Neptune's Murky Waters and Full Moon in Sagittarius

Neptune has pretty much been ruling the astrological landscape with a mash of mutable energy in the midst of a Mercury retrograde in Gemini this past week. And all of this is leading up to a full moon in 12 degrees of Sagittarius on June 2^nd.  On May 25^th, Memorial Day in the United States, we had Neptune in Pisces squaring Mars in Gemini in 9 degrees of both signs.  On that day I tweeted:

#Mars in Gemini #squaring #Neptune in Pisces today may indicate previously hidden difficulties coming back.  Honesty & compassion needed.”

This aspect may have had the tendency to make us want to ignore our problems and indulge in a little escapism.  While that may have sounded good on paper, total denial of reality could have seriously impaired our ability to take whatever actions were necessary to move forward in our lives.  Of course, the caveat is that we really don’t feel like taking too much actions, since we seem to be experiencing delays in making progress. The silver lining of this challenging aspect is that it occurred in mutable signs, which facilitated the process of going with the flow and somewhat mitigated the deception factor. Transiting Mars in Gemini was conjunct my moon, so I definitely felt this aspect.  But I think it played out more for me in terms of feeling the Neptunian sense of compassion and triggering fond childhood memories of holiday celebrations.  It also generated some surprise business for me with Mars on my moon in the 8^th house.  So I successfully navigated that passage in Neptune’s choppy seas.

On May 27^th, Mars conjuncted retrograde Mercury in Gemini in 10 degrees.  On that day I tweeted:

“Sharp tongues may rule as Mercury conjuncts Mars in Gemini today.  Conversations can get heated.”

On May 29^th, darling retrograde Mercury in Gemini squared Neptune in Pisces, which may have inspired our imagination, but reality could be a whole different ball game.  I loved what Michael Lutin had to say about having the Sun, Mars, and Mercury in Gemini squaring Neptune in Pisces:

“Sun Mercury Mars Neptune:

We shall now be witnessing

much traffic

across the line between

crazy and inspired.”

Check him out at:

www.michaellutin.com

 I can’t think of a better way to describe this mutable mash of energy.  One minute you may feel truly inspired, and the next minute you wonder if you are crazy.  The Gemini Sun conjuncts Mercury on May 30^th, which has the potential to deliver inspiration, yet on May 31^st the Gemini Sun squares Neptune in Pisces, which can bring doubt and that all too familiar Neptunian fog.  It probably won’t be the best time to take action and progress may indeed feel stalled with the Mercury retrograde.

However, there is one truly beautiful, beneficial aspect that also occurs on May 31^st.  Ceres, the dwarf planet associated with nurturing, is in 9 degrees of Aquarius and forms a grand air trine with Mercury in 8 degrees of Gemini and the north node of the moon in 8 degrees of Libra.  How will that play out?  Hopefully, it will go a long way in helping us to nurture ourselves and others as we accept their differences while honoring our own unique path.  That is quite a powerful grand trine involving the themes of nurturing, communication and the soul’s mission in life. 

Probably the best way to navigate Neptune’s murky waters is to go deep inside and reflect before taking any major actions.  At times like these, meditation can be your best friend and wisest course of action.

And we do have yet another mutable astrological event on the horizon—the full moon in 12 degrees of Sagittarius on June 2^nd.  Sagittarius is mutable fire, which may give us some energy.  The element of fire is empowering and energizing and Sagittarius may very well give us a whole new big picture.  Sagittarius loves new adventures and rules the truth and high ideals, so the sky could be the limit.  I wouldn’t rule out some very prophetic dreams during this full moon, either.  This full moon does square Neptune in Pisces though, which is definitely going to challenge us to stay real and not go off half-cocked.  Those dreams and aspirations may seem wonderful, but we need to stay focused to give them a chance of becoming a reality.

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, that is yet another reason to obtain an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

The Sun Joins the Gemini Party with Mars and Mercury Retrograde

Despite my optimism last week about the Taurus New Moon on May 18th, in all honesty, I have to confess that Mercury stationing retrograde in 13 degrees of Gemini trumped the Taurus New Moon.  In fact, I was so shaken up by it that on May 19^th I tweeted:

“Did anyone else feel like yesterday was a full moon and NOT a new moon?  Or was it just Mercury retrograde?”

I personally felt very uptight, jittery and ready for conflict that day, and my tweet the following day seemed to strike a chord because it generated quite a few favorites and retweets.   This led me to believe that I was not the only person feeling this way.  Mercury in Gemini stationed on my moon in the 8^th house, so perhaps I should have been better prepared.  The 8^th house does pertain to joint finances and other people’s money in addition to transformation, sex and death, and for me it played out in the financial arena.  I faced delays in receiving funds that were owed to me.  The real clincher occurred when I receive an email from my former landlord asking me if I wanted to forfeit my key deposit because they didn’t have a forwarding address for me.  Well, I had emailed them at the end of March with my new address, so I was pretty riled up about that and responded that I definitely wanted my refund.  Who wants to forfeit money that is owed them???  Only during a Mercury retrograde could something like this happen!

I loved what astrologer Kristin Fontana said about Mercury retrograde in Gemini this week.  She described Mercury retrograde in Gemini with Mars also in Gemini as being “mental madness at the moment.”

The icing on the cake happened on May 21^st when the Sun entered Gemini and joined the Gemini party.  The pace will be frenzied and we are bound to be guilty of overthinking.  Our minds are literally on overload. We also had Jupiter in Leo inconjunct Pluto in Capricorn in 15 degrees, which probably required a lot of adjustments.  And Pluto also opposed Venus in Cancer, which added a little obsession to the relationship mix.  The bottom line is that you don’t have to be a Gemini to be feeling all of this craziness or mental madness, as Kristin Fontana brilliantly described it.

On May 22^nd, we have that much anticipated/dreaded aspect, the Sun’s annual opposition to Saturn.  Saturn is in Sagittarius now, folks, but is due to make a brief foray back into Scorpio in mid-June through mid-September to revisit any unfinished business in those areas of life.  But this week we are dealing with typical Sun Saturn issues: slowdowns due to limitations and obstacles, delays and clashes with authority figures.  We need to be patient and have faith, which doesn’t come naturally for most of us, let’s face it.  It doesn’t for me, anyway.  I have a natal Sun/Saturn conjunction, so I am all too familiar with those themes. They are the stuff of my life.  I may have heard the words the “check is in the mail”, but I’m not believing it until it is actually in my hands!

However, Gemini is known for its optimism, so I’d like to add that on May 24^th Mars in Gemini will be trining the north node in 8 degrees of Libra, so there is potential for energizing discussions that move us forward on our soul’s path.  Perhaps that will help us keep the faith during this Mercury retrograde.  On May 25^th, Memorial Day in the United States, Uranus in Aries will be squaring Venus in Cancer and that in itself can serve as a catalyst for liberation.  Uranus is currently transiting my 7^th house and Venus will conjunct my midheaven that day, so it could be quite interesting.  But Mars in Gemini will be squaring Neptune in Pisces, so don’t get too carried away that day.  I know, it’s a holiday, but we need to guard against acting against our best interests.  I’ll leave it to you to set your own boundaries…

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, that is yet another reason to obtain an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Showdown as Mars Opposes Saturn and Hope with a Taurus New Moon

Mars entered Gemini on May 11^th.  On that day I tweeted:

“Prepare for diversity and less focus in how we go about our activities as Mars enters Gemini today.  We may have too many choices.”

Let’s face it, Gemini loves variety and considers it the spice of life. Mars has a major face-off with Saturn in Sagittarius on May 15^th in two degrees of each sign.  When Mars and Saturn are in challenging aspect to each other, it is not a pretty sight.  Mars opposing Saturn is a stormy aspect regarding boundaries and limitations of our personal and collective limitations.  Our thinking, as represented by Gemini, needs to align with Sagittarian ideals. This aspect forces a major reality check and clashes with authority are to be expected. Don’t initiate any conflicts if you can help it, because you will probably lose.  It has a strong theme of frustrated action and energy levels may feel restricted.  After all, Saturn is all about restrictions and limitations, as well as teaching us valuable lessons.  A stop-start kind of feeling is very common with this aspect.  Especially with Saturn in Sagittarius, this aspect could play out with some rather sticky international standoffs and implications.

We also have Mercury in Gemini entering its official retrograde period on May 18^th, the day of the Taurus new moon.  Mercury in Gemini coupled with Mars in Gemini is bound to bring some tension filled communications and actions. Mercury entered its shadow retrograde period on May 4^th, so some of us may be feeling the retrograde effects already.  On May 12^th, I tweeted:

“It’s going to be a fasten your seat belt bumpy ride kind of Mercury retrograde. Feeling the effects already.”

This tweet was inspired by the Pisces moon conjunction to Neptune on that day, which held the potential for either enlightenment or escapism.  That’s the way Neptune plays, especially when the moon is in the sign Neptune rules. 

The bottom line with Mars opposing Saturn is that we will probably all feel some level of discomfort and struggle in some area of our lives.  My natal Mars in Aquarius squares my Saturn in Scorpio, so I am all too familiar with this energy.  I could never in all honesty say that my life has been easy because whatever I have achieved in my life has come through hard work.  Saturn challenging Mars makes you work for what you want in life; there is no free pass.

While we do have Mercury stationing retrograde in 13 degrees of Gemini on May 18^th, we also have a beautiful new moon in 27 degrees of Taurus on the same day.  How cool is that?  Taurus is ruled by the sign Venus, so this new moon is an optimal time to nurture yourself, be kind to yourself, surround yourself with beauty and plan for wealth.  Remember that Taurus is the sign of the bull.  Taurus is renowned for its determination, persistence and patience because it is a fixed sign.  It is a time to build solid foundations. Be smart and cultivate that Taurean energy before the Sun enters Gemini on May 21^st.

The Taurus New Moon will fall in my 8^th house and oppose my Venus in Scorpio in the 2^nd house while squaring my Pluto in Leo in the 11^th house.  I have no doubt that issues of finances and power will arise.  I will probably need to release some ideas that are no longer serving me well to make room for more viable concepts.  My goals may change and I wouldn’t be surprised if my friendships and group associations undergo some changes as well.  Time will tell.

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, that is yet another reason to obtain an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Relationships Shift as Venus and Mars Change Signs

Relationships are about to undergo some sweeping changes as the two love planets, Mars and Venus, change signs. But the day before Venus entered Cancer on May 7th, we received another planetary assist from the Taurus Sun trining Pluto in Capricorn in 15 degrees of both signs. On that day I tweeted:

"Taurus Sun trining Pluto in Capricorn today gives us the power to achieve our goals. Go for it! Nice when these 2 play well!"

We also got a boost from having Ceres in Aquarius, the former asteroid associated with nurturing, upgraded to dwarf planet status, trining Mercury in Gemini on May 6th. This set the stage for unresolved trauma linked with separation issues from loved ones to be healed through conversations. Ceres and Mercury also trined the north node in Libra, forming a beautiful grand air trine that propels us forward in our relationships.

What can we expect when Venus is in the sign of Cancer, where it will reside until June 5th? There will be a more sensitive expression of Venus with a focus on homes and families. Love and values will take on a more sentimental tone. On May 7th, I tweeted:

"Venus enters Cancer tonight shifting the focus to more nurturing in relationships and increased sentimentality."

Venus in Cancer does pose a potential danger of getting stuck and wallowing in the past by indulging in self-pity. But there are many perks associated with Venus in Cancer. It is, after all, a cardinal sign that can serve as a powerful motivator to get out there and forge some new connections. Venus in Cancer also enhances personal creativity and intensifies our self-protective and nurturing instincts. It urges us to reexamine our dependency needs. Intimacy and the longing to belong are stronger when Venus is in Cancer. Bring on the urge to merge!

I know for a fact that I will be profoundly affected by the transit of Venus through Cancer. It will conjunct my south node, midheaven, Jupiter and Uranus in Cancer. My 9th and 10th houses will feel its powerful effects. I am also anticipating some healing to occur when Venus enters my 10th house and opposes my Chiron in Capricorn in the 4th house. I recently moved and am starting to settle in nicely and resume my work schedule with my Reiki, astrology and psychic readings practices.

Mars, the planet of desire and action, moves from slow, steady and sensual Taurus into Gemini on May 11th and stays there until June 24th. This will bring more scattered, unfocused and nervous energy. We also have Mercury in Gemini until July 9th due to its retrograde, so we can definitely expect some communication snafus in relationships. The Sun will join the Gemini party on May 21st.  There is bound to be lots of chatter in relationships, but as yet another planetary prelude to Mars entering Gemini, we had Mercury in Gemini trining the north node in Libra on May 9th while squaring Neptune in Pisces. The desire to communicate our goals was strong, but the square to Neptune may have obscured our vision. And Mercury being in the shadow retrograde didn't help matters!  I find it very interesting that the official Mercury retrograde starts on May 18th and the Sun enters Gemini three days later.

I will not be escaping the effects of this Mars transit either because transiting Mars in Gemini will be conjuncting my moon in the 8th house and setting off my grand air trine by trining my Mars in Aquarius and Libra ascendant. I suspect that interesting times are ahead!

If you are curious about how the transits of Mars in Gemini and Venus in Cancer will affect you, please consider getting an astrological reading with me to provide you with more insight and clarity.

If you are otherwise confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, that is yet another reason to obtain an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Happy Mother's Day!

Full Flower Moon in Scorpio and Mercury in Gemini

It's May, folks, and the full flower moon in Scorpio is imminent. Those seeds that we planted earlier should start blooming soon, hence the moniker of  flower moon. It occurs on May 4th in 13 degrees of Scorpio.  A full moon in Scorpio is not for lightweights, but it does support the deeper work of releasing and clearing access to more energy as we face our fears and move forward.  It also trines Neptune in Pisces and sextiles Pluto in Capricorn, so we are receiving a special spiritual dispensation to go forward and the sky is the limit. The full moon also squares Jupiter in Leo, so there is a strong likelihood of the theme of too much of a good thing.

This full moon is conjuncting my natal Saturn at the tail end of my first house.  I moved on April 29th, so I am literally experiencing the effects of establishing new foundations in my new home.  It is also why this week's post will be relatively brief, as the experience of moving has been overwhelming. Saturn is also about responsibility and building foundations.  On April 30th, I tweeted:

"Moon enters Libra today and sextiles Saturn in Sagittarius.  A good day for accepting responsibilities without resentment."

But Mercury is a key player in all of this planetary action.  It entered the sign of Gemini on April 30th and due to the upcoming Mercury retrograde on May 18th, will not leave the sign of Gemini until July 9th.  But let's not forget that Mercury enters the shadow period on May 4th at 4 degrees of Gemini and officially stations retrograde at 13 degrees of Gemini on May 18th.  The magic number is 13 degrees, what with the full moon in Scorpio and Mercury stationing retrograde.  I also have Saturn in Scorpio inconjunct my moon in 14 degrees of Gemini, so this aspect is really being activated big time. And yes, true to the nature of an inconjunct, I am making adjustments in my life as I settle into my new home. I am getting rid of things that don't fit in my new home, and it is an ongoing process. First I have a full moon conjunct my Saturn and then Mercury stations retrograde on my moon in the 8th house.  I sense that there are definitely some changes and perhaps challenges ahead for me regarding my resources.

Mercury in Gemini is all about gossip, chitchat, the proverbial too much information and humor that can sometimes be taken the wrong way.  However, Mercury's extended sojourn in Gemini can be a highly productive time for writers, teachers, and artists because the retrograde forces us to review the process of getting our message across.  In 2015, all three Mercury retrogrades occur in air signs, unlike the highly emotional year of 2014, when Mercury retrograded in the water signs. We had our first Mercury retrograde in Aquarius from January 21st through February 11th and the final one will be in Libra from September 17th through October 9th. Am I naive to believe that Mercury retrograde in air signs this year will make it more comfortable because it is in its own element? This particular Mercury retrograde is in its home sign to boot. Time will tell...

Happy May Day everyone!

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, please consider getting an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix