This Week in Astrology – 1st – 7th July 2013

This last week has been tough. Mercury retrograding through my 12th house has upset my sleeping pattern so it’s taken all my energy just to get through the day. On Friday I had plans to do lots of writing but figured a little nap wouldn’t hurt as my eyes were struggling to stay open. The ‘little nap’ turned into four hours of ‘dead to the world’. I didn’t even stir when my friend sent me a text and it’s almost unheard of that I don’t wake to the bleep from my phone. When I finally awoke, I ate, had a bath and then descended back into another 8 hours sleep. I dreamed that I was with a friend who was exclaiming how wonderful my tomatoes are! In reality, my tomato plants are like mini triffids stretching up and up to the Sun. I’ve noticed they have started to form flowers which will eventually become fruit. My dream is reminding me that everything takes its own sweet time and I need to be a friend to myself in order to see the fruits of my labours!

I’m sensing the slow down. Currently we have Mercury, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto all retrograde in the skies. It’s like I’m holding my breath, waiting for something to happen.

The grand water trine is still building in the skies as Jupiter tip-toes through the early degrees of Cancer. It’s a slow build up of watery energy with Mercury forming the undercurrent beneath. The big boys of the cosmos are all ‘let go and go with the flow’ but on a day to day level there’s irritation this week as the personal planets form some disharmonious, irritated aspects. At ground level, it may take some effort to hold on to the big picture whilst you work through the daily grind.

Venus kicks it off on Monday 1st July with a square to Saturn where you may be hard pushed to ‘feel the love’. It might just be that Monday feeling, the start of the week, the pressure to work when you’d rather be off having fun. You may be feeling like you deserve more than *this* whatever *this* is. And quite possibly you do. Venus square Saturn puts you on notice that perhaps you have been selling yourself short. It’s time to pay some attention to your inner Venus and reassure her that she is beautiful and valued. Consider what you can do, what actions you can take to reaffirm that with yourself.

On the 2nd July, the Sun goes head to head with Pluto. This could manifest as a battle of wills. Don’t let yourself be manipulated into playing other people’s power games as this is a drain of energy and resources. Be firm and stand your ground. Mark a line in the dirt that indicates your boundary line.

Saturn squares up to Ceres on the 3rd July and I feel like this reinforces my dream above. Sometimes it’s a case of having to put the work in. There are responsibilities too and these need to be shouldered with tenderness. With Saturn representing the paternal figure and Ceres, the Mother aspect – this is another tough love aspect that has more than an echo of the earlier Venus square to Saturn. It may be a case of being a better parent to yourself, instilling discipline where necessary and exacting praise when praise is due.

A square between the Sun and Uranus on the 4th July brings a rebellious mood and a tendency to throw your toys out of the pram if the world doesn’t offer what you feel like you want. Sometimes you just have to allow yourself some space and accept that others need the same. If you are restless, shake up the rhythm and dance to connect with your inner you. It may be that your body can express something that words can’t.

Finally we get a break on the 5th July as the Sun harmonises into a trine with Chiron. The itchy, scratchy feel of the week may have pushed you to the edge but this aspect helps you to understand the meaning behind it all – the purpose of your mission. Take heart because this is a bridge to the future and healing is happening on a fundamental level.

Venus is back to playing games on the 6th July as she forms a quincunx to Pluto and suddenly it’s all about the issue of power again. It’s no use obsessing over what’s wrong or what needs to be fixed. Things aren’t clear enough yet. You can however, accept that some things need to change even if you don’t exactly know how or why. You don’t have to act just yet. The best way to deal with this is to tune into what’s really important and let the rest fall into place.

Sunday the 7th July is still a Venus story as she squares up to asteroid Psyche. This aspect seems to capture the mood of the week overall. This is a time of metamorphosis and right now it’s as though you are halfway through the change. As yet, it’s hard to see what the final result might look like and maybe there’s some fear about things to come. But the process has already begun and there’s no stopping it now. It’s about letting things unfold as they will.

As you can see, there’s something of a challenge in the week’s aspects but to me, much points towards accepting your current position even if it is scary, frustrating or just plain annoying. It may be worth conserving your energy rather than fighting against where you are. It’s about digging deep to find the energy to tough it out and also about finding ways to be good to yourself in the meantime. A little self-kindness along with self-discipline can get your further than you expected. Transformation takes time.

Butterfly photo by Schick on Morgue Files [public domain]