On August 13th, retrograde Venus will conjunct the Sun at 20º Leo 28’. This is the inferior conjunction of Venus, when Venus is at its closest point to the earth. It is also the beginning of the next 584-day Venus cycle. But expect a few surprises and some unexpected detours before we get there, for there’s no telling who will turn up, or what can happen when retrograde Venus is square Uranus, as it is this week.

This coming week we have a Super Full Moon in the sign of Aquarius. Full Moons are illuminating, and in the light of the current retrograde phase of Venus, and Pluto square the Nodes, this Moon can be especially so. Mercury also enters Virgo on Friday, where it will remain for an extended period of time. For more on the Full Moon and Mercury in Virgo, click below. 

Venus, our relationship planet will appear to station for its retrograde phase this weekend. 

Cancer is a sign of safety and security, with a yearning for familiarity, roots and protection. It is not unusual during Cancer season to circle the wagons, and gather the clan. And this may be all the more so this year, as the New Moon in Cancer falls at cross quarters with the changing Nodes and opposes Pluto. For more about the New Moon in Cancer, click below.

The Nodes of the Moon are changing signs, moving to the Aries/Libra axis. Not actual bodies, these are the places where the Sun, Moon and the Earth will be in perfect alignment, allowing for the Eclipses to take place. There is something magical about the Nodes of the Moon, where the world of Matter (the Earth), our Soul’s evolutionary journey (the Moon), and Spirit (the Sun) are all brought together. As a result the signs that the Nodes are traveling through can tell us a story about the evolutionary progress of humankind. 

On Friday, Neptune will appear to station for its retrograde phase which lasts through December 6th. To make the most of it we are asked to slow down, and turn within. Kind of hard to do when it coincides with a magnificent Full Moon, such as we are having on July 3rd, beckoning us out into the world. Perhaps we can do a bit of both.

Sometimes with the stations of the planets, events in real life mimic the symbolism of the planet and sign involved. This was the case with the missing submersible that captivated our attention for the days following the station of Saturn. Descending into the deep waters of the Atlantic coast, the submersible lost contact and disappeared. Saturn stationed in Pisces, the diluvian sign of the watery depths, the unknowable, and the invisible. We have since learned that the submersible imploded. But it was the unknowableness of it all, that captivated our fears and our imaginations. 

The New Moon in Gemini is supposed to be a New Beginning for all things Gemini. But with this New Moon we could feel like we are swimming against the tide with all things Gemini. With Saturn’s station retrograde in Pisces on the same day and the New Moon closely square Neptune, it’s all we can do to sort things out, never mind get anything started. We are trying to get our footing while standing on shifting ground. 

Pluto returns to Capricorn on June 11th. There may be some unfinished business that we need to take care of there. Perhaps we are needing some reminders of what was still left undone. Some lessons we still have not yet learned. 

The Full Strawberry Moon on June 3rd is our Sagittarius Moon. Raucous, abundant, and filled with activity, the Full Moon can distract, inspire and bring our lives into full view. To read more about this particular Full Moon, the Mercury/Uranus conjunction and Venus entering Leo, click below.