Ready to shape your life? Edie's Astro-Energy guides you: courage, community, careers. Your path forward is here. Read on!
THE OVERVIEW
It's on, it's on; we have been activated to contribute our humble (or proud!?) actions that contribute to a better world, during a time where the unhealthy are doing their best to make things scary for others. However, we should keep in mind that one of the "astrological assignments" in leaving 2023 and crossing into 2024 was to let go of fear, and start embracing courage. It's been breathtakingly beautiful to see the people showing up in 2025 who "understood the assignment," in the common parlance of our times -and to see significantly more people embracing this stalwart courage than even we, the long-arc astrology trackers had even anticipated or hoped for.
This is an incredibly good sign, and one that indicates that those of us pushing for a better world are far from alone. Look for and connect up with your newest of allies. As of this year, it should be easier than ever to see them.
SO FAR...
We're coming off of Mercury Retrograde, travelling first through Aries, then Pisces (started March 14th, ending on April 6th), which paired up with Venus (in Aries, then Pisces) retrograde, which started on March 1st, ending on April 12th.
CURRENTLY...
Pluto Retrograde (in Aquarius) begins on May 4th and runs till October 13th, and will remain in Aquarius for the entirety of its retrograde. This is our lead-off into the 2025 Retrograde season, and in terms of "getting into the rhythm" we've got a bit of grace: For about 2 months, Pluto will be the only planet in retrograde, before the others begin to join the dance.
I say this is a bit of grace in that sometimes a retrograde begins with one planet after another starting in quick succession after each other. For example, in the 2020 Retrograde Season, the first 4 planets went into retrograde within a couple weeks of each other, followed by the fifth, sixth, and seventh within the following month. And that would have been "at the beginning of Quarantine" -THAT'S why 2020 felt like that as soon as the lockdown & bubble happened.
NEXT UP...
As we wrap up Quarter 2 and step into Quarter 3, we'll enter the steepest part of the uphill challenge that is the Retrograde Season, but even attempting to meet the challenges offered by the universe means that we become healthier, and more capable of participating in meaningful ways towards shaping a better future.
One Planet to “Warm Up” With As the 2025 Retrograde Season Starts
Pluto is the first retrograde of this 2025 season, and will give us a lead of about two months before anything starts to join the parade. Then it is participating in the orchestra of change for another three and a half months. It begins on May 4, then goes direct on October 14th.
Pluto embodies:
- Transformation, Change, Endings, Death & Rebirth, RADICAL and sometimes sudden change. Within these transitions, Pluto embodies a sense of old cycles ending so that new cycles can begin. As things shift in both your daily routine, as well as larger arenas, be thinking about what changes you can be working with so you will be stronger and more capable towards the end of the year. What needs to end so that there is room for new growth, new life, new healing?
- Power, Control, Power Dynamics of all sorts, both within yourself, in your direct circles of influence, as well as the greater communities, all the way out to a global scale. This is a matter of considering not just balances and imbalances of power, but where there have been abuses of power, or ineffective applications of power. Outside of the self, it tends to be more obvious, so it is encouraged to ask these questions of yourself, your own systems, behaviors, habits, choices, and actions.
- The Subconscious, that which is underneath, the hidden. Especially as it kicks off in the first sign of Aries, now is the time to consider what has been too hidden that needs to come forth. Is it truth, personal truth, is it a sense of empowerment? Have there been things you know you need to do, to bring forth that you haven’t yet? Where do you decide to take the first step on that journey?
This may seem a bit abstract on first reading, but I insist that it bears meaningful reflection, especially in these next few months:
The nature of change means that the shape of a thing is turning into the shape of something else. The questions to consider as Pluto leads off the retrograde season is each of our empowered sense of shaping things that are already in the process of change.
What is changing? How can you participate and facilitate the next shape a thing in change is already undergoing? Are you accepting that one thing is ending and another is beginning, and anticipating how to make the most out of what you see changing?
To make it hopefully less abstract, think of the power of a mudslide. At first glance, one might feel as though there is nothing that can stop such a force, but upon consideration, we know that’s not true. We have seen wooden bulwarks constructed that prevent a mudslide from completing it’s journey.
In the esoteric practice, we often say “we either shape the world we live in, or we live in the world shaped around us.” Where are you shaping a thing, and where are you just waiting? What is within your power of influence to shape any aspect of a change you’re aware of?
WORLD
We don't need to re-hash the things that are apparent with what's happening in the world right now, but I do mention it so you can think of that litany of "What CAN you do, WHEN can you do it, and HOW do YOU do it?" I'll say the quiet part out-loud, as we've all been saying it in hushed circles: The corruption and injustice that's been running rampant for generations on end is panicking because those who have been taking advantage of their positions are aware that people are setting boundaries and saying no-more to a lot of practices that have been harmful not just to people, but to the Earth itself.
In short, think of it like this: They're trying to starve out a dream world, and bring about a nightmare world. So the thing to keep in mind with daily life here is to ask what each of us is doing (What, When, How rule) to starve out a nightmare world, and bring about the dream world that we all know is possible.
This is why we examine how each retrograde, each yearly retrograde season affects us, hints to us what we can improve within ourselves, so we can be even more influential in our daily lives, in participating in wider and wider circles of healthier and healthier communities, to eventually overlap each other so that as one, we are bringing about the healthiest world possible.
Retrogrades help us focus in on how we can hone in tighter and tighter towards being informed on how to participate in the the healthiest futures possible.
An ice cube left unattended on your desk is likely to melt and get water on everything, your paperwork, under your laptop, your mobile. But an ice cube placed in a cup will melt and go no further than the bounds of the cup that surrounds it.
PEOPLE
Be wary of the people you know who tend to be a bit more on the "messy" side of things, those who have tended to be intentionally or accidentally unhealthy. As we really start to squeeze through the keyhole of these aspects, they might make more trouble than you bargained for.
On the flip side, DO strengthen connections with those who you know that are dedicated to healthier and healthier movements, despite anything that we might be facing in the road ahead. Doubly so for the ones who are actively trying to bring more health to community (immediate circles as well as greater community), those who are actively participating in creating a healthy and stable future, again by the parameters of "do WHAT you can, WHEN you can, and HOW you can."
And in terms of "greater community" connect to those you see around who have friendly energy, who you get a good "gut feeling" about. Start having "outside of the box" Real-Person-To-Real-Person conversations with the people you see regularly -even professionals at places you frequent, or friendly-faced strangers who seem to be crossing paths at the same time you are through your daily travels. We talk a lot about community, but our eyes are opened with such questions as, for instance, one posed by Kitty Stryker, "Do we even know who our neighbors are? Do they have needs that we should keep an eye out for?"
Who is helping you build? Who might get in the way of what you’re building, and should thus be avoided, or should you mitigate influence of?
CAREER
Big shifts have been happening and will continue (through these next three years), as we collectively pivot from being told what is valuable enough "to do for a living" to filling un-met needs for what society is awakening to what is actually valuable to us as a society.
As such, more and more people are waking up to the idea that what has been "stable, but rote" is giving way to higher callings, and doing work that is more in line with personal belief systems in the world each of us actually wants to live in.
If you haven't yet felt called to shift career perspectives in such a manner, be on the lookout for those insights to come across your path.
As mentioned in the Q1 Report there's shifts, there's a sense of "meeting needs / filling gaps" which seems to be a consistently rising trend in "self-employment" (a trend we see when the "R-Word" we won't fully mention by name here rears its head), which these days can sometimes look like a low-effort / high-impact "side hustle" that (again) fils a need that calls to be met, in an emergent community that has been slowly re-assessing what is (and is NO longer!) Of Value during these shifting times. As mentioned in the "people" section above,
As “what we do for a living” in contemporary contexts, defines the majority of what our time and energy is focused on. Consider what you’re spending your time and energy on. Are you supporting something that you ultimately believe will contribute to a better future? Are there changes to be made that support a healthier tomorrow for all?
RESOURCE
If one's not grounded and moving with intent through these waves of energy affecting us via the planetary shifts, it could feel like the looming shadow of scarcity is grinning at us all to "tighten our belts" but I encourage you to think of it as being clever with your resources -both outgoing AND incoming- thrifty AND intentional with where and how you spend (BIG time shift to supporting local businesses in the community as much as possible) in a sense of us all being in the same boat, and strengthening the reciprocal connections in community. Coming off of that Mercury & Venus Rx and stepping into this nice, easy lead with Pluto Rx (in Aquarius; embodying "hope & humanity"), these next couple months will be a great time to start thinking of what you have in such abundance that you can offer to those in your community, circles, and connections who aren't as resourced. Is it sundries, supplies, or even food that you'll probably not get to? Is there a community refrigerator in your neighborhood, or close by? Is it that you can choose to purchase what you need from businesses that would be grateful to see your support? Is it a matter of time, knowledge, teaching, or even holding space or offering support? If you've been putting off reading Robin Wall Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass" (or "Women Who Run With The Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, for that matter) now might be a fine time to dive into one or both of those books.
One of the most powerful, beautiful, and overlooked parts of human beings is our boundless capacity to adapt, improvise, and innovate, as we strengthen our communal bonds, as opposed to isolating, and feeling like we need to weather *gestures around* All Of This alone.
Finally, I realize that I’ve not yet mentioned one of the most influential books on repairing one’s relationship with resource (or a historic lack thereof!), “Money Magic: Practical Wisdom and Empowering Rituals to Heal Your Finances” by Jessie Susannah Karnatz (aka: The Money Witch). Not only is the author from the Bay Area and thus embodies the Bay Area sensibilities and considerations, but the rituals recommended within can easily be used for various other focus, not just abundance and resource -they’re constructed that soundly.
“Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the gods offer!”
With love,
Edie and the whole Twisted Thistle team!