Stirring the Cosmic Kettle: Stagnate or Grow

Not a very sexy title for this January forecast, but like the sign Capricorn itself, it cuts to the chase and clearly spells out the message.  And while the Sun cycles through Capricorn during most of January, it is innovative Aquarius that sets the tone for the first month, and in fact the entire year, of 2025.

An interesting fact and notable point of interest is that the Earth’s Moon moves through an astrology sign every two days.  So there is a one-in-twelve chance that the Moon will be in a certain sign on Day One of the New Year; however, we find the Moon tightly conjoined to Powerful Pluto in Aquarius denotes much greater odds, about 1-28.  This radical pair finds us smack dab on New Year’s Day.

The Moon represents our emotions, how we feel.  Bound to Pluto on the first day of 2025 we feel powerfully; feel transformative emotions, and yet, in Aquarius, we’re not exactly sure what we feel; can’t quite put words to, much less a label, feelings surging through us.  We do know we have never quite felt these feelings before:  new emotional frontiers, a detached non-conformist.  Inventive Aquarius has strong feelings perceived through an eccentric lens.

Think, Dr. Spock from Star Trek, saying, “fascinating,” as he coolly observed emotions in himself that rang true.

Aquarius’ key phrase is I KNOW.   Not because Aquarians do know; but out of a driven curiosity for certainty, to know beyond the shadow of a doubt.  Their curiosity leads them out on a limb where other souls dare not go.  They could care less what others think of them. For Aquarians are too caught up in the pursuit of knowledge and sweet undeniable certainty to waste precious energy on others’ impressions. 

Their disregard for convention and status quo, much less what others’ think of them, renders them the rule breakers, the boundary busters, rebels and revolutionaries of the zodiac.  Aquarius grooves to upending societal norms.  Radical shifts continue through January, marking the USA Presidential Inauguration. Welcome to 2025 and beyond.  Here, there are no rules.  Whether in your personal or professional lives, we are pushed to breakthrough anything holding us back from our fullest potential.

Therein lies the incorrigible dichotomy about Aquarius:   Aquarians’ famous determination, perseverance and downright grit pushes through the most difficult obstacles and stays the course to reach their goals.  The notorious Aquarian resistance must be shown irrefutable proof (better yet, experience for themselves) evidence before changing course.

And yet:  Aquarius is a mandate to change.  This sign is the guardian of the radical individual.  They are the most resistant to change while inciting (dare I say demanding) change in others.  Aquarians are not hypocrites.  They are futuristic.  They know what is possible and chase those boundaries while refusing to be fenced in by the collective’s current standards.  Its motto might well be Stagnate or Grow.  But change or growth rarely occurs via a straight through line.

Which begs the question:  what’ll you be having for 2025?  Growth or stagnation?  The January 1, 2025 Pluto-Moon Aquarius duo wants to know.

Remember:  Growth doesn’t mean throwing the baby out with the bathwater, tossing all of your wisdom and life experience out the window.  Rather, growth means taking steps, action, even micro actions, towards the new and different.

Enter Divine Inspiration on Friday, January 3^rd as Valuable Venus enters Pisces where she is exalted, saintly and selfless, giving endlessly to others.  In Pisces, Venus really lends a helping hand by softening our hardline stances with gentle nudges.   Film, photography, music, water, lyrics and poetry are her tools.  What imagery and sounds cross your radar?  Especially note repeating messages and flashes of insight as this is Piscean Venus lighting our pathway forward.

Wednesday, January 8^th catalyzes us into action as Messenger Mercury enters Capricorn.  Where Venus inspires, Capricorn Mercury plots, plans and executes.  Their collaboration extends for the better part of January, through the 23rd, manifesting dreams into reality.  In fact, I call such planetary angles between Pisces and Capricorn the Dream Maker aspect.  It takes one to dream and the other to do.

With Motivating Mars and Generous Jupiter in a prolonged retrograde cycle, use the Mercury and Venus alignment to formulate a game plan.  It may take another month or so to get your ideas off the ground, but these two forge a reliably realistic road map.

We feel the momentum build moving toward the Full Moon in Cancer the Crab on Monday, January 13^th.  Paired tightly with retrograding Mars, the Moon highlights the home front.    Family, house, home, food, ancestry and inheritance are on the table at mid-month.  What is happening for you in this arena?  Do you need to set boundaries with certain family members?  Create a better functioning home design?  Follow a healthier diet? 

This Full Moon spotlights what works and what doesn’t work in our household; our increasing awareness extends to stark contrasts in our nation, country and homeland as well, especially as we approach Inauguration Day in the United States. 

Remember January First?  That Aquarian Moon-Pluto duo?  Well, it is bookended on January 19^th and 20^th by the Sun which now enters Aquarius and joins Pluto.  The mandate for change continues.  The caution with ANY pairing with Aquarian Pluto is a rebel without a cause syndrome.  It’s one thing to march to your own drum; but change simply for the sake of upheaval rarely has beneficial outcomes.

This is particularly true with Motivating Mars retrograding in Cancer the Crab.  Mars is the planetary gas pedal.  Cycling in reverse gear, Mars causes delays or halts any forward motion.  This is not the time to launch new ventures, business or personal projects.  This is particularly true in areas ruled by Cancer:  house, home, family, food, or nation.  Keep an eye on our nation’s capital this year as both the incoming Congress and President will be deeply affected by Mars retrograde.

The insistent persistence to create rules in reaction to life continues through a series of quickly unfolding planetary shifts, all tied to Aquarius and its ruler Uranus. First, Messenger Mercury turns into Aquarius on Tuesday, January 28^th, joining Pluto and the Sun.  The next day, the Aquarius New Moon occurs, the very same day that Radical Uranus turns direct motion.

Can you spell shock and awe?  Expect the unexpected.  Uranus rules earthquakes, lightning strikes, and all manner of surprise.   The Great Change Agent shifts into overdrive jolting the senses, body, mind and soul. The Yiddish phrase we plan, God laughs, comes to mind. Just when you thought you’d seen it all, wait for it.  If you are off-path in any way, you will be course corrected.  Although not necessarily negative, Uranus’ forward thrust stirs the cosmic kettle.  For those who like predictability (which is most of humanity) it’s best to have a Plan B and Plan C lined up now.

Remember, winning the lottery can catch anyone by surprise.  But you do have to play to win. Showing up is 9/10ths of life.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is an on-line metaphysical forum that meets the first Tuesday of each month @6 pm Eastern.  Join me and two incredible veteran healing arts practitioners for community and conversation. $10/month or $110 for a year. www.cathyripleygreene.com or www.hilaryharley.com to sign up or for more info.

Deep and Dark December

We are IN DEEP now:  the muck and the mire stirred up by the election in the United States last month, the froth of sludge brewing for years now, wounds festering beneath the surface infected by eons of hurt and trauma.

Let’s be honest.  No magic wand, no one pill or simple solution erases conflicts in one easy swoop, conflicts and strife carried since the birth of the United States, a nation born out of revolution.

If nothing else, astrology is the study of patterns and cycles.  No less than two major revolutions occurred the last time transformer Pluto passed through Aquarius, in the USA and France, breaking with one ancient monarchy and toppling another.  Collectively, we have now returned to that same point in Pluto’s cycle. So it’s best to manage our expectations of how life will follow in the near future.

First:  there is no “normal” or even a “new normal”.  Change is the only true constant in life.  If the Covid pandemic taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected.  The next five months are very unpredictable and surprising.  Yet, we must live our lives and go about our business as best we can knowing that we are in for months of potential upheaval and chaos, lengthy steps backward to review, recalibrate, reflect, and research what we truly value and ideally, establish goals based on our emerging desires.

December marks the first of these next five months of achingly slow movement.  This is really not the time to push forward with just about anything new:  relationships, projects, businesses and more.  All three interior planets, Mercury, Mars and Venus, will reverse movement through mid-April 2025.  We feel the reverse motions of these planets much more acutely than Jupiter through Pluto.

Now is the moment to deeply dive inward and figure out where to go from here and how best to get there.  The one upside of this is that it occurs all through wintertime ahead, a time of regular down shifting into low gear for wool gathering.

For starters:  Messenger Mercury is moving retrograde as December opens and only a few days into the month, Motivating Mars turns retrograde as well, making the second week of the month the most difficult when both planets are cycling backward.

We will feel this epically slow energy. 

Try not to take it personally if you cannot get anything done or have to re-do everything from Friday, December 6^th to Monday, December 16^th.  You will get very little traction so bide your time and practice a whole lot of patience. 

On the heels of the Thanksgiving holiday, a New Moon in Sagittarius greets us on Sunday, December 1^st. Wedged tightly between Messenger Mercury and the Sun, this fiery New Moon trio demands the truth, whether we can handle it or not.  There is a hunger, a driven quest to pursue the purest understanding of any matter, whether a relationship, a problem to be solved, a legal concern, or ethical dilemma. 

This is Sagittarius:  I understand.  Not because we DO understand; but rather for the sheer adventure to learn under the brightest lamp of knowledge.  Sagittarius IS the journey.  To learn for learning’s sake.  The veritable seeker come to life.

 

So as you set your New Moon intentions on December 1^st or 2^nd, ask how you can best learn, grow, or deepen your understanding about the goals you seek to manifest.  This is one very spiritual New Moon as both the Moon and Mercury challenge Taskmaster Saturn in Pisces.  Our heart and mind want certainty even while we are called to surrender to the great unknowns in life.  Our expectations of how life should be are challenged by how life actually is.  Best to step into the river of life’s universal flow and see where it takes you. 

You may very well feel a push and pull, a tug of war within striving for clarity and certainty.  Pay attention to imagery, signs emerging through music, lyrics or while in or around water.  This is Saturn in Pisces.  We are called to accept (if not embrace) all and everyone now.  This challenging angle reminds us of a very certain truth:  that despite our differences, we are all in this together.  We are ONE.

By the next Friday, December 6^th, Motivating Mars turns retrograde in Leo.  For the next two months, through the end of February, we are revisting our creativity, how to make the most of the chances we take, romantic pursuits, and matters with our children.  Until February 24^th, it is an excellent time for stepping back for a thorough review. 

If you can do this by taking time off or time out, so much the better.  The key is to monitor expectations of how much we can get done.  Watch for biting off more than you can easily chew.  Mars is the gas pedal of the zodiac, the god of action.  Retrograde, it is particularly dicey, surly and passive aggressive especially as delays in our progress mount through the wintertime.  Look for such behaviors in others as well as yourself. 

Divine timing is everything indicated by dreamy Neptune turning forward motion on December 7^th.  There is a wiser, more soulful purpose to the massive slow down through next April:  an ancient wisdom that we must collectively shift backward in order to confidently take well-placed steps forward into our future. 

The very same day, Valuable Venus moves into avant garde Aquarius.  Though detached and cerebral in Aquarius, Venus is also innovative and ingenious while in this sign.  You will find yourself gravitating to the smartest people in the room, those with really interesting ideas and maybe a bit off the wall too.  Although great for exploring alternative groups, technology and non-mainstream outlets, the caution here is do your homework. 

Before aligning yourself with anyone or any group on the fringe of society, ask if and how they have your best interests at heart.  Mars retrograde in Leo combined with Venus in Aquarius can draw some pretty radical people into our orbit.  Just make sure who you are aligning yourself with before you get too deeply committed.

Clarity and traceable facts become imperative with the approaching Full Moon on Sunday, December 15^th .  It also happens to be the same day as Mercury shifts direct motion.  Can you say SPIN?!  Both Sun and Moon challenge illusive Neptune in Pisces.  This Full Moon is a con artist’s dream.   Many do not know what to believe, who’s on first, which direction is true north, up, down or sideways.

So Buyer Beware Bigtime!  This applies to ANYthing you are getting involved with:  relationships, projects, finances, health, groups of any kinds, education, communication, and more.

Now is the time to do thorough homework. Ask questions.  Do not worry about what others think of your probing and prodding for information.  Tell them you want to be informed as much as possible. Ask open ended questions:  Why do you think that way?  What informs your beliefs or thoughts about X,Y, and Z?  What brought you to that conclusion?

These are not offensive questions but rather considered and deliberate queries.

Full Moons always shine a spotlight on what must be seen.  In communicative Gemini, this Full Moon brings a major announcement, especially of a legal nature.

By the end of the week, the Sun enters Capricorn on Saturday, December 21^st marking the winter solstice.  We can use every bit of the practicality and pragmatism for which Capricorn is so well known.  Individually and collectively we must rebuild facets of our lives in need of repair.  With long winter weeks ahead of planetary retrogrades, Capricorn offers the necessary energy to support our endeavors. 

This is hard core, hardnosed, long-haul, long-term, quality over quantity fuel.  The very opposite of airy fairy, Capricorn puts the rubber ON the road.  It constitutes the great life ledger taking stock and full inventory of all resources.  Do you have what it takes to meet your goals?  Ask Capricorn.

The darkest days are now behind us; although sufficient light may not shine through the proliferating chaos and confusion, cracks of light do glimmer through the turbulence.  Move toward the Light.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

Curious about the cosmic energy for the New Year?  Join me for a relaxed conversation about what to expect and how to best navigate 2025 at Peaceful Pathways in Easton, MA, 1:30-4 PM, Saturday, December 28th.  Contact me directly to register:  hilary@hilaryharley.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen via: Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treasure Hunt

Hard not to mention the presidential election in the United States this month.  With so much at stake, with the country divided so deeply, ignoring the election would be to pretend a tiger wasn’t in the room.  However, rather than focusing on who will win the election, our energy is better spent on the cosmic themes November has planned for us.

All the Novembers of our lives have to do with transformation.  This is Scorpio’s month. The middle month of autumn, November prepares us for impending wintertime, the final dissemination of leaves and seeds merging into Mother Earth, building equity for fresh spring cycles yet to be.  The harvest is now done.  We take our earthly riches and fold them carefully away to feast upon through darker days ahead. 

Scorpio and its ruler Pluto govern the underside, the shadow, dirty unmentionables swept under the rug that no one wants to acknowledge.  Yet therein lies our greatest treasure:  the forgotten, neglected, disabused pieces of ourselves, like leaves and stems shed, discarded into the earth which form the delicious soil for tomorrow’s harvest.

Like a bulldozer, Pluto and the energy of Scorpio pulls back the proverbial cover, curtain, or carpet insisting we take long, deep looks at the underbelly of our lives, examining the psychologically discarded remnants of our upbringing, ancestral patterns and ancient traumas.  Time to name it and claim it:  shame, guilt, abandonment, dismissed, overlooked and on and on.

And so the work begins, the very first day of November with the New Moon in Scorpio.  Two narratives offer distinct options as to our unearthing approach:  gut wrenching heavy lifting OR a mysteriously alluring detective game.  Both require time, effort and focused attention. Our expectations and headspace set the tone for the work to be done:  pure drudgery and toil OR a wild chase of a treasure hunt to find what lurks beneath.  I suggest employing the latter.  Always choose the more interesting path.

Either way, our excavation begins immediately on Friday, November 1^st with the New Moon in Scorpio. The Scorpio Sun and Moon align helpfully to Taskmaster Saturn in Pisces to cleanse and clear away the debris. The planetary trio intensifies our sensitivities now; so trust your intuition.  You do not need to know why or how something or someone makes you feel. Simply acknowledge your gut instincts.  Reasons and understanding will follow later on.

Turns out, later on is right around the corner. Over the weekend, Messenger Mercury turns into Sagittarius joining Valuable Venus and briefly the Moon on November 3^rd and 4^th.  These three illuminate what is being uncovered to better understand what we are seeing.  What lessons are we learning from our experience?  Take the high road now and ask how you can integrate the experiences so you do not repeat the lessons.  This path serves you well and is less arduous in the long run.  Still, many who don’t immediately get what they want, what they believe they deserve, or are entitled to, will choose to lawyer up, as the law and legal realm is ruled by Sagittarius.

By Monday, November 4^th, Motivating Mars shifts into Leo, opposing older sibling Pluto.  Bear in mind, Election Day is nigh. This is the energy at play when you cast your vote. Mars and Pluto have tangled since the end of October and continue through all of November.  Traveling through polar ends of the zodiac, Mars and Pluto raise our awareness about how to creatively problems solve for the masses, aka, give the people what they want.

How they go about delivering the goods involves completely different approaches.

An interior planet close to Earth, Mars makes its presence felt. In Look-at-Me Leo, Mars creates a cacophony of drama and noise.  This is not good or bad, positive or negative.  It simply is; especially Mars opposing Capricorn Pluto which draws a final, definitive line in the sand.  Pluto hits a crescendo on election week and will not return to Capricorn for another 240 years.  Talk about an emphatic, underscored, italicized and bold print finale!

Capricorn writes unmistakably in black and white on the great karmic ledger. It rules time and timing.  Capricorn says:  the cosmic slate is balanced now.  Just don’t expect outcomes or results to be willingly swallowed or the losers to go quietly or gently into that good night.  Not with Mars in Leo opposite.

Stay on your side of the fence says Valuable Venus as she turns into Capricorn on Monday, November 11^th.  Not exactly warm and fuzzy in hard-as-a-rock Capricorn, Venus cracks the whip now.  She tells us to put on our big boy and girl pants, to deal head on with the circumstances at hand.  Through mid-month, Venus challenges the north and south lunar nodes, playing arbiter and mediator between those picking fights and those making nice, trying to appeal to all sides.  No nonsense Capricorn sticks to the facts and insists on responsibility and integrity.

Discipline and honor are infinitely emphasized as Taskmaster Saturn, ruler of Capricorn itself, turns direct motion on Thursday, November 14^th . In Pisces, Saturn distills and discerns what exactly we believe. It is no accident that Saturn, Lord of Karma, shifts forward motion on the eve of the Full Moon.  The heavens are not messing around now.  The week leading up to the Full Moon is heavy indeed.  We feel every ounce of its weight and gravitas.

Tightly conjoined to Radical Uranus, the Full Moon in Taurus aligns to Powerful Pluto.  They’re deadly serious.  Think earthquakes and earsplitting thunderclaps.  This is one great awakener calling us to get our values straight.  Lives and livelihoods are at stake.  We are shown in vivid color what and whom really matter, are distinctly important, including our own dreams, talents, and assets.   Talk about clarity! 

The Awakening continues as Pluto moves into Aquarius on Tuesday, November 19^th.  We’ve been given a taste of Pluto in this non-mainstream sign earlier in 2024 but now, Pluto is here to stay in innovative Aquarius through 2043….!  Imagine what the world will look like then.  Humanitarian yet avant garde, Aquarius marches to its own drum.  Consider the last time Pluto cycled through Aquarius, 1777-1798, two revolutions occurred: in France where royal heads rolled and Great Britain vs. its own colonies, forming the United States of America.

Watch now as the collective rises to claim its rightful place.  The Old Order is done now, giving way to the New World Order championing the people.  First, though, creation and giving birth are very messy indeed. Do not expect a neat and tidy process.  Manage your expectations of how to navigate this time.  Remember:  there is nothing to fear as long as you speak from the heart and operate truthfully.

Truth and honesty are the watchwords as the Sun turns into freedom-loving Sagittarius on Thursday, November 21^st.  What the Sun excavated while in Scorpio now shines its light of truth on for all to see.  Over the next month, the Sun gradually pairs with Messenger Mercury in Sagittarius, forming a difficult angle, also known as a HOT MESS, as the pair opposes Jupiter in Gemini and challenge Neptune in Pisces.  Con artists and spin doctors thrive feeding on this energy. Beware and be aware.

How to manage?  Take a beat and listen, really tune into your intuition, your gut instincts. Pay attention to your common sense reasoning. Dip beneath the layers, below the surface and ask intentional, open-ended questions. Let others do the talking, wait for their replies and really listen to the meaning behind their words. The need for this increases that much more heading into Thanksgiving when Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday, November 26^th.

Snarled traffic and delayed flights?  You bet.  So leave plenty of extra time to get to your destination. 

The start to the holiday shopping season is at hand.  I am a glass half-full kinda gal and astrologer but we are entering a lengthy period of re-sets through spring of 2025.  It is helpful to look at the next five months as a time of preparation as all three interior planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars will be retrograde from late November 2024 through early April 2025.

We are taking a few steps back to do some much-needed interior work before we can firmly and confidently move forward. Very little traction and progress will be had. Set your expectations accordingly.  Practice the RE words for sure:  rest, restore, renew, research, relax, etc, knowing that this too shall pass.  After all, we got through Covid; we can get through this. 

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen through Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com

 

In Between Days

The time falling in between our occupations, our appointments and scheduled activities is often a most overlooked opportunity.  Many race to fill “empty” moments which could otherwise be recognized as sacred chances to wander and wonder.

When was the last time you allowed yourself to simply space out, drift, allow time to carry you away …?

Such is the deliciously ripe chance we find ourselves in as October opens. As the month begins we are in between two of three eclipses, the second of which occurs immediately on Wednesday, October 2^nd, and happens to be a New Moon Solar eclipse in Libra.

Contrary to the frantic urge to be productive, we often forget that mind wandering time is similar to sleep, and without it, we cannot function properly. Dream away down time feeds the soul which in turn feeds the engine of our days.  Ignore it at your peril.  Where some consider time off to be a waste of time, think of it rather as creative juice.

October largely belongs to Libra.  Libra allures and attracts us with beauty, art and highly developed relational skills.  Ruled by Venus, goddess of love, money, all of the good stuff, Libra teaches us to balance.  Who among us hasn’t given away our time, talents, resources and energy only to run smack into resentment for not factoring our own needs and agenda into the equation?

Balance is the primary theme, then, of October, marked as it is by two significant eclipses in Libra.  As a reminder:  eclipses are neither bad nor good.  When they impact your astrology chart directly, eclipses say pay attention.  In Libra they point out where our lives may be in need of realignment and rebalancing.  Where might this be for you?

In modern life, beauty is much maligned, both over hyped as well as denigrated.  Have you left beauty somewhere by the wayside of your own life?  Forgotten how snappy a polished pair of shoes looks?   How charming a vase of flowers can be?  How satisfying a walk through works of art feels?

This is Libra.                                         

Much like in-between time, Libra’s greatest gift of beauty gets put down and pushed aside in our rush to get ahead.

The Libra New Moon solar eclipse on October 2^nd is tightly bound to Messenger Mercury offering a significant window to set clear intentions.  Take time handwriting three to five goals you seek to manifest over the next month or season; then plant in the earth or set safely alight.  Decision making is key now.  With Sun, Moon, Mercury and the Lunar south node all in Libra, we carefully weigh all choices.  Remember:  there are no wrong decisions.  There is ONLY learning. 

Libra can see every single angle, both pro and con, of the options at hand.  What should tip the veritable scales of your choices is casting a vote for yourself.  Especially as Libra tends to forget itself entirely, so focused is it on everyone else in our lives. By all means, take into account whatever choice benefits you the most.  This is not selfish as many of us have been taught. Our own potential and well-being are of equal importance as are the myriad agendas factoring into your equation.

One week later, cosmic gear shifts as we move toward mid-month and the second eclipse. The planetary baton is passed.

First, Generous Jupiter comes to a standstill and turns retrograde on Tuesday, October 8^th.  We do not feel the forward and reverse motions of the outer planets as we do the interior planets Mercury, Venus and Mars that are closer to the Earth.  Nonetheless, if you have important affairs to launch or get a move on, the energy may feel sluggish from October 7-9. 

In communicative Gemini, Jupiter sends a message now:  are we listening as much as we are talking?  Are you allowing quiet, down time (again with the down time!) to gather information and integrate all data points?  This reminder is the gift of Jupiter retrograde in Gemini, to pay attention, to hear, in equal measure to sharing and talking.

Only two days later, on Thursday, October 10^th, Powerful Pluto turns direct motion in Capricorn.  Tied to the moon, Pluto says clearly:  get down to business.  Say what you mean and mean what you say. Actions speak a whole lot louder than words now. Opposite Motivating Mars in Cancer, the Pluto-Moon duo in Capricorn emphasize the gravity of the current moment, especially as pertains to our family, home, diet or food, country/nation and ancestral heritage.

Push has come to shove and it is time for decisive action.

To underscore this brass tacks moment, Messenger Mercury turns into transformational Scorpio on Sunday, October 13^th.  With its X ray vision and unparalleled bull shit detector, Scorpio Mercury roots out any dirt swept under the proverbial rug.  What it uncovers, it readily reveals.  Feel the burn. Anyone trying to pull a fast one or pull the wool over another’s eyes, will feel the burn, the infamous Scorpio sting.  Simply:  they won’t get away with anything.  Talk about power moves.  Now is the time to let your power swing.

The combined energetic gravitas tees us up beautifully for the final eclipse of 2024. Brought to you by balls to the walls, this Full Moon lunar eclipse on Thursday, October 17^th in Aries and Libra directly challenges heavy weights Mars and Pluto.  If you did not get the hint the prior week, you will be bowled over now.  Supposedly everlasting structures and power dynamics may fall like dominoes. What remains post eclipse is intended to stay for the duration. 

The message:  love comes first, family (or people who feel like family), your home, nation, ancestral conditioning and programming, what and how you consume food, life endings, and estate matters are all significantly in play now.  This eclipse is a call to action, to get a move on like few others.  Expect some very big announcements now.

The great news is:  The Full Moon tightly conjoins healer Chiron. 

In the wake of old structures collapsing, new pathways emerge.  Beckoning to us is are invitations to explore new types of healing.  What alternative therapies have you thought about but not yet tried?  Do that.  Book a trial session; try new foods or ways of cooking, investigate ancestral patterns impacting you or your loved ones; prepare estate plans.

Helping us put our explorer hat on, Valuable Venus turns into Sagittarius the very next day, Friday, October 18^th.  Here, Venus is up for anything, game to try what she hasn’t done before. Unabashed and definitely unafraid, Sagittarius Venus cannot wait to hit the trail and see where adventure takes her.

Messenger Mercury in Scorpio and Venus in Sagittarius create one powerful planetary combination.  Together we see everything and everyone clearly, speak our minds regardless of who might be offended, telling ribald truths, and peeling away antiquated distortions and expectations of how life is supposed to be.

A question for anyone still thinking along these lines:  how IS life actually supposed to be? And according to whom?  Chances are, the answers will not hold water, much less survive the earth shattering honesty of October.  Truth telling is not for the faint of heart.  So do not expect to win popularity contests or curry favor for speaking your truth.

On Tuesday, October 22^nd the Sun turns into Scorpio. Joining Mercury, the Sun lays bare any attempts to shade the truth.  We intuitively see, feel, and know with uncanny accuracy the essence of our personal and work lives.  Heavy lifting now follows.  What once is seen cannot be unseen.  You ARE up for the task ahead.  You’ve uncovered the dirt hidden by that old rug.  Just look there in the pile underneath:  a treasure awaits, to bring out of the shadows and into the light. What will you do with your treasure?

                                                            

Of special note:

So honored to appear on the Life with Ghosts podcast recently.  Hosts Stephen Berkley and Gary Langley offered a lively discussion with challenging questions about the soul, astrology, its purpose as a guidance tool, and much more.  This is one episode to give a listen.  To tune in, go to YouTube, Life with Ghosts episode 18:   https://youtu.be/FpJSATYeaSQ 

3 Wise Women: Join veteran medium Cathy Ripley Greene, psychic intuitive Veronica Drake and me the first Tuesday of each month @6 pm via zoom for metaphysical community and conversation.  We tackle questions large and small.  Come find your tribe!  $10 session or $110 for the year.  www.cathyripleygreene.com or www.hilaryharley.com to enroll.

 

 

Stark Choices

Our choices define us and lead us to the place we now find ourselves in.  There is no right or wrong.  There is only learning on planet Earth. 

Increasingly since the Covid pandemic, we see with greater clarity the stark, contrasting choices we must make in the pursuit of happiness, peace or sheer survival.  This vivid contrast is markedly underscored at the onset of September.  There is no mistaking our distinct options:

Love or fear, and the choices stemming from either of these.

Powerful Pluto returns to Capricorn on Sunday, September 1^st for its final pass in this earth sign. The planetary bulldozer, Pluto in Capricorn suffers no fools, accepts no excuses and draws exact boundaries on the ledger of life.  You either did or did not.  Pluto in Capricorn allows for no blurry areas or gray zones.  It says you made your choices, now deal with the consequences.  For the next two and a half months, only those wearing their big boy and girl pants need apply. 

September is as serious as it gets.

The New Moon in analytical Virgo the very next day, on Monday, September 2^nd, takes stock of where we stand and how to most effectively move forward.  Our health and well-being are paramount.  Because if you’re not functioning optimally with adequate resources, nothing else really matters. Opposing Saturn in Pisces, the New Moon suggests that we control what we can, prepare and plan, and make sure to have a plan B, C, and maybe D, too; then surrender what falls outside of your control.

What IS surely within our control is self-care.  Motivating Mars turns into nurturing Cancer the Crab on Wednesday, September 4^th.  The action planet is not really comfortable in this emotional water sign; however, over the next month, Mars draws our attention to family, home, nation and ancestral heritage.  Cancerian energy is The Great Mother.  Mars in Cancer moves us to nourish ourselves at a soul level; because if Mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy. 

Filling our cups first by tending to the backyard of our lives creates a ripple effect. We model constructive behavior for others and demonstrate how we expect to be treated.  When we feel replenished and aligned, we can assist others to do the same.

For much of September, Mars challenges the north and south lunar nodes in cardinal signs Aries and Libra, meaning:  we have choices to make (libra) about forging a new path (aries) for our self-care, our loved ones, our homes and homeland (cancer mars).  Notice how family conditioning and programming shapes your conscious decision making.  This appears first as a call to attention followed by a call to action.  The more you resist the call, the more urgent it sounds until it may no longer be ignored. 

An example might be as obvious as you are what you eat.  If you suffer from a skin or digestive ailment, look at what foods and beverages you consume.  Another more abstract example might be how you take care of your place of residence, consider and treat family heirlooms, or participate in elections, our attitudes and approaches to which stem from our upbringing.

Helping us assess and catalogue our behavior, Messenger Mercury shifts into its own sign of Virgo on Monday, September 9^th.  Gradually Mercury aligns helpfully with Mars to target our optimal health and wellness.  These two operate hand-in-glove through mid-month like a well-oiled machine shaping our work and lifestyle routines and practices into peak form.

The tipping point comes at mid-month on the eve of the Full Moon Lunar eclipse on Tuesday, September 17^th, in Virgo-Pisces.  If you did not receive the message at the beginning of the month, this eclipse has your name on it:  surrender and surrender now.  With Saturn, Neptune, and the Moon in dreamy Pisces opposing the Sun and Messenger Mercury in detailed Virgo, we are called to implement our divine inspirations.  Dream and then do.  Follow up your dreams with a detailed plan.

This is the first of THREE, count ‘em three eclipses occurring between September 17^th and October 17^th.  As a reminder, eclipses are neither bad nor good but rather markers of significant events especially if they connect to or impact your astrology chart.  Eclipses operate like doors opening and closing.  Have no concern.  Rather, watch how results play out knowing you can choose whether to get involved in events stirred up by the eclipses.

As dreamy Neptune finishes its cycle in its own sign of Pisces and taskmaster Saturn marks the halfway point through this same sign, they join the moon at the time of the September eclipse.  The moon rules our emotions as well as the ocean tides.  So it is worth avoiding “getting swept away” by emotional tides, carried away without rhyme or reason.  To counter irrational thoughts or behaviors:  ground yourself.  The Sun (our will) and Messenger Mercury (our minds) are in earthy Virgo. 

They remind us to rely on healthy routines and practices such as exercise, mindfulness and meditation, hobbies and service to others to ground yourself and keep it real.  Wear, hold or tuck grounding stones into your pockets such as black obsidian, hematite, or onyx.

What is meant to be cleansed and cleared from our lives will be washed away; conversely, what is intended to stay permanently in our lives now, will.

Several days later we head into the Fall equinox as the Sun turns into Libra on Sunday, September 22^nd.  We stand at a crossroads trying to read the signs and determine which way to go.  Assisting our decision making, Valuable Venus shifts into Scorpio on the very same day.  Here, Venus takes no prisoners.  Her spidey senses and X-Ray vision are sharp and 100 per cent accurate.  The planet of love, money and relationship knows what’s up, whether she’s dealing with a player or a truth teller.

In this way, she offers immense support to the otherwise indecisive Sun and Messenger Mercury which joins the Sun in Libra on Thursday, September 26^th.   Scorpio Venus does deep research then informs Sun-Mercury which way to go, and long-term consequences benefitting your own best interests.  The caution here is canvassing every possible opinion, or being persuaded too easily by popular consensus rather than harkening to your own conscience and wisdom.

As you approach key junctures, then, reserve quiet time to contemplate your heartfelt desires.  Libra energy often forgets and forsakes its own needs and agenda as it rushes to please others.  But Libra’s purpose is to balance.  Balance your needs in equal measure to those around you.  The most difficult decisions often involve voting for ourselves first.  Doing so, we risk alienating another.

However, if we choose conformity, staying on the hamster wheel of tribal conditioning and programming, doing as we always have been told, we face a greater risk:  losing ourselves entirely, to long-term soulful disappointment, resentment and worse.

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.  – Anais Nin

Go forth and blossom.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Join three veteran metaphysical practitioners for community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

FIERCE:  Boston and New England folks, join me at Fierce Female Weekend Workshop, 9-12 noon, Saturday, September 28^th, Needham, MA, for yoga and astrology discussion, cosmic happenings in this age of monumental shifts. To register:  www.fiercebychoice.com.

Zenathon is approaching!  Join me and a host of spectacular speakers on Sunday, September 22^nd in Sharon, MA for this one-day spiritual retreat featuring inspirational speakers, yoga, and marketplace with vendors in a beautiful natural setting.  Use PROMO CODE:  ZenHilary to purchase tickets at www.zenathon.org.

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen through Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life in the Slow Lane

 Look-at-me-Leo rules the month of August. Known for being a sign that roars, Leo is the life of any party, and The Creator, especially fun and frivolity.  Where there is life, there is Leo.  Master artists, athletes, inventors and designers of all variety often have planets in Leo or Leo’s house, the 5^th, somewhere in their astrology chart.

So what gives then this month, August 2024, when we are drawn to slow down, rewind and reset?

August begins under a dark moon phase.  Sounds ominous; but it is not.  Rather, it offers a highly, deeply creative time.  In her own sign of Cancer the Crab as the Moon disappears from the night sky, she is intensely fertile and sets the stage for the rest of the month.  Cancer is the Great Mother.  And a Cancerian Moon in the darkest phase of the lunar cycle is the womb itself.  She invites us into her cozy delicious depths, preparing us for a New Moon in Leo on Sunday, August 4th.   Here, the seed is planted.

What seeds are you planting in the womb of life?

Underscoring the significance of the creative opportunities of this New Moon, Messenger Mercury turns retrograde on the very same day in practical Virgo. Here, Mercury stops to take a second, third or maybe even fourth glance at the composition of our lives.  It analyzes the tiniest details of our habits, routines and practices, asking:  are these working effectively and efficiently?  Are these practices healthy? 

We may feel caught in the gear shift, the juxtaposition posed by the New Moon inviting us forward while Mercury has us pause to reflect and review.   How do we reconcile the two?

Stop.  Just stop. Take a moment out of life on Sunday, August 4^th and hand write 3-5 intentions or goals, the more specific the better.  Set these aside and revisit your writing later in the day; or even better, look over your notes on Monday, the 5^th.  How do your intentions feel now?  Tinker with them and re-write as needed.  Then plant in the soft, warm earth or set safely alight.

The very next day, Valuable Venus joins Mercury in Virgo, highlighting practicality in our relationships, including how we spend our time and money.  We want to know exactly what we are getting for our efforts with people, our jobs, and our service to others.  Our thoughts, words and way of relating now focus on health and well-being:  are the people we hang out with healthy for us?  Is our daily routine benefiting our body, mind and soul?  Is our work or job satisfying and building toward a rewarding future?

If your answer is more no, than yes, Venus and retrograde Mercury prompt a lifestyle revision. 

The final month of summer is the perfect time to strategize and plan for the season ahead.  Planning and preparation are Virgo’s superpower.  Put its energy to work for you.  Is your schedule working for you or overwhelming you?  If the latter, what do you want your schedule to look like?  Sit with your calendar.  Is there a flow?  Do your days account for down time, you time, exercise time? 

Where the Sun in Leo is the creative force, Mercury and Venus in Virgo are the worker bees who follow orders and construct the design.  And they won’t hesitate to tell the boss if the creative vision is unrealistic, inefficient or not useful in some regard.

What to watch for between the New Moon on August 4^th and mid-month?   Overthinking, trying to control all the moving parts, worrying about what is out of your control, perfectionism and/or thinking and trying to make everything perfect, all of which can lead to general anxiety.

Instead of allowing yourself to be swallowed by the above hamster wheel, pause, pivot and redirect. Ask:  is this the most effective use of my time?  If not, put Virgo’s health-consciousness to work for you.  Slow down. Take long, deep breaths. Go for a walk, bike ride, gym, or do some gentle stretches.

Lay low.  Quiet, behind the scenes, off the grid time is August’s invitation.  If you haven’t taken vacation already, this is your month!  The lazy days of mid-August are tailor made for reading on the beach or your back deck, going fishing, camping or health spa depending on your budget and interest.

The majority of August’s days are marked by Messenger Mercury’s retrograde passage so be mindful of some guidelines:  watch for missed connections, miscommunications and misunderstandings.  Practice Patience with a capital P!  Lean on the RE words, Rest, Review, Restore, Refresh, Relax, Revisit, Renovate, etc.  August is a terrific month to clean out closets (drawers, basements, attics), hold yard sales and repair items as needed, etc.

Avoid or delay buying any electronic or communications equipment such as cellphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions until August 28^th or afterward.  The same applies to big ticket purchases such as cars, homes, appliances and travel bookings.  Take your own sweet time reviewing significant documents before signing on the dotted line, such as auto loans, mortgages, or other legal contracts.

Back to school deals abound in August but if you can wait til the end of the month, especially for buying connective devices, the better.  If necessity dictates a new phone or laptop, make sure you purchase the extra warranty as you may very well need it later on.

The plot thickens around August 15^th.  Retrograding Mercury re-enters Leo offering a helpful chance to revisit and rework creative pursuits.  If a project or endeavor isn’t landing right, this is your opportunity to polish it up, make it shine and re-resubmit at the end of August.  This is particularly true of any writing or language-based efforts, including sales, marketing, public relations and advertising, as well as creative and non-fiction writing.  Why?

Gemini.  Both Generous Jupiter and Motivating Mars meet up in communicative Gemini the middle week of August.  The power of persuasion is all yours when you focus.  Tune in.  Listen to the passive Gemini twin:  hearing, thinking, intergrating and composing. What is your message?  Who is your audience?  What is your goal?  Hone and craft your words carefully.   Switch gears to the active Gemini twin: talking, sharing, selling, and writing. And….GO!

August 13^th-17^th can be either wildly insightful to the point of visionary or completely blinding and delusional.  Both Jupiter and Mars in Gemini challenge Saturn in Pisces during this stretch. Creatively, our imaginations are off the charts this week.  Immense potential abounds for groundbreaking ideas.  So put pen to paper, brush to canvas, just dive into the creative wave.

Just make sure you keep head-to-toes grounded along with your message. Because the flip side of this massive creative wave is illusion, disillusionment, mirage and smoke and mirrors; consequentially, it is not the week to take a risk, either romantically or economically.  Watch for slick sales maneuvers, buying things you really do not need, falling for bait and switch gimmicks, and more.  Read that email twice. Use caller ID to screen potential pranksters.  If you do take the call, remember: when something sounds too good to be true, it actually is.

By the following Monday, you will know what is up, whether something/one is the real deal or up to no good.  Under the light of the Full Moon in Innovative Aquarius on Monday, August 19th, we see exactly what we are getting into.  The bright spotlight of the Moon opposite the Sun conjoined to Messenger Mercury shines on every little detail of our situation.  We still have time to make adjustments and corrections to our work before Mercury turns direct motion.  Practice makes perfect as the Sun turns into hard-working Virgo on Thursday, August 22^nd.  Take advantage!  As long as you remember to be kind to yourself and practice self-care and well-being in equal measure.  Virgo can work itself into a frenzy, believing it is never quite good enough.  Know when to say when and when good enough is sufficient.

At long last, Messenger Mercury turns direct motion on Wednesday, August 28^th!   Book your travel plans, sign major documents, purchase communication devices and any large ticket items now.  By the end of week, Valuable Venus turns into her own sign of Libra on Friday, August 30^th.  Here, the planet of love, money and relationship revels as she designs, harmonizes and balances all aspects of life graciously and gracefully. 

Keep this in mind as you juggle back-to-work and school routines.  Check your need-to-please other people at the door and remember to take your own agenda into full account before committing to help someone else.  There is a lot on our plates now.  Guard your plate carefully.

Of Special Note:

If you prefer to listen to audio recordings of my astrology forecasts, these are always available via my podcast, Mystical Messages on Spotify and Apple as well through my website:  www.hilaryharley.com.

Join me and a wealth of state of the art wellness practitioners at the Zenathon, Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 9 AM to 4 PM in Sharon, MA.  Hear inspirational talks, revel in nature and enjoy yoga in a gorgeous woodland setting.  To learn more, www.zenathon.org, or hear Zenathon visionary founder Sonya Masur share all the details on Mystical Messages podcast.

When You Wish Upon a Star

July offers an invitation to float along the current of life. Rather than fight what pulls us along, celestial tides gently carry us if only we allow.  What does that mean exactly?

Play. Dive into life and splash around. Reflect and relax. Surrender. Say yes to prospects and opportunities and figure out the details later. This might sound a lot like a Mercury retrograde period.  But it is not. July is a time of active dreaming and being.  Delicious soul time. Not just because it is now summertime; but cosmic energies also lead us to wonder, wander and imagine.

Do you remember a time when you could not wait to go outside and play?  The rich timelessness of hanging out, eating popsicles, blowing giant soap bubbles, searching for 4 leaf clovers, swinging on the tire swing, riding bikes.  Tap into that.  As an adult, lounge outside, walk in the woods, take a swim. Put down your phone and lay on the grass to look at the sky above.

This is one month to make excuses about why you cannot work or get things done; excuse yourself so you can go outside and play.  Avoid obligation.  There, I said it.  If you need permission, you have it.  The planets are handing it to you, playfully pushing you into the water lapping at your toes.

Why?  What is the cosmic reason for this you might ask?

Nearly back-to-back outer planetary gear shifts occur in mystical Pisces as June ended and July begins.

Taskmaster Saturn is now half way through dreamy Pisces, while Neptune finishes its cycle in this same sign it also rules.  On June 29^th, Saturn turned retrograde and only two days later, on July 1^st, Neptune reverses gear.  Although we do not feel cyclical turns of outer planets nearly as much as interior ones, the timing of this duo’s gear shifts at the beginning of July is like a lullaby, sweet, sweet music singing us into impressions, memories, inspirations, and ideas.  Create time to soak these up.

There is nothing to prepare for or anticipate; rather, simply follow the cosmic lead.  Fall back into its arms like a giant pool float.  Relax and let yourself be carried.  The week heading into July 4^th is like waiting to fall asleep:  one minute you are awake, the next you are not; and yet, you do not realize you have fallen asleep, do you?

In a world where we are controlled by the false construct of hours, days and weeks, time fades away now.  We may lose our bearings, forget things, both items or directions, places or people’s names, why we were doing what we were doing, came into a room, what we came into the store to buy, only to pick up something else, something you’d never “normally” buy, something completely wonderful like sidewalk chalk or a sci-fi romance novel. 

Pisces knows no boundaries; so there are no rules here.  While that can feel confusing to some, it is liberating for many others.  The hurried and harried busy-ness of the world doesn’t seem to matter right now.  Leading into the holiday, this couldn’t happen at a better time.

For all of this, watch your drug and alcohol intake, which Neptune rules.  The mix of pervasive absent-mindedness, addictive substances and water activities could indeed be dangerous.

Fun times are rarin’ to go when Messenger Mercury moves into festive Leo on Tuesday, July 2^nd.  Let’s get this party started already, says this combo.  Aligning helpfully to Neptune, we are in for one happy stretch through this first week of July.  Your inner child is calling.  Will you answer?  Embrace play, creativity, and JOY.  If possible, keep a very light and loose schedule as you will want to delve into your downtime as much as possible and will resent anyone or anything keeping you from good times.  This may include solo time tinkering in your garage, fishing or laying in a hammock snoozing.

That said, the Fourth of July occurs just a day prior to the New Moon on Friday, July 5^th.  Whether you are partying big with company or laying low by yourself or just a few companions, relax into this highly imaginative and intuitive New Moon.  Conjoined to Valuable Venus in Cancer the Crab, both Sun and Moon align beautifully with Saturn in Pisces.

We are in the flow, swimming comfortably downstream at an even keel, held securely by family, or those who feel like family.  Any musical or water activities in particular look enticing, soothing and FUN through the weekend.  In fact, the first two weeks of July look perfect for vacation or impromptu stay cations so ENJOY.  This caring and supportive New Moon is most welcome in such divisive times. Our home, our backyard, our homeland nurtures and nourishes us, no matter what our political or philosophical orientation. This is an exceptional moment to wish upon a star; so take time over the weekend to handwrite 3-5 intentions and plant them in the warm earth.

By the following Thursday, July 11^th, Valuable Venus joins Messenger Mercury in Leo, prolonging the festivities.  Leo rules creativity, games of chance, risk taking and romance.  Love is in the air as this is one very romantic stretch through mid-July. You are up for anything now; so toss your hat in the ring and see where you land, both creatively and romantically.

With Venus opposing Aquarian Pluto from July 10^th through the 16^th, we notice where we end and others begin; others may include any individuals, groups or teams, whether family, romantic partners, friends, or work colleagues.  Pay attention to your needs and agenda as compared to those of others during the middle of July.  Make sure you love yourself enough to say NO or bow out when in group settings, even with just one other person.  This form of protective self-care goes a long way to preserve relationships.  And if others do not understand your needs, it may very well say a lot about them.

Another key aspect to watch in mid-July is Motivating Mars conjoined to Radical Uranus in Taurus, ruler of money, worth, the earth, resources of all kinds, and our skills and talents.   This slower moving pair only occurs once every two years so take care with your wallet now. Read the fine print and know what you are getting into as Mars incites action and Uranus rules shock and surprise. 

Look for a stock market RIDE, epic windfalls, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, energy/money/resource draining events, big climate shifts, all unpredictable or unexpected.  TO BE CLEAR:  avoid falling into the trap of labeling these bad or good, positive or negative.  Big life pivots occur to redirect us. As they occur, we can feel lost.  And understandably, losing resources of any kind is difficult.  The test here is how you respond.  Do you gloat on your good fortune or pledge to lift up others?  Do you wallow and whine, ask for help, or pick up the pieces and create your own path forward?  

The shock and awe of Mars-Uranus catches us off guard at best or catches us with our pants down at worst.  So take a beat.  Pause at mid-month to catch your breath.  Taurus is cautious.  There is no hurry here, despite the look of things.  The situation is rife with silver linings.  Hidden or not, you only have to look, to ask questions, and be open. 

By Sunday, July 21^st Mars moves on, out of Taurus and into communicative Gemini, aligning helpfully to older sibling Pluto.  We are able to marshal people, make connections, gather and share information on a large scale.  Mars’ entrance into Gemini occurs on the same day as the Full Moon at the final degree of Capricorn, highlighting definitive endings, culminations and brand new stories unfolding.

Opposite the Sun in Cancer, the Capricorn Full Moon is tied to Pluto emphasizing pronounced boundaries concerning family, food, nation, life-endings, ancestral inheritance (both material and psychological), house and home.  Watch for children getting married, a baby born, beloved grandparent passing, the purchase of a first home, settling of an estate, food-related incidents, stomach or breast events, hospice or compassionate care.  With Pluto in Aquarius, the above may very well occur with a twist, as in:  done differently, alternative, or non-mainstream manner. 

The very next day, the Sun turns into Look at Me Leo on Monday, July 22^nd.  Aligned helpfully to Mars in Gemini and opposing Aquarian Pluto, we have our creative thinking caps on, sourcing inventive approaches to problem solving.  Anything is possible says this planetary combination…so try what comes up and see where it takes you…

Within reason, says Messenger Mercury as it moves into its own sign of practical Virgo on Friday, July 26^th.  Our minds are laser focused now heading into August, with attention on health, wellness, animals, our daily routines and practices.  Mercury rubs Mars in Gemini the wrong way through the end of the month as Mars overcommits and overpromises leaving us to worry about the details and how everything will get done.

The remedy for this is taking turns at looking at the big picture then figuring out the mechanics. Much like an artist at her easel, stand back occasionally to look at your situation holistically.  Detached from a distance, you can see what needs to be adjusted, rearranged, emphasized or eliminated.

Perfectionism and overthinking are the traps for Mercury in Virgo; efficiency, hard work, health consciousness and service orientation are where we shine for now.  Lean into these qualities.

Of Special Note:

Find your tribe!  Join me and fellow seekers among the 3 Wise women, for community, conversation and connection for just $10/month.  We meet the first Tuesday of each month 6-7:30 PM via zoom.  Enroll by visiting:  hilaryharley.com/3wisewomen.

The Zenathon is coming!  Sunday, September 22, 2024 in Sharon Mass.  This one day immersive retreat features myriad speakers, teachers, practitioners and healers along with a vendor marketplace.  I will present on the astrology for the last quarter of the year.  Join us from 10 AM-4 PM. To learn more: www.zenathon.org