"If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path."

— Joseph Campbell

The week culminates with a conjunction of Mars and Neptune following the Sun's square to both planets — Gemini-Pisces squares. The lack of clarity that we have been dealing with for much of this year reaches a new peak, while creative tension brings with it some significant frustration, impulsiveness, and aggression. The challenge, in this atmosphere, is to seek a broader range of perspectives and look for promising pieces of 'common ground'. The creativity in this environment can be [...]

"Adjust the tuning, try a new translation"

— Carly Simon -
Stuff that Dreams Are Made Of

The week provides quite a mixed bag as we begin to seek the lessons of insight promised by last week's Gemini New Moon. The challenge is to balance practical approaches with overly idealistic dreams, impractical solutions, as well as the continuing desire for something exciting. Venus backs off a bit from the extra long square to Neptune and we may be hoping for more clarity than we actually get. Mars is approaching Neptune in Pisces. The Mars-Neptune conjunction has the potential to build unrealistic expectations. As Venus backs off the square to Neptune [...]

"And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?"

— Daniel Campbell Smith
Bastille - Pompeii

It is usually a retrograde Mercury that gets all the attention but this week's retrogrades — Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter — are more than likely to get our attention. As well, there are challenges from the shifts of Mercury into it's home sign of Gemini and the departure of Mars from innovative Aquarius and its arrival in introspective Pisces. This week both begins and ends with a great deal of scattered energy, confusion, and general lack of focus. However, there is some important help, midweek, when Mercury trines Saturn from Gemini to Aquarius. Wednesday's Mercury-Saturn trine offers a brief opportunity for some important [...]