The Wheel of Light
Monthly Newsletter - July 2024
Planets are in opposition to each other when they are approximately 180 degrees apart. This is considered to be a challenging connection. These challenges are based on being interactive with someone or something external to us. It may seem as if the outer world is testing us and we respond with behaviors that exacerbate the interactive tension. One way that this can manifest is by identifying and owning one of those planets (usually the one that is most pleasant or enjoyable) while projecting the other planetary energy (the one least harmonious) onto the other person. In reality both of those energies are ours, but for various reasons we don’t know or acknowledge that.
Oppositions, like any challenge in life can stimulate personal growth. Specifically they can help us develop self-awareness, by noticing how we interact with others. They can also help provide perspective, as we listen to feedback from others we understand more how they experience us. Third, and perhaps most important is that oppositions can provide a sense of direction. Since they point out stressful situations in our life, they also indicate where we need to go, how we need to get there and what we need to do once we get there that will enable us to overcome the challenges and flow more harmoniously through life. For that reason it can be difficult to not have any oppositions in our natal chart. In that case, what are the ways we can develop self-awareness, perspective and direction? Similarly, if we have an abundance of oppositions in our chart, we may tend to rely on other people or situations to provide those qualities. It’s as if we become dependent on external factors to stimulate growth.
This month there are three transiting oppositions that bring both challenges and growth. From July 1-5 Mercury will oppose Pluto. From the 10th-14th Venus will oppose Pluto. And from the 20th-26th the Sun will oppose Pluto. Since Pluto is the energy of transformation and those other planets generally pertain to our personal here-and-now interaction with life, we can assume that these tests, although not particularly long in duration, make up for the time by being intense and passionate.
The Sun pertains to our sense of who we are and the way in which we can create our own reality. Pluto oppositions tend to be confrontational. There could be people or situations that either overtly call us out or covertly challenge us to be more honest and authentic in the way that we present ourselves and create our reality. A healthy response to this demand is to engage in some type of personal process work. That will enable us to emerge from hiding or minimizing our true self in order to be more open and honest.
Mercury is the energy of communication. When in opposition to Pluto we may feel challenged by others about anything from our point of view, the way in which we share it or about what it is we are thinking about and wanting to discuss. A healthy response can be by diving deeply into our thought process, becoming more intimately aware of the topic than we had been. Others may disagree with our perspective or the importance of the topic, but they can’t claim we don’t know what we’re talking about.
It’s also important to consider the source of the confrontation. If it’s someone we respect and whom we feel respects us, taking their feedback into consideration is appropriate and probably growth producing. If we feel the person is not that well informed and we lack mutual respect, we might decide to ignore their feedback because it probably won’t lead to growth.
The third opposition may well be the most difficult. Venus pertains to our relationship needs and social behaviors. With Pluto opposing Venus we may be challenged in some way by our primary partner or even good friend. With all oppositions to Pluto there may tend to be power struggles as one person tries to pry what they need from someone who either can’t fulfill that need or simply doesn’t want to. We could either play the role of the one demanding more or the one feeling put upon to give more. In either case, the prime issue often is the need for a deeper emotional connection. With a Pluto-Venus aspect there is the opportunity to experience both relationship transformation as well as personal transformation. That can occur by both people developing so much trust in the other person that they are willing to be vulnerable to each other. As we open up and reveal our deeper, more sensitive self, we are transformed.
Pluto is the energy of transformation, a word that can describe the process of death and rebirth. This month provides the opportunity for each of us to experience a new beginning in our relationship to ourselves and those who feel connected to in deep, meaningful ways.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Aries: This is a good time to renew relationships with family and friends. Opening up new channels of communication would be one way to do this. Creative energy is running high for you this month. A good way to take advantage of this is through some type of creative writing.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Taurus: Creativity and family are two points of focus for you this month. This is a good time to establish deeper relationships to your children and/or parents. Old issues from the past could emerge as challenges in present time. Work through them both internally and interactively in order to bring the situation into present time in a positive way.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Gemini: Your ruling planet, Mercury, opposing Pluto could bring up some challenging confrontations, especially verbal. In addition, Mars, the energy of anger, will enter Gemini on the 20th. This could cause you to respond to the tests with anger instead of reason. Use the Mars transit to motivate you to stand up for your point of view, even as you are willing to change it if new information requires it.
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
Cancer: The New Moon in Cancer on the 5th could bring your emotions to the forefront of your awareness. It could also lead to either emotionally acting out or going within and hiding in order to avoid hurt feelings. Growth can come from using this event as a time to create new points of self-awareness about what your true feelings are.
Leo (July 23-August 23)
Leo: The Sun is your ruling planet. It enters Leo on the 22nd and opposes Pluto from the 20th-26th. This implies the possibility of significant challenges, especially from partners (especially romantic or business). Respond with your typical openness, expressing your point of view, but also with openness to change. Being honest and truthful are the higher options here.
Virgo (August 24-Sept 22)
Virgo: The stress of being confronted, or being the confronter, could lead to health challenges physical or emotional for you this month. Growth can come from bringing the emotional aspect of the situation into consciousness as well as the analytical understanding of what’s going on.
Libra (Sept 23-Oct 23)
Libra: The Plutonian tests can arise with friends and colleagues or with lovers and/ or children. In any situation, the challenge is to develop a way to engage the other person in deeper, more emotionally vulnerable and intimate ways. This is not necessarily easy, but definitely a path for personal growth.
Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)
Scorpio: A situation at work could trigger old patterns of emotional responses that were programmed in childhood. Use this time to do some deep introspection into your psyche. What starts out as an uncomfortable dynamic may turn out to be liberating and empowering.
Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)
Sagittarius: You are one of the few signs that could benefit from the Pluto transits this month. This is especially true in one-to-one relationships. You may find them deepening and becoming more emotionally meaningful not by being confrontational, but by experiencing and sharing joy with your partner.
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)
Capricorn: The Full Moon in Capricorn o the 21st can bring both emotional self-awareness and emotional expression. This is a good time to let those closest to you to have a deeper insight into who you are and what’s going in more private areas of your life.
Aquarius (Jan 21 to Feb 19)
Aquarius: This could be a creative month for you. Some of this could manifest through creating new relationships or by updating pre-existing ones. Others could manifest literally by doing something in the arts as an avocational activity.
Pisces (Feb 20-March 20)
Pisces: Many bases are covered for you this month. Social, artistic and spiritual energies are all running strongly and harmoniously. Respond to these influences by creating a balanced life that gives you time alone and the interactive opportunities that arise.
Rio Olesky has been studying astrology since 1967 and has been a practicing professional astrologer since 1976. The author of Astrology and Consciousness, A Manual for the Modern Mystic, and The Astroreader, Rio offers weekly classes through Zoom. You can call Rio at 707-887-1820. Check out his website: www.starwatcher.com.