Astro4Business Intersections

Hello, everyone.

Several astronomical events influence our astrological world this week, and the planet Uranus assumes retrograde motion on Saturday.  The Moon is waxing all week, which makes this a week for setting new plans in motion.  Venus and Mercury are also active, but the biggest aspect of the week is an angle of opportunity between Jupiter and Pluto.

Some background

This summer, the outer planets Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto form a configuration called a T-square in the heavens.  Saturn in Libra opposes Uranus in Aries, and Pluto forms a 90-degree angle to both.  This aspect has been in place since last summer, and the Uranus/Pluto aspect will continue until next summer.  This summer the aspects come within a couple of degrees of exact, close enough to feel, but not close enough to come to a head and force a confrontation.  This spells tension without the opportunity to actually address and relieve it.

When a major configuration involves outer planets, we generally experience the aspect in our peripheral vision.  We hear about the struggles happening in distant lands, or we know that major institutions are being shaken to their knees.  It affects us, but not in our personal or business lives.  This week features a few transits that bring these global issues into our local spheres.

Jupiter/Pluto

Jupiter, the planet of opportunity and expansion, forms an excellent aspect with Pluto in Capricorn this week.  If you’ve been struggling with transitions or if the breakdowns in the economy have been shaking the structure of your business, this week can secure your foundations again.  There is potential for practical solutions this week, which you can invite through earnest effort and a bit of trust.  Change has come; this week you’ll recognize the benefits of that change and start looking forward to the future again.  This is important, so keep your eyes open.

Since the aspect between Jupiter and Pluto is in earth signs, we’re not looking for something subtle.  Concrete manifestation is more likely but sometimes this aspect feels so good we miss the fact that some action is required.  An opportunity that comes your way this week can carry you far into the future, so grab it when it comes.

Venus and the T-square

Venus, the planet of material rewards and interrelationships, meets up with the Saturn/Uranus/Pluto T-square, as well as Jupiter and Neptune this week.  Having just entered the sign of Cancer, she’s spending the week negotiating peace treaties among all the players.  If we can just treat each other like family, she says, then we can all reach prosperity together.

Venus is no lightweight.  We tend to personalize her because she represents a part of ourselves that is easy to feel and operates in our day-to-day lives.  But as one of the emissaries of the Sun, she acts as an agent of our essential purpose in life through forming relationships with others.  No matter what may be happening in the wider world, this week Venus bridges opposing parties and reminds us that collaboration beats competition every time.  For us this means staying alert, seizing the moment, and choosing to nurture and protect everyone within our sphere, from employees to competitors to our human family as a whole.

Mercury and the T-square

Mercury, the planet of reason and intellect, is also in the mix this week.  Another agent of our conscious will, Mercury translates our intention into communications and problem-solving.  The new, the technological, the innovative will flow into our thoughts this week; keep yourself open to radical viewpoints and inventive solutions to technical difficulties.  Mercury is with both Uranus and Jupiter this week, which can lead to exciting breakthroughs.  Later in the week, a supportive Mercury/Saturn aspect brings the discipline and perseverance to settle the buzz of the week into a practical implementation plan.

Uranus Retrograde

Uranus represents originality and unconventionality, either the brilliant genius or the willful rebel without a cause. Each year Uranus spends five months in retrograde motion.  Retrograde motion is a visual event rather than an astronomical one.  From our vantage point on earth, it looks like the planet begins to move backward against the backdrop of the constellations.

When Uranus entered the sign of Aries a few months ago, we were probably flooded with new ideas for our businesses, innovations we couldn’t wait to try, a restructuring whose time had finally come.  We may have been “on fire” with potential and possibility.

Especially with unpredictable Uranus in impulsive, risk-loving Aries, the innovations we’ve been so fired up about could probably use a second look.  This is the gift of retrograde motion – it gives us a chance to retrace our steps, to check initial results against expectations, and to correct decisions before they can do real damage.

When a planet moves into retrograde motion, we can experience reversals and disruptions for a week on either side.  The tricky part about an outer planet like Uranus is that the reversals could well seem to be coming from forces outside yourself:  that new project doesn’t get approved after all, that funding doesn’t come through as scheduled.  If this is your experience, take a step back.  Uranus can act suddenly and swiftly but after a couple of weeks, as we adjust to the retrograde energy, we’ll discover the purpose for the setback.  And then we’ll be thanking our lucky stars!

Have a wonderful week!  Happy Independence Day to everyone in the U.S.
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For an overview of the month, see Astro4Business Month Ahead – July 2011

For an overview of the year, check out these posts:

Pluto’s Journey through 2011

Neptune Swimming through 2011

Uranus Flashes through 2011

To read more about the business descriptions of the planets mentioned today, see

The Moon

Mercury

Venus

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Pluto

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.