, only reversed, as they transit Scorpio, all making squares to Saturn and oppositions to Uranus, giving us yet another perspective on the issue before we reach the final Saturn-Uranus square on December 24th.

The first two of three Saturn-Uranus squares occurred on  February 17th and June 14th, and the final one will be December 24th. What occurred in your life on February 17th and June 14th - what is the common thread?

Mars opposed Saturn on July 1st and is squaring Uranus today, July 3rd - what has come up midweek through this weekend and where are you feeling like you want to move forward but are restricted?  Where do you feel held back, and where do you want to break free?  How is this dynamic energetic impasse helping you innovate and break through?  What new layer of this issue has come to your attention over this past week?

Venus will oppose Saturn on July 6th and square Uranus on July 8th, as the final Mercury-Neptune square subsides and the dust settles and fog clears, and this will be leading us into the new beginnings and energetic shifts on deck for July 9th through 13th.  

More valuable information is coming over the next week.  The best way to be able to tune into this is to stay grounded and centered in your life and in your body as these energies swirl and intersect around us.  Many times the astrological energies come through us or to us through people and situations in our lives.  The more we aware we are of the energy dynamics at play, the more we can consciously work with them in our lives, to create our desired experience of life.