Mars will be a major player for the rest of the year as it travels in Aries and touches off aspects with Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn. Mars is the action planet and he has tremendous energy. When focused he can accomplish a lot from just pure willpower. In the sign Aries the focus is on independence and finding a new way, carving a new path and finding self-power.
Self- motivation can be very rewarding however, in the era of quarantine and Covid19, fuses could be short. Plus, there is a component of Mars in Aries that can make war at the drop of a hat with a tinge of, “I’ll show you” accent on ‘I’ll.” But getting lost in Mars anger and meaningless skirmishes is a misuse of Mars in Aries. If you find yourself going down roads where you see an enemy in everyone, the lifeguard on the beach, the check-out attendant, the neighbor, you should figure a way to shift your energy. Seriously, everyone is not an enemy. Take a walk or move your body.
On the personal front whatever house has Aries in your chart expect a lot of action. Even if you do not know your chart you may find yourself digging in and doing battle on some area or theme and then doing it again and again. For the record, in a normal year Mars stays in a sign for about six weeks. But when Mars is retrograde it is in a sign for six months. In this case Mars will be in Aries until January and along the way he’s getting into it with the planets who are already the big players in 2020. Apparently, god has a sense of humor sending Mars in Aries retrograde this year. Yi yi yi. If you would like to get the flavor of Mars in Aries, play Gustav Holst’s Mars symphony.
So, in order to prepare you for the Mars energy here are the important dates for this year:
July 25 Mars enters Shadow
Aug 4 Mars square Jupiter
Aug 13 Mars square Pluto
Aug 24 Mars square Saturn
Mars pushing on Jupiter (Aug 4) speaks to actions and beliefs. Are your actions in synch with what you believe? Do your beliefs need actions? Is their conflict between the two? What is the beef? Do your beliefs serve you? Are some of them outdated? Do they need a reality check? There can be tremendous energy during this aspect. Can you use your energy to your advantage? But take care to not be sloppy. There is a big money component to Jupiter in Capricorn. Big business. Big Government. Jupiter does speak to travel, international and religious matters. Breathe and take care to avoid accidents.
Mars square Pluto (Aug 13) Mars is action. Pluto is death and rebirth. There is power in both but how they approach it is different. This is warrior vs spy. The rub is working in your face or working behind the scenes. The fact Mars is tangling up first with Jupiter then Pluto speaks to some awakening in our values followed by a deep desire for a change. The square between the two suggests ‘being sick and tired of being sick and tired.” What actions can be taken that focus on new independence and a new personal journey while letting go of something that is dead and no longer serves? There is big business, government and financial component to this aspect with Pluto in Capricorn. Stories around power struggles will be in the news. New energy. Independence. Personal freedom. Status quo. Infrastructure. Systems. Old versus young, finding the middle ground is challenging, even if it is the old and youth inside of us.
Mars square Saturn (Aug 24) There is a deep desire for action but cold, hard reality is a thwarting influence. Even if we can get our head around something and feel the energy pushing on us, the timing may still not be ‘right’. Or perhaps the energy we felt from the previous weeks helped clear out a lot of debris but now we have to sit for a bit to figure out the next step. Authority figures can be negative Nancy. We may feel a thumb on us. It might be wise to retreat on some matters not out of failure but more to reassess. Fishermen fish when the season is on and when the season is off they work on their nets. If we hit any walls with this aspect, let’s go fix our nets.
Also, we will be hitting these aspects again:
Sep 9 Mars stations retrograde 28 Aries 09
Sep 29 Mars square Saturn
0ct 9 Mars square Pluto
Oct 18 Mars square Jupiter
Nov 13 Mars stations direct 15 Aries 14
Dec 23 Mars square Pluto
Jan 2 Mars exits shadow
Jan 6 Mars enters Taurus
Take note of your energy around these dates. On the mundane level Mars will be activating a lot of stuff and manifesting many events in the news. Sorting through what it all means to us personally will depend on how it hits our chart and other natal planets. Some people will feel a call to action on some level that maybe they had not felt in previous years. Whether it is personal or mundane, Mars is a catalyst for the next six months. God speed.
We start the weekend in waxing crescent phase of moon, this is the three day phase where information arrives to us. It could come in all manner. While we focus on the phases on the moon on this site, I do not usually talk about the daily transits moon in these reports but going forward for the rest of this year I will point out when the moon is in the cardinal signs since there is so much tension with Mars and Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. When the moon gets into its own tussles with these planets, we may learn something important that could serve us now and perhaps later.
Crescent: We will receive information, we will research a bit more, perhaps get feedback on stuff that we planted on new. Perhaps get some information that will help down the road on a seed we planted a while ago. We can collect some data now. Even if you think you are not getting information, stop, and re-look at everything. Who called you? Even the silliest things, when they come up during Crescent are note worthy. A parking ticket? An argument with a spouse? A refund check from the phone company? All of it needs to be considered a message from the universe. How can this information help you?
This Crescent phase we are focus on: What information are you learning about details and facts? How do on the ground facts impact your emotions? How are you informed by concrete details? How does your schedule inform you about your emotions? Are you being stressed by too much on your to-do list or is there too much free time leaving you in need of structure? Where do you need relief? Where do you need an anchor?
Special Focus
Moon in Libra-
July 25
Moon square Mercury 6:10pm PDT relationship/partnership stressed by thinking, communication,
Moon oppose Mars 8:49pm -emotions pushed by actions. Tension. Partnerships pushed.
July 26
Moon square Jupiter 5:51am PDT-emotions and beliefs. Are they in alignment? Do your opinions serve you? How does it connect to your relationship?
Moon square Pluto 10:05am PDT – What transformation in your relationship can you support? Streses may point to needs for change.
Moon square Saturn 6:04pm PDT – How can you find balance in your relationship? What work do you need to bring to your relationship?
First Quarter Moon
July 27, 2020
5:32 am PDT
First quarter: We do more actions based on the information that we just received. Or we feel our instincts guide us on something. We pursue again. We make another call, or we see someone. We mail something. We stir the pot again. This can be a time when we realize that the goals, we planted on New need more action from us, perhaps actions that involve breaking away. Are there people who say they have our best interest in heart but fear us growing away from them? Maybe we need to get help from others not the usual suspects. Some independence may need to be exerted.
Focus on:What actions are you taking that speak to death and rebirth? What actions are you taking that end something so something new can begin? How would your emotions benefit by letting go?
7/27: Venus square Neptune: Values feel weakened. Humanitarian feels marginalized by comfort for self.
7/30: Mercury oppose Jupiter. Thoughts that oppose judgements. Communication that opposes beliefs.
Gibbous Moon
July 30, 2020
10:25am PDT
Gibbous:
We refine our information. We pick and choose, we discriminate, and we organize to be ‘Virgo’ like. We sort through details. Have we missed something? How are we sifting through the information? Go back and make sure something hasn’t been neglected. Refine our actions.
Focus on: How are you refining your knowledge? How are you refining your ability to stretch your knowledges? How are you refining your opinions? Do your opinions hurt, aggrevate or soothe your emotions?
Moon engraving in the northwestern region of the Czech Republic dating about to 1500 BC (National Geographic)
July 20
10:32am PDT
28 Cancer 26
There is so much going on in astrological landscape of 2020 and in the face of all of it, the Universe decided to give us two Cancer lunar cycles so we can find and really tune into our emotions and our feelings to help us navigate where we are headed. Our emotions and feelings lead our gut and our gut tells us how to put our hand on the rudder of our boat. Pay attention so we can all ride the rapids together. You will find my article on our second cancer cycle HERE
Last Quarter moon: Now we do the final adjustments to the seeds we planted on new. The final call, the final letters to send, we follow all the trails that came up that still make sense. And we let the other parts lay fallow. It is a time of action but wise action. It is a time for living “The serenity prayer”
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Focus on:
What actions are you taking that speak to putting yourself out there because it is connected to your emotions and feelings? What actions are you taking speak to carving new ground for your feelings? What actions are you taking that speak to carving new ground for your family?
Balsamic Moon Phase
July 16, 2020
5:30pm PDT
Balsamic: We let go. By releasing we can prepare for the new.
Focus onHow are you releasing fickleness? How are releasing mixed messages? How are you releasing duplicity? How are you releasing mindless chatter? How are you releasing shallow thinking?
And we will welcome the second Cancer New Moon July 20 10:32 am PDT
I want to do a late shout out on Mercury turning direct on July 12. My own Mercury retrograde plate was so full it was hard to get back here and announce Mercury has station direct. I believe we call that irony.
How were your emotions and feelings during the cycle? Were you snappy like a big old crab’s pinchers? Were people getting on your last nerve? For sure, it is hard enough managing Mercury retrogrades in general, but I think god has quite a sense of humor to give us water Mercury Retrogrades in the middle of pandemic. Big emotions, tight quarters, Mercury retrograde, lots to be felt and learned. Lions, Tigers and Bears, oh my!
As the retrograde unwinds consider how your emotions spoke to something inside you that was not being addressed. Did an ache of sadness or anger deep inside you show up? Did you connect to the need under those emotions? Was it an unaddressed fear? Was it an unaddressed action that needs to be taken? Watch and see if more information rolls out between now and the time of the shadow ends on July 26.
Our next Mercury retrograde will be this fall in Scorpio with a little dip into Libra. For those of you who are Americans it will turn direct on the date of the election.
Next Retrograde dates:
Sept 23 Mercury shadow begins
Oct 13 9:05pm PDT Mercury Retrograde 11 Scorpio 40
Every summer we have a Capricorn Full Moon however as we know, during the last two years we have been in a pattern of eclipses that ping pong between Cancer and Capricorn. This cycle began in the summer of 2018 and ends with today’s Capricorn Full Moon Lunar eclipse. The dates for this cycle are:
Partial SOLAR Eclipse2018 July 1222:47:4720 Cancer 41
Partial SOLAR Eclipse2019 January 520:28:0515 Capricorn 25
Total SOLAR Eclipse2019 July 215:16:0610 Cancer 38
Partial LUNAR Eclipse2019 July 1617:38:06 24 Capricorn 04
Annular SOLAR Eclipse2019 December 260:13:004 Capricorn 07
Penumbral LUNAR Eclipse2020 January 1014:21:10 20 Cancer 00
Annular SOLAR Eclipse2020 June 212:41:190 Cancer 21
Penumbral LUNAR Eclipse2020 July 50:44:16 13 Capricorn 38
Look at those dates and consider your life as we look through the eclipse lens for the final eclipse.
During these eclipses we have been pushed to look at our feelings and emotions and our place in the world. We are looking at our family (of origin and choice) and our careers, jobs and how we move in society. Cancer is the crab who has a tenderness so profound that he uses his hard shell and pinchers to keep others away from the tender. The tender is the connection to the heart but if the hard shell does not shed and grow it can keep others away from that love. The shell can be a lonely place. Capricorn is the goat who can climb any mountain put in front of him. They have a heat seeking missile for success and the harder the struggle the better but then what happens if they reach the top of success mountain and they look around and they are alone? So, much about this cycle of eclipses speaks to our values in heart and psyche and our ability to be responsible. What do we really value? How are we accessing it and evolving? What are we learning about what we really want? How are we working hard for that goal? Is that goal really connected to our true value that is in that tender spot?
This full moon eclipse is the final leg of the journey between heart, responsibility and our place in the world. It is amazing that this cycle and final eclipse ends in the era of Covid-19. We are physically and psychologically connected to our Cancer shell by being quarantined in it. There are many of us who are connected to family and loved ones in ways that has not happened in the world for a hundred years. There are others who are fighting hard to figure out ways to stay connected to love ones in this lonely period. Also, we look at our businesses and wonder if they still connect to us? Some people have lost jobs and income, making them feel as if their crab shell has been ripped off of them. Are we all doing what we can to help those who need help? Are we reaching out to others? Are we connecting through our hearts? Are we ‘sacrificing time’ (both Capricorn words) to be with others in a meaningful way even if it a call or text? Perhaps all someone needs is a caller who listens to their struggles. Maybe offer some ideas or solutions or maybe it is just to hear them and remind them that they are going to be okay. This is the cozy that is so important to this Cancer Capricorn eclipse journey. A lot of people are rattled deep in their fears and need a sober, Capricorn-ish voice who can just point out the practicality of the situation and help separate real issues from old fears.
Of course, we cannot talk about this final Capricorn- Cancer eclipse without talking about our astrological landscape. On July 1, a few days before the eclipse Saturn returned to Capricorn where it will be for five months until it leaves in December (for Aquarius) and not to return to Capricorn until 2047. How interesting Saturn who rules Capricorn returns to his home sign just in time for the final lunar eclipse in Capricorn. Also, on June 29 Jupiter got on top of Pluto in Capricorn (conjunction) bringing its large ideas to Pluto for mass evolution. To get an understanding of this aspect take note that the two planets had their first join up on April 4. What have you experienced between April 4 and June 29th? How has it activated your tender and your responsible sides? How have you had your own evolution? Covid-19 is closely tied to these Capricorn planets and certainly the January 10th Capricorn eclipse. Something unseen with the naked eye has opened up the world to all the cracks in our systems. The cracks expose the ugly and the sad. We should anticipate more stories of the cracks between now and November 12 when Jupiter gets on top of Pluto for the final time.
On this eclipse chart, the Sun is conjunct Mercury which is a pronounced influence and can be felt between now and November 30 when we switch to Sagittarius/Gemini eclipse cycles. We will need to ponder and think and talk a lot. Cancer and Capricorn both are reserved so there is a quiet processing that takes place but the ability to pivot and communicate is key with Mercury. Watch what comes up for you that suggests time to think, evolve and pivot. In many ways the Mercury aspect is a gift because it telegraphs the next cycle of Gemini/Sagittarius eclipses. Descartes said, “I think therefore I am” and that has merit with this eclipse and the following months. What does our thinking say about who we are? If your thoughts were another human would you want to hang out with that person? Consider the pivots you may want to make in the next five months.
Now would be a good time to talk about fear, sadness and anger in the United States. As I have mentioned in many reports the USA is in the midst of its Pluto Return. What that means is that on July 4, 1776 Pluto was at 27 degrees 13 minutes of Capricorn. Pluto moves so slow that in 2022 will be the FIRST time Pluto has returned to that point since 1776. Pluto speaks to power. Group power. We are in the Pluto return process now. While one can argue that the USA’s founding had seeds of brilliance and enlightenment, much borrowed from other societies (Roman, Greek and England) there still were roots that were corrupt not limited to but certainly slavery and indentured servitude and the greed component to the Industrial Revolution were part and parcel to the darker side of Pluto in the USA chart.
All of us have incarnated to be here for this Pluto return. Why are you here for it? How is it impacting you? It has not been easy to watch or read or see.
Speaking very personal, as an astrologer and mother and someone who has been ‘weird’ my whole life, the pain I felt when I read about the death of the young Colorado man Elijah McClain shook me to my core. Elijah was a man who was different, a man who volunteered his time to play the violin to cats in shelters. My heart broke when I read how he pleaded with police officers and said he was an introvert and he never harmed anyone and is a vegetarian but he does not judge people who eat meat and said, “I have Moon in Gemini”----and then he began to vomit from the hold on his neck and of course later died after a series of what I believe were terrible choices by those in authority on a grand level.
I speak candidly when I say, I left my body when I read it. I pondered so much. Why were police even called? He was described as ‘threatening’ on the 911 call. Why? Many people have suggested he was on the spectrum, which I can see. Who felt so threatened by a young, slight man (about 140 pounds) who maybe dressed different, walking down the street? Long before Covid I see people with scarves and masks in public all the time in all seasons. But some person decided Elijah was suspicious. And then there was the police response. What made him suspicious to them? Were those protocols appropriate? Is there no ability to assess neurodiversity in policing? Or are there specific people who are limited by their own beliefs that they can only see different as suspicious? But even before they got there: Why put the police in this role? Why is weird so threatening? More will be discussed about ‘weird’ when Saturn returns to Aquarius and Jupiter conjoins Saturn in December.
I share this story as one small human who is not immune from anger and sadness while the USA processes its Pluto return. I am not frozen by anger or fear, I ponder and I do what I can to affect change that I believe serves the greater good. Ironically, six months ago I was part of a public campaign to protect one of our local high schools that was about to lose a building to an outside group. That building was the classrooms for older Special Need students (18-24) who were primarily brown and black. Those of us front and center were grateful that the LAPD Magnet school also on the campus, which is filled with students who want careers in policing, stood by and defended the marginalized special need community–together we saved the building for those students. I have thought of that group of LAPD students as I pondered Elijah. They appear to me to be skilled to address some young man in the future who says, “I’m a vegetarian, I have Moon in Gemini”
Having said that, it is going to take a lot of work from people in every corner to distill their fears, talk to each other and find solutions as the cracks reveal themselves. Sure, there will be people hardened so much that they won’t leave their corners, frozen in anger and fear. But for the rest of us, take the Pluto Return to connect with your own values and assess your own part and consider what you can do to help support the change you want to see in our government and industries. See what is revealed to you during this eclipse and in the next few months about your role of tender, responsible and the USA Pluto Return. You may be surprised.
Dec 25, 2000 12:22 PM Sun 4 Cap 14 Conjunct Moon 4 Cap 14(SE) Jan 9, 2001 3:24 PM Sun 19 Cap 39 Opposition Moon 19 Can 39(LE) June 21, 2001 7:58 AM Sun 0 Can 11 Conjunct Moon 0 Can 11(SE) July 5, 2001 11:04 AM Sun 13 Can 39 Opposition Moon 13 Cap 39(LE)Dec 14, 2001 3:47 PM Sun 22 Sag 56 Conjunct Moon 22 Sag 56(SE) Dec 30, 2001 5:40 AM Sun 8 Cap 48 Opposition Moon 8 Can 48(LE)
In the meantime, take good care of self and mind your crab shell and your mountain goat.
I apologize for getting this up late. I had a broken computer, so perfect Mercury retrograde that did not get returned to me until late this week.
Saturn returns to Capricorn
July 1, 2020
4:36pm PDT
DATES
Feb 3, 2020 Shadow begins 25 Cap
May 10 Saturn Retro 1 Aquarius 50
July 1 Saturn re-enters Cap
Sept 29 Saturn direct
Dec 17 Saturn returns to Aquarius
Jan 12 Saturn Shadow Ends 1 Aquarius 50
In May (5/10) Saturn turned retrograde in Aquarius. On July 1 it returns to Capricorn for its final round of important work. Issues around career, prestige and where we put ourselves out ‘there’ in the world at large will be revisited. Saturn likes being in Capricorn so he really will savor these few months to help us get our ‘Cap’ on. Capricorn is our governments, industries, corporations, systems that work. Where any of these are broken will benefit by Saturn’s keen eye and a whisk broom. Saturn walks in and says, “Let’s clean this joint up”. Saturn entered Capricorn Dec 19, 2017 and will wrap up for the final time December 17th. A lot will have our attention between July 1 and Dec 17. There are those individuals who put a lot of emphasis on their career. Great. But they would be wise now to ask if their career lines up with their values? There are those people who don’t give two figs about a career. Does that hands-off approach help or hurt their family or world? There are some people who are always looking up some ladder that they are climbing. Does that hurt their world? Are they missing the nuances of life because they are so driven to ‘succeed’? There are some people who eschew ladders. Are they missing an opportunity to lead people or family in a way that betters their homes or community?
Saturn is super responsible. It can man up’and tackle any job it sets its mind to do. It can be super practical and wise. Saturn can also be super negative, depressed and insecure. It can be fearful. That insecurity can also look like snobbery. Above it all-ness. It feels and looks frozen. The antidote to fear, frozen snobbery, insecurity is action. Consider if you can learn something from Saturn in its home sign between now and December 17 because it won’t be back until 2047 and that is a long time to wait to do something important in your life.
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