Weekly Overview
08.23-29.2023
Strap yourself in because Mercury is going retrograde on the 23rd, just in time for Virgo season! And it will stay retrograde until September 15th. This means that both Mercury and Venus will be retrograde simultaneously until September 3rd. Take this as a useful time to reflect on your relationships. Your communication and the values that you do or don’t share with others are important markers of both who you are and how you connect with others. Retrogrades always ask us to reflect as opposed to enact. Sit in the discomfort of not knowing where things are at or what comes next. If you’d like to learn more about this Mercury Retrograde and how to handle it, join me for my August 29th live virtual class, Mercury and Gatorade: a Mercury Retrograde party with Jessica Lanyadoo! You can register here.
By the 26th things are gonna start to feel heavy, as we have an exact opposition between the Sun and Saturn on the 27th. You may be feeling low, but this is actually a really great day to deal with administrative stuff and to organize and sort through the things that have been calling for your attention. To learn more about this and the rest of this week's astrology, listen to episode 352 of my weekly astrology and advice podcast below, or read the full transcript here.
Previous Week
Taking responsibility for yourself requires that you first know yourself. Take this week's shift into Mercury Retrograde vibes as an opportunity to do some much needed reflection on recent events, how you handled them, and what that reveals about you. You don’t need to be perfect or have certainty, Aries, but it would be really helpful to develop the kind of self-awareness that empowers you to act in ways that are both self-appropriate and effective.
The things that are upsetting you this week are the very same things that need your attention, Taurus. You are being called upon to make some meaningful changes to yourself, and this is no easy task. Instead of rushing into half-baked alterations, do your utmost to explore and clarify your priorities, needs, and desires. It’s time to nurture your life from the inside out—and in the direction that you want it to go.
There are things in your life that are significantly different than you wish they were. Such is life! Your challenge this week is to embody acceptance. In doing so, you can begin to work through the things you don't like by using the resources you have within yourself to cope. Things don’t have to be perfect in order to be as they were meant to be. Give yourself the grace of starting where you’re at. From there, you can engage with whatever challenges are in front of you with a whole heart, Twin Star.
With Mercury and Venus now retrograde, it’s not a great time to start projects, but it is a great time to put yourself on a new path. This may mean something introspective, like journaling, or it could look like exploring possibilities for a new project or path that's calling you. Either way, the planning stage of a project is just as important as the stage where you act on your plans. Give it your passion and commitment this week, Moonchild.
Venus is still retrograding through your sign, and you’re likely to be really feeling it! If your thoughts are veering toward your fears or insecurities, that's okay as long as you are investigating what’s motivating those thoughts and feelings. When you center your actual priorities, the internal struggle that may occur is totally worth it. When you allow yourself to be distracted by your pride or petty things that don’t actually matter to you, you end up wasting your precious energy.
Your ruling planet, Mercury, goes retrograde on the 23rd, and that’s bound to have you feeling pretty discombobulated. Instead of getting defensive or perfectionistic, lean into this time of reflection by reviewing your plans, approaches, attitudes, and communication in general; then you can make changes as needed. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s time to lean into what you don’t quite know, Virgo.
Sometimes, when you put yourself out there or make a bold move, there's a euphoric feeling that comes and is quickly followed by an emotional crash. This is in part because some of your head's best ideas are not approached in collaboration with your heart. All you’ve got to do is take the time you need to slow down and sit with your emotions, no matter how uncomfortable or confusing they may be. You may be in a rush to get things done this week, Libra, but you don’t need to do anything other than nurture yourself.
You’re likely to encounter frustrations or unexpected impediments to your plans this week. This may be really annoying. It's also an opportunity for you to reassess what’s most important to you and what resources you have available to you right now. Sometimes not getting what you want is a blessing, and sometimes it’s not. Strive to be open to learning more about your own priorities, even if that confronts you with a need to change some of your attitudes.
Not knowing what comes next or experiencing confusing circumstances or internal conditions can be anxiety provoking. This week, it’s important that you cultivate patience so that you can stay present in the unknown. Otherwise, you risk slipping into so much anxiety that you lose track of what’s important. This may require that you reconnect with your priorities, or simply practice being okay with not being completely okay.
As uncomfortable as it may be, it’s important that you slow down and sit with yourself this week, Capricorn. The people around you are likely to be going through their own complicated messes, and while it is important that you show up within your relationships, that doesn’t mean you need to take on other people’s dramas. Your task is to stay grounded enough to be able to engage with others in ways that reflect what’s real for you. Don't just react to what you think is required of you.
Your relationships continue to need some serious TLC, Aquarius. It’s important that you don’t lose too much energy fixating on the past. That isn’t to say that you can’t learn from the past, but if you haven’t accepted what is and even how you got here, then it will be hard for you to proceed with any kind of clarity. All you can manage is how you respond to your feelings and participate with others. Leave the rest on the shelf this week.
Mercury is retrograding in your solar relationship house, and that means you’re likely to be feeling this retrograde pretty hard, Pisces. Do your best to be clear in your communication with others, even when all you have to say is that you don’t yet know the answer. Also, don’t be shy to ask people to repeat or clarify what they’ve communicated to you. Mercury Retrograde in Virgo is an opportunity to get more details so you can make more practical sense of things.