The week opens in the aftermath of Sunday night's Scorpio New Moon, with the sky nearly dark and two planets preparing to change direction. On Monday evening, Venus in Libra forms a favorable sextile with Mars in Leo, an alignment that offers an opening to bring cooperation and initiative into better agreement.
The larger turning point comes Friday, when both Mercury and Venus end their retrograde journeys. Mercury turns direct in Scorpio, which the forecast says should encourage progress on conversations and decisions that have been tangled since October. Venus resumes forward motion in Libra, one of her traditional home signs.
Sunday night brings Mars and Jupiter together in Leo, a combination the forecast describes as a powerful mixture of ambition, confidence and the temptation to take on more than circumstances reasonably allow. After weeks of looking backward, the road ahead begins to open, though the forecast cautions that a green light is not a guarantee of clear pavement, especially with the first winter weather already finding its way into the Sierra.
For Aries, shared money, trust and private agreements are ready for a new chapter following the Scorpio New Moon, though Mercury's retrograde motion suggests an important detail may still need to be recovered. Friday's direct station should begin easing confusion around debts, taxes, loans or obligations involving another person, and Venus turning direct in the partnership sector may help restore cooperation to a relationship under review. Monday's Venus-Mars sextile favors a conversation involving romance, children or a creative project, and by Sunday Mars meets Jupiter in the part of the chart associated with pleasure and personal expression, though Saturn in Aries still insists on limits.
Taurus has seen relationships occupy considerable attention during the recent retrogrades, and Mercury turning direct in the partnership sector Friday should bring greater clarity to an agreement, contract or conversation with someone close. The Scorpio New Moon opens a fresh relationship cycle, though a genuine beginning may look more like revising an old understanding than replacing it. Venus, Taurus's ruling planet, turns direct in the part of the chart associated with work, health and daily routines, and Mars and Jupiter approaching a conjunction in the home sector could give family, property or household improvements considerable momentum by Sunday.
For Gemini, work, health and daily responsibilities begin moving in a more useful direction after Mercury, the ruling planet, turns direct Friday, and the Scorpio New Moon offers an opportunity to establish better habits. Venus resumes direct motion in the creative sector, renewing interest in romance, children, hobbies or personally meaningful work. By Sunday, Mars and Jupiter meet in the part of the chart associated with communication, writing, learning and local connections, where a proposal, article, conversation or neighborhood project could suddenly attract attention.
Cancer sees the Scorpio New Moon place creativity, romance, children and personal enjoyment at the center of the week, with Mercury preparing to turn direct in the same part of the chart. Venus turns direct Friday in the home and family sector, improving prospects for settling a household disagreement or returning to a plan requiring cooperation. Financial matters become more active toward the weekend as Mars and Jupiter approach their conjunction in Leo, the part of the chart associated with income and possessions, and the forecast advises giving the numbers an honest look before excitement makes the decision.
