The Uranus/Mercury Retrogrades of July 2012

It sounds very simple, the notion that Mercury and Uranus are going retrograde. But are the manifestations in our lives likely to be that simple?

First, the facts: Uranus will go retrograde on July 13 at 9:50 a.m. (UT/+0) and Mercury will go retrograde a few days later (on July 15) at 2:17 in the morning (UT/+0).

Uranus going retrograde in Aries is about life changes—particularly at the “basic” level of how we live our life and how we see ourselves. Life is changing, we’re changing and for those of the reluctant sort, evidently we should be changing. Because it takes Uranus an average of seven or so years to roll through a sign, we know the years between 2011 and 2018 involve substantial change. Maybe even radical change. During this time we either get with it, or it gets to us in ways we would least suspect—but which are essential to our ultimate life purpose.

By the way here…when I say Uranus “rolls” through a sign, I really mean it. Even though scientists have barely begun to plumb Uranus’ weird qualities, we do know that this is our solar system’s most truly eclectic planet. With pole pointing towards the Sun, Uranus does literally “roll” along the ecliptic of its orbit.

In any case, particularly when it comes to Uranus (and Pluto, but that’s a different matter) the very best metaphysical rule to remember would be that of Robert Hand, who said: use the energy wisely, lest it use you unwisely. His original reference (at least when I heard him talk about it) was to Pluto. But the rule is well taken as an across-the-board concept. And when we’re talking about metaphysical entities which represent life’s most abrupt and stunningly startling potentialities (i.e., Uranus), keeping such a thought in one’s head seems particularly apt.

But let’s be real…change isn’t something human beings much like. Oh sure, we complain like the dickens about how this or that needs to change. Or how we wish something was different. But confront us with the need or even the opportunity to make changes, and suddenly people get all tired, reluctant, recalcitrant and even rebellious.

With Uranus in Aries, those “don’t tell me what to do!” tendencies are exacerbated. During these years (2011-2018) we can expect more cutting off of noses to spite faces and abdication of responsibility than we’ve seen in decades. (And that’s going some!) We can also expect to hear some of the goofiest excuses and witness more evasion of responsibility than we’ve ever thought possible.

Uranus in Aries creates an atmosphere in which the more we need to change, the more likely we are to insist that you need to change. It’s a projection-prone, nay-sayer’s dream.

It’s also a contentious time. Yes, we will hear much whining about “why can’t things be easier?” (Answer: because you won’t change.) And those who witness such ill-placed defensiveness are likely to explode at the short-sighted attitudes, the irresponsible ostrich-behavior of it all. Lawsuits, violence, arguments, explosions verbal and chemical, intentional and unintentional, all are very Uranus in Aries.

Aries being a cardinal sign, the old cereal slogan “try it—you’ll like it!” is a necessary premise. Cardinal signs learn through doing—it’s the result which informs. You can’t possibly imagine what pistachio-mint-green-tea-kale ice cream really tastes like until you’ve have a spoonful. People born under cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) have an easier time with this concept. Even if your Ascendant is in a cardinal sign, you’ll change more (and more easily) during Uranus’ transit of Aries than others…which isn’t to say you’ll like all the results, but you’ll have an easier time with making changes.

Let’s try this: we’ll line up all the signs by modality for our ice cream test. If we did, this is pretty much what we’d be likely to hear:

• Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): Sure—give me a spoonful. I’ll try!
• Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): Okay—but just a little. If I like it, I’ll get a bowl.
• Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): I’ll let them go first and see how they like it. I pretty much like chocolate and vanilla and that’s it. You just enjoy your pistachio-whatever stuff.

Even if you’re not “big” into astrology it pays to know the classic triumvirate of Sun, Moon and Ascendant and their modality. Why? Because we act like our Ascendant. The Ascendant describes our personality, the modality with which we act. But on the inside, we “are” that person described by our Sun, Moon and other chart points.

More to the point about Uranus in Aries, through changing—even trying out new ideas, we “vent” the metaphysical energy which is Uranus in Aries. Those who refuse to change are those who will meet up with life’s most problematic aspects—and this applies to us as individuals as readily as it applies to corporations, nations and cultures, which is why Uranus’ shift into Aries heralded so much turmoil in so many countries known for “ancient” ways of living.

Meanwhile, what about people who don’t have cardinal Ascendant-Sun-Moon modalities? The “less cardinal” you are (to use the jargon here), the tougher time you will have been having with your life since early 2011. And this goes double if you have fixed signs in the mix. The more fixed energetics in your chart, the tougher your sledding has been and will be UNTIL you give in and make the necessary changes.

It’s all very scientific when we think of it this way: cardinal signs overcome inertia, fixed signs maintain inertia (or the lack thereof) and mutable signs guide motion in progress. Uranus in Aries signifies a time when we will grow, expand, innovate, explore and discover…or when whatever inertia we present will be overcome or otherwise rendered useless—even blasted away.

With all that now duly theorized, Uranus is going retrograde at 8 Aries on July 13. So we have a PSA (planetary station alert) going into effect starting July 11 and extending through to July 15.

To this we add another PSA: Mercury’s going retrograde at 12 Leo on July 13. That station begins on July 13 (the day Uranus goes retrograde) and ends on July 17.

The period between July 13 and 15 is thus something akin to a blinking cosmic neon sign. For those inclined to make changes and break new ground, it’s brilliant. For those clinging to old ways, entrenched positions and a fairly “set” image or definition of who they are, it’s a bumpy moment. And for those whose charts are aspected by one or both planetary stations? It’s a game-changer!

So…is your chart aspected by one or both of these positions?

Uranus goes retrograde at 8 Aries. 8 Aries is a first decanate degree indicative of changes of presentation, methodology, aim or attitude. It can either be your taking such a change on…or the need to take on such a change. Those who absolutely refuse to deal with these ideas are the most likely to experience the energy physically, which can involve anything from minor trip-ups to wholesale disasters.

Use the energy wisely, lest it use you unwisely.

A “plus” here is rather beautifully imaged by the Sabian Symbol for 8 Aries: a crystal gazer. Say “crystal” in a metaphysical conversation and many will simply think of a crystal ball. But such an image is hardly all-enveloping. This concept is about our admiration of nature and the fact that nature creates things we can only gaze at in wonder.

As for crystals, they are one of nature’s truly beautiful and structural things.

That idea of natural structure is important here as it alludes to our Self as an individual who is part of a greater world which in part benefits from our clarity and which depends on our structure being part of the whole. Thus individually, what we are doing must have integral structure. It must be aligned perfectly on the inside for there to be any clarity. Its regularity of form allows it to fit with other crystals and form functional structures.

Also worth noting: crystals tend to break along lines of internal imperfection. So for those whose charts are strongly aspected by Uranus’ 8 Aries station, this would be a time when things may break. Or where you may snap and lose your sense of personal structure or decorum. Such breaks, particularly those which are unanticipated or which you have been “unable to prevent” are indicators of weakness, lack of internal structure, impurities and “mal-formation” in your life. Life will “attack” us now not so much in order to inflict pain as to get us to see that what we think, what we’re doing won’t in the end stand up to life’s rigors.

And remember: all transits carry the possibility of coming to us through external energy. Particularly at a direct-to-retrograde station, a “life directive” will often come upon us, leaving us to think the whole matter over—that being the retrograde phase.

Also: considering this is a global event, everyone gets their allotted 100% of Uranus energetics. For those disinclined to make changes, do you really not want to own your fair share of this energetic? Remember: that which you offload, someone else will adopt. That’s physics: energy is never lost. So if you don’t change, are you willing to cope with someone deciding how to change you and your life?

(Hint: things could get downright difficult or nasty!)

Beyond the Sabian Symbol…8 Aries is also a degree about “how we live.” That can be literal—as in where you live (your home). Or it could be your lifestyle. Or, since this is Aries (one half of the Aries/Libra “I/thou” dynamic), this could be about a balance between you and others (others singular or plural). Where you have given too much, that may need to change. Or you may get a resounding lesson in why that doesn’t work. Where you have been too self-centered or unaware, that may well now come to be of issue as well.

The theme of this degree seems to be about freeing ourselves from patterns, habits, associations, efforts and methodologies which don’t work. The object of that is the enabling of our lives. Life wants us to be able to earn that all-important self-respect and dignity which can’t be demanded, can’t be appropriated and which can’t be manufactured without interaction with others as a test of our quality. Problems arise whenever “their” opinion matters more than yours. Problems arise when and where we “go along to get along.” Problems arise when we hide or neglect our true Self because it’s the easier way to get along with others or in this world.

As for the diagram above, the astro-savvy among us will pick up the fact that this station—in particular—is challenging. How would they see that? They would see that through the image of a Grand Cross in this configuration, and no—I’m not talking about some picturesque railway station or fabulous city intersection! Nor am I talking about a Grand Cross made up of mystery planets (planets you may or may not have in your chart). Or asteroids.

No, this is the real deal Grand Cross. It’s made up of two planets (Uranus and Mars) one dwarf planet (Pluto) and our lovely Luna Moon….all of which are in cardinal signs.

Plainly, we want to do something, need to do something—or something is being done to (or about to be done to) us, probably because we haven’t done something about something.

In this configuration, Mars at 7 Libra is not Mars at its most spunky or aggressive. The polarities here are about our talking-but-not-doing, our not knowing what we’re doing, or some interactive or relationship dynamic being out of balance. That Mars in Libra doesn’t represent strong or aggressive energies can be a decided benefit. In fact, this can be one of the highest points of productivity and profitable alliance in the whole of Mars’ 1.88 year cycle IF you are willing to negotiate, particularly where facts ask that you moderate your position. Mars in Libra supports honesty and is often a time when people admit their mistakes and make amends.

But let’s be real: Libra is also the sign of open enemies and litigation. So much here depends on the clarity and structural integrity of your alliances, relationships and life structures. Corner-cutters, falsifiers and pretenders beware!

Clustered with Uranus we have Chaldea (the old way) and Pallas (intellectual wisdom), giving us a pretty clear sign of old molds being broken…or encounters with situations which stand for such things. And on the Mars in Libra side (i.e., in opposition to Uranus) we have TNO Typhon, Pandora and Klotho in exact conjunction with Diadem.

Oh, where to start…?

Klotho stands for “beginnings” and Diadem is a fixed star keynoted as “the crowning glory.” Pandora, most of us know—or think we know. But two things about Pandora seem to get routinely missed. One is the resident curiosity which got Pandora to open the box (which in Greek mythology is actually a jar) and two is the idea that hope is the one thing which Pandora is left with once all the “ills of the world” surround her.

When combined with Uranus, this gets us to asking whether your curiosity (or that of someone else) has caused something to go “boom!” Or were you too curious about someone or something? Clarity (8 Aries, Uranus’ position) sometimes comes with a cost. But since that cost is either to our innocence (a fantasy about someone or something which gets shattered) or our lack of honesty about what we can or cannot do (Mars in Libra), isn’t the real issue our willingness to deal with reality?

Oh, how Uranus-in-Aries!

Also worth reminding ourselves now: this can be something happening…then again, it can be the moment to deal with something which has already happened. As signaled by Chaldea, there is a spoonful of “the old way” in this mix. How old isn’t specified, though 6 Aries tends to point to something which occurred six days, six weeks, six months or six years ago (and maybe all of the above!).

Seemingly the “odd factor,” TNO Typhon speaks of “titanic” or primal instincts. The celestial object Typhon being a resident of the Kuiper Belt (hence the “TNO” or Trans Neptunian Object designation), this point represents our survival instincts and the need to survive which here is triggered…or which may have already been triggered by something or someone.

Next, we add in Pluto/Facies in Capricorn, an ongoing struggle with multi-faceted dynamics which have wear us down, motivate us and cause us to struggle with “why life is so hard” in just about every sense. In the end, Facies is a test of determination and understanding of proportion. It’s about our “rights” as human beings, both in terms of what we are entitled to, and that which we need to learn we aren’t entitled to.

So does this all amount to a test of proportion, honesty (most of all with our Self) and world/life situations which test our inner clarity and structural integrity? Pretty much yes, though it’s more than that. As if to prove the universe has a downright wicked sense of humor, Mirzam at 7 Cancer represents “huge potentials which may never come to anything.”

Mirzam is in an exact opposition to Pluto right in this moment and in a general and ongoing opposition to Facies. In other words, Mirzam/Facies is at one end of the polarity world invincibility…and at the other end of the polarity world self-delusion.

If you have a natal chart point between 3 and 13 degrees of Cancer, Aries, Libra or Capricorn, Mirzam/Facies represents a life-long quest (and thus repetitive experiences) which are all about your ability to balance ability with entitlement. This is “want versus need.” This is “just because I can doesn’t mean I should.”

• Those with positions in Capricorn will tend to think they can build what they want. As major planets, KBO’s transit 8 Capricorn, Cancer, Libra or Aries (or as eclipses aspect your natal planet or Facies) you will experience challenges which define your boundaries professional, social, societal—often through the workplace or through your marriage.
• Those with positions in Cancer will tend to want to be taken care of or catered to. As major planets and KBO’s transit 8 Capricorn, Cancer, Libra or Aries (or as eclipses aspect your natal planet or Mirzam) you will either be obliged to do more than you have been doing or relinquish some position or life standard you have considered a “status quo.’
• Those with positions in Aries or Libra will tend to be eternally challenged by those who want to get in their way or deny their aims, goals and desires. Autonomy is the key here; learning to deal only with those willing to own their own lives is essential. As major planets and KBO’s transit Facies or Mirzam OR square your natal placement, situations will arise which (Aries) provoke your need to master your own life or (Libra) keep relationships in proportion so that your life is not overwhelmed by that which others do…or don’t do.

All that said, this calls for a short Pluto review, since it’s Pluto conjuncting Facies. While it’s nice to keyword Pluto as “transformation” and “obsession,” the reality of Pluto as a metaphysical object is that Pluto’s orbit around the Sun is controlled by Neptune. That means everything Plutonic is subject to that premier Neptune rule…”that you think most likely isn’t, that you think least likely is true”…otherwise known as “allow yourself not to know.”

The big difference—and why people tend to make such a whoop-dee-doo about Pluto in astrology circles—is because Pluto is interactive where Neptune is global. So we tend to think we can “do” something (i.e., “control”) Plutonic situations. Pluto’s symbolism as the “outcome” ruler of Scorpio (the sign of facing our fears through choices which put our values and self-worth on the line) is how we’ve come to associate Scorpio with sex, investments, power, control, helplessness, betrayal, manipulation, life/death, war, inheritances and deceit. But that’s not the essence of Scorpio—nor of Pluto. Scorpio is about the good choice versus the bad choice and those choices are made based on our self worth and early patterning which happens between the ages of about 2 ½ and 5 years of age. Pluto is the transformation or emotional experience of the good or bad which comes from the Scorpio-situation choice we make because of our self worth and that early patterning.

Got it?

This all is why Pluto/Facies is so difficult. Without Pluto in the mix, Facies is a nebula with a bit of a negative reputation, but it’s more than sincerely offset by brilliance in areas of correlation and synthesis of information. But when we add Pluto, we get that feeling of our ego being on-the-line and (real or imagined), feelings of threat.

We think it’s about “them.” It’s not. It’s about us …OUR self worth and OUR early patterning.

Oh yes—that denial thing. Pluto explodes the denial associated with Scorpio along lines of our finding people whose self-worth issues “fit” with our own. We want them to pay so we won’t. Similarly, Scorpio seeks wealth (through inheritance, tax fraud, investments or business income) so that we will feel “immune” to our own self-worth issues.

It doesn’t work, but that’s why we do it.

As an oppositional pair of fixed stars, Mirzam/Facies challenge us to recognize potential and make good on it—or to own that we didn’t because we chose to do something else with our life. Add in the Moon (feelings, memory, values, money), Alhena (our Live Purpose) and the whole of this Grand Cross becomes a (possibly testy) challenge of the wisdom of our choices—not to mention whether we know what the fern we’re doing and what our limits really are.

Being that Alhena (our Life Purpose) is conjunct Byblis and Tantalus, there’s a sincerely sour note of self-justification and petulant willfulness of the “you can’t stop me!” kind added to this whole fracas, with or without the sticking out of the tongue or other gestures of taunt. So maybe you’re refusing to make changes? Maybe you shouldn’t have to make changes. But then again, maybe you should? Those who are in denial or who don’t have internal clarity, decent self worth and a sense of boundaries are likely to have much the hardest time now.

And then we add in the whole Mercury thing!

Uranus’ taking station to go retrograde in the week prior to Mercury going retrograde is a sign of sincere stress. Those who know Mercury retrograde patterns in their own life generally recognize that the week prior to Mercury’s station/retrograde tends to feel rushed, pressured and altogether littered with the sort of urgency which makes us feel a bit rattled and insecure. The metaphysical rule? Things which happen NATURALLY are fine to pursue, just don’t press. If something doesn’t come to fruition, get taken care of, get finalized, or get answered/responded to prior to Mercury retrograde, let it be. Around the time (or just after) Mercury goes direct (on August 8), additional information will become available.

This is NOT a reason to delay anything. Things which naturally come to fruition prior to Mercury going on station to go retrograde are often important steps in an ongoing process. Astrologers get lots of questions about signing contracts under Mercury retrograde and no, it isn’t advised except where it’s a conditional contract (example: a job offer where you start out with a “probationary period.”) OR where the “object of the game” is temporary—such as with people who buy houses in order to rehab and “flip” them.

Still, under Mercury retrograde it’s wise to read all contracts and written documents not once, but twice. Better yet, get a professional assessment. And better than that? See if you can delay signing the contract until Mercury goes direct by extending negotiations.

Because Mercury is going retrograde at 12 Leo, with Leo being a fire sign this points to all we would like to create or “make happen” in life. But it would seem that Mercury isn’t in this station so alone: not only is Mercury colored by a whole host of modifiers, but (more importantly), it goes on station in an exact sextile with Venus at 12 Gemini.

Sextiles are funny aspects. They represent the opportunity we want. Yet for many, their easy, laissez faire energetic undermines the will to do anything. And here, considering Uranus’s recent turn to retrograde and all that entails, questions like “what’s best?” “which is right?” and “am I kidding myself?” are likely to materialize as if out of thinnest air.

Venus in Gemini is all about what we think is “worth it.” We just went through an exhausting Venus retrograde in Gemini which had us all in pickles about this. Perhaps even more to the point, Venus has how had three bites at this 12 Gemini apple. The first came on/around April 17-18 (depending on your time zone). The second was June 10 and 11—a time when we were preoccupied with how we felt about things. Now Venus returns to 12 Gemini as Mercury goes retrograde. What are we going to do about…whatever the challenge is?

Evidently it’s either going to take a bit of thinking, or we’re setting something in motion now which will take until early August to come to fruition.

No matter which way we slice it, we’re acting on what we think it “worth it.” With Venus poised between Aldebaran and Jupiter/Ceres, integrity (or the lack thereof) is juxtaposed against what has or hasn’t worked (Jupiter/Ceres) which we’re doing our best to balance off against either a strong “what I want to do” (or be doing)…or a marked preference to keep company with those you like or who are easy to get along with (Moon/South Node).

The warning here is typically South Node: the thing you find easy is not the thing you should be doing, no matter how much you (Moon) like it.

Taken together, the Venus side of this picture is about the goal versus the process versus the need for integrity. If (in general) you’re being a person you’d respect if you met you, you’re good. But if you’re being someone you would like but who is ultimately all show plus tricks, lack of depth and/or denial of the standards? RUN! There is a lot of astrological “weighting” on the wanting things to be as we want them to be at the moment. But with Aldebaran in the Venus mix, it won’t work if rules and standards are being violated—particularly those rules which are social (or societal) or which have to do with taking advantage of others or the system.

Then there’s the purely Mercury side of things which, with Mercury conjunct a nagging Hera, the strength and skill of Achilles, the temptation to do what you want represented by Sisyphus and the stubbornness of Agamemnon. Since 12 Leo is all about personal pleasures, this would seem to be either about insisting on doing your own thing your own way (and maintaining that position simply because you can…) or having to deal with somebody, some task or some situation which stands in the way of your “good time” thinking.

But on the other side of Mercury (this is such a drama!) we have Kallisto and Edisonia—with Edisonia at 15 Leo, a degree highlighted in red in the diagram because it’s one of the zodiac’s four cross-quarter points.

Why would this be a “red letter” position? That’s because the zodiac’s four cross-quarter degrees mark where the “business” of each of the four quadrants moves from a “learning” and/or “gathering in” phase into an application phase where we can’t control all the parameters and where we have to “do” in order to get what we want out of the deal.

Put another way, it’s a signal that it’s time to grow up—at some level, in some way.

Second quadrant signs are all about learning about our personal world. Not our person or Self (that’s Aries-Taurus-Gemini and houses 1, 2 and 3 of the chart)…our personal world. Think past toddler stage…more in terms of the child occupying themselves at home, the kid who goes outside to play with the neighbor’s children, the child who is just old enough to begin learning about chores (much as they may not like it) and how we all need to contribute to our community—obviously starting within the home with our family as a training ground for life to come.

We tend to think these days are left behind once we hit middle school. However the truth of this is otherwise: all of us continue learning throughout life. How well we learn early on shapes the lessons we will draw to ourselves later. So with that in mind, welcome to the wonderful world of Hera, Achilles, Sisyphus and Agamemnon.

Oh—and that Kallisto thing? That’s the “bear of a time” we have when we hold on too long (which apparently we all do!) to our childlike…or for some, child-ish… habits.

Into all this comes Edisonia at 15 Leo: the idea that we need to “grow up” or the idea through which we do grow up. For those who are in active mode at this Mercury station, Edisonia represents the idea you are setting in motion which you will need to wait to see the success of. For those realizing they need to change or that they need to create a plan, Edisonia represents the spark of realization or motivation to get to work on doing just that.

Then, enter the sextile. For those who are actively dealing with life’s issues (even if that means actively planning) this Venus/Mercury sextile is a veritable promise that your efforts will bear fruit. It may not be perfect, but it’ll be more than you have right now. For those who are taking any of the more passive “not me, not my responsibility, not my problem” routes, this Venus/Mercury “turn of affairs” represents life going on without you OR the last-minute prompting which gets you back in gear (participation being another meaning of any sextile)

How to know which effect is likely to manifest in your life? Simple: look to your natal chart.

Since we already know Venus and Mercury are in an exact 60-degree sextile, the question becomes whether you have a point (planet, node, axis) within 2 degrees of an inconjunct to BOTH of these points? (Don’t be lenient here…two degrees is already “fudging” the 1.5 degrees astrologers seem to most often use when looking for inconjuncts!)

What IS an inconjunct? Also known as a “quincunx” (a word which sounds naughty even if it isn’t) the inconjunct is a 150-degree angle which requires us to either make an adjustment so that something will work/work better, or the adjustment to something (a situation, an idea, a relationship) which has proven to be no longer valid. The old expression “breaking up is hard to do” is an expression of an emotional inconjunct. Learning to get up and go to sleep on some different and necessary schedule because of school, job a new baby…going on a diet, taking on an exercise routine—they’re all common physical expressions of personal inconjuncts.

It’s not a total change—it’s an adjustment.

The reason why we would look for this is because Mercury taking station/going retrograde in an exact sextile to Venus creates the potential for a Yod.

Known as “the finger of God”, Yods feel very “fate-like.” The moment comes upon you, and whether you’ve won the lottery, just entered military boot camp or been told you’re going to have a baby or need surgery, whether you’re fresh out of college and needing to find that first job or facing the fact that whether you like it or not your business is on the brink of failure, the relationship isn’t going to last unless you do something drastic—the Yod is life starting us in the face in such a manner that we can do nothing but deal with the issue at hand.

There is, however, a solution.

Yods are solved by looking to that point which is in direct opposition to the inconjuncted position. In this case, the inconjunct point would be 12 Capricorn, giving us a maximal leeway (orb) of 10 to 14 Capricorn. And that means the solution point for this Yod is 12 Cancer (give or take a degree—maybe).

But! Hear ye, hear ye…!

If you do not have a chart point in the 10-14 Capricorn range, you DO NOT face Yod effects.

And for those who DO have a point in the Capricorn range but don’t have anything posited at 12 Cancer? For you I have information: 12 Cancer is all about hard work which may or may not have any point to it. The lesson here is that life is too short to not enjoy what you do…otherwise known as life is not the goal, life is the journey TO the goal and that journey requires effort.

So…taking these Uranus and Mercury stations together? Since Uranus goes retrograde for several months at a time while Mercury goes retrograde for several weeks at a time, the first message for us here is that much of July is about rethinking of where we are in our lives and/or moving ahead on an elemental, developmental basis. Do we need to change? Uranus in Aries says yes. So if you’re not actively growing and changing who you are in your life, be prepared for a lot of pressure, pressure which is meant to get you to stop hiding from yourself. Life wants us to be who we are, not someone else’s vision of who we might be. (Or what—according to them—we should be!)

Trouble arises where we aren’t genuine, where we aren’t being honest, where we’re trying to “get by,” where we cling to old ways and formats which are now either outmoded or which need to go lower on your priority list. Advances come through breaking our molds and rearranging priorities. Being willing to deal with trials-and-error may well expose us to emotional or even physical discomfiture. But it may also be the only way forward.

One Astrologer’s Note: there was a huge upsurge of interest in astrology during the days prior to May’s solar eclipse which slackened off almost immediately after the eclipse as if the moment of the eclipse was the thing.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

In fact, because Venus was retrograde at the time of the eclipse, and particularly because Venus was in the sign of the eclipse while retrograde…with Venus having gone direct on June 27, July is when we can expect many metaphysical “eclipse effects” to materialize and rock our world.

And when you get into the “rocking our world” realm, Uranus is the energy which rocks and Mercury is the symbol of thinking through what to do with/about having been rocked. Or being rocked. So if you thought the eclipse was over, you’re wrong! If you thought there was nothing more to “do” just because the pressure came off (a bit) once the eclipse hit, you’re wrong!

Earlier in this article I mentioned that those who are familiar with Mercury retrograde are aware of how the week-to-ten-days prior to Mercury’s station/retrograde are often crammed with this, that and the other thing. There always seems to be lots of pressure! That “pre-station/retrograde” effect we understand with Mercury applies not just to Mercury but to every planet going retrograde.

It’s entirely metaphysical to say we’re more “aware” of Mercury’s run-up to retrograde simply because Mercury is our symbol of consciousness. But when we stop to consider… Mercury is the day-to-day stuff. Yes, it important. But being a planet inside the asteroid belt it’s also plainly ours to manage. Our choices are simply easier to contend with.

But then we get to things like Japan’s tsunami and earthquake. Those were signaled by Neptune and Uranus both hitting 29 degrees and changing signs.

Planets beyond Saturn? Not in our control…and not as simple to contend with!

All of this gives us good reason to expect that July may seem unsettled. AND good reason to think through why early July may seem so unsettled.

Considering Uranus and Mercury are going retrograde in the middle of the month, it’s likely that all but the first and end of July are going to be enrobed in Mercury-Uranian doings. Considering how Uranus is stationing as part of a Grand Cross? We all face challenges. Can we—or will we—correlate and prioritize the plethora of factors which now face us?

Our biggest gains are likely to come from where we unify in building based on differing skills and disparate understandings. For that to happen, there has to be a lot of willingness to be (Uranus in Aries) flexible. We will need to work at seeing how (Mercury in Leo) vision can work and how the broader the market, the less “confined” the basis of operations, the better IF integrity is observed and IF societal standards and morays are consciously attended to.

The most creative companies in the world sometimes put out totally unappealing products. Most often that mistake comes from not recognizing that others have a choice in life, in love, in business: they can choose you, or not choose you.

In life’s current drama, Uranus and Mercury serve as henchmen to the solar eclipse. So, ask yourself—are you at cross quarters with your Self and who that Self is not IN the world, but TO this world?

Boots Hart, CAP

Boots Hart is an ISAR-certified astrologer of 30 years’ experience, with some 20 years as a magazine and online columnist.

Writer by habit and philosopher by bent (some say very bent…), Boots is a metaphysical science geek spiritualist—a person as inspired by the workings of time/space as touched by the often painful adventures of mankind. Through writings public and private, her aim is to use astrology as cipher, helping us understand. Can we learn how to live a happier life? What does that take? Why are the times as they are? These are the questions. And that answers can be gleaned from cosmic cycles and the reflections of those in our lives? That would seem to be part of our journey—the one path we all take and walk together.

Have questions? Comments? Requests? Go for it, .