We have a busy week ahead. Mars will be squaring Neptune, Mercury, and the Sun, which will likely lead to misplaced anger or misdirected energy for many people.
We start the week with Mars moving up toward its upcoming square with Neptune. Mars square Neptune can have us angry or upset with people for the wrong or misguided reasons. Energy levels may also be low at this time.
The exact Mars square Neptune aspect is early evening (6:03 pm C.D.T.). As Mars is still not up to its usual speed, it will take longer for Mars to move beyond 1° of the exact aspect. Therefore you can expect to feel the frustration and confused or misdirected energy of this aspect until at least the early hours of Friday.
From late afternoon on Tuesday, the Sun moves up toward its upcoming square with Mars. The Sun square Mars can be a type of spur to action. The Sun will be within a degree of Mercury and Neptune at the time, and therefore it will be an amalgamation of these planets squaring Mars.
At this time, there may be a desire to act on idealistic, altruistic, or creative ideas or passions. The exact Sun square Mars aspect occurs early afternoon (12:44 pm C.D.T.) on Thursday. As Mars will be out of its retrograde shadow period at that time, it may well be full steam ahead for many.
From early evening on Tuesday, the Sun moves up to conjoin Neptune. The Sun conjunct Neptune can lead to us not seeing ourselves or our motives clearly. It can however help us be more creative, intuitive, and altruistic.
The Sun conjunct Neptune aspect is exact early evening on Wednesday (6:16 pm C.D.T.) and should start to wane from mid-evening on Thursday.
From early evening on Wednesday, Venus moves up toward its upcoming square with Pluto. Venus square Pluto can bring up issues to do with power dynamics in relationships and issues such as jealousy and obsession.
The Venus square Pluto aspect is exact late afternoon (3:55 pm C.D.T.) on Thursday and should start to wane from late morning on Friday.
Late evening on Wednesday, Mars finally leaves its retrograde shadow period. Mars was retrograde from 30 October 2022 (25° Gemini 36′) to 12 January 2023 (08° Gemini 07′). Topics to do with the house with Gemini in your natal chart may start moving forward again now.
From late night on Wednesday, Mercury moves up toward its conjunction with Neptune. Mercury is not very strong at this time, being in the sign of its fall and detriment (Pisces) and currently being combust (within 8° of the Sun).
Neptune, a planet associated with fogginess, confusion, glamour, idealism, and deception, can further muddy the waters for Mercury when they come together in conjunction. On a more positive note, this could be a great time for artistic expression. The exact Mercury conjunct Neptune aspect is at just after midday (12:05 pm C.D.T.) on Thursday.
From mid-morning on Thursday, Mercury moves up towards its upcoming square with Mars. Mercury square Mars can bring verbal sparring and hasty thinking.
Mercury will be within 16 minutes of the Sun at this time, and so will be cazimi, a position that is said to give strength to a planet. As Mercury is currently in Pisces, where it is in detriment and fall, this is perhaps a saving grace for Mercury.
The Mercury square Mars aspect will be exact late night (11:45 pm C.D.T.) on Thursday.
From late afternoon (5:35 pm C.D.T.) on Thursday, Venus moves into Taurus. Venus rules Taurus so Venus is at home in this sign and gains dignity here.
From mid-evening on Thursday, Venus moves up toward its upcoming sextile with Saturn. Venus sextile Saturn can bring stability and durability to our relationships.
The Venus sextile Saturn aspect will be exact late afternoon (5:09 pm C.D.T.) on Friday. The aspect should start to wane from mid-afternoon on Saturday.
In the early hours (5:42 am C.D.T.) of Friday we have the exact conjunction of Mercury and the Sun. When a planet is conjunct the Sun it is said to be cazimi, or in the heart of the Sun. The planet may be given a boost at this time (said to have the ear of the King/Sun).
Some allow 16 minutes orb for a planet to be considered cazimi, while others extend this to a full 1°. Allowing 16 minutes, Mercury will be cazimi from very late night (11:57 pm C.D.T.) on Thursday until early afternoon (12:36 pm C.D.T.) on Friday.
From late morning on Saturday, Mercury will move up toward its upcoming sextile with Pluto. Mercury sextile Pluto brings intensity and perhaps transformative thinking, communications or learning.
At the time of the exact Mercury-Pluto sextile (10:20 pm C.D.T.) on Saturday, Mercury will have left its cazimi. Mercury will be combust the Sun (burnt up or damaged, and therefore not as effective as it might be) and still in Pisces, the sign of its detriment and fall.
Late night (11:25 pm C.D.T.) on Saturday, Mercury moves into Aries. Mercury in Aries is fast, hasty and sometimes blunt.
All times and dates given are for U.S.A. Central Time (C.D.T.)
After 6 years of providing weekly horoscopes, I have decided to move away from writing them for the website. However, I will still provide a weekly astrology round-up of what is happening in the skies.
For those interested in horoscopes, you might consider the Astro Babble podcast that I and Donna from Donna B Astrology co-host. We record horoscopes for the New and Full Moons, look ahead at the planetary aspects for the following two weeks and give our take on them. You can find the latest New or Full Moon podcast on the front page of this website or over at the Astro Babble YouTube Channel.
