The Mysterious Unseen, a week of tension and change, & reflections on watery transits
The Cancer New Moon arrived on July 17th, at 3:31 pm (ADT).
The atmosphere felt quite liminal as I began to write this post, just an hour or so before the beginning of another lunation cycle. Overcast and humid, with rain in the forecast, the air had a restless, pregnant feel.
It felt like an appropriate expression of the day’s mood, and perhaps, that of the week to come.
I perceive the three water signs as a symbolic sequence beginning with Cancer as the most intimate and personal sign with direct relevancy to the micro spheres of human existence… extending outward toward more macro layers through Scorpio and then into Pisces, the sign of infinity and non-dualism.
If Pisces is the furthest shimmering ripple formed when you toss a stone into the lake, Cancer is the point of impact - the center point where the lake swallows the stone and emits a splash.
Reflective of how astrology considers the Moon to be of central importance to the individual’s cosmic DNA (one of the “big three”; your Sun, Moon and Rising), and echoing the way in which the Moon is the celestial body in closest proximity to Earth, Moon-ruled Cancer has a great deal to say about some pretty foundational topics that connect to the inner-most parts of our being: our family of origin (and its lineages stretching back through time), our childhood conditioning, all parent-child relationships, our home and our safe places, our most cherished memories (and the nostalgia and grief they invoke), and our deepest emotional/core needs and how we seek to fulfill them.
Here’s my elemental mood board for Cancer Season (cardinal water), which I’m still fiddling around with a bit:
Nourish and nurture (yourself and others).
If I could summarize Cancer Season instructions in a few words, I think I would express it as such: nourish and nurture - and be nourished and nurtured.
This week’s Cancer New Moon is an invitation to acknowledge, honour and tend to those deep emotional needs. With its applying opposition to Pluto, there may be an intense fear present this week that our core needs will not, are not, cannot, be met.
Subconscious memories of past times when needs were not met, may be confusedly co-mingling with present and future time.
It may be that the journey of tending to our core needs requires letting go of that which we have thus far depended on to fulfill them.
One of the core needs of a hermit crab is to have a shell for protection.
However, the hermit crab (reflective of the sign of Cancer which is symbolized by a crab), will need to find new shells for protection over the course of its lifespan as it responds to changing environments and changing needs - such as outgrowing its shell and needing a bigger one. Outgrowing shells and risking the journey from one shell to another, is part of Cancer’s cardinal mission.
Other reasons for a hermit crab seeking out a new shell are referenced here:
“Hermit crabs will change their shells after molting, as a molt is often associated with growth in size.
If a shell has been damaged, a hermit crab will look to jettison and replace it. Hermit crabs may trade shells if dominant conspecifics challenge them for a more desirable shelter.
Some hermit crabs trade shells because they’re uncomfortable inside due to shards or spikes. Equally, the shell may contain parasites, such as mites. If the hermit crab is uncomfortable, it may change shells.
Also, stressed and unhappy hermit crabs may switch shells to enhance their level of contentment.” - hermit crab answers
It is a vulnerable experience for a hermit crab to leave one shell and climb into a new one. Its soft body is completely unprotected for that interval of time when it is in-between the original shell and the next.
The New Moon’s opposition to Pluto (which increases in strength over the week), reminds me of the acute vulnerability of a hermit crab in-between shells.
Pluto can activate feelings of not being safe. Pluto energy can bring up survival fears.
Tread gently through this week, uncoupling and disentangling the past from the present moment wherever possible.
Water Signs & The Mysterious Unseen
When water signs are referenced in astrology usually what immediately comes to people’s minds are: emotions and sensitivity. This isn’t wrong, but sometimes this becomes a reductionist equation.
I prefer to think of the three water signs as symbolically reflective of The Mysterious Unseen.
This includes the realm of emotions, which frequently arise unbidden and deny logical explanations. But The Mysterious Unseen also represents:
imagination and fantasizing
nighttime dreams
subconscious and unconscious psychic material (on a personal and collective level)
the way in which certain patterns strangely repeat themselves in our lives
heavy secrets
intuitive promptings
synchronistic encounters or events that remind us we are all part of the same invisible space-time fabric
the bonds with people we love that mysteriously connect us across time and space
passive aggressiveness and emotional manipulation (indirect communications within an unhealthy relational dynamic that have hidden meaning or intent)
the energy or “vibe” of a person/place/thing
all the clairs (ways of perceiving the unseen) - e.g., clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance, clairsalience, clairgustance, clairtangency and clairempathy
contact with unseen beings (e.g., angels, dead people, spirits)
There are many other types of unseen things in life - such as the thought forms of the Air element and the inspired passion of Fire - but The Mysterious Unseen of the Water element are unique in their multi-layered complexity and the way in which they often exist outside of the rational and logical.
Just like H20 can easily shapeshift between the three states of water, steam and ice, the receptiveness of the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) allow them to attune to the subtleties and nuanced changes in the environment - and then to respond to them (for better or worse).
Just like we have explored only a small fraction of the Ocean’s depths, the watery parts of our charts hold regions that we have not yet even stuck our toes into.
Every one of us have all three water signs in our birth charts.
Where is the sign of Cancer in your chart? What house does it oversee? Do you have any important placements that land at about 24 degrees of Cancer, where this new lunation cycle is nesting?
Are you noticing some aspect of The Mysterious Unseen showing up prominently in your life right now, perhaps as related to the themes of the house it lands in?
We have one more week of Cancer season until the Sun enters Leo on Saturday, July 22nd. And it’s a big week, astrologically speaking.
As the Sun in Cancer moves closer to perfecting its opposition with Pluto in Capricorn (a planetary guardian of The Mysterious Unseen with an affinity to the sign of Scorpio), your spidey senses may be picking up quite a bit this week, if you tune in.
Watery Clarifications
There’s a couple of clarifying notes I want to add before moving on to the rest of the week’s forecast.
Sometimes there is an assumption that people with a lot of water sign placements must be super empathetic, compassionate and caring people. This can be true, but certainly this is not always the case.
Watery folks have life journeys that implicate and involve The Mysterious Unseen.
This does not necessarily mean they are really nice people. What it could mean, is that they have occupations that involve seeing the unseen - like a forensic investigator or a psychic.
It could mean that they are artists of some kind that are inspired by their active imaginations. Or it could mean they have a tendency to dissociate into fantasy on a regular basis and are not grounded into the here and now.
It could mean they are secret carriers, or the emergence of other people’s secrets plays a pivotal role in their life narrative.
A lot of water placements can indicate an nurturing caregiver-type with healthy boundaries, or it can indicate someone with a lot of repressed subconscious material who projects a lot, is paranoid about subtle changes in energy, emotionally manipulates, and constantly feels victimized by their life and by others. Rather than feeling empathy for others, they may be so overwhelmed by their own emotions there is no room to consider anyone else’s.
I just want to cut through the stereotype that lots of water placements = caring, compassionate people.
Every chart is unique and there are an endless number of ways that any particular placement can manifest.
Conversely, if someone has a deficit of water placements in their chart this does not mean that they are uncaring, mean people - and neither does it mean they have no access to The Mysterious Unseen and intuitive capacities.
First of all, every natal chart holds (and hopes to express) every zodiac sign, regardless of whether or not there are planets or points in those signs.
Furthermore, I consider Pluto, Neptune and the Moon to be planetary guardians of The Mysterious Unseen in a way that imitates the Water signs. Strong aspects from Pluto and Neptune to personal planets, or having the Moon prominent in your chart (such as on the ascendant), can (in my opinion) bestow strong water-sign qualities regardless of what signs these planets are in. This could also be said of having planets in the 4th, 8th, and 12th houses, although that’s a point of contention in the astrological field.
Finally, the elements of Earth, Fire and Air all have their own access points to compassionate care and intuitive abilities. It expresses differently than it does via water, but the access is there nevertheless.
A Week of Tension & Change
The new moon in Cancer (opposing Pluto, trine Neptune) is only one event among several significant astrological shifts this week and through the weekend (July 17 - July 23, 2023).
On the same day as the new moon in cancer, on July 17th, the nodal axis also transited backwards into a new sign polarity. At the time of this writing the North Node (a calculation associated with desire, gain and increase) has moved from Taurus into Aries, and the South Node (a calculation associated with release and diminishment) has moved from Scorpio into Libra.
The nodes of the moon remain in a pair of signs for about 1.5 years and set the path for eclipses. Going forward, we will begin having eclipses on the Aries-Libra axis.
(we were actually already initiated into this series with an introductory eclipse in Aries on April 19, 2023)
The last time we experienced North Node eclipses in Aries and South Node eclipses in Libra was 2004-2005. Look to the opposing set of houses in your chart that hold Aries and Libra - what was increasing, growing in the Aries house, and releasing, lessening, being alchemized in the Libra house?
In 2004-2005 the North Node eclipses in Aries were falling in my 9th house of higher education, broader horizons and worldviews. I began my university studies, enrolling in a year-long program that tracked philosophical, social, religious, and cultural developments through history.
In 2014-2015 when eclipses were falling on the Aries-Libra axis, but with the nodes reversed (i.e., North Node in Libra, South Node in Aries), I was finally finishing my university journey. The South Node of endings and release was moving through my 9th house at this time.
After 10 years of academia and 3 degrees, I swore I’d never return to University and institutional learning, so I’m curious to see what the North Node eclipses bring! Some 9th house travel instead of 9th house schooling would be nice!
So anyway, there’s the Nodal shift happening this week. Not a dramatic transit (until eclipse season), but a significant sign change heralding the beginning of a new story nevertheless.
(btw, I loved Jo O’Neill’s recent reel about the nodal axis; she speaks so beautifully to their extreme, wild, unbalanced, and mysterious nature)
Then there’s Mars’ opposition to Saturn which will have been building for ~7 days prior, peaking on Thursday, July 20th, and then lingering for a few days.
This takes place across the Virgo-Pisces axis around 6 degrees. This is a transit that can be very productive and it can bring about a clarifying “no”, but it can also be full of stress and strain as we strive to accomplish something while facing off with some kind of barrier or obstacle.
Saturday, July 22nd, brings us Venus stationing retrograde in Leo launching 44 days in backwards motion, while the Sun perfects its confrontational opposition to Pluto at the 29th crisis degrees across the Cancer-Capricorn axis (while also creating a cardinal cross with the nodes at 29 degrees of Aries-Libra) before finally stepping into the fires of Leo.
Whew. Saturday’s a big day.
In my Guide to the Astrology of 2023 I wrote the following about this cardinal cross:
We are presented with the challenge to grow toward risk-taking independence while honouring emotional and relational commitments, as well as important aspects of our history. The North Node in Aries pulls us toward new unknown territory, while the activation of the 29th degree in all cardinal signs may put our teeth on edge.
On Sunday, July 23rd, Chiron stations retrograde in Aries (highlighting some pain points and healing work), Mercury squares Uranus delivering some liberating (or shocking) intel, and Pluto begins a week of making three exact squares to the nodal axis (using the “true” calculation).
Here are some reflective prompts that I wrote for this time:
If you can, figure out in advance where Venus’ summer retrograde will happen in your chart (12 - 28 degrees of Leo) from July 22nd to September 3rd, 2023. It will be valuable to know what house topics in your birth chart will be getting special Venus treatment. Now think back (or go through emails, photos and social media) to the summer of 2015 (specifically July 25-Sept 6th, 2015). This was the last time Venus was retrograde in Leo. It’s possible some similar themes may reappear through new experiences.
Venus’ stationing day on July 22nd is sandwiched by some tough astrology. If you can, listen for Venus’ call beneath the noise of the tense aspects. What magical underworld journey does she want to take you on? Consider Venus’ summer retrograde period an excellent time to lean into… self-love, the way we inspire the best in others, any issues we need to sort out with our relationship to public visibility, and the worthy endeavor of expressing our authentic essence in the world.
During the second half of July, pay attention to the way you are stepping into greater independence and exercising your risk-taking muscle while navigating power dynamics, responsibilities, and continuing to work on the construction zone that is Pluto in Capricorn. Pull out the punching bag, the art supplies, or your favourite grounding tools if those 29th cardinal degrees create anxiety.
Good luck!
In many ways, from a technical standpoint, the astro looks “tough”, particularly around the end of the week through the weekend, but sometimes the tougher astrology manifests as really positive experiences of change or achievement. It depends on a number of factors including how the transits aspect your chart and your relationship with the planets involved. At the very least, it is a week→ weekend that is worth paying attention to.
My next post will feature more reflections and insights into Venus’ retrograde through Leo.
[Note: due to the length of this essay it may be cut off by your email provider. Click here to read the full post on Substack.]
Reflections on Watery Transits in June
There are three outer planets that we can’t see with the naked eye, which move very slowly through the zodiac wheel - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
Then there are two planets which take 1-3 years to travel through a zodiac sign - Saturn and Jupiter. Sometimes these are considered outer planets, but really they occupy a type of middle zone between the inner planets (Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars) and the three outer planets.
Regardless of their status, I consider the five slow moving planets from Jupiter to Pluto, to be strong signifiers of major, long-lasting narrative threads in our lives because of their prolonged transit through a sign or to another planet.
There are two signs that are getting a lot of attention from slow-moving planets lately - Taurus (hosting Uranus and Jupiter) and Pisces (hosting Neptune and Saturn).
Whatever houses in your birth chart are anchoring these signs, they are also getting a lot of attention (and have been, for a while).
The Sun may have been traversing airy Gemini for most of June, but I (and other astrologers) noticed a number of global events that seemed to correlate with some watery activations of Neptune and Saturn in Pisces.
First of all there was the orcas-attacking-boats situation off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. I believe this has happened before in the last few years (particularly since 2020), but news (and memes) about it went viral as it began happening with more frequency in May and June.
Were the orcas sharing their techniques further North? In late June an orca attack on a boat off the coast of Scotland was reported.
It was noted that these attacks were strategic (they went right for the rudders which they destroyed with great efficiency), and they seemed to be teaching other whales (and other sea creatures??) how to do the same.
There was significant speculation on “why” this was happening so frequently…
But ultimately, no one knew for sure what was motivating the whales’ behavior.
“Andrew Trites, professor and director of Marine Mammal Research at the University of British Columbia, told CBS News: "My idea, or what anyone would give you, is informed speculation. It is a total mystery, unprecedented."“ - Lee Cohen for CBS (June 12, 2023)
Although the behavior appears destructive, it has been pointed out that the motivation may not actually be aggressively oriented. However, Monika Wieland Shields notes:
“They’ve certainly had reason to engage in that kind of behavior… There are places where they are shot at by fishermen, they’ve watched family members be taken from their groups into captivity in the ‘60s and ‘70s. And if something was going to motivate direct aggression, I would think something like that would have done it.” ~Denise Chow for NBCNews (May 23, 2023)
News of the orca attacks were circulating online throughout May and June, and while there isn’t a specific and direct activation of Saturn or Neptune that stands out to me as being associated with the publication of one of these attacks, it certain has an affinity with Saturn in Pisces (appearing as sea creatures engaging in strategic defense and establishing boundaries in the waters) and Neptune in Pisces (mysterious, evoking speculation and mythic symbolism).
Then, soon after the Sun entered the sign of Cancer, this headline appeared:
The second watery story I noted, was that of the Titan sub that descended with five people, eager to visit the ruins of the Titanic on the ocean floor, which tragically never resurfaced.
The submersible began descending on Sunday, June 18, 2023. It was supposed to return to the surface a few hours later, but communications were lost and it never did.
World news was dominated by the search to rescue the five individuals before the oxygen ran out in the small vessel. By Thursday, June 22nd, it was clear there would be no survivors. It soon became evident that the submersible had imploded.
The weekend chosen for the descent, unfortunately was not an auspicious one. It was a harsh and messy one. Saturn stationed retrograde in Pisces on June 17th, and on Sunday, June 18th (stretching into Monday), there was a new moon in Gemini that landed in a tight square to Neptune.
Neptune transits are notorious for being confusing and disorienting. When Neptune is involved in a square to the sign of Gemini, we are likely to see confusion and uncertainty related to communication (and regarding oxygen in this case). Communications with the Titan submersible had been lost entirely and could not be re-established.
A portion of the internet was scathing in their critique of the attention given by news outlets to this privileged tragedy that cost the doomed explorers $250,000 to participate in. However, they weren’t all billionaires (as far as I know).
Leading the expedition was Paul-Henri Nargeolet: “A French submarine operator and daredevil deep-sea explorer dubbed "Mr Titanic", who died onboard a submersible visiting the wreck of the mythic ship, was hailed on Friday as having helped advance mankind's understanding of the "unknown world". ~ News Wires
Here’s Paul’s birth chart with an AA rating for the birth time (March 2, 1946, 6:30 am, Chamonix Mont Blanc, France):
Earlier in this post I wrote about the different ways that water signs can express via the charts of people with a lot of water sign placements. I mentioned occupations that involve seeing the (mysterious) unseen, such as a forensic investigator or psychic.
Or, a watery person may straight up have an occupation that involves literal water (and/or liquids)…
…such as Paul-Henri Nargeolet (a.k.a. Mr. Titanic), who has an impressive amount of water in his chart - Sun, Venus, Mercury in Pisces and a Mars-Saturn conjunction in Cancer.
If you’re curious, you can read more about his career path on his Wikipedia page. Beginning with his role in an undersea intervention group for the French Navy (you can hear the Mars-Saturn conjunction here with his work at clearing underwater mines), Paul has clearly maintained a deep connection to the waters of the world in both his professional and personal life.
His life has also been deeply entangled with The Mysterious Unseen as he is responsible for helping to recover 5,500 artifacts from the Titanic wreckage throughout his 37 visits to the site (called by some a “graveyard robber” for doing so).
At the time of the descent and sub implosion, Neptune, the god of the sea, was sitting on Paul’s natal Mercury placement while squaring his nodal axis - with the new moon in Gemini landing directly on his natal South Node.
Just before the rescue mission concluded that there were no survivors, Paul’s daughter was interviewed by Reuters:
“If they are not found, it will be very sad for us because we will not see him again. What he liked the most was to be in a submarine, (near) the Titanic. He is where he really loved being. I would prefer him (dying) at a place where he is very happy,” she said.
“So whether he’s in a submarine and whether he’s in the Titanic, I know he likes it. I hope there will be a good outcome, that they will find him. In any case … he is happy where he is … That’s reassuring.”
My third watery example is The Russian Coup That Wasn’t, as many news headlines called it.
This strange situation peaked over the weekend that Mercury in Gemini was squaring Neptune in Pisces, June 24-25 (repeating the same square that the Sun made during the sub’s descent and disappearance). Mars was also building to a square with Uranus at this time.
For those that were unaware of this story emerging from the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the key characters in this situation were Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary leader and founder of the controversial Kremlin-affiliated private military contractor Wagner Group, which has been very involved in Russia’s war with Ukraine (Wikipedia). Prior to recent events, Prigozhin was also considered to be a close confidant of Vladimir Putin.
Prigozhin and his Wagner Group were hired by Putin to fight in Ukraine… until, after increasing tensions, Prigozhin rebelled against his boss on June 23, 2023. While Prigozhin's forces took control of certain districts and began traveling dramatically toward Russia, Putin denounced these actions as treason while the world watched this shocking turn of events.
“These unforeseen developments stunned the Kremlin. They constituted the biggest challenge to Putin’s authority since he became president in 2000. The Russian president had railed against the west for years, accusing leaders in the US and UK of seeking to destabilise his regime. And yet it was Prigozhin, a friend and restaurant owner who had personally served Putin dinner in St Petersburg, who was wielding the knife. Et tu, Yevgeny?
[…] Prigozhin’s breezy coup attempt, or march for justice as he meekly put it, was real. His soldiers shot down a Ka-52 attack helicopter, killing its crew. They destroyed an Il-18 aircraft. At least 15 Russian servicemen died. Most were combat pilots.
It was a surreal afternoon. The convoy continued northwards, rolling through a landscape of pine trees and fields under a dull grey sky. A tank sat on the back of a heavy loader. A jeep screeched past. Over in Ukraine, the atmosphere was one of jubilation. If it succeeded, the uprising might mean the end of Russia’s bloody invasion. Or of Putin. Or both, many hoped.
Then at around 8pm there was another remarkable twist.”
Only 24 hours later after his bold declarations, Prigozhin changed his mind and began retreating to Belarus.
Ukrainians, tracking the Wagner mutiny intently, were also surprised, disappointed, and… confused - a classic Neptunian word:
“What the hell was that?” said Vira, a 59-year-old teacher. ‘‘I was so confused. And today I’m still digesting yesterday’s events. I still can’t put the puzzle together. It’s quite difficult.’’
Vira’s response was echoed by military analysts and news outlets around the world.
The Russian Coup That Wasn’t.
And of course everyone was wondering what had happened behind the scenes. There must be more to this story…
But with Mercury squaring Neptune that weekend, most of us will never know what that really was about except that the rebellion was stamped by Neptune’s characteristic nonlinear confusion.
My mother has been tracking this war closely since the beginning. On a daily basis she listens to various military analysts discuss the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Here’s one she was listening to that weekend - a live stream recorded the evening of June 24, 2023, just after the shocking plot twist where Prigozhin abruptly gave up and turned around:
Click through the link and advance the video to about 1:27:30. Totally befuddled and confused by recent events, this combat veteran stumbles across an astrological interpretation of Prigozhin’s birth chart and the attempted coup (?).
My mom had to share it with me of course, and I collapsed into a fit of giggles. I don’t care that he thinks astrology is bunk or that the astrologer has some biases and beliefs I don’t share. I thought it was hilariously apt and fitting for the Neptunian transit of the moment for this guy to jokingly (but also, curiously?) reading this astrological interpretation because the bizarre events didn’t seem to have any other comprehensible explanation, so why not??
Also: Dear @CombatVeteranReacts, the word “quincunx” is indeed a weird one and most people stumble trying to pronounce it.
The last example I have on this topic of watery transits and activations, is this one:
On Wednesday, June 28th, 2023, just two days before Neptune stationed retrograde in Pisces, astronomers publicly shared their discovery regarding proof of gravitational space-time waves rolling through the universe.
Now, I don’t fully understand this discovery or what it means, but apparently it is a pretty big deal.
These are waves that are not confined to oceans or lakes, but I still see Neptunian’s fingerprints on this announcement about gravitational waves. You can sense the presence of The Mysterious Unseen here, right?
Neptune is a planet that can take us far beyond what is known and understood. Neptune takes us right into the heart of mystery.
The headline of this article began to circulate on Instagram:
I still don’t really get it, but this Atlantic article made the discovery sound so poetic and beautiful that Neptune felt closer than ever:
“The whole universe is humming. Actually, the whole universe is Mongolian throat singing. Every star, every planet, every continent, every building, every person is vibrating along to the slow cosmic beat.
That’s the takeaway from yesterday’s remarkable announcement that scientists have detected a “cosmic background” of ripples in the structure of space and time. If the result bears up as more data are gathered, it’s a discovery that promises to open new windows on everything from the evolution of galaxies to the origin of the universe.
Every gravitational wave in that background the NANOGrav team found is humming through the very constitution of the space you inhabit right now. Every proton and neutron in every atom from the tip of your toes to the top of your head is shifting, shuttling, and vibrating in a collective purr within which the entire history of the universe is implicated. And if you put your hand down on a chair or table or anything else nearby, that object, too, is dancing that slow waltz.
The gravitational-wave background is huge news for the cosmos, yes, but it’s also huge news for you. The nature of reality has not changed—you will not suddenly be able to detect vibrations in your morning coffee that you couldn’t see before. And yet, moments like these can and should change how each of us sees our world. All of a sudden, we know that we are humming in tune with the entire universe, that each of us contains the signature of everything that has ever been. It’s all within us, around us, pushing us to and fro as we hurtle through the cosmos.
[…]It’s a reminder that the world always has been, and always will be, worthy of wonder.”
To close this post I want to share a beautiful piece of audio that matches the Neptunian magic of this discovery perfectly.
The Emerald is a podcast by Joshua Schrei; “a writer, teacher, and a lifelong student of the cosmologies and mythologies of the world.”
His beautiful podcast is an artistic treat for the ears as it “advocates for an imaginative vision of human life and human discourse as it questions deep underlying assumptions about societal progress.”
This episode is worth a listen in its entirety, but if you are short on time I recommend advancing the episode to about 38:30 minutes in, and then at 41:30 Josh specifically mentions astrology - as a study of embodiment practice.
It’s a gorgeous piece.