Of course, Mars is bound toward Virgo territory on the 29th, but not before making an opposition to Jupiter in Aquarius the preceding day. An opposition between the willpower of the individual and the collective aim feels especially poignant following last week’s full moon in Aquarius, an echo of its lessons. Venus in Virgo makes an inconjunct aspect to Saturn in Aquarius on the 29th, calling us to examine when acts of services are acts of love and when their purpose is to control the emotions of others — an impossible feat no matter how often we attempt it. If something big and beautiful were to happen, surely it would happen when our hands were open and our fists unclenched? Meanwhile, the quarter moon in Taurus encourages us not only to open our hands, but also to learn to stay still, and receive the fruits of our labours.
On the first of August, the Sun and Mercury meet in the sky and the signs we’ve been waiting for are sure to appear. But, a sign’s only as good as its reader. After all, “no one’s gonna drag you up to get into the light where you belong.” You’ve got to find your light yourself.
Your ruling planet, Mars, makes an opposition to Jupiter midweek while still under the stars of Leo. The next day, Mars moves firmly under the auspices of Virgo. While opposition might seem like a conflict, it’s important to remember that what opposes you has the ability to inform you. Not only about what you’re up against or what the stakes are, but also about your own position on the matter. This is a great week to get clear about what it is you want and what exactly you’re willing to do to accomplish it. Try your best to approach this interrogation from a place of possibility and plentitude. Working toward what you want is still work, no matter what internet influencers will have you believe. But, it’s work that teaches you the lessons you need in the moment.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
Despite the inconjunct aspect that Venus in Virgo makes to Saturn on the 29th, this week’s astrology might have you going about the business of putting everything to rights. For someone else this might seem like a tedious affair, an errand that finds itself shuffled — and shuffled again — to the bottom of the list. But, for you, the act of personal maintenance, of treating your home and affairs with the affectionate attention you might offer a dear relative, is not only a sacred act, it’s a restorative one. It would be worthwhile for you to plan your time accordingly, to write in what needs to be done and refuse to be rushed through it. Don’t worry about what can’t or won’t get done, just do what you can and let the doing steady you.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
The tide is high, but you’re holding on, Gemini. By sheer determination alone, you’re bound to be number one. And, if not number one, then at least a very good number. If there’s some key information you’re waiting on, if you’re feeling a little too out of the loop to know the score, it might be worth taking the time to consider what you actually need to move forward. Not all information is essential, after all. What if what’s available now is all there is? You might find that the more you surrender to that feeling of not knowing, of accepting that certain risks come with the territory, the more keys become available to you — keys you would have never noticed or known to look for otherwise. Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
There’s a beautiful inner quietude available to you between the full moon in Aquarius and the last quarter moon in Taurus. There’s an invitation to practice stillness, to receive whatever comes without trying to direct it or interpret it. Take the evening of the 25th and the 27th, as well as the day of the 30th, to rest as much as you can — resist the urge to organise your feelings, thoughts, or your planner. Instead, allow your mind space to wander and spread out. If you are open, you can do this even while in the presence of others, especially if you are familiar with meditation. Whether you’re burnt out, over-taxed, or simply overcommitting, it’s a good time to remember that some forms of rest aren’t for tuning out, but for tuning in
Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
Is it possible that everything is bigger in Leo season? If it’s not bigger, then at least it’s bolder. With the Sun firmly under the auspices of the lion, joined by Mercury’s ingress on the 27th, your schemes are bound to become daring and your schedule is sure to get packed. While an opposition to Jupiter in Pisces and then in Aquarius by Mercury and Mars respectively might have you wondering whether you’re shooting for the moon or just shooting in the dark, the Sun’s conjunction to Mercury by the week’s end will give you all the information you need to aim your arrow with a steady hand. Don’t let the doubts of those around you cloud your confidence. When it’s right, you know it’s right.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
If ever there was a time to play “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips, it would be this time. Despite the song’s age, its message holds true: Don’t ever let anyone step all over you. Experiences might differ from Virgo to Virgo rising, but the theme of obstruction remains. The difference between a circumstantial halt to progress and purposeful ongoing impediment is a huge one. It’s the difference between renegotiating team expectations (new contracts, adjusted roadmaps) and people who have come together to stay stuck and stay in pain. This is a good week to remember that no matter how bound you feel, no contract supersedes the one you make with your heart. So, take that one out, give it your red pen, your keen and compassionate eye.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
There’s a method to your madness, Libra — anyone who has ever loved you has known that. There’s a harmony to the way you store and display what you collect, an instinctive sense to your adornment. In most cases, you have learned to cherish this about yourself, to reach into the mess of things and pull out beauty. Objects, even those that vibrate with energy, are easier to wrangle than memories. But, what if this week you let yourself believe that the chaos within you could be just as malleable as what you curate around you? If the heaviness of your psyche were a lake you allowed yourself to float on, what would you cultivate on its surface? Who would thrive at the water’s edge?Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
There’s this poem I read once by Barbara Ras, a long time ago, called “You Can’t Have it All.” I’d plucked it out of an anthology that meant to inspire people to hold onto life when life didn’t feel worth holding onto. She responds to the title of the poem line-by-line, with reasoning like: “You can have love, though often it will be mysterious, like the white foam / that bubbles up at the top of the bean pot over the red kidneys /until you realise foam’s twin is blood.” This week, when you find yourself coming up against what you can’t have, when your best-laid plans fall through, I hope for you the salt and succour of a poem like this. Or, whatever it is that calls you back to look again and look in wonder at what makes up the life you get to claim.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
With Jupiter shifting back under the influence of Aquarius, you might find yourself a little less prone to taking a walk on the wild side and a lot more interested in strategy. Strategy and wilderness are not opposites, quite, but they’re close enough. And, like most opposites, they need each other. Whatever wilderness, whatever rambling, and exploration these past few months have afforded you will be of great use to your plans moving forward. The boundaries you’ve pushed within yourself have pushed back, and you have a better sense now than you ever did before of your own limits and capacities. Don’t let what you’ve learned turn into a story about context and circumstance. You are where you are — and how you are — for a reason. So act like it.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
It’s not uncommon to find your faith tested. Faith, like love, is a verb — you learn it in the act of doing. In fact, while some might disagree or deny it, it’s also very common for one’s faith to change. And, why shouldn’t it? Why shouldn’t what you believe about the world around you change as your relationship to the world changes? As you change? Some people might take a test of faith as a kind of challenge: Prove that your faith is strong, that it won’t waiver. But, what if you were meant to fail the test? What if there’s something more beautiful to believe in? Something closer to your spirit and better for your heart? Let moments of doubt become little doors for you, dear Capricorn, and don’t let anyone dissuade you from your discoveries. What do they know anyway? They read it in a book.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
If you’re not careful, if you don’t keep track of prevailing influences, you might start to get the impression that life is a negotiation between only two things at any given time: the self and the other; work and relationships; labour and leisure. But, you must know by now that the conflicting emotions and urges inside you are hardly so binary. They overlap, informing each other and taking on pet conflicts of their own. If you feel called to focus on something private within you, something that feeds neither your bank account nor your relationships, it is your right to heed that call. If you want to put yourself first, if that means acting in a way that not even you can understand, do it anyway. You don’t have to understand it for it to be right.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
With both Mars and Venus in your house of partnership, it’s more than likely that this week you’ll be feeling a desire to nurture connections that are both valuable and meaningful to you. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to show the people you love how much you adore them, with going above and beyond the call of duty because your heart’s all in. But, it’s important that you give because it feels good to give, and not because you hope that in the giving you can prove something about your own worth. Because you are only human, and because one can only be so self-aware, let your experience be your guide. If it doesn’t feel good, if it takes something from you, it will rarely create something good for others.Illustration by Stefhany Lozano
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