‘The Immured’ By Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard Early 19th century {{PD}}

We’re ready to act, to go at it, but the real world keeps intruding! We meet barriers, walls, obstacles, rules, or conditions that can only be handled by modifying ourselves: our approach, efforts, attitude, or by choosing differently than we already have. This can be daunting, most especially if we lack Self-confidence, as our attention is on our creative energies or consumed by what we imagine–and these inspirations (and in some cases, fears) struggle to find an outlet in a landscape that seems hard and unyielding, that seems uninterested in what we have to offer or say. We find a venue (or several) that appreciate what we present in one of a couple of ways: by valuing, and so following, our instincts; by respecting what we don’t know about the Arts, relationships, and/ or money; and by seeing the way the ‘blind spot’, our own or those of others, profits us/ them. It’s through these measures that we will find, or really stumble upon, an excellent form of expression for today.

(Mars qnx Saturn, Venus sxt Sedna, Sun sesq Neptune)

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 03 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Leo, your conscience may be, this solar year, through to your next birthday, both your finest asset and your biggest tormentor. The emotions and the values are closely aligned at this time, and that means you may be caught up in endless bouts of dealing with, repairing, and preventing hurt to yourself and others. The most positive side of this is that you can also muster efforts toward some major healing events, including any damage suffered by your own emotional nature. You also enjoy a strong sense of Self-determination and autonomy, and will find this particularly effective in dealing with real-world issues, blocks, and problems–and in dealing with these, you may end up building something significant, permanent, and really fine in your life. Good luck!

‘The Bath of Psyche’ By Frederic Leighton 1890 {{PD}}

Are you just trying to get out there and get it done, trying to take advantage of the opportunities you see, to put into action what you know? And yet do you find the reality picture is threatening, dangerous, unhealthy in some form, or maybe promising that if you exercise any measure of optimism something dark or powerful will overwhelm you? Is it paranoia? No, it’s a hypersensitive state to which we are being overly attentive and responsive. The Universe isn’t threatening us, but it is challenging us to face serious issues, life and death ones, ones involving decay and contradiction and the necessity of accepting The Truth–and that can feel scary, and as if what surrounds us is hostile–even when it’s not. How to avoid being swamped by too much awareness of the negative potentials? Act with optimism, and be willing to accommodate serendipity and sudden opportunity; specifically embrace what can be learned from the hidden, the darkness, as well as casting energies of change as transformative, rather than destructive; and accept what the real-world picture is telling you about the state of your health and the balance (or lack of it) within current behaviors.

(Saturn sesq Hygeia, Jupiter parallel Pluto, Mars trine Jupiter)

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 02 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Leo, what is it about this solar year, through to your next birthday, that is requiring you to face all kinds of emotional issues? Have you been neglecting them, are you unsure how you feel about someone, or is it a matter of that long-awaited passion finally coming along? Until you work it out, these feelings will cause conflict, especially as it pertains to your life direction and the material surroundings you need to live your purpose. What you care about may seem irreconcilable with what you need, but don’t worry–this year’s events and circumstances are designed to help you figure it out, particularly in the way you will remember clearly all past loves (human, other living thing, ambition, or cause-oriented) and you’ll see how they went wrong, and so do much better this time. Good luck!

‘A Day of Celebration’ By Fanny Brate 1902 {{PD}}

We all hope our ambitions are smart ones, don’t we? Who wants to feel that others are hearing our desires or watching us strive and shaking their heads. “She’ll never make it,” they whisper; or, “He’s way off base–his talents are really in ‘x'” Well, today’s the day when we can measure the wisdom of our own aspirations, without the often overly cynical input or judgements of others. It’s a day when we’re free from those voices in our heads, the ones that have incorporated others’ negative views, cautions, fears, admonitions. We know our worth, and we see how to adjust the material situation to support and honor it. Go get ’em!

(Pallas conj Zeus, Saturn qnx Juno, Merc conj Venus)

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 01 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Your sense of personal authority and power, the kind of energy that moves you forward and brings success, reaches a peak this solar year through to your next birthday, Leo–and at the same time, it begins to turn you in a new direction, exploring either a new sense of Self/ identity, or revealing a new facet of your Soul’s purpose, and this initiates a whole new cycle of learning. It’s a big year, and yet may go by quietly, showing what’s happening beneath the surface only through a growing mental and emotional discomfort with the status quo. In any case, aware of it or not, you’re embarking on something entirely new, and as long as you stay firm in your highest values and commitments, all should go amazingly well. Good luck!

‘The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise, View from the Chevet’ By Vincent van Gogh 1890 {{PD}}

The spotlight shines on those in authority, but that doesn’t mean those who don’t hold high positions won’t receive scrutiny; this is as much about internal authority, and the permissions we grant ourselves, as it is about anybody with reach over us. We have a chance to see our own boundaries, those we want/ need and those we’ve imposed that we needn’t, very clearly, and to modify them so that we both stay in our lane and keep others in theirs (or rather, out of ours!) We may not immediately see how important it is for us to stand up and claim our territory, accept our responsibility, to not blame anyone else–and this may be especially hard to see if it seems like someone or something else is ripe for that blame–but the reality is we are meant to stand in our own light, and what we choose, what we suffer, what we are, are always ours to respond to according to our highest values. A tough day for some, but one that offers unusual clarity to the Self-concept and re-establishes venues/ containment for expression of the Soul Purpose.

(Saturn trine Vesta, Ceres opp Hygeia, Sun sxt Hygeia, trine and contra-parallel Ceres)

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 00 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). This solar year, through to your next birthday, dear Leo, you may spend a great deal of time measuring how much responsibility you want, how much nurture you’re willing to give, how much territory you own, and what relationship you truly want with Nature. That sounds like a lot to have on your plate, but in reality this will all be parsed out in the course of everyday events, and will likely leave you with a new sense of empowerment, possibly a new social role or plans for education or travel, and may encourage planning to implement the ideal in your future circumstances–all good ideas, worthy of pursuit. Strengths this year include a good memory for the past (so you don’t repeat it)–cautions include being careful you don’t hide, even from yourself, how you feel about things–feelings will only fester and cause real problems later–deal with them as they come up. Good luck!

This is the only kind of biting that should be going on today. ‘Isabella’ By John Everett Millais c1848 {{PD}}

What we are ignoring or denying will almost certainly come back to bite us in the a**, most especially if we are vain enough to believe we are in control of the matter. We exaggerate our own effectiveness, our reach, and are nothing but surprised when the wider world smacks us down, or delivers the aforementioned bite. How to avoid the pain of discovering we’re not empowered in quite the way we think? By listening to instinct, to the still, small voice within, not the one of ego, but the one that knows. Too often we’re insistent on pinpointing just how we learned what we know, but today that’s a waste of energy, and plays right into the trap of not understanding our own position. So listen, mostly to the inner landscape, which knows the truth about those issues ignored or denied, it knows what we should do about them–listen and accept, as it’s the only way to dodge the biter.

(Juno contra-parallel and Venus sesq Black Moon Lilith, Jupiter trine Juno, Venus contra-parallel Pluto, Merc sxt Sedna, Sun enters Leo and sesq Jupiter)

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 29 Cancer. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). You enjoy unusual emotional harmony this solar year, through to your next birthday, dear Cancer, and that’s so even if external events aren’t exactly smooth sailing. It’s this feeling equilibrium that will serve you well, and that could turn difficult, even fated turns of the material scenario to your advantage, as you’ll have a true ability to see how a particular event has saved you from something else, and how you now have a whole new set of opportunities as well as friends and support. You may need to deal with the last of some past realities, loose ends and farewells, but you’ll reach your next Solar Return both surprised at the capriciousness of the Universe and fairly pleased with what it’s set before you. Good luck!

‘African Riddle’ by John Mainga, Photo by Todd Schaffer CC BY-SA 3.0

Here are our guidelines, and they will bedevil us: what’s beautiful, attractive, of worth, supports our health and the overall balance of our lives, but in some way to indulge in it right now is unwise, impractical, or may require skills we don’t have. It’s like a riddle with no right answer, as for each individual it will fit in some very particular way their life scenario at present. We may be able to get more specific by looking at what Venus rules in the natal chart, and/ or what subjects are covered by the House it’s currently transiting. These energies or subjects should have at least some involvement in the puzzle we face today. Another hint: having just undergone a Lunar eclipse, the feeling experience of that event may have a great deal to do with, may even have directly precipitated, the dynamic of beautiful/ healthy vs. unwise.

(Venus sq Pallas, parallel Hygeia, and conj NN)

The table’s all set for a Happy Birthday. ‘Open Door on a Garden’ By Konstantin Somov 1934 {{PD}}

For those born with the Sun at 25 Cancer. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Dear Cancer, this solar year, through to your next birthday, your instincts involving material matters will be spot on–it’s the emotional ones that may be unclear to you. And that’s okay–you don’t need to make any pronouncements about your feelings right now, no matter how it seems–it’s much more important for you to get the material landscape of your life into good working order, so that it supports your needs and your wants. It’s vitally important that you trust those instincts in all areas–your health may depend on it–and acknowledging that your mind temporarily isn’t as sharp or receptive as it needs to be will only work in your favor, steering your efforts in their most effective direction. Good luck!