"Painting is the passage from the chaos of the emotions to the order of the possible."

— Balthus

Venus retrogrades back to square Uranus for the second of three times this week, producing incredibly strong will-power. The waning lunar cycle is still offering potentialities and possibilities for creative self-expression through innovation. There are waves of inspiration and enthusiasm. Nonetheless, obstacles abound, along with significant amounts of confusion and chaos. There are few 'handles' for us to grab onto that would keep us stabilized enough to pursue a steady line of progress. The main challenge is [...]

"Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.'"

— Coco Chanel,

Chiron turns retrograde in Aries at the beginning of this week, joining Saturn and Venus in something like a 'multi-pronged investigation' of our self-esteem and our self-image. Self-doubts and insecurities can quickly produce indecision and uncertainty this week. However, idealism is also growing. A Mars-Jupiter trine is forming all week and will complete at next week's Aquarius Full Moon (August 1st, 11:31 AM PDT 9° Aquarius/Leo) with a surge of enthusiasm and optimism. The bottom line in this week's environment is that many are likely to be looking for some kind of approval or reassurance. Our patience is thin and we may sometimes feel that we are [...]

"Self-esteem isn't everything; it's just that there's nothing without it.'"

— Gloria Steinem

The week begins with quite a bit of intensity that is difficult to manage. Ambition is high. But quickly, both Mars and Mercury shift signs. Mars moves from bold and blustery Leo into circumspect and deliberate Virgo. On the other hand, Mercury moves from deferential Cancer into demonstrative Leo. These shifts generally suggest a desire to step up on a soap box but not any realistic commitment to push forward. Mars in Virgo is cautious, which is not especially comfortable. The ongoing pressure on our [...]