For the last several months, every time I sit down to write this column I am perplexed about what to write. I have the format down: Identify the themes, describe how they play out, and then, offer up practical advice about how to handle the news. Or as a good friend once said, "Ralfee's column:  First paragraph—life sucks; second paragraph, life sucks; and so forth until the end, which reads, 'Here's what you can do about it. And be nice.'" Okay, maybe it's not that simple or succinct. But as I face the astrological picture for the coming weeks and months, I feel the need to break free from that format. Most of us already know we are living in exceptional times, and the current planetary patterns reflect that intensity. What the stars indicate for now and for the future is a highly charged, transformational time that is going to be deeply uncomfortable. But nothing is a fait accompli. Earth  is a free will planet, and the outcome—or what we would call history—is determined by individual choice. It may not look that way at times, but nevertheless it is so. So as the coming weeks and months unfold, as you continue to read this column—or any other astrology column—please keep in mind, astrologers interpret symbols as best they can, but how those symbols transform into life experience is neither uniform nor predictable. We are all (astrologer and reader) actually making "it" up as we go along—and while that's a whole lotta uncertainty, in the end, it is a very good thing. True healing comes from staying on the field of action, no matter how uncomfortable, and allowing the necessary transformation to occur.

And we are definitely standing on a field of action. Uranus went retrograde  yesterday and stays that way until December 1st, and as it "turns around," Uranus sextiles Mars from the 1-13. Uranus represents kinetic energy, Mars symbolizes physical energy, and when they work in unison, they generate sheer physical power. Much of that power will manifest itself as innovation, but also be prepared for sudden twists of fate, personal as well as collective.

We end this week with a Lunar Eclipse on July 7th. Even though we understand the science of eclipses, eclipses still signal a reversal of the "normal" order. And given the already Uranian pulse of this week, this eclipse translates into even more upset. As regular routines fall apart, be prepared for nervous systems, yours or others', already on overload, to blow a fuse or snap a circuit breaker.

While I don't think the planets cause events, I do think there is an inexplicable correlation between celestial and terrestrial cycles. I enjoy the mystery of astrology because it invites not just the mind, but also the soul, to participate in the dialogue between heaven and earth—and that's a conversation we can all benefit from.

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