If she finds a messy room in the house of your being, Luna’s reflex is to step in, tidy, and make order. Fixing even the things that don’t need fixing, she relies on a wide range of Mercurial skills and crafts. Plans are organized, remedies are sought after, because in the Earthy realm of the Maiden, it’s the wound that awakens the healer. From a place of agency, the Virgo patch within us can catalyze a healthy sense of responsibility, but when anxiety fuels our actions, our path may take us to the darker end of Virgo’s savior complex. Rooted in a kind of mistrust – “If I don’t take care of this, no one will” – there’s a lack of intuitive faith in the Cosmos.

In contrast to Virgo, the flow of the vast Piscean currents will carry you to wherever you need to be, fluently, effortlessly. Nothing needs fixing because nothing is truly broken. Here, the deepest belief is that it’s impossible to redeem yourself. Instead, you must allow yourself to be saved by something greater. While surrender can save us from a lot of pain and burden, it can also become a trap of passivity that lets us drown in suffering or helplessness while we wait endlessly for rescue.

The union of the Sun and Moon opposed by their arch enemy Saturn brutally lays bare this Virgo/Pisces tension that lives in our world and psyche. When tilted toward Virgo, you might take on too much responsibility, exhausting yourself in a futile attempt to stitch up the world. When tilted toward Pisces, you risk giving up your agency, expecting others, fate, or God to rescue you. We’re here to tap into both sides and serve within the whole, using our hands to mend the world while at the same time being carried by something larger.

Under the faultfinding gaze of Saturn, anchored at 28° Pisces, Luna sharpens her spindle to the point where it threatens to cut her fingers as Saturn’s stern voice denies, delays, and withholds. He says, “Not yet. Not this way.” Always the examiner, the relentless critic, Saturn is the one who stands between us and the glory of easy Piscean completion. Whether Saturn’s commentary inspires you to buckle down or capitulate, his criticism may strike you as unjust, and maybe even cruel or destructive. While his harsh “no” can certainly feel brutal, keep in mind that it’s not a random demonstration of severity. Make it your training ground where resilience is born.

Despite all the sacrifices and devotion to detail, what has been worked on and worried over so diligently now ushers in a reckoning. Saturn invites us to recognize that the same dedication and attention to detail that foster true mastery can, if unchecked, evolve into harsh self-criticism and excessive judgment.

Reminding us that the thread of our best efforts - however flawless - may always be seized by larger hands and ripped apart, this eclipse may be the obstacle that interrupts you, halts you in your tracks or, on the contrary, hurls you into a different direction altogether. If you have worked all summer on some careful creation, Saturn’s grip may tighten the knot to refresh your memory: fate’s loom does not belong to you alone. Whatever dies here clears space for what must be woven next.

Venus, witnessing the divine union of the Luminaries in Virgo, is swapping houses with Mercury, the host of the solar eclipse. In Libra, he’s the scribe of the scales, asking you to hear every side and carefully weigh each option, so that you can strike a balance between honest critique and compassion.

Imminent sign changes give additional testimony to a swift change of direction. Tomorrow, Sol ventures into Libra, and Mars returns to his Scorpio home. Such abrupt makeovers demand our flexibility because our greatest artistry always emerges in the ability to meet the moment and rise to the occasion so that we can grow beyond our boundaries.

Life will always deliver shocks without our consent, whether it’s through Saturn’s harsh “no,” or the veiling of the Light itself. Yet, within these disruptions or swift developments, we can discover our strength and resourcefulness, if we trust that while things unravel, we’re also being encouraged to live our story more boldly, to not only weather the storm but also harness its power and direct it toward an unwritten, more beautiful future.

Have a wonderful month ahead, and let us know how it goes in the comments!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations to clients in every continent, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Consider the rhythm you live by ripe for interruption because there are forces in life that refuse to wait for permission. Uranus, true to his nature, steals the spotlight of the New Moon, and not politely. Bursting through the portal that leads us into eclipse season, he’s bent on rearranging reality in a single strike. This new beginning is not propelled by the soft tugs of desire and intention, so instead of asking yourself what you want, it’s time to face an unnerving question.

What is it that insists on living through you?

Allergic to habit and repetition, Uranus is enchanted by the tyranny of possibility and has to act on it. What can be done will be done because his neurons only flash with what could be. Whether it’s a fantasy, an urge, an idea, a creative or even a destructive impulse, you can bet it’s going to press for realization this month.

Not inclined to politely line up in the waiting room, our deepest drives are always burning to express themselves, and Uranus helps them seize their moment and break form. As soon as they get the chance, our latent yearnings rewrite us from within. Suppressing them costs an enormous amount of energy and often twists them into strange disguises, eventually breaking through the cracks of our defenses. To live in this Earthly realm is to be constantly haunted by what wants expression. It’s Uranus who represents this dynamism, and he does so in his typical anarchic attire.

Splitting the oak as well as the rotten shack with equal zeal, lightning does not discriminate and neither does Uranus. He will simply break the mold for you, whether you’re ready or not. As the shock comes first and responsibility later, you may have to shoulder a burden. Will you harness the light that Uranus offers you, or will you let it scorch you?

Pulled into the storm, Diplomat of Affections Venus does her best to waltz into Leo with grace on August 25, but when life erupts with hidden drives and unacknowledged longings, those we love become mirrors, accomplices, or, in the worst case scenario, casualties.

In rapid succession, Venus touches base with Saturn and Neptune through a trine, reaches Uranus by sextile, and also opposes Pluto. An appetite for anything considered unusual, alternative, mysterious, empowering, or liberating surges through our relationships in many shapes and forms. Given the current atmosphere, desire tends to grow into compulsion, and you may run the risk of upending more than necessary.

Although next to impossible when passions flare, Venus will do everything in her power to find creative compromises. Balancing authenticity with kindness is a tried-and-true leonine survival skill. This fiery Venus knows that there’s a fine line between candor and cruelty, but too much kindness can curdle into dishonesty.

Saturday’s New Moon is the first of a set of two New Moons in Virgo. I can’t help but think of this double occurrence as an appeal to scrutinize your actions carefully with the vigor of Virgo’s restless ruler Mercury. Impatient with imperfection, pointing out insufficiencies and discrepancies left and right - under Mercury’s supervision nothing is quite sacred enough not to be dismantled.

Clipboard in hand, old Saturn shows his quality control badge upon his return to Pisces on September 1 where he will inspect the preparations for eclipse season. His stern voice of conscience reminds us that it’s immature to set our own furniture on fire just to prove we’re free. No upheaval comes free of consequence.

Life in this strange world does not hold still. Stagnation is a myth, a fantasy we invent when we long for a pause button. If you want peace, you’ll have to cultivate it within. However, the message of this lunar cycle is clear. Uranus does not care for your carefully curated inner tranquility, so you might as well let him deliver you to a version of yourself you didn’t know was possible.

Let us know what unexpected treasures cross your path this month in the comments below.

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations to clients in every continent, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Stone Soup

In a village shadowed by suspicion and scarcity, three travelers wander in, their pockets empty but their wits sharp as ever. Right in the heart of the village square, where the cobblestones echo with the hush of watchful neighbors, they pause. With deliberate calm, one traveler sets down an empty pot, and another fetches water from the communal well, their every gesture deliberate and unfazed by the wary eyes peeking from behind curtains.

The strangers exchange knowing glances, as if sharing a secret recipe. All around, the villagers watched, arms crossed, waiting to see what could possibly come of such meager beginnings.

Now, with great ceremony, one of them drops in an ordinary stone, treating it like it’s a sacred relic, and then lights a fire beneath it.

It doesn’t take long before the villagers’ noses begin to twitch, first with disbelief, but finally with a curiosity too strong to ignore. One of them wanders over and squints at the pot.

“What in the world are you cooking there?”

"Stone soup," one of the travelers says, eagerly stirring the pot. "It’s going to be absolutely exquisite! I’d love to share some with you but it’s just missing a little garnish."

Intrigued, the villager returns with a handful of carrots. Not long after, another neighbor passes by, lured by the simmering sound of nothing-much-yet. “Oh, I can’t wait,” says one of the travelers, “we’ve nearly perfected the recipe, you know... Just a touch of onion would elevate it all the way to heaven!” This villager too quickly runs home and returns with a couple of onions to add to the mysterious stone soup. Soon there are cabbages, potatoes, salt, a lump of butter, and a growing crowd.

The pot is now bubbling with aroma and color and so are the villagers, laughing, tasting, arguing over whose ingredient really makes the soup sing. By twilight, the square has transformed into a full-blown feasting hall. The once-grim villagers are now full-bellied and bright-eyed, warmed by the soup, the fire, and the absurd delight of being deliciously duped into generosity.

Turning Stones to Gold

Did you spot the tension of the Leo/Aquarius axis at play here? This is the embrace of the Sun and Moon pressed tight around Pluto’s piercing, opposing gaze from Saturn’s realm of Aquarius.

The true magic in this tale is not in the stone soup, but in the spell that was cast. The Leonine glamour of suggestion has the power to alchemize Saturnian suspicion and fear into trust and joy. No persuasion, no force or conquest is needed. The beauty of the Sun’s artistry lies in the mystery of performance. Turning seeming into being, play becomes the bridge between scarcity and abundance. A stone becomes a feast, a trick becomes a truth, and what was once withheld now overflows.

The Lights’ radiant mask confronts a hidden Plutonian hunger and, initiating this new month, they circle one another in the grand theater of transmutation to let us know that when you dare to play, you find the hidden gold inside the ordinary.

Redrafting the Script

In the presence of a playwright in reverse - retrograde Mercury – the script can always be revised mid-performance. What parts of your power have been edited out of your life’s script? And what old, routine-performance do you want to end so that you can make space for a more authentic myth to begin? In Leo, Mercury adds an expressive voice to the Sun’s vision, and teaches us to re-write our role so that we can move forward more purposefully.

Mars, still close to the South Node, and Saturn in his long-term embrace with Neptune have lowered their guard, succumbing to the power of imagination.

I think the soul deeply longs for symbolic engagement. If soulful participation is missing, people go looking for it in addiction, fantasy, or obsession. But when you go about your daily tasks — sweeping the floor, making tea, feeding the cat — with a playful sense of ceremony, you’re doing a lot more than just adding some aesthetic flair to your life. Folding laundry becomes tending to “the sacred linens.” Taking out the trash becomes a banishing rite.

If you sometimes feel like a fragmented ego, dragging yourself through an endless to-do list, try infusing small actions with symbolic weight, to realign and integrate your inner world with the outer world. The Sun King, on his throne in Leo, reminds us that the world is a stage and we’re all characters in a meaningful drama.

If you would like to find out what kind of roles the lunar nodes, nodal bendings, eclipses, and the Saros Series play, join me on August 24 & 31 for my workshop “The Great Serpent!” Places are limited so sign up now to secure your spot!

“Meaning is the true medicine,” says Jupiter. Exalted in Cancer, the god of plenty is helping you weave your own narrative to keep the soul’s fabric from fraying.

Uranus in Gemini, in a sextile to the Lights, is juggling novelties and oddities alike, inviting you to improvise a plot twist that could catapult you into a more luminous role. If fate keeps throwing you curveballs, take it as a chance to pivot toward your breakout scene.

So, yes, this Leo season, I will pretend my teacup is a chalice, thank you very much. I will name my trusty broom. I will bless the wildflowers (I always do, actually). Silly? Maybe. To me, these tiny sacred acts keep my inner garden pruned, so sorrow doesn’t overgrow the path.

May this month be a treasure for you! Thank you so much for reading.

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations to clients in every continent, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Like a mother gently parting the hair of her child, Luna’s ship parts the pearled waters of Cancer. Her vessel, carved from memories and sealed with tears, is guided only by her emotional compass. Its sails are spun from silver silk and shaped by the relentless winds of fortune.

Beneath a brilliant canopy of milky stars, Jupiter is wearing his dolphin gray robe with grace, pouring out blessings like wine. Amidst the ebbs and flows of Cancer, Jupiter no longer proclaims law and order so loudly. With his big, sheltering hands, he breaks bread with the ancestors, watches over the children, and sends us dreams in the language of ancient mysteries. His usual magnificence becomes rounder and his wisdom exalts him as the guardian of sacred hearths and soul-nourishing meals. Traveling with him wherever he goes, his home becomes a moving sanctuary, a floating temple.

The setting for this new lunation cycle is a vision of perfection held close to the chest and as warm as the womb of creation, and yet above this feast hovers a blade.

Expelled and bereft, Saturn in Aries sends a suspicious gaze to the Cancerian banquet. Like the Sword of Damocles hanging over the start of the new lunar month, he lets everybody know, through a superior square, that even joy casts a shadow. Saturn always senses the artificiality or transience of inner peace, and begins to prod… Where’s the catch? Tapping the floorboards of the Crab’s happy boat with his scythe, you can bet he will find a hollow spot.

Contentment in a wavering world can turn into a kind of existential vertigo. An undercurrent of unease encumbers the natural flow. It’s the knock of fear on the back door of your mind, an eerie sound in the still of the night, a rustle behind the curtain.

Under the red banner of Mars, however, any hints of fear will be swiftly worked into oblivion. In Virgo, this warrior is hands-on and unsentimental. He has zero patience for anxious dithering and fearmongering policies. Quit yapping and fix it, he shouts, with his sleeves rolled and his eyes sharp.

Surfing the waves of the outermost Cancerian Waters, Mercury is suddenly struck by lightning. From a sextile, Uranus reminds Hermes he won’t be the only one this month to explore new terrain. By June 26, he rolls ashore onto Leo’s lush beaches setting his creative mind ablaze until a burnout forces him to change gears and turn retrograde on July 18. But first, on July 4, Venus scatters the last wildflower petals in her favorite garden and flies toward the Twins’ Air Castle.

But the fault line moment of the month arrives on July 7 when Uranus follows Venus into the quicksilver Air of Gemini. We’re about to learn a whole new language! The Promethean flame catches a new wind, spreading an electrical fire of pure genius. Talking, mixing, and multiplying ideas, Uranus awakens the Trickster in the high towers of the mental realm. From new discoveries in ancient scripts to unfathomable algorithms, expect exciting sparks along unseen wires because Uranus is here to open our minds like antennae. Learning becomes downloading in a world much more editable than ever before.

We live in a world that breathes tides and tremors so nothing here holds still for long. To the Greeks it was hubris to assume that stability can last unchallenged. The gods watch for such complacency, and they strike when mortals grow too comfortable. Perhaps the real task isn’t to escape the danger, but to live wisely beneath the sword, knowing it hangs above us, and choose laughter and dance anyway.

Mark your calendars because on August 24th and 31st, I’ll be giving a new workshop! More details follow soon.

Thank you so much for reading. Have an inspiring month!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations to clients in every continent, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Above the world’s stern face, the Twins grin and beckon you into their invigorating skies where reality shimmers, shifts, and never quite holds still. It’s a chameleonic realm where the soul can breathe freely and speak without reserve.

Cheerfully drifting between the thirst for knowledge and the celebration of life’s fleeting beauty, Luna blows a fistful of glittering seeds into the wind. Each seed is like a thought-grenade, promising compelling ideas, juicy questions, and a million what-ifs, eager to sprout and be explored throughout the month.

Convinced that idleness dims the mind and corrupts all potential, our Divine Messenger Mercury exclaims there’s no greater betrayal of Spirit than the surrender to stagnation! In restless anticipation of the Luminaries' union, he quickly shapeshifts through a procession of masks and voices, trying on personas like garments at a fashion show.

Think of Hermes as setting an example. He’s telling you that you can choose any personality you want and let it sing through you. Use this “new you” to approach a problem, tell a story, or have a conversation and see what novel ideas or insights emerge.

To dismiss Mercury’s games as meaningless or a waste of time is to miss the point. What looks like a detour is actually the path. Think of it as a sacred liberation disguised as nonsense. Mercury wields the Magician’s Wand of Thought to conjure kingdoms and unmake them without regret. Only when you treat the world as your playground will you have the power to rearrange reality.

Under Pluto’s piercing gaze from a trine, the Trickster’s wordplay might cut deeper than expected. Stretching the poetic tension between mental brilliance and mischief, they tend to conjure the kind of wit that leaves a mark.

True to Gemini’s buzzy ambience, the sky is alive with motion. Saturn has just blazed into Aries and this new lunation cycle sets the stage for Jupiter’s ingress into Cancer on June 9. He’ll plunge straight into an uncomfortable square with both Saturn and Neptune. This marks the final act in a three-part sequence of opening squares in the current Jupiter–Saturn cycle, bringing resolution to a long push-and-pull around the whys and hows of purposeful action, an arc that began with their conjunction back in December 2020.

Full of dreamy, tender emotions and grand visions, Jupiter in Cancer is trying to run with wet shoes, while Saturn, far less patient than usual, breathes hot, urgent fire down his neck, demanding a decisively practical approach.

But there’s no need to rush and thanks to Jupiter’s exalted status in Cancer, the scattered seeds sown at the start of the current lunar cycle will soon be drinking from the sacred Waters of the Crab, the body-building elixir that’s eager to give shape to Jupiter’s lofty ideals.

Mercury wants your mind nimble and your tongue aflame this month! And remember, there is magic in the Air. If you shrug it off as just a cliché, you’re missing a deeper truth. Read that again: There is magic in the Air. The element of Air under Mercury’s guidance not only helps shape the Cosmos we seek to understand, but is itself continually shaped by the very visions we dare to imagine.

May the gods lace your steps with meaning this month, and dear paid subscribers, don’t forget to visit my Substack Chat for your weekly Stars’ Choreography forecast!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Feeling all the feelings, she hovers toward King Sol, drunk on pollen but radiant as ever. Their regal embrace slows everything down for us to an elegant and steady pace, increasing our appetite for life, our yearning for love declarations, colorful cushions, and soft cheeses.

Ruler of the Bull’s domain, Venus, plays hostess to this month’s royal union. In Pisces, she quietly admires the cynical wisdom of her travel partner Saturn, prophet of doom, his ancient vessel solemnly containing all the world’s tears. They’ve gotten to know one another so well. Thirty-five days they’re spending together, floating amidst Piscean siren songs, sometimes doubting but mostly deepening their love. She files off his stone cold edges and offers gentle commiseration. He loves adding bitter to her sweet. He knows she’s leaving. “They always do,” he moans.

Captured by Saturn’s dark strokes of the inevitable Real, Aphrodite’s dreamy delights remain wisely contained. It’s an excellent way to prepare for her next trip when she will ignite Mars and Neptune on her visit to Aries on April 30.

The opposition between Mars and Pluto, filled with overcooked ambitions, is now collapsing like a soufflé in a storm, but the heat is still lingering. Perched at 26° Taurus, dangerously close to Algol, Uranus may not-so-accidentally zap us to an alternative timeline. A low-frequency rumble reanimates old anger, followed by a jolt of uncomfortable realization that has the power to bring back to life whatever we thought was petrified.

Entangled in Neptune’s ethereal tentacles, Venus becomes smitten with the unknown. She charges headlong into what calls her, even if it burns. Unreasonably, ridiculously, gloriously obsessed, her utterly confused shimmer glows in all directions while a fiery passion overtakes her. Saturn, moving closer toward a contra-antiscion with Neptune can feel it in his bones. “This will end in tears.” Before the end of this cycle, he’ll roast his ancient knuckles, knocking on the Ram’s flame-lit barbed wire gates on May 25.

It’s impossible to say “no” to the primal hunger and enchantment the Venus/Neptune conjunction in Aries brings about. The irresistibility of this couple sparks the kind of trouble that is only fun for single people. Their animal magnetism cannot be tamed by mere mortals. In a blaze of misguided confidence, some of us might make romantic confessions or passionate declarations, too impatient to wait until the fog disappears. My advice? By all means, fall in love – madly and recklessly so - but don’t flash the ring just yet.

It’s okay to become infatuated with an idea just as long as you ask yourself if this is devotion, or being consumed by drama? Obsessions have their function. When they crack, clarity emerges.

Relieving Jupiter of his duties, Mars is going to have his hands full with Saturn and Neptune as his guests in Aries. This Taurean cycle is laying a stable foundation. It teaches us a lot about how to root, and how to use shattered illusions as fertile compost.

An emotional renaissance is waiting for those who yield to the sacred rhythm of the season. In cherishing the body while also attuning to the pulse beneath appearances, we can feel the stars quietly stitching strength and intuition into our lives.

Have a wonderful month ahead!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Representing the essence of triumph and dominance, King Sol, after having conquered Darkness at the equinox, should be untouchable. He’s a bold, unshaken sovereign, standing firm on Mars’s fiery terrain, invincible and honored in the place where his power is exalted. And yet, on this fateful day, as soon as Queen Luna arrives to join him, his glorious light is swallowed by a swindler, Rahu. A solar eclipse is like an ambush, a false coronation, a moment where the rightful holder of the throne is cast into shadow by a force that should never have had the power to challenge him.

What comes to mind for the last in the series of Aries/Libra eclipses is the Greek myth of the great warrior-king Agamemnon, returning home after the brutal, decade-long siege of Troy. His ships weathered the sea, his enemies were defeated, and the gods finally allowed his victorious return. But then, expecting to be safe in his own palace among his own people, his fate was doomed. His wife, Clytemnestra, waited for him with a blade sharpened by rage and vengeance. The bath that was meant to cleanse him became his tomb.

Ruled by a potentially treacherous fallen Mars in Cancer and given the mutual reception between Mars and the Moon, this eclipse brings the battlefield closer to home than the previous one on April 8 last year, and could dig up themes addressed earlier by the solar eclipse on April 20, 2023 when Mars was also in Cancer. Think of home in the broadest sense of the word, meaning not only your house and family, but also your country, body, and mind. Wherever you assume you’re safe, make sure you’re not leaving the doors unlocked. A merciless blade can cut straight through the heart of your confidence and self-esteem.

When the radiant force of unstoppable will and undefeated strength forgets to inspect the deeper corners of the psyche, Rahu is lurking from the shadows, ready to strike. Cursed to hunger eternally, the severed head of the dragon, Rahu (or the North Node), crashes the royal feast to steal what he can never keep. Rahu is a master of deception, illusion, and insatiable craving, slipping onto the throne while the true ruler is momentarily unable to point us in the right direction. Hijacking the Sun’s fire, Rahu disrupts our sense of purpose and ignites desires that are overwhelming and insatiable.

One of the reasons why most astrologers recommend against setting intentions and performing rituals around eclipses is that the Dragon’s Head and Tail will always distort our ambitions, making us chase phantoms. The lunar nodes turn clarity into mirage and initiative into reckless overreach. With Rahu being nothing but a devouring void or black hole, gorging on our energy and vitality, it’s probably wise to set the pioneer’s torch aside for now.

I’m very excited about my upcoming two-part workshop Mastering Transits. Learn how to make the most of transits through a methodical approach, and practice hands-on techniques in a supportive setting on April 27 and May 4.

Not interested in a DIY approach? Schedule a reading with me to see what the stars have in store for you!

Normally, when Luna launches into a new cycle in the cardinal sign of Aries, she ignites a sudden gut-level conviction, a fresh project or activity that makes the heart beat faster. It’s the thrill of chasing something new, something worth fighting for. That’s when the Moon awakens a healthy sense of competition that quickly drives us toward growth and improvement. This time, however, Luna’s ambitions are fueled by Rahu’s illusions, and she is asked to question whether her motivations stem from true purpose or Rahu’s empty hunger.

I’m placing plenty of emphasis on the power of deception because I’m anticipating Mercury’s contra-antiscia with Neptune before landing into Pisces, where Mercury, in his detriment and fall, will then conjoin Neptune on the anaretic degree, after which it’s time for one of the biggest events of the year - Neptune’s ingress into Aries on March 30. All of the above underlines the potential for deceit and trickery of the senses and all kinds of machinations that steer us onto the wrong path.

More than the other eclipses in this Aries/Libra series, this is a test of wit, integrity, and discernment. If something suddenly feels like the most important thing ever, just pause for a minute. Ask yourself if this is a real opportunity, or clickbait for Rahu’s agenda.

Standing firm in our own light when the Sun’s light is obscured will anchor us into our true sense of purpose and identity. Can we hold steady without needing external validation? Our will can be tested, but not erased. Just like the Sun always breaks free from Rahu’s jaws, trust that clarity will return.

And if you do stumble, don’t worry. Mistakes are temporary, but the wisdom gained from them lasts.

So hold your ground and keep your wits sharp. Above all, do not flinch when the light falters. Because the Sun always rises again.

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

New Moon in Pisces

But let’s first set the stage for this new lunation cycle. When Luna joins the Sun in Pisces in the presence of Mercury and Saturn, I imagine her to step into a vast, high-tech control room submerged under water. Mercury and Saturn, with the help from Mars through a trine aspect, act like engineers trying to build a perfectly structured system on shifting sands. The mutual reception between Mercury and Jupiter is preoccupied with offering so-called "rational" solutions to irrational problems. In their joint effort, they’re constructing a tower of strange logic that bends and sways like a dreamscape.

Our intention for this new cycle might be brimming with optimism, but it’s like trying to tame a dolphin with a spreadsheet. It doesn’t work. In Piscean waters, the more we try to organize and analyze, the more nebulous and elusive everything becomes.

The domicile ruler of this syzygy is Jupiter. In Gemini, we can think of him as an overcaffeinated tech mogul selling ideas rather than truths. He spreads information at the speed of light, but it's all fragments, snippets, and speculation rather than true wisdom. Jupiter is the fast-talking architect of a utopian dream that flickers like a hologram. It all looks amazing until we try to touch it. It’s not always easy to see the difference between enlightenment and illusion. Is the dream real, or are we just lost in a sea of self-replicating narratives?

Both benefics, Jupiter and Venus, the domicile and exaltation rulers of the New Moon, are currently debilitated, letting their impulsiveness trickle through everything. They grant our wishes, but they don’t stop us if we accidentally ask for a sausage instead of eternal happiness. Swimming in a sea of information where every question has an answer, we’re still craving that one bite of wisdom. What we get is real but maybe it’s also spiritually hollow.

As Venus prepares to hit the brakes and station retrograde at 10°50’ Aries, she may throw us into a dramatic U-turn, pulling us back toward the smoldering embers of past impulses. The goddess of harmony, now draped in wildfire, isn’t here for diplomacy and gentle persuasion. She’s handing out reality checks with a passionate, messy, and spectacularly unfiltered flourish.

But before you let every old flame or reckless desire burn down the whole village, remember not every spark is meant to become a raging inferno. Some flames are lanterns, meant to guide us and not consume us. With Venus soon retracing her steps back toward the sensitive waters of Pisces, she carries a touch of softness, a gift of empathy. And with eclipse season looming, the universe is about to remind us yet again that control is a beautifully ridiculous illusion.

So, what’s the best way to navigate this swirling, surreal tide? Play the game just enough to get by, but never, ever forget that the whole thing is a dreamscape in a lab coat. Cultivate a relationship with nonsense. Dance with the absurd. And most importantly, allow your potential to be left unsupervised. It always yields the most adventurous outcomes.

Whether the result of this syzygy is a real sausage or a lab-grown, optimized, nutritionally-balanced, ethically perfect cylinder of blandness remains to be seen. Only one thing is certain. In a world obsessed with controlling reality, being delightfully irrational is a revolutionary act. Be the character that nobody can label or categorize, because in a place where everything is designed to be predictable, true freedom is found in the cracks.

Thank you so much for your time! Please feel free to share this post. Be sure to check out my latest podcast on Venus, and keep in mind that I’m now offering weekly practical guidance through The Stars’ Choreography on Substack Chat for my paid subscribers. I hope to see you there!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

In this episode, I explore Venus’s realm in general, and with Venus taking the scenic route this year - stationing retrograde at 10°50’ Aries on March 2 (your time) - I offer some guidance for what’s in store for us.

If you are a paid subscriber, you’re invited to join my Substack Chat room for my series The Stars’ Choreography! To let the Cosmos know we want to actively participate in its magic and cultivate our relationship with the divine, I offer practical guidance on a weekly basis.

If you're enjoying my work as a free subscriber, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to gain access to this space and receive practical guidance for aligning with the rhythm of the stars!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Now, I love the Sun. I adore the Sun. Somewhere on the bumpy road called life, I was destined to rediscover the treasure of Light.

This is a continuation of my mini-series in Substack Notes, where I briefly associate the planets with their respective alchemical principles. For Sol, the One Star who makes everyone’s day every single day, I decided to turn this into a Sunstack Post instead of a Note.

If you ask me, the best moment in our 24-hour dance around the Earth’s axis is when darkness is lifted by the Sun. The One Star, the divine fire that wakes us every day from slumber, spills its radiance across the world, gilding everything with the sheer gift of visibility. Under his light, colors bloom into being, and all the world’s creatures that looked grey and dormant in the dark are revealed in their brilliant uniqueness.

Oftentimes, we stumble through life as though blindfolded beneath Sol’s beautiful glow. When the solar gift of purpose is crammed into the tight confines of flesh and bone, it inevitably dims. Our sense of purpose is like a star suffocated in a jar. Lost but propelled by a hidden spark, most of us start chasing after ego-fueled delusions that serve as counterfeits of fulfillment, borrowed dreams, and hollow pursuits. When the longing for self-realization diverges into self-importance, the heart becomes untethered from its Sun and forgets how to shine.

Sol does not burn to hoard his light. He burns to illuminate, and so must we. Our solar task in this wondrous and bewildering world is not to create, cultivate or inflate false selves but to boldly incinerate them. We’re being called to burn away our own veils of illusion until we stand revealed, radiant and whole, ready to shed our inner light on this reality.

The alchemical principle associated with the Sun is therefore Citrinitas - the yellowing, or illumination. True purpose is disclosed through the fearless embodiment and clarity of one’s unique, individual essence. That is where our true leadership lies.

In the grand alembic that is our existence, Sol teaches us the highest secret: Play is not the enemy of wisdom. Play is its golden chariot. Our purpose is not a command, but a dance. Our solar strength is a lighthearted, unwavering gnosis of what it means to shine, simply because it is in our nature to do so.

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

New Moon in Aquarius

Slipping between the watchful eyes of Mars and Saturn, Luna glides over billowy clouds, looking for the Sun. Far from his gilded throne of Light, Sol finds himself utterly out of his element in Aquarius, a realm where the future feels like the present. Dotted with flashes of exquisite ideas and glimpses of what “could be,” the Water Bearer’s realm always evokes a sense of wonder. The unfamiliar Air hums with a myriad of possibilities yet to unfold.

Teetering on the edge of exhilaration and unease, there's a momentum building. Luna feels like being strapped into a rollercoaster, her heart racing between anticipating the steep climb and the inevitable drop. Despite the vibrant excitement of the moment, there lies an underlying current of bewilderment.

An abundance of Air in this chart creates a breezy, restless atmosphere that pulls at everything and keeps nothing steady. Luna’s trusty anchor of fate-weaving certainty is currently dissolving into a haze of confusion, possibly leaving many people feeling unmoored and disoriented. In this whirlwind bent on annihilating the past, we’re all riding the crest of new developments, while chasing bizarre shadows that shift and change with each passing second. The journey is always shaping us in ways we can’t yet see. Leaning into our vulnerability can open the door to connection with others who share the experience, as well as with those who don’t. Finding grace wherever we are is key. We may not master the storm, but we can learn to sail through it.

Even Sol’s spirited friend Jupiter, visible through a close trine aspect, looks strangely forlorn, wrapped in a haze of riddles. Slowing down to a halt at 11°Gemini on February 4, Jupiter is already preparing for his direct station. Larger than life, he sits there, as if he’s pausing for dramatic effect. Within 3° of perfecting the trine to Jupiter, Luna purposely orbits her narrative around him, letting us wake up like Jupiter, in a surreal dream, where nothing feels familiar. Where faith is thinly spread, and the tried-end-tested explanations just won’t do. People will grasp for stories, fabricating scenarios – some elaborate, some simplistic - to make sense of it all, but the truth is too vast, too strange to be contained by mere words.

But before that, the day after the New Moon, the great rebel of the sky, Uranus, frees himself from the chains of regression and finally pivots into a direct motion, resuming his big excursion through the last decan of Taurus and ready to devise all sorts of wild, ingenious plans and contraptions.

Uranus and Jupiter, both stationing direct, let heaven and earth crackle with their energy, a chaotic electricity that jolts through our environment but doesn’t stop there. Their wildness reverberates through the delicate circuitry of the human nervous system. Sleep becomes elusive and the body and mind stumble through waves of dizzy spells. On the more fragile end of the spectrum, there might be a gnawing fear of losing one’s grip, as though sanity itself might slip away from us.

Mars, still splashing and flailing in the untamed Cancerian Sea, is not only retrograde but also excluded from the dispositor game, a tangled web of rulerships. I’ll tell you how that works. Mars is ruled by the Moon, who in turn answers to Saturn, who defers to Jupiter, who is ruled by Mercury, who bows to Saturn, who is Jupiter’s guest, and Jupiter returns us to his ruler Mercury. See how quickly that has landed us in a Mercury / Saturn / Jupiter loop?

For Mars, this means that his passion is smothered under an endless intellectual loop. Roiling emotions get caught in the spinning wheel of logic and reason.

Even Venus, exalted in Pisces, finds her joyful escapades a little tempered by Saturn’s cold presence. She too is pulled into the endless merry-go-round of rulerships as her host is Jupiter, ruled by Mercury, ruled by Saturn, ruled by Jupiter...

The mind is spinning, the heart is restless, and nothing seems solid enough to grab hold of. There’s only the wind and our attempts to master it.

Hold on to your kite, and let me know where you’re heading. Thank you for your time!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

I hope you enjoy my new podcast. Please feel free to share, and I’d love to hear about your cazimi impressions and insights.

When Luna joins the Sun in Sagittarius’ untamed paradise, a balmy breeze carries the scent of campfire smoke and exotic spices. Distant laughter echoes from the boundless open plains where the spirit of adventure gallops wild and free. However, the familiar mix of freedom, curiosity, and a dash of recklessness has a different feeling to it.

Their host, Jupiter, reclined in fluffy Gemini clouds, is still snoring off his legendary “two for the price of one” wine soiree. Polyglot Mercury, co-present with the royal couple, is currently stuck on shuffle, muttering riddles in an unintelligible medley of accents. Mars, in a trine aspect, is locked in a sweaty, muscle-cramped tableau, caught mid-squat, realizing too late that he can no longer lift the weight of all his ambitions. Meanwhile, Saturn hobbles along with creaking joints, looking for the exit sign that will get him out of his stationing-degree. Perfectly comfortable in his natural trance state, Saturn’s roommate Neptune is unfazed, occasionally peeking through one ethereal eyelid, his oceanic depths debating whether to stir or not.

This mix of confusion, passivity, and inefficiency amidst planetary stations and slowness sets the stage for the month. It’s an endearing but occasionally frustrating cocktail that leads to situations where we might let things happen to us rather than taking initiative, while making small or spectacular blunders along the way. This time, the Centaur’s arrow has no clear direction. There are no right choices. A decision to go with the flow might end up like a drifting balloon filled with poorly-thought-out ideas, floating aimlessly. But even if we set clear intentions and take a bold leap of faith, the overall execution of our plans may be awkward due to a lack of verve and skill.

On the upside, this blend can lead to surprising success. A healthy kind of idleness prevents us from being locked into the norms or expectations of a situation. Clumsiness disrupts routines, allowing not only comical situations but also fresh viewpoints. That’s how our ineffectiveness can become an unexpected catalyst for something greater.

This new beginning in Sagittarius challenges the ego-driven idea that effort and control are the only pathways to success. Genius doesn’t always require mastery. After all, Jupiter, the Greater Benefic, supports ideas and activities that come into Being without difficulty or struggle. An ample dose of freedom, optimism, and a sense of adventure brighten the month ahead.

The idea of accidental genius, mainly represented by the Mercury/Jupiter opposition and their mutual reception, is also imprinted by Venus as she is forming a trine aspect to Uranus, the Rebel God of Revelation. Sometimes, mistakes are simply creativity in disguise. Being open to potential "failure" creates space for breakthroughs and happy accidental encounters. I think of the artistic innovation that can happen when materials “misbehave” or the artist stumbles into a new technique by chance. What a great time to embrace these kinds of mishaps and discover the enrichment they offer.

The door to capricious wanderlust is wide open. By stepping into randomness, we invite synchronicity, imagination, and surprise. The question is, will you accept the invitation? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you so much for reading. Feel free to share this post if you enjoyed it. I wish you a wonderful month ahead!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Notably, Pluto will touch the very degree of Jupiter and Saturn’s most recent Great Conjunction - an alignment that shaped the themes we're living through now. With another square between these two giants coming up in December, let’s pause to reflect on where we stand within this powerful, unfolding cycle.

Unintimidated by Saturn’s Halloweenish posture and eerie grunt, Luna gives him a casual shrug and discreetly glances the other way over Sol’s firm shoulder, throwing a risqué glare in the direction of her host Mars. He’s in no hurry. On the contrary, Mars will be lingering long enough to catch Luna through a trine, making sure they can immerse themselves in their complicated yet strangely gratifying alliance. Their smoldering chemistry is all-consuming.

Reflecting a powerful mix of deep loyalty and mutual dependency, the Moon and Mars, both fallen in each other’s realms, are like partners in crime, trying to take control over the torments of the inevitable. The intensity of their bond blinds and isolates them from the rest of the world. “We only have each other to count on,” Luna murmurs. An intoxicating blend of romance and rebellion elevates their mutual commitment to a fierce survival strategy. Caught in a whirlwind of feelings too extreme to describe in words, every moment counts. They’re drawn by the wild, electrifying thrill of defiance, a call so potent it sweeps away every last mental barrier. Facing adversity together, the alluring risk factor of stepping into the unknown amplifies their emotional magnitude, turning each challenge into a test of allegiance.

The dynamic of the mutual reception between the Moon and Mars, in combination with the power of the current Mars/Pluto opposition, may show up as a desire – or obsession - to prove ourselves, strengthening our devotion to an idea that we believe will set us free. It’s either all or nothing.

The theme of survival, whether it’s about overcoming internal conflicts, trauma from past experiences, or societal constraints, deepens the cooperation between lunar and martial themes. Guarding and defending our emotional boundaries, asserting our will to take care of that which matters most to us, without losing our moral compass in the process; that’s the ambitious missive of this syzygy.

In the yawning depth of Scorpio’s Darkwater, Hermes’ winged feet and helmet morph into ginormous tentacles, reaching out to his Lord Mars, scrutinizing him and demanding updates and guidelines on how to proceed. “I want – I demand – information. Now!” Mercury’s sharpened instincts recognize it’s no use listening to what is being said. In Mars’s muted domain, Mercury’s clever psychopompish skills usurp the power of words. Here, the language of truth is expressed in action and an acute awareness of emotional undercurrents. Can Mars, distracted by his current entanglements, offer Mercury a shield to protect him from the blazing fires of the Great Archer’s Domain?

Mercury’s ingress into Sagittarius on November 2, marks the beginning of a long adventure, burdening the Regal Messenger with the thankless task of giving every idea a second thought and offering everyone long explanations and creative meanderings. On November 26, Mercury will station retrograde at 22° Sagittarius, thereby prolonging his stay in Jupiter’s abode until January 8.

Far from the stormy theatrics playing out in the Water triangle, Venus and Jupiter engage in an inspiring conversation about lofty goals and artistic aspirations. Retrograde Jupiter, settled in a drowsy drunkenness, feeling lazy, but not too plastered to enjoy Aphrodite’s charm, listens and bursts out big laughs with a generosity that knows no bounds. May their joyous banter ripple through the aether, and gently ease any tensions forming among their divine companions.

And may you have a wonderful month! Let me know how it goes in the comments, and please feel free to share this post. Thank you.  

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

The pale figure of Aphrodite emerges, though not in her beauty, but as a wraith of broken glass. Sharp edges pierce her alabaster form, fragile bones splintering like porcelain. She fades before Luna can call on her, swallowed by an impenetrable fog. Reflections of her image scatter in all directions, fragmented and lost. Luna whispers to herself, "It’s just a dream… I’m dreaming," seeking solace in the absurdity of it. What once felt familiar now wears an unsettling disguise. Something slips away and becomes forever irretrievable. And though uncertainty rapidly floods Luna’s mind, there is comfort in its unreality.

The Moon, close to the Black Moon Lilith point, hovers at the farthest reaches from her Earthly companion. The immeasurable distance bears witness to the eeriness of the South Node Solar Eclipse, drawing forth a supernatural sensation. The beauty of truth lies in its elusive, hidden nature. Dance with the delightful nonsense of everyday happenings, and let the world twirl you gently. From the heavens always drips a vessel brimming with enigma. Hold out your hands and let not a single drop of wonder escape.

A dominance of Air and Water tends to fuel the imagination, for good or bad. Eclipse ruler Venus, cloaked in Scorpio’s shadows and in an aversion to the Luminaries, might stir the air with anxiety-provoking suspicion. Hypervigilance sharpens her senses, attuned to every imagined threat, and with each step, she moves deeper into the cold grip of the unknown. A creeping fear scars her emotional landscape, spinning tense tales of jealousy and betrayal, of the replaceable self and the disposable heart.

It's tricky to keep a calm mind when speculations whisper so sweetly in our ears. We might feel echoes of chilling betrayal and abandonment nibbling at the heart, whether real or perceived. Fallen Mars in Cancer funnels a myriad of ambiguities to his guest Venus - the ruler of this eclipse – and dominates the occultation through a superior square. Fears spur on hesitation, mistrustfulness and doubts. Deeply enmeshed in a grand water trine and on her way to an enclosure by Mars and Saturn, Venus is flooded by an intense passion.

In search for a more balanced perspective, remember that love is not a zero-sum game. A scarcity mindset can make us feel like there’s only a limited amount of love, attention, or success to go around. Cultivating a stronger sense of inner security allows us to recognize that the well of true connection, worth, and happiness bubbles up from within, not from external sources. If you can learn how to trust yourself and your own resilience, trusting the stars will feel as natural as breathing. Jupiter’s whole-sign trine to the eclipse is a welcome reminder that there’s plenty to go around, and that you shouldn’t let anyone hold the key to your happiness.

When the light fades, so does color. The Sun’s kaleidoscopic spectrum that nourishes all forms on this Earth retracts, leaving only a hollow rawness where warmth once thrived. The Dragon’s Tail, Ketu, pulls at the very fabric of our existence, draining the beautiful hues that brighten the world. This is the last eclipse in Libra until April 14, 2033, but what feels like the end, often turns out to be the beginning. It’s up to us to create a new color palette that honors this potent lunation cycle. Be the inspiring Air that fans the fire of Sol’s thoughts and visions.

Thank you for being here. Please feel free to share this article and your thoughts. I would love to hear from you. Have a fabulous month!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Their sluggish host Mercury, still plodding along in Leo after a trying retrograde journey, leaves them to sort out the itinerary on their own. From Mercury's Airy abode Gemini, Mars and Jupiter love watching the couple’s predicament, enjoying it like a fun spectacle. They shout out random hints that are sometimes helpful but often overcomplicated, their voices annoyingly booming in the Luminaries’ ears. Saturn, on the other hand, observes in silence and throws the couple a cold and intimidating look. Not inclined to offer any help whatsoever, Saturn keeps a steady reversed course in the whirly Piscean waters.

We may have to Sherlock our way through some of the thankless, time-consuming or soul-sucking tasks that await us in this lunation cycle. Fortunately, Virgo offers the patience of a saint armed with a magnifying glass, allowing us to tackle anything on our path with a generous attention to detail. That includes a big dose of service with a side of modesty. While any Virgo planets are happy to help, they’re not holding their breath for a standing ovation or a parade in their honor.

Luna’s path is not only lit by Sol, but also by a trio of trusty companions: Diligence, Dedication, and Attentiveness—overachieving but caring cousins in the family of virtues. They’re guiding her as best they can, but each time she thinks she’s getting somewhere, she inevitably bumps into her own reflection. She understands that these glass barriers, though seemingly impenetrable, are also windows, offering glimpses of what lies beyond. She lives in two worlds in double-bodied Virgo. Yet, like life itself, the threshold cannot be passed without effort, without the willingness to shatter what confines us.

On top of the start of a new eclipse season, this month's syzygy heralds Mars’s much-anticipated arrival in Cancer on September 4. The fiery Duke of Discord will settle in for a two-month stay, promising a return engagement on January 6, taking his sweet time before moving on to Leo on April 18. Our Lady Fortuna, though reluctant to greet her hotheaded visitor, knows that Mars will burn away the cobwebs of lingering burdens. No more dullness – that much is certain. Mars has a knack for tackling chores and problems head-on.  

While a dueling mix of excitement and dread flood her emotional landscape, she braces for the storm and mentally prepares herself. Her mantra, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst,” is on repeat as she wraps herself in Virgo's resourceful cloak. Fully grounded and with a steady breath, she meditates on the chaos to come, knowing full well that Mars will never disappoint in his quest to shake things up.

On October 19 (your time) I'll be speaking at Nightlight Astrology, offering insights on Mars in general, his fallen condition in Cancer, his retrograde journey, and how to navigate all of that! Don't miss the chance to attend my free webinar, “Forging a Path With Mars: A Blazing Companion,” and register now to join me live!  

Uranus has hit rewind, having just turned retrograde, and now taking us on a 150-day journey through the past. If his message didn’t quite click before, now’s your chance to uncover those hidden signs of liberation. We’re taken for a long walk down memory lane as Pluto has also reentered Capricorn, revisiting the final degree in the Horned Goat’s realm one last time. Given that Pluto’s exaltation ruler Mars will reside in the sign where he has his fall, don’t expect anything to tie up neatly. But that’s absolutely fine. It's not about having the right answer. It’s about having the right attitude.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross once said, “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” The real magic that leads us out of the maze is that immaculate, invincible, eternal inner spark within each of us. When it feels like the universe is testing you or even having a laugh at your expense, keep shining so brightly that the walls dissolve around you.

If you need some inspiration to help you on your way, check out my latest chart delineation at Astrum Opus. Juliane Koepcke was 17 years old when she survived a fall from a crashing aircraft, and an 11-day adventure through the rainforest. Yes, that’s right. People can do this.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share this article and your thoughts. Have a wonderfully exciting month!

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at her revamped website Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.

Feel free to share this post and let me know in the comments how Pluto’s journey through the Horned Goat’s domain has been for you.

Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at Michelle’s Midheaven.

The air is thick with drowsiness, and the soft hum of lullabies in the background softly soothes her into a strange sleepiness. When Luna’s torch illuminates the royal bed, she spots King Sol snoring away, looking as peaceful as a napping baby.

Close to the center of solid Leo, the new lunation cycle starts in the safest spot of the zodiac. Sol’s Kingdom is a sanctuary, untouched by the turmoil that roils beyond its borders. Snoozing right through the madness instead of diving into the chaos may not only be the easier option but also the wisest. A good monarch doesn’t force any actions and doesn’t need to be the hero all the time. There’s nothing wrong with being the poised king of your own little kingdom, no matter how small it is. Stake your claim and don't sweat the rest.

Grabbing a pair of binoculars, Luna peers through the curtains towards the Twin’s domain, where Mars and Jupiter are gearing up for an epic, explosive Warhammer game.

Their host Mercury is having a preemptive mental breakdown. Deciding he’s done catering to these heedless hooligans, Mercury's pulling a hard stop at 4° Virgo and will be re-writing some of the house rules. The current noise levels at Gemini are ridiculous. They’ll wake up the King!

As soon as Hermes exclaims that someone else should handle all the drama, a chilly draft sends a shiver down his spine. Saturn groans to his feet, his joints ominously creaking. “Won't anyone here take responsibility?” he grumbles, swinging an accusing finger in the air. His stoic demeanor, shaped by many trials and tribulations have earned him a lot of respect, and for a brief moment everything quiets down. Mars and Jupiter, with all their wild plans, better have a decent contingency strategy in place, because while they thrive on an “anything goes” attitude, Saturn is unlikely to let the Twins’ tornado touch ground.

If you decide not to sleep through this month’s havoc and take action instead, then make sure you have a plan A, B, C, and D. Better yet, plan for every letter of the alphabet, because we could go from A-Okay to Z for Zombie Apocalypse. (Hey, it’s a Leo Moon, so it’s okay to be little melodramatic.)

Hermes, half-buried in Virgo-island beach sand, smirks gleefully behind his summer novel. “Why bother cleaning up the mess when my old friend Saturn is eager to pitch in?“

Anticipating his picnic with Aphrodite, he fondly recalls their recent journey through Leo. Little does he know that his beautiful friend, as much as she’s looking forward to seeing him, is actually dreading her trip. It seems like one foot on Virgoan soil is enough to tie her stomach up in knots. Armed with crackers that taste like cardboard and a mini pharmacy in her hand luggage, she leaves behind the luxury of the royal palace to embark on a grueling campaign through Virgo.

Embracing your personal values and cultivating inner peace, regardless of external circumstances, is essential. This New Moon in Leo offers an opportunity to retreat into a comfortable place of inner stillness. The eternal flame of the Lion in your heart burns brightly, guiding you, as always, toward true peace.

Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself? – Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Well? Do you? Let me know in the comments, and I wish you a fabulous month and sweet dreams!

I hope you enjoy this new podcast episode. Please share your reflections in the comments!

I also want to draw your attention once again to my upcoming workshop on Profections and Solar Returns. We’re starting next week, so don’t miss it!

Thanks to Mercury's double nature, common sense and the absurd combine into fantastical, whimsical contraptions. I won’t weave any epic yarns around this; forget about your grand plan! “Man plans and God laughs,” the saying goes. In your work, you'll most likely encounter a million diversions, with each detail becoming a fractal universe of its own. Getting from point A to point B is an adventure in itself!

While Mercury's counterpart Jupiter prefers the wide-angle lens to see the big picture, our Trickster friend loves to zoom in with a microscope, getting lost in the kaleidoscope of bizarre shapes and colors that stimulate fascinating yet silly ideas.

In a warm embrace with the Sun, Mother Luna and Venus, the Priestess of Purification, enjoy basic tidiness, and Jupiter appreciates nice, systematic arrangements. In the Twins’ realm, however, they might spend a longer time organizing the organization than actually getting the job done.

Planning on turning the chaos of the zodiacal junk room into a sanctuary of organization, the gods arm themselves with a label maker and a dozen storage bins. Merrily whistling they wade into the clutter, only to emerge hours later in a sea of mismatched socks and a mountain of mysterious cables. Every attempt to sort one pile seems to spawn three more, like some twisted game of logistical Whack-a-Mole. A single mess can be changed into a home-wide catastrophe in no time.

Without any of the traditional planets keeping us grounded in the Earth-element, our minds act like kites in a hurricane in this Abundant Air, soaring with wild ideas and activities but eventually ending up in a tangled mess. We're lifted up, spun around, and left scattered like confetti, with nothing substantial built except for a monument to chaos.

From his superior square, old Saturn is shaking his head in exasperation. What a painful display, this kindergarten of madness! The buzzy quintet in Gemini shows ten hands with which Saturn can facepalm himself. “Ten hands are not enough,” I can hear him sneer. Honestly, we're fortunate to have Saturn around to slow things down when enough is truly enough!

Mental anguish and utter madness are Genius Gemini’s besties. The pressure is real, but a lack of focus might send us into a state of productive procrastination. We can either chill out or go nuts and fry our brain circuits! Overwhelmed by the disarray, Saturn might leave us frozen like a deer in the headlights, making us miss the momentum altogether. Alternatively, we might find ourselves in situations we usually avoid like a pain in the back. Impulsive reactions might beat solutions to the punch, bringing some inevitable Saturnian consequences.

In a world where even the present moment slips through our fingers, we have to channel our inner MacGyver to navigate the day. Mars in his fiery home Aries is the only one holding onto a shred of sanity, but even he has had enough of the Gemini pranks and scatterbrained antics. Through a sextile aspect, he's been putting up with their nonsense for far too long and he is ready to storm out, slam the door behind him, and retreat to the calm Taurean haven, in a safe aversion to the Gemini stellium.

Sol, busy as ever, brings rejuvenation to Venus and Mercury. Venus is at the heart of the Sun in this syzygy and Mercury will conjoin the Sun on June 14th at 24° Gemini. It’s an auspicious and excellent time to channel your happy madness into any creative projects that you might have. Just as long as you don’t actually plan anything!

The publication of my article on Mata Hari in The Mountain Astrologer blog brightened the previous lunation cycle for me. I also posted a new chart exploration on Astrum Opus about the great Sylvia Plath, if you haven’t yet checked that out.

Let me know where Jupiter’s travels are taking you!

“O Jove, much-honour’d, Jove supremely great,

To thee our holy rites we consecrate,

Our pray’rs and expiations, king divine,

For all things to produce with ease thro’ mind is thine.”

Thomas Taylor, The Orphic Hymns

This is a little preview of my workshop on antiscia and contra-antiscia. My take on these zodiacal mirrors is now available in my Ko-fi shop. In this one-hour video, I offer a hermeneutic framework that you can use to interpret antiscia and contra-antiscia in charts. I give a brief overview of how they fit into the traditional aspect doctrine, and of course I’ll have some example charts for you.

I hope you enjoy the video. Thank you so much!

With gratitude,

Michelle