New Moon In Cancer; The Nodes Entering Aries And Libra; And The Moon Opposing Pluto—New Beginnings All Around!
Daily Horoscope for Monday and Tuesday, July 17-18, 2023
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Without further ado, here is the daily horoscope.
Good morning, friends!
Before we get into it, I just want to remind everyone that the New Moon word list for the Lunar Poetry Ritual that I host here on Substack went out to everyone on the email list this morning and is available under the poetry tab on the AstroMommy Newsletter’s homepage. If you’d like to participate you can click on that tab and read the post from there.
Well here we are on the day of the New Moon in Cancer and the Nodes shifting from Taurus and Scorpio back into Aries and Libra! Did you get everything you wanted to get done accomplished over the weekend? I hope so because this is a big week, astrologically!
I believe, as I’ve been saying, that this will be the week that we look back on and say, “That’s when everything changed.” And today marks the first major set of events taking place.
So, we have the New Moon in Cancer today marking a new beginning in the lunar cycle. The New Moon in Cancer always brings about a new beginning in regard to our personal lives, our family dynamics, and how we feel comfortable and secure in the world, but this New Moon is very potent in that it is opposing Pluto, which creates on its own a feeling of needing to make some sort of extreme change because Pluto is challenging the survival of our foundations, our roots, our family structures, and that can be very scary on its own, but then you have the Nodes shifting into Aries and Libra creating a Cardinal cross where the New Moon and Pluto are at the bendings of the nodes, indicating that concrete events will occur. So, everything is getting a reset today, our family life, our values, our careers, our relationships, our money structures, it’s all being affected. We are at a crossroads in life.
At mid-week, Mars in Virgo will directly oppose Saturn in Pisces and this brings up a reality check between the real steps we are taking to move our lives forward and the areas in life where we are dreaming, maybe needing to pay more attention to, or feel like we have to control. We will be deciding between what is realistically attainable and what is also sustainable with this transit and the feeling of wanting to go from one situation to another will be strong, but we have to remember that if we haven’t done the healing work, the problems will just follow us wherever we go and it’s not about going to greener pastures, but about appreciating the grass that you have in your life right now and figuring out how to be happy at the moment and not trying to force or control the outcome of events.
By the end of this week, the Sun will oppose Pluto, which happens every year, but this is an important one in that it is the last time the Sun in Cancer will oppose Pluto in Capricorn for the rest of our lives! By the end of the week we will be going through a metaphorical death of some kind and be reborn on the other side. Then the Sun ingresses into Leo on the same day that Venus in Leo stations retrograde. Venus entered into a YOD1 between Neptune and Pluto over the weekend and she will stay within range of this YOD energy until about August 4, 2023, when she will be 3 degrees away from both Pluto and Neptune—so that is 21 days, over half of her retrograde period-where she is the focal point of the YOD, meaning that we are trying to survive and understand our destinies and spiritual paths through the eyes of relationships, money, and our values.
So, the changes we’ve been feeling building up over the last month are now going to roll out with these manifesting transits—whatever it is that you’ve been working on transforming in your life—this is a very important week!
Okay, let’s get into… the astrology
On Monday…
The Moon in Cancer first forms a semisquare to Mars in Virgo at 3:00 am ET indicating that we have ideas of things we want to do, but we are waiting for the right moment to act on them. It could also represent experiencing some delays on Monday that can be a bit aggravating. Take some deep breaths, things are moving forward.
Then at 4:35 am ET, the Moon makes a square to Chiron in Aries so we may feel a bit vulnerable, and on edge, as we don’t know if our feelings are going to be hurt or not—we may have put ourselves out there in an emotional situation and now we are facing the consequences of our actions. It’s like going to a masquerade ball and dancing with a stranger who you really resonated with and now you are taking the masks off, revealing your faces.
By 8:48 am ET Mercury in Leo perfects his square to Jupiter in Taurus and this transit symbolizes feeling overwhelmed with information, messages, or the news. It may just feel like it’s too much and people could experience overwhelm. This could also mean challenges to communication and travel plans and it’s a lot dealing with all the delays and miscommunications. It is Jupiter though, so remember there’s a silver lining! Mercury in Leo can be loud, over the top, and theatrical, and in the square to Jupiter in Taurus this could feel like being hit by a lot of information at once—even if it is positive news coming in it could still feel like a lot to handle, so be prepared that we may have to take a breather, sit down, and brace the news. This transit can bring hard things like toxic positivity, where some people are just too damn happy, and it could also bring really good news that represents such a change in thinking and mindset that it’s almost too much to bear at the moment, so just allow yourself to sit and process it all with grace and it’s okay to take a moment to gather your thoughts before you respond to all the information coming in. It is a square though, which is the nature of Mars, so the tendency to want to push, prod, or force something into action is there as well—so, just relax, don’t fight, do your best to stay calm and collected about whatever new developments are happening. This is a big day like I said in the opening sequence.
Right after this at 9:21 am ET, the Moon in Cancer forms a harmonious sextile to Uranus in Taurus, so as I said, this is positive, but shocking news that is coming in! Don’t fight it, but it’s okay if it throws you off guard and you need to take a breather. I imagine if I won the lottery I would feel really really excited and happy, but I may also feel weak and like I’m going to faint from the shock—that’s what I imagine these last two transits may feel like, given the overall transits of the day and week, so have your paper bags ready to breathe into so you don’t faint! Now of course, I am exaggerating these energies to prove a point and you may actually feel it in a much more subtle way, but you get the idea.
The New Moon in Cancer will take place at 2:31 pm ET and then right after that at 3:59 pm ET the nodes egress out of Taurus and Scorpio and ingress into Aries and Libra. You can see the chart of the New Moon in Cancer below, with the Nodes right there at 0°00’—about to make the shift!
You can see the Sun and the Moon together at the top of the chart opposite Pluto at the bottom of the chart representing a New Beginning that is being emotionally fueled by the desire to feel comfortable and safe but is challenged by our very survival—decisions will have to be made that insure our health, and well-being for the long-term as well as for the here and now. The trick will be to weigh out all the pros and cons in order to make a smart choice that you will be able to stand behind 100% going forward.
Venus in Leo is on the upper left-hand side of the chart in a YOD between Pluto and Neptune and Mars is only 2 degrees away from opposing Saturn. So, where we feel happy and in love with life is about to go through some major tests with Venus’s upcoming retrograde which starts with Venus engaged in this YOD formation and let’s not forget that Venus will be making squares to Uranus and Jupiter two more times during her retrograde cycle, so the shocks and challenges with our relationships, values, and finances are only just beginning!
Mars and Saturn in opposition, as I said before presents us with a frustrating situation where we may have to choose between two less-than-ideal situations but nonetheless, we have a choice coming up this week.
The Nodal shift happening at 3:59 pm ET represents a new focus over the next 18 months. We have been focusing on what we have been building that is essential in our lives and letting go of the desire for instant gratification, but now the focus will be on what we are identifying with and letting go of superficial relationships.
Moving on, Mercury in Leo forms a sesquiquadrate to Neptune in Pisces at 6:33 pm ET which gives us an opportunity to tune into the subtle subconscious thoughts that may be getting in our way and trying to block or prevent what may be the most beautiful metamorphosis to occur. So, try not to feel confused or get lost in the fog. Change doesn’t always feel clear.
At 7:52 pm ET the Moon in Cancer makes a trine to Neptune in Pisces symbolizing that if our heads are lost in trying to logically figure things out, our hearts are not. Our hearts are able to intuitively feel the way to go. Trust your intuition and relax into the ebb and flow of life.
Late at night at 11:05 pm ET the Moon in Cancer perfects her opposition to Pluto in Capricorn and this is an intense transit that we’ve been feeling all day and it symbolizes an extreme shift in circumstances, fortune, and feelings. It may be good in the long run, but I would be lying if I told you there would be no tears during this transit. Depending upon what it is that you are letting go of in your life, the thing that is dying, since Pluto is the planet of death and rebirth, there is inevitably grief that comes with the death of something, whether that is an actual person, set of circumstances, or relationship in your life, something is being revealed and purged and forced to be let go of. We go through this process every month, but this one is very special and unique. First, this is the last time that the New Moon in Cancer, in her home sign, will oppose Pluto in Capricorn for the next 248 years! Second, this is during a Nodal Shift, while leading up to Mars opposite Saturn, Sun opposite Pluto, and Venus retrograde in Leo—this Moon in Cancer opposite Pluto in Capricorn is the beginning of the great reveal, the skin on the snake has been loosened and now it IS shedding! Metamorphosis and change ARE NOW occurring and there’s no turning back—you can’t put the dead skin back on. All you can do is surrender to the new you that is emerging.
For the last year or so that I’ve been writing this horoscope I have been talking about a major change, death, and rebirth that we have been going through, and I believe it is finally here—this week is the week that it is finally showing itself to be true. I am sending you all big hugs. I know it’s hard and scary, but we are going to make it through together.
On Tuesday…
There are only five aspects that are perfecting: The Moon makes two squares to the North and South Nodes, now in Aries and Libra; then she ingresses into the sign of Leo, followed by Mercury forming a sesquiquadrate to Chiron in Aries, and finally punctuated by the Moon in Leo perfecting a quincunx to Saturn in Pisces.
The Moon in Cancer at the final degree, the anoretic degree, and also at the Southern bending between the North and South nodes represents a concrete event that is taking place in your life changing something on a very personal level. This is a trigger point, a crisis point, where we will be letting go of the way things once were and hopefully embracing a new reality.
My teacher David Palmer said in his recent video on YouTube,
“This is a reminder that this is the end of so many things that we thought the world was—in our own lives and in the world—or that we didn’t think would happen. Remembering that the way things were is done and what you didn’t’ possibly ever think could happen, can.” ~David Palmer, The Leo King
At 12:39 am ET on Tuesday the Moon ingresses into Leo and this is where we have to be bold, courageous, and have the deepest faith in our own self-worth. The Moon is now in the home of the Sun and the Sun is still in the home of the Moon, so they are in a mutual reception which is a really favorable omen. The Moon will now be gaining light, becoming a crescent as she gets far enough away from the Sun that we can start to see the Sun’s light reflected upon her. The crescent moon is always so beautiful and represents hope and growth.
The Moon in Leo is playful, childlike, and full of bravado and courage. She is now copresent with Mercury and Venus so our circumstances and our emotions are coming together with our minds and values. It may feel really exciting as the creative juices and mental capabilities are very strong. Music may be flowing, words may be flowing, and love and affection may be flowing.
At 10:17 am ET Mars in Virgo forms a sesquiquadrate to Chiron in Aries indicating that we see the shift in our identities, our vulnerabilities, and our wounds and we are taking steps forward to clean things up, organize our emotions, and make the necessary adjustments in our personal lives, but it’s not smooth sailing—there are periods of adjustment, things we have to wait for, and plans we have to schedule.
By the afternoon, the Moon in Leo makes her last aspect until early Wednesday morning, which is a quincunx to Saturn in Pisces. The Moon in Leo is going forward with courage and Saturn in Pisces is putting a lot of pressure on the Moon to be a certain way and conform to a certain set of beliefs, but the Moon in Leo just wants to live life to the fullest and do away with restrictions and limitations. With the Moon’s upcoming square to Jupiter which will perfect at 1:02 am ET on Wednesday morning, there could be an over-optimistic attitude that propels the Moon forward trying to get past Saturn and get to Jupiter.
So, I think that this last transit is about people feeling like there are bigger and better things on the other side—and if they can just ignore or repress the melancholic feelings that may surface a bit with this quincunx that they will be okay. This could be a good thing or a challenging thing in that sometimes you do have to suppress sad feelings in order to get through the day right? If we are going through major changes but still have to go to work, we have to kind of leave those emotions at the door so to speak so we are able to do our jobs. With a square to Jupiter on the other side of this Saturn transit I feel that there is the feeling like there’s something better on the other side or there’s something to look forward to, but Jupiter in Taurus is reminding us to look at what we already have that is wonderful in our lives and not just drop it all for something shinier—whatever problems we have will follow us, so it’s important to do the work and make the changes in your current situation to make things better. It’s not always moving or leaving a situation that is the answer, sometimes it’s about changing your habits in the current environment that you are in. But, I feel that people will react to this transit in both ways, some will leave a situation to go to another one, and others will make efforts to make positive changes to their current circumstances.
Let’s move on to the card for the day:
What is the guidance for today?
III of Wands
On this card, we see a man in robes, holding a sprouted wand in his right hand with two more standing around him. The man’s back is turned away from us as he is looking out toward the distant mountains on the other side of the ocean. The wind is blowing his hair, and green grass grows at his feet. In the distance, there are boats on the water, their sails full from the wind, indicating change is on the horizon or is already taking place.
In the upright position, the Three of Wands is representing something in your life that is underway and the journey has just begun. The man is ready to travel and he can see what lies ahead of him—he can see what parts of the terrain will be easy and which parts will be more challenging and plan accordingly. There are many opportunities and he is ready to accept one or maybe already has. The boats in the water can represent opportunities but they can also represent business taking place, so if it is something that you have already begun, this card indicates watching and managing your business, project, or adventure.
The threes in the tarot also speak to working with others, collaborating, experiencing growth, creativity, and social interactions. I feel this is a very positive card for the day and fits the transits really well.
Let me know if this reading resonates with you, in the comments!
I hope this is helpful!
Until Wednesday,
AstroMommy
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Today’s card was pulled from The Universal Waite Tarot Deck available on Amazon.
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A YOD is a special transit that involves at least three planets and forms a narrow triangle-shaped aspect between the three. The base of the triangle is a sextile (a 60-degree angle) between two planets, a harmonious aspect, representing an opportunity and willingness to work together--in this case, the sextile is between Pluto in Capricorn and Neptune in Pisces. Then, those two planets each make a quincunx (a 150-degree angle), which is not a harmonious aspect, but one that represents change and separation-- with a third planet, forming the apex of the triangle; in this case, the apex point is Venus in Leo.