"God enters by a private door into every individual."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Venus and Mars finally make a conjunction this week that has been 'a long time coming'. They were nearly conjunct last summer but Venus turned retrograde and 'stalled out' before making the connection. In essence, there was more individual work to be done in order to build a new sense of our individual self-worth and establish more confidence in our unique perspective. Both Venus and Mars have now crossed the threshold of Pluto's position on the cusp of Aquarius and come together with a message of our individual strength and power. In Aquarius, the conjunction is less sensitive and more [...]

"When you make people angry, they act in accordance with their baser instincts, often violently and irrationally. When you inspire people, they act in accordance with their higher instincts, sensibly and rationally. Also, anger is transient, whereas inspiration sometimes has a life-long effect."

— Peace Pilgrim

Mercury arrives in Aquarius at the beginning of this week, setting a highly engaging and intellectual 'tone' for this Friday's Aquarius New Moon (2:58 PM PST 20° Aquarius). Adding to our engagement and intellectual excitement, Venus makes a trine to Uranus on Wednesday. Upon arriving in Aquarius, Mercury makes an extremely potent conjunction with Pluto. The initial energy burst on Monday may feel quite [...]

"The Osage have this lovely phrase: 'Travelers in the Mist.' It was the term for part of an Osage clan that would take the lead whenever the tribe was venturing into unfamiliar realms."

— David Grann

We are likely to struggle with disorientation and feelings of vulnerability this week. The effects may keep us on edge and potentially put us on the defensive. What is most difficult to understand is how important it is to reach out and connect with those around us. Our vulnerabilities may tend to keep us feeling as though we need to isolate — stay locked in our 'cocoons' rather than embrace the new freedom that we are being offered. Both Mars and Mercury square Chiron this week, which gives us gentle but firm [...]