We have another intense month ahead of us astrologically speaking, another mix of brilliant and brutal line ups.

However, it will also be a significant turning point in many of our inner and outer processes. Saturn and Jupiter both go forward motion this month after four months of retrograding back into Aquarius, which represents a turning point in our more worldly affairs, one that increases our ability to get positive and reconstructive action rolling again.

We have multiple Grand Trines, including two Kite configuration, intertwined with a very challenging Grand Cross, the latter incorporating Mercury, Moon, Hekate and Pluto. All the personal planets have a mixture of great aspects and really tough ones, with the exception of Venus who is having a well-earnt break from heavy duty transits (and hanging out with Shiva!)

Sun conjunct Mars and Medusa in Libra

Even with the calming and moderating effects of Libra, this combination packs some significant punch and power. This meeting of masculine and feminine warriors is a terse one thanks to some historical antagonisms but has the great potential for taking action that has potent long-term consequence.

Depending on how integrated Medusa-like energy in in your system, this can be a time of getting very focused, clarifying your goals and acting on them, all the way from the mundane to the sacred. On the mundane level, we can get very effective and creative especially in areas that are emotionally important to us. There is great inherent tenacity in this mix.

Sun, Mars, Medusa in Libra opposite Chiron and Lilith in Aries

This opposition spears through the middle of the grand trines and its corresponding kite arrangement, and as the pivotal point in the whole arrangement, determines how successful all its trines and sextiles are. Notice once again, that strong and potentially brilliant masculine energies are intimately involved with fierce warrior goddesses (along with the ongoing Saturn Kali conjunction in Aquarius) this is a potentially awesome situation for great creative change in the world.

However, if these forms of the feminine continue to be rejected, disowned and dishonoured by the masculine, they implode and become very rageful and destructive and act out in ways that adds fuel to the same toxic masculine. This is one of the reasons why rejected dark goddess energies often turned into misogyny and in the case of Chiron energy, people become wounders more than healers.

Mercury in Libra squaring Pluto in Capricorn and trining Jupiter in Aquarius

Here the planet of the mind, in the normally gracious and diplomatic sign of Libra, gets caught in a power struggle with the transformative powers of Pluto demanding that we go deeper in our understanding of ourselves and the world beyond that of the rational mind. It challenges the rational and idealistic parts of us to get more emotionally real, more psychologically adept, and more willing to explore the shadow the primal layers of self, its games and its opportunities.

Often this plays out in power struggles with others, around ideas and beliefs and, having to deal with other people’s manipulative games or fundamentalist beliefs. The challenge here is to be able to pierce into whatever is transpiring so that we can see either our own subconscious drivers and motivations or those of the individuals who might be attempting such numbers upon you.

Moon in Cancer in Grand Cross with Mercury, Pluto and with Hekate in Aries

Moon in Cancer in Grand Trine and Kite, with Neptune in Pisces, Pluto in Capricorn and Venus in Scorpio

Cancer is traditionally a good place for the Moon, rich, fertile and deeply loving, with an awesome amount of emotional and psychic sensitivity often shielded by layers of crab-like defensiveness. In the context of Covid and all of its impacts on us, a Cancer Moon highlights a longing for stability, security, safety and normalacy, for ourselves and our loved ones.

An opposition to the ruler of the death and rebirth cycle, in the form of Pluto, simultaneously describes the literal life-and-death challenges of this time and, the intensity that comes when life demands that we transform ourselves emotionally. Letting go is a big challenge for any Cancerian part of ourselves and is precisely what is being asked of all of us at this time.

The necessary letting go is beautifully supported by the Grand Trine from the Moon to Neptune and Venus in Scorpio. The Neptunian connection supports us to be more emotionally and psychically fluid, enhancing our ability to trust the more benevolent unseen forces in our lives and, through increasing the effectiveness of our spiritual and healing practices by making us more receptive.

Venus conjunct Shiva in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn and, Hygeia in Virgo

Of all the major planets this month, Venus gets the best deal in terms of aspects. While she is part of the grand trine with the Moon and Neptune, she has good aspects to both Pluto and the healing goddess Hygeia. (The only hard aspect she has is a square with Jupiter in Aquarius, which is hardly a tough aspect considering how benevolent and influence Jupiter is!)

In conjuncting the great Shiva, her Tantric love energies are deepened, while her capacity to open up mystically is simultaneously greatly enhanced. That is quite easy to imagine how she would be operating in our bodies and chakras; our hearts opening in a way that spreads love upwards into our crowns and third eyes, while descending into our lower chakras.

Mercury in Libra opposite Hekate conjunct Lilith in Aries

This opposition is the other spoke in the grand cross that bisects the Moon/Pluto opposition and is another significant challenge. Mercury in Libra has a tendency towards wanting to deal with the world almost exclusively through the lens of the rational mind, specialising in the measured and intelligent use of language, discussion and diplomacy. It can be idealistic, harmonising and relationship oriented.

For all its grace, gentleness and creativity, coming up against two primal goddesses in the opposite side of Aries can be seen as a major threat but, for those with a more expanded awareness, is an opportunity for rebalancing fire and air, raw individuality with relatedness, passion and dispassion. And in this case, between the deep intelligence and power of the sacred feminine and the workings of the conscious rational mind.

This is a brilliant time to be doing this work of healing and owning these often rejected aspects of the feminine because it is all close to the surface and, what we do about consciously is supported by Mercury’s trine to the brilliant Jupiter in Aquarius. Even in the darkest places, whether out there in the world or inside ourselves, a supportive Jupiter like this one allows us to perceptually see beyond our old ideas, expectations and projections, into the creative possibilities, opportunities and futuristic potentials as so many of our foundations are shifting at this time.

Go well, stay safe and well,

With love and blessings,

Daniel