Leo Season comes roaring onto the scene ready to display its unique blend of drama and creativity. After the raucous energy of the last New Moon in Cancer, this lunation in Leo is sure to not only upstage but set the stage for the swiftly approaching Leo Eclipses. Although this New Moon is in Leo (July 23)  doesn’t quite make the mark for eclipses, being too far away from the Nodes of Fate to be considered an eclipse. Nonetheless there are a few signatures in this chart (July 23, 2017 at 5:46am EDT) that lets us know that this is the prequel, the beginning, the grand opening for what will be taking place on the grand stage come August.

The main themes of this New Moon chart is anger & irritation from the People & big trouble mounting up against the Monarch & the Government.

When we look at timing for events in a chart we can break it down into quadrants. In this case we can say the 1st quadrant is the first week of the month. The 2nd the second week and the 3rd and 4th quadrants are the 3rd & 4th weeks respectively in a New Moon chart.

Mars, Mars, Lots of Mars.

Mars & his reactionary influence is all over this chart in several ways:

1. New Moon in the 1st House, one of the Houses naturally associated with Aries/Mars
2. Mars tightly conjoined with the New Moon
3. Uranus in Aries square to the New Moon & Mars
4. The natal Mars of the USA conjoined by transiting Venus
5. The natal Mars of the USA opposed to transiting Saturn

In the 1st House just hugging the Ascendant is the New Moon conjunction at 0° Leo. The Moon in Mundane Astrology signifies the People of the nation. Here in the 1st house it signifies that issues that concern or are related to the people are of importance. The Moon is also angry as she’s conjunct Mars in Leo and also leaving a square by reactionary & revolutionary Uranus in Aries up in the 10th house.

Squares, oppositions and conjunctions are considered afflictions or troublesome in mundane charts, meaning that they bring conflict that will be expressed and hopefully resolved.

In this chart it’s the Moon being focused on herself & her immediate need, think of the First House as the Me, Myself & I, house.

It looks as if the Moon is passionate if not enraged & shocked by whatever Uranus in the 10th is doing.

According to H.S. Green, Uranus afflicted in the 10th signifies:

“…sudden troubles for the Monarch or Government, unpopularity, discontent among the people. There may be changes in government, some defeat…if other testimonies concur, the Monarch may suffer personally or may die.”

When the Sun & Moon are in conflict with Uranus it is unfavorable for Government, signifying confusion and unpopularity, sudden changes & unexpected troubles for the President or ruling body via a miscalculation or poorly considered legislation. Autocratic uses of power, party splits. Danger of strikes and rioting.

Policy Gone Mad

The GOP are teeter tottering with their destiny as they try harder to strip healthcare down to the nuts and bolts. Again it may spell their doom in various ways.

Despite the anger from the populace the chart speaks to legislation getting through but with heavy risks that may come back to haunt the GOP. Whether it’s the mysterious healthcare bill that seems to get worse with every revision or as of today the announcement that trans citizens are no longer welcomed to serve in the military according to the sitting Monarch  President. I expect that more hot takes will come out between now and the next New Moon which will be the big American Eclipse on August 21st that will further inflame the People.

Mercury is Taking Notes, Lots of Notes

Mercury is the planet to watch this month, next month and into September as he entered his retrograde shadow on July 24th and will go retrograde  from 11° Virgo to 28° Leo on August 12th – September 5th. Mercury thrives in Virgo, as he’s able to gather information and sort out the wheat from the chaff, the extraneous from the valuable. We know that astrologically that Mercury visiting the Nodes & the Eclipse degree of 28° Leo will be a significant part of the unfolding story. Many of our eclipse players have planets in and around these Fixed sign degrees so we know that the news will be filled with information that will be up for review. I’d keep an eye on Trump who has Mars & his Ascendant right at these degrees. Perhaps more martial influenced news will come out, just like his recent military announcement.

Mercury, the messenger of the heavens, is sitting just shy of the Solar Eclipse degree that we have coming on Aug 21st. In the 2nd house his focus on discussions around new laws that may affect the revenue & finances of the nation. There are a few things about this that make it seem like despite the support of being in a fire trine with Uranus & Saturn, that the ease afforded in making these policy decisions may wind up being the thing that rebounds on them. For one, both Saturn & Uranus are afflicted. Saturn is in the 5th which again according to Green means:

“…some sorrow or misfortune may overshadow the social side of the nation. High society may be under a shadow; sometimes the death of the Monarch or some great personage causes a period of mourning.”

In looking ahead at what Mercury does in the coming weeks, he goes retrograde opposite Neptune, the planet of illusion, which gives me the notion that we’ll have to discern with Virgo precision & attention to detail, but also we’ll have to  use intuition and all tools available to make sense of the white noise and roaring that we’ll be exposed to. The day Mercury turns forward again will be a Full Moon with the Moon at 13°Pisces conjunct to Neptune just 2 degrees shy of where Mercury went retrograde back in August. So again reiterating that there’s still a huge fog around everything that’s happening currently and how the September Full Moon + Mercury turning direct after reviewing will expose even more. We may not know just how vast this web of chaos is. Not yet at least. But we will.

Venus under Siege

In the New Moon chart Venus is in Gemini in the 11th House of Parliament/Congress. Typically Venus here would signify smooth sailing for Congress, enabling them to push legislation through with approval. However because Venus is involved in a T-Square with both Neptune & Saturn we may see scandals around financial fraud (perhaps more news around Russian financial ties & who else in government may have received a payout or is still on the payroll) as well as restrictions and dips in revenue that reflect how certain policies may negatively influence the economy via businesses & banks.

Venus being under attack can also show up as women suffering as well as the general social & family life of the nation being less than stellar.

Interestingly enough as mentioned earlier in this post, Venus & Saturn in the New moon chart are in direct conversation with the natal Mars ( 21° Gemini)  of the United States which again reinforces issues around finances but also a breach of a promise and loose morals that are unfortunate in regards to finances. Saturn can bring more trouble to the government , difficulties in national life, anger directed to those in power, loss of popularity and again possible death of powerful figure.

Fire moves Fast AF

If it seems like a lot, it’s because it is a lot & there’s still a fair amount that I didn’t focus on. We also have to take into account that sky is literally on fire. In this chart alone we see that 6 planets are in Fire. Fire moves fast, it ignites, it catches on very quickly. It spreads. It may feel like an especially fast month where everyday brings more information to consider & react to.

Take breaks, involve yourself in things that bring pleasure & joy where are you can. It’s still Leo Season so we’re being asked to shine just a little bit brighter so that we can inspire others to do the same. It may demand courage that only a Lion can embody.

Good luck!

When I was a baby astrologer I couldn’t wait to get my hands on as many books, websites, vehicles of information as possible. My appetite for all things astrology & occult related was just about insatiable. Many library trips & scolding from my mother for tying up her phone line (I don’t miss dial up) was a small price to pay for the knowledge I sought.

Fast forward about 20 years & many things have changed. Mainly high speed internet, multiple social media platforms, a preponderance of astrology websites & tumblr pages and an unparalleled information search engine named Google. What hasn’t changed very much are the misconceptions & mistakes that people who are new to astrology as a deeper study and practice make. Below is my angsty mildly ranty list of things that piss (or mildly annoy) me as an astrologer in the 21st Century.

1. 1. It’s astrologer, not astrologist: a pet peeve among many astrologers I know here in the states. There something about astrologist that just doesn’t sit right with us, it’s like nails on a chalkboard, it makes me grind my teeth ever so gently when I’m introduced as such. There may be a reason why it’s astrologer vs astrologist, I haven’t bothered to Google why. Just take my word for it when I say it’s astrologER not astrologIST. K,thanks.

• 12 Signs = 12 Types of People: This was an argument on Bill Nye’s new show, guest starring one of my mentors & teachers Sam Reynolds. This seems to be the skeptics go- to argument about astrology. That somehow we’re breaking down complex personalities into 12 neat keyword boxes. I wish it was that simple but, alas, it’s not. The popularity of Sun Sign horoscopes during the latter half of the 20th century has led people to believe (or forget) that astrologers must take into account 10 major planets,12 houses, 4 major angles, 12 signs, and 5 major aspects when beginning to read and interpret astrology. So no, I can’t tell you the “tea” about your entire life solely based on your Sun sign, but with your entire chart & some feedback from you, I can shape a pretty accurate picture. Makes sense?

1. 1. Born on the cusp: Nope you were not born on the cusp. When it comes to astrology, you either are or you aren’t. There’s no blending of signs. You’re not a Can-Leo or a Sagittaricorn. When it comes to being born close to the “cusp” it boils down to time. Time of birth determines whether your Sun, Moon and or rising are in one sign or another. (This goes for the other planets as well, but those 3, especially the Moon & Rising are the most time sensitive.) If you don’t know your birth time you can request a long form birth certificate or get your chart rectified based upon major events that have taken place in your life by a professional astrologer.

• All Transits Matter!: No, no they don’t. Imagine if every single planet moving in the sky was a big deal for your chart, you’d be fried & exhausted from all the activity. If Pluto moving through Capricorn or Mercury in Cancer isn’t registering on your radar, maybe it’s just not a significant transit for your chart. That’s okay! Trust me, there will be plenty of transits, progressions, retrogrades, and eclipses that will be. You can relax while you track the heavens, remember that astrology is meant to be a tool. It allows us to see ahead to an extent into the future, get an idea of what to expect and gives clues as to how to prepare.

• Woe is Me, tell me how horrible my chart is: For whatever reason a fair amount of astrology newbies seem to hate/ fear their natal charts. I kinda get it. When I was first studying astrology (and even sometimes now), reading the different interpretations of my natal chart left me feeling like I wanted it to be completely different, that the placements I had were either too boring or challenging. But here’s the thing: over time, with study, I realized that my chart is perfect for me. It reflects my past and shows me glimpses of my potential. Our natal charts are not set in stone, but are in the process of becoming through you. Environment gives us the material to start shaping our worlds via our families, culture, upbringing etc but free will allows you to decide how your chart and life unfolds. Choose empowerment. This is the chart chosen by you to do either great or terrible things in a lifetime. That thought alone is freeing.

• The Chicken Little Syndrome: The idea that all hard transits are going to wreak havoc on our lives or that Mercury Retrograde is sure to kill you this time. The dramatic swoon onto your bed as Venus retrograde has all your ex lovers texting you “Hey big head.” The horror of it all! Stop it. Think of transits, lunations, and eclipses as perfectly timed drills to get you into shape for bigger challenges down the road. You want a life partner that you adore & worships the ground you walk but you can’t communicate your needs in a relationship, well maybe Venus Rx bringing back your old lovers is an opportunity to practice those communication skills. You want to be big shot boss in your field with tons of influence and power? Awesome, here comes Saturn & Pluto to grind you via hard lessons and a dash of crisis to see if you have what it takes to be a boss facing hard decision and crisis on a daily basis. Embrace the constant molding and teaching the planets are supplying you with. They’re here to help, not harm.

• Using Astrology to Drag: Recently “dragging”, “reading” and/or “spilling tea” about the zodiac signs has become a thing. At first it was relatively harmless fun poking fun at the various flaws that all the signs have. There’s light and dark to all things so this isn’t my issue. My problem lies in this form of “astrology” being people’s introduction to the art. “ Gemini’s ain’t sh*t because they’re all two faced!” “Scorpios are always doing dirt, so you can never trust them not to cheat.” “Capricorns are all cold-hearted because all they want is power and money!” And on and on and on. This isn’t astrology, this is cruel caricature & on a bad day someone will read this and take it to heart in a way that may be damaging. Astrology is a VAST study. I don’t say that lightly. There are so many sub-studies whether it’s
• Mundane
• Vocational
• Medical
• Horary
• Evolutionary
• Traditional
• Hellenistic

Those are just off the top of my head, but trust me when I say there are a lot more. What I’m saying is that astrology is a centuries old tool that can be used in so many ways to assist people in their life journey. I know of several psychotherapists who eventually studied astrology and now use it as a tool to support their clients while in session.

There are medical astrologers who have helped families plan for surgeries or helped them figure out how serious a condition may or may not be, based upon their chart. Or how about Mundane Astrologers who help to predict social & political change/upheavals, wars & famines as well as times for peace & innovation?

Dragging may be great for a quick laugh, but repetitive shaming for the sake of clicks & entertainment is wack in my opinion. (Catch all of this Sagittarian judgement, fight me!)

Practicing Astrologers are under ethical demand to do no harm to their clients. We have to be responsible towards them & their well-being. We have to address their concerns while also hopefully providing both honest insight and practical tools to maneuver through difficult situations. It’s not a game.

Bonus: What does this mean if my Venus is in Ophiuchus ?: I literally don’t know anything about your chart unless it’s in front of my face and I’m being paid to interpret it. Why? Cuz reading charts takes time and work. Why? Cuz new books, workshops, conference & certifications cost money. Why? Cuz in the age of Google, Scribd, and Amazon you can literally find just about anything you could dream of concerning astrology in the blink of an eye. It’s AMAZING. Not all of it is great or even accurate (see point above) but the internet is filled with talented astrologers who give so much wisdom away for free, it’s nearly insulting not to at least do a Google search to find them. Curiosity can be a gift, let it guide you something that blows your mind.

P.S. Ophiuchus is not a thing and never will be. Don’t @ me.