Monday 7/29/2024: Sneak Peek at the Week; Mercury Retrograde Alert

Allllrighty then!

Exact planetary patterns other than those involving the Moon are sparse this week:

• Venus squares Uranus on Friday
• New Moon in Leo on Sunday
• Venus enters Virgo on Sunday

Humming in the background is Mercury (how we need to think and communicate), now slowing to a virtual standstill as it prepares to go retrograde on Sunday (or next Monday, if you live in the Eastern Time Zone). There will be NO WHINGING about Mercury being retrograde, as we need these periods to review and revise what’s happened since May. Plus, Mercury retrogrades are perfect for retreats, relaxation, and reunions. Your coping strategy this week is to BACK UP YOUR COMPUTERS NOW.

The week goes like this:

• MONDAY: The Taurus Moon will not be void, and it encourages efforts to preserve the status quo and/or How Things Should Be. At 11:47 AM ET, Moon meets up with rebel Uranus, an apt innovative and disruptive pattern reflecting President Biden’s Washington Post’s op-ed (published this morning), outlining three proposals to reform our corrupt Supreme Court. Moon goes void on a dreamy meet-up with Neptune at 4:59 PM ET, facilitating a 28-minute cat nap. At 5:27, Moon enters Gemini, and the next two days are driven by the need to be the cleverest, most intensely entertaining kid in the room. Depth is added to the game this evening, as Moon trines Pluto at 6:43 PM ET. A clash involving cleverness vs. getting it right may crop up around 10 PM ET, as Moon squares Mercury.
• TUESDAY: Moon’s meet-up with Mars at 5 AM ET suggests focused, forceful agility in action — especially in Paris, host of the 2024 Summer Olympics. A sextile between the Moon and Sun is an effective backdrop for a balancing act. Moon’s meet-up with Jupiter at 6:44 PM ET could reflect a jovial mood…or a lot of hot air. Now that I think of it, theses patterns may manifest as an expansive day for wildfires. Controls or some other heavy block may kick in around 2:41 AM ET on…
• WEDNESDAY… as Moon squares Saturn. Deal with it in the morning; the afternoon is sweeter…and the evening potentially sweeter still, as Moon harmonizes with Venus at 1:32 PM ET and squares Neptune at 10:46 PM ET.  That Neptune square could be a dreamy escape…or something that isn’t as it seems. At 11:33 PM ET (after a 33-minute Moon void), Moon ditches Gemini and enters Cancer.
• THURSDAY: Moon in Cancer is in the sign it rules, and thus functions with greater effectiveness, so they say. Creating and preserving emotional, family, and home/homeland security is Moon in Cancer’s reigning need, and an effect message may be broadcast around 5:43 AM ET, when Moon sextiles Mercury (which is in Virgo, one of the signs it rules). Humming in the background today (and all week) is the disruptive — but perhaps innovative — buzz of a square between Venus and Uranus, exact at 9:26 AM ET on…
• FRIDAY. In the language of astrology, Venus refers to who, what, and how we need to love, and Venus is currently in Leo. Venus refers to women, values, money, aesthetics, and social expression…and all of these NEED to reflect Leo’s shining, regal, showstopping potential. Uranus refers to change — often upsetting, for better or worse. It refers to  technology, seismic activity, aviation, innovation, and that which goes against the “norm.” Remember that through the end of November (and for a few months in 2025), Uranus is on Algol, a Fixed Star associated with “losing one’s head,” figuratively and literally. Upside, if you ask me: Algol is associated with the head of the Medusa, whose penetrating gaze could turn men into stone. That’s a formidable superpower, and while we can see why Perseus was motivated to chop off her head, imagine how the fight might have gone if millions of Medusas had gotten together.
• FRIDAY (CONT): Anyhoo, this Venus-Uranus square carries the same disruptive, head-chopping potential as the Mars-Uranus and Mercury-Uranus squares of July 15 and July 21, respectively. Thus, everyone in the known universe with planets and angles around 27 Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, and Scorpio are personally affected, including (here we go again): President Biden, Kamala Harris, the United States, the weird old man running for president and his weird VP nominee; Nancy Pelosi, Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell, and Taylor Swift. Today, there is a rumor going around that the weird old man might dump his weird running mate. Not being a psychic, I have no idea if that will happen, but this week — especially around the weekend suggest provocative action, assertion or an attack involving JD Vance, a.k.a. weird VP nominee and fodder for amusing song parodies created by people across the pond.  Disruptive patterns between Venus and Uranus may be reflected by volatility in the markets. Unconventional women and unconventional attractions may also be in the news. Whatever the disruption may be, it is countered by a stabilizing alignment between the Cancer Moon and Saturn, with aforementioned unconventional alliances showing up for the party in the evening, as Moon trines Uranus at…
• SATURDAY: …1:16 AM ET. Note your dreams upon waking; Moon’s trine to Neptune at 6:31 AM ET may open intangible channels of communication, with added depth from Pluto as it opposes the Moon at 8:18 AM ET. The Pluto pattern suggests a power play or catharsis, complete with regal drama. Why? Because after a 38-minute void, Moon enters Leo at 7:09 AM ET, now looking for a party or a stage upon which to shine. You may reap rewards by helping others shine, too.
• SATURDAY: By now we are at the end of the lunar cycle, with no light from the Moon. Rest assured that those who wish to fly under the radar are gathering in secret. Meanwhile, the festive, dramatic potential of the Leo Moon may run away with the day, aided by the easy flow of action suggested by Moon’s sextile to Mars, exact at 1:53 AM ET on…
• SUNDAY. The New Moon in Leo begins at 7:13 AM ET. I’ll write about it later this week, because if I dig into it now, I’ll be at my computer for another three hours instead of two. The seeds planted for creativity and ego recognition are off to an enthusiastic start, as Moon sextiles Jupiter at 12 PM ET, and travels for the next 23 hours without interference. Gosh, what a lovely summer fun weekend this could be. Meanwhile…
• SUNDAY: …Venus is now at the verrrry end of Leo, getting close to the Fixed Star Regulus, which sits on the 29 Leo Ascendant of the weird old man who is running for president. Watch the headlines, and note that some astrologers (see the prior link) argue that Venus conjunct Regulus is not an auspicious alignment. Regulus is said to convey honor and protection, but ruin if vengeance is taken. Hmm. At 10:22 PM ET, Venus leaves Leo for Virgo. From now until August 29, who, what and how we need to love better be perfect in exacting detail, because if it’s not, we’ll never hear the end of it. Venus in Virgo is determined to make things right.

Beth Owl’s Daughter followed last week’s Tarot Card of the Week and took this week off. She has cause for celebration, oh joy oh joy!

And now, the news.

Ooh, lookie…here is JD Vance’s horoscope, functioning as designed. With transiting Mars square his exacting Mercury in Virgo today, we could expect provocative thoughts and communication

• “JD Vance calls [his running mate] ‘morally reprehensible’ in resurfaced emails.” Ooop-sie! If there’s an upset in a current partnership later this week, it will aptly reflect transiting Mars square his Uranus.

That story posted at 11:27 AM ET, 20 minutes before the Moon’s meet-up with disruptive Uranus. Speaking of upsets, I went to bed last night thinking that voters in Venezuela had sent Nicolas Maduro packing, but nooooooooo…Maduro is claiming he prevailed, exit polls and skeptical world leaders be damned. Does it help that the electional council is a close ally of Maduro? Add Maduro to all the other world leaders who have Mars in “get away with murder” Leo, and note that Mars has been kicking up dust in his horoscope all week, with squares to Jupiter and Uranus. Translation: action that may be expansive and daring.

There is a link to Venezuela’s horoscope in this post from 2017. With transiting Uranus now activating all of the angles now and into late spring 2025, the country seems ripe for major change. We shall see.

Meanwhile…

Did you watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics? I was too busy writing the forecast for Friday, but the ensuing 19-hour Moon void suggested that a molehill of controversy would be turned into a mountain, and would later prove to be “much ado about nothing.”

• “Olympics ‘Last Supper’ scene was in fact based on painting of Greek gods, say art experts.” So there.

An innovative spin involving Algol also made an apt appearance in real life:

• “Headless Marie Antoinette steals the show at Paris Olympics”

I can’t top that.

But perhaps you are wondering what the upcoming Mercury retrograde will be doing in your horoscope (other than the backstroke). Should you move to Portugal? When will you get that promotion? Will your daughter get into grad school? What opportunities are likely to show up for you in 2025? These queries can be addressed in a personal consultation — here is the menu of options.

Fun fact: I simply adore talking about astrology, especially to Muggles who may not know much about. So if you’re looking for creative and inspiring perk to offer your employees or social club, I have a killer PowerPoint that can be customized, just for you.

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Jezebel contemplates cosmos…