Here is the Ask the Astrologers Weekly Astro Forecast for the week of Jul 30, 2018 – Aug 5, 2018:
It may not seem like we’ve got a lot going on this week, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening. There are six planets retrograde, and six planets in the early degrees of their respective signs. We’ve also got Mars out of bounds — and closer to the Earth than it’s been in 15 years, or will be for another 269 years.
Starting on Monday, there’s a semi-sextile between Mercury and Venus. This aspect emphasizes kindness, compassion and empathy, and — especially since these planets are also in mutual reception — social interactions. As semi-sextiles act as instruments of transition from one sign archetype to the next, this one may see you changing direction in your relationships with others or inviting new friends into your social circle.
Keeping in mind that Mercury is still retrograde and still reminding us to look before we leap, and Venus in Virgo (in its fall), this is not the best time to start a new relationship. but it’s excellent for working on issues that present themselves, and ironing out the kinks.
Mars and Saturn are also both in semi-sextile, with Mars at 3° Aquarius and Saturn at 3° Capricorn. Both of these planets are retrograde, as is Pluto which is just about mid-way between the two, or as classical astrologers refer to it: besieged.
This Mars / Pluto / Saturn planetary picture can manifest as intense conflicts, power struggles, confrontations and mind games (among many other things). Especially since Mars is out of bounds, causing it to behave a bit like a wild card: increasing the impulsive and erratic energy that is already associated with Mars.
On Wednesday, the asteroid Vesta turns direct, after spending the past three months in retrograde motion. This can see you making a similar change in direction with respect to your attitudes about self-sufficiency, autonomy and service to others. Because it’s back in Sagittarius (and in close trine to a retrograde Mercury) this will most likely be tied to finding better ways to express your ideas and belief systems.
Mars continues to wreak havoc throughout the week, moving next into a square with Uranus (exact on Thursday). This aspect can be volatile and combative. It can manifest as temper tantrums, angry outbursts or rash decisions that can lead result in accident-prone behavior. You may need to find a physical outlet for all that pent up energy, or have it worked out for you therapeutically, via bodywork or massage.
Mars is moving into sextile to Chiron, exact on Saturday. This transit can soften some of that Mars / Uranus energy and act as a buffer for any aggression or impulsivity. The sextile to Chiron encourages you to put your own views aside, at least long enough to see where someone else is coming from.
Mars / Uranus may want to confront differences but Mars / Chiron wants to honor and embrace them. Think about which of these is going to better serve you down the road and then align yourself with that energy.
As the week winds down, we have Mercury forming an inconjunct to Pluto on Sunday. Inconjuncts can be a bit uncomfortable, but this one shouldn’t be too bad — as long as honest with yourself and others. This is not the time to play mind games or engage in power struggles with others. This is an intense and somewhat suspicious aspect that can see you reading too much into the intentions of others.
This aspect can also make it difficult to \keep intrusive thoughts at bay. This also goes for the people in your life, who may seem defensive, obsessive or paranoid during this time. Mercury / Pluto is excellent for ferreting out hidden information, but you may need to adjust your dial.
That’s it for this week; see you next week!
Here is this week’s astro calendar; click on it to view it full-sized.
Weekly Astro Forecast —
Jul 30, 2018 – Aug 5, 2018
By
Thinking about learning Astrology? I highly recommend Stephen Arroyo’s Chart Interpretation Handbook and Demetra George’s Astrology for Yourself.
Don’t forget to check out more Weekly Astro Forecasts and our Monthly Horoscopes too!
Want to see where these transits are hitting your natal chart? Check out our Free Natal Chart Calculator.
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