For the week of August 1st thru the 8th, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:
Aries
One thing that can become apparent this week are either the ways that boundaries have become eroded or where we have made our boundaries so strong that we have become inflexible, and unable to adapt to changing circumstances. The retrogrades of both Saturn and Neptune can help with this, as necessity is truly the mother of invention during this part of the year. What can also become apparent are the things that you are willing to make certain sacrifices for, and where you simply need to draw the line. The next few weeks will make this all that much more obvious, and could even make you feel a little drawn and quartered between conflicting obligations. Triage. Focus in on the things that really matter in the end. Each day may have a different focus, a different priority. Be willing to welcome each challenge as it arrives, no matter how frustrating it may feel. This is when we are being asked to take each measured step at a time, one day at a time, meeting each challenge as it arrives, with the same energy and enthusiasm that you greet each joy. Your homework for this week: Read “This Being Human is a Guest House” by Rumi.
Taurus
One of the issues with both Saturn and Neptune in Aries are certain inner blocks can arise that are hard to identity or pin down. Random anxiety. Intuition feels stifled. And the uncertainties that abound make it so difficult to know what the future holds. And so it is easy to fill in the voids with your own discomfort and fear, creating internal dialogues that may or may not be valid. If you are feeling disconnected from others, or life seems to have lost its luster, these could be clues to work on some sort of meaningful spiritual connection. This doesn’t have to be religious. But when Neptune is retrograde, as it is now, spirituality and mysticism can be important, as it would be with anything that lights a spark in your heart of hearts. Both Neptune and Saturn are beckoning you to connect with your Higher Self, in whichever way you perceive that to be: your conscience, your spirit guides, your own inner truth. And through this, perhaps greater truths will be revealed to you. But not without siphoning off that which is not true or valid, and may even be holding you back and preventing you from growing. Knowing the difference between that which is true, and that which is being fueled by the anxiety gremlins, can make all the difference right now.
Gemini
In the current weather many could find themselves struggling to fulfill their hopes and wishes. The world seems to be shifting on its axis and it’s all we can do to hang on and keep from falling off. The tides are shifting as we try to find our role in the world. But rather than trying to adapt to the changing tides, at some point you will come to the realization that this is actually an opportunity for you to live a truer, more authentic life and lifestyle. Not the other way around. No more sacrificing your own ideals just to fit in or be accepted. No more pretending to be something other than who you actually are in order to live up to other’s expectations. The next 7 years are going to be about you being you. And anyone or anything that tries to define, label or limit you are going to see another thing coming. And through this process of finding yourself you are also going to see your hopes and wishes for the future evolving, as well as all of current affiliations and goals. This is about riding the wave, rather than being engulfed by it.
Cancer
Venus has only just entered your sign whispering promises of happiness and the fulfillment of your heart’s desire. And this can still be true. However, with Saturn and Neptune hovering over us all these days, it seems to be casting a shadow of doubt over the festivities. It’s hard to see our way forward when Saturn sternly stands at the gate, and Neptune shrouds us in a foggy miasma. The truth is, we are not sure with these two standing in the way. Will we fall on our face? Are we barking up the wrong tree? Mercury, Saturn and Neptune are all retrograde this week. And although the inclination is to want to take some sort of action, Venus is going to ask you to focus on what is right here in front of you now, rather than longing for something that may never materialize. We are all feeling a little unsure right now. So why not wait until the fog lifts and you can see your way forward again? And maybe even with a bit of dignity and grace. We an search the whole world over in this kind of a fog, only to finally come home and realize that what you were looking for all along was right there in front of you.
Leo
Leo may be harboring secrets this week. Secret yearnings. Secret attractions. Perhaps some secret history that you would rather not have on display. This is not usual Leo behavior. Leo is rarely coy and bashful about anything. The problem is that you are not quite so sure what will happen if you reveal your true feelings, or if everyone knows all there is to know. Just know that you are probably not going to be able to keep the lid on it. By the Aquarius Full Moon all sorts of things are going to be revealed. Good things can be revealed as well! Just know if there are a few private things being disclosed, rather than hiding behind the curtains, just let it all hang out. George Bernard Shaw is quoted as saying: If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance. Because honestly, the things that you are worrying about are nothing compared to that other guy over there. Rather than fight whatever truths are being revealed, embrace them. Own them. And maybe even consider taking a few dance classes yourself. When you look back on this period, you may wonder what all the fuss was about. Until you remembered that fancy two-step you managed to learn.
Virgo
It may feel as if something is imminent. Or perhaps even doomed. Perhaps even like you are going to have to face some of your worst fears. Just know as we move through the last of this retrograde phase of Mercury, that there are bound to be consequences for everything at some point in our lives. Even the things that you had thought tucked away safely in that locked box, never to be revealed. But there’s always that one person with the extra key. The one who searched through the back of your closet and found the box that belonged to it. What may be surprising in the end, is that having the box opened may not be the end of everything. That in fact, it may just be the beginning you had hoped for. It’s amazing as we stand here at the precipice of change, where we really don’t know what is coming around the next bend of the path, that we create all sorts of stories, tales and narratives, that probably have no basis in reality. Therefore the best we can do at this moment, is to just put one foot in front of the other, and see what is being brought before you. I know the uncertainty must be driving you mad. But all will be revealed in its own time, and in its own way.
Libra
A part of you feels like you should be standing in the limelight, basking with a sense of accomplishment, celebration and joy. Like what happens after a job well done, you humbly and yet coyly welcome all the accolades and opportunities that are your due. And then they pull out the rack. This is the archaic torture device that pulled and stretched us beyond our limitations back in the day. It was very painful and distracting. The rack represents all that other stuff that is getting in the way of you being able to enjoy your accolades and accomplishments . Because, yes, this is supposed to be your time. But you’ve got all that other stuff that you promised to do. And all those people and things that are needing your assistance right now, that can’t be so easily ignored. You tried that and it didn't work. Just know that if you are not able to hold the boundaries firm this week, they’re only going to be further stretched next week when Mars enters your sign. And then the world will see a side of Libra that they are not used to seeing. Libra can let a lot of things slide. But there’s always that tipping point where you’ve reached that limit, and you won’t be having it any more. Sometimes you just have to say "No More.”
Scorpio
The ground shakes, the larder is bare, you got the flu even though it’s not even flu season. And as if that isn’t enough they’ve decided to reorganize and shake up everything at work. And not in a useful way. At least not in a way that benefits you. And even if you are not necessarily in the cross hairs, you could find yourself waiting all week for the other shoe to drop. Because if they go after Joe in the accounting office, what’s to stop them from coming after your department next? It’s the uncertainty that’s so maddening. So much so that you hesitate to even take that much needed vacation that you’ve been looking forward to all year. Jeopardy abounds! But the truth is you don’t actually have all the facts yet. And it does make it very difficult to make plans or go on vacation when you don’t know what will be left when you get back. So you just have to focus on what you do know and what you do have that is right there in front of you. In the end you will have a great deal more information than you have now. But until that time, you are just going to have to remain focused on the here and now.
Sagittarius
There are times in life when those we love the most seem to be the most exasperating. That beautiful child looks at you a little leerily. That person that your heart gravitated around and made your heart sing, is proving to be something of a disappointment. Distant, uncommunicative, distrusting. Perhaps it helps to realize that they may be going through something. And that there may not be all that much that you can do about it, except perhaps to be present. You are being asked to open your heart unconditionally, and without expecting any rewards, or even acknowledgment. This is about acceptance. Acceptance of others for where they are right now, without trying to change them or fix them. Accepting your current situation for what it is without trying to pretend it to be something else. This is about understanding with the heart, even when you are not being met halfway. This is what it means to love unconditionally.
Capricorn
It can sometimes feel like the very people who should be most supporting you are not all that available. Perhaps they are busy. They are away. Or even worse, they are there, but seem to be undermining you, in ways that are confusing, and making you even doubt yourself! Whether you are feeling gaslighted, or wondering if you are actually seeing things the way they actually are, you begin to find yourself suspecting everything and everyone. No one is excluded at this point. This is what happens when you just don’t know what everyone is up to, or who you can even trust. With Mercury still in its retrograde it would probably be a good idea not to make any assumptions. Rather step back and wait. In the weather we are having over the next few weeks the truth is bound to come out once and for all. And once it all comes out, either your suspicions will be vindicated or finally laid to rest. And then you can figure out what you want to do after that. In the mean time, patience and perhaps a little faith are being called for. Do be vigilant but not necessarily suspicious. Do hold others accountable. But only when you have all the information that is needed before you can do so. Patience and forbearance will win out in the end.
Aquarius
When we simply have no idea what the next day will bring, we can find ourselves ruminating, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. We just don’t know whose shoe, or where that shoe will land. If this goes too far you could find yourself overwhelmed with premonitions or even some fears about what the outcomes will be. Just know with Saturn and Neptune sitting in the wings that these fears may or may not have any basis in fact. Your job will be to separate fact from fiction over the next few weeks, but to do so very carefully. In this weather it’s so difficult to tell what is true and what is not true. And if you give in to it all you could end up losing your bearings. And it just isn’t worth it. Rather than regretting what you might have done some time ago, or worrying about a future that is inscrutable, focus instead on the present and what is right there in front of you. Open your senses. Observe. But don’t make too much of what you are hearing, seeing and sensing, until you have all the facts. Mercury retrograde periods are for processing and making sense of the past, and making sense of what you are seeing and hearing, so that you can make better decisions moving forward. But without that pause, you may miss some very important information, just when you need it the most.
Pisces
One of the most insidious difficulties with the Saturn/Neptune conjunction is knowing when to set firmer boundaries, and when you have make those boundaries too firm and too high. You may want to step back this week and consider why you may be having problems. Are your decisions being influenced by insecurity or fear? And if so make sure that you are truly seeing your situation for what it is. Crunch the numbers, assess the true value of what you are investing in, making sure that everyone’s needs are being met. Reciprocity flows when everyone’s needs are being taken into consideration. This may require making a few sacrifices here, or shuffling some things from one bag into another. Perhaps what you are needing to sort out are the most importantly priorities, and then carefully organizing your life, your resource and your valuable time around these. One of the things that you may become aware of is the willingness to do with a little less in order to be able to lead a more meaningful life, and a life that leaves no regrets behind.