Much of the focus on Leo comes from the fact that Pluto has entered and will retrograde and re-enter Aquarius. Leo and Aquarius are opposite signs on the horoscope, 180 degrees apart. This means they make an aspect called an opposition.

This article is looking at the oppositions to Pluto that are part of the planet’s general cycles. Each year the personal planets will make aspects with Pluto in Leo. We will have other considerations as the planets square, trine, conjunt and trine, square again on the first and second halves of this cycle.

Pluto entered Aquarius on March 23 2023. That is Pluto’s first ingress or entrance into it’s new sign. It reached up to 0 degrees 21 minutes Cap and then Pluto begins a retrograde June 2, 2023. It slowly walks back into Capricorn and enters Capricorn on Monday June 12. Walking backward through Capricorn until October 11, 2023 when it reaches 27 degrees of Capricorn and begins to move forward again. Walking forward it reenters Aquarius on January 22, 2024. It reaches the exit of its shadow energy 0degrees 21 minutes on March 6 2024.

This back and forth pathway, give us the opportunity to review some of the Capricorn time movements and behaviors and make decisions about moving forward. By March 6, 2024 you may come to new resolutions or the choices we decided to move into as the ingress to Aquarius happened may feel right.

Then June 24, 2024, Pluto retrogrades (Rx = retrograde) again. It reenters Cap on Tuesday September 3, 2024. Again there’s another repeat performance. It only retrogrades to 29 degrees, 38 minutes and begins to move forward Saturday Oct 12. Pluto leaves that paraticulr shadow November 20, 2024. Pluto leaves this shadow at 0degrees 22 on Dec. 7 2024. It doesn’t move back into Capricorn again this cycle. It will again in roughly 248 years. That seems like an enormity of time, because none of us alive now will be alive in that many years.

This is why astrologers spend so much time looking at cycles in the skies. We can take a look historically at what the world was like in the 2nd part of 1775 through Pluto’s entire course. We can go back almost 500 years to 1520’s to understand what was important then. We can go back to 1200, and even before that. Astrology is a keeper of time.

Aquarius, Pisces and then Aries are the next signs that Pluto will travel through. Pluto will move through Aquarius and be in the first decan of Pisces until the end of 2050.

What do you imagine for that time moving forward. This is all we can contribute during this pluto return to Aquarius, is how we want to see humanity move forward. What does moving forward mean for humanity? It seems to mean greater participation in the community of humanity. It seems to be the breakdown of power structures and the re negotiation of the contract with our leaders, with the capitalist structure. At least this seems so in the western world. It would be good to understand how this impacted social and economic structures in other cultures during this time period.

Every personal planet will travel in Leo and the moon continues its monthly cycle. Each connection in early Leo will kick off an introduction of that planet’s energies as it encounters Leo.

Here are other planets that will be in Leo this year:

Mars ingresses (enters) Leo May 21 (that’s today!). Mars leaves Leo on July 10.

Venus enters Leo on June 6 and leaves on Oct. 10.

Mercury will enter Leo July 21 and leave July 29.

Between June 6 and July 10 we have Mars and Venus together in Leo.

Then Venus switches partners and will have Mercury with her in Leo during the entire time Mercury stays in Leo. Those dates are July 12 to July 29.

The Sun also visits Leo while planets are there forming an astrological stellium of personal planets. Sun enters Leo on July 24 and remains there until August 24.

Mars leaves Leo before the Sun reaches Leo. Mars is the archetypal warrior and it visits Leo while the sun is not present. The Sun rules Leo, so when the Sun arrives to Leo, he realizes that he’s missed a visitor. That’s one way to consider it. However, Mars is not in dignity in Leo. It’s in a neutral space according to the dignities. Mars could be seen as a planet preparing the way for the Sun’s entrance into Leo. Mars as a warrior, could be preparing the space. As a service to the sun, Mars is getting things in shape. Making sure that any other’s who serve the Sun, are in place, doing their job. Mars is laying down some military rules in a way similar to McRaven’s commencement speech. If you’ve never heard that speech, it’s all about the guidelines for a good life. The speech is given by an Admiral and as a military person he represents Mars and the martial, military aspects of preparing for change positively.

Venus, has also taken up home in Leo before it’s ruler, the Sun, cycles in. Venus can relay any information from Mars. By the time Leo comes home, Mars has ingressed into Virgo.

Venus and Mercury will be in Leo meeting up with the Sun and spending their summer holiday week in concert between July 24 and July 29. There’s sure to be communications (Mercury’s area) regarding money, beauty and luxury (Venus’s domain).

Venus is in dignity in Leo. Venus will move into that sign and give all a taste of what it’s like to be given loving, caring attention. Venus will also be arranging things with regard to what she values about the Leo Sun and also what she would like to point out to the sun with regard to values. Leo’s ruler the Sun, as host to Venus, will be supportive and concerned about Venus’ comfort.

Venus due to her path of ingress, retrograde and redirection will be in Leo for a long time. Until Oct 10. That means that Venus will be in Leo throughout the time I am at my booth, Divinations and Bodycraft at 11 Mystic Way, New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo New York. Looking forward to writing more about Venus and hope to see you at the Faire which begins August 26.

Best,
Mera

New glyphs, vocabulary and symbols

Rx is the sign for Retrograde. The planet is no longer appearing to be moving forward. There is generally a stationing as the planet shifts directions.

Stationing is when the planet appears not to move. This happens as it retrogrades and goes direct. There will appear to be a slowing of movement by the planet and then it stands still before going direct.

Conjunct or conjunction: The time when planets share the same degree in the same sign. A conjunction is an aspect.

Several other important aspects are the square, planets are 90 degrees apart; trine, planets are 120 degrees apart; opposition: planets are 180 degrees apart.