Hot Times in the Summer as Sun and Mercury Roar into Leo and Venus and Uranus Retrograde

It's officially fire season, folks as the Sun entered Leo on July  22nd and Mercury followed suit on July 23rd. On July 22nd I tweeted:

"Sun enters #Leo today and the emotional tone lightens up as humor, generosity and enjoying life take center stage."

The season of Leo is a time to have fun, laugh, spread the generosity, show off and claim attention.  Is it any wonder that Leo falls in the summer?  Mercury in Leo is much more expressive and outgoing in communications.  It's a fabulous time for creative self-promotion and we are much more inclined to speak from the heart.  It's a much lighter vibe and the key to embracing that fiery Leo energy is to operate from a place of humor and generosity. Of course, Leo also loves drama and it can get a little sticky if we become too stubborn with our opinions. And that is a clear and present danger because Leo is a fixed sign.

Venus will station retrograde at 0 degrees of Virgo on July 25th, but from August 1st until Venus stations direct on September 6th in 14 degrees of Leo, it will spend the majority of its retrograde period in Leo. Venus won't leave the sign of Leo until October 9th, so this is an extended transit for Venus, considering that it first entered the sign of Leo on June 5th.

But Venus retrograde is a different kind of energy, as I can personally attest to.  I was born with it in Scorpio, which is definitely not the easiest placement.  Venus retrograde is prime time to reassess our values, relationships and finances.  Venus in Leo can make it all pretty darned dramatic at times.  Don't be surprised if old lovers or acquaintances seem to start crawling out of the woodwork with Venus retrograde.  It can feel like a very karmic time, as Venus is literally stuck in the past.  If you meet anyone new during Venus retrograde, it may not last, but you may learn some very karmic lessons from that person.  It can definitely be a time of temptation, especially in the sign of Leo, which loves the finer things in life.  I wouldn't recommend getting married during a Venus retrograde, nor would I advise anyone to purchase luxury items or make any dramatic changes in their appearance.  Schedule that cosmetic surgery for another time. The cost may turn out to be greater than originally anticipated.  Venus retrograde does have its perks, however.  It is a good time to buy antiques or second hand items because you could wind up getting something that is worth more to you than the original owner.  And Venus retrograde can be an optimal time to engage that inner creativity.

I suspect that I will be facing my fair share of drama with this Venus retrograde as it conjuncts my Pluto in the 11th house and squares my Venus and Sun in Scorpio, both in the 2nd house.  Talk about reassessing finances, values and relationships!

Uranus stations retrograde in 20 degrees of Aries on July 26th and it remains retrograde until Christmas Day 2015 in 16 degrees of Aries.  Uranus in Aries is impatient, angry and inspires people to crave attention. When Uranus is retrograde, it prompts us to access our inner rebel, but the challenge is to find healthy outlets for anger and nervous energy.  This may prove to be easier said than done.  Exercise is a good tool for dealing with this combustible energy, as it may help to avert tension headaches.  It's also a good idea to be mindful of electrical matters with this transit, as fire could result.

Uranus retrograde is also very personal for me, as it is the other planet that I have retrograde in my natal chart.  So I am going to be accessing that inner rebel big time.  Uranus in Aries is currently transiting my 7th house, opposing my Libra ascendant and squaring my Cancer midheaven.  I have been feeling extremely restless for the past month, and I sense that major changes are imminent in my personal and professional life.

If you are curious as to how this extended Venus retrograde in Leo period will affect you, please consider getting an astrological reading with me.  A little insight is always a powerful tool.  Just ask for the Venus Retrograde Special, which will be $25 through the month of September 2015. Contact me directly at lindasim54@gmail.com.

I am also offering a Summer Solstice Special for only $25 at this link:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/summer-solstice-special.html

This special is literally being offered through the entire summer season and features a two question tarot telephone reading with a look at your astrological chart to see how the summer planetary action is affecting you.

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

Mars Moves into Fiery Sagittarius

Mars moves out of the deep emotional waters of Scorpio and into the fire sign of Sagittarius on September 13th. Mars has not been in the sign of Sagittarius since October and November of 2012, in big part due to Mars' extended retrograde in the sign of Libra earlier this year.

Mars in Sagittarius brings spontaneity, encourages us to make changes and inspires courage and boldness. It seeks higher ground and desires to walk the path beyond our shadows and fears, which was definitely the territory of Mars in Scorpio. Mars in Sagittarius represents more of a fire mist that guides us on to the path of wisdom. There is a discernible difference in the energy between Mars in Scorpio and Mars in Sagittarius, as we shall soon see.

Michael Lutin's Daily Fix on September 10th and 11th alluded to this shift in energy when he wrote: "You move on. Leave the shadow in the shadows. You get up. You move on. Exit stage left." I was so inspired by this that I tweeted on September 10th:

"Digging what Michael Lutin has to say today about moving on and leaving the shadow behind."

Personally, I find it very fitting that Mars moves into Sagittarius, the sign of higher learning, during the month of September. September is when many head back to school to pursue their studies and learn new things.  I have always regarded September as the beginning of the new year, not January. The crisp fall air always invigorates and renews me. I did work in academia for 23 years, but I tend to attribute my regard for September as the beginning of the new year to being a Scorpio. I sense that Mars in Sagittarius will be a time of spiritual quest for many of us during its sojourn through that sign, which ends on October 26th. Mars will be in the sign of Sagittarius during these two pivotal October eclipses: the lunar eclipse in 15 degrees of Aries on October 8th and the solar eclipse in 0 degrees of Scorpio on October 23rd. Mars in Sagittarius will be trining that full moon, falling in my third house and sextiling my ascendant, so I have no doubt that it will be an interesting time for me, to say the least. Communication should be highlighted with Mars in Sagittarius will guide us in our pursuit of the truth.

Also on September 13th Mercury in Libra will activate the Uranus Pluto square by opposing Uranus in Aries and squaring Pluto in Capricorn. Let's hope that the best case scenario plays out with rational thinking and diplomacy prevailing. The next day, September 14th, sees Mercury slip into its shadow phase of the upcoming Mercury retrograde. Mercury is officially retrograde from October 4th through October 25th, starting at 2 degrees of Scorpio and ending at 17 degrees of Libra. But be forewarned that Mercury's shadow period does not officially end until November 10th, so be wary of making major purchases or signing papers until we are safely out of Mercury's shadow. Enough said. The upcoming Mercury retrograde will conjunct my Mercury, Neptune, Juno and ascendant, so it should be memorable, to say the least.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. Check out my services page on this site at:

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

To celebrate the spirit of  Mars moving into Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/special-tarot-offer.html

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

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix