Category: Monthy Horoscopes

Most would agree that the feminine is hard to explain. With the feminine there is a beginning which begets a new beginning… which then begets another new beginning! This is the creative process. It dips and weaves, spirals and descends -and that is exactly what July is going to feel like: the Feminine!

So let’s start at the beginning, which will beget a new beginning, which will beget another new beginning and so on… you’ll see. It’s hard to explain the feminine – you just have to feel and experience, but I’ll try to explain it. The goddesses are chiming in strongly this month, especially at the full moon. Venus and Mercury are moving into emotional Cancer. Jupiter is moving into Leo, expanding the creativity, and Saturn is going direct.

It starts on July 1^st when you will all be glad to hear that Mercury will be going direct. It means the end of the communication craziness of the last three weeks; however, expect it to go out with a bang. July 1^st  is a holiday in Canada and who knows what a bit a libation can do… so do be careful as the volume will get turned up on the Mercury confusion before it moves into clarity.

Two important days I want to highlight early in the month are July 4^th (Happy July 4^th, USA) and July 8^th.  These are days when the sun will be activating the Pluto-Uranus square I keep talking about. The Sun will oppose Pluto on the 4^th and I am flashing back to a July 4^th back when I was a teenager and snuck over to Port Huron, Michigan (sorry Mom!). I lived in Sarnia, Canada back in those days. If you don’t know it, it’s featured in the documentary ‘Bowling for Columbine.’ Here’s how it went down: one of the guys we were hanging out with got excited and decided to pull out a gun. Instead of shooting it in the sky, which may have been a better idea, shot into the gravel, sending us all flying in all directions and yelling at him with various expletives for his idiocy. I had a similar New Year’s Eve experience when the fireworks were aimed in the wrong direction… So here is my word of warning to all (especially to all Americans). Celebrate… but leave the guns and fireworks at home. Sun opposing Pluto will not make this a good combination. The second red flag is on July 8^th when the Sun will square Uranus. It will bring up similar excitability but at least it’s not a holiday.

On July 6^th, Venus will square Pallas. We might have a sudden realization that somehow we have lost our inspiration for creativity. Another way that it might manifest is that we are innocently walking past a mirror and all of a sudden get a glimpse of how much we have let ourselves go or that something is just off. Maybe we would like to forget all about it, but the next day Venus sextiles Uranus and all of a sudden we feel a spark generated by a love interest or an opportunity that suddenly comes our way. We may kick ourselves because we were caught off-guard and wish that we had our sh!t a little more together. In the moment, we are awkward and kind of fumble through it… It’s good though. Even though I see a little bit of discomfort coming up, an opportunity to make it better is just around the corner.

Venus squaring Chiron on the 8^th. With this aspect, we will be able to assess our relationships for how much they are supporting/undermining us. Yes, sometimes the people around us do not support our best interest and we have to do something about it. The Sun will trine Chiron on the 9^th, causing a renewed sense of purpose and a bit of a spiritual awakening. Pallas the asteroid goddess allows us to see patterns. She’s also the warrior goddess related to political activism is currently in Virgo where she is concerned with health and wellbeing through food, exercise, and creativity (usually in the crafts like sewing or weaving). She also tends to be very analytical here and, on the occasion, extremely perfectionist. She opposes Chiron on July 10^th so she might get down on herself for all of her bad habits and vices and (horror of horrors!) ways that she has let herself go, but this is a powerful opportunity to see things from a different perspective and to bring about healing. She is also supported by Saturn which will sextile Pallas on the same day, supporting us with a commitment to new patterns of behaviour and self-discipline. The Sun in nurturing Cancer is trine Saturn and sextile Pallas giving us the courage and commitment to make the changes. If you know a bit about astrology, you will see that with all the sextiles and trines happening a pattern formation called a kite is formed and that is exactly what we will feel like… like we are flying a kite. But for the kite to sail, you must get your kite together, take a bit of a run, and throw it up in the air. Take advantage of this energy and you will be amazed at the way the kite will dance.

The full moon falls on July 12^th at 20^o Capricorn. This  event will bring to fruition all that began at the New Moon in Capricorn in January. It happened on January 1^st so it might be easiest to think back to our New Year’s resolution. Capricorn is all about achievement, business, structures, and government, all things that have been experiences huge changes due to Pluto’s transit in Capricorn.  Now with the full moon in Capricorn, we will see just how far we have come. This full moon is doing some pretty spectacular things. It’s squaring the north node, Ceres, Vesta, and Mars all in Libra. If you’re used to that Libra energy being fair and gentle and compromising for the sake of balance, just throw things out of balance and see what happens. It’s a talk to the hand, “oh no you didn’t” kind of energy. Remember that goddesses can be loving and kind and nurturing, but also fierce.

Let me just give you a quick and dirty on what each of these means: The north node is not a planet – it’s a point. In Vedic astrology, they call it the dragon’s head. It’s a karmic point, meaning when the planets aspect this point, it brings to a head karmic situations.  Because it’s a point, a square to the head also means a square to the tail. The square to these points is a rebalancing of karma and a decision point. Which way are we gonna go? Are we sticking with the status quo or are we so fed up with things not working that we try something different?

Ceres is the mother goddess responsible for the cycles of nature, nurturing and loss, harvest and grains. Because Ceres is associated with the cycles of nature, she is also associated with birth and death – in Libra, it’s all got to do with relationships. Ceres in a square to the full moon brings a culmination of the balancing act on meeting our needs vs. others. Nurturing ourselves vs. others, being selfless, but to what extent? Ceres may feel like she’s doing all the cooking, cleaning, and forgetting herself… but not for much longer!

Vesta is the tender of eternal flame. The vestal goddess’s role is to keep that flame alive. It represents passion and dedication. In Libra she wants to share this passion, but with this square to the full moon it may cause a fear of merging. The fear may stem from a lack of gender equality within relationships (Libra). Can I just make a point here – All you men who read these horoscopes… maybe you call yourself a feminist and that is why you’re here… but are you still letting her do all the fire-tending?  Ego, patriarchal, and sometimes very unconscious male entitlement is being called into question here. Vesta might feel like she’s doing all the flame-tending and she doesn’t want to hear “but that’s your role honey, not mine” just because she’s the vestal goddess.

Mars is in its last days of being in Libra, prompting one last fight for fairness. This might bring up conflicts with authority. Back on March 1^st when Mars went retrograde, remember that Vesta also went retrograde. Both of these guys are fiery and forceful, both are very directive, action-oriented, and passionate – often associated with sex.  First they chased each other in a retrograde motion through Libra where all of that energy was turned inward. Many of us felt frustration, passive aggression, or thwarted. Some of us were able to sublimate that energy into inward transformation, while others felt like they were self-destructing. In May these guys both went direct. Finally we felt like we were moving forward. We started saying what we needed to say, doing what we needed to do, and getting our grove on if we needed to. With this square to the full moon we might feel a little edgy or aggressive. If anything wasn’t said before, it might get said now.

Beware all who wish to maintain the status quo…. all four (Mars, Ceres, Vesta, and the north node) will also be making a trine to Venus in Gemini. Venus will fortify the energy with a sexually integrated, full bodied feminine-inspired, heart-centred passion, and creatively fortunate/fertile energy. If the patriarchal energy emanating from the full moon has not transformed in the last six months, I dare say, it will not stand a chance at this time.

Just two days after the full moon on the 15^th, Mars and Vesta will be conjunct. I’m gonna call this aspect ‘orgasmic.’ If you had a massive fight at the full moon, now might be the time for makeup sex. Not only that, you might be in the throes of passion and it becomes so intense that you have to push it away or say “don’t touch me”. You’re not rejecting… just managing the intensity – it will get that intense! The only problem is that we may not be able to manage the intensity. In that case, this energy can also be sublimated into a religious or fanatical intensity. We might see that on a sociological level.

The third manifestation of this aspect is that it is often associated with a reset of financial markets (according the Bill Merridian)… envision the stressed stock broker yelling buy buy buy…. sell! Or sell sell sell, buy! Which will they do? I’m not sure, but I think we can expect something to happen. Only days later, both Mars and Vesta will move into Scorpio. Money doesn’t do too well in this sign, so we may see some wonky stuff with money. At any rate, money is ruled by two goddesses, Venus and Juno, so the goddesses will decide. The same day Uranus, the planet of surprises, will sextile Juno, so hopefully this will be a nice financial surprise and two days later Chiron will square Juno… I see some financial healing here. Venus will enter Cancer on July 18^th so we will become more conscious of our financial needs. Hopefully this is not because things have gone astray.

On July 16^th Jupiter will enter Leo. It has been in Cancer for the last year, expanding all things Cancer: home, family, nostalgia. Now as it moves into Leo all things Leo will see expansion. We will become more outgoing, enthusiastic, and our self-expression and creativity will increase. Children can become a theme – having fun, theme parks, entertainment, and gambling. In fact I just volunteered to work at a bingo hall and had my training in the last week of June. I’m doing it for charity, but I haven ‘t been in a bingo hall since the 80’s. But smoke-filled halls have been replaced by fresh air, colourful bingo dabbers with computer screens. There are break open ticket machines and lotto stations… and more on the way… My volunteer trainer excitedly told me about the new shipment coming in within days. AND as I sat in the office for the training presentation, one of the staff bust through the door to report the numbers of clients for the day. A record high -and it was Monday afternoon! We are gearing up, folks. AND I have to tell you, I think I might check out bingo on one of my off days with my friends.The Sun also moves into Leo on July 22^nd and on the 24^th will meet up with Jupiter, kicking off the playfulness and optimism.

While Mercury was retrograde last month, we had some time to review. If we used the time wisely, we would have gone over some of the decisions we have made earlier in the year. Now, after a brief pause, we will start having conversations, making decisions. and moving forward with plans. This might start out a bit bumpy on July 22^nd when Mercury opposes Pluto. At this time, we might be trying to persuade others of our point of view. By July 24^th we can get pretty fixated on our point of view – don’t be surprised if there are some blow ups! On the same day, Mercury will trine Saturn, so we might find ourselves being direct and having serious conversations. A day later Mercury will trine Chiron, helping us to check in with our intuition and listen to our heart’s wisdom. This might be a good time for meditation or talking things out with a trusted advisor.  Mars will move into Scorpio that day, so stormy and intense emotions might surface. Mars just spent about three months in Libra, trying to sort out our relationships. Now it will move through Scorpio until the middle of September. During this time we will want to go deep, transform, and get passionate… and if that doesn’t get expressed, we might go a bit shadowy with it. In fact, it starts off a bit shadowy on the new moon.

The new moon occurs on July 26^th. It’s a Leo New Moon… I have to say. I love all of this Leo energy! But the New Moon will still be conjunct Jupiter making this a ‘larger than life, extra, over the top, I am the centre of attention or at least I should be’ New Moon. The problem is that it is squaring off with Mars, newly in Scorpio, bringing up ego battles. Mars in Scorpio can be nasty so if you can, stay away from the drama. Oh and if Jupiter and the Sun in Leo have you thinking about gambling (or bingo), I suggest you have a budget and a responsibility buddy to keep you in check. That square to Mars can cause a loss.

By the 27^th Mercury will square the north node at which time we might find ourselves changing directions. If we do make a course correction, we will be supported on July 28^th when Mercury will sextile Pallas, helping us to see the big picture and to plan. On the same day Venus will oppose Pluto, so a partner or someone we love might not like what we are saying, where we are going, or what we are planning. This is a day when jealousies or control tactics can come out.

At the end of the month Mercury will square Ceres. We are convinced we communicated what we needed and now feel frustrated, even become a little sarcastic at the lack of support. Mercury then moves into Leo the next day and immediately squares Vesta when we might have a drama queen moment. The problem is that we may not have communicated in a way that was understood. If this happens, find a way to clarify your thoughts and your feelings. If you thought you communicated them, try again, this time with a different approach.  Hint: I once wrote a poem to a guy thinking that I was sharing my thoughts and feelings. Finally after three months of wondering why he wasn’t getting it, I finally said “you don’t understand… I let my guard down” to which he replied “oh, well why didn’t you say so!” and suddenly all was patched up. What I learned – keep it simple, straight-forward, and don’t write a poem!

Read what’s in store for each sign:

 

Aries: Some awkwardness might come up at work with your work style or work presentation. You may not believe that you can express your politics and be yourself at work. Any reflections on this will only help to heal whatever is going on in your subconscious. You’ll have plenty of support to move forward with any new healthy regime. In the second part of the month, Mars moves into your 8^th house making you more intense with your partner. Now to September could be a very sexy time.

Taurus:Are you killing your passion and creativity pretending to be friends? Perhaps you believe this is the politically correct thing to do, but you might realize that there is a little something more there that needs to be released. You are aided in a new commitment toward self-expression this month. Mars moves into your 7^th house. The next couple of months you could experience some conflicts with your partner.

Gemini: Creating a home atmosphere that is comfortable and welcoming comes as a source of embarrassment this month. Maybe someone drops by and your look around noticing the dust and the cobwebs in the corners that never seemed to reach your consciousness before. You can make a commitment to a drop-in-at-any-moment welcoming home this month. In the second part of the month, Mars moves into 6^th house turning you into a bit of a workaholic for the next couple of months but also helping you with a cleaning spree.

Cancer: This month you find that more than ever you have the perfect thing to say, the perfect comeback, but as usual it’s a day late and a dime short. You’re given the chance this month to sharpen your mind and up your wittiness. Maybe you take an improv class or a joke-telling workshop to help you out. Mars moves into your 5^th house at the end of the month helping you to be a little more entertaining and moving you into a couple of months of the need for sport. Join a volleyball team or a running group.

Leo: Perhaps you find yourself opening a bill this month and you realize that you haven’t seen this particular bill in months. In fact, is seems that your partner has been hiding it from you (god knows why) but it sends you into a need to figure out a creative solution for your budget. Mars will move into your 4^th house at the end of the month which might cause you to rearrange – and you know what happens when you rearrange. You find old papers or photos and it stirs up unconscious stuff from the past.

Virgo:  Your strong identification with your politics might be clashing with your relationship this month, causing a dichotomy both in your relationship and also within you. You might be taking a strong stand just to take a strong stand. What do you really believe? As Dr. Phil says, you can choose to be right or choose to be happy! Later in July, Mars moves into your 3^rd house causing you to be a bit argumentative. You can better use the energy to support a collective neighbourhood cause. If you can be the spokesperson, you can use the argumentativeness to advocate for something beneficial.

Libra:  You may have been so focused on your mind and thoughts in the last little while that you may experience a breakdown this month . If your mind does decide to shut down, consider it a gift and a path to healing, but also to reconnecting you with your soul and just being.  Mars moves into your 2^nd house later in the month causing you to strongly identify your worth with your roles or possessions. The challenge is to find your worth just because you exist and not because you have a certain job or drive a certain car.

Scorpio:  Perhaps you would like to use your creative inventions to advocate for social change but there’s something off about it. Remember the “boobie” bracelets that were created to raise funds for breast cancer? They got banned in high schools…. same deal! You can find a way though. Mars moves into your first house later this month causing you to be very assertive in showing off your stuff. Just remember to be inclusive and tactful.

Sagittarius: Are you integrating your career success with your emotional needs? If you have been checking your emotions at the door in order to be “professional” at work, things might come to a head. This month you will be challenged to integrate both feelings and professionalism.  Later in the month, Mars moves into your 12^th house. Over the summer, you may feel you are being asked to take a back seat or you may have people working to undermine you. If you can, work alone for the next couple of months.

Capricorn:  You may find yourself in a legal situation that challenges you to advocate for a certain position, requiring you to make a speech or to do some public speaking. Don’t worry – whatever discomfort comes up will challenge you to heal an old wound around communicating. Mars moves into your 11^th house so, if you work collaboratively with others, you can achieve your goals. If someone wants to do it their way or you want to do it your way, you will get into trouble. The key is to fully collaborate.

Aquarius:  You might be seeing patterns and you can’t figure out if you’re dreaming it, if someone told you, or if it’s just psychic. How you came across this information may be a source of contention. Maybe it’s so accurate that you’re accused of insider trading. How could you possibly know? The point is that it brings up your own discomfort around who you are and what you know, which sometimes cannot be explained.  Mars moves into your 10^th house causing you to be quite ambitious and you may experience conflicts with those who compete against you. Try to align your goals with theirs and things should go much smoother.

Pisces:  You might find some conflict with how impersonal you seem in relationships. Perhaps you are just being yourself, but you are starting to annoy others because you are soooo fair. Others might just want you to take a position. Mars moves into your 9^th house later in the month, so don’t go to the other end on this. At this time, you will defend your beliefs strongly and may force your opinions/beliefs on others. You are being challenged to honestly express yourself and your beliefs – and then detach from others’ perception of your beliefs.

 

 

As June is the sixth month, we are now entering the second part of the year! So much was going on in the first part of the year, most of which was happening below the surface due to so many retrogrades. Just about every planet went retrograde, asking us to look inward, soul search, and realign.  Slowly all the planets moved forward with Mars, making the final forward motion on May 19^th. Mars is the action planet, so during the retrograde we may have felt that we were getting nowhere or that we had a lot of nervous energy. As the week progressed, you may have felt the gas hit the accelerator but thought to yourself, “I need a little more horse power here!” Things are really starting to move in June, but before they really get moving, we have one more retrograde (which actually happens 3-4 times a year) with Mercury going retrograde on June 7^th.

The first week of June is all about our connections. Strategy meets love when Venus and Pallas trine at the beginning of the month. We are starting to see new patterns in how we network and connect with others. Venus is also about money, so our connections will influence our money-making ability. I recently read a post on google+ in which a google expert explained why he does not use business card any more.  He just simply tells people to google him and swears that this creates better, higher quality business connections.  A financial coach also talked about ditching business cards during lean financial times and said that she hadn’t used cards in two years.  I wasn’t sure what to think, but this energy at the beginning of the month will give us all a new perspective on our connections and how we make them. Venus is sextile spiritual planet Neptune on June 4^th, so we may crave more of a spiritual connection – connection just for connection sake won’t work.  On the 6^th, the Sun is sextile Uranus, so we might be able to come up with some inventive ways of expressing ourselves and putting ourselves out there.  Venus will then trine Pluto on June 8^th connecting us with deep and transformative type people.

Mercury goes retrograde on June 7^th. Everything you’ve been preparing during the beginning of the year will hit a two and a half week period where you might realize that you’ve overlooked something. It may also manifest as hiccups in something you’ve just launched. Just trust that any hiccups are there for a reason and will give you some solid information to realign and sync. Recently I was masterminding with my power group of awesome entrepreneurs when a brilliant insight came through: one of my fellow business sisters had put a lot of work into transferring her business onto a new web domain and felt huge frustration when she saw no change to all of the work she had put out.  After hours on the help desk and countless redoes she suddenly had an insight… maybe I need to clear my cache.  This is exactly what we might experience as Mercury will start its retrograde in Cancer. Communication mess ups may be of an emotional nature at the start of it, but it then slips back in to Gemini, the sign that Mercury rules, so you can expect some straight up communication (text message, email, computer, etc.) mess ups. It could even be your car giving your trouble. My advice during the Mercury retrograde from June 7^th to July 1^st is if nothing seems to be working out, take a deep breath, calm your emotions and clear your personal cache.  The Sun trines Ceres, the planet of nurturing, on June 9th which ensures that we have at least a day of nurture our inner child during this process.

The full moon on June 13^th will be in Sagittarius,  culminating in something that has been churning around in our belief systems. Just before the full moon on the 12^th, Neptune is opposite Pallas. Something in our perceptions or belief system may be dissolving. This might be the final dissolution of a false belief or a negative limiting belief that we’ve been fighting for a while. The full moon the next day will bring to consciousness in a concrete way what exactly has changed. Mercury`s retrograde motion still in Cancer will also make us a bit nostalgic and we might feel like calling up an old friend – or an old friend may reach out to us. It’s possible that this person may also be a love interest from the past.  Maybe it was unrequited love, a love relationship for which you never felt full closure or one that never got off the ground. Venus, the planet of love sextile Chiron the wounded healer will bring an opportunity to heal old wounds and also align us with the right relationships: those that are good and healthy for us though it may not happen immediately. Saturn tests all that stands the test of time and will oppose love planet venus on the same day challenging us to a serious and thorough relationship assessment/reassessment. Saturn is also the god of karma, so this might just be some karmic debt through which we are working.

The next day Mars squares Pluto on June 14^th. Mars is now direct so all of that tension that was boiling inwardly at the Grand Cross when they last met up in April of this year may come bubbling to the surface as these two start rumbling. If everything gets a little messy, the planets have our back. The Sun will trine the north node a couple of days later allowing us to find just the right support. The north node always connects us to the people, places, and things that help us along the way. It’s like a guide that pulls us in the right direction.

Venus sextile Jupiter on June 18^th  might bring you together with a lover or friend (or a lover and a friend) for a nice enjoyable time. However Mercury retrograde conjuncts the Sun on June 19^th can be a day of emotional and confused communications. Here`s how it might go: on the 18<sup>th</sup>, you were hanging out with your friend, you guys were having a great time, but you didn`t realize how much complaining you were doing or how much you complain in general, so he decides (out of love) to record the conversation which he then shares with you. At first you’re annoyed and think he`s a complete jerk, but then you hear yourself and realize, horror of horror, exactly how you sound. The whole situation might throw you off kilter and your first reaction might be to not know what to say or how to say it anymore. That`s okay, you have the rest of Mercury retrograde to think through how you want to come across now.

The Sun moves into Cancer on June 21^st putting us in the mood for family and BBQ’s for the next month, and Venus will move into Gemini on June 23^rd making us curious and wanting to explore ideas or just text message a lot. We may also feel like dating but not getting too serious… it`s the summer after all! This is a great time to hit as many BBQ’s as you can. Jupiter squares the north node on June 23rd might put us in the right place at the right time to make some interesting connections or meet new friends.

Mars will oppose Uranus on June 25^th. Mars is still in Libra and has been for quite some time. Libra is the sign of relationships and some surprising information or actions regarding relationships might come to the surface at this time.

The new moon in June is on June 27^th at 5 degrees of Cancer.  On the same day Mercury will trine the north node. If you connected with some cool people during the beginning of the month, this new moon might be a good time to reach out and deepen those relationships. The Cancer new moon will make us kind and trusting – plus with a trine to selfless and imaginative Neptune, we feel even more giving. This new moon energy is great for allowing our artistic creations to spring forth so spend a day helping those in need or creating longer term intentions to do those things.

Close to the new moon, Venus will square Neptune and Juno which are conjunct in Gemini. Venus conjuncts Juno in Gemini are chatty together with constant loving words (“I love you… I love you more.”) gets ping-ponged back and forth all day long.  This is definitely a time where we feel incredibly inspired, loving and, with that square to Neptune, impressionable.  We might find ourselves over committing or failing to see an important detail.

What’s happening this month with each sign:

ARIES: Mars moving forward in your 7th house of partnerships and you may witness things getting heated. Saturn might have you dividing assets at this time or working through an inheritance, which will bring up some unconscious stuff at the beginning of the month. Mercury retrogrades in your 4^th house of real estate/family and then back in to the 3^rd house. Communication mess ups can happen at home. This is not a good time for property transactions.

TAURUS: You might want to stay away from large internet banking transactions while Mercury retrogrades in your third and then back into your second house of money.  Mars moves forward in your 6^th house of work, possibly bringing some surprises to light with coworkers. Also, you’re doing a serious assessment of your relationships… maybe it’s about the wedding and what to say to those friends you’re not inviting so as not to hurt them.

GEMINI: Mars is moving forward in your fifth house, causing battles with your children. You are better off throwing that energy into a sports activity rather than taking it out on them. Mercury retrogrades in your 2^nd house making you forget where you put that $20 dollar bill and then into your first house where your personal communication may suffer.  You might be working out a serious relationship issue at work during this month as well. Chances are if you do it right, it will bring healing to you reputation.

CANCER: Mercury retrogrades in your first house, throwing off yourself expression and then moves into your 12^th house where communication gets foggy.  It is better for you to take extra time to think through what you really feel before you speak. Also, this month is a great month to start the exercises in the Artist Way by Julia Cameron. It will heal your beliefs and relationship you have related to your creativity.

LEO: Mars is direct in your third house, making words and communication bubble to the surface. The problem is that Mercury retrograde is affecting your communication. This is happening in your 12^th house so you might not be making any sense until you connect with your deep unconscious. It then moves into your 11^th house throwing communications off with your friends.  Your energy can best be spent working out a relationship with one of your parents – they might even spot you some cash and the gesture touches you so deeply that the rift might be healed.

VIRGO: Things might blow up in the cash department, with Mars direct in your second house of finances.  Mercury retrogrades in your eleventh house of friends and then into your tenth house of honors. Perhaps something you say affects your reputation. The trick is to stop while you’re ahead.  You’re doing a serious assessment of your communication in relationship which will challenge you beliefs around relating.  Do it right and you can expect healing in your relationship.

LIBRA: You’re doing a serious assessment of your relationship to money and shared resources. It’s causing you to start to see the relationship between being of service and the flow of money.  Mercury retrogrades in your tenth house of fame and then back into your ninth house of teaching, higher learning, and publishing. If you are planning to hand in a thesis or publish your latest eBook, I urge you to wait until July.  You will save yourself a lot of grief. Mars is direct in your first house, making you unusually insensitive. You’ve likely been holding a lot in. Don’t worry, you’re only trying to balance your scales.

SCORPIO: The best way to use Mars’ direct energy in your twelfth house is spend lots of time alone in reflection and to sleep. You can have amazing dreams that really help you access your unconscious at this time.  This month is also a great time to evaluate your relationship to yourself. You can do this with the help of a counselor or coach.  Doing so will help you get in touch with a spark within yourself and bring healing to your sense of fun.  Mercury retrogrades in your ninth house and then back into your eight house; Caution: don’t leave your journal lying around!

SAGITTARIUS: Your relationship with your boss comes into focus this month. Sometimes we act out our family dynamics with our intimate relationships – and sometimes it happens at work. This month brings you an opportunity to unlock a door to your past as a way to move forward.  Mercury is retrograde in your eighth house, causing messed up communications with insurance, taxes, or inheritances. It then moves into your seventh house where you might have some hiccups with your spouse.

CAPRICORN: Mars is moving forward in your tenth house, so things are heating up in your career. You feel ambitious now but you may clash with authority figures.  Also, you’re doing a serious assessment of the groups that you are a part of this month, the outcome of which may be a deeper connection with your community.  Mercury is retrograde in your seventh house moving back into your sixth house: communications with your partner and then your coworkers might suffer.

AQUARIUS: As your status has risen, your self-worth might have suffered. It doesn’t make sense – you should feel more self-confident, but sometimes you feel like a fraud. This is the chance for some healing this month as you work out your relationships with what is lying at your foundations. Is it a false belief? Now you have the chance to heal. Mercury retrogrades in your 6^th house, in which a handshake might lead to a constant worry about getting a summer cold. It then moves into your 5^th house where a prank might go awry. It seemed funny in the idea stage, but it doesn’t quite translate.

PISCES: Mars is now direct in your eighth house bring about deep transformation.  However, fights about shared resources are likely and, with Mercury retrograde in fifth house, it could be something as small as buying orchestra seats at the theatre when he said balcony seats. Mercury then moves back into your fourth house and the fights might erupt over misunderstanding from the past.  Relationships assessments might highlight how you may have been on your high horse, which is a hard pill to swallow, but this realization will bring healing to how you present yourself in the world.

Pheeew, it’s May!

The load lightens in May – thank Goddess! April was pretty intense with two eclipses and a cardinal grand cross. I hope you managed to rise above all of the drama but we aren’t out of the woods yet. That Solar eclipse was all about money and it was conjunct Mercury so in the first few days of May, Mercury will sextile Chiron, injecting some healing medicine to our thoughts. It’s likely to affect the manner in which we think about money or materialism. The medicine wears off by the next day when Mercury is in opposition to Saturn in the sign of shared resources. Maybe it dawns on us that we don’t have the financial support we need or, after our moment of healing and enlightenment, we may slip back into our old negative thinking. It happens! This regression might be the reason that we allow ourselves to become a little rash with money when Venus moves into Aries on the same day. The Sun trines Pluto the next day, returning your willpower and allowing for spiritual development in regards to our self worth and financial worth. If you need to take back the purchase you made yesterday because you realize it was a shopaholic crazy moment, do it! You’re worthy just as you are without the Kate spade purse! Maybe you’re consistently wandering around wearing clothes from the 1980s and this case rash Venus transit worked in your favour! Keep your purchases, you’re worth it!

For the first part of the month the Sun is in Taurus. Yes, Taurus loves money and security, but she also likes a beautiful garden. In fact, most of us will discover that we’re the gardener types in one way or another, so buy and plant your first seed ASAP! What Taurus plants can be enduring and steadfast, so when the Sun in Taurus makes sextiles to both Jupiter and Chiron early in the month , opportunities for creative self-expression will be made. In a sexile to Jupiter on the 6^th, it’s the opportunity to plant kindness and generosity while injecting optimism into something bigger than you. It’s also great energy for sitting down for coffee with a trusted mentor, maybe about advice or bringing together a group for team-building. On that same day, Mercury is square Pallas, so our self-expression and creative ideas might feel blocked. Connecting with others will help build our confidence. Perhaps we feel embarrassed about our creativity and speaking with our mentor/the team gives us just the boost we need. The next day on the 7^th the Sun sextiles Chiron is an opportunity to healing to our self expression. If you’ve been afraid to release that poem you wrote or you’ve hidden that quirky sculpture that you think is just stupid, today is the day for taking the risk and getting your craft out there.  Mercury will move into Gemini on the same day, making a great day to communicate and get the word out.

Our relationships may feel a little transcendent when Neptune is sextile Juno on May 9. This is a great day for private Japanese rock bathing with your honey. Simply sitting across from one another, eyes gazed could also work.  Take this celestial opportunity to put some assets into the relationship ‘bank.’  In May, hard days will arrive on May 10^th and 11^th because the Sun opposes Saturn , leading us to feel thwarted and lonely. The next day Mercury squares Neptune – we may think that our inside thoughts have made it to the outside. The manner in which we can communicate might become very confusing. Love planet Venus is opposite sexy and aggressive Mars so we might find conflicts as we try to get our needs fulfilled. I see these two days as having a huge potential for communication breakdown. Take a deep breath, have sex, or transmute that energy into your art, and then wait until tomorrow to talk. Not only will it help you to gain some perspective, you will also have Mercury trine Mars helping you to be honest and direct.

The full moon  in Scorpio on May 14^th is also conjunct Saturn, which can bring out our shadows. For example, we were horrified at concrete examples of Ghandi’s sexism and the idea that  the late Steve Jobs fired anyone who attempted to poach his staff, but everyone has a shadow, especially the most highly respected. Saturn and the Moon form a grand trine with Jupiter and Chiron.  This formation will help to bring together all that faith and optimism and healing and creativity from the beginning of the month onward. It could also be a culmination of your efforts over the past 6 months, which could be very inspiring to others – maybe even creating ‘ah ha!’ moments. Not everyone will like these changes though. Jupiter square Vesta will bring out opposing philosophies and beliefs.  Venus, which also represents values, will be square Pluto, creating power struggles. Your biggest opponents might come from those who are clinging to power or old power structures. Perhaps they are trying to act as though they don’t have a shadow, yet they point out yours in order to bring you down.  Venus is within a degree of being conjunct Uranus, so things can be pretty unpredictable in this regard. Mercury is sextile both of them, so it may even be an innocent comment that triggers the entire situation.  It is best to remember that our failings and humanity, if we are honest about them, can work to make us very real and likable on the whole.

Relationships issues pop up again when Mercury is square Chiron on the 17^th. At this time we feel like holding onto grievances. Venus is opposite Vesta so the conflict might stem from our independent needs clashing with our partnership needs. The next day Mercury is trine Ceres, enhancing empathetic and nurturing communications.  We’ve all heard that talking to your plants can help them to grow. Nurturing conversations will help not just your plants grow, but also everyone with whom you share it. Don’t have an agenda when you speak. Venus will also be square to Jupiter, so we may expect too much from our partnerships right now. If you don’t see things growing and blossoming immediately, just step back and trust that they are changing. On May 19^th, Venus is opposite Ceres. Turn inward and consider whether you’re approach this issue as a girl or as a woman? For a truly equal relationship (not one that looks like and reminds you of your relationship with one of your parents), you need to approach it like a woman. If this is an issue, Venus opposite Ceres will bring it to the forefront.  The good news is that Pluto is trine Juno which leads to transformations in relationships, both on a personal and social level.

Of course, there is the chance that we might ignore the growth potential available. It’s a long weekend (May 2nd-4th/Fete de la Reine for all of my Canadian readers). This time can be days of excess both on the BBQ and in beer AND a day of avoiding your relationship issues. Ceres and Jupiter in difficult aspect to Venus can show up as total and complete excessiveness with food and drink. Don’t miss the opportunity for growth just because of a long weekend!

Mars turns direct on May 19^th after being retrograde since March 1^st. Since Mars became retrograde, there has been a tonne going on and most of it was directed inwardly. Just because nothing happened at the Grand Cross in April, doesn’t mean that nothing will happen. Watch out for the Monte Python ‘thin mint’ effect over the next two months – over the next couple of months Mars traces back over the same terrain.

Jupiter is trine Saturn and Mercury is trine the North Node on May 25^th making it a great day to get out your Desire Map book, a journal, and a planner. Normally we make plans at the beginning of the year or on our birthdays, but this year we have had so many retrogrades within the beginning of the year (Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter)! These retrogrades make us think about and assess every aspect of our lives. Now with all these planets direct and these two wonderful aspects arise on the 25th, we can map out with a great deal of clarity what our next steps are. Venus is also opposite the north node, so we have the chance to really prune away things that we no longer value.

With a new set of goals, you’re ready for a rite of passage. At the new moon on May 28^th, you might find yourself on a vision quest or find yourself sitting across from a psychic. This new moon is a learning moon in Gemini and will be square Neptune.  Mercury will also be sextile Venus. We’ll see all, but I think it will take quite some time for us to truly understand this new moon and integrate all its teachings.

 

ARIES	Your sharing your homemade secrets with the world this month. Maybe you’ve been creating your own formulas for soaps or healthy and non-estrogenic body creams. You may be heavily relying on your partner’s resources to get your tender, loving products out into the world. Your partner might be feeling a little skeptical. Letting your partner share in all of your secrets can strengthen your partnership at this time and will make your sharing a success.
TAURUS	Your loving communication with your partner this month can help you achieve all of your hopes and dreams. These might be partnership dreams of going deeper with your honey and finding yourself more committed or it may be dreams that you can only achieve with the strength of a committed partnership. The goal lies in working through the difficult emotions between the two of you… you can do it!
GEMINI	Your sweat, tears, and hard work pay off this month.  You’re bringing emotions and healing together into your work – and somehow they are making you money! You might be feeling a little uncomfortable with all that’s out there about yourself. You may even focus on the one criticism rather than the 100 kudos. Just trust that the feeling will pass. You can also investigate how all the celebrities do it!
CANCER	You’re not in hiding anymore, Cancer. You’re putting your talents out there and standing behind them in confidence. Strangely enough, as your work get’s published you feel might start to feel twinges of self doubt. Can I do this again? Yes, you are creating a unique cultural phenomenon but just remember not even Michael Jackson could beat Thriller so no need to put that pressure on yourself. Keeping that connection with your higher self will help you keep churning your art and will keep the existential angst from creeping in.
LEO	Issues with power are being healed with the help of a trusted adviser. You have deep access to all of those deep unconscious memories, possibly ones extending from past lives. Maybe this situation is showing you how much you have ‘put up’ with in life. Your childhood may be playing out in your day-to-day family life and now you get to work it out. The beauty of all of this is that this change comes about in the gentlest of ways. There is nothing harsh or adversarial, which is nice.
VIRGO	You’re pursuing and even achieving something that you have always wanted to do. As you achieve your hopes and dreams, something inside of you becomes satisfied. You are able to shift and bring healing to your relationships. The opportunity exists to communicate more deeply and with deeper consideration of your thoughts. There may be a little bit of a battle between what you think and what you think you should think. Let your thoughts float out of your mouth anyhow. You might be surprised by what others think of it and this will help you release any guilt, which Virgo’s are notorious for.
LIBRA	A little financial austerity is just what the doctor ordered. There is nothing like having to choose how to spend your money to illuminate what you value. Paying attention to the energy in your body will help you become clear on what you need. Listen to your body’s wisdom and make the right choices.  You might also become really good at picking up other people’s energy. As others learn of your skill, it might feel like a bit of a burden, but you are spot-on and you help others.
SCORPIO	On the surface something might be looking very much like a failure – you may even experience some depression about it. Through your failures you learn much about yourself while teaching others – either directly as a teacher or indirectly as they witness what you are going through. Your ego, the child within, gets to take all of this experience and play with it, which churns out something truly alchemic.
SAGITTARIUS	You might experience a conversion this month that puts you deeply in touch with your family heritage. Maybe your family has always been Republican, but suddenly you find yourself converting to the Democratic party. Maybe they were Catholic, but you realize that it’s really the Buddhist faith that resonates with you.  This change can bring up some uncomfortable feelings with your family. Now is the time that you will really let go of what is no longer working for you. You’re getting strong glimpses of your new inner world order.
CAPRICORN	Collaborations might seem like a bit of a burden at this time, but they are actually very healing. If you are not practicing what you preach this might get thrown back in your face right now. Others are reflecting your own “stuff” back at you. Don’t resent or rebel against it. You need them, so consider this a gift: we only sufficiently learn about ourselves and our contribution by others mirroring it back to us.
AQUARIUS	You’re riding high on success right now – but this month it may become apparent just how out of balance your life has become in order to achieve it. Your success brings into focus your true values. If there has been an overemphasis on material things, you’re able to design your work in a way that honours everything you need, not just the material. You have lots of job opportunities coming your way, so you can do it. When deciding what to accept, take all of your needs and values into consideration.
PISCES	You’re deepening your understanding of life’s mysteries and your own philosophies. In so doing, you’re getting a glimpse of your own paradoxes. Travel helps you gain perspective on yourself and brings deep healing to your self-expression and self-image. This process is important because it will help you to find courage to be yourself with others who embrace your complexities, both  out in the world and within your romantic relationships. Gone are the days of giving them only what they want…. it’s too exhausting!