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In the
last
episode,
we left the Sun and Venus settling down and
attending to domestic relationships, with Saturn
providing some helpful advice on keeping the nest
running smoothly. Mercury was happily glib and
articulate in Gemini, and Mars was having an
exciting time in Leo. Jupiter's gifts of
opportunity seem to have run out for the moment,
and the Sun and Venus are eyeing him suspiciously
across the zodiac, feeling that their interest in
hearth and home is not something he cares
for.
Mars enters
Virgo at the beginning of July, losing his sense of
direction and power, and becoming single-mindedly
focused on details. He approaches Saturn for work,
and is immediately hired on. He becomes the
quintessential tyrannical bureaucrat, exacting
extreme penalties for the smallest of
transgressions against Saturn's procedures. The two
of them reinforce each others' uncompromising
qualities, and only those who know the rules inside
out get through the office without grief. This all
reaches a crescendo in mid-July, with Mercury
getting in on the act too, barging in to the cosy
comfort the Sun had been enjoying, carrying
Saturn's instructions from office to
home.
At the end
of July, the Sun finds an escape from this
discomfort, striding into Leo with new confidence
and eager for drama and attention. Venus is already
there, having tired of her domestic duties during
the second week of July, and taking up a more
flamboyant approach to showing off her
talents.
The last
week of July and early August are relatively quiet,
as the energy stirred up by Mars's new role as
Saturn's henchman settles out. By mid-August, Venus
and then Mercury, scouting out new territory ahead
of the Sun, enter Virgo, where Saturn awaits to
make use of their talents. This works out much more
positively than did Mars's engagement. Mercury is
able to use his extraordinary analytical gifts to
refine and articulate Saturn's rules for success,
and the remainder of August is a very productive
time.
Venus and
Mercury even reach out to Jupiter, who had seemed
irrelevant or even downright contrary in July.
Jupiter and Saturn begin to communicate more often,
and it seems that luckier times may be ahead for
all concerned.
It is also
the beginning of a renewed intimacy between Mercury
and Venus, even more profound than their sojourn
together through Pisces early this year. Venus, who
is ordinarily a bit out of place in Virgo, stays
close to Mercury and benefits from his mastery of
craft. She contributes an esthetic sensibility to
their work with Saturn, and it seems, for a while
at least, that their collaboration outshines Saturn
himself and takes on a life of its own. The rules
and restrictions that came across so angrily under
Mars's stint, now seem eminently sensible, useful,
and elegantly natural.
Mercury and
Venus continue their charming pas de deux
all the way through September. At the end of
August, they swing into Libra together, and now
Venus takes up the lead, showing Mercury all the
ins and outs of keeping people happy. Mercury is a
quick learner, and seems to always have the right
words at hand for those delicate social situations.
Venus is delighted with his devoted attention, and
very happy to have left the stuffy office behind
for the cocktail party, where she is fully in her
element.
A lot of
energy bubbles up at the beginning of September.
Jupiter now returns in force as Saturn's ally,
going direct on the 7th, just as he trines Saturn.
His new energy is a little overwhelming, though,
and the some of the office staff clears out to
avoid a crowd. Venus and Mercury decided not to
come back to work after the cocktail party,
befriending a somewhat disgruntled Mars instead.
They're an active threesome, with Mars's
assertiveness and Mercury's verbosity tentatively
realigned to serve Venus's people-pleasing social
agenda. There are definitely two strong factions at
large now: Jupiter, Saturn, and the Sun
playing by the rules and working hard to create
something of lasting value, while Mercury, Venus,
and Mars are out partying and flirting.
By the last
week of September, though, the partying threesome
has split up, each going their own way: Venus
plunging into an intense and solitary stint in
Scorpio, Mercury turning retrograde and refusing to
answer the phone, leaving Mars rather bitter and
unable to manage his relationships without the
stylings of his former companions.
Jupiter's
positive influence continues to linger though,
after the distraction of the youngsters ebbs away.
A strong groundwork has been laid for carrying
through on Saturn's plan.
*
These months
can be a bit of a roller coaster, with the
beginning and ending of each month being relatively
quiet, and mid-month bringing a big stirring and
shifting of energy. Mid-July sees the Saturn-Mars
conjunction, which may be really bad new for those
who get in its way. Mid-August brings a spurt of
productivity, when lots of things seem to fall into
place and everything works toward a clear goal.
Mid-September finds lots of activity in both our
relationships and our careers, which can produce
some tensions, disconnects, and
burn-outs.
When the
dust clears, though, we find ourselves better
prepared than before to organize our energies and
achieve important goals to the benefit of ourselves
and others.
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