What's Going On in the Universe ~ August 2018

We are bouncing off walls today as the jittery Gemini Moon skips through a wide range of aspects. It’s as if we can’t sit still because we’re bothered by little things we might normally let slide. We may vacillate between extreme negativity and abundant positivity without finding a resting spot in the middle. Like the rising and falling tides, it’s smarter to go with the flow, rather than attempting to justify our expansion or contraction.

And, if that wasn't enough, Uranus joins Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto all retrograde this week. Now the planets appear retrograde just about every year as pass them on our lap around the sun, or are lapped by them, but they don’t usually all go at once. 

But, hang on . . . . we're not done yet! It's still eclipse season as August begins. That's right ~ there's another one. Although we experienced two eclipses in July, sometimes the universe decides that it needs to throw a little more chaos our way. Why? Because chaos is often the agent of change, and change is the only way for our souls to grow.

On August 11 there will be a Solar Eclipse in Leo closely conjunct Mercury, which is retrograde in Leo. What does this mean? Well, most significant is that there will be some type of new beginning in your life that has roots in romance, children, or a creative endeavor. Wherever you have Leo in your chart is where you are willing to take a chance. Yes, you'll be ready to do this, but the fact that Mercury is retrograde (and Mars too) will absolutely bring with it some type of delay and frustration connected to your eclipse promise. Be patient and know that whatever seeds you try to plant with this eclipse won't truly get off the ground until the very end of August, when Mars turns direct and Mercury turns direct and moves past the degree he occupied during the eclipse.

With Mercury moving retrograde until August 19, you might be re-visiting some old drama connected to your love life or with a child, in an attempt to resolve matters. Clarity will arrive by the end of the month. This will also be a great time to revise an existing creative project you're working on. As you can see, between the eclipse and Mercury Retrograde, there is a simultaneous "out with the old, in with the new" energy at play in Leo matters.

Retrogrades aren’t evil, contrary to some astrological rumors, but the retrograde planets slow us down, send us back to regroup and review, and remind us (with a few complications) not to take ordinary life for granted.

A Full Moon in Pisces on August 26 has you feeling ALL the feels. Not just your own, but everyone else's. This might be an emotionally draining time, so remember to do whatever you must to nourish your soul and recharge your spiritual batteries. It's as if the universe is trying to suck out every last bit of what is holding you back before you get pushed forward in a major way.

That push forward happens on the August 27 when Mars, the planet of motivation, finally turns direct after having been retrograde since June 26. Once this happens, every single red light in your life will suddenly turn green. Ready, set ... go!

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Raven is a self-described animal whisperer, lifelong pet parent, and owner of HolisticPetsAndPeeps.com. She is certified as a holistic consultant, aromatherapist, Angel Intuitive, Reiki practitioner (for animals & their people), and pet nutritionist. She encourages others to celebrate animals as part of the family, as well as keep them happy, healthy, and spoiled! When Raven isn't busy being a slave to her very demanding senior cats or helping her favorite rescues with fundraising projects, she is most likely working on growing her businesses and raising awareness in an effort to make this world a better place for all animals. 

Mercury Retrograde ~ April 2017 ~ Hold On Tight!!

The planet Mercury rules all types of communication, and things are about to go haywire. The first full Mercury Retrograde of 2017 started April 9 and will last until May 3. As if things aren't already tough enough these days, the cosmos decided to make life even more difficult for you. While many planets have retrograde cycles (Jupiter is retrograde until June 9, for example), Mercury is likely the one you've heard the most about. This is because Mercury Retrograde has the ability to wreak havoc on everyone, no matter their astrological sign.

"This phenomenon is one of the few that affects everyone in a fairly uniform way, and its effects are always obvious," according to Susan Miller at Astrology Zone. "Once you begin to pay attention to how events in your life change during these phases, you will soon see how important it is to take note of them."

Some of the fun things you can look forward to during Mercury Retrograde include misunderstandings, mistakes, and disruptions related to listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, negotiating, selling, buying, travel, shipping, and anything related to computers and phones.

"When this planet retrogrades, these areas tend to get scrambled or spin out of control," says Miller.

There is also a slight overlap between Venus and Mercury's retrograde periods. Venus Retrograde, which ends April 15, can cause you to be overly impulsive and trigger heightened feelings of love and desire that aren't necessarily real. During the six-day overlap, your impulses could be thwarted by communication meltdowns, which could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it.

If you impulsively send a text to an ex-lover and it doesn't go through, that could be a good thing. But it also means you're at risk of sending that steamy Venus-Retrograde-induced text to the wrong person, like your boss. I'm exhausted just thinking about this.

Mercury Retrograde begins in stubborn Earth sign Taurus, which means life can become slower and more frustrating than usual. The astrology website Find Your Fate advises, "Be very practical about finding a solution and strictly adhere to limits of time or budget. Money often plays a big part of both the problem and the answer when Mercury is retrograde in earthy signs like Taurus."

Luckily, things will ease up when Mercury moves into Aries on April 20.

In 2017, Mercury retrogrades four times, beginning a new nine-year cycle, according to Find Your Fate. During this time, expect new people and new situations to enter your circle who can determine the direction of your life for the next nine-year period. While that might feel like a lot of pressure, because nine years seems like a long time, Mercury can bring about transformations in your life that you might not have envisioned, which can be a good thing.

For your best chance of having a smooth Mercury Retrograde, don’t make any important moves, sign any contracts, or launch any new endeavors. It's also not a good time to have any type of elective surgery because doctors are affected by the retrograde too.

It’s not that the people you are dealing with are necessarily duplicitous, it’s just that nobody can fully predict what conditions will be like later. If you start a new job, it won’t necessarily be the position you thought it was when you accepted it. If you are a manager, you will have difficulty choosing the right candidate for the job, so, if you can, hold off hiring anyone. If you buy a house, problems could crop up later that were completely unanticipated.

So what's the good news? Since Mercury Retrograde affects everyone, we're all in this crazy thing together and, thankfully, we don't have to go through it again until August!