🌚 The Weekly Vibe: week of July 7-13
This week brings an opportunity for a mix that might sound too good to be true - emotional depth, practical action, and unexpected opportunities - all at once, oh my! Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus kick things off with a burst of innovative energy in relationships, life’s pleasures, and/or finances. On the work front, we’re able to tap into our ability to blend intuition with structure (thanks to the creative Sun in a sweet aspect to serious Saturn).
One bump in the road - midweek may bring some intensity in the feelings department as Venus will be opposing Pluto. This may prompt us to transform our connections and shedding off dead skin, if you will, but it will likely be an internal, under-the-surface brewing.
The energy of this week is brightly colored by Scorpio, Pisces and Aquarius, aka passion, compassion, and visionary thinking. It's a week to trust your instincts and embrace change. Stay flexible and open to unexpected changes while maintaining your long-term vision. Transformation isn’t always a fun quest, but this week it’s on the gentler side.
Imagine a forest. Looking at it, we are so quick to admire its towering trees but never acknowledge the fallen leaves that nourish the soil for new growth.
Now think of yourself. How often do you acknowledge yourself for taking a pause, or even a step back? When you celebrate an accomplishment, do you give yourself credit for carving out moments of rest along the way, or are you fixated on the heard work and the pushing through? I think most of us share the answer to this.
Being a human comes with an obsession with making progress and fearing the inevitable endings or pauses. No matter what context in which death or slow-down appears (be it someone's literal death, closing a life chapter, or simply transitioning seasons), we tend to judge it. Call it a limbo, a stuck-ness, a walk through the mud.
When we know we are done with the old, but have no idea what the new looks like, there’s little joy in this limbo. We want the endings to be quick and painless. We want them to be the fallen leaves in the forest that deserve no attention, and keep our gaze on the horizon.
We don’t treat limbos as a standalone stage of the growth cycle. We like our growth, creativity and accomplishments to be linear.
This ever-upward expectation everywhere, from career paths that demand constant upward mobility to social media feeds showcasing only life's highlights. We've internalized this belief that upward is good, downward is terrible, and that we feel inadequate and anxious when we near a natural point of slowdown.
But is it fair to expect growth to be linear? So many things in nature suggest otherwise when we look closer.
Consider the seasons. Spring brings new growth, summer sees that growth flourish, autumn is a time of harvest and release, and winter is a renewal period beneath the surface. Each phase is essential, and winter's apparent death allows spring rebirth.
This cyclical pattern shows up in human affairs, too. Civilizations rise and fall, economies boom and bust, the Renessance follows the Middle Ages. There’s even a concept with a name for it in economics — “creative destruction”—an idea that innovation and progress require dismantling existing structures. For new things to emerge, old things have to fade away.
A cycle isn't just a pretty metaphor—it's a fundamental pattern of life. When a human body skips this step, allowing for continuous rapid cell growth, it gets cancer. When the forest overgrows, it catches on fire sooner rather than later. A slow-down stage of the cycle isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a necessity to continue life.
No surprise that astrology supports this case, too. In fact, the entire astrological system is built solely on the idea of cycles, with each element moving through its unique rhythms. Every planet in our solar system lives through this cycle as it rounds through the Zodiac—from lunar phases repeating their patterns monthly to the Sun completing the same round annually to outer planets prompting human history to repeat itself.
Tracing the theme of seasons, the Zodiac wheel illustrates the cycles with spring (Aries to Gemini) bringing new growth and inspiration, summer (Cancer to Virgo) seeing that growth flourish and mature, fall (Libra to Sagittarius) is a time of harvest and sharing, and winter (Capricorn to Pisces) offers introspection and renewal. This solar cycle is a reminder that each growth phase has its purpose and value.
Again, the Solar cycle isn't just a metaphor. It's a practical tool and an invitation to respect the growth cycle, a reminder than a slow-down is an essential part of achievement. An excuse to chill the fuck out where chill-out is due.
The simplest way is through aligning your activities with the Sun's current position in the sky (we naturally tend to do this as we follow nature's seasons).
You can also take it up a notch and explore which houses of your natal chart the transiting Sun is touring through — it’s your hint where most of your attention is needed.
NB: Your natal chart is a snapshot of the sky at the moment of your birth, with each planet and point occupying a specific position in the Zodiac. This chart is divided into 12 houses, each representing different areas of life such as career, relationships, or personal growth. As the Sun makes its annual journey, it doesn't just move through the zodiac signs - it also travels through these houses in your natal chart. This transit illuminates different areas of your life throughout the year, shifting your focus and energy accordingly.
For example, I am always extra active with work in the summers because the transiting Sun travels through my ninth through eleventh houses, representing external activity. No matter how many exciting holiday parties there are in December, I want nothing more than to sit at home with a book while the Sun is hanging out in my fourth house of family life.
You can find your Sun cycles here or scroll down to the DIY astrology section for more details—available for paid subscribers.
So, my wish for you today is - recognize you’re not an upward-trajectory machine. Pauses suck. They’re uncomfortable, annoying and frustrating. It’d be so much better if we could just fall asleep during the times of slow-downs, and wake up when all is sorted. But to get completely cheesy, albeit true — the fallen leaves in the forrest of your life deserve as much care as the towering trees. Respect Mother Nature.
How Might I Support You?
Let's explore your natal chart together and uncover the natural ebbs and flows unique to you. Understanding these patterns can help you align your efforts more effectively.
Feeling frustrated by what seems like a lack of progress? Let’s dig in, get you some clarity and design authentic next steps (especially if it’s rest - that can be the hardest!).
🌝 On a Lighter Note
🌊 Following a few roller-coaster weeks of work and personal matters, I’m reaching a point of living by the motto: “I will only put effort when it feels easy and joyful.” LOL because so much easier said than done, but a good intention to keep as my North Star. Life’s too short to proactively choose to struggle.
🤯 On that same note, as I was walking out the door the other day, my husband randomly told me: “You know you don’t have to have a hard day, right?” and I just want you to know that for yourself too.
🌡️ It’s been about 75 degrees where I live for the past week, and the locals keep referring to it as ‘the heat wave’ so I am just throwing them all under the bus here.
Not Retrograde is a newsletter about the beauty and complexities of life on Earth, from an astrological perspective. Questions or topics you’d like to see covered in the future? Hit reply to reach me directly.
The Sun is pretty predictable as it moves through the same parts of the sky at roughly the same time each year. You can use its planned path as a way to understand your personal annual rhythms.
As the transiting Sun moves through each house of your natal chart, it brings energy and draws attention to the life areas that house represents. Everyone's chart is unique, so the timing of these focuses will differ from person to person. Your friend might be career-focused in January, while for you that energy doesn’t come until June.
I recommend using this info to map out your year strategically. Put the dates when the Sun moves from one house onto another in your planner. Prioritize activities that are aligned with these themes to create more ease in your life.
Step One: Plug in your birth data and select “Sun” in the “Transit Planet” dropdown.