Cardinal T-square

Click to see full-sized chart

Also know by the lofty title, “Cardinal Climax.”

Jupiter, having completed a square to Pluto, moves into opposition with Saturn, forming a cardinal t-square. T-squares are like being in a football game. Persistence and immense effort helps you power through obstacles and win. This is doubly true if you have planets in your birth chart in early degrees of cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. Cardinal signs are restless. They all want to take charge, but they tend to pull in different directions. The trick is to get the different sides listening to each other. Patience, diplomacy, and sympathy are a little harder to come by during times like these. The scarcer, however, the more valuable. If you can let go of your agenda and see things from another point of view, it can only strengthen your position at this time. Be careful moving forward in astrological weather like this. Take your time. Impulsive, foolhardy actions can get you in trouble. Jupiter under stress exaggerates, propagandizes, and blows things out of proportion. There will doubtless be very real stresses at this time, but keep it in perspective. Keep the big picture in mind.

Extreme caution when Mars transits the t-square, July 30 – August 3. Relationships and finances are stressed as Venus moves through the t-square August 6-9. Volatile moods appear August 6, 12, 19, and 26, as the Moon moves through early degrees of cardinal signs, setting off the energy of the t-square.

Mercury retrograde in Virgo

Mercury retrograde begins August 20. As usual with Mercury retrograde, caution lights are flashing around communications, machines, electricity, connectivity, transportation, detailed plans and schedules. In Virgo, trouble happens when folks are so focused on their little corner of the world, the details under their control, that they don’t understand the larger reasons for what they are doing. Mercury retrograde is a fantastic time to review, revise, rework, revisit, rewrite. As Mercury goes backward, so does our attention. And that tends to work out well and strengthen your knowledge and position for a move forward in the future, when Mercury is direct.

Mark your calendar!

The best days for your top priority plans are August 25 and 29.

Take it easy on August 1-3, 6-9, 12-20.