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Written and Narrated by Pam Younghans.
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Current and previous weeks astrological overviews
Astrological Overview: July 24 - 30, 2023
Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.
Aspects of Note this Week:
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours; For Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), add 7 hours.
Monday: No major aspects are exact today
Tuesday: Pluto square the nodal axis, Mercury trine Eris
Wednesday: Mercury quincunx Neptune, Mars sesquiquadrate Eris
Thursday: Mercury conjunct retrograde Venus, Mercury quincunx Pluto
Friday: Pluto square the nodal axis, Mercury enters Virgo, Sun quincunx Saturn
Saturday: No major aspects are exact today
Sunday: Retrograde Venus quincunx Neptune
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COSMIC THERAPY: Pluto is often called The Psychotherapist Planet, known for bringing what has been repressed or suppressed into our awareness so that it may be understood, dismantled, and transmuted. With the dwarf planet "at the bending" of the Moon's nodal axis now, we may be surprised by the unsolicited feelings and memories that are coming to the surface. Old personality structures that have limited us in some way are being cracked wide open, allowing a wide variety of emotions to be revealed and experienced.
Ultimately, this is a very deep cleansing, designed to clear away the residue of patterns and memories that have kept us disempowered in some way. What has been hidden must come to the surface so that it no longer controls us from behind the scenes or inhibits our evolutionary progress.
But, as with most cleanup work, we may be finding this chore tedious and tiring — and "whistling while we work" seems a ludicrous suggestion. Perhaps we can take heart that this is an opportunity to do a thorough cleansing, and that once we have completed this process, we will feel a new courage emerge. This revitalized inner fire will enable us to feel more confident and energized, and more willing to take risks we once shied away from, since we are free of the fears that once shackled us.
Pluto was exactly square the North and South Nodes once last week, and that precise aspect repeats twice this coming week, on Tuesday and Friday. This three-time event is possible since Pluto is retrograde and because the nodes are traveling backward in their usual "two steps ahead, one step back" dance. The influence of this powerful aspect will be with us until mid-August, when the nodes move beyond the active zone.
VENUS RETROGRADE: Also drawing our attention to the past and bringing up old issues is Venus, now traveling backward through Leo. For the next 42 days, we are in a period of re-eVALUEation — reassessing what we truly value. One of our tasks during this time is to observe when we feel creatively inspired by what we are doing, versus when we are merely repeating, out of habit, what we're used to doing.
As the goddess of Love and Beauty, Venus rules our relationship to anything that we can say we "love" — whether that's another sentient being, an object, nature, or a creative or pleasurable experience. Essentially, Venus is associated with whatever causes us to open our hearts or our wallets. These are the areas we are asked to review now.
While Venus retrograde doesn't mean a relationship must end, we may become aware of issues that need to be addressed before we make a stronger commitment. Likewise in financial matters, it is wise to closely review any big-ticket purchases or investments, perhaps postponing final decisions until after Venus goes direct on September 3.
The call to reassess relationship patterns is underscored by the karmic South Node's recent ingress into Libra, the sign of Partnership & Commitment. Specifically, we will want to be aware of any codependent traits (saying "yes" when our gut is saying "no"), any ways that we adopt another person's perspective instead of trusting our own instincts, and basing our well-being and self-worth on whether someone else is appreciating or applauding us.
DAILY ASPECTS: Here are this week's most important planetary aspects, with my brief interpretations.
Monday
No major aspects are exact today.
Tuesday
Pluto square the nodal axis: Pluto is exactly square the Moon's nodes three times, on July 22, 25, and 28. The influence of this dynamic aspect is strong from mid-July through mid-August.
Mercury trine Eris: People tend to be more forthright or even blunt with this aspect. We may be more concerned with making our opinions known than truly listening to others' views.
Wednesday
Mercury quincunx Neptune: There is some mental fog today, a lack of clarity in how we think or communicate.
Mars sesquiquadrate Eris: It is easy to become irritated with this aspect, as the urge to have what we want, when we want it, is heightened.
Thursday:
Mercury conjunct retrograde Venus: We may become involved in conversations about relationship issues today. It is possible that someone from our past will get in touch, or we might decide to contact someone we once knew and loved. Dreams may revolve around old relationship themes or the people we were involved with.
Mercury quincunx Pluto: People can be tactless today, causing dramatic reactions in others. Some may try to manipulate or dominate a situation with persuasive arguments.
Friday
Pluto square the nodal axis: This is the second exact square between Pluto and the Moon's nodes this week.
Mercury enters Virgo: Mercury will be in the sign of Virgo for an extended 42-day period this year, due to going retrograde on August 23. While the Messenger Planet transits the sign of The Virgin, until October 4, our minds tend to be discriminating and analytical, and we may focus on the details more than usual. Teaching, communicating, or writing may become an important part of our service or work. Mercury-in-Virgo's mental precision can be beneficial, of course, but we must also watch a tendency to be controlling, to demand perfection and efficiency, or to be pessimistic and critical.
Sun quincunx Saturn: We can feel burdened by life's responsibilities with this aspect. It may seem that others don't fully appreciate all that we do. Instead of becoming depressed or working harder to gain the approval we seek, it is important to applaud and honor ourselves, and to make sure we make time for more spontaneity and play in our daily lives.
Saturday
No major aspects are exact today.
Sunday
Retrograde Venus quincunx Neptune: We may not see another person or a financial situation clearly with this aspect. Disillusionment can occur if someone or something doesn't meet our expectations. Since Venus is retrograde, it may be worthwhile to consider if we have experienced an unhealthy naiveté or idealism at other times of our lives.
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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: A healthy balance between work and pleasure may be challenging to find this year. To work with this influence, you might try adding play time to your "to do" list, or actually scheduling time to "be spontaneous," rather than waiting until you've completed all your responsibilities before allowing yourself time to relax. This can be a year of great personal insight and powerful transformation, especially if your birthday falls in the first three days of this week. The changes you experience this year will ultimately enable you to feel more empowered in your life and to step more fully into your soul's mission. (Solar Return Sun quincunx Saturn, opposite Pluto)
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NOW TAKING REGISTRATIONS! A big "thank you" to everyone who has contacted me about my new "Solar Month" class! You should have received an email with a link to the class description and registration page within the past few hours, so please check your inbox (or spam folder).
If you haven't contacted me but want to learn more about this class, please visit https://events.humanitix.com/solar-month-class to read the event description and to register.
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TRANSLATION and AUDIO/VIDEO VERSION: This weekly Journal is now recorded (in English) AND the text is transcribed into 30 languages! You'll see a row of flags under "Available Languages" in the upper right. And, there are options to listen to the audio (in English) or watch a video directly beneath the photo (see top of page).
The Journal entry is usually updated by Sunday evening, with the recordings appearing late Sunday or by Monday depending on your time zone. Please share this information with those who might benefit.
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For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.
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About the Author
Pam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail
For more information about NorthPoint Astrology offerings, please visit northpointastrology.com or visit her Facebook page.
