"Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, to the very end."

— Christina Rossetti

The Mars-Saturn square dominates this entire week. Mars is slowing down to turn retrograde next month (September 9th) and, as it slows to go retrograde, gains increasing power and energy. We feel strong imperatives to achieve our desires and "create the future" through sheer force of will and our independent actions. However, in a square to Saturn, Mars in Aries is restricted, hemmed in by rules, regulations, and the 'power of the establishment'. The overall thrust of this week's activity sets up a determined conflict between [...]

"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other."

— Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities

Although we may begin the week with heightened energy and clear recognition of the heightened stakes produced by last Monday's Full Moon (8:58 AM PDT 11° Aquarius/Leo), by midweek we begin to feel the slowdown of the waning lunar cycle. However, even as the slowdown may have us feeling stuck, there are still waves of stirred up energy and strong imperatives that don't seem to have anywhere to go. There is a significant potential for frustration and residual feelings of hostility that we may be dealing with for some time, now that Mars has begun to slow down to turn retrograde next month. There will be significant challenges to [...]

"LOVE of others is the appreciation of one's self.
MAY your egotism be so gigantic that you comprise mankind in your self-sympathy."

— Mina Loy

Mercury emerges from the shadow of the last retrograde period (June 18 - July 12) at the beginning of this week. With Mercury in Cancer, we look for reliable information to establish our emotional security. Indeed, information begins to flow this week but we may not have a broad enough perspective or enough emotional detachment to fully process and make use of the information we find. Mercury's oppositions to Jupiter and Pluto demands a balanced perspective and broad awareness. However, complications and distractions abound. Venus makes another square [...]