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The Myth And The Reality Of Mercury Retrograde

“I’m sorry for what I said when Mercury was in retrograde”

There are many myths about Mercury Retrograde:

  • “When retrograde, Mercury moves backward – so does my life”
  • “Mercury Retrograde makes me say the wrong things, makes my computer crash, and locks me out of my email”
  • “Don’t pay attention to what happens when Mercury is retrograde – wait until life gets back to normal”
  • “If you do something when Mercury is retrograde, you will regret it later”
  • “Don’t start anything new when Mercury is retrograde”

But is Mercury Retrograde really the root of all astrological evil? Should you never sign contracts, meet new people, go on a trip, or buy a new smartphone when Mercury is retrograde?

mercury-retrograde

Not really.

In fact, not only is Mercury Retrograde not as bad as its reputation, but Mercury Retrograde is, in fact, a great time to understand yourself and the world better, to make informed decisions, and to even start something new.

Let’s demonstrate this by debunking some common Mercury Retrograde myths.

Myth #1: When Retrograde, Mercury Moves Backward

Reality: Mercury only appears to move backward. Mercury only changes direction from our perspective, as seen from Earth. If we would look at Mercury from the cosmos, Mercury is still moving forward, circling around the Sun.

Yet, from here, we see it moving backward. This basically means that things are not what they seem when Mercury is retrograde. That is, from our perspective – as seen from the Earth. Seen with the Universe’s eyes, everything makes perfect sense.

Because things are not what they seem, that’s why astrologers advise not to make important decisions when Mercury is retrograde. Indeed, your perception of what’s really going on can be skewed.

But it’s one thing not to understand what’s going on – and another to put your life on hold because of that.

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If life brings you something when Mercury is retrograde, that’s because that thing requires your attention.

You can run, but you cannot hide from Mercury Retrograde. Best is to try to understand why things happen the way they happen when Mercury is retrograde, instead of building a wall around you.

Myth #2: Mercury Retrograde Brings Chaos In Communication, Makes Computers Crash, Makes You Sign The Wrong Contracts

Reality: When Mercury is retrograde, its speed is slower than usual. Mercury Retrograde takes its time. The reason Mercury Retrograde can bring chaos is that it points to those things that you may have overlooked while Mercury was direct.

And when we overlook something, of course, life feels like chaos. However, those overlooked elements are nevertheless important, otherwise Mercury Retrograde wouldn’t have brought them to your attention.

You may find yourself having to redo a lot of stuff when Mercury is retrograde, but that’s absolutely fine. Sometimes you need to take your time to understand what you’re doing, so you can do it right.

If anything, Mercury retrograde is the helping hand of the Universe that makes sure you stay on track and do the right thing.

When Mercury is direct and has a high speed, we tend to overlook some details. Mercury retrograde is nothing else but catching up with what we have missed, misunderstood or overlooked.

Mercury Retrograde does not create chaos, Mercury Retrograde clears up the chaos.

Myth #3: Don’t Pay Attention To What Happens When Mercury Is Retrograde. Wait Until Life Gets Back To Normal

Reality: When Mercury is retrograde, Mercury is at its closest to the Earth. This means we have ‘more’ Mercury energy than usual. If anything, now is the time to actually pay attention to Mercury, if you haven’t had time to catch up with Mercury when direct.

You absolutely have to pay attention to what happens in your life when Mercury is retrograde – otherwise, the chaos will only perpetrate when Mercury goes out of retrograde!

Myth #4: If You Do Something When Mercury Is Retrograde, You Will Regret It Later

Reality: If you do something when Mercury is retrograde – and chances are you will not lock yourself in a cave for the next 3 weeks – that thing may not turn out the way you expected, but it doesn’t mean it will turn out bad.

In fact, because Mercury is so close to the Earth when retrograde – and more powerful than ever – that thing will turn out exactly how it should turn out.

Whether or not we are happy with that, is a different story.

But in the big picture, whatever happens when Mercury is retrograde is exactly what should happen.

While you may regret what you did while Mercury is retrograde, your regret won’t last long. Rather sooner than later, you will realize that whatever happened while Mercury was retrograde served a higher good.

Myth #5 – Don’t Start Anything New When Mercury Is Retrograde

Reality: The short answer to this question is: don’t start something fundamentally new in the first 10-11 days of Mercury Retrograde. However, it’s absolutely fine (and even recommended) to start new things in the 2nd half of Mercury Retrograde.

From all myths, this one encounters the most resistance, because it absolutely goes against what we know about Mercury Retrograde. How is it possible to start something new when Mercury is retrograde?

But if we look at the actual Mercury cycle, then the statement makes absolute sense. Mercury has a 116-day synodic cycle. Every planet has sidereal and synodic cycles. For example, the Earth has a 365 cycle (this is what we call a year), and the Moon has a 29-day synodic cycle (this is what we call a month).

Mercury Retrograde is nothing else but a New Moon or a New Year – we could very well call it “New Mercury”.  

In the middle of Mercury Retrograde, Mercury is conjunct the Sun (as seen from the Earth), and a new Mercury cycle begins. When Mercury is conjunct the Sun (half-way through Mercury Retrograde) we have the “New Moon” phase of Mercury.

And just as we are advised to start something new at a New Moon – when a new Moon cycle starts – in the same way, starting something new when a new Mercury cycle starts, makes absolute sense. So yes, it is absolutely fine (and even recommended) to start something completely new in the 2nd half of Mercury retrograde (but not before).

The Current Mercury Retrograde

Mercury goes retrograde on November 17, 2018, at 13°Sagittarius and goes direct on December 5th, 2018 at 27° Scorpio.

Mercury goes retrograde through the first half of Sagittarius. You may know already that on November 8th, 2018 Jupiter entered Sagittarius (its home sign) for a 13-months stay. Just like a brush, Mercury retrograde clears the path for Jupiter in Sagittarius.

Mercury and Jupiter have a very interesting relationship. Both Mercury and Jupiter and concerned with the mind. It is said that Mercury rules the ‘lower mind’, while Jupiter rules the ‘higher mind’.

There’s nothing inferior about the ‘lower mind’. The lower mind is the mind we are most accustomed with: it is the mind of our physical soul: what we see, how we make sense of the world, how we speak, how we listen, how we communicate. The lower mind comprises the five senses and it’s very concrete. The lower mind believes in what it can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

The higher mind (ruled by Jupiter) is our 6th sense, our ‘intuition’. When we put all the information we gather with our lower mind together, a bigger picture emerges. This is our higher, Jupiterian mind.

If Mercury is the pieces of the puzzle, Jupiter is the puzzle. We need both the lower mind and the higher mind, we need both Mercury and Jupiter in our lives.

But what does it mean that Mercury goes retrograde in the sign of Jupiter? It means that we need to clear the paths of our lower mind, so that in the coming year – when Jupiter travels through Sagittarius – the higher mind can connect the dots and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Whatever it is that keeps your lower mind stuck in old patterns of behaviors, needs to be fixed now. Now is the time to clean your mind of any outdated beliefs, negative thoughts, compulsive behaviors, preconceptions, and prejudices.

Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius will help you do just that!

Mercury Retrograde Square Neptune

Mercury starts its retrograde with a square to Neptune. This can be a confusing aspect  – you may know that Neptune is the planet of illusions.

But Neptune is much more than illusions. Neptune dissolves everything it touches. And right now, Neptune ‘dissolves’ Mercury. Before you think this is bad news, reflect upon this: Neptune only dissolves what you believe to be the truth. And yes, seeing your ‘truth’ dissolved can be discomforting.

In fact, there’s nothing wrong with our old ways of being. What it’s wrong, is getting stuck in old ways of being.

You have outgrown them. You are not the person you were yesterday. Take this opportunity to ‘dissolve’ outdated thoughts, ingrained judgments, unhealthy behaviors, resentments, half-truths, fears, or limiting beliefs. It’s time for a change. It’s time to do something different.

Neptune will show you there is another way – a better way – but you need to be willing to let go of old ways of being, thinking and doing.

Read more about how to make the best out of Mercury Retrograde here: How Not Only to Survive, But to Thrive During the Next 3 Weeks of Mercury Retrograde

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New Moon In Scorpio – The Only Constant Is Change

With so many monumental transits happening from November 6 to November 8, the New Moon in Scorpio on November 7 becomes one of the most important New Moons of the year.

Perhaps THE most important New Moon of the year. Some massive chapters in your life are coming to an end, and some massive new chapters are about to begin.

new-moon-in-scorpio

The New Moon comes with BIG planetary shifts:

That’s a lot of change, isn’t it? Scorpio is a fixed sign, and fixed signs are not that fond of change. Yet, Scorpio is emotionally resilient. Right now, it’s nothing that you cannot handle.

Let There Be Healing

At the time of the New Moon, Jupiter is at 29°’49’ Scorpio. It’s been a long, tumultuous journey of healing with Jupiter in Scorpio. Jupiter in Scorpio exposed corruption and abuse of power. After Jupiter in Scorpio, the world will never be the same again.

And how does Jupiter end his transit in Scorpio? With a wonderful Grand Water Trine with North Node in Cancer and Chiron in Pisces. I cannot think of a more glorious note to end Jupiter’s transit in Scorpio. The grand trine is all about healing.

Yes, it’s been difficult. But now the work is done. We are ready to move on. Jupiter is now ready for the adventure of a lifetime. On November 8th Jupiter moves into Sagittarius, his home sign, and you too are ready for a new story.

The New Moon is at 15° Scorpio. 15° of a fixed sign is the midpoint between a solstice and an equinox. You are now at a crossroad, and it’s time to make a commitment. Do you want to keep going or do you give up?

“It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, but the one most responsive to change” – C. Darwin

Higher Forces At Play

If this New Moon feels like trouble, fear not. The New Moon in Scorpio makes two beautiful aspects with other planets: a sextile to Pluto (the New Moon ruler) and a trine to Neptune. These are positive, supporting aspects.

Neptune and Pluto are the farthest planets in our solar system. The farther a planet, the stronger the pull of fate, and the greater the potential for transcendence.  

Right now, there are higher forces at play. This is a Divine intervention of the highest order. Accept this helping hand, and then move onto the next chapter of your life.

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North Node In Cancer 2018-2020: How It Will Affect You

Karma is calling! That’s because the Lunar Nodes switched signs, more exactly the North Node moved into Cancer, and the South Node moved into Capricorn. The lunar nodes will stay in Cancer and Capricorn for 18 months, until May 5, 2020.

What The Nodes Are All About, And Why They Are Important

The Nodes always move backward – in fact, they are the only ‘planets’ that move backward. A good way to think about them is to think about a retrograde planet, with the distinction that a planet goes retrograde only a fraction of the time, while the Nodes are always retrograde.

the-Moons-Nodes

That’s why the Lunar Nodes are associated with past lives and karma (the backward movement symbolizes going back in time).

But that’s not the only reason. The Nodes are where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the apparent path the Sun makes around the earth. The Nodes thus where the divine design (the Sun) and material reality (Moon) meet.

The Lunar Nodes create the eclipses. We have two eclipse seasons every year and that’s when the world goes crazy. This is when events tend to happen on a large scale: kings and queens are born (or die), scientific breakthroughs or discoveries are made (or great natural disasters occur), wars end (or start).

Eclipses are ‘regulating’ our collective karma. Eclipses also ‘regulate’ our individual karma, especially when they align with sensitive points in our charts. This is when people like you and me have a strong pull to take action, to make a decision, to sort themselves out.

Year after year, with mathematical precision, at the eclipse season I get 5 times more messages than in any other time of the year. Why? Because people feel in their soul the call of destiny. And astrology speaks the language of the destiny, that’s why people feel drawn to it more than ever.

North Node vs. South Node

We have two lunar nodes, the North Node, and the South Node. Although both nodes are connected to karma, it is only the South Node that is connected to past lives and past karma.

North-node-cancer

The North Node instead is connected to our future karma and with the possibility for us to alter our karma. The North Node is our possibility to change the script of our destiny.

Why is the South Node connected to past karma? The South Node is also called the Descending Node because it is literally descending, going down. The South Node represents our unresolved karma, what we need to ‘sort out’ in this lifetime.

The South Node represents chances you haven’t taken, the opportunities you’ve missed, things you haven’t quite manifested in your past lives.

Let’s say you were a talented dancer in a past life. If you haven’t engaged with this talent, this talent will get passed on to your next lifetime, so that this time you will make good use of it. That’s why you were born with it in this lifetime. To finally make it work, to manifest it. 

The question is, how to make it work? The answer is, through the North Node.

The North Node is the opposite of the South Node. If the South Node is familiar, the North Node is completely unfamiliar. The North Node is a skill you don’t master, that thing you stumble upon. Yet, your North Node is exactly what you need to master.

When you focus on the North Node, everything flows in perfect alignment with the universe. If I have to choose only one advice to give to my clients and students, that would be to focus on their North Node.

When people focus on their North Node, all their problems get solved. It’s as simple as that, yet it may not be that easy to follow this North Node, because at least at the beginning, you don’t know where you should start from.

But that’s what astrology is for, to show you something that you wouldn’t know otherwise.

Does that mean we should dismiss the South Node and completely focus on the North Node? No, not at all. Your South Node is, in fact, a gift. But it is a stagnant gift, a gift that needs to be taken in a different direction.

That direction is the North Node. The South Node gift becomes a problem when we get stuck in it and refuse to change. When we do the same things over and over again. The solution to the South Node problem is always the North Node.

The paradox is that once you solved the South Node problem with the North Node, the outcome is not the North Node, but the South Node. The South Node is the ripening karma, for good and for bad.

The Lunar Nodes equation:

Problem (South Node) → Solution (North Node) → Outcome (South Node)

Cancer and Capricorn – The Mother and the Father

Now that the North Node moves into Cancer and the South Node moves into Capricorn, you may wonder what it means. In traditional astrology, Cancer (and the ruling planet, the Moon) is the mother, and Capricorn (or the ruling planet, Saturn) is the father.

But it’s much more to these symbols.

Cancer is what makes us feel nurtured, safe, and protected (just like our mother’s womb fed and protected us). Cancer comes from Latin “crab” and the crab is protected by its shell. In the same way, Cancer represents our need to feel safe, to have a home.

north-node-cancer-south-node-capricorn

Capricorn is the highest point in our chart, where the Sun shines at its brightest, and represents what we aim for. The highest point in a chart is also the point of greatest visibility, so Capricorn is also where we feel exposed. In the past, the women stayed in the cave to protect the weak (Cancer) while men went outside, got exposed, and fought against nature for survival. Capricorn rules hierarchies.

Both Cancer and Capricorn are about survival, but while Cancer meets this need in the inside, by creating a safe ‘home’ and inner resilience, Capricorn meets this need on the outside, by gaining status, respect, and by playing an important role in the hierarchy. The most primal needs of people are the needs of security (Cancer) and status (Capricorn).

What Does It Mean To Have North Node in Cancer And South Node in Capricorn?

As we said, the ‘problem’ is the South Node. A South Node in Capricorn is all about fighting to fit in, to gain status, to climb hierarchies, to meet goals, to have a career. But this comes at a price. When you put all your energy in the outside yourself, you neglect the inner world.

It is important to realize you cannot only work, work, work, work, work. The mountain goat might reach the top of the mountain, but it’s pretty lonely up there. When you’re always focusing on the next goal, on the next achievement, you forget who you are.

The solution? North Node in Cancer, i.e. building a strong inner foundation, nurturing yourself, doing what’s safe and comfortable.

The outcome? South Node in Capricorn, i.e. true progress, true achievements that come from a space of comfort and self-confidence. When you really know who you are, when you’re strong on the inside (North Node in Cancer) there is nothing that you can’t achieve (South Node in Capricorn).  

Example: if you don’t get the promotion you are hoping for, the solution is not working harder. The solution is taking a holiday. Spending time with your family. Taking care of yourself. And the paradox is that when you do that, the promotion (or another achievement that is more aligned with who you are) always comes.

North Node In Cancer And South Node In Capricorn Key Dates

  • South Node conjunct Pluto (April 2019)
  • South Node conjunct Saturn (May-October 2019)
  • South Node conjunct Jupiter (January 2020)
  • North Node and South Node square Chiron (March 2020)

The North Node in Cancer and the South Node in Capricorn will bring us the following eclipses:

  • Solar Eclipse in Capricorn (South Node Eclipse) on January 5th, 2019 at 15° Capricorn
  • Solar Eclipse in Cancer (North Node Eclipse) on July 2nd, 2019 at 10° Cancer
  • Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn (South Node Eclipse) on July 16th, 2019 at 24° Capricorn
  • Solar Eclipse in Capricorn (South Node Eclipse) on December 25th, 2019 at 4° Capricorn
  • Lunar Eclipse in Cancer (North Node Eclipse) on January 10th, 2020 at 19° Cancer
  • Solar Eclipse in Cancer (North Node Eclipse) on June 20th, 2020 at 0° Cancer
  • Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn (South Node Eclipse) on July 4th, 2020 at 13° Capricorn

If your birthday is around one of these dates or if you have personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, MC, IC) around the degrees of the eclipse, you will be especially affected by North Node in Cancer and South Node in Capricorn in 2018-2020.

The Nodes come back in the same place every 18 years. The last times we had the Nodes in Cancer-Capricorn was:

  • April 10, 2000 – October 31, 2001
  • September 25, 1981 – March 16, 1983
  • December 24, 1962 – August 25, 1964.

What happened in your life back then?

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Jupiter In Sagittarius – Believe

Jupiter – Growth, Abundance, Good Luck And Fortune

If you feel your life is lacking meaning and purpose, Jupiter in Sagittarius is the transit you were waiting for.

Jupiter’s ingress into Sagittarius on November 8th, 2018 is indeed one of the best news of the year. This is because Jupiter is the ruling sign of Sagittarius, so he feels ‘at home’ in this sign.

And when the King of Gods feels good, we all feel good. Jupiter is the planet of faith, optimism, belief, abundance, luck, and generosity. Also called “the great benefic”, Jupiter is the most auspicious planet in astrology.

Jupiter is by far the largest planet in our solar system so it makes sense it’s all about growth and abundance. With Jupiter on your side, anything is possible. Really!

jupiter-in-sagittarius

It is not that good luck and fortune fall from the sky but Jupiter that helps you see opportunities you would otherwise not see.

Jupiter doesn’t bring luck per se, what Jupiter does is make you believe that anything is possible. And when you believe anything is possible you have much better chances to ‘get lucky’. Luck is our positive attitude that keeps us open to new opportunities or sees patterns in apparent random acts of chance. Don’t believe me? It’s proven by science, too.

Jupiter is linked to religion because Jupiter seeks a higher order. Monotheistic religions are especially connected to Jupiter because their underlying assumption is that there is one overall law that governs everything. In Mythology, Jupiter or Zeus was the king of all gods.

Jupiter represents the principle of growth and expansion. He’s a giant gas bubble after all – the largest planet of our solar system.  

Jupiter – The Big Picture

Jupiter is the opposite of Mercury. While Jupiter is at home in Sagittarius and Mercury is at home in Gemini, conversely, Jupiter doesn’t feel that good in Gemini, and Mercury doesn’t feel that good in Sagittarius.

In astrological terms, we say Mercury is in detriment in Sagittarius, and Jupiter is in detriment in Gemini. The reason for this is because Mercury and Jupiter have completely different approaches.

Mercury is associated with the lower, rational mind and Jupiter is associated with the higher, spiritual mind. Mercury is the ‘show me the data’ planet – and only believes in what it can see.

Jupiter believes in something that cannot be seen – the unseen laws the govern life. Mercury is about the details, Jupiter is about the big picture.

Let’s take another example. Mercury rules short trips. Trips to work, to the supermarket or to your parent’s house. Mercury trips are the trips you take in your everyday life.

Jupiter, however, rules long journeys, journeys to another state or another country, journeys that enlarge your perspective.

A Different Outlook On Life

If Mercury trips are about operating in your world and getting things done, Jupiter trips are about expanding your world so you get a higher perspective and a different outlook.

These journeys – literal journey or journeys with the mind – are about learning something that you otherwise wouldn’t have known.

People who live abroad for one year or more report that their outlook on life has completely changed. Living abroad is much more than being on a different geographical location.

We learn to adapt to a different value system, to different customs, we are subject to different laws. It is something about being exposed to a different world that completely changes the way we relate to our everyday reality.

Upon experiencing Jupiter, you are not the same person you were yesterday.

Mercury and Gemini rule primary education when we learn how to read, write, compute and operate into the world.

Learning a new skill – for example learning how to use Excel or learning how to use a mobile app – it’s also Mercury because learning is concerned with a distinct skill that leads to a specific outcome.

On the other hand, Jupiter rules higher education, theoretical education, when we put different concepts together and we reach a higher understanding.

2019 – A Year For Jupiter

If Jupiter is the “12 rules of life”, Mercury is how we actually make use of these rules in our everyday life.

We need both Mercury and Jupiter in our lives. When Mercury transits its favorite sings (Gemini and Virgo) we get the best of Mercury. This happens for a few weeks and sometimes up to two months every year.

But it is something truly special when we have Jupiter in Sagittarius. This happens only 1 year in 12 so the upcoming year is THE time to get the best out of Jupiter. This is your time to focus on Jupiter, to embody Jupiter, to make the best out of Jupiter.  

2019 is the year to focus on the big picture. To set high goals. To go for higher education. To take a spiritual path. To become a teacher. To find a teacher. To travel. To go for new experiences. To go on a vision quest.

Sagittarius – The Place To Be For Jupiter

Now let’s take a look at Sagittarius, to understand why Jupiter feels so good in this sign.

Sagittarius is a fire, mutable sign.

Gemini, Virgo, Pisces, and Sagittarius are mutable signs, meaning they have the ability to change from one state of being to another. Sagittarius seizes opportunities before they arise and completes things before they become obsolete.  

Sagittarius is a fire sign. Fire in astrology is associated with our spiritual body (earth is associated with our physical body, air with our mental body, and water with our emotional body). So fire = spirit. That’s why fire signs act on instinct and have a developed intuition. They have a direct connection with their spiritual body.

We have three fire signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. If Aries is the spark of life, if Leo is the fire of creation, Sagittarius is the eternal flame – the ongoing mystery of life that keeps the spirit not only alive, but growing and evolving.

To recap: Jupiter is growth, opportunities, the big picture, beliefs, faith, commitment to a cause. Sagittarius is the ever changing, ever evolving flame of spirit.

Jupiter in Sagittarius is the fire that grows, expands, and changes shape. It’s not a literal fire. Is the spiritual fire of transmutation which purifies us. It is the spiritual fire of love and truth.

In the upcoming year, we will seek to find a higher, spiritual meaning to our existence.

Jupiter In Sagittarius Key Dates

Jupiter enters Sagittarius on November 8th, 2018 and leaves Sagittarius on December 2nd, 2019. When in its own sign, Jupiter stays a bit longer (13 months) than it does in other signs.

Every year, Jupiter is retrograde for about 4 months or ⅓ of the time. Jupiter goes retrograde on April 11, 2019, at 24° Sagittarius and goes direct on August 12, 2019, at 14° Sagittarius.

If you have planets within 14°-24° Sagittarius you will feel this transit more intensely, because Jupiter will cross over these planets or angles three times (instead of only once).

The most important transit Jupiter makes while in Sagittarius is a square to Neptune in Pisces. Apart from this square, Jupiter doesn’t make notable transits with any other planets.

These are the dates for the three Jupiter-Neptune squares:

  • January 13, 2019, at 14° Sagittarius / Pisces; Jupiter and Neptune are both direct
  • June 15, 2019, at 18° Sagittarius / Pisces; Jupiter is retrograde and Neptune is stationary retrograde
  • September 21, 2019, at 17° Sagittarius / Pisces; Jupiter is direct and Neptune is retrograde

Jupiter comes back in the same sign every 12 years, so if you are 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and so on you have your Jupiter return. And that’s great news – Jupiter return is one of the most sought-after transits because it always comes with opportunities.

Sometimes, the opportunities are not so obvious. If you’ve been drifting on a path that is not aligned with your spiritual purpose, Jupiter will correct that. But in hindsight, Jupiter returns are always beneficial.

Previous times Jupiter was in Sagittarius were November 2006 – December 2007; December 1994 – January 1996; December 1982 – January 1984. What was going on in your life back then?

Jupiter In Sagittarius – Believe

Jupiter in Sagittarius is all about believing. Why believing becomes so much more important when Jupiter is at home, in Sagittarius?

To believe means to accept that is something is true, especially without proof.

It’s easy to believe when things go as planned. When you have proofs. It’s easy to believe when you see signs everywhere that you’re doing the right thing, when the Universe says YES, when, every step you take, you find evidence that you are on the right path.

But that’s the trick. Even skeptic Saturn ‘believes’ when there is evidence. But belief and faith are not about believing when there is actual evidence to prove your belief.

Belief is when you accept something as true wholeheartedly. Belief is the absence of doubt. You believe in your mission even when there is no evidence you are on the right track – when there is no proof of success. When you lack evidence, when you lack proof – this is, in fact, THE most important time when you need to keep the faith.

Is your commitment strong enough? Are your beliefs true? If the answer is no, you may want to question your beliefs, or even better, your commitment to your beliefs.

Believe It Anyway

You want to find a job but no employer calls you? You believe you will eventually get a job anyway. Doesn’t matter if you actually see any evidence. You keep on believing.

What about if you want to have children but you’re single for like 7 years? All you need to do is keep on believing that you will eventually have a family.

You want to earn 50K this year, it’s November and you’ve only made about half? You believe you will reach your goal anyway.

It is your commitment to your belief that will help you stick to your vision, no matter what. It’s your commitment that will help you seize the opportunity when it will eventually arise.

Now I’m not suggesting you should always embrace this attitude. We all have Saturn in our chart (and Saturn likes to work hard and to be ‘realistic’). We all have Pluto in our chart (and Pluto shows us that no matter how much we want something, there are things we can never get).

But Jupiter is about believing. And Jupiter is now in Sagittarius, working at its best, shooting the best arrows. Jupiter in Sagittarius will teach you how to BELIEVE. Jupiter will show you how to stick to your vision, no matter what.

Belief Vs. Hope

Now, there is a difference between belief and hope. When you hope that something will happen, you are not taking action, you’re not taking full responsibility for the outcome.

Belief is a certainty. You ‘know’ that something will happen, you know you will be able to see the signs and recognize the patterns. Belief is an inner knowing that you will just ‘know’ what to do when the window of opportunity will open.

When you believe, you take full responsibility for the outcome. You co-create with the universe. You become Jupiter, the Almighty. Believing means commitment. Belief cannot exist without a 100% commitment.

Jupiter In Sagittarius Square Neptune In Pisces

However, during his transit in Sagittarius, Jupiter will square Neptune. And with Neptune in Pisces, we have to be careful of false beliefs, or wishful thinking. Wishful thinking is ‘hoping’ that something good will happen. With Neptune, it’s easy to drift into a ‘no action’ state where imagination becomes more important than reality.

Neptune is also the planet of higher love and transcendence.

Although the Jupiter-Neptune square can lead to a spiritual crisis, the square will also help you arrive at better terms with what belief, faith, and spirituality really mean to you.

Neptune will firstly ‘dissolve’ your beliefs so you can find a higher meaning, a higher order, a higher purpose for your life.

Do you pray when you need something, or do you pray to express your love and admiration?

Do you believe in something because it puts your soul on fire, or because it’s part of your tradition? Because this is how it has always been?

Jupiter in Sagittarius square Neptune will challenge all the beliefs that are egotistical, dogmatic and outdated. In the coming year, you can find better beliefs, ones that reflect the truth of who you are, or you can find better reasons to believe in what you already believe.

Our goal as a collective is to replace blind faith (the negative manifestation of Jupiter in Sagittarius square Neptune) with faith on purpose (the higher manifestation of Jupiter in Sagittarius square Neptune).

Jupiter is Sagittarius will strip us of false dogma so that we can find out what truly matters.

Jupiter in Sagittarius is your call to say YES to the Belief Train. To commit to your goals. To go on a vision quest. To find a higher meaning to your existence. To believe in what matters.

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Astrology Of November 2018 – Jupiter In Sagittarius, North Node In Cancer

Astrology November 2018

The Astrology of November 2018 comes with two big events: Jupiter leaves Scorpio and moves into Sagittarius, and the Lunar Nodes leave Leo and Aquarius and move into Cancer and Capricorn.

Jupiter is the only planet that changes signs once a year, so it sets the tone for that year. The Nodes only change signs every 18 months, and they too bring a big shift.

If that was not enough change for you, in November Uranus also changes signs, moving back into Aries to finish what he has started.

Basically, 4 important planets change signs in November: Jupiter, North Node, South Node, and Uranus. What does that mean? Lots of changes in your life. Some things that kept you busy in the last year will finally come to a resolution or start to lose their importance. On the other hand, other areas of your life will come into focus.

Venus finally goes direct which is great, but one day later Mercury goes retrograde. After Venus retrograde in Scorpio shred your heart into pieces and then put it back together into a more authentic whole, there are still things to reflect upon.

And that’s what Mercury retrograde is here for: to help you make sense of these lessons and integrate them into your life.

All in all, November is an upbeat, progressive month which can bring you lots of opportunities.

Let’s have a look at the most important events of November 2018:

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November 6th, 2018 – North Node In Cancer, South Node In Capricorn

On November 6th, 2018 we have the first big event of November 2018, the Lunar Nodes changing signs.

Because the Nodes always come in pairs, when one Node changes signs, the other does also. Unlike other planets, the Nodes move backward in the zodiac (that’s why they are connected to karma and past lives). This means the North Node will move from Leo into Cancer, and the South Node will move from Aquarius into Capricorn.

The Nodes of the Moon represent the karma of the present times and bring with them the eclipses. Of course, if you have personal planets or angles in Cancer and Capricorn this collective karma will become your karma, too.

The South Node is the karma itself, the outcome of what we’ve done in the past, and the North Node is our opportunity to change our karma.

Cancer represents our home, our roots, our traditions, what makes us feel safe and nurtured. Cancer is a symbol for the mother or the nurturer. Capricorn represents the society, what we aspire towards, our career, our status, our reputation. Capricorn is a symbol for the father or the authority.

Because the South Node of the past is in Capricorn, and the North Node of free will is in Cancer, our lesson is to fix our Capricorn-related karma (authority, career, ambition, reputation, and status) through the energy of Cancer (comfort, security, building a ‘home’ whatever that means for us).

Our collective lesson for the coming 18 months is to find a better work-life balance.

November 7th, 2018 – New Moon In Scorpio

On November 7th, 2018 we have a New Moon at 15° Scorpio. The New Moon is trine Neptune. There are a lot of shifts and new beginnings connected to this New Moon. We have the Nodal shift, Uranus moves back into Aries, and Jupiter enters Sagittarius – all happening just before or just after the New Moon.

Before moving back into Aries, Uranus squares the Nodes, showing you how you are (or aren’t) in alignment with your destiny. Uranus is the bolt of lightning that has the ability to reveal something that you cannot see otherwise.

The New Moon can come with a revelation. You may decide that your life as it is no longer reflects the person you’ve become, and as a result, you will want to make some big changes.

Basically, four sectors of your life will shift. 7th of November / the New Moon in Scorpio becomes one of the most important days of the year. You are especially ‘on the radar’ if you have planets or angles around 15° in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius).

November 8th, 2018 – Jupiter Enters Sagittarius

On November 8th, 2018 Jupiter enters Sagittarius. Jupiter in Scorpio was an emotionally intense transit. Scorpio is the sign of the Underworld, so Jupiter had quite a bit of work to do out there, digging into all the hidden corners, exposing all the dirt.

But now the hard work is done. He’s been enriched by the experience. Jupiter in Scorpio ends on a glorious, healing note, with a grand water trine with Chiron (29° Pisces) and the North Node (29° Cancer).  Now that you’ve integrated your shadow, now that you’ve healed your soul, what will you do next?

Jupiter in Sagittarius is the light at the end of the tunnel. Sagittarius is the spark of hope that always comes after we have done the heavy inner work.

Jupiter is the natural ruler of Sagittarius so when Jupiter returns ‘home’ after an 11-year pilgrimage, a new 12-year cycle begins.

Pay attention to the house in your natal chart where Sagittarius resides. That area of your life will experience a huge boost, an important new beginning.  

November 9th, 2018 – Venus Is Trine Mars

On November 9th, 2018 Venus (at 26° Libra) is trine Mars in Aquarius. Venus is still retrograde but the trine to Mars means she is finally ‘moving forward’. Venus started her retrograde journey squaring Mars, and now, that she is preparing to turn direct, she trines Mars.

The tension of the square is finally integrated. The YIN side of your psyche (Venus) is finally in harmony with the YANG part of your psyche (Mars).

November 15th, 2018 – Mars Enters Pisces

On November 15th, 2018 Mars enters Pisces. Mars is the planet of war, action, of how we assert ourselves. Pisces is the sign of spirituality and surrender. In Pisces, Mars is the archetype of the spiritual warrior.

He still fights, but from a place of love. Mars’ transit into Pisces is a good time to ask yourself: “Are my actions coming from a place of love and compassion?”. “How can I assert myself and still serve the higher good?”

November 16th, 2018 – Venus Goes Direct

On November 16th, 2018 Venus finally goes direct at 25° Libra. This Venus Retrograde has been one the most consuming transits of the year. It was not easy. Uranus shook your core values.

But the storm is finally over. By now, you found the answers your heart was seeking. You made the changes. Your heart has been reborn. You are now ready to start again.

November 17th, 2018 – Mercury Goes Retrograde

Don’t start cheering quite yet. Just one day after Venus goes direct, on November 17th, 2018 Mercury goes retrograde at 13° Sagittarius. If Venus retrograde was all about processing your feelings, Mercury retrograde will help you process your thoughts.

And the truth is, our feelings and our thoughts are more related than you may think. Our perceptions lead to thoughts which lead to feelings which lead to behaviors. If you become aware of the relationship between your thoughts and your feelings, you learn how to ‘re-engineer’ your thoughts so you can change your feelings. And the other way around.   

November 22nd, 2018 – Sun Enters Sagittarius

On November 22nd, 2018 Sun enters Sagittarius. We’ve got so used with the heavy emotional Scorpio energy that we have forgotten how life is out of the Underworld. Jupiter has been in Scorpio for one year, and in the last two months, Venus, Sun, Mercury and the Moon have been there, too.

Now is time to move on. Sagittarius is the time to look for a spiritual meaning for our existence. Sagittarius is the sign of the teacher and the philosopher. Now is time to open up and spread the knowledge you’ve gained through your experience from Aries to Scorpio. This is the time to dream big and set high goals. 

November 23rd, 2018 – Full Moon In Gemini

On November 23rd, 2018 we have a Full Moon at 0° Gemini. The full Moon is opposite Jupiter and square Mars. The ruler of the Full Moon, Mercury, is now retrograde in Sagittarius.

Mercury will make you question what you believe to be Truth (Sagittarius), pushing you to take action (Mars) and check whether this Truth is still valid (Gemini).

0° of any sign is the most powerful degree because it is where it all starts. Gemini is a curious energy, is how we experience the world with a beginner’s mind (as opposed to taking the known route).

The message? If the direction you’re heading towards doesn’t lead anywhere, take another route. What is nature telling you? Pay attention. Listen. Check the facts and adjust.

November 25th, 2018 – Neptune Goes Direct

On November 25th, 2018 Neptune goes direct at 13° Pisces. Neptune is the planet of dreams, perfection and higher love. Neptune is the lost paradise we all long for, but we cannot find within the material limitations of our existence.

When Neptune is retrograde we seek refuge from the bad world outside, and we retreat within ourselves.

When Neptune goes direct, we are no longer satisfied with the inside perspective. Yes, it is great to be the queen in your castle, but at some point, you get bored or even alienated within your own little world.

Neptune direct will give us the drive to seek the paradise outside ourselves. Paradise is a state of being. Neptune direct will ask you to acknowledge the miracle of your existence. Paradise can well be a place on Earth.

November 26-27th – Sun Conjunct Mercury Conjunct Jupiter

On November 26-27th, 2018 Sun is conjunct Mercury and Jupiter at 3-4° Sagittarius, bringing a lot of optimism and opportunities for growth. If you haven’t found it yet, find something to believe in.

When you find something you truly believe in, you’ll naturally find a way to make it happen. You’ve probably heard this hundred of times, and the message has lost its meaning. Yet the message is more relevant than ever.

The only reason you don’t achieve what you are capable of is that 1) you haven’t figured out your big why, your reason 2) you have found it, but you don’t believe it’s possible to achieve it.

That’s why from time to time the sky magically aligns to help you on your journey. When three ‘good guy’ planets align in Sagittarius, the sign of optimism and adventure, there are no more excuses.

Now is the time to start that big project, to take that opportunity, to go BIG. Sun, Mercury and Jupiter are here to tell you that anything is possible, as long as you believe. What are you waiting for?

November 30th, 2018 – Venus Opposite Uranus

On November 30th, 2018 we have the final Venus-Uranus opposition. Venus is now at 29° Libra and Uranus at 29° Aries. It’s been a long ride. It all started on September 12th, when we had the first Venus-Uranus opposition.  

But you made it. Today is the final BANG. The outcome of Venus retrograde. The overlooked element of Uranus in Aries. What needs to happen will happen.

What aspect (or aspects) are you looking forward to in November, and why?

 

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Full Moon In Taurus – Out Of The Cage

Full Moon In Taurus Conjunct Uranus – Something Has To Change

The Full Moon in Taurus on October 24 will feel like escaping from the matrix. This is the moment of truth your soul has been waiting for.

You may wonder how is it possible to have such an out of the ordinary experience with a Full Moon in Taurus. After all, Taurus is the most stable sign of the zodiac. Taurus is a Fixed sign that resists change.

Taurus is also an Earth sign, as steady and immobile as the earth. The combination of Fixed and Earth energy makes Taurus the most stable, steady and unchangeable energy of the zodiac.

But the twist is the conjunction with Uranus. This is a very tight conjunction, the Full Moon is at 1°13’ Taurus and Uranus is at 0°32’ Taurus. That’s only 0°41’ difference!

Basically, the Full Moon in Taurus is exactly conjunct Uranus, the great awakener, the great disruptor. Uranus is the planet of change, revolution, and liberation. Uranus is the bolt of lightning in the dark that brings illumination. Something has to change. And that thing that has to change is exactly that thing you believed to be immune to change.

The Sabian symbol of the Full Moon, “An electrical storm”, couldn’t have been more appropriate. The electrical storm is Uranus, a symbol for the cosmic power able to transform the natural law, opening it up to celestial opportunities.

Imagine a cow peacefully grazing on a meadow. Suddenly a storm breaks. The sky is falling. That’s Uranus. Suddenly, she sees that there is more to life than the meadow. Her world will never be the same again. Uranus conjunct the Moon will awaken that part of us we thought was inert, immovable and unchangeable.

We are naturally wired to avoid change, to believe it is bad for us. But the truth is that in the higher laws of the Universe, whatever happens, however disruptive, it serves our higher good.

Depending on how open you are to change, you can experience Uranus as a negative, unexpected event that turns your life upside down, or as an enlightening positive event, that lifts the veil of illusion and opens up new possibilities.

Full Moon In Taurus – Out Of The Cage

There is another image that comes to mind for this Full Moon in Taurus. The bird escaping from her cage.

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The bird lived most of her life in a safe cage. She didn’t know any different. One day she finally notices the cage door. It was open all this time.

This doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have spent half of her life inside the cage.

Maybe living in a cage served her goals well. Maybe she was not ready for the world outside.

Yet, there comes a time when awakening is inevitable. We cannot keep our eyes shut any longer. We are ready to move on. And we do.

Something that otherwise couldn’t be seen, will finally become clear to you under the shiny beams of the Full Moon. The breakthrough doesn’t have to invalidate your previous existence. You did nothing wrong. There’s nothing wrong with you. Yet, you are now ready to become someone else.

Resisting this natural pull towards change will only make the transition to the next version of yourself more difficult. Uranus is the light of consciousness, the divine insight that cannot be ignored.

A Resolution To Venus Retrograde

The experience will be even more dramatic considering the Full Moon opposes her own ruler, Venus (now retrograde in Scorpio and in her last days of the Aries cycle) AND is square the Nodes of Karma.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment that will help you break through layers and layers of conditioning and help you change at a deep level.

There is no coincidence that the Full Moon takes place exactly when a 19-month Venus cycle is coming to an end. One and a half days after the Full Moon, Venus starts a new 19-month cycle around the Sun.

We need something as powerful as a Full Moon, as powerful as Uranus, as powerful as a square to the Nodes to break out of the status quo. Sometimes, all the needed elements align in a powerful way to make change possible. This is one of those moments.

The Full Moon in Taurus is in a way all about Venus retrograde. Venus turned retrograde on October 5 and has been dancing with Uranus and with the Nodes ever since. But it’s not until now, when we have the Full Moon in Taurus, that all the pieces of the puzzle finally come together.

The meaning of Venus retrograde will finally be revealed to you. If you’ve been feeling confused, overwhelmed and shattered in the last three weeks, now you will finally understand WHY.

In the myth of Inanna’s descent into the Underworld, this is the moment when Inanna is struck dead by her alter-ego Ereshkigal, a symbol of her unintegrated shadow. In the same way, Uranus will strike us with its light.

A shadow is nothing else but the light we cannot see.

Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin. It is when you finally bring the two together that you can transform your life in a deep, authentic way. And this is what the Full Moon in Taurus will help you with.

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Venus Retrograde Stories

Some of the most beautiful stories I’ve witnessed when working with people have been Venus Retrograde stories. There’s something magical about the depth of the reflection, about the raw honesty and the vulnerability that Venus retrograde awakens, that brings the best out of people.

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What’s fascinating about these stories is that people always end up doing something completely counterintuitive… there is always a twist that develops in these stories, as you will soon read.

Venus retrograde brings to the surface all of our repressed feelings and emotions.

Venus Retrograde In The News

If you’ve been watching the news you’ve probably seen already lots of things coming up. I usually look in the news to see what topics are trending on the day a planet goes retrograde.

Just before Venus went retrograde, Lady Gaga was invited to the Stephen Colbert show, where she spoke about trauma and abuse. That night, Venus retrograde was conjunct Lady Gaga’s Moon and Pluto. She said:

“If someone is assaulted or experiences trauma, there is scientific proof — it’s biology — that people change. The brain changes. What it does is it takes the trauma and it puts it in a box and it files it away and shuts it so that we can survive the pain.”

This quote is emblematic for Venus retrograde in Scorpio. Scorpio is the Underworld, the realm of the subconscious. Just because something is hidden, doesn’t mean it doesn’t change us, doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect us.

The second event that got into the news was the mixed martial arts fight between Connor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib (who won the fight) jumped out of the fighting octagon into the crowd, to attack a supporter – an unprecedented act in sports. The fight happened when Venus switched direction and was EXACTLY conjunct Khabib’s Pluto. Venus was at 10°49’ Scorpio and Khabib’s Pluto at 10°49’ Scorpio.

Basically, all his suppressed emotions came out. For good (he had an unusual force and stamina and won the fight) and for bad (he lost control and set a bad example for the sport).

After the fight, Khabib justified his actions by blaming his opponent who had previously mocked his family and his religion. This example shows the rage that can accumulate for a long period of time. Just because Khabib had stuffed it down, didn’t mean that it had gone away.

The scene of Khabib jumping out of the fighting octagon in rage is also emblematic for Venus retrograde in Scorpio. All the things that make us hurt, all the memories we felt when we were out of control and powerless, come to the surface, to be dealt with.

The first three weeks of Venus retrograde are for purging, for bringing these trapped feelings into our awareness.  

That’s definitely not an invitation to do what Khabib did, but an invitation to acknowledge and show compassion for your suppressed emotions.

Venus Retrograde is the best time to clear your basement. It’s not only the ugly things that will come out. Also our treasures. Treasures you were not even aware were hidden there.

Venus Retrograde Stories

I would like to share some stories from the last time Venus went retrograde in Scorpio in October 2010.

Vanessa had a high profile job in sales. Although she worked twice as hard as anyone else and generated three times more revenue than any of her colleagues, her promotion was still not coming. Basically, the manager favored other employees who happened to be close friends or relatives.

When Venus went retrograde, Vanessa’s manager announced the promotions for the coming year. Someone else got promoted, someone who was always late and had difficulties reaching their target. Vanessa was devastated. More than being upset for her not getting the promotion, she was infuriated about the injustice.

She felt powerless and hopeless. After three weeks (when the new Venus cycle started), she decided to resign. She had no plan for the future, she didn’t know what to do next. She completely surrendered.

During one late night at home, wondering why it had happened, she suddenly had a revelation. She remembered the numerous situations when she got herself into ‘impossible situations’. The impossible situations are situations that are impossible to change, no matter how hard you try.

She realized she knew all along when something is a lost cause, but she got herself repeatedly into ‘impossible situations’ so she can experience, again and again, feelings of powerlessness. She wanted to be defeated.

When she finally realized that, all her struggle went away. It was not her fault, as she recognized the same traits in her parents, and in other members of her family. She inherited the need to be defeated.

Just by acknowledging that, everything changed. That mental model didn’t have power over her anymore. When Venus went direct, she found an amazing job (not in sales, but in operations, a job that fit her much better).

She didn’t care about being promoted anymore. In fact, she realized she needed more time for herself. The promotion came only 3 months later. Vanessa was now comfortable with her feelings, and the others felt secure around her too, and finally recognized her leadership potential.

Losing One’s Voice

Amanda was a singer. She was singing 3 days a week in a restaurant. She was sharing a tiny flat with her longtime partner and another friend. When she moved into that city she had big hopes. She hoped she would become famous. She dreamt of a family and of a nice house.

She was now in her early 40’s and realized that probably none of her dreams will come true. When she was on stage singing (just a few days after Venus went retrograde) she suddenly lost her voice. No matter how hard she tried, she could not make herself sing. She left the stage embarrassed and went home crying. The voice came back a few hours later but she knew she would never go back.

She realized she was living a fake, soulless life. She was fake. That’s why she couldn’t sing anymore. She simply couldn’t play that role any longer. She didn’t want to be in that city, she was not happy in her relationship, she didn’t want to sing in a band. She remembered herself as a child, during her singing classes. She deeply feared her music teacher, who was always admonishing her, saying that her voice didn’t sound ‘studied’ and elegant enough.

She realized she has lost her voice not that night, but a long time ago. She had an honest discussion with her partner, who supported her. They finally decided to move out of the apartment in the city center and rented a tiny house in the suburbs. Amanda became a singing teacher, helping other people find their true voice.

As you can see in these examples, Venus retrograde firstly comes with a loss. You lose something of value. And then, it’s exactly this loss that helps you get clarity of your situation. This sudden awareness empowers you to change yourself and change your life.

What Venus retrograde stories do you have?

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How Venus Retrograde Will Affect You

How Venus Retrograde Will Affect You

Venus retrograde has already started. Can you feel the intensity? I’ve got tons of emails from people all over the world asking me what’s going on. You may be wondering if all the craziness in the world has to do with Venus Retrograde, and so, you may be curious how Venus Retrograde will affect YOU. 

If life got a lot more intense lately, you’re not alone. Venus retrograde is a big thing because Venus goes retrograde less than any other planet – only once every 19 months and only 7% of the time! 

Venus Retrograde in Scorpio is by definition more intense than any other Venus Retrograde because Venus in Scorpio is the sign of intensity and transformation.

But not the whole 6-week Venus Retrograde will be like this. Yes, the first three weeks are going to be intense. This is a phase of purging. Those trapped thoughts, feelings and memories are finally ready to come out!

The 2nd half of Venus Retrograde is completely different. After Venus is conjunct the Sun, we are officially done with the previous 19-month Venus cycle. A new cycle begins. The focus will be on how to start afresh.

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Venus Retrograde will end on a glorious note with Venus going direct at 25° Libra, conjunct the highly benefic fixed star Spica.

This Venus Retrograde can have a wonderful happy ending. But it requires awareness. You have to do the work. Venus in Scorpio is not a time to run away. It’s a time to stay with your feelings, no matter how unsettling they are. 

You may wonder how Venus Retrograde will affect you in particular.

Although Venus retrograde will affect all of us, some people will feel it stronger. It will affect you more if you are a Scorpio, a Libra, a Taurus, or an Aries, or if you have your Moon or your rising sign in Scorpio, Libra, Taurus or Aries.

Venus Retrograde will also influence you more strongly if you have a planet or an angle in your chart between 25° Libra and 10° Scorpio. Not sure if you have a planet there? You can check out by generating your natal chart on astro.com → free horoscopes → extended chart selection.

Whether or not you have a planet in Libra or Scorpio, Venus Retrograde WILL influence you in some way. That’s because there is an area of your chart that Venus will cross over. This is where the action is going to happen.

All you need to know is your ascendant sign. I use whole sign houses, so if you use another house system you can adjust accordingly.

Aries Ascendant

If you are an Aries ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 8th house of shared resources, trust, intimacy, sex, debt and rebirth. Your relationships with other people will be a source of resentment at first. You may feel you are doing too much and get too little in return. As a result, blow-ups and emotional confrontations can erupt. The solution is in Libra. Libra will show you how to be level-headed in situations that otherwise drive you crazy, and will teach you how to improve your conflict resolution skills. You can transform the resentment into an opportunity to put your relationships on equal footing.

Taurus Ascendant

If you are a Taurus ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 7th house of relationships. In the first three weeks of Venus Retrograde, your relationships will be tested. You may be tempted to put an end to some of these relationships. But before you do that, try to see if you can still work them out. When Venus moves back into Libra (that’s your 6th house) she will help you sort things out from a place of humility and compassion. Sometimes life is not fair, and relationships are not fair either, but it doesn’t mean they are not rewarding in any other way.

Gemini Ascendant

If you are a Gemini ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 6th house of work, health, daily routine and service to others. All these things can become a source of stress in the first three weeks of Venus retrograde. You may feel fed up. You’ve worked so hard and all your efforts seem to give little return. The secret? Connect to your heart. When Venus moves back into Libra (that’s your 5th house of living from the heart) you will re-align yourself with your heart’s purpose. You will find out how to find joy and fulfillment in areas of life that are otherwise a source of struggle or anxiety.

Cancer Ascendant

If you are a Cancer ascendant, Venus Retrograde will start in your 5th house of living from the heart. In the first three weeks of Venus Retrograde, you may feel you have lost your zest for life.  The answers to your lack of motivation and vitality lay in your family life. Your vitality is an expression of how emotionally safe and nurtured you feel. Whether it is an unresolved issue with a parent, or with someone from your house, this is what you need to fix in order to unlock your heart.

Leo Ascendant

If you are a Leo ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 4th house of home, family, roots and emotional security. The first three weeks of Venus retrograde will require you to do ‘shadow work’ in these areas of your life. There is something that needs to be fixed. The solution? Be open to consider new ideas and accept different points of view. It’s not easy to do that when we feel anxious and unappreciated, but embracing a “beginners mind” attitude will actually do the trick for you.  When you distance yourself from your emotions, you can see objectively what’s going on and make the necessary changes from that place of awareness.

Virgo Ascendant

If you are a Virgo ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 3rd house of communication, everyday activities and the regular rhythm of life. The first three weeks of Venus Retrograde will be very busy. All your mental clutter will come to the surface. The solution can be found in your 2nd house (this is where Libra is in your chart). The 2nd house is the house of money and assets. Do you have enough security in your finances? Do you spend your time and energy on the right things? By honestly answering these questions, you will find out what you need to move away from, and what you need to focus on.

Libra Ascendant

If you are a Libra ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 2nd house of resources: time, money and energy, and the resolution will be in Libra, which is your 1st house. Are you using your money and resources in the right way? Do they reflect who you are? Your relationship with money and resources is an expression of how much power you allow yourself to have. It’s about you, not about the money. There is something you need to address: maybe it’s your money mindset. Pay attention to your health, too. Your body will signal when something is not on.

Scorpio Ascendant

If you are a Scorpio ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 1st house of identity and will end in your 12th house of the unconscious. In the first three weeks, Venus retrograde will show you which parts of yourself are not fully aligned with your integrity. Perhaps a blind spot. The solution can be found in your 12th house. Pay attention to messages that come to you from the invisible world. Something that was unconscious will eventually become conscious. This is the best time to integrate your shadow. 

Sagittarius Ascendant

If you are a Sagittarius ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 12th house of the unconscious motivations, blind spots, and overlooked opportunities. In the first 3 weeks of Venus Retrograde, you may feel lost and alienated. The solution is in your 11th house of friends and groups of people. If you haven’t found God on a peak of the mountain, maybe it’s time to call a friend. Having a connection with real people will restore your sanity.

Capricorn Ascendant

If you are a Capricorn ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 11th house of hopes, dreams, friends, and communities. Do you feel disconnected from your hopes and dreams? Do you expect that someone or something from the outside will help make them happen? That the stars need to align? The answer to the struggle can be found in your 10th house of the higher self. Instead of expecting the world to change, choose to become the change you want to see in the world.

Aquarius Ascendant

If you are an Aquarius ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 10th house of status, career, and achievements, pointing to how you may sabotage your career by not paying enough attention to your overall vision. By going back to the drawing board, you will find the answers you are looking for. Do you really have a purpose or you’re just trying to what others expect from you? Have a look at your life – it’s not that important what other people think of it – the real question here is whether it’s in line with YOUR path. Not with society.

Pisces Ascendant

If you are a Pisces ascendant, Venus retrograde will start in your 9th house of vision and purpose. The first three weeks of Venus Retrograde will feel as though you have lost your faith in life, that you have lost your compass. The solution can be found in your relationships with others. Your overall direction in life is connected to people you are close to, you make agreements with, or share resources with. What is it about these agreements that you need to revise? Which people can you trust? Under what revised terms can you continue the relationships with these people?

To find out how Venus Retrograde in Scorpio plays out in real life, make sure you read Venus Retrograde Stories

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New Moon in Libra – Sorting Things Out

New Moon in Libra – New Endings, New Beginnings

The New Moon in Libra takes place on October 8 (if you live in the US) or on October 9 (if you live in Europe or Australasia). The New Moon is at 15° Libra.

This New Moon will feel more like Scorpio than Libra.

Why? The ruler of the New Moon, Venus is in Scorpio and recently turned retrograde.

Also, the New Moon applies a very tight square to Pluto. And Pluto is the ruler of Scorpio.

As you can see, we have a lot of Scorpio energy connected to the New Moon. And what does Scorpio stand for? Transformation, transformation, transformation.

new-moon-in-libra

New Moons are connected to new beginnings, but because the ruler of the New Moon, Venus is retrograde, this new beginning is somewhat connected to the past.

Still, because it’s a New Moon, it’s not about closing chapters, it is about opening new chapters.

Making Peace With The Dark Side

Therefore, the New Moon in Libra is about sorting things out. What kind of things? Those things that lay in your subconscious. Your subconscious is the metaphorical Underworld, the realm of Scorpio and Pluto.

new-moon-in-libra-square-pluto

What can you do to bring the unconscious to the surface?

Everything starts with making a decision to try a different approach.

Libra is the scales that ponder the benefits and the costs. If it’s worth it, she will go for it. Libra is a cardinal sign after all. And cardinal signs are about taking action.

The New Moon is also trine Mars. Mars is the planet of assertion and drive. Mars will push you to assert your personal will. You are motivated. You are ready. It’s time to clean the basement!

In Scorpio, Venus operates from the subconscious. Venus retrograde in Scorpio digs into the subconscious to expose what’s hidden behind your passions, your relationships, your finances, your jealousy, your need for intimacy, your control issues.

Do you feel empowered in these areas of your life or not? If not, it’s time to find out why.

But the New Moon is in Libra, the scales, the symbol of objectivity and discernment. Libra will take a look at all the mess that came to the surface. She won’t freak out. Libra knows everything in life is a little bit of this and this and a little bit of that.

Are you jealous? Then Libra’s approach is to analyze the pros and the cons of being jealous. There is a good thing about being jealous: it means you are passionate and invested. And there are some cons, too. This jealousy can alter your judgment and make you make decisions that you regret later. Libra’s approach is to take your jealousy and turn it into something harmonious, workable and balanced.  

Reconstruct Yourself

The Sabian symbol of the New Moon is “After a storm, a boat landing stands in need of reconstruction”.  

The storm is a symbol for the indestructible forces of nature connected to the Scorpio / Pluto archetype. It is a symbol of fate, of how things are supposed to work, in the grand scheme of things.

The boat landing represents our free will – it is a man-made structure that defies nature. Our free will comes with benefits (we get to choose) but also with a cost (it interferes with the natural flow of life). Nature will too, adjust to us, but it will take time.

We need to consciously re-invent ourselves so we can align the two realms: our free will, and our fate.

Most of the time, the boat landing will help us make our lives better. But there are times when we need to withstand storms. We never have 100% control, no matter how advanced the engineering is. Some storms will damage us, and there’s no way around that.

But it is exactly the broken structure, what is left of us after the storm, that is our greatest opportunity.

When you feel you’re falling apart, that’s, in fact, your unique chance to reconstruct yourself, to reinvent yourself, so that you can grow into an even better human being.   

What action will you take to reconstruct yourself? The New Moon in Libra is the best time to take that first step.

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Astrology Of October 2018 – Venus Goes Retrograde

Astrology October 2018 – Venus goes Retrograde

The event of the month is, of course, Venus retrograde in Scorpio. Venus changes course on October 5 at 10° Scorpio and will stay retrograde until November 15.

This is one of the most intense Venus retrograde we have had in a while. Why? Firstly, because it’s in Scorpio. Usually, that’s ‘enough said’. Scorpio is the sign of change and transformation. After any serious Scorpio transit, something inside you changes forever. Once you emerge from the storm, you’re never the same person again.  

Scorpio is the sign of hidden things, so Venus retrograde will expose your most hidden secrets, especially those related to love and relationships. No matter how happy our relationships are, there is always stuff buried deep inside. 

Venus retrograde will dive into the Underworld to expose this buried stuff. When Venus is retrograde, she is in fact in a perfect alignment with the Earth and the Sun. Venus disappears in the rays of the Sun to dive into the metaphorical Underworld, where she gets purified.

When Venus is retrograde, the pull of self-transformation is so strong that we cannot ignore it. Whether or not you are aware of it yet, you too are ready to dive in.

Venus retrograde makes an intense opposition to Uranus, the planet of unexpected change, freedom, and liberation. Usually, one Uranus transit is enough to break the chains of illusion. But this time we have an unusually long Uranus transit, because of Venus’ back and forth motion.

Because it takes so long, Venus-Uranus will break the strongest chains – those chains you thought are impossible to break. Ultimately, the Venus-Uranus opposition will liberate us from the prison of our outdated Selves, so that we can have mature, meaningful and authentic relationships.

Let’s have a look at the most important events of October 2018:

astrology-october-2018

October 2nd, 2018 – Mercury is Square Pluto

On October 2nd, 2018 Mercury is square Pluto. We all have obsessive thoughts from time to time. The reason they become obsessive is that there are certain aspects of our lives we believe we have no control over. And the anxiety of ‘not having control’ creates these obsessive thoughts.

Obsessive thoughts are thoughts that got caught in a loop because we’re not addressing the underlying cause that created them in the first place. 

Your challenge during this transit is to pay closer attention to these obsessive thoughts. Where do you feel powerless in your life, and why? Pluto always asks for the ‘why’ and will ‘torture’ you until you find out. Once you have found out, the simple acknowledgment of the ‘why’ usually solves the problem.

October 5th, 2018 – Venus goes Retrograde

On October 5th, 2018 Venus goes retrograde. Venus is how the world makes us feel. When Venus goes retrograde in Scorpio, the sign of the truth, you may discover some things in your life that aren’t that pretty.

But the worst thing you could do is to try to brush them off. That strategy, my friend, is not going to work. Scorpio EXPOSES. The more you try to hide it, the more it will come to get you.

Venus goes retrograde in Scorpio for a reason. We all have some skeletons in our closet. These skeletons get bored too, and once every 8 years, when Venus goes retrograde in Scorpio, they want to come out. The question is: are you going to build a stronger lock to keep them in there for 8 more years, or are you going to let them out?

Are you ready? Have no fear. You can actually thrive during this process, and I’ll show you how. Watch out for my announcement of the Venus retrograde course!

October 9th, 2018 – New Moon in Libra

On October 9th, 2018 we have a New Moon in Libra. This New Moon is square Pluto. Venus, the ruler of the New Moon, is in Scorpio AND is retrograde. This New Moon in Libra will feel very Scorpionic, so don’t expect love, peace, and chocolate.

New Moons come with new beginnings. This particular new beginning has a ‘retrograde’ flavor to it. There is some ‘unfinished’ energy about it. Something about this new beginning will require some digging into the past. If you start something new around October 9th, there is more to it.   

On the same day, Mercury moves into Scorpio, the most investigative sign of the zodiac. Mercury likes to go into the secret corners of your mind and expose the most creepy thoughts and feelings. These are things we usually hide from others and even from ourselves.

Mercury is an objective planet, and Scorpio is all about the truth. Not the objective truth of Libra, but the emotional and sometimes ambivalent truth of deep-water Scorpio.

Mercury in Scorpio is about applying radical honesty in your everyday life. Radical honesty doesn’t mean telling your friend “you look fat in that dress”. It starts with yourself. Are you really honest – with your own feelings – when you tell someone they are fat? What really drives you to say that? Is it honesty or something else?  

October 10th, 2018 – Mercury opposite Uranus; Venus square Mars

On October 10th, 2018 Mercury is opposite Uranus and Venus is square Mars. This is a high energy, erratic day. You can have an irresistible desire to speak your mind or to take decisive action in one of your relationships.

Taking action is always a good idea, as long as you take it from a place of confidence and alignment. If you are out of alignment, is not a good idea to rush in into an action you will end up regretting later.

On a positive side, these dynamic aspects can help you find creative solutions to some problems you’ve been avoiding.

October 12th, 2018 – Sun square Pluto

On October 12th, 2018 Sun is square Pluto. The Sun is in Libra and Pluto is in Capricorn – we have some serious cardinal action! Power struggles are usually the norm when the Sun makes an aspect to Pluto, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Pluto only wants to show you that there is some higher truth about life that you may not be aware of yet. Pluto will push you outside your comfort zone to find this higher truth. It can be uncomfortable at first, but it is so much worth it. This is a great day for self-development or self-inquiry.  

October 15th, 2018 – Mercury conjunct Venus

On October 15th, 2018 Mercury is conjunct Venus at 8° Scorpio. Venus is making her last appearances as an evening star. In just a couple of days, she will disappear under the beams of the Sun, ready to be transformed in a morning star. Mercury, on the other hand, has just emerged from the beams of the Sun. He has a message for Venus. This is the call for transformation.

The Sumerian myth of Inanna begins with Inanna deciding to attend her sister’s husband’s funeral. This is her pretext to go into the Underworld. Venus will indeed disappear from the sky 3 days later, on October 18. This pretext, or call to action, is Mercury. He will bring you the message. What is YOUR call to action? 

October 19th, 2018 – Mercury trine Neptune; Mercury square Mars

On October 19th, 2018 Mercury is trine Neptune and square Mars. You can have lots of ideas thanks to the harmonious Mercury trine Neptune aspect, but the dynamic square to Mars will help you put them into practice. If you are more reserved, this transit will give you the impulse you needed to bring your ideas into the world. If you are very extroverted and confident, you can become a little bit too much in love with your ideas and try too hard to push them on others.

October 23rd, 2018 – Sun enters Scorpio

On October 23rd, 2018 Sun enters Scorpio. When the leaves start falling, and Halloween approaches, you know that the Scorpio season is about to start. Scorpio is the sign of change and transformation that can lead to inner strength. October/November is also the season when we usually get the flu. Getting the flu is not pleasant, but it can, in fact, help your immune system get stronger.

And this is how Scorpio operates. It creates a bit of discomfort so that you can become stronger, better and enjoy life even more. Venus (retrograde), Mercury and Jupiter are already in Scorpio. When the Sun joins in, you will become aware of what exactly you need to transform in your life so you can become stronger and better.

October 24th, 2018 – Full Moon in Taurus

On October 24th, 2018 we have a Full Moon in Taurus. The Full Moon in Taurus is on high voltage! This Full Moon should be called the “AC/DC Full Moon” as it is exactly conjunct Uranus.

The Moon and Uranus are in the first degree of Taurus, and Sun is in the first degree of Scorpio. The ruler of the Full Moon, Venus is retrograde and approaching the conjunction with the Sun. Something is in the making. 

Taurus and Scorpio are FIXED signs are they RESIST change. Uranus is the planet of change. What do you think it will happen? When it comes to Uranus, I don’t make any predictions. Prepare for a revelation. Something needs to change. You may not know what exactly, but you already feel it coming.

October 26, 2018 – Venus conjunct Sun

On October 26th, 2018 Venus retrograde is conjunct Sun and a new Venus cycle begins. The interior conjunction with the Sun basically means the end of the Venus current cycle and the beginning of a new one. This is the most important day of the Venus retrograde and one of the most important days of the year.

Venus throws herself into the arms of the Sun. This is where she gets purified, where she sheds her old skin. And this is where she gets clarity and where she seeds her intentions for yet another 19-month journey.

And this is where she will metamorphose from an evening star into a morning star. Today is a turning point. Mark this date in your calendar. Pay attention to what happens around this date. Journal it.

October 29th, 2018 – Mercury conjunct Jupiter

On October 29th, 2018 Mercury is conjunct Jupiter at 27° Scorpio. This is the last aspect a planet makes to Jupiter in Scorpio before Scorpio moves into Sagittarius. Jupiter moved in Scorpio in October last year and brought us the #metoo movement.

Mercury is the planet of news and announcements so we can expect the big announcement of the Jupiter in Scorpio transit.

In your natal chart, you will get some information about the area of your life ruled by Jupiter. If you are a Gemini ascendant for example, and Jupiter rules your 7th house, you will get some news about your relationships.

October 30th, 2018 – Mercury enters Sagittarius

On October 30th, 2018 Mercury enters Sagittarius. Sagittarius may not be Mercury’s favorite sign, but it’s certainly an interesting transit.

Mercury is the planet of factual information. Mercury only believes in what he or she can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.

Sagittarius, on the other hand, is the planet of abstract knowledge, of dogma, of what we believe without questioning. Sagittarius is the sign of philosophy and religion.

Where Mercury sees the details, Sagittarius sees the big picture. In the coming weeks, you may struggle with seeing the forest for the trees. That’s unless your natal Mercury is in Sagittarius or Pisces… in this case you will feel at home with this transit.

Nevertheless, by striving to find details in the big picture, to see the concrete in the abstract, you can have some revelations. This transit is great for studying and any kind of intellectual work where a fresh perspective is needed.

October 31st, 2018 – Venus opposite Uranus 

On October 31st, 2018 Venus is opposite Uranus. Venus makes another exact opposition to Uranus (the 2nd) and shortly after Venus leaves Scorpio and moves back into Libra. After the exhausting process of digging into the depths of our souls, Venus moving back into Libra will feel like the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally, there is hope. Finally, you will be able to see the silver lining of this heart-shattering transit. Not only Venus moves back into Libra, the sign where she feels at her best, but on the same day, Venus rises again in the sky. This is the first appearance of Venus as a morning star. She’s alive, and ready to start again. And so will you be!