Since August 12, Mars is now trekking retrograde in earthy Capricorn. Having been strutting backwards in collective-oriented Aquarius since June 26, Mars will do its reverse hike through Capricorn for the remainder of its retrograde cycle (through August 27).

When Mars is retrograde, we can learn from the power of the pause, from the virtue of taking things slowly. To me, this feels even more highlighted when Mars is retrograde in proceeding-with-caution-is-a-good-strategy Capricorn. It’s not a time to rush things but rather to savor the stillness, to see what gets activated when we re-attend to things that have already crossed our paths, doing so with patience and diligence. As much as we may want to “move on” and “fully proceed”—and may be losing our patience being in this “hurry up and wait period”—the timing doesn't seem quite right for a full-court press. Time—and what arrives when we luxuriate in it—is still an essential ingredient in the recipe that we are preparing, a recipe for the deeply-etched and full-of-integrity progress that we want to make.

Use this week—and the next—to reflect upon what achievement means to you, seeing whether you can perceive more nuances in your current understanding, insights that may not have been visible to you before. With prudence and persistence, inventory the obstacles that you are facing through evaluating what is at their root as well as the factors—including your beliefs, habits, and relationship to responsibility—that may have given them scaffolding and support. By doing so, you may be able to chisel away at the things that have limited you, and redesign the blueprint that informs how you pursue your desires.

As you do, find new ways to tap into the fortitude and endurance within you. Perhaps you may even find that it’s a time to discover deeper levels of both that you’ve yet to know.

Of course, Mars isn’t the only planet retrograde right now; also doing their backwards dance is Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. With so many planets retracing their steps, it does seem to behoove us to do the same. It’s a time of remembering the gains we can make by going back over things, and to not move forward just for the sake of doing so. During this moment, we may also find that discoveries may be evidenced through traveling within, to the interiority of ourselves, and that learning, wisdom, and a deep sense of connectivity can be found in the beautiful caverns of our heart, mind, and soul.

As the weekend approaches, there may seem to be an upswing of information and insights that stream our way. After all, Mercury will be stationing, set to go direct early Sunday morning. Before then, remember the value of going back over old ideas, seeing them with your present-day lens. By doing so, you may gain more clarity as to whether or not they truly speak to your heart. Additionally, you may also find that by returning to past conversations, and looking at them with a little bit of distance, you can gain more understanding as to the role—if any—that pride plays in how you share your thoughts and feelings with others.

Also this week, on Sunday, we’ve got the Jupiter/Neptune Trine, a harmonious connection between the two planets that govern the mystical and compassionate sign of Pisces. It’s the last of three, with the first happening December 2 (2017) and second on May 25.

And with that, during this week we may find ourselves open to knowledge that comes from things that are more subtle and un-contained—including art, poetry, the numinous, the water, the loves that binds us all, simple gestures of caring, and things that move, touch, and inspire us. Boundaries and edges may seem softer, allowing us a greater level of feeling and connectivity; yet, watch that this also doesn’t leave you overwhelmed by too much input—whether from emotions, information, or energetics—that could cause a feeling of ungroundedness, spaciness, or anxiety. Use the looking-back-yields-gifts perspective of all these retrograde planets to survey your life since late last year, seeing if you tap into the ways in which you’ve invited inspiration, empathy, and soulfulness into your life in an even greater way than before.

Astrological Highlights

August 18

* Mercury/Venus Sextile

August 19

* Mercury Stations Direct

* Jupiter/Neptune Trine

Dates noted reflect Eastern Daylight Time Zone

Stellar insights: August 13 - 19, 2018

Astrological Highlights