Anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). (Source:Wikimedia Commons)


Hello everyone.

Feel like stepping forward?  Good, because this is the week we’ve been waiting for, the week that will push, pull, and prod us into action.  The energies of this summer of transformation are at their peak this week so let’s go for it!  Set an intention now that this week will reveal what’s needed to take your business to a new level and it will deliver.  The major aspects of the week are on Monday and then at the end of the week, so you’ll have time to breathe.

Monday

The last time Jupiter opposed Saturn was on May 22, in the signs of Pisces and Virgo.  At that time I wrote that both of these planets are beneficial for business:  Jupiter the urge to expand into new products and territories; Saturn the urge to plan and monitor for successful implementation.  Today it’s a little different.  For one thing Jupiter and Saturn are in Aries and Libra respectively; cardinal signs bent on action rather than the mutable Pisces and Virgo which favor integration.  Balance is still the key but it may be harder to achieve today.

Since Saturn is in Libra, where it operates most strongly, and Jupiter is retrograde, I’d say that Saturn has the upper hand. The forces of limitation, contraction, and conservation are much stronger right now than the forces of expansion, optimism, and confidence – just look at the trouble we’re having coming out of this recession!  I can’t help but think this is a good thing; conservative action now will set the stage for expansion when the time is right.  

So if your activities are curtailed today, just go with it.  Saturn lends practical common sense and in Libra, responsible action in relationship to others.  With Saturn’s influence you will understand the need to bide your time.

Friday

In the early morning on Friday, MDT, the Sun in Leo opposes Neptune retrograde in Aquarius.  This is a turning point in the Neptune retrograde cycle which began on May 31 and will continue until November 7.

When Neptune is in retrograde motion it is in the opposite sector of the sky from the Sun.  Symbolically, this retrograde time puts the Sun, which represents us as business owners and team leaders, at odds with the currents and fashions of the time, represented by Neptune.  It’s like we want to be independent, the master of our own fates, and we chafe against being required to submerge ourselves into any collective.

But at the opposition we reach a turning point, potentially a point of integration, where we can begin to balance again our desire for autonomy with a beneficial collaboration with others.  After what may have been a disorienting period of isolation since the end of May, we find ourselves welcoming more interaction, especially across the social network world of Neptune in Aquarius.

The retrograde period isn’t over; it’s still time to rethink and review our engagement with the whole global versus local issue.  But now at the opposition we feel less threatened and more willing to connect.

That’s not all for today, though.  Venus joins Mars in Libra, which is good for Venus and not so good for Mars.  We’ll cover this meetup later in the week.

And….drum roll please….Mercury returns to retrograde motion today for one of its tri-annual three week periods.  No alarms or palpitations, we’ve been examining the fruits of Mercury retrograde in this blog for some time and we’ll continue it this week so you can be prepared to get the best out of it.  To get you started, there’s a link below with 10 Best Practices for Mercury Retrograde.

Saturday

On Saturday, Saturn in Libra challenges Pluto in Capricorn for the last time in this long series.  Ray Merriman of The Merriman Market Analyst describes the effect of this square on government debt by contrasting it to the recent Jupiter/Pluto square:

And finally, the third and last passage of the 32-37 year waning square between Saturn and Pluto takes place on August 21, which has correspondence to world-wide government debt, much like Jupiter square Pluto does. The difference between Jupiter-Pluto square versus Saturn-Pluto square is that the former wants to attack debt by increasing spending (i.e. economic stimulus programs, ala Keynesian economic principles), whereas the latter wants to attack the exploding debt by cutting back on spending programs (i.e. austerity measures and economic contraction).

Has your debt exploded?  Are you more of a Jupiter/Pluto person (you’ve got to spend money to make money) or more of a Saturn/Pluto person (cutting spending is the only way out)?  With Saturn strong in Libra we’ll probably all continue to cut back and this should hold us steady until we get past the shake-up of these transits.

I’ve written a great deal in this blog about this year’s Saturn/Pluto challenge.  I’ll list the links below.  I’m sure you’ll find them fun and interesting. (I do!)

Sunday

On Sunday the Sun enters Virgo, marking a significant shift in season.  All of the major challenging aspects are over and the sign of Virgo is a perfect receptacle to help us assimilate all that has changed.  Look for more on the sign of Virgo on this blog later this week.

Just before the Sun enters Virgo it forms an uncomfortable aspect to Uranus retrograde in Pisces.  Watch for overreaction with this transit – you may want to push ahead on a major project that you’ve put on hold for good reason, just so you can feel like you’re moving forward.  Don’t invest too much time or money at this point.  You don’t have the clarity you need yet.

Whew!  Have an excellent, energizing week, and let me know how it all plays out!

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

To read about the series of Saturn/Pluto aspects, see these posts:

Saturn square Pluto – Easy to be Hard?

Three Dog Night – Easy to be Hard

Saturn square Pluto – Impasse?

Saturn/Pluto Strategy #1

Saturn/Pluto Strategy #2

Saturn/Pluto Strategy #3 – Act!

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – August 2010

For tips on how to use Mercury Retrograde to your advantage, see 10 Best Practices for Mercury Retrograde.

For more info on the business descriptions of the planets mentioned this week, see

The Sun

Mercury

Venus

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto