Have you been feeling overwhelmed lately?  Discouraged? This week the moon is passing Saturn (Wednesday and Thursday) and Saturn has slowed down to almost a complete stop, turning retrograde this weekend.   This means Saturn’s tendency to be a tough and thorough teacher will be magnified on an already debilitated and waning moon.  Try not to let circumstances embitter you or get you wound up, especially when dealing with groups and friends.  Saturn is doing this station in Anuradha, a nakshatra that activates themes of power through our friendships and connections. 

Mars is the ruler of this Saturn-Moon alignment and he is in exact conjunction with Uranus along with the continuing Pluto square.   “Wound up” definitely could be the theme of these days, as we struggle to understand our personal needs and boundaries.   Tensions could flare up into conflict and misunderstandings are likely to be interpreted for the worse. 

Also, Venus leaves sidereal Pisces on Thursday.  Her transit over the last weeks have  been something of an obstacle course, crossing the malefic influences of Ketu, Uranus/Pluto, and Mars.  All this has been occurring in sidereal Pisces, creating a possibility for a sort of spiritual initiation for those who embrace it.  Beating up and throwing out our preconceptions of  our partnerships, friendships, artistic expressions or whatever particular themes Venus rules in your natal chart. 

Now Venus moves into the fire of Aries,  and since Mars is still pumped up on that intensity of Uranus and Pluto,  we must really continue to be mindful of our manners and watch out for impassioned  mistakes.  Try to be patient, practice nonviolent communication and be especially careful while driving.  This could be a time that opens new channels of creativity, as out of sorts and strange as it may seem.