Think:  personal renaissance, the renewal or revival of the quintessential you, and even phoenix-style rebirth of your authentic essence.   Imagine irrigating and finally healing those old wounds and clearing out the tough scar tissue that has kept you from sharing yourself with the world joyfully and playfully just for the sake of being you and authentic.  Imagine cleaning all the old ideas and beliefs about yourself and experiences and other peoples' opinions and ideas about you that have gotten stuck on your aura, both on the outside and the inside, and cleaning off that filmy residue of the past that has been keeping you, up until now, from shining your unique radiant light and sharing your brilliance.

Did I mention that this is the longest Venus has been in Leo since 1812?  Venus entered Leo on June 5th and won't be leaving until early October.  Venus' last retrograde in Leo was actually in Leo and the early degrees of Virgo back from July to early September 2015, so this is quite likely to be a continuation of whatever the theme of that last Venus retrograde in Leo was in your life.

Venus rules the divine feminine - attraction and receiving - in our lives; quite literally the law of attraction - how we align energetically with our desires to attract and receive them in our lives.  Venus is about love and money, relationships and resources, as ruler of Libra and Taurus, but there's one common denominator - that's values, and especially our value of ourselves.  That's the key to Venus.  We attract and receive the love and money we desire by way of energetic alignment, and that means the quality and quantity of our relationships and resources is directly linked to how highly we value ourselves.

Venus retrograde is a review that helps us uplevel that self-value and energetic alignment with our desires, and Leo is all about authenticity, creative self-expression, and shining our unique light in the world.  

Thus Venus retrograde in Leo is all about a rebirth of self-worth, and this is reawakening and rebirth from the very core of our personal values and self-values I've been talking about so much this year, because I believe it's what we've all been waiting for as far as some feel-good supportive astrology that really helps us get in right relationship with ourselves and really love and appreciate ourselves and this is going to supercharge our efforts around everything we've been working to create in our lives over the past months and even years as we battled through some really tough energetic dynamics (like Saturn squaring everything nonstop).  

There are three phases to any planetary retrograde - the pre-shadow, the retrograde, and the post shadow.  The pre-shadow is the planet's first pass over the degrees of the retrograde in forward motion.  The retrograde is the when the planet appears to be backtracking over those degrees, and the post-shadow is the planet's third and final pass over the degrees of the retrograde after stationing direct.

Venus entered the pre-shadow of the retrograde on June 19th, stations retrograde on July 22nd, stations direct on September 3rd, and leaves the retrograde territory for good (leaves the post-shadow) on October 7th. 

This gives us three distinct phases of Venus retrograde in Leo - initiation, review, and resolution. 

Initiation - the pre-shadow - June 19th to July 22nd, as Venus makes it's first pass over the retrograde territory, is the initiation.  During this time, we tune into what's coming up in our lives, especially around the Venus themes of resources, relationships, and self-value, and the Leo themes of creative self-expression and shining our light authentically and boldly.  

Review - the retrograde - July 22nd to September 3rd is the actual retrograde when Venus appears to be backtracking over the degrees it just covered between June 19th and July 22nd.  This is the review.  When a planet is retrograde, it isn't just about going backward, or reviewing - it's energy also turns inward, prompting us to do the inner work around the areas of life that planet rules.  In the case of Venus, we may have issues coming up around love, money, and self-expression (during the pre-shadow or initiation phase) that are prompting us to review and do the inner work around self-value and values and also any fear or shame we are carrying around authentically expressing ourselves, during the actual retrograde.  

Resolution - the post shadow - September 3rd to October 7th is the post-shadow phase, when Venus, after stationing direct, makes its third and final pass over the degrees of the retrograde.  This is the resolution.  The pre-shadow brought up the issue(s), and during the retrograde we did the review and rework - we made the edits in the inner realm and maybe in our outer lives too.  Now we are reaching resolution and preparing to move forward into completely new territory.

Because Venus retrograde is about facing the shadow to be reborn to a new consciousness, after the post shadow phase is complete, the idea is to move forward in our lives with a new sense of self and recalibrated values, more aware of our shadows, and whole unto ourselves, in our full creative power.

The aspects Venus makes to other planets during this summer's retrograde through Leo further define the energy of this review in our lives.

While retrograde, Venus will be making four important transits - a set of three conjunctions to Black Moon Lilith also in Leo, a set of three trines, or flowing aspects, to Chiron in Aries, a set of three squares, or growth aspects, to Uranus in Taurus, and a set of three reality-checking quincunxes to Neptune in Pisces.  Venus will also meet up with both Mercury and sun as they move through for Leo season while retrograde there.

Below I'll take you through each of these transits and what they mean, and then I'll give you a list of the transits one by one in date order - in the order you'll be experiencing each one as Venus moves through all three phases of this retrograde dance making these aspects. 

Remember, at the heart of this, it's all about values and most of all our value of ourselves.  That's what this retrograde is going to be focused on - helping us identify any shadow work that needs our attention right now and doing it.  Because this is Venus we are talking about, the clues come through love and money in our lives, our resources and relationships, or lack thereof.  When those things come up over the coming months, those are the threads we want to follow within that lead us to the healing work wanting to be done now around self-esteem, self-value, and showing up more authentically in our every day lives.

Venus conjunct Black Moon Lilith in Leo - #1:  6/28, #2:  8/7-8/8, #3:  10/9
Black Moon Lilith isn't an actual heavenly body - it's the lunar apogee - a calculated point.  You might think of it as a lunar shadow.  While Venus is associated with love and money and the divine feminine, and all that is pleasing, Lilith is associated with the wild feminine - the part that isn't so nice and doesn't care about pleasing - the feminine that would not, could not be tamed.  This set of three conjunctions with Venus retrograde in Leo is of great importance to our retrograde journey, because this is where the part of the divine feminine we might consider it's conscious expression (Venus) meets up with it's unconscious counterpart, the shadow (Lilith).  It's important to remember that both have equal value and importance.  Black Moon Lilith represents where we have stuffed part of ourselves down because we were shamed - it wasn't acceptable at some point, in some experience, under some circumstances, and we ended up deciding that we were somehow shameful and wrong and unacceptable.  Anything that comes up that gives you a charge now around this sort of thing is your clue to what you have an opportunity to heal now and love up to the surface - pay close attention around June 28th about any discomfort that on closer examination has its root in shame.  It is begging for your loving attention now so it can be healed.  It's going to come up again for review around August 7th and 8th.  This could also show up as something you see someone else doing that really upsets you - something that you find irritating on the surface level, but if you go deeper, you find shameful, and if you go even deeper, is something you've been shamed out of doing in your life that you actually really want to do because it is part of your authentic creative self-expression.  Remember, if you disown or make unacceptable even one tiny cell in your body, you've disowned and made unacceptable all of you - the body doesn't differentiate - every part of you is you.  Now you get to heal and whole yourself.

Venus trine Chiron in Aries - #1:  6/29, #2:  8/16-8/17, #3:  9/23-9/24
Right as Venus' first conjunction to Lilith in Leo is happening 6/28, we have Venus also in trine to Chiron in Aries, exact 6/29.  That means that Lilith is in trine to Chiron along with Venus, but this is only the case for this first aspect - Venus will conjunct Lilith and trine Chiron separately for numbers 2 and 3 in August and September/October, respectively.  That means this initial hit in late June is going to quite the initiation!  Own your wounds.  As Brene Brown says, shame cannot survive in the light, and a flow aspect between two fire signs like Leo and Aries is pure, well, fire.  Be brave.  Take heart.  No more hiding.  This doesn't mean drama and theatrics - it means simply being seen just as you are, and standing up in that strong sense of self with pride.  This aspect is here to help you step into that beautiful authenticity, no matter what has happened to you in your experience of life.  The initiation of that first conjunction between Venus and Lilith happens just one day before Venus trines Chiron for the first time, so whatever shame comes up, that's the fuel for this fire.  That is your offering to the sacred flame of purification and transformation.  Remember, number one is just the initiation.  Venus will make this aspect to Chiron two more times before we're done.  The next time will be the review when we are really doing the inner work in mid-August, and then resolution will come around September 23rd and 24th.

Venus square Uranus in Taurus - #1:  7/2, #2:  8/9, #3:  9/29
After our initiations of Venus conjunct Lilith June 28th and then trine Chiron June 29th, we really have no time to catch our breath before Venus squares up to Uranus on July 2nd (right before the July 3rd full moon).  Squares are growth aspects - the growth is forced by the two planets interacting at a 90° angle that creates an energetic impasse.  We'll already be feeling the tension of the first of three Venus-Uranus squares building as we move through the initial Venus-Lilith and Venus-Chiron aspects just days before.  When Uranus is involved, we can expect disruption and unexpected upheaval, especially when it is in challenging aspect such as a square.  When it's squaring Venus, that disruption and unexpected upheaval is going to have to do with love and money, relationships and resources in our lives.  This can destabilize us.  This may come through as a freedom versus security dilemma, or blow up.  We won't want to feel restricted, and definitely not smothered.  We want excitement.  And we want to express our uniqueness and individuality.  The farther from your authentic truth you've been living, the more destabilizing this aspect will feel.  Over the course of these three aspects Venus will make to Uranus - July 2nd, August 9th, and September 29th - you're invited to come home to yourself and restructure your life and relationships on a more authentic foundation.

Venus quincunx Neptune in Pisces - #1:  7/16, #2:  7/30, #3:  10/3
Luckily, we'll get a breather between the Venus-Uranus square and our next initiatory aspect - Venus quincunx Neptune on July 16th - before Venus stations retrograde on July 22nd.  As I mentioned, the Capricorn full moon will be July 3rd, right on the heels of that big July 2nd Venus-Uranus square.  The new moon in Cancer will be July 17th, and it comes with the north node of destiny and future making a sign change for the first time in eighteen months on July 18th.   Venus' first quincunx in the set of three to Neptune lands at the dark moon the day before the new moon, July 16th, the deepest diving and most inward turning point of the lunar cycle and a time of releasing what no longer serves.  A quincunx is a 150° angle between two planets - it's just one sign shy of an opposition.  It's like the planets don't "see" each other, like they are in each other's blind spots.  Instead of a challenging relationship, like the energetic impasse of the 90° square or stand off of the 180° opposition, it's like they are cut off from each other while still interacting.  Neptune retrograde is always about a "reality check," about clearing any "fantasy fog" in our lives that's keeping us in delusional living, and Neptune retrograde quincunx the planet of relationships and resources, desires and attraction as it sets up for a retrograde may land us with a hard reality about where we've been fooling ourselves or being unrealistic where it hurts most - in matters of love and money.  As this occurs when the lunar energy is at its lowest, the day before the new moon in emotional Cancer is exact, it's going to pay to set yourself up for this one, because it might be a bit owie.  Dark moon rules apply here on this first aspect - the initiation is quite often the toughest one.  So, 7/15-7/18, score space for yourself, to slow down, get reflective, and turn inward, and use these days to cut out the noise and stressors and really nurture yourself and feed your soul.  Bonus points for engaging in spiritual and creative pursuits.  

Venus conjunct Mercury in Leo - 7/27 
Both Mercury (7/27) and then sun (8/13), passing by Venus are one-hit-wonders.  Leo vibes are amped for the month that the sun graces its own sign of Leo - "Leo season," and wherever the sun is, Mercury isn't far away.  Mercury, ruler of the mind, thinking, and communication passes by Venus retrograde on July 27th.  Remember, Leo is the sign of the heart, authenticity, and creative self-expression.  Leo wants to be seen, heard, and appreciated.  As a fire sign, it's enthusiastic and inspiration fuels its flames.  Authentic self-expression is a magical elixir now.

Venus conjunct sun (cazimi) in Leo - 8/13 (20°) (the heart of Venus RX)
Then, on August 13th, the sun, following in Mercury's footsteps, passes by Venus retrograde.  The sun conjunct Venus retrograde is known as the inferior conjunction, or "cazimi," the arabic term meaning "in the heart."  This is the heart of Venus' retrograde journey in Leo - the "aha moment."  Think "revelation."  This is the heart of your personal renaissance - the big turning point.  In just three days, we'll arrive at the last  aspect in our second set of "review aspects" - the ones Venus is making while in retrograde motion to Black Moon Lilith, Chiron, Uranus, and Neptune.  The only one left to make before she stations direct is the flowing trine aspect to Chiron, coming up on August 16th and 17th.  What this means is, at this point, when Venus is cazimi with the sun on August 13th, at this turning point, we've already done all of the heavy lifting of the retrograde.  We arrive at the "aha moment," the heart of the retrograde, on August 13th and then roll right into a supportive aspect from Chiron, the wounded healer, in the sign of the self, Aries.  Now we are ready to step up with a heart filled with courage and really let our light shine for all to see.  Maybe it's the old scars where the light actually shines through most brightly?

August 23rd to September 3rd: A Special Note
These are the days we have both Venus retrograde in Leo AND Mercury retrograde in Virgo.  Mercury will be retrograde in Virgo, Leo's neighbor, from August 23rd until September 15th for Virgo season, and this year's Virgo season.  Virgo season has it's own special mojo going on this year, as each planet that passes through Virgo this summer/fall will form the tail of what's known as a "kite" formation in astrology, with the other three planets involved being outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all sextile each other in Taurus, Pisces, and Capricorn, respectively. (If you want to know more about this astrology, read about point 4 in my blog post by clicking here.) The Virgo-Pisces opposition being lit up is the main point of focus here.  It's about the Virgo-Pisces of healing between the physical and spiritual - specifically finding the sacred in the mundane and honoring the physical in acts of practical service and caretaking, like cleanliness, organization, diet, and routine.  As Venus retrograde and Mercury retrograde overlap, people or situations may come in from the past, requiring us to review and make edits in our lives.  Mercury retrograde always wants to upgrade our thinking and communication, and requires us to slow down in order to do so.  Venus retrograde is also a review, but as we've been discussing, it has to do with an upgrade in love and money - at the heart of the matter, a reevaluation of values and an upgrade in how we value and esteem ourselves.  

After September 3rd ~ The Resolution
​After this, Venus stations direct on September 3rd, and from September 3rd til October 7th, Venus is in the post-shadow of the retrograde, making its third and final pass over the retrograde territory now in direct motion.  This is the resolution, with Venus making it's third and final aspects respectively as follows:  trining Chiron for the final time on September 23rd and 24th, squaring Uranus for the final time on September 29th, making the final quincunx to Neptune on October 3rd, and then making the 3rd and final conjunction to Black Moon Lilith at 0° Virgo, after clearing the post retrograde shadow, on October 9th.

6/19:  Venus enters the pre-shadow of the retrograde 12° Leo
6/28:  Venus conjunct Lilith in Leo #1 of 3
6/29:  Venus trine Chiron in Aries #1 of 3
7/2:  Venus square Uranus in Taurus #1 of 3
7/16:  Venus quincunx Neptune in Pisces #1 of 3
7/22:  Venus stations retrograde 28° Leo
7/27:  Venus conjunct Mercury in Leo
7/30:  Venus RX quincunx Neptune in Pisces #2 of 3
8/7-8/8:  Venus RX conjunct Lilith in Leo #2 of 3
8/9:  Venus RX square Uranus in Taurus #2 of 3
8/13:  Venus conjunct sun (cazimi) 20° Leo 
8/16-8/17:  Venus RX trine Chiron in Aires #2 of 3
​9/3:  Venus stations direct 12° Leo
9/23-9/24:  Venus trine Chiron in Aries #3 of 3
9/29:  Venus square Uranus in Taurus #3 of 3
10/3:  Venus quincunx Neptune in Pisces #3 of 3
10/7:  Venus leaves the post shadow of the retrograde 28° Leo
10/9:  Venus conjunct Lilith in Virgo #3 of 3

Neptune stations retrograde on Friday, June 30th, until December 6th.  Neptune goes retrograde once a year, and it's always about "breaking the spell," - if there is one that is keeping us in fantasy, delusion, or escapism.  

Neptune retrograde is an annual "reality check," and this is a good thing.  

Think of it this way...Neptune, strong in Pisces as the modern ruler of the sign, can weave illusions.  We can get lost in fantasy-land and quickly get swept out to sea.  But every year when Neptune is retrograde, it's magic weakens as the sun burns through the nebulous haze - that is, if there is any.

If we are working high Neptune/Pisces, we are tuned in to "in-spir-ation" - guidance from spirit, and channeling that through our bodies in a grounded way.  This is how as creative beings we create life, bringing ideas and dreams from imagination into 3D reality through real-world action steps.

If we are disconnected from ourselves and the mundane world, swept out into the Neptunian/Piscean abyss, then it doesn't matter what kind of inspiration we are receiving from source because the channel is not there for it to be realized.

That's why, even though Neptune is an outer planet and more of a generalized influence than the personal planetary retrogrades, it's important to take note and be aware of the energetic dynamics at play right now.

Saturn, the planet that makes things real and ruler of the 3D realm, is also in Pisces, having just landed there in mid-March, and just stationed retrograde on June 17th.  
​
Saturn will station direct on November 4th, and then Neptune will follow December 6th.

Note that they are both retrograde in Pisces. 

While Neptune retrograde is a reality check, a "lifting of the veil," Saturn's retrograde is more like a mentorship where we are getting some guidance, time to review and rework, or even lessons around what we are building in our lives and how to create a strong container - foundation and boundaries - to hold what we value and keep it safe. 

​In Pisces, this has to do with our ideals, our dreams, and even the collective dream - it has a very spiritual theme having to do with the connectedness of all life, that we are all one, all part of a greater whole, like drops of water in the ocean.

As Neptune stations retrograde this weekend (exact 27° Pisces at 15:06 CDT, Friday, June 30th), the astrology surrounding the beginning of this cosmic phase lasting til early December reminds us of the importance of keeping the faith and trusting - trusting ourselves, trusting our instincts, trusting in the possibility of the best outcome for all involved and for the entire planet no matter what the "what is" looks like right now.

There are many other factors at play now, and the bottom line is, it's all energy, and the energy that each one of us holds consistently in our day to day lives - that means our outlook, our faith, our beliefs, our thoughts, and our feelings - is creating our personal futures and our future as a collective, as a planet, in each moment, with each breath.  

As Neptune stations retrograde this weekend, we have sun and Mercury in Cancer, and the moon gliding through Scorpio all upping the water vibes - the water element is always about intuition and emotions.  E-motions are energy in motion, and energy is all there is in this universe - quite literally, energy is what this universe and every single thing in it is made of.  We live in a world of vibrational frequency.  We emit vibrational energy.  We create with vibrational frequency.  And the vibrational frequency we create with is our emotions.  Our emotions - our feelings - is also the conduit of messages in our body, our information source, our intuition and inner guidance.  

Right now as Neptune stations retrograde, we have Jupiter, planet of abundance, wealth, luck, opportunity, expansion, growth, optimism, truth, faith, and belief in Venus-ruled earth-sign Taurus in a positive link up to first sun (light of consciousness) and then Mercury (the mind, messenger, thinking, and communications).  The message here is this:  keeping the faith and staying positive right now is going to bring good things - this is where the growth and opportunity will be found!

So no matter what "reality check" we might get as Neptune stations this Friday the 30th, let's remember it's here to help us, and it's our job to keep the faith and turn to Saturn currently retrograde also in Pisces for assistance around what to do on the mundane, 3D plane to come back into alignment and step back into being the channel - our bodies being the channel and instrument - for "making the ideal real."

As within, so without.  Whatever is in your inner realm energetically determines your outer experience in life, and it also ripples out to affect the whole, because it's all connected - you are part of the collective consciousness.  

That means you are a powerful creator, and what you are healing or not healing, cultivating or not cultivating, in your inner realm, and what you are creating in your personal life, has a powerful effect on this entire world.

You matter.  You are important.  What you think, what you believe, what you feel - it all ripples out and affects the whole.  You're a big deal, and it's time to start acting like it.

Not to worry - Chiron in Aries is on the job already helping us heal those wounds to self that keep us playing small, and Venus is in Leo with both Lilith and Mars right now getting ready for a retrograde that is nothing short of a personal renaissance for each of us - an opportunity to clear out the shame and shadowy bits that have kept us from stepping up and claiming our thrones and owning our inherent value and worth.  We are all getting the opportunity to clear the inner blocks that have been keeping us from our most authentic level of self-expression.

So you can see how that over the coming weeks (Venus is retrograde in Leo from 7/22 to 9/3) will be very helpful support as we work on the larger themes around Saturn and Neptune retrograde in Pisces and "making the ideal real," both in our personal lives and as a collective.

But there's something even bigger at play here.  Neptune in Pisces is linking up (by 60° sextile - a positive, flowing aspect) to Pluto in Capricorn this year, and these two outer planets are coming back into this aspect pattern after a 30 year break, and the third outer planet, Uranus, will be joining in the mix too (also linking by 60° sextile to Neptune).  

This "outer planet link-up" by sextile (Uranus in Taurus to Neptune in Pisces to Pluto in Capricorn, all in the 3rd decan of their respective signs) is on strong from around August 21st to November 14th this year. 

Keep in mind that another major underlying energetic current of this year is one of deep release and letting go of the past to move forward as Pluto is in T-square to the nodes of future and past, destiny and fate, increase and release, early March to early December this year - no matter what else is going on, you are being asked to completely release the past and do the clearing work and cord-cutting - or else.

But this "outer planet link-up" is also an overarching energetic current we want to be aware of and consciously work with, because it's about humanity undergoing a major evolutionary leap.  It's about understanding that we are all connected, and on some level, are all one.  It's about us as individuals being part of the collective consciousness.  It's about the fact that it is really all energy and we are all energetically connected, and because of that, each one of us is a powerful creator contributing to the whole and the outcome.  

You are not powerless to contribute to positive changes in this world and on this planet.  Your true power lies in your daily energetic vibration, because this is where you - where we all - create from.  The energetic vibration, the emotions, the vibrational frequency that we put out day in and day out - that's the "prima materia," the raw material you create with as alchemist of your life.  It's all about the healing work you do in your own inner realm.  Because every bit of that is one more shift for the whole, for the collective, and there IS a tipping point of consciousness - when we get a certain number of individuals to a certain point of healing, we bring everyone with us. 

This is about your energy - the energy you are choosing to transmute and the energy you are choosing to cultivate. 

​It's about what you are now willing to fully release from your past and the limiting beliefs you are now ready to be done with so that you are released into a higher consciousness, so that we can all be released to a higher consciousness.  

Collectively (and personally) we are in the midst of major change.

Pluto began this transition of eras in March when it landed in Aquarius for the first time in over two centuries.  It has since gone retrograde and moved back into Capricorn for a "clean up round" of it's transit there since 2008, but come mid-January will return to the sign of the future and innovation, escorted by the sun no less, to stay for good - that is, until 2044.  

By May 2025, the other two outer planets (generational influences) will also have changed signs, with Neptune moving out of Pisces and into Aries, and Uranus moving out of Taurus and into Gemini.  

In contrast to Pluto's 16-20 year transit of each sign, Neptune spends 13 years in each sign, and Uranus spends seven - compare that to Saturn's two and a half year sign transit, Jupiter at one year, then Mars at two months, Venus at 18 months, and Mercury never being more than two signs away from the sun, which of course spends one month in each sign.

What this means is that from March 2023 until May 2025, we are in a major period of transition as a collective as we shift from one era to another, marked by the outer planets all changing signs over this transition period.

Things are going to look very different by May 2025.  

Pluto in Aquarius is a monumental shift.  The last time Pluto was in Aquarius, we had things like the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution.  Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, planet of the future, breaking the status quo, rebellion, revolution, and freedom.  It's also about technology, innovation, and anything humanitarian.  Pluto is about death and rebirth style transformation - exposing and stripping what is rotten so that it may be composted to support new life.  Pluto in Aquarius will be bringing innovative change, have no doubt, and selfish power and greed won't get good results. 

This kind of widespread deep-diving change can feel scary, but here's the deal:  it has the potential to bring solutions - positive solutions and new ways forward - that we have not yet even imagined possible.  

And it's up to us to hold that vision of the possibility of a future where technology provides us with better lives for every living being on the planet rather than more harm and destruction. 

It's up to us to align with that energetic vibe of faith, hope, belief, optimism, and trust and consistently hold it, because holding that energetic vibration is the only pathway from here to there, and each one of us has a part to play in doing that and bringing this one home, so to speak.

Here's the best part....

When you visualize your best future and hold the energetic vibration of that as you steadily take the action steps to move toward it - when you hold the belief that it is possible, and that you deserve it, and it will be your reality; when you stay positive; when you hold that high vibe and truly believe you are valuable and worthy and this is your future - you aren't just creating it for yourself - you are helping create that best future for all of us, for the entire planet.

So as Neptune stations retrograde, in the face of any "reality check" that might arise, this is my question to you:  can you stand in the "what is" of right now in your life and in the world, and hold the high vision for the best outcome for all, for a beautiful future for you and all life on this planet in complete belief and faith?   Can you raise your energetic vibration above the "what is" of right now and energetically align with a future full of solutions and positive change that supports the greater good of all life on this planet?

If you can imagine it, you can create it, but you are going to have to believe it before you see it, and we're all in this together.  So let's get started making magic!

The love, the abundance, the joy, the confidence, the ease that feels so elusive - it's waiting for you, you've just got to reclaim your throne, the throne of your heart.  

This is about personal sovereignty and coming right with yourself - connecting to yourself and healing your relationship with yourself, because your relationship to yourself determines every other relationship in your life, and your relationship to life itself. As within, so without.  It's energetic law.  ​

One reason I share astrology and use astrology as a coaching tool with my clients is flow.  Bringing awareness to the energetic currents at play in general and for us personally in our lives is a great way to start to tune in and work with them, and even harness their power.  

But I'm keen to point out that studying astrology is still very much a mental process - something that involves the brain figuring things out - and many times, mental processes are exactly what is blocking our flow.

One of the most important things I teach clients is embodiment.  Many of us have learned how not to be in our bodies in order to avoid uncomfortable or overwhelming feelings we don't know how to deal with, or as a safety mechanism.

The thing is, we cannot be in flow if we cannot be in our bodies, because if we are not in our bodies, we cannot receive the messages our bodies - the instruments that carry messages from source and inner guidance - are sending us.  This means we are cut off from our own guidance system, which only creates more fear and disconnection, creating a vicious cycle of feeling confused, lost, abandoned, and unsupported, which in turn leaves us feeling anxious, depressed, worried, fearful, helpless, and disempowered.

​Sound familiar?

Most people associate the planet Venus in astrology simply with love and money, but Venus is so much more than that. 

When we want to create more flow, we want to work with Venus.

In fact, much of the work I do with clients is what I call "the Venus work," because it is so needed in today's society, and it's such a monumental game-changer.

Venus is flow.  Yes, Venus, as ruler of Libra and Taurus, does rule love and money, relationships and resources, respectively, but the question to be asking is this:  how do we work with Venus energy to access this love and money in our lives?

The answer is this:  Venus rules the divine feminine and law of attraction - Venus is about how we energetically align with what we value and desire and magnetize it into our lives - that includes to what extent we are able to receive and hold those desires too.

And "the how" of Venus lies in just one thing:  our value of ourselves.  Because our self-value is the thing that determines the quality and quantity of the love and money that we attract into our lives, receive, and hold.

When we find ourselves wanting more flow, what we are experiencing is resistance (the opposite of flow).  

We know we are in resistance when we find ourselves feeling stuck, trapped, disempowered, ineffective to change circumstances, like we cannot get what we want and need, helpless, unworthy, unlovable, not enough....

When we are in resistance, we are in conflict with ourselves - we are in what I call a "double bind."  This happens when what we consciously want is in conflict with an opposing idea or belief within, typically beneath the surface of consciousness.

This might look like, for example, wanting to feel more love from our partner and increase intimacy, but deep down, we are actually afraid of being vulnerable and getting hurt, so our subconscious expertly keeps it from happening - but on the surface it seems like it's the other person or circumstances that are the issue. 

Or maybe we desire more money and abundance, but as soon as money comes in, the car breaks down and all the extra money ends up going right back out.  And the pattern keeps repeating, over and over, just with different fires to put out, but with the same results - the extra money keeps going away.  There is an internal conflict within you between your conscious desire for more money, and something below conscious awareness that says somehow it's simply not safe to have more money - more life force energy, more resources, more power.

Make no mistake, when it comes to your nervous system's sense of safety and the unconscious limiting beliefs driving that, the subconscious will always win out over our conscious desires and efforts.

That means being brave.  But more than that, it means learning to be in the world in an entirely new way - a way where you value yourself, and are a safe space for yourself, and broadcast that new vibration and energetic frequency.

This is the Venus work.  It comes when you begin to focus on allowance and acceptance of yourself and your feelings - when you begin to respect yourself - because when you do this, you begin to create a safe space for you to stay in your body.

This is what gets you into what I call the "upward spiral," or "positive reinforcement loop."

Venus says "as within, so without."  It's the law of attraction - "like attracts like."

When you truly shift the energy in your inner realm, your outer experience of life must shift to match.  It's an energetic law.  

The problem is, most of us think we are shifting our energy and valuing ourselves when we simply are not.  Energetically, we aren't doing anything differently.  Nothing in our inner realms has changed, and we can see that clearly because nothing in our outer experience changes either.  

To truly shift when we are in resistance and feeling stuck and blocked, we are inevitably going to have to find a way to let go of something we don't feel like we can let go of, whether it's an old way of getting our needs met, an old identity, a belief about ourself, a truth we don't want to face, an attachment to the past or to future potential, a relationship, a person, or a dream. And that means we're probably going to have to grieve that loss.

But that willingness to let go is the moment that allows the magic in, because it's the moment you set yourself free from that torturous double bind and return to flow.

A really big unwanted came up in my life recently.  And at first, I was in major resistance - almost to the point of shut down.  It brought up old trauma and my first response was the same old, "no, no, no....this cannot be happening; this cannot happen....."  My body wanted to collapse in on itself, to fall into "freeze" again (the third sympathetic nervous system response when "fight" and "flight" are unavailable).

I panicked.  Body frozen, mind racing.  I felt helpless.  I cried.  

But then, after a couple of days, something within me shifted.  

I was able to accept what was now in front of me, and from that place caught a glimmer of a direction, an idea of how to move forward.  I tuned into my body and my heart, and then went all in.

As soon as I did, the pathway started opening up in front of me.  It was clear that this was my way forward.  Things were lining up so easily.

As I moved through the real-world steps I now had to take that involved packing my things up from my lover's house to drive cross-country with no return date, the grief began showing up, bubbling up from deep within.  

This is where I had to be brave and show up for myself with more self-love than ever before.  This is where I had to not collapse, not dissociate, not abandon myself, and be in full allowance and acceptance - doing the Venus work in every moment, with every breath, with every surge of bone-crushing grief, which after a few weeks, began to subside, to be replaced by new life-force energy, right in alignment with the astrological transits - in divine right timing.

The astrology is a valuable guide, but your heart is the key.  

Follow your heart and the signs align.  Your heart is what holds the key to your flow.  Remember that the mind is a tool in service to the heart.  The heart is the connection to your inner guidance, your higher guidance, your soul.  Your heart is the part of you that knows the way, and the only way you can access it is by being embodied in the present moment and connected to yourself in allowance and acceptance.  This is what opens you to receive the signal and the information.

When you step into flow by following your heart, the signs will align.

The synchronicity, the signs that you are on the right path - they will show up if you are embodied, heart-centered, and present in the moment.  They will show up if you are tuning in to the flow rather than forcing an agenda.  

Many times my signs come through animals.

Recently, I've been seeing pairs of bunnies - they happen to be prolific in the neighborhood I'm in right now.  Rabbits are of course associated with spring and fertility, but also with night and the moon - intuition - and even prosperity.  They are reminders to trust instincts, and harbingers of new beginnings.  But seeing two playing and jumping over each other more than once?  Well, that must be a sign that it's time to embrace a more playful attitude in life, right? 

However, the other morning, it wasn't just the playing bunnies I saw.  There was a bullfrog, hummingbirds, and nesting martins as well, all right there in front of me at the same time. 

The bullfrog says projects are assured success, but you must keep moving forward (that particular phrase has been a recurring theme of the past few weeks too).  Furthermore, bullfrog is about a breakthrough and healing, specifically around generational/ancestral trauma, reclaiming personal power, and inner authority, self-assertion, and being heard.

Hummingbirds are also a good omen, symbolizing drinking in the sweetness of life, being joyful & playful in the present moment, and even going on journeys and traveling great distances.

Martins show up when we are about to "take flight" on a project or dream, and symbolize abundance.

The signs wouldn't be showing up if I hadn't been able to step out of resistance, into flow, and follow my heart.  

If I hadn't been brave and courageous, if I had not been able to come back into my body and find acceptance so that I could get that glimpse of a way forward, I would've stayed stuck in that double bind, in that painful place of "no, no, no....."  

There truly was flow and life on the other side of that, but in that initial, painful, unwanted moment, I could not see it, sense it, or feel it.   There was only black.  But that was just a step on the journey, not the end, not the destination.

Remember that you are a powerful creator, and you create from your energetic vibration - your emotions - which are generated by your default thinking habits, which are generated by your beliefs.  

It's all energy.  As within, so without.

Start creating the allowance and acceptance within, and you're going to start untangling the double binds that have you been keeping you tied up, and moving into more self-respect, more embodiment, and more flow, which in turn is going to be coming from a place of more self-value, meaning your going to be able to attract, receive, and hold even more good.

​And that's the kind of flow we're all after in life, right?

This also means that anything opposing the center point of this triangle, Neptune in Pisces, will thus form a 2nd larger triangle between itself, Uranus, and Pluto, turning the whole thing into a kite formation in the heavens, a dynamic energy that is like a bow being drawn back to loose an arrow of destiny, with what we are aiming for being represented by Neptune in Pisces flanked by Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn, and the tension being created by the the planet opposing Neptune in Pisces - whatever is transiting Virgo.

And the Virgo vibes start heating up as soon as Mars lands there in July, as Mars is the action planet, initiator, and instigator.  But the kite formation doesn't get going until Mars gets in range of the outer planets, August 21st to 24th. Then this energetic dynamic kicks up again with the sun 9/15 to 9/20, with Mercury 8/14 to 9/2 (stations retrograde 8/24 and direct 9/16) and again 9/27 to 10/4, and finally with Venus in 10/25 to 11/8. 

The tension point of the kite - the arrow drawing back, will be formed as the planets transiting Virgo late August to mid-November one by one form the release point of this energetic dynamic.  To work the kite, we must work the Virgo-Pisces opposition.

The outer planets (Uranus and Pluto supporting Neptune) are forming the point of the arrow - the direction of the aim and of forward motion. 

This is about a spiritual awakening and the connectedness of all life.  It's about higher consciousness and the evolutionary leap humanity is collectively undergoing.  Pisces is a water sign and a very spiritual sign full of empathy and compassion, and along with modern ruler Neptune, not only rules water as in "we are all one like drops of water in the ocean," but also literal water, water as a resource, and oil too.  Think about this energetic dynamic at play in league with Uranus in Taurus - innovating how we feel secure and our relationship to resources and environment (like the earth itself) - and Pluto in Capricorn - collapsing what is rotten in big systems globally like government and banking - we start to get a better picture of the monumental change that is happening on a global level right now.

The Virgo planets as they move through, the sun, light of consciousness, and each personal planet, Mercury, Venus, and Mars (not in that order), form the tail of the kite, and one-by-one will be the role you play as an individual in this raising of collective consciousness and spiritual awakening.   

This is where we "do the work," and zoom in on embodying the higher qualities of Virgo by itself and as part of the Virgo-Pisces axis.  

The Virgo-Pisces axis balances the mundane and the spiritual - both signs are about healing.  "Working Virgo," in our personal lives to contribute to the evolution of humanity to higher consciousness might look like focusing in on the sacred in the mundane, acts of practical service, and themes like the body as a temple, cleanliness in relationship to godliness, and honoring the sacred in the mundane.  Our spiritual healing contributes to our physical healing - not just as individuals, but as communities, societies, cultures, and nations - and our physical healing contributes equally to our spiritual awakening and evolution of consciousness.  They are intrinsically tied together.​

As I write this, just a week prior to the July 3rd full moon, we are already in the transition, doing the "letting go" of attachments and old consciousness that Pluto T-square the nodes is demanding of us through December.  Pluto rules the underworld and is associated with regeneration and the cycle of destruction and creation, so working with Pluto means fully allowing the death of the old so that energy can be transmuted to something new - think surrendering the old to the flames so it can be reborn anew, phoenix-style.

Also at this time, we are in the pre-shadow of Venus retrograde as Venus makes her first of three passes over the territory she will move backward through 7/22 to 9/3.  We can consider the six weeks of Venus retrograde to be a time of "personal renaissance," or our cosmically ordained "summer glow-up," but from the inside-out.  As with all Venus retrogrades, in the mundane realm, stay away from big, permanent changes to style, hair, body, and definitely no plastic surgery or tattoos.  Instead, focus on a "glow up" of the inner realm - this is about facing the shadow, and any lingering shame or lack of self-worth that has been keeping you from fully aligning with your heart's desires and shining brightly in full authentic self-expression.   This one's in Leo, an enthusiastic, creative, fire sign, and the sign of the heart and inner child - you cannot go wrong if you keep heart-centered and move through life from that place.  Shame cannot survive your light, so just keep feeding that heart flame with love.  This is one of the most important shifts I teach my coaching clients, and it's something you have to practice consciously and consistently until it becomes your new default.  Do this one thing and you will see positive changes begin to happen in your life - as within, so without.  

The north node into Aries 7/18 is only going to add more fire.  Remember to stay in the space of leadership and creating win-wins with your self-assertion, vim, and vigor.  If it's about your right to exist, it also has to be about everyone's right to exist.  There is either existence, or there is not.  It's all energy.  Focus on your healthy boundaries first.  That's what makes you a safe space for yourself and allows you to feel safe "doing you," and still feel safe allowing others to be themselves at the same time.  It's an energy of permission, rather than protection, and that's made possible when you are coming from a heart-centered space of empowerment and in your inner authority.  (Venus retrograde is helping set you up with a value/self-value uplevel, so don't freak out if July/August feels a bit bumpy with the north node freshly into hot-to-trot Aries and Venus still in review-mode.  It's all working out in divine right timing!

By late August, beginning this Virgo/outer planet kite formation that will carry us all the way through mid-November (past when Saturn is direct moving us forward with "making the ideal real"), we have Mars in Virgo coming into opposition with Neptune, beginning the march of the personal planets and sun through this "hot seat" in the heavens.  This is when we are going to shift our focus to consciously working the high side of Virgo energy and balancing the Virgo-Pisces axis of healing in our lives, each playing our own unique role contributing to the larger evolutionary leap of humanity.  Virgo is a sign of organization, tending to details, acts of service, devotion, cleanliness, refining, caution, modesty, routine, health, and diligence.  Keep it simple and practical.  Less is more.  Hard work pays off, and setting up systems and routines around daily life and health that are preventative and streamline will be pure magic.

The new moon in Gemini lands Saturday, June 17th at 21:37 PDT (that's Sunday June 18th at 00:37 EDT), at 26° Gemini.

This is our new beginning through the energetic prism that is Gemini for 2023.  In six months, at the late November Gemini full moon, we'll get to harvest what we plant now.

And right now, what we plant is infused with the MAGIC of the cosmos.  In this post I'm going to tell you why June's new moon has the potential to be so magical, so keep reading.

The ruler of this Gemini new moon is Mercury, known as both "the messenger," and the "Magician."  

Gemini rules the mind, information, thoughts, and communication.

Gemini is a mutable sign, known for being quick and changeable - mercurial.

To get a better understanding of this energy, think of The Magician in the major arcana of the tarot. 

"Meaning:  Originality, creativity, skill, will-power, self-confidence, dexterity and slight of hand. It is about grasping the unseen around you, and harnessing it to become reality." ~Shadowscapes Tarot

Think of yourself as the alchemist of your life now, the magician, standing at the center of your own universe, harnessing the energetic currents at play and elements as they swirl around you.  

You are the vessel of creation, with feet rooted into the earth and crown connected to source inspiration above - you are the ones whose inspirations and actions mix in the heart and flow through into action that makes dreams reality.

But there's more to this new moon than just being ruled by Mercury that makes it magical.

Venus and the Gemini New Moon.

As the new moon is exact this weekend, Mercury in Gemini makes a beneficial alignment to Venus now in Leo.

Venus rules love and money, relationships and resources (Libra and Taurus, respectively) but by way of just one thing:  self-value.  That's because Venus is the planet of pleasure, desire, and attraction, and the law of attraction says "like attracts like."  We don't get what we want, we get that of which we truly , deep down, in our bones, feel like we are actually deserving and worthy. 

It's an alignment thing, and there's no faking it.

This means that this particular Gemini new moon is blessed by Venus - and Venus in Leo no less.

Venus landed in Leo on June 5th and will be there until early October - the longest Venus has graced the sun's sign of creative self-expression and the heart since the early 1800's.  She is spending four months in the sign because she will be retrograde there from late July into September.  Venus retrograde is about journeying to face the shadow within so we can reclaim our inherent sense of self-worth from whatever has gotten us tangled and out of sorts.  We can consider the entirety of Venus in Leo this year as our own personal renaissance - a time to come home to ourselves and who we truly our in our hearts - a reawakening and rebirth.

This new moon has a couple of powerful backers working behind the scenes - Jupiter and Saturn.  

It might not feel like it right now, because just hours before this new moon is exact, Saturn stations retrograde at 7° Pisces, but this is a good thing.  Let me explain.

Saturn just moved into Pisces for a 2 1/2 year transit back in March, and in the big picture, this 2 1/2 year period is a transition period, as we have Pluto making it's move into Aquarius (til 2044) all this year, then by spring 2025, we'll have Saturn into Aries, Uranus into Gemini, and Neptune into Aries, completing all of the outer planet sign changes that began with Saturn into Pisces and Pluto into Aquarius this year.

Saturn makes things real, and Pisces is the realm of dreams and ideals, of the connection of all of life.  So when we have Saturn in Pisces, we know that part of this transit is about helping us make our dreams reality, for the highest good of all.  And part of that is going to be about Saturn showing us where we are being unrealistic, escapist, off-course, and off in fantasy land.  

Saturn is about the 3D world, and a planet of karma.  Retrogrades are about karma too.   So Saturn retrograde is always going to involve karmic themes.  

But remember that Saturn is a mentor and a teacher that wants to show us how to make our dreams real in the 3D world.  When Saturn is at work in our lives we can feel restricted and oppressed, depressed, and pessimistic.  But Saturn always rewards our work.  Always.  Satisfying Saturn involves having patience and being responsible and showing up with persistence, integrity, and discipline.  This won't go unrewarded.

Here's the thing:  (the really magical thing). Saturn is stationing retrograde in sync with this Gemini new moon this weekend, and it's doing so with the full support of gift-bringer Jupiter.   That's huge.  This means that this year's Saturn retrograde is blessed by Jupiter, planet of opportunity, expansion, growth, luck, and abundance.

This means that our new moon beginnings this weekend are blessed by both benefics (blessing-bringing planets) - Venus and Jupiter.

​This means that what we begin now has a very strong chance of being successful, especially if we satisfy Saturn over the coming months.

My in-depth new moon email lands in subscribers' inboxes soon, and also includes a special solstice segment detailing the funky Pluto quincunx on next week as well as how to work with the lunar phases and transits for the next two weeks til the full moon.

To get yours, just click here.