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The Devil is in the Detail

For the next couple weeks, we’re enjoying a high dose of Virgo (Venus, Mercury, Sun, and Mars). The only problem is that all this Virgo is opposed by Neptune, symbolizing deception, self-imposed or otherwise. Basically, what you see/hear during this period is not necessarily what you’ll get.

It goes without saying that if you need to launch an idea or complete a project during this period, confusion, illusion, and/or down-right subterfuge is not your friend.

To avoid falling prey to this, concentrate on tactical implementation.

In this regard, always remember that three key factors determine any personal or professional project’s success:

  • bringing it in on or under budget,
  • executing it within the given time-frame,
  • following the implementation plan.

Failure in one or all of the above is usually the result of a misunderstanding of three essential givens:

  1. That which seems simple can be deceptively complex. Blueprints are fantastic but the devil is in the detail. Anticipate potential obstacles in advance and already have lined up the additional expertise to get past them.
  2. Time is your enemy. Everyone wants everything done yesterday and they apply pressure thus. Resist. Push back. Remember that it takes more time to fix something that’s gone wrong than to have done it right in the first place.
  3. Buy-in is not automatic. Implementation of any project requires change and resistance to change is only to be expected. But it won’t derail your project if you specifically get buy-in in advance – for every step from beginning to end – and from every person involved and effected.

What do you need to do differently?

Elaborate and discuss.

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Martian Energies

Imagine standing around a buffet filled with delicious delicacies and you’re starving. Unfortunately, so are about 100 other people and there’s no clear indication of what’s meant to happen. An hour or so passes and the crowd starts getting increasingly restless. What happens next?

Astrologically speaking, we use Mars to assert ourselves and get what we want and of course, to express our anger.

Mars in Cancer might slip away to the back of the buffet and when no one is looking, fill her plate. Mars in Libra might strike up charming conversations to pass the time of day until someone takes the initiative to get the ball rolling. Whilst it is probably Mars in Aries who’ll take that initiative, Mars in Leo is not about to be outdone and so he will make a scene to draw everyone’s attention to him instead instead of Mars in Aries. Mars in Scorpio will take advantage of the confusion to start a rumor about a recent bout of food poisoning in the establishment and then tuck in to the feast whilst everyone’s else’s appetite has (predictably) gone off.

From today Mars moves into Virgo where he will remain until mid-September.

The approach of Mars in Virgo to the buffet scenario would be point out the deficiencies in the situation, citing clear examples of lack of organization and poor management. But unlike Mars in Aries, Mars in Virgo isn’t about to get his own hands dirty righting the wrong. Instead, he’ll start combing the crowd for someone capable of doing the job to his exacting specifications.

During this period while Mars in in Virgo, don’t be surprised when the emphasis on accomplishing things turns from self-expression (Mars in Leo) to hitting the productive sweet spot in the work flow.

Also, don’t be surprised if your own approach doesn’t always easily fit with this. If your natal Mars isn’t naturally in sync with Virgo, then to make the most of this period you’ll need to make some adjustment. Indeed, this is almost always the case except for a 1.5-month period every two years.

Imagine what you could achieve if you knew beforehand what you needed to do to make the best of every situation?

If you’d like to learn more about how you can take maximum advantage of a situation, book now for a quick chat.

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The ‘Truth’ is out!

We’re in the midst of the full moon in Aquarius so be in the look-out for some important truth to come out.

This energy is asking you to break free from the societal norms and conditioning that have been holding you back. Now is the time to acknowledge to self and others that, no longer do you need or want to conform.

This full moon energy is bigger and brighter than usual, thanks to a special line-up in Leo.

This is good stuff.

Leo is about what makes you special, what makes you unique and so it all fits together perfectly.

When you’ve got your special truth firmly in hand, don’t be afraid to tell it like it is…um, well, you might want to be a tiny bit circumspect in this regard because Pluto, harbinger of both power plays and natural endings, also weighs in.

  • What does success look like?
  • Want do you really want?
  • Who do you want to be?
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Mastering Mercury

From now until the end of August, Mercury is back in Leo.

This is visionary, big picture stuff.

In theory, the advice is in order to best communicate your plans and ideas, you should make others the center of attention using flattery and dramatic appeal.

But, in reality, when it comes to communication styles, one size never fits all.

So, for example, if your own Mercury is in Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius,  then you should be set to go. But if your Mercury were in, say, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn, then the more Leonine your appeal, the more false it will sound. Worse, if the individual whom you’re addressing has Mercury in Scorpio, she will be suspicious by nature and looking for every opportunity to call you out.

In order to get the balance right, you need to consider not only the current placement of Mercury but also that of both your own Mercury and the individual to whom you’re launching your appeal.

  • Sound tricky?
  • Sure is.
  • Effective?
  • Absolutely!
  • Worth the effort to become the Master of Mercury in order to become aces at communicating your plans and ideas?
  • Your call.
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Lady Luck

Since mid-April, Jupiter has been in retrograde, his apparent movement was backwards rather than forwards through the sky. During this period, you had a unique opportunity to rethink your plans and, if necessary, take a different tack.

Tomorrow (Sunday, 11 August), Jupiter turns direct and now the time has come to commit.

  • What was the lesson?
  • What’s your plan of action now?
  • What resources do you need to implement it?
  • How and where will you find them?
Lady Luck

If you could use some help answering these questions, all you need to do is to ask.

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Be Nimble

Today Mercury turns direct and moves forward again in his apparent motion across the sky from Cancer to Leo and beyond. Since he turned retrograde earlier in July, you’ve probably been dithering about taking action to resolve an issue that deep down, you already appreciate needs to be resolved. 

Now, you’ve no choice but to do something – take responsibility, show leadership.

This may not be what you wished to hear, but take heart – you don’t need more keep doing more of the same only faster and harder. There are some fantastic new potentialities, and one of them as recently highlighted in The Harvard Business Review (HBR), is called ‘Nimble Leadership’. Even better, it doesn’t just work for business but also in your personal life.

Nimble Leadership

Basically, according to the HBR there are three distinct types of leadership: (1) entrepreneurial (creating value by moving into unchartered territory), (2) enabling (making sure everyone has everything they need to make it happen) and (3) architecting (eye on the ball, strategic and structural). 

The idea is that you can walk that thin line between creativity and chaos when you can enlist, as needed, the necessary strengths for all three. Naturally, this presupposes that you understand which situation (or aspect of a particular situation) requires what and when. If you aren’t certain, what’s the worst that could happen if you asked for some help? Similarly, if you don’t yet have the personal strengths to cover all three bases then recruit some in.

This is what coaches and coaching is all about.

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Creative Flow

  • The new moon marks the start of a monthly cycle.
  • It carries a theme which fleshes out what lunar month ahead will be about. 

The seeds sown today will blossom and flower over the next two weeks, ready for harvest with the Full Moon in 14 days time.

Today’s new Moon is at 9 Leo and the theme is to do with creativity, that effortless flow that comes when spirit connects with soul to inform you and your world. 

Such creativity is meant to help you to express your very essence, to connect you with the ebb and flow of life. But all too often, through misguided beliefs and behaviours, we block off this flow. Twisted, the energy flow now goes awry and we move in directions that are not good for us. Sometimes, we even get ill.

Today, take a moment to assess your personal relationship with this creative flow.

  • Are you in touch with it?
  • How do you use it?
  • Where will this get you?
  • Is it where you want or are meant to be?

Would you benefit from some help with these questions, if so you only need to ask. Book now for a chat.

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In Love with Love

  • In Gemini, Venus was charmed with conversation.
  • In Cancer, she was charmed with commitment.
  • Now she’s in Leo and she’s in love with the very idea of love.

Love is a celebration, a stage upon which dramatic tensions play out. Love is generosity, enjoyment, creation, self-expression, and appreciation. Make no mistake about it, now that Venus is in Leo, you and your beloved will star in a carefully-scripted, archetypally inspired show.

Contrary to popular belief, Venus isn’t so much about love for others as it is about love for ourselves. In psychological astrology, Venus point to our feelings of self-worth: the merit and reward which we gain from our relationships with others.

Don’t forget that in myth, the love affairs of Venus with mortals and immortals alike, were never smooth sailing.

After all, she was the most beautiful of all the goddesses and she knew how to use this to get precisely what she wanted.

From now until towards the end of August, don’t be surprised when your own romantic interests are tinged with self-interest. It’s only to be expected. The key for everyone to get the best of this period is to give each other plenty of pats on the back, passionate embraces, and encouraging smiles.

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Choleric Days / Sun in Leo

  • Humoural theory is based on the ancient and medieval physiology and medicine as expounded by Empedocles, Hippocrates, and Galen.
  • Four blocks or ‘roots’ of the material world manifest in certain humours and their related temperaments.
  • Temperament is not the same as personality. Whilst the latter is shaped both by internal and external forces, temperament is inborn, innate.

As far back as Galan in the 2ndcentury it has been accept that no person can consist of a single temperament; such ‘pure’ states are not possible in nature. Still, it’s not unusual to display a dominant temperament and with the Sun now in Leo until 23 August, the dominant energy or temperament is choleric, the manifestation of fire which is hot and dry. 

Even if your Sun is not in Leo, Leo energy exists somewhere in your chart and so during this period whilst the Sun is in Leo, you might expect that it manifests for you n some way.

Choleric energy is characterised as commanding and aggressive. It is a time of energetic enthusiasm that may lead to impulsive ‘hot-headedness’. But it’s also characterised by a friendly atmosphere of generosity that can help to smooth over any cracks. This is a proud and bountiful time but beware, there’s a tendency not only to be lazy, but also to tell bold and audacious lies.

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Finding Worth with the Lunar Eclipse

At 21:39 (GMT not BST) on 16 July, we will enjoy the full moon at 24 Capricorn 10.

Full moons bring things to fruition, things you might have commenced at the new moon (the total solar eclipse) in Cancer two weeks ago. This probably had something to do with some personal housekeeping in any number of areas, depending upon what part of your chart was highlighted by the eclipse. 

As you probably know, with this eclipse the full Moon passes directly behind the Earth and into its shadow. This eclipse is a penumbral eclipse where the Moon only enters the partial shadow of the earth. Because it is difficult to see, it often doesn’t get much attention. But astrologically, every eclipse is a ‘wild card’, playing out someplace in our natal charts.

With this eclipse, you might expect experiences and events questioning the true worth in things in the sense of whether you find them truly valuable or just give them lip service, because everyone else does.

Junk is the ideal product…the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy.

William S Burroughs.

Like that earlier solar eclipse two weeks ago, this lunar eclipse is part of the 19-year Saros Cycle. So, if you’re wondering how this might play out for you, think back 19 years. Also remember that you may start to feel the effects of an eclipse up to six months prior and 12 months after the actual event.

If you’ve any questions or concerns about this, when not undertake some astrological coaching. Coaching is about change, not just any change, but structured and well-considered change that you want to implement in your life. Astrology provides the perfect picture of where you are right now as well as where you might want to be in the future. Put astrology and coaching together and you have a road map, one that you might well wish to follow!