An Adventure Revisited
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
Tell your story
When Mercury is in Leo (July 27, 2021, 6:11 pm PDT through Aug. 12), it struggles a bit to do its job. On the face of it, that’s counter-intuitive; surely Mercury’s communication would benefit from Leo’s creativity and sense of fun?
Well I mean, it does – but self-expression is only part of Mercury’s job. It’s also charged, to the best of its ability, with gathering and processing ALL facts and information – not just the ones that flatter us.
Enjoy Mercury’s brief journey through Leo. Play games. Read entertaining books. Tell stories. Make people laugh. But leave the research and analysis for the Mercury in Virgo team; it’s too easy now to see only what we want to see.
An adventure revisited
After adventurous Jupiter first entered Aquarius last December, it flew through the sign of future hopes and dreams at high speed, hardly pausing to let us catch our breath and decide which precipice to launch ourselves from. Before we knew it, it was May, and Jupiter was already dipping its toes into Pisces waters.
Now, Jupiter backs into Aquarius (July 28, 2021, 5:42 am PDT) where it’ll finish out 2021, revisiting some of the territory it rushed through earlier in the year. What was the great Aquarian adventure you were planning in the spring? Was it a trip you want to take, a new career path, learning a language? The Aquarius house of your birth chart (this post can help you find it) is the territory where you’re feeling the urge for growth, for unlimited vistas and wide open skies – for more. For the remainder of the year, take some leaps of faith – and find some like-minded people to keep you company.
Assessment
Last year, Mars made a series of aspects to Jupiter that coincided with the beginning and the first crisis point of the pandemic. As Mars opposes Jupiter this week (July 29, 2021, 8:50 am), we’re in a better position to assess: How did this all begin, how might it have been better handled, and most of all, what’s the state of things moving forward? On one hand, vaccines have given many Americans the sense that it’s safe to return to travel and large gatherings. Yet in the background, and around the world, are rumblings about variants of the virus and of numbers of cases spiking after the recent holidays. It’s even affected the Olympic games, the acme of Mars’ competitive spirit on a worldwide stage, with protests around the event and a decidedly less celebratory atmosphere over all.
This is a week when we’ll “assess” how things are going in our communities, countries, and world – and by that I mean there will probably be more arguing and discord. After all, Mars is on 29 Leo, the Royal degree (near the fixed star Regulus), and does not like to be told what to do, while Jupiter at 29 degrees of Aquarius feels it knows everything and won’t hesitate to share its opinion!
The scratchy side
Mars enters Virgo this week (July 29, 2021, 1:32 pm), and as a proud owner of a Mars in Virgo in my birth chart, I can attest to its virtues. This Mars is self-assured, competent, and dedicated to quality work and attention to detail. But every Mars has its scratchy side, and it’s the small things that aggravate us when Mars is in Virgo: the poor use of punctuation, the waiter who mixes up the lunch order, the friend who is always late. If you find yourself a little more sarcastic, sharp-tongued, and critical while Mars is here (through September 15), remember that Mars acts as the guard dog of the ego – and Mars in Virgo misbehaves when we feel we’re being taken for granted, or that the quality of our work is being impugned.
The true thing
Mercury and the Sun come together on August 1, then oppose Saturn (Mercury at 2:50 pm PDT, the Sun at 11:14 pm PDT) on the Sabian Symbol, Children in a swing in a huge oak tree. And they have a very old story to tell.
Imagine – or you can recall? – being a sunny, creative, and uncomplicated child who wants to share something with the world. Maybe it’s a song, a joke, or a dance step. You tug at mom or dad’s sleeve, desperate for attention, but they’re distracted, or critical. If it happens once in awhile, you’ll usually bounce back. But if you’re routinely shut down by those you love, you’ll learn to hide your true self.
This week, sunny optimism and playfulness confronts criticism or censure. The several days leading up to the oppositions will probably be the toughest, but it’s a rough week generally for launching something from your heart out into the world. If you do, and the world is unreceptive or negative, you will need to figure out whether this thing is worth fighting for.
We don’t want to let Saturn stop us in our tracks altogether, but he’s not necessarily wrong for suggesting that refinement, discipline, or hard work would make our creative, loving efforts more effective. But there’s no question that the joyful, creative spark is the true thing, and Saturn should only be listened to if its message is constructive.
Writing and images © 2020-2021 by April Elliott Kent
