Mars conjunct Sirius - If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

This aspect is exact from around late tomorrow until 4th August. The precise conjunction occurs at 14:16 degrees Cancer

Oh wow - this is a hot one!! We have Mars the planet of action force and fire conjunct to Sirius in Canis Major, the brightest star in the universe, nicknamed the shining one or the "Scorcher". This star has always had a reputation for being associated with linking humble and selfless personal action which suddenly propels one into the spotlight, or doing something sacred and worthy in making a sacrifice for the betterment of people around you. If you think of the "15 minutes of fame" that many people aspire to, then this star could well be the reason for the phrase as it promises a chance to be in the spotlight like the proverbial shooting star before it quickly fades into the night sky.

Now with Mars conjunct to Sirius and square to Uranus we have an inferno of energy here ready to burst into life. Look out for record temperatures somewhere in the world, maybe wild fires, possibly cases of arson and other unexpected explosive events connected to intense heat. Maybe the actions of someone or a group of people faced with a disaster will propel them into the limelight now?

Mars is a military planet as well as connected to the security forces especially as it is here in Cancer and this link favours direct military action as well as that carried out by the police. I can imagine that political debate may be very sharp and spiky now and any social action could initiate a very swift response.

For you, if you are doing any very focused work, it will be a great time to get excellent results. Passions will rise under this aspect and in relationships this could initiate either good or bad effects, especially as Mars is making a feisty square to Uranus as this hit occurs. It sounds fun of course your relationships are sound but if they are on rocky ground, watch out for flying knives and smashing plates. As I said, it you can't stand the heat...

Venus conjunct Zosma - Feeling alienated and rejected.

This connection occurs at 11:30 degrees Virgo. This connection starts to be felt tomorrow and will be felt through until 1st August.

After the optimism of the Grand Sextile which is forming today, we may come down with a bit of a bump as Venus moves into a conjunction with the fixed star Zosma. This star is to be found on the back of the Nemean Lion in the constellation of Leo. Zosma is one of those stars in the sky that when contacted by the planets brings an element of suffering to bare or creates an atmosphere where victimisation can take place. This is a star of the common man, the one who tends to be on the wrong end of things, he who gets a raw deal or just has to live with regular disappointments in one manner or another. It can also indicate the care giver or the one who helps those in need.

Venus' combined with this star combines these influences with matters of society, relationships, money and possessions and historically on natal charts Robson said that it has a link to depression and unhappiness of the mind. It may be that these couple of days may see problems with relationships, in particular one partner feeling rather upset, ignored or alienated by the other, there could be difficulties over issues of money or who owns what that sparks off problems.

Venus of course is the sign of diplomacy and if the Israel and Palestinian peace talks are still going on at this time, then the intransigence of this connection does not bode so well for any kind of agreement, indeed it may provoke more problems than were envisaged. I can see the old enmities and matters of land division, the age old problems in this part of the world rearing their ugly heads again and driving a wedge between the two sides. On a related note, matters of racism or the bad treatment of a specific group in society may get into the news right now.

On a more positive note, Venus does represent love and compassion too and one way of using this energy positively would be for you to give up your time to aid people or friends who are in trouble by giving them a helping hand when they require it most...

Mars conjunct Alhena - Leading the way, step by step...

This connection is now active and is effective until 28th July 2013

Mars now is conjunct the fixed star Alhena which sits in the constellation of Gemini, the twins. Alhena is known “as the marching one” sitting as it does in the foot of one of the Twins in the constellation and is associated with following a cause or a belief that you are passionate to follow and “march” behind, however it is also connected with the celebrated wounded or Achilles heel, showing a flaw in one's character. Ptolemy is a little more downbeat about this star saying that it is said to cause trouble and disgrace, sickness, loss of fortune, affliction and danger to the knees.

Mars of course is a pro-active influence and you can see the forward nature combined with following a cause producing a time when political and social activism will be extremely visible. It may be that people around the world will shout out and for things and matters that they believe in, and through their actions you will be in no doubt where their loyalties lie.

Mars can provoke violence too and with it conjunct Jupiter and opposing Pluto, I fear that any those does go ahead may have the potential for getting very out of hand. You can already see this influence at work in Egypt now as rival factions are clashing over the future of their country. I hope cooler heads prevail, however I fear that things there might get more heated before they calm down.

In your life, if there is something that you believe in or you have the courage to stand up and follow your heart, then I think you can make great strides ahead in the days and weeks to come...

The Grand Sextile of July 2013 – A rare opportunity, but will you take it, and how?

Now we have a beautiful planetary alignment coming up in the next few days, a very rare Grand Sextile forming in the skies above us ringing the earth. How rare are they? Well since the year 1900, this is only the 3rd one involving the major planets, Sun to Pluto. The previous ones occurred on 31st March 1954 and 21st July 1995. Grand Sextiles are made up of 6 or in this case 7 planets all at around 60 degrees to each other forming a star of David pattern.