How to Survive This Summer's Eclipses That Will Rattle Your Relationships

In this installment of Dear Annabel, Broadly astrologer Annabel Gat discusses entering your lunar return at age 27 and consults the stars for prospects of summer love.

Dear Annabel,
I’m a Taurus Sun and Moon and my Venus and Mars is in Pisces. I tend to be sleepy and dreamy and have very low energy. Saturn is currently transitioning in my 6th house and things are getting kind of rough. Do you have any advice on how to get through this transit?

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— Sleepy Taurus

Dear Sleepy Taurus,
Could there be a dreamier energy than a luxurious Taurus Sun plus a Venus and Mars in Pisces—a sign that tends to be in la-la land? Someone like you is most comfortable on a chaise lounge being fanned and fed bonbons. Taurus, the cow, grazes in the grass slowly; while Pisces, the fish, swims in the deep, mysterious sea and symbolically represents the end of the zodiac wheel, when everything dissolves before being reborn again.

You’re saying things are getting rough—I’m guessing you mean your low energy? If that’s the case, it would be best to see your doctor first to rule out any medical causes. But if you’re physically fine, maybe I can help break this down astrologically: The 6th house is a very busy sector of the zodiac, ruling over our health and habits, as well as our daily routines, schedules, and day jobs. Saturn is the planet of fear, challenges, boundaries, and restrictions. Having Saturn in this sector of your chart could spell out difficulties meeting your goals and a sluggish energy around getting your work done or taking care of yourself.

Saturn is also the planet of authority and mastery: Do you know someone older and wiser who can act like a mentor to you? If so, fostering that relationship is a wonderful way to work with Saturn’s difficult energy, as well as becoming more disciplined about maintaining your schedule. If you’ve been working freelance or have just finished school and don’t have a set schedule—definitely get yourself on one! Hitting the gym, or at least going for a brisk walk, could also be helpful—integrate the activity into your routine.

Saturn’s lesson for you as it transits your 6th house is that cleaning your room once, or handing a project in on time once, isn’t going to cut it—you need a routine. And, if you’re going to bed at whatever time each evening… or worse, being a lazy Taurus on the couch all day, your energy levels are going to be fucked! And, Saturn is not going to make it any easier for you!

— Annabel

Dear Annabel,
What’s the astrological deal with the 27 club?

— Just Curious

Dear Just Curious,
The 27 club (which, for those who don’t know, is the name of a list of popular artists who died at age 27, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse) certainly has a connection to astrology! The 27 club is tied to the progressed lunar return, which is when the Moon returns to its position at the time of your birth, after having traveled through the entire zodiac wheel in just under three decades.

Not to be super gendered about it all, but generally, the progressed lunar occurs after you’ve learned all the lessons to be your own mama in life—things like how to feed yourself, how to manage and express your feelings, and how to take care of yourself.

All of this happens right before your Saturn return, which is generally around age 29, when you learn the lessons to be your own papa—things like how to set boundaries, how to be self-disciplined, and how to achieve mastery in your field.

These are tough times—the Saturn return famously so (Saturn is the planet of mortality, so people get existential and depressed as fuck), but the progressed lunar return can be quite weepy and sentimental as we work through attachment issues and confront our coping mechanisms.

— Annabel

Dear Annabel,
I’m a Pisces who was seeing an Aquarius prior to moving (and this move ended up being only for 6 months). Prior to my move, I met all his friends and he was super into me. During this time, I went back and forth between the states I was moving between a few times. He always made time to see me, but I was actually seeing someone else in another state, too, which he figured out… and once he did, while he would be receptive when I reached out to him, he stopped reaching out to me. The fling with the other dude has ended, and I’ve moved back to where I was before moving . Now I only want the Aquarius. We just had an amazing weekend, and while I told him I missed him and he said he felt the same, I’m wondering if this has a chance to be anything more after what has happened in our past?

— Hopeful Pisces

Dear Hopeful Pisces,
Now that we’re well into uncuffing season, everyone wants to know about the summer love outlook, so I’m glad you asked this question! It’s complicated: We have two emotionally fraught eclipses as well as a Mars retrograde this season.

The first eclipse is in Cancer on July 12, which will be a hugely emotional time for everyone, and a critical time to sit with our emotions instead of trying to repress or ignore them. Feelings about truths like where you belong, who your family is, and what safety, security, and privacy mean to you will bubble to the surface. It’s an intense time, and even people who are only looking for casual flings will find themselves exploring their wounds and wondering how the people around them fit into their lives. Cancer is a water sign that craves emotional depth but also requires space and boundaries. This eclipse will show us who we want to let in and who we need to keep out.

The next eclipse is on July 27 in Aquarius, and it will be a time of major release—plenty of breakups are likely to happen. But as people sort out where their hearts are leading them, some unions may take place, too! This could actually be a very good time for you and your partner to let go of your past and start something new.

Mars retrograde in Aquarius will start on June 26 and last until August 27. Penetrative Mars goes totally limp when it’s retrograde, creating a low energy. But, it is a fantastic time to reconnect with past lovers and make something happen that didn’t get a chance to go down in the past! While Mars might be limping around and the vibe is a little off, people will be looking to the past and wondering if they should make a move on someone they weren’t able to before—this could be the perfect time to reconnect!

— Annabel

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