01 Jul Summer Stars ~ July 2nd-8th, 2018

Bend low again, night of summer stars.

So near you are, sky of summer stars…

-excerpt from Summer Stars by Carl Sandburg

The astrological conditions indicate that July will be a very busy month for everyone. In the weeks to come, Jupiter will be going direct again, Mercury will be turning retrograde, and there will be two eclipses along the Leo/Aquarius axis. And of course, lingering in the background is the Mars retrograde in Aquarius adding more than a hint of frustration to the next couple months.

Fortunately, this upcoming week looks quiet and calm. Use this time to rest.

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Last week was certainly heavy enough to feel the need for some rest and recovery. When Mars stationed retrograde in Aquarius, the nihilistic shadow of your most precious utopian ideals may have become painfully apparent. When Mars turns his energies inward, the war within your own mind and heart emerges, prompting an eruption of repressed anger or some feeling of disillusionment.

The entire season of Mars’ retrograde (June 26th-August 26th) is devoted to an Aquarian crisis of conscience. Through many signs and synchronicities, you will be alerted to the dangers of blind idealism, which is a symptom of fear. Yes, to live in the modern world is like living in a great shipwreck of lost hopes and broken dreams.

But it should be apparent that the creation of supposedly more perfect hopes and dreams will never become the remedy. A perfect society has never and will never exist on earth.

If you are courageous enough to face this, you will gain a new level of strength and wisdom that will lead you away from belligerent escapism, idealism, or martyrdom. With newfound respect for your willpower and focus, you will learn to choose your battles more wisely, keeping your eye on the light of the divine within everything.

Mars will be nearing closer to earth during this retrograde period and his glowing red orb will become starkly visible, even to the most casual stargazers. Feel how the nearness of Mars on these summer nights catalyzes a cathartic release of deeply ingrained fear and frustration.

This week, the Moon will be waning, slowly releasing the lead weight of the emotional burdens that arose during last week’s Capricorn Full Moon.

As the Sun continues to make its way through the gentle waters of Cancer, let yourself relax into summertime… and the livin’ is easy. Deeply nourished by waves and warmth, this is a time to dangle and daydream. The soft filters of Cancer emit a diaphanous light, illuminating the delicate beauty of creation.

To your heart, relishing in loveliness is what breathing clean air is to your lungs.

Breathe in the golden light that shimmers upon the water. Breathe out the cool blue of twilight.

Cancer season should feel like an oasis, a sanctuary of ripe fruit and fragrant flowers where you can melt into the enchantment of summer stars.

Bend low again, night of summer stars.

So near you are, sky of summer stars,

So near, a long arm man can pick off stars,

Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,

So near you are, summer stars,

So near, strumming, strumming,

So lazy and hum-strumming.

The most desirable vibe this week should resonate with the poem, Summer Stars by Carl Sandburg. You may remove yourself from the pains of intellectualism and the futility of rationalization.

The Sun in Cancer is a soothing presence, glowing with warmth enough to invite poets to sit out all night under the stars. When the atmosphere is as gentle and nurturing as this, beauty begins to invite your soul to speak. And from this moment forward, the stars may seem to bend low like heavy fruit upon branches.

To be touched so deeply by the beauty of the stars summons a natural desire to embrace them, to pull them down from the heavens. It is only possible to reach out and touch the sky in dreams, making this week an ideal time to let yourself drift into surrendered states of bliss as often as possible.

If you find it difficult to float away into dreams, softly recite the poem to yourself until the repetition becomes a gentle rocking. …night of summer stars…sky of summer stars…near you are summer stars….

And the strumming can be imagined like the sound of a gentle lyre. To relax into beauty, basked in warmth and contentment is to embrace the heart and soul of Cancer.

Monday/Tuesday: Bend Low Again

The waning Moon will enter into Pisces at the beginning of the week, passing through a brief but powerful Grand Water Trine on Tuesday between the Sun in Cancer, Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. All three environs protect and nourish your emotional experiences, so expect a rippling of feelings that runs the full repertoire of experience.

During this watery time, you are meant to experience how powerful the imagination becomes when it is fueled by emotion. Your ability to summon a fully immersive story in your own mind will lure you deep into your inner world. There you may become lost in fantasy or gripped by the vivid colors of a long-forgotten memory. However this may occur, know that you are invited to steer your ship to calmer waters should your emotions begin to storm.

Wednesday/Thursday: Night of Summer Stars

The middle of the week is a festive time, glimmering with the energy of the Grand Water Trine between the Sun, Jupiter and Neptune.

Wednesday is Independence day in the United States and to celebrate the history of the nation is a very controversial issue in 2018. An eruption of Mars retrograde issues may emerge, with over-idealism from all sides vying for political influence.

For those Americans who wish to stay undisturbed in the timeless beauty of Cancer’s sanctuary, you may celebrate Independence day through the history of great American art, literature, music or something else that inspires you.

On Thursday, the Sun in Cancer will perfect the trine to Jupiter Rx in Scorpio. When the Sun trines Jupiter, all the life-giving and joyful qualities of the Sun radiate farther and wider. This influence can act like a panacea for all the ills of misfortune. Expect to feel big-hearted and generous at this time, letting the glowing light of contentment shine from within your eyes.

To bask in the light of the water trine will aid you in handling the opposition between Mercury in Leo and Mars Rx in Aquarius. This is an aspect that will challenge you to refrain from using passive aggressive speech.

But it also can guide you to realize the power of your words to create manifest experience. If you can stay relaxed and calm, then you will likely find a deeper connection to the power of your words to create. If you could speak your future into existence, what would you say?

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Hum-Strumming

On Saturday, the Moon will transit through Taurus, making a conjunction to Uranus in the morning. Licked by a tongue of flame, this will bring just enough heat to remind you to keep a firm hold on your emotions. Do what you can to let nothing disturb your peace.

On Sunday, the Sun in Cancer will perfect its trine Neptune Rx in Pisces. This flowing aspect between flowing water signs will cast everything in the gossamer light of a daydream…so lazy and hum-strumming.

The invisible threads of connection between all time and all life in the cosmos will be made more perceptible. It is common to react to this Neptunian trance state by singing a song, letting music carry you. So long as you feel relaxed, fully embraced by the warmth and glitter of summer nights, you are free to travel far and wide through the realm of imagination.

To close the week in Neptunian bliss, before you fall asleep on Sunday, ask yourself is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?

In the morning, you will awaken to a new day, a new week and a new reality.

 

 

all images by Henry Clive