Astrology

The Planets Stir Up Confusion & Highlight Extremes This Week

Published on July 30, 2018

Article by Cathy Coleman for Bodhi Tree

Your Weekly Astrology Forecast for July 29–August 5, 2018

This was the headlining post in The Quartz Daily Brief on Saturday, July 28, the day after the Total Lunar Eclipse:

The world is suffering from extreme weather. Heatwaves have killed 50 in Canada and 80 in Japan, caused drought in Germany and Scandinavia, set record temperatures in Algeria, Morocco and Oman, and left the UK looking brown from space. The heat has spurred wildfires that have claimed at least 80 lives in Greece, melted electrical wires in California, and forced Sweden to call for international help. This is not normal.

Be Aware of the Lingering Effects of Eclipses

These examples of extreme weather are not surprising given the extremely hot, combust energy of Friday’s lunar eclipse, and the fact that events resulting from eclipses may occur up to three months before or after the actual eclipse. Retrograde, out-of-bounds Mars was conjunct the South Node in Aquarius, and the Sun was conjunct the North Node in Leo. Uranus continues to lurk close enough by square aspect to make us accident prone, but it may also result in some amazing surprises.

The Sun is now in Leo, the fixed fire sign that symbolizes children, recreation and all things creative. The next three weeks call us to family vacations and play. If you have been thinking about expressing your artistic self, now is the time to light your creative spark and get going.

Mercury is now retrograde until August 18. This period is a time to reflect, review, reconsider and revise. It is also a time when things break down and need repair. Communication is prone to confusion, so be sure to check plans and arrangements twice, and be patient with mix-ups.

The Week Starts on a Sweet, Inspiring Note

Sunday the Moon is Void of Course (VoC). Plans are not likely to come together, so you may as well sink into reading a good book, or puttering wherever your energy takes you. At 4:28pm PDT, the Moon moves into dreamy Pisces. Celebrate that you’ve made it through this turbulent week. Chill out and watch a movie. Take a relaxing hot bath, get to bed early, and catch some dreams.

Monday is a tranquil, optimistic day—welcome after the intensity of last week and the heated energies yet to come this week. Get your week off to a sweet, inspiring start. Note what turns up in your dreams as you sleep Monday night through Tuesday morning. Vision and inspiration abound through a Moon-Neptune conjunction.

Be Ready for Rocky Energy Midweek

While we would prefer to take the day off on Tuesday, we can lean gently into our work, guided by a benefic Moon-Pluto sextile. The Moon’s opposition to Venus in Virgo makes us more critical than usual, so put that tendency to good use by perfecting something in your own life rather than focusing it on others.

The Moon bursts into fiery Aries early Wednesday morning. Get up and get going! It’s a great day to hit the gym and build your muscles. Be ready to rumble and tumble with Wednesday’s rocky offerings. Mars exactly squares Uranus, a volatile combo. The Moon makes an edgy square to Saturn. Lean into the demands of your work. Some relief comes through the benefic trine of the Sun and Moon in fire signs Leo and Aries.

Thursday is another rocky, rumbling day. The Aries Moon makes an edgy square to Pluto, along with the heat of the Mars-Uranus square. Be cautious, yet try to use this powerful energy to dive into a big, demanding project and make great strides.

Love, Sensuality and Productivity Are Highlighted Through the Weekend

The Moon is VoC Friday morning, making it tough to get going. Ease up on expectations and take it easy. It has been a heavy-duty week so far. At 12:51pm, the Moon moves into Taurus tropically, where it is exalted, or highest functioning. All things sensual are highlighted for the weekend ahead. The Taurus Moon conjuncts Uranus and trines Saturn, symbolizing that we can break through boundaries and limitations with concrete actions. Lean into the possibilities in your life and expect the unexpected.

The Taurus Moon beckons a practical weekend—one for gardening, cooking and sprucing up your home to make it more beautiful and restful. On Saturday, our thinking is expanded and our aims are stretched by the Moon-Jupiter conjunction. The Moon has other mixed alignments, both challenging and benefic, making for an active day of mixed blessings.

Sunday offers another productive day, sporting a Grand Earth Trine (Moon in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn, and Venus in Virgo). We can attend to practical matters with ease and grace, and get a lot accomplished. The Moon shifts into the chatty, mutable air sign Gemini at 6:32pm. After a solid, nourishing day getting some things accomplished, make it a social evening. Catch up on the news and read a good book before calling it a day.

On Monday, Venus moves into Libra for the next month until September 8. Relationships are highlighted and love is in the air. With the Moon in curious Gemini, the Sun in creative Leo, and Venus in connecting Libra, the day is social. You will want to connect with others and do something fun and stimulating.