Have you been feeling out of sorts lately? Do you feel like you walked into some sort of weird fun house where nothing is what it was and nothing is what it seems? Each of the astrology signs has one and sometimes two “ruling” planets. A planet rules the sign because there is a natural rapport -like when your favorite person in the world shows up – there is an ease of being, a natural balance and harmony as well as a sense of inner power/knowing/ability. For example, Mars rules Aries which makes sense because Mars is the planet associated with weaponry and Aries is the sign of war. A few of the planets play double duty in their rulerships which creates affinities between these signs -like Venus for Taurus and Libra.
So far this year, we have only been experiencing the inner planets as they retrograde, but lately, the outer planets are beginning their rx cycle. On 28 April, Pluto went retrograde in Capricorn and will go direct 6 October 2021. Starting 23 May, Saturn, who rules Capricorn and Aquarius, went retrograde in the sign of Aquarius and will not go direct until 11 October 2021. On 20 June 2021, Jupiter, who rules Sagittarius and Pisces, went retrograde in its native Pisces and will go direct 18 October 2021. On 25 June, Neptune will go retrograde in its native Pisces and will start moving forward on 1 December 2021. Finally, Uranus will go retrograde in Taurus in August. From 29 May through 21 June, Mercury was also retrograde in its native Gemini.
There are so many points to discuss here, but I will keep this brief and to the point -and write additional pieces later. The four mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces are all ruled by two planets: Mercury and Jupiter. Merrylin LeBlanc and I discussed this in our YouTube Deep Dives with New Perspectives podcast: https://youtu.be/kXbD32fwQ7M If you have planets or an angle in any of these signs, you are going through a significant review. Gemini and Sagittarius also received the additional hit of having the lunar and annular eclipse run through them. Saturn and Neptune are in two of their ruling signs, Aquarius and Pisces, respectively. Double hit for Pisces with its traditional modern ruler doing the backwards walk as well. Aquarius will get the same double hit from August through October. Clearly October will be a time when much of these energies will clear and thus will begin another new normal for these signs.
The outer planets have to do with issues, concepts and relationships larger than ourselves. When planets are retrograde (please watch the class I gave for Stormie Grace’s YouTube Astrology Academy about retrogrades for more information https://youtu.be/vtTeZiQ5V8c), they tend to create a more liminal space. This is a between place, which means we become aware of bridging new ideas, reconnecting, reviewing. Almost any word that begins with re- fits under the umbrella of the re-trograde cycle. This is an internal period, a time to slow down, time to take stock. Situations will arise that help you question whether your relationships, work, passions -many aspects of your life- are in alignment with the truth of who you are.
This is not a time to force, but to allow. This is not a time to push forward, but to step back and make sure that what you choose is really what you want. If you have planets or angles in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces -you may be feeling and experiencing things that are not usually all occurring at once. If life gets overwhelming, what can you do to set boundaries and make some space to care for yourself? If you are being asked to make long term commitments, at least give yourself some time and space to ask yourself what works. This is the time to discuss, consider and process your options as well as the long-term consequences of the choices you make. Take a walk, write notes and make diagrams, speak to people you trust and get their insights. Most long-term decisions shouldn’t be made with a whim in the moment, but with careful thought, consideration and soul searching.
If you find yourself needing some guidance in your life, I am here to assist. This is a powerful time for transformation. We need to leave behind non-emotionally regenerative patterns and choose ones that nurture, support and feed us.
Wishing you great insights during this internal period,
Michael