Astrological Forecast for July 13 to July 19, 2006

by Ellen Zucker

The Sargasso Sea is a large expanse of open water in the middle of the Atlantic. It is a strange place, the object of legend.

Surrounded by some of the strongest currents in the world, the Florida, Gulf Stream, Canary, North Equatorial, Antilles, and the Caribbean, the Sargasso Sea is very still and very deep.

Its depth is deceptive. Christopher Columbus, the first European to discover the sea, thought he was nearing land. He was fooled by the huge mats of seaweed floating lazily on the surface. He surmised he was near land, but alas he could not find the bottom that lay miles below.

Because the surrounding currents interlock, little that drifts in flows out. Also, there is little wind. Spanish sailing ships, becalmed for weeks, often had to jettison their horses to conserve water, resulting in the moniker 'horse latitudes.'

Originally thought to be lifeless, scientists have discovered the Sea sports its own ecosystem rich in microbes and varieties of small sea life.

As we enter the final days of the Sun's sojourn through Cancer, we each enter our own Sargasso Sea. High-energy currents whipped us in the weeks and months preceding this period. And later on we will again be pushed and pulled by the tumult of celestial currents.

But now, we drift, in these dog days of summer, lazily towards nowhere. Our energy has moved inward, down into the depths. We honor external demands that require us to be present, but we do so reluctantly.

We appear to be lazy, aimless, but below the surface a great deal of work is going on. Sun's journey through Cancer, the retrograde motion of Mercury and the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and Moon's journey through Pisces beginning later today through Saturday evening, all serve to take us downward.

Until Monday evening, when the Moon enters Taurus, there are no planets in Earth. There is no land in sight.

This week the Sun will conjoin Mercury, the mid-point of its retrograde cycle. Below the surface, a seed is being planted, but we won't see its results until Mercury has resumed its forward motion.

Do not force solutions now. Simply drift and rid yourself of unnecessary baggage. Unlike the Spanish sailing ships, we will be picked up by swifter currents soon enough. And unlike the Spaniards we will emerge enriched by our descent in the fertile waters of our inner journey.

July 13
We awaken in a sea of dreams. Moon conjoined Neptune in the wee hours and then it made a nice flowing trine to sweet Venus.

But we want to continue dreaming, but when Moon stands down Mars and makes a sextile to Pluto in the morning hours we are asked to stand up for ourselves. The tension passes as the Moon drifts into languid Pisces in the afternoon (4:00 pm EDT).

July 14
Happy Bastille Day. Powerful currents run deep as passions run high. Mars trines Pluto as Venus makes an opposition. Sexual politics are in the air. We feel feisty and take no prisoners. But we find balance by the day's end.

July 15
If you are feeling off-center, look around. Who benefits when you feel that way? When you second-guess yourself you are less likely to speak up against an intruder on your turf. But speaking up is exactly the best way to set things straight.

July 16
The day is largely uneventful. But with moon making a flowing trine aspect to Saturn in the afternoon, we feel a welcome sense of stability.

July 17
Generally, a nice day. The Moon is at its last quarter. We harvest what we planted three weeks ago. Moon goes into Taurus at 9:34 pm EDT, a calming and mellow end to the day.

July 18
Venus enters Cancer today, adding to our desire to retreat to our cocoon. The Sun conjoins Mercury, signaling the midpoint of its retrograde journey. We are planting seeds for the future.

July 19
The Moon is still in Taurus. It is generally a very pleasant day. Go with the flow.