Stellar Insights: July 30 - August 5, 2018
Photo by Josh Calabrese via Unsplash
Stay Bouncy!
This is a phrase that I started using last year in honor of the then Jupiter/Uranus Opposition. During that time, we may have felt the heightened potential for surprises and the advent of the out-of-the-blue, as is such the case when the archetypal invitation of the planet Uranus feels heightened.
Yet, even though the Jupiter/Uranus Opposition has come and gone (for now), Stay Bouncy! still feels like a great go-to strategy to have ready in your navigating-life arsenal, notably in these current times when Uranus is once again quite activated. And while this period seems to expand from May through September, when warrior Mars makes a square alignment with the shake-it-up planet, this week and next week, this energy may seem even more palpable. The reason is actually three-fold: on Wednesday (August 1) the connection between Mars and Uranus aligns to a T, Friday through Sunday the Moon is in Taurus connecting to these two planets, and early next week (August 7), Uranus shifts retrograde.
So, dust off your Stay Bouncy! strategy. Be flexible and adaptive. Maintain agility and be open to shifting directions if necessary. Give yourself the freedom to change course when you deem it will serve you better.
When thinking of Stay Bouncy!, think of the game of tennis. To prepare to return a ball hit to their side of the court, tennis players keep their knees bent and maintain a bounce in their stance. This gives them a greater ability to be able to reach the ball once its destination is known. Following on this analogy, if you Stay Bouncy! it will give you greater confidence—and ability—to access and respond to the outcome of whatever it is that comes your way, even if it isn’t necessary what you expected.
Just knowing that surprises may be de rigueur this week itself may keep some stress at bay. And so even if you feel thrown for a loop, the centrifugal force of the loop throw may be much more manageable.
That’s not to say that the invitation of Mars/Uranus is negative. It can give us the catalyzing energy we need to get ourselves out of a rote pattern that keeps us tied to an old and calcified way of being. It can greatly expand our perspective, helping us to find insights that can inspires us to declare that which we desire (which we either didn’t previously know or claim) and/or ways to fuel ourselves into action to pursue these desires.
Invariably, even our ability to Stay Bouncy! is a benefit of this time that will serve us well in life. After all, developing more elasticity and adaptability can make us stronger and more confident so that “come what may” we have what it takes to navigate a situation.
One more thing about Mars/Uranus before I shift to other influences of this week. I thought to share four maxims I created for this alignment when it occurred in May, which I shared in my horoscope column that month for The Fold, as I thought these may be helpful again:
“Watch for detours. Be inventive when it comes to how you pursue your desires. Be mindful of how you feel when you’re frustrated. Surprises may catch you off guard but don’t discount that they aren’t valuable.”
Ok, moving on :-)
Also, this week, reflective of the Juno/Jupiter Opposition, we may find ourselves considering what loyalty means, notably in terms of how we stand by a partner, or how they stand by us. We could at once find ourselves interested in commitment while also wanting to make sure that our lives afford us the space and freedom to explore as we desire. Consider how these two things—devotion to a relationship and the ability to feel expansive—may be able to co-exist rather than be mutually exclusive.
As the week comes to a close, Mother may be on our minds, reflective of the Ceres/Neptune Opposition. Whether it’s relating to our mother, or us as a mother, our thoughts may turn to the issue of boundaries. As we connect to what it means to be caring and compassionate, we may become more aware as to whether their expression can be achieved without losing our sense of self. Do you feel your mother, or whoever it is that has provided you with mothering, maintains a separate sense of self or oversteps their bounds and wants to merge with you in less-than-healthy ways? And if you are a mother, how do you maintain your fierce sense of nurturance and give of yourself to your loved ones without giving yourself away?
All the while that we reflect upon mother, we may also turn our attention to Mother Earth. Our upset for her suffering may feel elevated as we also then see that her pain is ours as we pierce the veil of separateness, feeling and knowing that we are inextricably connected. As you open to news of what’s happening on the earth—whether it’s the fires that are ravaging through a variety areas of the world, the plastic pollution that’s overrunning the seas, the contamination poisoning the lands, the governmental reversal of policies meant to protect the environment, or any of the number of other conflagrations that are occurring—connect to what you feel, and how it impacts you. Remember that feelings are informative in and of themselves, let along that they may inspire us to take actions that can have significant and important consequences.
Astrological Highlights
August 1
* Mars/Uranus Square
August 3
* Juno/Jupiter Opposition
August 5
* Ceres/Neptune Opposition