Current Transits for July 2014 Current Transits for July 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mercury Direct Station at 24Gm22, 7-1
Fourth of July, 7-4
Full Moon at 20Cp03, 7-12
Jupiter enters Leo, 7-16
Saturn Direct Station at 16Sc38, 7-20
Uranus Retrograde Station at 16Ar30, 7-21
Mars enters Scorpio, 7-25
Jupiter Trioctile Chiron, 7-26
New Moon at 3L351, 7-26
Vesta enters Scorpio, 7-30
Hindsight...
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
The Grand Hangover continues. That's my nickname for the long transitional down time after 5 months of the huge Grand Cross pattern that shaped the first half of the year. That pattern collapsed in mid-May and now we're mucking around, picking up the pieces and trying to figure out what comes next. There's not much energy to tap into these days, making life a bit difficult at times when you need to put in the effort. The outer planet situation is somewhat different now. There's a tight grouping of Saturn, Chiron and Uranus, while Pluto is on the fringes; Mars and Jupiter have left the picture. We'll see this pattern kick up (mildly) as some of the faster moving planets move through Cancer and trigger it into action. Otherwise, the big story in July is Jupiter's movement from Cancer into Leo on the 16th. This should be felt as an uplift in all our moods, a sense of self-confidence that may have been missing for a long time. As in June, there are a number of planets standing still this month, a situation I call a "logjam" as it seems life is standing still down here as well. Keep your ambitions low and be ready to work slow and steady if you want to see progress. At least Mercury is moving in the right direction after the 1st, so your thinking mind will start to behave better. Take life lightly and accomplish what you can. A lazy summer mood is rather appealing right now.
We have 3 planets at stationary points during the month. There are also 3 bodies changing signs, the most prominent being Jupiter's entrance into Leo on the 16th. The only "big aspect", Jupiter trioctile Chiron, is a bit of a lightweight.
Mercury goes direct again at 24Gm22 on the 1st, ending a retrograde cycle that began back on Jun 7 at 3Cn10. Mercury is the thinking, talking, symbol using and story telling part of the psyche, the part of us responsible for making sense of the world and weaving a practical narrative about how it all works. Normally, he's pretty good at this job, but when he's backing up like he's been doing the last 3 weeks, the world seems to have a mind of its own that breaks out of our story lines. The world seems crazy because it doesn't make sense in terms of our usual explanations. Communications between people lead to confusion when messages sent and messages received have different meanings. Computers misbehave even! It's easy to get frustrated by all the missed connections during these cycles, but there's a deeper lesson to consider. We are so used to considering our powers of reason as being infallible that we (and I mean the whole culture here) fail to notice the limitations and blind spots of the thinking mind. No story is capable of explaining every detail and every process in the world -- it's just too complicated for our finite minds to take in completely. When faced with conditions that "don't make sense", it's important to be flexible enough to update your explanations to include this new information. More importantly, it makes you more aware of the limitations of your own mind. We can only handle so much of the world, no matter how enlightened or intelligent we become. Thinking is a tool for survival, not a god that rules over everything. Wake up! As we leave this retrograde cycle and Mercury starts picking up speed, it seems the thinking mind slowly gets sharper and more focused -- until the next cycle.
Happy Fourth! Well, maybe not so happy. Looking at the solar return chart for the USA (the astrologer's idea of what a birthday is) is not encouraging. Coming just a few hours before the largest waveform of the month, there's an ominous Grand Cross lying right across the horizon of the chart. Sun in Cancer, opposite Pluto on the 7th cusp (foreign affairs), Uranus in the 10th (the administration) and Moon, Mars and several asteroids in Libra in the 4th (the public), which brackets the US Saturn. In addition, Jupiter is exactly (to within a minute or so) opposite the US Pluto. As Uranus goes into its retrograde cycle, it will repeatedly oppose the US Saturn in coming months. So what does this all mean? Keep in mind that astrological prediction is more black art than a science, that we can see broad trends easily, but the details may lie beyond our knowledge. Obviously, as I've pointed out for several years now, Pluto opposite the US Sun puts the presidency under severe stress and danger. Obama's approval ratings are tanking, though not as quickly as Congress in general and the GOP in particular. He gets blamed for anything he does or doesn't do (often simultaneously), whether he has any control over the matter or not. The do-nothing government is blamed on him personally, even though the Republicans in Congress and around the country seem hell bent on making the country fail to spite him -- their actions border on treason. Pluto on the 7th cusp? There's a major breakdown of the accepted international system of sovereign nation states due to major nations with no regard for the rules stirring up trouble (Russia in Ukraine, North Korea, the new Egyptian government), numerous insurgencies (Syria/Iraq, Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa in general), the lingering financial crisis that's hobbling many economies, etc. The world is going through a breakdown period, the old order is crumbling, the new hasn't emerged -- how Pluto can you get? Uranus opposite the US Saturn and Jupiter opposite US Pluto -- more breakdown of existing structures and institutions. People are angry and frustrated, looking for a scapegoat, and Obama seems to be the person everyone (even his supporters) loves to hate, whether he deserves it or not. He has a reputation of handling Pluto energies pretty good for a public figure, but he may be reaching his limits given all the opposition he faces and how much of this trouble is out of his control. At least the Jupiter in Leo transit will support his own Sun the next year. Maybe the world just needs to fall apart and reorganize -- that happens occasionally in everyone's life. Obama can't tame Pluto by executive decree alone. It will be interesting to see how much of this public anger translates into meaningful change in the elections or whether the gridlock just deepens. I've not looking forward to a constructive year for the country.
A somewhat different Grand Cross pattern is in effect at the full moon. The full moon axis forms one leg of this cross, while the other consists of Uranus opposite Mars, Ceres and Vesta, all at 23 degrees of Libra. Venus, Saturn and Chiron can also be considered part of this same pattern. Pluto is left out of this group for a change and is actually the weakest planet in the chart. Jupiter is going quiet in the final degree of Cancer, having formed his last aspect with Mercury on the 11th.
You'd normally consider a cardinal sign Grand Cross a call to action, although you'd have to be cautious about stirring up cross currents that would impede your progress. However, this is an energy pattern that is on the decline, losing strength and coherency rapidly. Uranus introduces chaos and discord to the mixture, as if one were trying to march across a mine field. Mars is still in Libra, one of his least favorite signs, where his activities are hemmed in by the need to cooperate with other people and their conflicting demands. Dealings with others are softened by the actions of Venus to a certain degree, but at the expense of much conversation to coordinate your actions with them. The Sun, Saturn and Chiron also form a Grand Trine (a large triangle in the sky) in water signs, an indication that emotional issues, mainly related to situations long past, need to be resolved before you can move forward again. We're still in a waiting period, cleaning up old problem areas while trying to look forward to new directions in the future (mid August at the earliest). Make your future plans and work out the kinks in your ideas. Deal with practical matters hanging over your head. In time, the energies will be at our backs once more...
Jupiter moves from Cancer into Leo on the 16th. He'll be in this sign for the next year, not entering Virgo until 2015-8-11. Jupiter is the principle of expansion and moving beyond your boundaries, of taking the next step. In very abstract terms, Leo is about the descent of spirit into the individual and his or her emergence from the family and cultural norms and expectations. In more mundane terms, it's about building and maintaining a healthy ego that appreciates his connections with the rest of the world. Most egos are far from healthy by these standards, so probably the first consequence of this placement are a lot of heads swelling with self-importance. Granted, many people think of Leos in terms of egotistical and showy so-and-so's, but that's only a lower manifestation of the sign and not really on the mark. Yes, Leo is concerned with itself, but it's supposed to be concerned with itself. And given a healthy ego, the next step is to focus on the heart center. The higher side of Leo is warm, loving, friendly, giving and magnanimous. This matches well with Jupiter's warmth and enthusiasm. If you focus on this higher way of being, you can expect to grow considerably during the next year. On the other hand, Jupiter can exaggerate a weak ego just as easily as a strong one, turning a petty tyrant into a full-blown tyrant. If you find yourself in a state of conflict with others frequently, that's an indication your ego style needs an upgrade. It's important to learn to share the stage with others, how to riff and improvise with them in this grand play called Life. Hogging the spotlight to yourself is not only a crime against the heart, it's also boring. One other thing. The flip side of the ego mind is the shadow, the parts of the psyche that the ego disowns, the blind spots in your self knowledge. Jupiter expands the shadow to the same degree as the ego expands. If you get a swelled head, your butt-headedness grows to match your self-proclaimed wonderfulness, and everyone around you can see both sides of your personality, even if you can't. It makes some people look really silly -- and unbearable. For all the bad rap that the ego gets, however, it's a vital tool for surviving in this world. Done properly, the ego is a work of living art. By the way, Jupiter is also connected with the large institutions in our world, especially government. It's not uncommon that politicians have big egos and an exaggerated sense of their own importance, but that rarely makes for a good leader. As we head into the fall elections, not to mention hearing the first rumblings of the 2016 presidential campaign, it's critical to search for leaders that embody this higher ideal. We can't take the low road as a nation and expect good results.
Saturn reaches his direct station of 16Sc38 on the 20th. This ends a cycle that began with his retrograde station of 23Sc19 on Mar 2, towards the beginning of the Crimean crisis. The station back in March was another logjam, setting up the stand off we're currently seeing in the Ukraine. Saturn is about learning your spiritual lessons. Things like being responsible for your actions, knowing your limits and boundaries, respecting others, mastering life on the physical plane. Scorpio is also a symbol of mastery, this time of your own ego, your emotions, desires and passions, your sense of separation from the world around you. If you think you're above it all, bigger than the people around you, you'll set into motion actions that will come back to haunt you and demonstrate your limitations. Saturn is the planet of Karma -- you can't escape your fate until you learn every lesson thoroughly. Take note of the situations you find yourself in now and trace their roots to earlier decisions you made that set up this path for you. The irony of mastering the ego is that you find it's no big deal, that being a small, but integral part of the universe is better than being proudly set apart from it. Nobody likes receiving Saturn's attention, especially when he's standing still like this. It's no fun at all. But that's not the point. The sooner you listen and learn, the less he'll need to bother you. Now that's fun!
Uranus goes retrograde at 16Ar30 on the 21st. He'll back up until Dec 21, when he reaches his direct station of 12Ar34. OK, if you didn't like Saturn standing still, maybe you'll like Uranus instead. I tend to think of Uranus as a more fundamental or core level part of the psyche than Mercury. Rather than rational thinking and symbol usage, Uranus operates more on the level of intuition, key paradigms and archetypes, and the ability to weave perceptions into a sense of "reality". It's how we construct our worlds. It's not a good idea to trust your intuition, as they say, right now, as retrograde Uranus says these gut level abilities are what is malfunctioning. The main symptom now is a feeling that the world is crazy and unexpected. Since Uranus is deeply into the sign of Aries, the main reaction people have is anger, frustration and impatience. Pay attention to what really pisses you off these days and you'll run into a situation you aren't making proper sense of. Even more than Mercury's retrograde cycle, this is a call to question your basic assumptions and beliefs, to suspend judgment and wait patiently for more clarity. Probe your blind spots, listen to those unconscious whispers in the back of your mind. Some of it is garbage, which you are invited to revise, but some is a valid critique of how you perceive your world. Live with these messages awhile before accepting any of them -- only by trying them out can you determine whether they are useful or not. You may not be able to tell the difference until the direct station in December. At any rate, get ready to be surprised and have your world upended. Uranus is always a Trickster planet who loves to sow chaos and surprises. You gotta love him for that, especially when Saturn gets too oppressive.
Mars leaves Libra finally and enters Scorpio on the 25th. He'll be in this sign until Sep 13, when he heads into Sagittarius. Our Warrior God has been stuck in peaceable, friendly, diplomatic Libra since last December, going through extended lessons (due to his retrograde cycle) in sensitivity training and creating mayhem as part of the Grand Cross. Not his style! He is so happy to be back on his home turf in Scorpio. Mars is about will power, the powers both psychic and physical that allow you to close the gap between what you want and making it happen. Scorpio is about energy and passion, something Mars understands much better than Libra's pleasantries. This is a good time to get out there and make things happen that you want to accomplish. Ironically, the big lesson of this placement is to learn the ego and its desires are not that important. By putting your desires in perspective, you can concentrate on making the vital stuff happen and avoid butting heads with other egos over the small stuff. Getting your work done is more important than looking good anyway. Acknowledge your passions, but don't let them get the best of you. Have some fun for a change!
Jupiter is trioctile Chiron on the 26th, a quick, single pass contact. I suspect this aspect may come and go too quickly for most people to notice. Too bad. When Jupiter causes us to expand and grow, to show our private selves to the world, sometimes the world pushes back at us and tells us no. Chiron often represents this push back and its effects on us, particularly the kind of rejection we get from others who don't appreciate our actions. This is part of the soul's testing out of his boundaries in this world, but this normal process frequently is taken too seriously and personally. We suffer the most as young children, where rejection creates feelings of shame and guilt and the "offending behavior" is suppressed. It stings even as an adult, however. All it really means is we need to tailor our behavior to our surroundings better. This is the first major aspect that Jupiter makes since entering Leo, a fine reception for that expanded ego business we discussed earlier. Object lesson perhaps, but don't let it get you down.
The new moon indicates a marked change in the energies towards the end of the month. The waveform may not be all that strong, but it sure looks more organized than we've seen in recent weeks. Jupiter in Leo is closely conjunct the new moon point and is in high gear, square Mars (now in Scorpio). Venus in Cancer is forming a wide T-Square with Pluto and Uranus in coming days; she's also trine Neptune.
There's more fire in this chart than we've seen in some time. As Jupiter opens up for business in Leo with an assist from the Leo new moon, we feel more active, optimistic and alive than we've felt in the last few months. It's as if the fire in our bellies has been fanned to a great bonfire -- there's more warmth and liveliness present. Mars is finally out of Libra and able to start expressing your will power more easily, although you do have to be careful not to let your ego take over and make life difficult for you or others. However, there's also a lot of water present, especially with that Venus driven T-Square. Emotions are very powerful now. Many of these feelings are light and fluffy ones that make you seek out the company of others, but there's also a deep unconscious current here that drags you into quiet or contemplative realms. Your thinking may be on the moody side if these feelings color your thoughts excessively. If you are planning future projects as we head into August, consider well the impact they may have on your personal life. When the unconscious gets stirred up like this, the consequences of your actions may not be all that obvious ahead of time. Other than that, life is looking up as Leo energies take hold. Enjoy the burst of enthusiasm and confidence, look forward to the future. The pace of life will be picking up shortly...
Vesta moves into Scorpio on the 30th. She'll be here until Oct 6, when she enters Sagittarius. Vesta is an introverted gal who needs to retreat from the outer world from time to time in order to reconnect with her inner world. After being stuck in sociable Libra since 2013-11-15 due to a retrograde cycle, she's probably ready to pull away and go off by herself. Scorpio can also be introverted in some ways. It's a very emotional sign that can sometimes take over your life, since the emotions often have deep unconscious roots that defy understanding. This is hardly the kind of repose that Vesta seeks. She's likely to want to go within and work through all these passions and feelings until they act in a more orderly fashion in harmony with her nature. She needs a center point of peacefulness in the midst of all the turmoil. This may seem to clash with some of the more overt ego themes we've seen this month. I suspect the contradictions are real and can't be banished easily. Let's just say this ego thing is very complicated in July...
June seemed to be a month when the status quo took a real beating. It seems the Mars initiated aftershocks in the former Grand Cross really stirred things up. I recall two big news stories around Jun 12, just before Mars squared Pluto for the last time. First, Eric Cantor lost his primary race for reelection to the House, kicking off a big leadership scramble in the GOP. Around the same time, the terrorist group ISIS moved from bases in Syria and started gobbling up cities and territory in the Sunni parts of Iraq. All of a sudden, the talking heads are wondering if Iraq can survive as a country and what should be done with Prime Minister al-Malaki (as if it's our business in the first place). The US is being dragged back into Iraq after our disastrous war there 11 years ago and having to deal with strange bedfellows like Iran and Russia to prop up the Shiite regime there. Over the weekend, ISIS declared itself an Islamic caliphate and ruler of the Islamic world, turning foreign policy around the world into hash.
Meanwhile, the new government in Ukraine is trying to get their insurgency under control, while Russia's Putin portrays himself as a peacemaker at the same time as he's stirring up new trouble there. The Russian parliament rescinded his mandate to invade Ukraine, passed last March in the wake of the Crimean takeover.
And the US Supreme Court handed down several rulings that smacked down the Obama administration this month.