Summer officially begins on June 21st with the Sun entering Cancer [10:58 AM EDT] at the Summer Solstice. Mercury sextiles Mars at virtually the same time. We are geared for hot fun in the summertime and may be considering plans for getaways. After two years of lockdowns during the virus scare, people are out and about, stretching their wings, and traveling, possibly now more than ever. Whether we go to faraway places or stay around our neighborhood, we are looking to enjoy good times with good friends this summer.
We do have to be wary about being too raucous in our activities and neglecting any consideration of the expenses involved. On the contrary, the liability of immediate gratification and impulsive actions could lead to unfortunate and even dangerous consequences. We may be looking to blow off steam, but it would be far better for us to use steam vents to release our pent-up energies than either major explosions or drastic implosions.
The 25th and 26th of June can result in disastrous repercussions from ill-conceived behavior.
Mercury squares Neptune on the 25th. What we see may not be what we get. Wishful thinking is all well and good in concept but acting on erroneous assumptions might be a deadly prescription for ill-fated results. Utilizing due diligence and continually evaluating and re-evaluating our choices as we proceed might likely avoid our going too far out on a limb or stepping off the ledge.
Suggestions made could go unheeded with Mars square Uranus on the 26th. Arrogance and narcissism might trigger impetuous behavior ending in accidents from being oblivious to changing circumstance or by one’s own pigheaded response of pushing through no matter the conditions.
These times of paradigm shift demand that we be astute, aware, and mindful of conditions, some of which can change dramatically and suddenly without a moment’s notice. The 25th – 26th of June are two days when we could storm blindly through the night. These are two days for us to pull in the reins on unrealistic desires and outlandish conduct.
Whatever commotions might have occurred on the 25th – 26th, things seem to settle down on the 28th and 30th. The Sun trines Saturn on the 28th, followed on the 30th with Mercury trine Saturn and Neptune turning retrograde [5:07 PM EDT].
After a liable uproar on the 25th – 26th, things may seem far more grounded as we close out this month of June. Perhaps we let off steam without doing much harm while we were not thinking correctly or were acting irresponsibly, but we get back in control of our thinking processes and our decorum to end the month.
July begins with us likely to be in a state of euphoria thanks to the Sun conjunct Mercury and both sextile to Jupiter on the 1st.
We could be feeling at the top of our game and why not when in the US we’re celebrating the 4th of July long holiday weekend, the ‘official’ summer holiday weekend.
We might be more astute regarding our finances, even embracing the concept that ‘living simply is not simply living’. Perhaps due to inflation we have been forced to be more attentive to our expenses and our revenue stream and finding a better balance for our monies rather than digging a deeper hole for ourselves by racking up our credit card balances with their usury interest rates. We may have given lie to the various narratives promulgated by the powers-that-be and tuned out much of what is being presented to us as just more static and indications of the post-modern era where fiction supplants fact.
The July 4th long weekend can have us spreading our wings, expanding our interests, and enjoying hot fun in the summertime.
We do have to be wary of unexpected discords or unanticipated expenses on the 2nd of July when Venus squares Uranus. Missteps could provoke costs both in our relationships and in our finances. We should avoid getting ‘blissed out’ by our re-creational activities and as a result being oblivious to the expenditures exacted from us.
The Capricorn Full Moon on July 3rd [7:30 AM EDT] with the Capricorn Moon opposed the Cancer Sun could have us wondering whether to stay or whether to go. We might want to fully engage summer fun, but we are likely considering either far off adventures or staycations. Many of us have felt shackled over the past few years due to the lockdowns and restrictions imposed during the virus scare. With constraints lifted and movements freed up, many of us want to be out and about traveling. And despite inflation being touted as having been tamed, the ravages of inflation have built-in costs that are far higher than prior to the virus response.
More now than ever, it is suggested that we keep track of our finances, budget our monies with a watchful eye as to where costs have increased or are likely to increase. Remember that cost increases are not merely regarding pricing but also any reduced size of a product with the same pricing as before.
Mercury sextile Uranus on the 7th of July opens the door to serendipity, of being in the right place at the right time. Our intuitive sense is heightened with a likelihood of ‘ah-ha’ moments. We may hear exciting and startling news. We could devise a ‘best practices’ approach to some of our problems, as if benefitting from flashes of genius. We might encounter interesting contacts that make us aware of surprising opportunities. This is a time when it would be suggested that we keep our antennae up, work with peripheral vision, and realize that during this paradigm shift life is like a scavenger hunt with clues revealing next steps along the way in this new asequential reality of things happening in random and inexplicable ways.
We do have to be wary not to get ahead of ourselves or assume blithely that everything will be a straight-line progression of good times and wonderful opportunities. If we fall into a narcissistic and arrogant mindset of our making things happen, we could be sorely disappointed and challenged by the twists and turns of these disruptive, tumultuous times.
On the 10th of July, Mars exits Leo and enters Virgo [7:40 AM EDT]. Our tendency to trumpet our successes and focus solely on our personal desires gives way to a more reflective approach, although with a liability of questioning our own worthiness. This day also has Mercury opposed Pluto. Either we can be highly astute with an ability to cut to the core of any situation, or we could be highly defensive with a snarky rebuttal to any questioning of our position. It is important that we avoid ‘a strong offense is a good defense’ strategy. If there are any upsets today, it would be best to avoid immediate reaction and allow the intensity to simmer down.
While Mars exits Leo on the 10th, Mercury exits Cancer to enter Leo on the 11th of July. Our creative juices may be flowing, and we might be more interested in standing out and projecting [or is it pontificating?] a strong and knowledgeable image. We do have to be wary of the know-it-alls who assure us that they know it all. It can prove tiresome, unless we take on a bemused attitude of the countless examples of irony playing out during this paradigm shift.
The 14th of July has the Sun sextile Uranus. By blending our intuitive sense with revelatory moments, we can make changes to our ways of operating, our intended itinerary, and even our plans for our future. We are on the ‘dark side’ of the Moon prior to the New Moon on the 17th, so it would be wise for us to rid ourselves of encumbrances that stand in the way of our choosing new trajectories for ourselves. Change is not only in the air during this paradigm shift, but change is to be engaged in our personal lives as we seek to free ourselves from the restrictions of our past, even restraints of our present.
The Cancer New Moon on the 17th of July when the Moon conjuncts the Sun [2:32 PM EDT] impacts the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 1st of August. The New Moon is in orb of an opposition to Pluto and has Mercury square Jupiter as part of its signature. Although we are being asked to let go of the irrelevant and the outmoded from our lives, there is often a fearfulness in letting go, as if in the letting go we enter some existential void. In truth, the universe abhors a vacuum and whatever space or void might be created is eventually filled. We are liable to believe that we need to do the filling as masters of our personal destiny, resulting in our trying too hard, doing too much, all the while blustering about our being in control and masters of our personal world. This paradigm shift insists that we be co-creators with the universal unfolding and provides lateral lobotomies when we try to engage sole control.
Things are not the way they were, and any overreach on our part could have a nasty blowback.
The issue of personal faith or fated determination can be at play on the 20th when the Sun trines Neptune and Mars opposes Saturn. Finding the balance between our individual efforts and the input from the universal energies may be a continuing challenge. How do we fit into this paradigm shift? How do we let go of our conditioned mindset of control over circumstance to acknowledge the powers of external forces, and then work productively with the universal unfolding? It’s a conundrum for each of us as we morph out of the old mindset of having control over our environment and instead work with the changing landscape of our environment. Flexibility and adaptability are keys to effectively moving forward.
If we get hung up with an adamant sense of “I did it my way”, then we could get tripped up on July 21st when the Sun opposes Pluto. Our intentions are liable to meet an unmovable obstacle. We could feel blocked and hampered by what we want to do, especially if traditional ways or institutions seem to be teetering and appear to be tumbling, crumbling down.
The 22nd has the Sun moving out of Cancer and entering Leo [9:50 PM EDT], triggering a brief one-week Stellium in the Fixed Fire Sign as the Sun joins Mercury and Venus in Leo. On the same day, Venus turns retrograde [9:33 PM EDT]. Although we are in the heat of the summertime, the fun seems largely self-focused with our interests being all about ME. We are more interested in preaching to the choir and engaging with people on our same page than spending time with anyone who has contrary beliefs to our own.
A tendency to put on blinders and see only what is right in front of us could be compounded on the 23rd when Mercury squares Uranus. We might see what we want to see, hear what we want to hear. Mercury square Uranus is my least favorite day for air travel but an energy configuration also liable to generate misunderstandings, miscommunications, travel issues, and Internet or computer problems.
Although this weekend of the 21st through the 23rd of July would seem a high point for our summer fun, there can be various issues and difficulties in our relationships and with our trying to accomplish things in an expeditious and orderly manner. This is a time that demands we stay calm, not overly react to situations, and let the weekend pass with as few scraps and mishaps as possible.
July 27th has Mercury conjunct Venus. While we could be highly creative and looking for formats in which to express our talents, people may be ‘putting on the Ritz’, grandstanding and looking to stand out. Narcissism and hedonism can be on display. It would be suggested we temper our appetites and our appearance. Ostentatiousness does not denote class, elegance often being more subdued than brash. What goes for style nowadays often seems more like a clown show catching one’s attention momentarily but then quickly forgotten.
Mercury exits Leo to enter its own Sign of Virgo on July 28th [5:31 PM EDT], ending the Stellium in Leo and giving a more practical and grounded approach to our involvements. We now have five planets in Earth Signs with Mercury and Mars in Virgo, Pluto in Capricorn, and Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus. By Sign, we have a Grand Trine in the Earth element with all three Earth Signs occupied.
Summer is not over but as we come to the end of July, we might be giving thought to getting back into our routine, children preparing to go off to school as we come into the mid-month of August. Certainly, we are moving into a time of greater manifestation, time when we can get things done, if we avoid being distracted by the ‘noise’ of the powers-that-be with their bread and circus antics of shoddy showmanship.
With our mind sharper, our mind more critical and with an ability for us to analyze what is truly going, the many instances of irony are likely to be increasingly evident, no matter how oblivious we might try to be.
We come into August with our flags flying. We may feel at the top of our game able to successfully engage any present situations as well as being well prepared for unexpected future exigencies.
The 1st of August has the Aquarius Full Moon as the Aquarius Moon opposes the Leo Sun [2:32 PM EDT]. Mars trines Jupiter, and Mercury opposes Saturn.
We can be gung-ho as we start this month of August. Not only do we have one foot in our present, the other in future possibilities. We also have one foot in summertime fun activities, the other foot stepping back on track of our routine matters.
We can juggle summer frivolities with our usual responsibilities by being smart about it, utilizing time management skills, and finding a balance between recreational activities and our typical engagements.
Although in the US it used to be that school starts commenced after the Labor Day weekend, school starts have increasingly begun earlier, some in mid-August, also time when college orientations often begin.
No matter what the pulls might be, we can feel the beckoning of autumn and a return to our regular routine.
We may be hesitant to let summer go, and that first weekend of August, the 5th – 6th, could have us engaging a summer blowout as the Sun squares Jupiter. Whether we take off and get out of town or stay around our community, a liability of too muches can ensnare us as we spend too much, indulge too much, and do virtually anything — too much.
Restraint is suggested, likely neglected, for the acceleration of life with summer passing too soon prods us to go for all the gusto that we can grab.
Any push – pull between summer ‘down time’ and autumn preparations can have negative implications if we do not effectively walk the balance beam between the two.
The 9th of August has Venus square Uranus and Mercury trine Jupiter. Relationships can suffer, infatuations tarnished. We might feel that someone is just a little too full of themselves or exerting too much control over our plans or desires. We don’t want anyone to raise our shortcomings or express their displeasure over our actions or our opinions. Even if we experience contradictions to our ideas, our mind is sharp, focused, and able to dispel any questioning. Our critical analysis allows us to draw upon minute particulars to shore up our argument with an assured and amused attitude.
This second week of August may make us aware that summer is coming to an end and with it our need to refocus on our usual involvements.
We are unlikely to let summer activities go, and the early August weekends may be times when we go full tilt with fun events.
The Sun conjuncts Venus on the 13th of August. We might celebrate a final summer blowout on this weekend. For some of us, we may be preparing to send a child off to college for orientation or buying school materials for a child’s return to school. The sense of autumn impending might be upon us with us attending to the needs of our routine engagements.
On the 15th, on the ‘dark side’ of the Moon prior to the New Moon on the 16th, the Sun squares Uranus. Whether we are still participating in summer recreation or taking care of autumn necessities, we might be ever more aware of how inflation has increased costs. Although increased costs can be masked by minimal increases week by week, when we reflect on the costs last year compared to this year, it may be especially evident that inflation has not been tamed but rather is taking a major bite out of our disposable income.
Increasingly, we shall need to be conscious of our finances, budgeting, and the exorbitant interest charged on any balance carried on our credit cards. With the crash and burn of our educational system, it would be hoped in the revitalization of education that personal finance would become a core instruction in the curriculum. Despite promises of debt forgiveness, ‘jubilee’ and other magic wands to expunge our sins and wipe our debt load slate clean, people need to be made aware and conscious of wise personal finance management.
The Leo New Moon on the 16th of August when the Moon conjuncts the Sun [5:38 AM EDT] has the New Moon in orb of the square to Uranus, but also triggers the Earth Grand Trine as Mars trines Uranus on the 16th and both in wide orb of a trine to Pluto. Life has unalterably changed from the way it was and demands that we be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstance. In accord with the sage saying that ‘we never get more than we can handle’, the Earth Grand Trine offers us the ability to effectively deal with whatever comes our way. We may draw upon innovative methods to meet our demands and can streamline our operations. We just need to be open to adjusting our attitude and our behavior to successfully address whatever comes our way with time management skills employed.
The 22nd of August could prove problematic as Venus squares Jupiter and Mars opposes Neptune. The liability of excess cannot be discounted. Caution is advised, for our tendency may be more towards extreme action without fully considering the consequences of our actions or our decisions. Not only do we have to be careful regarding our expenses and the financial costs involved. We also need to be careful around water, whether we are on the water with a liability of a boating accident, or we are caught up in heavy precipitation. As experienced this past April in Fort Lauderdale, when a storm system dumped 26 inches of rain in 24 hours or the 36 hours stall of Hurricane Dorian over the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas in 2019, atmospheric storms systems are increasingly stalling for long periods of time, creating intense precipitation and massive flooding.
The Sun exits Leo on August 23rd to enter Virgo [5:01 AM EDT], the Sign ruled by Mercury, and Mercury turns retrograde later in the day [3:59 PM EDT].
With the three-week Mercury retrograde, Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’ is back in effect, made even more impactful by its retrograding through its own Sign of Virgo.
Although we may take a more serious tone to our affairs, clarity might be lost. We are liable to witness truth to the saying that ‘the devil is in the details.’ Mercury retrograde is not a great way to begin any recommencement of our routine activities. Mercury will be retrograde until the 15th of September.
The Sun’s entrance into Virgo triggers a Stellium in the Mutable Earth Sign and reenforces the Earth Element Grand Trine. We may be more attentive to the details of our lives and more practical regarding our daily affairs but with liabilities of miscommunications, misunderstandings and other misses due to losing our concentrated focus.
The Earth Grand Trine is emphasized on the 24th of August as Mars trines Pluto. Mars trined Uranus back on the 16th in accord with the Leo New Moon and now Mars trines Pluto completing the Mars trigger to the Earth Grand Trine. We may have our pedal to the metal with dogged persistence to get done what we need to get done. Since our actions under this influence are likely to include purchases for our autumn activities, we need to be diligent in the quality of the items that we are buying, and cost conscious of the expenses involved and how they impact our financial position.
The 27th of August has the Sun opposed Saturn and Mars exiting Virgo to enter Libra. We are liable to experience some hiccups at this time with us forgetting important components or feeling like the wind has been knocked out of our sails. Whether we have gotten back on track of our regular routine or still in summertime mode, we have the sense of summer slip, sliding away. Perhaps we have remorse over what could have been, or we didn’t take enough time to step away from the crazy antics of the powers-that-be and reinvigorate ourselves.
Mars moving into Libra is a Sign of Detriment for Mars. Much of the self-assertive thrust of Mars is muted as we sense a greater reliance on someone else. We may feel that we don’t have the capability to go it alone, and yet may still feel like a stranger in a strange land.
With less physical stamina, even diminished fortitude, we need to be wary not to be bollixed by Uranus turning retrograde on the 28th of August. Uranus suggests we expect the unexpected, and as Uranus turns, unanticipated situations could trip us up. It is hard to maintain constant vigilance, to be continually mindful, and to be aware of both the obvious and the unplanned, but during this paradigm shift, and especially with Uranus, and now with Uranus turning retrograde, our need to be on our toes is made ever more difficult.
With Uranus turning retrograde, we now have five planets retrograde. Moving forward may prove arduous, for the energy suggests more internal work than external expression. More goes on than meets the eye, and we might find that people, and even oneself, are withdrawing from the madding crowd and concentrating instead on one’s personal world and individual sanctuary.
We close out the month of August under the impact of the Pisces Full Moon on the 30th when the Moon opposes the Sun [9:36 PM EDT]. This Full Moon is in orb of Saturn’s influence with the Moon conjunct Saturn, and the Sun opposed Saturn. We may wonder whether to work or play, but either choice having a dampening spirit that whatever we do is just not enough. We need to be wary under this Full Moon influence not to get overly emotional or critical with a tendency to see a half glass of water as half empty rather than half full. The Eeyores and Debbie Downers may be out in full force, and we need to steel ourselves against any expressions of negativity.
We come into September raring to go, but we’re not quite ready to let the summer pass.
Labor Day weekend in the US is the last long holiday weekend of the summer season, traditionally considered the end of summer vacationing time and the beginning of the school year. But tradition is what was, no longer is. For school starts, college orientations now occur in mid-August, and business may not be totally 24/7 but do preclude the idea of a month-long off the track reminiscent of some yesteryear.
The 3rd of September has Venus turning direct. With Venus in Leo, who isn’t up for a Labor Day weekend party and the opportunity of grandstanding? We want to stand out, enjoy ourselves, and participate in a final summer blowout before heading back to work.
Labor Day itself, Monday the 4th of September, has Mercury trine Jupiter, and Jupiter turning retrograde.
It’s interesting that the two ‘good guys’ of the planetary realm, Venus and Jupiter, are shuffling their direction on this weekend — Venus turning direct on the 3rd, Jupiter turning retrograde on the 4th.
Although we can be highly astute in budgeting and scheduling at this time, we might chuck our practical intentions and opt instead for good times with good friends with little concern about keeping tabs on our expenditures.
The 4th – 8th of September has Jupiter engaged, with Mercury trine Jupiter on the 4th, Mercury conjunct the Sun on the 6th and both in orb of a trine to Jupiter, and the Sun trine Jupiter on the 8th. There may be necessary expenses such as buying supplies, upgrading technology, or acquiring new equipment. We can be astute regarding what we truly need and what would be impulse or extraneous purchases.
Energized by summer ‘down times’, we might feel confident and enthusiastic about what we need to get done in the first week of September. It would be important that we not put too much on our plate but to take things step-by-step. We can be optimistic about our prospects, but we do need to keep our eye on the ball and attentive to the particulars of every situation in which we are involved.
While the first half of September has us going through a waning Moon, the first two weeks of September can well prepare us for the Virgo New Moon on the 14th when the Moon conjuncts the Sun [9:40 PM EDT] and impacts the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 29th.
The Virgo New Moon triggers the Earth Element Grand Trine with the Sun Moon conjunction in orb of a trine to both Jupiter and Uranus both in Taurus, and the New Moon in orb of a trine to Pluto in Capricorn. One can make the case for the New Moon signature being a kite pattern chart with Neptune in Pisces being the kite tail.
We can be highly accomplished over this following two-week period, able to move our goals forward expeditiously, focusing on the essential factors, and drawing upon innovative and streamlined methods. Our critical reasoning is sharp, but let’s not forget our intuitive sense of feeling things out.
The empirical is all well and good despite the craziness occurring in this post-modern era where the subjective supplants the objective, fictions pass for facts, and emotions trump critical analysis. During these times, it is essential that we engage both our reasoning mind and our intuitive sense to gauge what is really going on.
Our effectiveness can be enhanced by Mercury turning direct on the 15th of September. We shall still be in the ‘shadow’ of the Mercury retrograde until the 30th of September, when Mercury reaches the degree at which it had turned retrograde back on the 23rd of August. We have greater clarity than we might have had over the past three weeks, but things may not be crystal clear until we exit the Mercury retrograde ‘shadow’ on the 30th.
The weekend of the 17th has the two ‘good guys’ of the planetary realm square each other. Venus squares Jupiter. Perhaps we’re buying into the sentiment that all work and no play dulls the senses and makes for a tiresome person with our need for having some good times without much regard to the costs involved. This weekend is a time for us to spread our wings, explore our unfamiliar terrain or just stay home, kick back, and enjoy ourselves. Whatever we do this weekend, we are unlikely to do it in half measure. All or nothing with an emphasis upon all might be our operational mode.
Reality may strike deep into our heart it might creep on the 19th of September as the Sun opposes Neptune. We can be a little anxious about our future. With many people feeling as though they are skating on thin ice, we could look at belt tightening, paring down our involvements, cutting our expenses, and hoping that by being more attentive to our finances we are better able to survive, even thrive, during these disruptive, tumultuous times.
The pundits may claim that there is no inflation, but even if it appears as though inflation has been tamed [is that one of those accountant themes of ‘numbers don’t lie. People do’?], the havoc has occurred, the wreckage evident.
We close out the month of September with the Sun trine Pluto on the 21st. As the wise saying reminds us: “we never get more than we can handle.” No matter what has befallen us or likely to impact us, we have the resilience and skill set to address whatever comes our way. We end the summer season committed to making our way through the muck and the mire and creating a better world for ourselves.
Summer 2023… hot times in the summertime…
