Here we are, on the cusp of one of the signature astrological events of 2018: this Tuesday, Mars stations retrograde in Aquarius at 5:04 pm EDT (21:04:21 UTC). You might be feeling very curious about what you can (or want to) do right now, or too overwhelmed to take action on certain current issues.

By Amy Elliott – with Amanda Painter On Thursday of this week the Sun enters Cancer for the Northern Hemisphere summer solstice; just five days later, Mars will station retrograde in Aquarius. If this year’s Cancer solstice has a message, it seems to be: no matter how troubling a situation seems, you can always try […]

The individuality that would seem to be coming from Mars also originates with Chiron in Aries (the ultimate maverick) and Uranus in Taurus (a revolution in values). With these aspects, you only get the potential for change, and the energy to make it happen; you don’t get a guaranteed outcome.

This week’s standout event is Mercury conjunct the Sun. This happens six times a year, and is akin to the lunar phases; only it’s the phases of the Sun with its closest known planet.

Tuesday at 10:19 am ET (14:19:28 UTC), the Sun and the Moon oppose one another from Gemini to Sagittarius. This is one of those events where I have the feeling that writing about it can’t possibly do it justice. You just have to stare at the chart in amazement (so we’ve provided the one I’ve used to write the weekly horoscope, and this column).

When the Sun arrives in Gemini, it will make aspects to a bunch of planets and points that are located early in their respective signs. These include Chiron in Aries, Uranus in Taurus, Venus in Cancer, Transpluto in Virgo, M87 (a massive galaxy) in Libra, Pholus and Quaoar in Capricorn, and Mars in Aquarius. If there’s an opportunity for the world to change overnight, this might be the opening.

This week brings one of those clusters of events: the New Moon in Taurus, followed by Uranus entering Taurus for its try-out phase, and Mars entering Aquarius, putting it in position for the retrograde that begins in about six weeks. Yet while all of these represent beginnings, the 36 hours between now and the New Moon and ingresses are clearly the ends of cycles.

This may be a good week for ensuring that the relationships you cultivate are as healthy as possible, both for you and for your partners. In particular, are you getting sufficient support to be able to express your personality? As well as considering the actions of loved ones, you might reflect on whether you are fully communicating your needs.