Amelia’s Blog

There is a lot of fiery energy in the sky now with the Sun in  Leo and Mars, Chiron and the asteroid Lillith are all in Aries.

Mercury is making a challenging aspect to  Mars now  through August 1. It’s best under this influence to avoid impulsive action and go for the long game. It can be a frustrating time when nerves can be frayed,  tempers can be short and patience  in short supply.

Mercury is in Cancer now and continues to make a challenging aspect to Chiron. This can bring up issues related to family, ancestry and the past in general.

Mercury continues to make a favorable aspect to Uranus indicating that there can be breakthroughs in awareness. Uranus’s magical touch indicates it’s a good time to heed innovative ideas and solutions.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is ,”Brightly clad nature spirits dancing in the warm dying light.”

“Genuinely loving people are, by definition, growing people.” M Scott Peck

The Moon waxes new on Monday July 20 an 1:33 PM EDT at 28 degrees of Cancer. This provides a good time to set intentions about the direction you’d like your life to take. Best to be pragmatic and envision a strong foundation for any future endeavor. Be creative  in your approach. Look at what habits, beliefs and attitudes need to shift in order to make room for new growth in your life.

The Sun and Moon are opposite Saturn indicating the stern taskmaster is about. And Saturn, as Caroline Casey has written, “lays the tracks for the Reality train to follow.”

The Sun will move into the sign of Leo next week, providing a lighter atmosphere.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “A Greek muse weighing newborn twins in golden scales. ”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Humanity is at an important crossroad. The most important thing you can do is hold the light.” Great Grandmother Mary Lyons

Mercury is slowing down in preparation to end the retrograde period and station direct  Sunday, July 12 at 4:26 am EDT at 5 degrees of Cancer.  It’s wise now through the middle of next week to heed any thoughts or intuitions that surface that represent the culmination of information.

Mercury will station direct making a challenging aspect to Mars in Aries. This signifies a good time to start a new project that requires focus, commitment and determination. The energy will be supported throughout the Fall with an energized Mars in Aries making aspects to Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter.

The Mercury Mars alignment can make communications more testy and contribute to a more irritable time. So it’s wise to direct the energy to a good purpose.

Chiron is conjunct Mars at this time indicating a good time to look at how you implement your power to move forward with your aspirations and to see whether improvements can be made in that area.

I was recently listening to a lecture by Michael Mead about the global pandemic. His belief is that it is very much akin to a ritual of initiation – with the initial stage involving the walking away from routine life  as we know it, followed by time spent alone while facing challenges to one’s courage,  and the final stage, the return to life transformed on a deeper level. One of the questions he asked about this time was,””What is trying to be born through us?”

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Two fairies (nature spirits) dancing on a moonlit night.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“To change something build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.” Buckminster Fuller 

“A vision carries the personal responsibility to carry out its directive.”Marie Baptiste 

The Lunar Eclipse this week is Sunday July 5 at 13 degrees of Capricorn in the wee hours at 12:44 AM EDT.  At the time of the eclipse Mars in Aries will be conjunct Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. This can be a weakening aspect and can challenge courage and vision. It is associated with fragmentation.  If needed it’s a good time to reaffirm and fortify aspirations and visions for the future. Keeping them simple is a good idea.

I read a good example of this in Ray Merriman’s column this week. Ray Merriman is an astrologer and  stock market analyst and when discussing current state of affairs in the US  put it this way,”Happy birthday America! It looks like (another) wild year ahead. Let’s also pray that it is a year of healing, greater understanding, and tolerance of one another and of our relations with the rest of the world.”

Mercury is squaring Mars now and opposing the Moon at the time of the eclipse.  Mars is the Warrior planet indicating communications may become more heated. It’s wise to use extra forethought and discernment when communicating with others this coming week. Mars in Aries is impatient and inclined to be impulsive and aggressive.

It’s wise to put aside some time around the eclipse to create a temenos – a sacred space – where you can put fear aside, shut off the news, the phone and social media and affirm or reaffirm your vision for the future – both your personal aspirations and your hopes for the world.

Approaching the week with equilibrium in mind will be a good strategy.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A white triangle is seen. It has wings.”

Sabian symbol from Linda Hill

“Here are the years that walk between, bearing
Away the fiddles and the flutes, restoring
One who walks between sleep and waking,
wearing
While light folded, sheathed about her, folded,
The new years walk, restoring
With a new verse the ancient rhyme. Redeem
This time. Redeem
The unread vision in the higher dream
While jeweled unicorns draw by the gilded hearse.” TS Eliot

“If faith puts us on the road, hope keeps us there.” William Sloane Coffin

It’s another very busy week in the starry heavens.

Mars the planet of action, courage and desire just entered his home sign of Aries. The transit through  this sign will last through early January. The long stay in Aries is due to the Mars retrograde period from early September through mid January. A lot can be accomplished during this time.

The Pluto /Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn will be exact again on Tuesday.  This is the second of three conjunctions – the first in April this year, the second on June 30 and the third, November 12. Under this influence it is possible to understand things in our lives that underlie our thinking but we previously were unaware of. It can deepen thinking and provide a broader perspective about inner and outer issues.

Pluto represents the  natural cycles of life,  death, rebirth and regeneration. Jupiter is associated with religious or spiritual systems and the kind of wisdom and guidance with which they can inspire and guide life. Mercury  is retrograde  now providing a good time for review this area and to look for what is being born or reborn in the midst of these rapidly changing times.

It’s a good time for spiritual growth and renewal. It’s also a good time for catharsis – and letting go of old emotional patterns that no longer work from a spiritual perspective.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,” A woman reading tea  leaves.”

“He said that her words had broken the spell of a magician, who had doomed him to wear the form of  beast. The enchantment could only be broken when a maiden loved him in spite of his ugliness.” Amy Ehrlich 

“Living in balance is living in a state of grace, of delicacy, of gentleness. Only by being balanced within ourselves can we hope to bring balance to the world.” Anodea Judith

This week may feel a little spell-like as Neptune – the planet of dreams and illusions is strong in the sky – slowing down to station retrograde on Tuesday. Neptune rules fog and is currently conjunct Mars – the planet of energy and drive.  This can add more confusion to the mix along with the current retrograde Mercury. It can be  hard to see what exactly is going on. Best to use extra discrimination with any decisions that need to be made this week.

Venus will station this week also on Thursday. The planet of love and beauty will station direct. If there are any new intentions you have about love, abundance, beauty, pleasure and money, Thursday would be a good day to set or reaffirm them.

Friday Mars will square the Lunar Nodes indicating impatience and irritability can be on the rise this week.

Strong personal boundaries will be helpful this week as well as keeping emotions in check. The pull of addictions may be stronger.

It is a good week for creative projects and a spiritual endeavors

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”An old fashioned well with the purest and coldest of waters.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“We draw upon Mars for courage, dynamism, passion and kinship with life.” Caroline W. Casey

The end of this month Mars, the planet of clear goals, autonomy, energy, will and drive will move into his own feisty sign of Aries on the 27th. This will open a good time frame for organization and work projects. It can be a time of renewed and increased energy and determination.

Mars will have a six month foray  in this sign due to the retrograde period which last from September 9 through November 13. This time frame will provide fertile timing to reassess how you actualize your aspirations through the use of personal power.

With clarity, commitment and perseverance a lot can be accomplished throughout this time.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A woman has risen out of the ocean, a seal is embracing her.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda hill

” A fireplace is an archetypal image of home, comfort and security. Experiencing fire, water, earth or air intimately can add new vitality and meaning to our places… In the end all that really matters is that we approach wherever we live with full attention and an open heart.” Thomas Bender

“There are a thousand ways to go home again.” Rumi

It’s a busy week in the starry heavens as  Mercury slows down and prepares to station retrograde. It’s wise to heighten awareness about any intuitions or information that surfaces between today and the time of the station – June 18 –  as there can be a culmination of information at this time.

Mercury will station at 14 degrees of Cancer – the sign ruled by the Moon. The symbol of this mysterious sign is the crab who carries her home on her back and can retreat to it when needed. This time period bodes well for revisiting matters related to home, family, security and stability.  It’s a good time to look at the level of personal boundaries and whether improvements can be made in that area.

Mercury will transit retrograde through  July 12 when the Trickster God will station direct at 5 degrees of Cancer.

It’s often important for the sign of Cancer to have a comfortable and secure home to retreat to in challenging times. It’s wise during this time period to create extra down time to get in touch with what makes you feel grounded and secure in the midst of our rapidly changing times.

At the time of the retrograde, Mercury will make a favorable aspect to the Mars/Neptune conjunction in Pisces. This combination is associated with the spiritual warrior or the right use of power in terms of how we think, how we communicate and how we resolve differences.

Pallas Athene, the goddess who brought the knowledge of conflict resolution to the gods and goddesses, is strong in the sky now as well – aligned with Pluto and Jupiter.  This is pointing the way to resolve differences as we move away from the old patriarchal paradigm of “power over.”

The Summer Solstice – when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer is on Saturday and the second of three eclipses is on Sunday at 0 degrees of Cancer. This is a New Moon Solar Eclipse and a powerful time to set or reset intentions as it falls in such close proximity to the Solstice.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,” On a ship sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Between what is said
and not meant
And meant and not said
Most of love is lost.” Kahlil Gibran

“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.” Martin Luther King Jr.

It’s best to approach this week with patience and restraint  as there are some testy aspects in the sky.

Venus, the planet of love and abundance,  will be making a challenging aspect to Mars, the planet of action, desire  and conflict. Venus is retrograde now and making difficult aspects to both Pluto, the planet of the underworld and Neptune, the planet of dreams and illusions.

These influences portend a confusing time. In dealings with others it may be harder than usual to understand the other person’s perspective. It’s wise to keep communications very clear as misunderstandings may more easily occur.  Practicing balance and equilibrium will be helpful as emotional tides are likely to run high.

This week’s  Lunar Eclipse at 15  Sagittarius  is on Friday. The Moon will square Mars at that time and oppose Venus. This can put a strain on relationships and result in impatience and impulsiveness.

It’s will be helpful all week to practice patience, balance and tolerance.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “the first mockingbird of spring sings from the tree top.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“And all the obstacles along the way
May feel so tremendous
There are guides and spirits all along the way
Who will befriend us.” Van Morrison

“Everything we do counts.There is really no such thing as a small act of service or goodness.” Caroline Myss

Today when I  was driving  home from the grocery store,  I got  a flat tire.  I pulled  the off the highway and on to a back road.

I was going to call AAA to come change the tire and then remembered that the mute button was stuck on my cell phone and it was impossible for anyone I called to hear me. I debated going to a house nearby or to my friend’s house up the road but it’s really not a time to be dropping in on people.

I was contemplating how best to proceed. A few cars drove past  but then when a motorcycle was approaching I waved my arms wildly. It took him awhile to slow the bike down but then he turned around and coming towards me smiling said,”Do you need help?”

I explained my predicament and he held out his cell phone, “Here you can use mine.” I called AAA and made arrangements. And thanked him.

” Do you need anything else? Are you okay here?” he asked,” Do you feel safe?” I did feel safe being a short distance from  a friend’s house.

“Thank you SO much,”  I called after him as he returned to his bike.

He turned and smiled at me and said, “That’s what it’s all about , isn’t it? Helping other people? ”

This is very much the spirit of Neptune in Pisces where it is now  – being of service to others. People born under the watery  sign of Pisces often find their fulfillment in life through serving others or doing work that contributes to making the world a kinder place.