The action falls this week as the Lunar cycle winds to a close with Saturday’s New Moon in Leo.  Amidst the monthly wrap up, the planetary actors change places in anticipation of August’s drama.  Venus enters Leo on Thursday, scattering the heart’s bright rays wide.  Later the same day, Mercury enters Virgo,  trembling with the retrograde energy to be unleashed on August 2^nd.  This week sets the stage for next week’s confusing series of shifts.  Work with things as they unfold, and don’t get ahead of yourself.

New Moon, New Month

This Saturday marks the New Moon in Leo, often a sunny lunar cycle, full of fun, self exploration, confirmation and gratification.  Not so this year.  The coming month is full of difficulties.  Mercury will be retrograde from August 2^nd until the 26^th, and there will be a number of trying grand crosses t-squares.  This sets the stage for both internal and external conflict, threatening to tear apart fragile unities.  This can be compared to the twin lions of alchemy, the winged and the wingless.  The wingless lion represents the fierce earthbound spirit while the winged lion represents the same, but blessed with the wings of a clear mind.  While both are fierce and capable of vicious combat, only the winged lion can soar above the battlefield, picking and choosing when and where to engage with fearsome spirit.

Consider the winged and wingless lions this Saturday as the sky bears witness to the yearly syzygy of the Sun and Moon in Leo.

Venus into Leo: The Lion Queen

Venus moves into Leo on Thursday, the 28th.  Venus’ time in Leo enflames the heart and fires the passions, turning them outward. Tapping this current empowers a person with the ability to project their emotional energy in a radiant fashion, bestowing the shakti of the Queen’s royal aura.  Though more may be externalized than is necessary, or helpful.  Venus in Leo moves us toward gregariousness and stimulates honesty. Yet the heart speaks its truth too easily while Venus is in Leo.  There is a daunting erubescence to Venus in Leo that can translate dramatic feelings into dramatic episodes with little provocation.

Venus will chase the Sun through Leo for the first half of the month, catching old Apollo on August 16^th.  Too close to the Sun to be visible, Venus is in the process of a transition between morning-star and evening-star.  This process stirs the heart’s most intimate fires, dredging up neglected feelings, especially those concerned with self-image and identity.  Venus will be in Leo until August 21^st but will not rise again in our sky until the end of September.

For more on the archetypal outlines of Venus in Leo, consider perusing Lady of Flame.

Mercury Enters Virgo: Interpretive Limbo

Mercury moves into Virgo this Thursday.  Usually Mercury’s time in Virgo presides over unusual clarity of mind and precision of intellect.  Not so this time around.  Mercury is due to turn retrograde next week, on August 2^nd, and the technical problems, uncertain plans and confusing issues due to be unleashed next week will color this one.  It’s been a confusing last few months for people, and there’s much to sort out.  As we come to focus on the noise, the signal will no doubt begin to emerge, but we must be particularly careful not to make premature judgments or fix our interpretations before the signal becomes clear.  The process is akin to listening to crackly radio station- we must listen patiently and ambivalently, on guard against the certainty that we have heard our hopes or fears confirmed by auditory rorschachs.

Mercury will be in Virgo from the 28^th of July until August 8^th, when he retrogrades back into Leo.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes are not a real chart reading by an experienced astrologer.  However, they are fun and can be reasonably accurate.  In addition to referring to your Sun sign, read your from Ascendant and Moon if you know them.  If you don’t, find out. I’m a long time fan of the free chart generation software at astro.com.

Oh, and if you’re still concerned that your sign has changed, get a little clarity here.

Aries:  The Ram

Venus’ movement into Leo on Thursday sees blooms of creativity breaking the uncertain surface of your mind.  With help from the New Moon in Leo on Saturday, you’ll start to see how to  approach the powerful energies that’ve been fighting to be expressed since April.

Mercury entry into Virgo on Thursday will likely spotlight potential problems with your physical and fiscal health.   Make strides to address the issues that emerge in this area by taking a close look at your habits.

Taurus:  The Bull

Venus’ movement into Leo is sprinkles some healing balm on your living situation and improves the positivity of your emotional baseline.  The New Moon in Leo this Saturday refocuses you this emotional baseline, and spotlights the ideas about yourself which format it.  There are revelations afoot about who you are and what you’re capable of.

Mercury’s entrance into Virgo opens some questions about and how and where you’re commiting your creative energy.  You may also want to consider how you spend your, um, “financial energy.”

 Gemini:  The Twins

Venus’ movement into Leo on Thursday busies your social life.   The New Moon on Saturday spotlights the coming month’s focus on your schedule of regular meetings, communications and adventures.  There are changes due to unfold here, a reorganization of how you conduct yourself inspired by June’s eclipses.

Mercury’s movement into Virgo on Thursday sees you looking over your living space,  asking you to cock an eye at how well your foundation is supporting you.

Cancer:  The Crab

Venus’ movement into Leo will slather a little soothing ointment onto financial burns you may have incurred over recent months.  The New Moon in Leo on Saturday confirms this focus on the financial,  helping along the manifestation of the new professional opportunities that have been slowly emerging from latency this year.

Mercury’s movement into Virgo on Thursday sends out an uncertain call  for you to reassess of how you interact with casual acquaintances, as well as your siblings.  Be thoughtful about your words this week, as miscommunications will be easy.

Leo:  The Lion

Venus’ movement into your sign this Thursday will energize you emotionally, stimulating your passions.  The New Moon in your sign on Saturday recenters you firmly in the heart of the fusion reaction you are,  seeding a month of changes to the way you see yourself.

Mercury’s entry into Virgo queries  your cash flow, dropping hints about coming changes coming over the next month.  You may need to adjust your streams of income and outcome as you work your way through personal changes.

Virgo:  The Virgin

Venus’ movement into Leo on Thursday brings the passions to bear on questions of self assertion and confidence you’ve been thinking through.  The New Moon in Leo on Saturday buries the seeds of the coming month deeply in the same issues of identity and representation.

Mercury’s entry into Virgo on Thursday prompts you to reconsider the terms which you’ve used to define yourself.  There’s a whole lot of “who am I and why am I doing this” going around for you.  Work with the uncertainty.

Libra:  The Scales

Venus’ movement into Leo on Thursday heats up your social life, amping up your visibility a bit.  The New Moon in Leo on Saturday confirms this focus on your acquaintances, contacts and frenemies list.   You’ll likely spent considerable about of time thinking about you present yourself to the masses this month.

Mercury’s entrance into Virgo this Thursday sees a few forgotten details emerging, cast aside keys solving the life-direction issues that have been hovering over your shoulder.

Scorpio:  The Scorpion

Venus’ movement into Leo moves the spotlight toward professional relationships and rewards.  Saturday’s New Moon in Leo plants the seeds of the coming month firmly in the soil of your career, asking you to consider both how you see yourself professionally, as well as how others see you.

Mercury’s entrance into Virgo this Thursday may complicate your social life a bit problematizing plans and prompting you to rethink who’s on your friends list.  The coming month has much in store for you about who you are professionally, and how that person relates to people.

Sagittarius:  The Archer

Venus’ movement into Leo into Thursday highlights the pleasures of the road taken, as well as illuminating those unchosen.  This Saturday’s New Moon in Leo fixes your eyes on the path before you, challenging you to remake yourself in the crucible of the road you’re on.

Mercury’s entry into Virgo queries your professional situation, seeing you either swamped with problem solving or simply confused about your professional situation.  Be patient, the messy process of reconciling your personal and professional goals is soon to be underway.

Capricorn:  The Goat

Venus’ movement into Leo on Thursday brings the passions to bear on your arrangements with others, joyful about easy exchange and ferocious regarding unbalanced scales.   Saturday’s New Moon in Leo pins the coming month’s focus to the exchanges of time, money and energy in your life.

Mercury’s entry into Virgo this Thursday queries the direction you’re taking your life, your big picture.   You’ll need to reconcile a changing vision of your trajectory through the world with the resources you’ll need to get there.

Aquarius:  The Water Bearer

Venus’ movement into Leo shines a dramatic light on your significant relationships.  The New Moon in Leo on Saturday consolidates this spotlight on your important peoples, promising there’ll be much and more revealed about how you both embrace and alienate the people in your life.

Mercury’s entry into Virgo on Thursday queries the resources you share with the people.  Exchanges of money, time, energy and attention all begin to mutate as you start to rethink your alliances and responsibilities.

Pisces:  The Fish

Venus’ movement into Leo on Thursday brings a certain sunniness to your financial situation, soothing a fiscal rash or two.  The New Moon in Leo on Saturday fixes the next month’s spotlight squarely on working out details and making sure what needs done gets done.

Mercury’s entry into Virgo spotlights important communications.  Lost and or misinterpreted messages are likely- make sure say it nice and say it twice.

Portland and Seattle Lectures and Workshops

On my way to the great Northwest this September!  Events in Seattle the 16th-18th and in Portland the 23-25th of September.

Private Consultations

If you find yourself a little confused by the strange waters of the season, or interested in a personalized map of those yet to come, consider a consultation.  For details, click here.  Send inquiries to ac@austincoppock.com.