Sun enters Leo

The Sun moves into Leo on July 23rd until August 22nd.  Leo is the fifth sign of the Zodiac, is the sign of the Sun, the central heart of the solar system. In ancient times the Sun came to its full glory and reached the height of its annual ascent as it joined the stars in the constellation of the Lion and ever since, lions have been portrayed as powerful symbols of solar strength, supremacy, glory, light and brilliance Located in it’s natural fifth house, the sign of Leo, will describe how and where you will be affected by influences of optimism, capacity for enjoyment and self-expression.  Your Sun is arguably the most powerful energy in your whole chart. It represents your central sense of purpose and identity. The two luminaries, the Sun and Moon, together form the inner and outer dynamics of our most personal, conscious connection to the Universal Spirit. The outward thrust of the Sun's identity and purpose and the inward receptivity and sensitive feelings of the Moon. They also reflect our experience of mother, Moon and father, Sun since we parent ourselves and others in much the same way as we were parented as children. The Fixed quality of Leo can center us in self-esteem or keep us trapped in a limited view of who we are. On one hand, Leo represents our self-esteem, playfulness, love and self-affirming purpose. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Leo is also the experience of feeling shame, humiliation, self-loathing and aimless cynicism. Which end of the spectrum we're better acquainted with tends to depend on what was affirmed about us in our formative years.  The Sun is a dynamic energy that responds to whatever we fuel it with in adulthood. Just as it's essential to take in love, praise and applause, it's also important to acknowledge and accept our mistakes and human shortcomings.

In Leo, we encounter a more crystallized sense of personal identity. This is different from the Aries form of identity.  Aries is the outer personality through which we interact with the world, whereas Leo is more the person who is doing the interacting. Aries provides the outer layer of who we are, but doesn't always reflect the fiery, molten core that lies within. Leo is our own experience of ourselves, as opposed to Aries which is what we show of ourselves to the world, which is not always the same thing. Think about all the thoughts, feelings, instincts and observations you keep to yourself and don't share with the Leo is that part of us that inherently feels terrific about ourselves and the world. In its purest form, this internal spiritual flame knows no bounds, no inhibitions, no limitations and no blockages. It is endlessly loving, curious, playful and joyous. That playfulness is at the center of our creativity in the broadest sense of the word. We tend to think that creativity applies only to painting, music or other forms of artistic talent, but creativity is more an approach than an activity. Creativity, quite simply, is the ability to take two separate things and combine them to create a third; it is the ability to create something that wasn't there before. Creativity is ultimately the expression of the Self. When you take a creative approach, you make a statement of some kind that comes from you. It says something about the creator as well as the created. Even if you're just putting together components that someone else originally created, the way you put them together can be yours alone. Without creative self-expression, we are automatons living monotone lives of blind obedience, interchangeable with every other brick in the wall. When you deny your creativity, you reject or take for granted some of the unique essence of who you are.

Uranus Retrograde in Aries

 

"Freedom" is the word to the wise as rebel planet Uranus goes retrograde from July 21 to December 21, 2014. Now is the time to look at life from a fresh perspective, toss out the old ways of doing things. Basically, Uranus Retrograde just wants us to get real. It's time to face our fears and change the things that aren't working so we can become who we really want to be. Uranus represents non-conformity and idealism and it is in Aries the initiator.  While now is a good time to let our inner child run free, we must do so with caution to avoid shooting first and aiming later. When Uranus is retrograde, the focus/energy turns inward. How do I attain/re-attain the personal freedom I seek/I've lost? How do I gain/regain my individuality? How do I exact the changes necessary to move me closer to my goals? In Aries, Uranus is a trailblazer and is assertive in communicating one's ideas and pushing for one's objectives. At best, engaging, a leader, entrepreneurial, creative, independent and impassioned. At worst, callous, abrasive, selfish, opinionated and non-committal. So if you're in a bad relationship, stuck in a job you don't like, living in a place that doesn't feel right or spending time with the wrong people, Uranus will alert you to this in coming months. The realization may dawn on you slowly, and it may involve an uncomfortable period of anxiety, but when you do have those epiphanies, pay attention. Make the needed changes. Get real about what you want, be brave and embrace your freedom to go after it.

Jupiter enters Leo

 

Jupiter will move into the sign of Leo on July 16th and remain there until August 11, 2015. The planet Jupiter’s position in the zodiac shows how you express your need to grow. It shows your interests in the higher values of life and how you share those interests with others. When you think of the “Giant Planet” you think expansiveness. This is what energies of Jupiter challenge us to do in the physical, the intellect, the emotional but most important the spiritual, to expand and grow. Jupiter's energy is unrestrained and its effect is to inflate. It rules our expansion potential in the material, spiritual, intellectual and cultural sense. Jupiter is the planet of opportunities because its energies compel us towards experiences that promote our growth.  Jupiter's energy is predominantly benevolent, one which wants us to grow and flourish in a positive way.

Leo is a fixed (tenacious, persistent) fire sign is ruled by the Sun. The sign of Leo, will describe how and where you will be affected by influences of optimism, capacity for enjoyment and self-expression.  Your Sun is arguably the most powerful energy in your whole chart. It represents your central sense of purpose and identity. Leo represents our self-esteem, playfulness, love and self-affirming purpose.  Leo speaks to creative ability and the power of the individual to meet the challenges of everyday life and will describe how and where you will be affected by influences of optimism, capacity for enjoyment and self-expression. Leos are powerful personalities. They are usually ambitious and enthusiastic people who enjoy drawing attention to themselves. Sometimes they can be overly confident and outspoken. On the opposite side of the coin, Leos are courageous when needed, loyal and generous and will defend their loved ones with surprising force.

The last time we saw this transits was in 2002. Jupiter wants more--more love, more money, more travel, and more spirituality. In Leo, Jupiter wants more fun. While Jupiter was in watery and sentimental Cancer during the last year, many people experienced the expansion of their waistline. Jupiter in Leo increases your metabolism. Jupiter in Leo is always ready for the next adventure or journey. Jupiter represents Higher philosophy and speaking the Highest Truth. Past life issues about being burned at the stake for speaking your Truth now need to be released. Jupiter is a wise teacher. Leo is a charismatic leader. It is time to bring out the Hierophant within you, teaching the sleeping masses to honor a Higher Purpose. New ventures this coming year will tend be all about creativity and rampant possibilities, hang the details. So if you're a stickler, you may seem a thorn in people's sides. It's fun to roll with the blue-sky crowd, but don't count on cashing in on everything or taking it to the limits first imagined. Still, you hit the mark by aiming high. While this transit will be beneficial to everyone, individuals with Leo Sun and Rising Signs will really feel the positive energy.

Sun enters Cancer

This year on June 21, 2014, the Summer Solstice, the Sun moved into Cancer.  Cancer, a Cardinal sign,  is ruled by the Moon and belongs to the element of water. This brings an important point as the Moon has no light of her own. She can only reflect the light that's given to her by the Sun. This quality of reflection is a central factor in the Cancer archetype. Cancer claims exclusive rights to the Moon, both sign and planetary ruler termed, “cold and moist” in nature. Understanding the essence of that phrase reveals a lot about the complex sensitivity that lies beneath Cancer’s thick, crustaceous shell. In Cancer, we enter the world of emotions and feelings, as well as needs, intuition and the ability to bond with another human being. The rational Gemini self-awareness leads readily into Cancer's intuitive self-reflection and its personalized, feelings-based assessment of life. We now enter the realm of the non-rational, not necessarily irrational, but that which does not adhere to conventional logic or cause-and-effect.

In nature, water has no shape of its own, no taste or color. It needs other materials to be observed. Feelings and emotions are like invisible forces made perceptible by external events that cause internal ripples. Our feeling state can be affected by internal psychological dynamics and includes emotions, but also includes the intuitive senses. You can have a “feeling” about something without necessarily having an emotional response to it.

As children, we are very open. We freely express our emotions, from delight to contentment to primal rage. We learn to consciously identify our feelings by observing how we react to various situations and sensations. As we mature, we develop a more complex repertoire of feelings. Our first experience of being emotionally affected by others is our family, initially by the mother or mother-figure. Whether we experienced our childhood as nurturing, supportive and safe, or as painful, erratic and dysfunctional, our internal emotional growth tends to take on the shape of the environment in which it grew. It is here we first learn how to nurture and be nurtured, to bond and be separate, to be an individual and yet be part of a larger whole, i.e., the family. Unconscious dynamics which are passed down from generation to generation also have their roots in Cancer and the 4th house. Hence, Cancer also governs family, childhood, mother, our ancestry, and the past in general. As infants, we learn how to bond with another person, usually the mother first and later we begin to distinguish between where we stop and others begin. Our initial symbiosis with the mother-figure, combined with our subsequent ability to separate ourselves, matures into a capacity for empathy. The roots of our needs and behaviors in adult relationships are found deep in our Cancerian past. The archetypes of Aries, Taurus and Gemini form the foundation of the Self in its own right. Although Gemini brings us a conceptual experience of others through information and environment, Cancer involves an experiential, deeply personal encounter with others. In Cancer, it is enough to return to our roots and past to discover the dynamics which enabled us to grow into the person we are today. If we try to go forward without knowing where we came from, we risk becoming aimless, reckless and disconnected.

Neptune Retrograde in Pisces

 

From June 9th until November 15th, Neptune will be in retrograde motion. Neptune rules denial, so when Neptune turns retrograde our feelings are more astute at picking up and perceiving the illusive. It is easier to ascertain information about issues that have eluded us while Neptune was direct. It is essential that we do something about the problems that we pick up on while Neptune is retrograde because they can worsen when Neptune goes direct. A retrograde Neptune tends to blur the boundaries between reality and illusion, and makes dreams larger than life. This is therefore a good time to delve into your dreams, to listen to your intuition, to experience music and art, and to seek inspiration. Be sure however to keep a good grip on the practical aspects of life and avoid being cast adrift on the sea of unreality. A Neptune retrograde in Pisces is a good time to refocus or recommit to your spiritual side and attune yourself to pursuits that help grow Self.

It should be noted that with Neptune turning retrograde, it joins Mercury, Saturn, Pluto and four planets are now in retrograde motion. For the next few months, do not expect anything to move at its customary pace.  Life will stall, be prepared.