Week Ahead Astrology | September 28–October 4

As the air starts to get a chill, the season of relationships, aka Libra season, begins to stir. What we commonly call cuffing season is officially underway, and so is the desire to examine our partnerships and the roles they play in our lives. It’s funny, because as I write this, I keep getting the image of handcuffs. And what is coming through isn’t necessarily the fun side of cuffing season. Haha, get it? It’s more about the association with restriction, obligation, and pressure. Hear me out...As humans, we are relational by nature. We come to Earth to experience life alongside other people. It begins with the family we are born into and evolves into the friendships, partnerships, communities, and chosen family we create along the way. Every soul we meet is sharing some part of this human experience with us. Some we may have known before in other lifetimes, while others we may be crossing paths with for the first time. Whatever the case, relationships are an essential part of being human.What isn’t essential is the enormous amount of weight we have learned to place on them, particularly the belief that another person is supposed to make us happy or somehow complete us. Like part of you is missing and you’re wandering around Earth searching for your “other half.” My unconventional Aquarius Rising is rolling her eyes right now because you aren’t half of anything.The idea that someone else completes us is a narrative that has been sold to us for generations, particularly to women, and so much of it has been built on fear rather than love. Because love isn’t something you find only inside a relationship. Love is what you are made of. When you enter into a relationship, that love gets stirred inside of you. Another person may awaken it, challenge it, reflect it, trigger it, expand it, or remind you that it exists, but they didn’t put it there. It was already yours.Relationships are mirrors, and Libra season reminds us of that. Think about the symbolism of Libra. It is the only sign of the zodiac represented by a non-living object: the scales. And I think that matters. Libra observes. It looks at the different sides of a situation, weighs the information, considers the relationship between seemingly opposing truths, and then looks for balance.Which is why I don’t agree with the pop-astrology idea that Libras can’t make decisions. As a Libra with many planets in Libra, I object to this slander. 😂 We absolutely can make decisions. We just want to examine every possible angle, consider how everyone involved feels, run through seventeen hypothetical scenarios, and THEN make the decision. Totally different.And that’s what I want us to explore this week: What is your truth when it comes to the relationship dynamics in your life?Because this week Venus, ruler of both Libra and Taurus, stations retrograde. For approximately 40 days, Venus begins her descent into the underworld, asking us to revisit our relationships, desires, values, self-worth, money, pleasure, and the things we believe we need in order to feel loved. And she begins that journey in Scorpio, a sign that isn’t particularly interested in the polite answer. Scorpio wants to know what is underneath it all. It wants to know where the power lives. Who has it? Who have you given it to? Where are you attempting to control someone else because you’re afraid? Where are you allowing someone else’s approval, attention, behavior, or rejection to determine how you feel about yourself?This is why I wasn’t surprised when I pulled The Lovers for this week. The Lovers is card number six in the Tarot, and six carries themes of love, harmony, responsibility, and relationship. Apparently, there is no escaping relational themes this week. But The Lovers isn’t only about romance. At its deepest level, it is also about choice. What are you choosing? And are you choosing it because it is aligned with who you are, or because you are afraid of what happens if you don’t?Our animal spirit ally this week, Dolphin, reminds us of the healing available when we connect with like-minded people and allow ourselves to experience supportive community. Not because someone else has the power to heal you, but because safe relationships can create an environment where you feel secure enough to lower your guard and reconnect with your own power. There’s a difference. The most disempowering thing we can do is believe another person has complete control over our happiness, worth, or life. When we are constantly seeking validation or approval outside ourselves, we hand our power away piece by piece. You are whole. You are complete. You don’t need someone else to tell you that. What you may need is to start believing it yourself.And imagine what happens when two people enter a relationship from that place. Not I need you to complete me, but I am whole, and I choose you. How beautiful would that be? A relationship built on two people who love themselves enough that they don’t need to control one another. Two people capable of supporting each other without becoming responsible for each other’s entire emotional existence. Two people who can say, I want you in my life, rather than I need you in order to have a life.But that isn’t necessarily what we’ve been taught relationships are supposed to look like. Women have historically been handed the Prince Charming narrative: someone will arrive, save you, and then you’ll live happily ever after. Men have often been handed another damaging story: suppress your emotions, don’t appear vulnerable, be strong, provide, protect, don’t show anyone that softer side. Over time, women can lose connection with their fierce feminine power while men learn to treat emotional vulnerability as weakness. Then we wonder why so many relationships feel disconnected. The foundation was cracked from the beginning.I once had a man tell me he was struggling in our connection because I didn’t need him. My response was, “Isn’t it better that I choose you?”And I think there is a profound difference between being needed and being chosen. Need can easily become tangled with fear, obligation, control, and the belief that we cannot survive without another person. Choice allows two people to remain sovereign within connection. I don’t need you to complete me. I am already whole. And from that wholeness, I choose to share myself with you.That’s what I want to leave you with before we dive into this week’s astrology. What are you choosing, and why? What are you committing to, and why? Where are you staying because you genuinely want to be there, and where are you staying because you’re afraid? Where are your relationships empowering you, and where are you handing someone else responsibility for something that actually belongs to you?And please don’t limit this inquiry to romantic relationships. Look at your friendships, your family, your work relationships, and your communities. Look at who gets access to you and why. Look at where you feel safe enough to be yourself and where you find yourself performing, shrinking, controlling, chasing, or seeking approval. And most importantly, look at the relationship you have with yourself.Because Venus is about to descend into the underworld, and she may have a lot to show us about what we’ve mistaken for love, what we’ve given away in exchange for it, and what becomes possible when we remember that the love and power we have been searching for were never outside of us to begin with.You can read more about the Venus retrograde here: So, let’s get into the week ahead...Monday, September 28Moon enters TaurusSun in Libra trine Uranus in GeminiWe begin the week with a little disruption to the relationship script. And I actually love that.The Libra Sun trine Uranus invites us to question the rules we’ve inherited around relationships, partnership, beauty, identity, and what a “successful” life is supposed to look like.Uranus doesn’t particularly care what everyone else is doing.It asks:But what actually works for YOU?Meanwhile, the Moon enters Taurus, bringing us back into the body and our values.Sometimes you don’t realize how much you’ve been contorting yourself to fit someone else’s expectations until you finally experience what it feels like to stop.Maybe your version of partnership doesn’t look conventional.Maybe your friendships are becoming more important.Maybe your definition of family has changed.Maybe something you thought you wanted five years ago doesn’t fit anymore.Good.You’re allowed to evolve.Work with it:* Question an inherited relationship rule.* Notice what feels freeing versus restrictive.* Let yourself want something unconventional.* Check in with your body before saying yes.* Ask: If no one else had an opinion, what would I choose?Tuesday, September 29Venus in Scorpio opposite Chiron in TaurusHere’s where things may get tender.Venus opposite Chiron can bring wounds around love, worth, rejection, desirability, intimacy, security, or receiving to the surface.And because Venus is preparing to station retrograde, I wouldn’t be surprised if something familiar appears.An old relationship pattern.An insecurity you thought you’d moved beyond.A memory.A person.A fear.But resurfacing doesn’t mean you’ve failed to heal.Sometimes we revisit an old wound because we’re finally ready to see it from another perspective.The question isn’t simply, Who hurt me?It might be:What did that experience teach me to believe about myself?Because another person’s inability to love you well was never proof that you were unlovable.Work with it:* Notice what triggers insecurity or rejection.* Offer compassion to an older version of yourself.* Separate someone’s behavior from your worth.* Let yourself receive without immediately questioning it.* Ask: What am I ready to stop believing about my worth?Wednesday, September 30Moon enters GeminiMercury enters ScorpioThe conversation gets deeper.Mercury leaving Libra and entering Scorpio shifts us from Let’s consider every side to Okay, but what’s actually going on underneath this?Scorpio Mercury isn’t particularly interested in small talk.It notices tone.Silence.Body language.What was said.And especially what wasn’t.This can be powerful for honest conversations, therapy, journaling, research, shadow work, or finally naming something you’ve been avoiding.But be mindful of becoming suspicious simply because you don’t have all the information.Intuition and hypervigilance aren’t the same thing.Let curiosity take you deeper without immediately assuming the worst.Work with it:* Ask the deeper question.* Have the conversation you’ve been avoiding.* Journal about what you’re really feeling.* Listen for what isn’t being said.* Don’t confuse fear with intuition.* Ask: What truth am I finally ready to name?Thursday, October 1Mercury in Scorpio square Mars in LeoWords have some HEAT today.Mercury in Scorpio wants the truth, while Mars in Leo wants to defend pride, identity, and the heart.That combination can make conversations incredibly honest... or incredibly dramatic.Maybe both. 😂The temptation may be to prove your point, expose something, defend yourself, or say the thing you’ve been holding back.Before you do, ask what you’re actually trying to accomplish.Do you want connection?Clarity?A boundary?Or do you simply want to win?Because those are very different conversations.Truth doesn’t need to become a weapon.Work with it:* Pause before sending the text.* Say what you mean without trying to wound.* Notice when pride takes over.* Move your body if anger needs somewhere to go.* Be direct instead of passive-aggressive.* Ask: Am I trying to communicate or am I trying to win?Friday, October 2Mercury in Scorpio square Pluto in AquariusMars in Leo trine Neptune in AriesMoon enters CancerWe’re going even deeper.Mercury square Pluto can bring obsessive thinking, uncomfortable truths, power dynamics, manipulation, secrets, or conversations that expose what has been sitting underneath the surface.This is where the handcuff image from the beginning of this article comes back for me.Where do you feel controlled?And perhaps the harder question:Where are you trying to control?Control often disguises itself as protection.If I can make them behave differently, I’ll feel safe.If I know exactly what they’re thinking, I’ll feel safe.If they reassure me one more time, I’ll feel safe.But safety built on controlling someone else’s behavior isn’t really safety.Meanwhile, Mars trine Neptune gives us another option.Instead of forcing, soften.Instead of controlling, listen.Instead of reacting immediately, connect with what your intuition and heart are actually telling you.Work with it:* Notice obsessive or controlling thought patterns.* Ask what’s underneath the need for certainty.* Avoid manipulation or emotional power games.* Channel emotion into creativity or movement.* Give yourself space before confronting someone.* Ask: What am I trying to control because I’m afraid?Saturday, October 3Mars in Leo opposite Pluto in AquariusVenus stations retrograde in ScorpioAnd here we go.Venus stations retrograde.The descent begins. And she does it on a day when Mars opposes Pluto.Mars-Pluto can illuminate struggles around power, desire, control, ego, sexuality, anger, and autonomy. Then Venus turns inward in Scorpio and asks us to examine the deeper relationship patterns underneath all of it.This isn’t necessarily about ending relationships.And it’s definitely not a cosmic command to text your ex.Please don’t blame me for that one.Venus retrograde is an invitation to review.What do you value?What do you desire?What does intimacy mean to you now?Where have you confused intensity with love?Where have you confused being needed with being valued?Where have you abandoned yourself to keep someone else?Where have you expected someone else to fill something inside you that only you can tend?And perhaps most importantly:Where have you given away your power?For the next 40 days, Venus is going to take us deeper into these questions.You don’t need the answers today.Just be willing to enter the underworld.Work with it:* Observe relationship patterns without rushing to fix them.* Notice power struggles.* Avoid forcing a major relational outcome.* Journal about desire, intimacy, worth, and control.* Pay attention to what or who resurfaces.* Ask: Where am I being invited to reclaim my power?Sunday, October 4Sun in Libra opposite Saturn in AriesAfter everything this week has stirred up, Saturn asks us to get serious.The Sun in Libra wants partnership, harmony, cooperation, and connection.Saturn in Aries asks:But where are YOU in the relationship?This opposition may illuminate the tension between commitment to others and commitment to yourself.Healthy relationships require both.There will be times when we compromise.There will be times when we show up for someone even when it’s inconvenient.There will be times when another person’s needs matter deeply to us.But compromise is different from self-abandonment.Commitment is different from imprisonment.Love is different from obligation.Remember those handcuffs?Maybe today is about noticing where connection has begun to feel like restriction.Not because commitment itself is restrictive, but because any relationship that requires you to continually abandon who you are will eventually become too small for you.Work with it:* Examine your commitments.* Notice where resentment has developed.* Clarify a boundary.* Ask whether compromise is mutual.* Make space for both autonomy and connection.* Ask: Can I remain committed to myself while being committed to someone else?The Message for the WeekRelationships aren’t here to complete us. They reveal us. They show us where we feel worthy and where we don’t. They show us where we trust and where we control, where we can receive love and where we armor ourselves against it. They reveal where we communicate honestly and where we perform, where we stand firmly in our own power and where we quietly hand it away because we’re terrified someone might leave.And that doesn’t make relationships bad or something we should avoid. Quite the opposite. It makes them extraordinary teachers. I don’t think the answer to unhealthy dependence is hyper-independence either. We aren’t meant to walk through life pretending we don’t need connection or celebrating the fact that we can do everything alone. We are relational beings. We need community. We need friendship. We need intimacy. We need people who witness us, challenge us, laugh with us, hold us when life gets heavy, and remind us of ourselves when we temporarily forget.But there is a difference between allowing someone to support you and asking them to become responsible for your happiness. There is a difference between interdependence and losing yourself inside another person. There is a difference between I want you here and I don’t know who I am if you leave. And perhaps Venus retrograde is going to begin showing us exactly where those lines have become blurred.So as you move through this week, pay attention to your relationships. All of them. Notice which connections feel expansive and which feel restrictive. Notice where you are choosing from love and where you are choosing from fear. Notice who you become around certain people. Do you feel more like yourself in their presence, or do you find yourself shrinking, performing, chasing, controlling, or constantly trying to prove your worth?And maybe most importantly, notice where you are waiting for someone else to give you something you haven’t yet learned to give yourself. Validation. Permission. Love. Safety. Worthiness. Approval. Because when we believe another person has something we need to be whole, we give them enormous power over our lives.Maybe that is part of the underworld journey Venus is inviting us into. Not to convince us that we don’t need other people, but to help us untangle love from fear, connection from control, commitment from obligation, and desire from the belief that someone else is responsible for completing us.Because maybe the healthiest relationships aren’t two halves desperately trying to become whole. Maybe they are two whole, imperfect, evolving human beings who know they can stand on their own and still decide that life feels richer when they stand beside each other.I don’t need you to complete me. I choose you.And perhaps the most important relationship lesson of all is learning to say the same thing to yourself.I choose me, too.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

I woke up this morning in a full-body sweat. Hello, perimenopause, or what I prefer to call it…transitioning into my crone era. And I honor it! I honor my body's wisdom and the process of transition. Because that is what this time in my life and the season we are in is all about: transition. Here is the podcast I mentioned in my voice note: https://mythicmedicine.shop/blogs/podcast/jane-hardwicke-collings This week ahead marks the fall equinox. The start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and, most importantly, the start of Libra season. Now, I may be a little biased because I am a Libra, but this is my favorite season. Sweata Weahta! The season of the witch. The season of transformation. The cards I pulled this week further solidify that theme. The tarot card I pulled is the 9 of Swords. Okay, I didn’t pull it; it basically jumped out of the card deck, TWICE! I put it back in the first time because I was like, give me a better one, but spirit was like, nope. Stop hiding the truth: we all have fears, anxieties, and worries, and it is okay to talk about them, to show them, to be human together. So much of what we see or what we show people is what we want them to see. But why? Why are we afraid to say “I am struggling” or “I am scared”? Because that takes vulnerability, which we don’t teach in school, and many of us didn't have a good example growing up. We were told to perform or put on a brave face when, in reality, the bravest thing you can do is be vulnerable and authentic. And this week is asking you to be brave. To face your fears and even to show them. Give them space to breathe so you can move through them. On the other side is the truth, and that truth is wisdom. It’s transformation. This week's animal and plant allies both speak to this: the butterfly and the Elderberry. The butterfly says: you are undergoing great change and transformation. You are in transition. And the way to work with this is to create a daily routine that supports you through it. This helps you move through that frustrating energy and find grace in the process.Elder, or elderberry, is steeped in folklore and legend across many traditions. It is known as the Queen of the Faries or Queen of the Underworld for its association with the planets Jupiter and Pluto. It signals the end of a life phase and the beginning of a new major cycle. Very fitting for this week. She will assist you in stepping through the doorways of this change and protect you and your body during this transformation. That is also why, in herbalism, Elder is used to support your immune system. When you go through major change, your body needs time to adjust and is more susceptible to illness because your immune system is lowered. So, I highly recommend taking it as a tincture or making a syrup to keep on hand. Astrologically, this week brings the Sun entering Libra, which will interact with both Neptune and Pluto, bringing intuitive and underworld themes, then oppose the Moon in Aries, marking the Full Moon in Aries. We close out the week with Mars squaring Chiron and then shifting into the sign of Leo. Let’s break it down, plus more detail on the week ahead…Monday, September 21Moon enters AquariusMercury in Libra sextile Jupiter in LeoWe begin the week with a little breathing room, which feels appropriate considering the Nine of Swords practically threw itself at me twice this morning. Mercury in Libra sextile Jupiter in Leo invites us to zoom out and see the bigger picture. Sometimes when we’re in the middle of a transition, we become so consumed by the details of what isn’t working that we forget how much possibility still exists beyond our current circumstances. The Aquarius Moon helps us gain perspective, while Mercury and Jupiter encourage conversations that open our minds and remind us that we don’t have to figure everything out alone.This is a beautiful day to talk to someone you trust about what you’re experiencing. Not because they need to fix it, but because sometimes simply saying something out loud takes away some of its power. You might discover that the thing you’ve been quietly struggling with is something someone else understands all too well.Vulnerability creates connection. And connection reminds us that we aren’t alone in the transition.Work with it:* Have an honest conversation with someone you trust.* Share an idea you’ve been keeping to yourself.* Step back and look at the bigger picture.* Let yourself imagine a more expansive outcome.* Ask: What might change if I stopped pretending I had it all figured out?Tuesday, September 22Sun enters Libra — Fall Equinox Happy Libra season and happy fall equinox!Sweata Weahta has officially arrived, and I am here for it. Bring on the cozy sweaters, candles, changing leaves, and all the witchy things. Although, considering how I woke up this morning, my body might have some opinions about the sweater situation. 😂The equinox marks a seasonal turning point, when day and night are approximately equal in length. In the Northern Hemisphere, we begin our descent into the darker half of the year. Nature starts withdrawing its energy, the leaves begin to change, and we’re invited to reflect on what has reached completion.Libra is represented by the scales, so there's beautiful symbolism in beginning this season at a moment of balance between light and darkness. But balance doesn’t mean everything is perfectly equal or that we’re supposed to feel peaceful all the time. Sometimes finding balance means acknowledging what's become unsustainable and being willing to change.And that brings us right back to the theme of transition.You cannot create a new equilibrium while insisting that everything remain exactly as it was.Today, honor the season you’re leaving and the one you’re entering. You don’t have to know exactly what this next chapter will look like. Simply acknowledge that you’re standing at a threshold.Work with it:* Create a simple equinox ritual.* Reflect on what the summer taught you.* Notice where your life feels out of balance.* Clear something from your home or schedule.* Ask: What needs to change so I can feel more at home in this new season of my life?Wednesday, September 23Moon in Aquarius conjunct HekateVoid Moon until 9:21 PM MT, when it enters PiscesWell, hello, Hekate. Of course the goddess of crossroads would show up during a week devoted to transition.Hekate stands at the threshold between worlds, holding her torches and illuminating the paths that lie before us. She doesn’t necessarily tell us which road to take. Instead, she reminds us that we have the wisdom to navigate the darkness, even when we cannot see the entire journey ahead.With the Moon conjunct Hekate and void for much of the day, this isn’t necessarily the moment to demand answers or force a major decision. It feels more like a day to stand at the crossroads and listen.And if you’re feeling uncertain, that’s okay.We have been conditioned to believe that uncertainty means we’re doing something wrong. That if we were truly aligned, we would have absolute clarity and unwavering confidence about every decision.But sometimes being at a crossroads simply means you’ve outgrown the road you were traveling.You don’t have to choose the next one out of fear.Let the day unfold. Rest your mind. Notice what comes forward when you stop trying to control the outcome.Work with it:* Spend time in meditation or quiet reflection.* Journal about a crossroads in your life.* Avoid forcing an answer before you’re ready.* Pay attention to intuitive nudges.* Ask: What becomes possible when I stop demanding certainty?Thursday, September 24Moon in Pisces trine Venus in ScorpioAfter yesterday’s crossroads, today’s astrology invites us to soften.The Pisces Moon trine Venus in Scorpio creates a beautiful connection between emotional sensitivity and the desire for deeper intimacy. This is an invitation to feel what you’ve been trying to think your way through.And perhaps, more importantly, to let someone else see it.Remember what I said about vulnerability in the introduction? This is where we get to practice it.There is something incredibly intimate about allowing another person to witness us when we aren’t performing. When we aren’t trying to be the strong one, the capable one, the person who always has the answers.When we can simply say, I’m having a hard time right now.That is not weakness.That is an act of trust.Venus in Scorpio doesn’t want the polished version of intimacy. She wants the truth. And the Pisces Moon reminds us that compassion creates the space where that truth can be expressed.Of course, vulnerability doesn’t mean sharing everything with everyone. Choose people who have demonstrated that they can hold your truth with care.Work with it:* Allow yourself to feel without immediately analyzing.* Have a vulnerable conversation with someone safe.* Make time for creativity, music, or water.* Offer yourself the compassion you give others.* Ask: Where am I ready to let myself be seen more fully?Friday, September 25Sun in Libra opposite Neptune in AriesSun in Libra trine Pluto in AquariusToday, the Sun finds itself in conversation with two very different planetary forces: Neptune and Pluto.Neptune can dissolve the boundaries of our identity, making it hard to distinguish what we know, what we hope, and what we fear. Pluto, meanwhile, invites us beneath the surface to uncover the deeper truth.And with the Sun in Libra, this may play out through our relationships and the ways we define ourselves in connection with other people.Who am I when I’m not trying to keep everyone happy?Who am I when I stop performing the version of myself that others have come to expect?Who am I when I finally admit that something I once wanted no longer feels right?Neptune may make the answers feel a little foggy, but Pluto reminds us that transformation begins with honesty.This is a day to be mindful of projection. We can sometimes mistake our fears for intuition or our hopes for reality, especially when we’re navigating an uncertain transition.You don’t need to dismiss your intuition, but you also don’t need to treat every feeling as an established fact.Get quiet. Look beneath the story. Give the truth room to reveal itself.Work with it:* Notice where you’re idealizing or catastrophizing.* Question a role you’ve been playing in a relationship.* Allow an outdated identity to fall away.* Give yourself space before making assumptions.* Ask: What truth am I ready to acknowledge about who I’m becoming?Saturday, September 26Full Moon in AriesThe Full Moon in Aries illuminates the relationship between self and other, bringing the Libra–Aries axis into focus.Libra asks how we relate, compromise, collaborate, and create harmony. Aries asks who we are as individuals, what we want, and whether we have the courage to pursue it.Neither is meant to exist without the other.But sometimes, in our desire to maintain peace, we lose touch with ourselves. We become so focused on what everyone else needs that we forget to ask what we need.Or we become so afraid of disappointing someone that we convince ourselves our desires don’t matter.This Full Moon invites us to notice where that imbalance has developed.And given the Nine of Swords that practically assaulted me this week, I think it’s worth remembering that being honest about what we need can be scary.It might require a difficult conversation.It might mean admitting that something isn’t working.It might mean allowing someone to be disappointed.It might mean choosing a path that other people don’t understand.But courage isn’t the absence of fear.Sometimes courage is telling the truth while your voice is shaking.Let this Full Moon illuminate where you’ve been abandoning yourself to maintain an illusion of harmony. You don’t have to become combative or burn everything to the ground. You can be honest, compassionate, and firm at the same time.Work with it:* Reflect on the balance between your needs and others’ needs.* Release a pattern of people-pleasing.* Express a desire you’ve been minimizing.* Move your body to release pent-up emotion.* Ask: Where do I need the courage to choose myself without closing my heart to others?Sunday, September 27Mars in Cancer square Chiron retrograde in AriesMars enters LeoWe close the week with Mars making one final challenging aspect before changing signs.Mars in Cancer square Chiron in Aries may stir up tenderness around identity, independence, emotional safety, or the feeling that we have to fight to have our needs acknowledged.Something may touch an old wound.And when that happens, we can become defensive before we even understand what we’re defending.So before reacting, pause.Ask yourself whether you’re responding to what is happening now or to something that happened a long time ago.You don’t have to shame yourself for being triggered. But you do have the opportunity to recognize the pattern and choose how you want to respond.Then Mars enters Leo, shifting the tone from protective Cancer into expressive, creative, heart-centered fire.And after a week of facing fears, acknowledging vulnerability, and navigating transition, I love the symbolism of this shift.Mars in Leo reminds us that courage can also look like joy.It can look like creating something.Putting yourself out there.Following a passion.Allowing yourself to be seen.You don’t have to wait until you’ve healed every wound or eliminated every fear before you begin living more fully.You can be a work in progress and still take up space.Work with it:* Pause before reacting from an old wound.* Notice what you’re trying to protect.* Express your needs without attacking.* Make time for creativity or play.* Take one heart-led action toward something you want.* Ask: What would I do if I allowed myself to be both vulnerable and courageous?The Message for the Week As we cross the equinox and enter Libra season, I hope you’ll give yourself permission to be human through whatever transition you’re experiencing.You don’t have to perform.You don’t have to pretend you’re not scared or worried.You don’t have to have the entire next chapter mapped out.And you certainly don’t have to wait until you feel completely fearless before taking the next step.Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit that you’re struggling and allow yourself to be supported. Sometimes it’s telling someone the truth. Sometimes it’s setting a boundary. And sometimes it’s simply getting out of bed, honoring what your body needs, and trusting that you’re still moving forward even when the transformation feels messy.The butterfly doesn’t become a butterfly by pretending the caterpillar never existed.It honors the entire process. So, honor yours.love & stardust, Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

This is the last full week of summer.Something about the end of a season always makes me a little reflective. Maybe it is watching the light change or noticing the first leaves beginning to change. Maybe it is feeling the mornings becoming cooler and realizing that the version of the world we have been living in for the last few months is already beginning to disappear.Nature doesn’t seem particularly concerned with holding on.The trees don’t negotiate with their leaves.They don’t panic when they start to change or worry about what they will look like without them. They don’t desperately glue them back onto the branches because they aren’t quite sure what comes after fall.They let them fall. And I think there is something in that for us this week.As we move through the final days of summer, you may be closing out something that began only a few months ago. Or perhaps what you are completing is much bigger: a relationship, identity, belief, dream, pattern, chapter, or version of yourself that has been unraveling for years.Sometimes we know exactly what is ending. Other times we simply feel that something has changed.We aren’t who we were anymore, but we don’t quite know who we are becoming either. And that in-between place can be uncomfortable as hell.Because we humans like to know what happens next. We want the plan. We want reassurance. We want the Universe to hand us the itinerary before we agree to leave the place we’ve outgrown.But transformation rarely works that way. Sometimes life asks you to release something before showing you what will take its place.That is why I wasn’t surprised when I pulled the Death card for this week.Death in Tarot isn’t necessarily about literal death. It is the archetype of endings, transformation, shedding, and rebirth. It appears when something has reached the end of its natural life cycle and asks us to stop trying to resuscitate what is already complete.Perhaps that is the question hovering over this final week of summer:What are you ready to let fall away?Not because you know exactly what will replace it. But because you know you cannot carry it into the season you’re becoming.Your Allies for the WeekDeath — Let It EndThe Death card arrives when we are standing at a threshold. Something is ending so something else can eventually begin, but there is often a space between those two experiences that we would much rather skip.We want death → rebirth.Nature reminds us that an entire season lies between the falling leaves and the first spring bloom.There is winter.There is darkness.There is decomposition.There is rest.A quiet transformation happens beneath the surface before anything new becomes visible.So, if something is ending right now, resist the urge to immediately fill the empty space.Let the ending be an ending.Grieve it if you need to.Honor what it taught you.Then let it become compost for whatever comes next.Rabbit — Don’t Let Fear Write the StoryRabbit often appears when fear has gotten hold of the imagination. Something feels uncertain, and suddenly your mind has written an entire story about everything that could possibly go wrong.You don’t know what’s going to happen, so your brain decides to prepare you by imagining the worst possible outcome. Helpful. Thanks, brain. But uncertainty does not automatically mean danger.Rabbit reminds us that when we feel out of control, our work isn’t always to figure everything out.Sometimes it is to stop.Go inward.Rest your mind.Rest your body.Notice where you are creating a future that hasn’t happened yet.You don’t need to solve an imaginary problem today. Come back to what is actually here.Horsetail — Trust the GestationHorsetail carries the energy of both Saturn and Venus, which feels incredibly appropriate for this week.Saturn understands time, patience, endurance, and maturation. Venus reminds us of worth, beauty, creativity, and our capacity to receive.Together they say:Don’t rush what is unfolding.Horsetail is ancient. Versions of this plant existed hundreds of millions of years ago, long before dinosaurs walked the Earth. It has survived unimaginable changes on this planet and continues growing today.There is something comforting about that.You have survived many versions of yourself too.You have moved through endings you once thought would destroy you. You have lived through seasons when you couldn’t imagine what came next. And yet here you are.If you are in a period of gestation, let yourself be there. You don’t have to dig up the seed every morning to make sure it’s growing.Trust the process.I personally love making a tea with horsetail, nettle, and hibiscus and sipping it throughout the day as a simple ritual of nourishment and connection to this medicine.The Astrology of the WeekMonday, September 14Moon in ScorpioSun in Virgo sextile Mars in CancerThe Virgo Sun wants discernment. Mars in Cancer wants action rooted in emotional truth, protection, and what genuinely matters to us.With the Moon in Scorpio, superficial answers aren’t particularly satisfying today. Go deeper.If you know something needs to change, you don’t necessarily have to change your entire life by dinner. But you can take one action that acknowledges the truth.Sometimes letting go begins with simply stopping the behavior that keeps you attached.Work with it:* Take one practical action toward change.* Clean or clear something you’ve been avoiding.* Trust what your emotions are revealing.* Protect your time and energy.* Ask: What am I ready to stop feeding?Tuesday, September 15Venus in Scorpio square Pluto in AquariusMoon in Scorpio conjunct SekhmetNeptune in Aries sextile Pluto in AquariusVenus square Pluto can bring our attachments into sharp focus, particularly around relationships, desire, worth, intimacy, money, control, and power.Then the Scorpio Moon meets Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess whose mythology carries themes of rage, destruction, protection, healing, and the fierce feminine power that refuses to remain contained.There may be something today that you can no longer pretend doesn’t bother you. Good. Anger isn’t always a problem to eliminate. Sometimes anger is information.It shows us where a boundary has been crossed, where resentment has accumulated, or where we have abandoned ourselves to maintain peace.Meanwhile, Neptune sextile Pluto adds a larger transformational current beneath everything. Something deeper is shifting. Let it.Work with it:* Notice where control or attachment is showing up.* Listen to your anger without acting on it immediately.* Tell yourself the truth about a relationship or desire.* Reclaim energy you’ve given away.* Ask: What is my anger trying to protect?Liver Meridian Meditation: https://insig.ht/QC62yPRNo6b Wednesday, September 16Moon enters SagittariusMoon conjunct KlothoAnd then comes Klotho. Of the three Moirai, or Fates, Klotho is the spinner, the one who spins the thread of life.Which feels incredibly significant in a week ruled by the Death card. Because endings and beginnings aren’t actually separate events.One thread ends. Another begins.The Sagittarius Moon asks us to lift our eyes from what has been lost and remember that there is still an enormous world ahead of us.You don’t need to know the why. Just notice what is beginning to tug at you.Work with it:* Follow curiosity.* Write down a new idea.* Notice what suddenly feels exciting again.* Allow yourself to imagine a different future.* Ask: What new thread is asking me to follow it?Thursday, September 17Chiron retrograde re-enters AriesMoon in Sagittarius conjunct AmphitriteChiron’s return to Aries brings us back into unfinished territory around identity, courage, autonomy, and the right to exist as ourselves.An old wound may be asking for another look. Not because you failed to heal it. Because healing isn’t linear.We return to the same places as different versions of ourselves.And today the Moon also meets Amphitrite, Queen of the Sea, bringing us back to the wisdom of surrendering to currents larger than ourselves.You don’t have to fight every wave. Some things are meant to be navigated rather than controlled.Work with it:* Notice an old wound without judging its return.* Give yourself permission to respond differently this time.* Release the need to control an outcome.* Ask what version of you is ready to be left behind.* Ask: Who am I when I stop defining myself through this wound?Friday, September 18Mercury in Libra opposite Saturn in AriesMercury opposite Saturn can bring serious conversations, difficult decisions, delays, self-doubt, or the feeling that you need to choose your words carefully.That's exactly where Rabbit medicine comes in.One difficult conversation does not mean everything is falling apart.One delay does not mean the answer is no.One uncomfortable thought does not make it true.Don’t let fear take one piece of information and build an entire catastrophic future around it. Slow down. Deal with what is actually happening.Work with it:* Pause before assuming the worst.* Have the mature conversation.* Be clear about boundaries.* Separate facts from fear.* Give yourself time before deciding.* Ask: What do I actually know right now?* Note: I had to end the recording here as my daughter woke up, right as I was talking about this aspect and delays lol THAT IS LIFE! She wants to snuggle, so I am going to go do that and trust this is where the recording needed to end. xo Saturday, September 19Moon enters CapricornMoon conjunct ArachneArachne arrives as we move toward the end of the week, and she asks us to look at the stories being woven around our lives.Arachne’s myth carries the power to tell the truth through creation, even when that truth makes those in power uncomfortable.With the Moon in Capricorn, this isn’t just about recognizing the story. It’s about taking responsibility for what you continue weaving.What narrative about yourself have you repeated for so long that you now mistake it for truth?What would happen if you stopped weaving yourself into the same old story?You are allowed to change the pattern.Work with it:* Notice the story you keep repeating.* Write, create, or speak something honest.* Take responsibility without taking unnecessary blame.* Choose the narrative you want to carry forward.* Ask: What story am I no longer willing to weave?Sunday, September 20Moon in Capricorn conjunct EchoAnd we close the week with Echo.Which feels almost too perfect. Because endings have echoes.Old relationships echo.Old identities echo.Old fears echo.Even after we’ve decided to leave something behind, we may still hear its voice.Echo’s mythology reminds us what happens when our own voice becomes lost inside someone else’s story.So, perhaps the final work of this week isn’t simply releasing what is over. It is noticing which voices you’re still carrying with you.Whose expectations are you hearing?Whose criticism?Whose definition of who you’re supposed to be?Is it even yours?You don’t have to carry every echo into the next season.Work with it:* Notice whose voice lives inside your self-talk.* Spend time in quiet.* Release an expectation that isn’t yours.* Reconnect with your own voice.* Ask: What do I believe when no one else is speaking?The Message for the WeekThere is a strange vulnerability in the end of a season.We can feel something changing before we fully understand what it means. The light shifts. The temperature drops. The leaves begin loosening from the trees. And nature doesn’t immediately replace what it releases.That may be the part I want us to remember this week. You don’t have to immediately replace what you’re letting go of either. If a relationship ends, you don’t need to know who comes next. If a dream changes, you don’t need the replacement dream immediately. If an identity no longer fits, you don’t have to have the new version of yourself completely figured out. If a chapter closes, you are allowed to sit for a moment in the blank space before writing the next one.The Death card reminds us that endings are part of the cycle. Rabbit reminds us not to fill the unknown with stories about everything that could go wrong. And Horsetail reminds us that we are far more resilient than we sometimes remember.There is a period of gestation between who you were and who you are becoming.Let there be.Maybe you are closing out the last few months.Maybe you are closing out years.Maybe you can’t even name what is ending yet—you simply know that you cannot return to the person you were at the beginning of this season.Whatever it is, you don’t have to force the next chapter into existence.Let the leaves fall.Let what is complete be complete. Let the empty branches exist without immediately deciding they are barren.Your work this week isn’t to figure out what comes next. It isn’t to try and make meaning of every little thing. Perhaps it is simply to ask:What am I finally ready to stop carrying with me?Then trust that whatever space you create will not remain empty forever.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

I got a new tattoo yesterday!! I am so excited :) It was custom-designed for me by the beautiful Sarah Flores, and while I obviously love how it looks, its purpose goes much deeper than that. I wanted something permanently placed on my body to help me ground the cosmic wisdom I channel, specifically my connection with the asteroid goddesses, as I begin writing my book.There is something about taking what feels invisible, intuitive, cosmic, or spiritual and giving it physical form that feels incredibly powerful and much needed with all the air and fire in my birth chart. An idea becomes words on a page. An intuitive message becomes something spoken aloud. A vision becomes a business. Cosmic symbols become ink permanently etched into skin.The invisible becomes embodied. And isn’t that manifestation?We talk so much about manifestation as calling something toward us, but I think there is another part of the process we don’t talk about enough: becoming a physical participant in what we are asking to create. At some point, the vision has to leave the energetic realm and enter the body. We have to write the first sentence, make the appointment, create the ritual, send the email, sign up for the class, or take whatever physical action tells the Universe: I’m ready to meet you here.That feels especially important as we approach this week’s New Moon in Virgo.Virgo reminds us that spirituality isn’t separate from the physical world. The body can be an altar. Your routines can become rituals. The way you prepare your morning coffee, organize your desk, nourish yourself, tend your home, write in your journal, or sit down at the same time each day to work on something meaningful can become part of your spiritual practice.We don’t always need another profound spiritual experience. Sometimes we need to ground the wisdom we’ve already received.For me, this tattoo feels like part of that grounding. I know what I’m being called to write. I know these goddess stories want to move through me. The tattoo isn’t going to write the book for me, but every time I see it, I am reminded of the commitment I’ve made to give this wisdom form. And perhaps that’s the invitation of this Virgo New Moon for all of us.What wisdom are you ready to embody?What vision needs a container? What dream needs a practice? What intuitive knowing needs action? What would happen if you stopped waiting for another sign and began creating a ritual around what you already know you’re here to do?Manifestation is devotion to yourself and your purpose. Card Pull for the WeekTurtle — Ancient Soul WisdomTurtle returns with the medicine of ancient wisdom, grounded truth, trust, and being deeply at home within yourself.Turtle doesn’t rush. It carries home with it.There is something beautifully Virgo about that. When we are grounded in ourselves, we don’t have to frantically search outside ourselves for direction. We can move slowly enough to hear the deeper wisdom that has been traveling with us all along.Turtle asks you to trust what your soul already knows.This week, instead of asking How quickly can I get there?, perhaps ask:How deeply can I inhabit the life I’m creating?Four of Swords — Rest Before RenewalThe Four of Swords came through this week with a simple message: rest.As we move toward Thursday’s New Moon, we are traveling through the darkest phase of the lunar cycle- a natural time for retreat, reflection, and allowing our energy to turn inward. Before we plant new seeds, there is an invitation to become still enough to recognize which seeds we actually want to plant.The Four of Swords reminds us that rest is not separate from the work. Rest is part of the work. You don’t have to constantly produce, push, heal, improve, or figure everything out. Sometimes the next breakthrough comes because you finally gave your mind and body enough quiet to receive it.As the Moon disappears into darkness, let yourself disappear a little too. Sleep more. Create space. Turn down the outside noise. Let something incubate.Because Thursday’s Virgo New Moon will ask you to begin again, but you don’t have to arrive there exhausted.Rest first. Then create.Motherwort — The Lionhearted OneOur plant ally this week is Motherwort, an herb connected with Venus and the energetic and spiritual heart.Motherwort brings strength, creativity, inner trust, and confidence. There is a softness to her medicine, but softness should never be confused with weakness.She is called the Lionhearted One.And I love that image for this week. Because bringing something you love into physical form requires courage.It takes courage to make the art.Write the book.Begin the business.Open your heart.Trust your creativity.Let other people see what has been living inside you.Motherwort reminds us that creation doesn’t only come from the mind.Create from the heart.You can also work with Motherwort energetically this week by burning it as part of a cleansing ritual for yourself or your space. The Astrology of the WeekMonday, September 7Moon enters LeoMoon trine Neptune in AriesMoon opposite Pluto in AquariusWe begin the week with the Moon entering Leo, bringing our attention toward creativity, expression, confidence, and the heart.Its trine to Neptune opens the intuitive and imaginative channels. Inspiration may arrive easily. You may feel particularly creative, spiritually connected, or pulled toward something you can’t completely explain.But the opposition to Pluto can bring something deeper to the surface.Where are you afraid of being fully seen?Sometimes the thing standing between inspiration and manifestation isn’t a lack of ideas.It’s the vulnerability required to give those ideas form.Work with it:* Create without worrying about the outcome.* Follow an intuitive idea.* Notice fears around visibility.* Let yourself want what you want.* Ask: What wants to move through me?Tuesday, September 8Moon in Leo conjunct Jupiter in LeoGo BIG! The Moon meeting Jupiter in Leo expands emotion, confidence, generosity, creativity, and our desire to express ourselves.This feels like a beautiful Motherwort day.Let your heart take up some space.What would you create if you weren’t worried about whether anyone else understood it?What would you pursue if you trusted that your enthusiasm was enough reason to begin?There can be a tendency toward excess with Jupiter, so enjoy the expansion without promising the entire world before breakfast.Work with it:* Celebrate yourself.* Make something.* Share an idea.* Do something playful.* Let yourself be enthusiastic.* Ask: What would I do if I trusted my creative heart?Wednesday, September 9Moon enters VirgoMoon conjunct NyxThe energy turns inward as we approach tomorrow’s New Moon.And the Moon meets Nyx, primordial goddess of the night.Nyx existed before the world had fully taken form. She reminds us that darkness isn’t necessarily emptiness.Sometimes darkness is gestation.Not everything needs to be revealed yet.The seed spends time underground before it becomes anything we can see.Today is a beautiful day to get quiet, clear your physical space, listen to your body, and create room for whatever is preparing to emerge.Work with it:* Spend time alone.* Clean your altar or sacred space.* Journal before bed.* Pay attention to dreams.* Let an idea gestate without forcing it.* Ask: What is forming in the darkness?Thursday, September 10NEW MOON IN VIRGOMercury enters LibraVenus enters ScorpioVenus opposite Chiron in TaurusThis New Moon is an invitation to create rituals around the life you’re trying to manifest. Give the vision somewhere to live.Virgo understands that intentions become powerful when we give them structure.Don’t only write down what you want.Ask yourself:What practice supports it?If you want to write, when will you write?If you want to feel better in your body, how will you tend to it?If you want deeper relationships, what behaviors create intimacy?If you want more peace, what needs to change in your everyday environment?Meanwhile, Mercury enters Libra, and Venus enters Scorpio, shifting conversations and relationships into deeper territory. Venus opposing Chiron may expose tenderness around worth, trust, intimacy, receiving, or feeling safe enough to desire what you truly want.Don’t let an old wound determine what you’re allowed to create next.Work with it:* Set New Moon intentions.* Create a ritual around one intention.* Choose one sustainable habit.* Tend to your physical space.* Notice where receiving feels uncomfortable.* Ask: How can I physically participate in what I’m asking the Universe to create with me?Friday, September 11Uranus stations retrograde in GeminiSomething about the way you think may be ready to change.When Uranus stations retrograde, the revolution turns inward.Gemini rules information, language, ideas, communication, and the stories through which we understand our lives. Over the coming months, you may begin questioning beliefs or narratives you previously accepted without much thought. You may be revisiting something that you never acted on. Pay attention to the strange idea.The unexpected realization.The thought that seemingly comes out of nowhere.Sometimes breakthroughs begin as interruptions.Work with it:* Question an old belief.* Write down unexpected ideas.* Change how you approach a familiar problem.* Give your mind space to wander.* Ask: What if there is another way?Saturday, September 12Moon in LibraMercury in Libra trine Pluto in AquariusMercury opposite Neptune in AriesToday asks for discernment. Mercury-Pluto wants to go beneath the surface and uncover what’s really being said, while Mercury-Neptune can blur the line between intuition, projection, fantasy, and fact.Not every thought is truth.Not every fear is intuition.And not everything meaningful can be logically explained.This is where embodiment becomes useful.Instead of endlessly analyzing something, notice how it feels in your body.Does it create expansion?Contraction?Peace?Urgency?Your body may have information your mind hasn’t figured out yet.Work with it:* Have a meaningful conversation.* Listen beneath someone’s words.* Avoid making assumptions.* Check intuitive impressions against reality.* Come back into your body before deciding.* Ask: What feels true beneath the story?Sunday, September 13Mercury in Libra trine Uranus in GeminiMoon in Libra void most of the dayMercury trine Uranus can bring fresh ideas, surprising conversations, new connections, and a completely different perspective on something you’ve been contemplating.But with the Moon void for much of the day, you don’t necessarily have to act on everything immediately.Receive the insight.Write it down.Let it breathe.Remember Turtle - wisdom doesn’t need to rush.Work with it:* Write down new ideas.* Have interesting conversations.* Let yourself think differently.* Avoid forcing decisions.* Create something simply because you’re curious.* Ask: What new possibility am I ready to make room for?The Message for the WeekI keep coming back to the image of putting ink into my skin and realizing that what makes the tattoo meaningful isn’t simply the symbols themselves. It is the intention I am choosing to attach to them. I am giving something invisible a physical home. Every time I look at it, I will be reminded of the wisdom I have received, the goddesses whose stories I want to tell, and the commitment I am making to actually sit down and write them.And I think there is something in that for all of us this week.We receive so much information. We have insights. We pull cards. We listen to podcasts. We read books. We journal. We meditate. We ask the Universe for signs. We collect wisdom constantly. But eventually, wisdom asks to become embodied. It asks to change the way we live.That is the magic of Virgo.Virgo takes what is sacred and gives it a practice. It reminds us that manifestation isn’t only imagining the future we want. It is creating an everyday life capable of holding it.Your dream needs somewhere to live.Your creativity needs somewhere to go.Your intuition needs your participation.And your future self is being created through the small things you choose to do again and again.Turtle reminds us that we can move slowly and still be moving toward something meaningful. Motherwort reminds us to create from the heart and trust ourselves enough to give our creativity form. And the Virgo New Moon asks us to turn that wisdom into ritual.So this week, choose something you already know.Not something you need another reading, another sign, or another confirmation about.Something you know.Then create one physical act that honors it.Write the page.Clear the desk.Light the candle.Make the appointment.Begin the ritual.Take the first step.Let your body become part of the manifestation.Because perhaps the question isn’t only: What am I calling into my life?Perhaps it’s also: Am I creating a life that can hold what I’m asking for?love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

This week draws our attention to the relationship between what we think and what we actually do about it. We are deep into Virgo season, a Mercury-ruled time that naturally pulls us into the mind. We analyze, organize, make the lists, notice all the tiny details, and try to figure out what makes the most logical sense. And there is nothing wrong with that. We need our minds. They are powerful tools for navigating this very human experience.But there is also A LOT of Mars energy woven into the astrology this week, bringing our desires, impulses, frustrations, courage, and willingness to take action into the conversation. So we have Mercury asking, What makes sense? While Mars is asking, okay, but what are you actually going to do about it?And somewhere between those two voices is another one I don’t want you to forget: your intuitive mind. Your body. Your heart. The part of you that knows something before you can logically explain why you know it.I think sometimes we become so focused on making the “right” decision that we completely bypass what we already know. We analyze the relationship. We make the list of pros and cons. We ask five friends what they think. We pull another card. We Google it. We read another book or listen to another podcast. We intellectualize the hell out of something because accepting what our intuition has already told us would mean we’d actually have to do something about it.And that part can be uncomfortable.Because knowing creates responsibility. Once you admit to yourself that something isn’t working, you have to decide whether you’re willing to change it. Once you acknowledge what you really want, you have to decide whether you’re willing to pursue it. Once you recognize that a boundary has been crossed, you have to decide whether you’re willing to enforce it.That’s the real invitation of this week.Don’t abandon logic. Don’t stop asking questions. Don’t stop thinking critically or paying attention to the details. That’s part of the medicine of Virgo season. But don’t let logic become so loud that you can no longer hear your own inner knowing.There are some things you aren’t going to think your way into understanding. There are some answers that arrive through the body, the heart, synchronicity, intuition, and that quiet voice inside of you that simply says, I know.The question this week is whether you’re willing to trust it.Your Allies for the WeekThis week’s cards could not have been more fitting.Ginkgo — Breakthrough + New ConsciousnessBefore I even pulled a card, I knew Raven was coming through. Raven medicine has been showing up a lot for me lately, as birds usually do, and there was something about the energy this week that felt like it carried Raven’s message.Then I pulled Ginkgo. Of course.Ginkgo carries the medicine of Raven, Mars, and Uranus- breakthrough, courage, resilience, and a revolutionary shift in consciousness.It appears when you’re being asked to stay courageous on your journey toward a new level of awareness.Something may click this week.An idea.A realization.A truth you’ve been circling around.A completely different way of seeing your situation.But Ginkgo also carries an important reminder: Don’t allow negativity to cloud your path.You may not be able to see exactly where a breakthrough is leading yet. Keep going anyway.Unicorn — Trust What You Cannot SeeUnicorn is back again this week. And when an ally repeats itself, it is important to pay attention.Unicorn asks us to examine our relationship with the unseen.We joke about unicorns:Did they ever really exist?But isn’t that sometimes how we treat our intuition?Did I really feel that?Was that actually a sign?Am I imagining this?What if I’m wrong?We demand physical proof for something our soul already recognizes.Unicorn reminds you:You don’t have to see everything to believe it.Trust your connection to your intuition, Spirit, the Universe, your higher self- whatever language resonates with you. Not everything meaningful can be proven through logic.Octopus — Boundaries + DirectionOctopus is incredibly intelligent. But its shadow energy can represent reaching in too many directions, yearning, overextending, lacking boundaries, and losing your sense of direction.Sound familiar, Virgo?Sometimes the mind keeps reaching.Another explanation.Another possibility.Another solution.Another person’s opinion.Another thing to fix.Octopus says:Come back to yourself.Stop reaching outside of yourself for the answer long enough to hear what’s happening inside you.And I have to mention that when I pulled this card, all I could think about was the research showing female octopuses throwing shells and sea debris at unwanted male harassers. If that isn’t fitting for our current times. 😂Sometimes spiritual growth looks like meditation. Sometimes it looks like throwing a metaphorical shell and saying, "No." That’s enough.Healthy boundaries are part of the medicine this week.The Astrology of the WeekMonday, August 31Jupiter in Leo trine Saturn in AriesWe begin the week with one of those beautiful combinations of expansion and structure.Jupiter says: Think bigger.Saturn says: Okay. Now what are you willing to build?This is supportive energy for taking something you’ve imagined and giving it structure. The vision doesn’t have to stay a vision anymore.But don’t confuse slow, sustainable growth with a lack of movement.You don’t have to do everything today. You just need to show your dream that you’re serious about it.Work with it:* Revisit a long-term goal.* Make one practical move toward something bigger.* Say yes to growth that feels sustainable.* Create structure around a dream.* Ask: What am I ready to take seriously?Tuesday, September 1Moon in TaurusMars in Cancer square Saturn in AriesMercury in Virgo sextile Mars in CancerToday could feel a little like having one foot on the gas and another on the brake.Mars wants movement. Saturn creates resistance, and resistance can be frustrating.But Mercury sextile Mars gives you an opportunity to get intentional about where you’re directing your energy.Instead of immediately reacting to the obstacle, think before you act.Maybe the delay is useful.Maybe the boundary is necessary.Maybe your frustration is showing you where something needs to change.The Taurus Moon says slow down enough to figure it out.Work with it:* Don’t force something that isn’t moving.* Pause before reacting from frustration.* Have the conversation instead of stewing over it.* Focus your energy on what you can control.* Let your body help you make the decision.* Ask: Where does my energy actually belong?Wednesday, September 2Void Moon in Taurus All DayThis is not the day to force answers. It’s a day to tend.The Taurus Moon wants simplicity, embodiment, nourishment, and presence.Remember Octopus. If you’ve been reaching in ten different directions trying to figure something out, pull your tentacles back in and come home to yourself.Sometimes clarity arrives when you stop looking for it.Work with it:* Finish what you’ve already started.* Avoid forcing major decisions.* Eat something nourishing.* Spend time outside.* Get into your body.* Give yourself permission to do less.Thursday, September 3Moon enters GeminiMoon conjunct Uranus in GeminiThe Moon meets Uranus in Gemini, and something can suddenly click.A conversation changes your perspective.An unexpected idea arrives.Information comes through.You finally understand something you’ve been trying to make sense of. Or life simply throws you a curveball that requires you to think differently.Stay curious. The breakthrough may arrive disguised in something so simple. Work with it:* Write down sudden ideas.* Have interesting conversations.* Change your routine.* Follow your curiosity.* Stay flexible when plans shift.* Ask: What am I being invited to see differently?Friday, September 4Moon in Gemini square Mercury in VirgoYour mind could be LOUD today. There may be too many thoughts, too many options, too much information, or an urge to analyze every possible outcome.You don’t need another answer from outside yourself.You might need silence.Put down the phone.Close the seventeen tabs. Stop asking everyone what they think.Go somewhere quiet and ask yourself: What do I already know?Work with it:* Step away from information overload.* Journal instead of overthinking.* Don’t believe every thought you have.* Give your nervous system a break.* Trust your intuition.* Create boundaries around other people’s opinions.Saturday, September 5Moon in Gemini trine North Node in AquariusMoon enters CancerMoon square Neptune in AriesThere may be a conversation, an idea, an encounter, or a piece of information today that feels strangely significant.The Moon connecting with the North Node can create those little moments where life seems to whisper: pay attention to this.But later, as the Moon enters Cancer and squares Neptune, clarity can become murkier.Don’t immediately turn every intuitive feeling into a story. Feel it first.There is a difference between intuition and anxiety. Intuition often arrives quietly. Fear usually has a LOT more to say.Work with it:* Pay attention to meaningful conversations.* Notice synchronicities.* Write down intuitive hits.* Don’t force yourself to interpret everything immediately.* Give emotions time to settle.* Ask: Is this my intuition speaking, or is this fear filling in the blanks?Sunday, September 6Moon in Cancer conjunct Mars in CancerWe end the week with emotion becoming action.Mars in Cancer fights for what it loves.Home.Family.Safety.Belonging.The people and places that matter.But Mars can also make emotions reactive, especially when we feel vulnerable or threatened.Healthy boundaries are necessary.You don’t have to explain your no twelve different ways. You don’t have to keep reaching toward someone who isn’t reaching back. And you don’t have to abandon your own emotional needs to keep everyone else comfortable.Work with it:* Move your body to release emotion.* Protect your energy.* Tend to your home.* Say no where you need to.* Take action on something your heart cares about.* Ask: What is worth protecting?The Message for the WeekYour mind is an incredible tool. Use it. Analyze. Question. Learn. Plan. Organize. Think critically. Let Virgo season help you notice the details you’ve been overlooking and make the practical changes that will support where you’re trying to go.But don’t worship at the altar of logic so completely that you forget there are other forms of intelligence living inside you. Your intuition is intelligence. Your body is intelligence. Your heart is intelligence. Sometimes they recognize the truth long before your mind has collected enough evidence to feel comfortable believing it.That’s what I think our allies are trying to remind us this week. Ginkgo asks us to stay courageous enough to allow a breakthrough to change our perspective, even when it disrupts what we thought we knew. Unicorn asks us to trust what we cannot always see or prove and to remain connected to the unseen intelligence guiding our lives. And Octopus reminds us to stop reaching in every direction for answers, validation, or certainty and instead pull our energy back toward ourselves. Sometimes the boundary isn’t just between you and another person. Sometimes the boundary is between your own knowing and the endless noise trying to convince you otherwise.Maybe the goal isn’t to choose between your logical mind and your intuitive mind. Maybe it’s learning how to let them sit at the same table. To allow Mercury to gather the information, your intuition to tell you what feels true, and Mars to give you the courage to actually do something about it.Because eventually, there comes a point when you’ve thought about it enough.You’ve analyzed it enough.You’ve asked enough people.You’ve pulled enough cards.You’ve considered enough possibilities.And the only thing left to do is trust yourself.So when you catch yourself overthinking the hell out of something this week, come back to one simple question: what do I already know? Then give yourself enough quiet time to hear the answer.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

There is something deeply satisfying about cleaning out your refrigerator.Okay… hear me out.You finally pull out the containers that have been sitting in the back for who knows how long. You wipe down the shelves. You throw away the vegetables you had every intention of eating. You discover the mysterious sticky substance that has somehow been living underneath the produce drawer.And suddenly, you can breathe.The desire to clean out your fridge is really the desire to clean out all the old pieces of life that have fallen through the cracks and quietly started creating a mess.The drawer you keep avoiding. The email you still haven’t answered. The pile of clothes waiting to be donated. The appointment you need to make. The conversation you keep putting off. The thought you replay every night before bed.All those little mundane things you need to get to but never do eventually add up.They become clutter.And clutter doesn’t only exist in our homes. It exists in our minds, our bodies, our relationships, and our energetic fields. Eventually, we spend so much energy navigating around the mess that there isn’t much room left for anything new.Welcome to Virgo season.Virgo understands something deeply sacred about tending to what is directly in front of us. There is spirituality in folding the clothes. There is healing in cleaning out the closet. There is ritual in preparing your food, organizing your calendar, tending your garden, taking your vitamins, answering the email, and finally doing the thing you’ve been telling yourself you’ll get to later.We often think transformation needs to be BIG. But sometimes the most transformative thing you can do is clean your kitchen.Because every time you tend to your physical world, you’re sending yourself a message:My life is worthy of my attention.And this week, with a Full Moon Eclipse in Pisces opposing all of this Virgo energy, there is something even deeper happening.Virgo asks us to tend to the physical world.Pisces reminds us there is an invisible one running alongside it.One asks us to clean the container.The other asks us to surrender what we can no longer carry.Maybe that’s the ritual this week.Clear what has accumulated so you can hear what spirit wants to fill the space with next.*Listen to the voice note above for a deeper dive into this energy and then read the daily breakdown below.Your plant and animal allies for the weekChamomile — Inner PeaceChamomile carries the energy of both the Sun and Moon: softness, purity, warmth, and graceful power.Its medicine this week is particularly connected to the nervous system, stomach, and solar plexus- the places where we so often store the stresses we tell ourselves aren’t a big deal.Because the little things add up. The small frustration. The unanswered message. The task you keep postponing. The resentment you haven’t acknowledged. The five-minute problem you’ve spent three weeks avoiding.Eventually, the nervous system begins carrying all of it.Chamomile asks:What could you tend to now before it becomes something heavier?Inner peace isn’t always something we find through meditation. Sometimes we create it by finally dealing with what has been quietly disturbing it.Wolf — Ritual + Letting GoWolf is reliable, fearless, protective, and deeply connected to ritual.Its medicine reminds us that letting go is not a single event. It is a practice.We release. We return. We discover another layer. We release again.This feels especially important as we approach Thursday’s Pisces Eclipse. There may be something you’ve already decided to release that your body, habits, or emotional patterns are still holding onto.Create a ritual around the release.Write it down.Burn it.Clean it out.Donate it.Delete it.Say goodbye.Let the physical act tell your psyche: We don’t live here anymore.Turtle — Ancient SoulTurtle is grounded, trusting, and completely at home within itself.There is no rushing Turtle. It carries its home wherever it goes.Turtle is also connected with the writer and storyteller, which gives us a beautiful question to carry through this eclipse:What story are you ready to write now?Not the story you’ve been repeating.Not the story someone else wrote for you.Not the story you’ve outgrown but continue telling because it’s familiar.The next one.Go inward this week. Your ancient self may have something to say.Speaking of tapping into your goddess wisdom and writing a new story, if you live in Denver, come join me and my dear friend Jacki at our Eclipse event this Thursday to enter the temple of Pisces and rewrite your goddess story. Bring a friend and grab your spot here!Monday, August 24Void Moon in CapricornMoon conjunct Juno Retrograde in CapricornWe begin the week in a liminal space, as the Moon is void in Capricorn all day, making this a much better energy for tending to what already exists than for forcing something new into motion.And with the Moon meeting Juno retrograde, relationships, agreements, responsibilities, and commitments may come up for review.Where have you committed yourself out of obligation rather than alignment?Where are you carrying a responsibility that no longer belongs to you?This is very much a clean out the proverbial junk drawer kind of day.Don’t reinvent your life.Tend to it.Work with it:* Finish something you’ve been putting off.* Clean or organize one neglected space.* Review your commitments.* Tie up loose ends.* Ask: What am I maintaining simply because I’ve always maintained it?Tuesday, August 25Moon enters AquariusMercury enters VirgoMercury trine Chiron in TaurusMercury enters Virgo, one of the signs where Mercury is traditionally strongest, helping us notice details, identify patterns, and figure out what actually needs our attention.And its trine to Chiron in Taurus suggests that practical awareness can become healing.You don’t necessarily need another profound revelation.Maybe you need a better routine.Maybe you need to make the appointment.Maybe you need to change what you’re eating, reorganize your schedule, create a budget, or stop doing the thing your body keeps telling you doesn’t feel good.Healing can be practical.Work with it:* Make the appointment.* Create the list.* Solve one lingering problem.* Listen to what your body has been communicating.* Change one small habit.* Ask: What simple adjustment would make my life feel better?Wednesday, August 26Moon in Aquarius conjunct HekateWe meet Hekate at the crossroads. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect.We’re standing one day before a Full Moon Eclipse, and something may feel like it is reaching a threshold.Hekate doesn’t necessarily tell you which road to take. She hands you the torch. She reminds you that you already possess the wisdom necessary to navigate the uncertainty.You don’t need every answer before taking the next step.You need enough light to see the step directly in front of you.Work with it:* Create space for solitude.* Pull cards or journal.* Pay attention to synchronicities.* Light a candle and ask for guidance.* Notice where you’re standing at a crossroads.* Ask: What do I already know?Thursday, August 27Full Moon Eclipse in PiscesSun conjunct Mercury in VirgoHere we are. The Virgo-Pisces axis is the meeting place between the mundane and the mystical.Virgo asks:What needs tending?Pisces asks:What needs surrendering?Virgo organizes the altar.Pisces speaks to the gods.Virgo cleans the vessel.Pisces fills it with Spirit.And this eclipse may illuminate where we’ve become so consumed with controlling, fixing, organizing, analyzing, or understanding our lives that we’ve forgotten how to surrender to them.With the Sun conjunct Mercury in Virgo, the mind wants answers.Pisces may not give them.Instead, something may simply become clear because you finally stop trying to make sense of it.Eclipses have their own timing. I wouldn’t force manifestation or demand clarity today.Listen.Observe.Release.Work with it:* Create a simple release ritual.* Cleanse your physical space.* Take a bath or spend time near water.* Journal what you’re ready to stop carrying.* Pay attention to dreams and intuition.* Let something end without immediately deciding what replaces it.* Ask: What am I ready to surrender?Friday, August 28Moon in Pisces opposite Circe in VirgoSun + Mercury in Virgo square Uranus in GeminiYesterday’s eclipse may have opened something and today could rearrange it.Uranus brings disruption, breakthroughs, surprises, and sudden changes in perspective. With both the Sun and Mercury squaring Uranus, plans may change quickly, or information could arrive that forces you to see something differently.Stay flexible.Circe adds another interesting layer.The mythic witch reminds us of our ability to transform circumstances through knowledge, intention, and our relationship with our own power.You may not be able to control what happens. But you get to decide what you make of it.Work with it:* Leave room in your schedule.* Don’t panic if plans change.* Write down sudden ideas.* Notice unexpected information.* Resist the urge to control the outcome.* Ask: What is this disruption trying to show me?Saturday, August 29Void Moon in Pisces All DayDo less. Seriously.We have just moved through a Pisces Eclipse followed by Uranian disruption. Your nervous system may need a minute.The Pisces void Moon isn’t interested in productivity for productivity’s sake.Rest.Wander.Nap.Make art.Take a bath.Read something beautiful.Sit outside and stare at the sky.Let your mind have some empty space.Remember Chamomile; it makes a great tea!Peace needs somewhere to land.Work with it:* Rest without making it productive.* Take a social media break.* Spend time near water.* Make art or listen to music.* Drink some chamomile tea.* Let yourself simply be.Sunday, August 30Moon in Aries conjunct Saturn + NeptuneAnd then something begins again.The Moon moves into Aries and meets both Saturn and Neptune, bringing together dream and reality.Neptune asks:What do you imagine?Saturn asks:What are you willing to do about it?This is where the magic of the mundane comes full circle.You can have the vision. You can receive the intuition. You can perform the ritual.But eventually, you have to participate in creating the life you’re asking for.The dream needs devotion.Work with it:* Choose one intention for the week ahead.* Take one tangible step toward a dream.* Create a ritual or routine that supports your vision.* Move your body.* Don’t overwhelm yourself with the entire plan.* Ask: What can I begin tending today?The Message for the WeekMaybe the sacred isn’t somewhere outside your ordinary life. Maybe it is your ordinary life.The cup of tea.The freshly washed sheets.The vegetables you chop for dinner.The walk around the neighborhood.The journal beside your bed.The five minutes you spend cleaning the kitchen.The boundary you finally uphold.The appointment you finally make.The thing you finally throw away.This is ritual too.Virgo season reminds us that the way we tend to the smallest pieces of our lives becomes the way we tend to our lives as a whole.And this Pisces Eclipse asks us to release whatever has accumulated inside the spaces we’ve neglected.So clean something this week.Your refrigerator.Your closet.Your inbox.Your schedule.Your mind.Your heart.Make some room.Then resist the urge to immediately fill it.Sit inside the emptiness for a moment.Listen.Because spirit has been trying to give you something new... but first, it needed somewhere to put it.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

If last week felt like you were clearing out all the sh*t- metaphorically, emotionally, energetically, and maybe quite literally- this week feels different.This week feels like receiving.We are still moving through eclipse season, so there is an element of uncertainty in the air. Plans change. People surprise us. Doors close. Unexpected ones open. The path may not look anything like the one you thought you were walking.And this is where trust comes in.You don’t have to understand where everything is leading while you’re living it. Sometimes what feels like disruption is actually course correction. What feels like uncertainty is creating space for something you couldn’t have planned yourself.This week’s message is simple:Remain open to the mystery of the journey.YOUR ALLIES FOR THE WEEKHAWK — Course RedirectionFate has its eye on you, and the winds are shifting.Hawk asks you to zoom out. What looks confusing from where you’re standing may make perfect sense from a higher perspective.Pay attention to unexpected changes, synchronicities, and redirections this week.Maybe you’re not being thrown off course.Maybe you’re being put back on it.UNICORN — Higher WisdomUnicorn asks you to reconnect with the part of yourself that believes in what cannot always be explained.Spirit. Intuition. Synchronicity. Divine timing. Your higher self.Be curious about your relationship with the unseen this week.You don’t need proof for everything you know.Be unwavering in your belief that there is more happening than what you can currently see.ASHWAGANDHA — Divine PurposeConnected with North Node + Moon energy, Ashwagandha speaks to destiny, your future self, and the divine gifts waiting to be received.And its message couldn’t be more perfect for eclipse season:You don’t need to know the entirety of your purpose in order to pursue it.Take the next step and let the rest reveal itself.Want to dive into your path to purpose?! Take my online course or book a reading with me and let’s dive into this journey together. MONDAY | AUGUST 17Mercury in Leo trine Saturn in AriesVenus in Libra sextile Jupiter in LeoMars in Cancer square Neptune in AriesMoon void → Scorpio at 3:46 PM MTThere is beautiful supportive energy today for making plans, having meaningful conversations, and believing in what’s possible.But Mars square Neptune adds some fog. You may know where you ultimately want to go without knowing exactly how you’re going to get there.Don’t force the how.Mercury-Saturn says make the plan you can make. Venus-Jupiter says remain optimistic about what you can’t control.Work with it:* Make practical plans without demanding certainty.* Enjoy connection, beauty, and pleasure.* Don’t act impulsively when something feels unclear.* Let the void Moon create space instead of filling it.* Ask: What if I trusted the missing pieces will reveal themselves?TUESDAY | AUGUST 18Moon in Scorpio square Jupiter in LeoFeelings can get BIG today. Scorpio wants emotional truth while Jupiter in Leo can magnify whatever is already present.Before assuming something is a sign that everything is going wrong, zoom out.Remember your Hawk ally.Perspective changes everything.What feels enormous in this moment may simply be asking you to see the situation differently.Work with it:* Feel without catastrophizing.* Notice emotional exaggeration.* Dig beneath your initial reaction.* Give yourself time before making assumptions.* Ask: What might I see differently from a higher perspective?WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 19First Quarter Moon in ScorpioNow, eclipse intentions begin to ask something of you.First Quarter Moons create tension because growth requires movement. Scorpio isn’t interested in surface-level change either.Something may need to be confronted, released, or transformed before you can move forward.This is where trust becomes an action rather than an idea.Work with it:* Take one courageous step forward.* Have the uncomfortable conversation.* Release something you’ve been gripping too tightly.* Notice where fear is creating resistance.* Ask: What would I do next if I trusted where life was taking me?THURSDAY | AUGUST 20Moon enters SagittariusMoon trine Neptune in AriesThe energy begins to open again. Sagittarius reminds us that life is an adventure, while Neptune reconnects us with intuition, imagination, spirituality, and the unseen.This feels like a beautiful Unicorn day.Let yourself believe in magic again.Follow the synchronicity. Pull the cards. Meditate. Ask for a sign. Take the long way home. Become curious about the Universe again.Work with it:* Follow your intuition.* Explore something new.* Journal about your future self.* Notice synchronicities.* Do something that expands your perspective.* Ask: What if the Universe really is communicating with me?FRIDAY | AUGUST 21Venus in Libra opposite Saturn in AriesToday may test your trust through relationships, self-worth, money, or something you deeply desire.Saturn can make something feel delayed, unavailable, or more serious than we’d like.But a delay isn’t always a denial.Sometimes Saturn asks us whether we truly value something enough to build it slowly and intentionally.Don’t let one difficult moment become a story about your worthiness.Work with it:* Notice where rejection fears arise.* Don’t chase validation.* Have mature conversations about relationships.* Get clear about your standards.* Ask: Can I trust what is meant for me without forcing it?SATURDAY | AUGUST 22SUN ENTERS VIRGOWelcome to Virgo season. After weeks of fiery Leo energy and eclipse intensity, Virgo brings us back to earth.The vision needs tending.The dream needs structure.Your future self is built through the small choices you make today.You don’t need to know your entire purpose.Just tend to the next step.Work with it:* Clean your space.* Revisit your routines.* Nourish your body.* Organize something you’ve been avoiding.* Choose one habit your future self will thank you for.SUNDAY | AUGUST 23Sun in Virgo trine Chiron in TaurusWe end the week with beautiful healing earth energy.Virgo and Taurus bring the spiritual journey back into the body.Healing doesn’t always require another revelation. Sometimes healing looks like taking care of yourself differently because you finally believe you’re worthy of being cared for.Let your body show you how far you’ve come.Work with it:* Tend to your body.* Spend time in nature.* Nourish yourself.* Recognize your growth.* Do something that creates safety and stability.* Ask: What does my future self need me to begin tending today?HEY DENVER FRIENDS!! Join me next week for a closing out of the eclipse portal and of a two-year cycle at my Temple of Pisces event on August 27th from 6-8pm! You can grab your early bird spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/welcome-to-the-temple-of-pisces-an-evening-with-the-eclipse-tickets-1992464903161 MESSAGE FOR THE WEEKI trust the Universe is always ten steps ahead of me.Maybe you can’t see why something is changing.Maybe you don’t understand the redirection.Maybe you know you’re being called toward something but have absolutely no idea how you’re going to get there.You don’t need the whole map.Your job isn’t to figure out the entire journey.Your job is to remain open enough to recognize the next step when it appears.Fate has its eye on you. The winds are shifting. Let them carry you somewhere new.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

The image that is running through my head as I sit to write this is from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a movie I watched often as a kid. Specifically, I am thinking about the scene when they ride the boat on the river of chocolate and go through this freaky tunnel. Everyone is scared because it is f**ckin ' strange, yet Wonka just sits at the front of the boat and starts singing. Clips of everyone’s fears play in the background, and it is the most uncomfortable ride. I always thought that scene was weird, but now I appreciate it. Because isn’t that life? A wild ride full of uncertainty and adventure where fears are confronted and surrender is necessary. You will always end up where you are meant to be, but not without a few WTF moments. That is the energy of an eclipse, especially a Total Solar Eclipse, which we have happening in the sign of Leo this week. Before you go freaking out about this eclipse because of the movie scene I referenced, I want you to know it is a metaphor for confronting the deepest parts of yourself. The nightmares your mind creates when life gets uncertain. And when you do not trust that you are always guided and protected. Think back to how many times in your life you thought about the worst-case scenario, only to have things work out for you. What about a time when you got so caught up in the fear of getting hurt that you blocked a beautiful connection or opportunity? The mind is a powerful part of the human experience, but when it starts to override the heart, that's when things get scary. THAT is the energy of this week. Besides a powerful eclipse in the sign of Leo, which rules the heart, we also have a week packed with aspects involving Mercury in Leo and Venus in Libra. The head and the heart are both speaking to you; which one will take center stage?Take a listen to the voice note above to drop in and reflect on this energy at play. This picture above was taken of me on New Year's Eve 2013. I was heartbroken, in pain, and headed out to try and have a good time with my friends. I love this picture because it shows the tattoo I had recently gotten, which was a quote from a book I read. “Life is a journey from the head to the heart.” And it shows that even when the heart is hurting, you can still love yourself through it. You can still have trust that it will mend. And you can still go out with your friends and dance your way into a new beginning. My point is that when you let your heart lead, you win. When you let your mind keep you trapped in the fear of what could happen, you lose. Choose your heart this week. Choose your heart every single day! Follow it. Trust it. Nourish it. Appreciate it. And let your light shine through it. Fear is inevitable, but love is constant. Let’s dive into the daily breakdown for the astrology this week….Monday, August 10Venus in Libra opposite Neptune in AriesVenus in Libra trine Pluto in AquariusWe begin the week inside that metaphorical Wonka tunnel. Venus opposite Neptune can blur the line between intuition and projection, especially when it comes to love, relationships, desires, and what we believe will make us happy.The mind may start creating stories around what could happen. But Venus trine Pluto wants you to go beneath those stories and find the deeper truth.What do you actually feel underneath the fear?This is a day to recognize the difference between a fear created by your mind and a truth whispered by your heart.Work with it:* Question the stories you’re telling yourself.* Notice where fear is masquerading as intuition.* Choose honesty over fantasy.* Let relationships reveal something deeper about yourself.* Ask: What does my heart know that my mind keeps questioning?Tuesday, August 11Mercury in Leo trine Neptune in AriesMercury in Leo opposite Pluto in AquariusVenus in Libra trine Uranus in GeminiMars enters CancerThere is a LOT happening. Mercury-Neptune opens your intuitive mind, while Mercury-Pluto can bring buried thoughts, fears, and truths rushing to the surface. You may suddenly recognize a belief that has been quietly controlling your choices.And Venus trine Uranus says: What if you did something different?A relationship, conversation, idea, or unexpected opportunity could remind you that your future doesn’t have to look anything like your past.Mars entering Cancer adds another layer: protect what matters, but be careful not to build walls around your heart simply because you’ve been hurt before.Work with it:* Pay attention to intuitive downloads.* Notice obsessive or fear-based thinking.* Have the conversation you’ve been avoiding.* Stay open to unexpected connections.* Protect your heart without closing it.* Ask: Am I making this choice from fear or love?Wednesday, August 12TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IN LEOMercury in Leo sextile Uranus in GeminiMars in Cancer sextile Chiron in TaurusWelcome to the tunnel.Eclipses carry us through liminal spaces where we can’t always see exactly where we’re going. And that uncertainty can make the mind create some pretty wild stories.But this eclipse is happening in Leo- the sign of the heart.You aren’t being asked to predict what happens next. You’re being asked to trust yourself enough to keep moving through the unknown.Mercury sextile Uranus can bring a breakthrough in how you see your situation, while Mars-Chiron reminds us that sometimes healing requires doing the thing that once scared us.Something new is emerging.Don’t let an old fear convince you to turn around.Work with it:* Don’t force answers today.* Notice what life is revealing.* Let yourself move through uncertainty.* Follow what makes you feel alive.* Take one courageous step beyond an old wound.* Ask: Where is my heart trying to lead me?Thursday, August 13Mercury in Leo sextile Venus in LibraAfter the intensity of the eclipse, Mercury and Venus bring the head and heart into conversation.And maybe that’s the lesson.Your mind isn’t the enemy. We need our minds. We need discernment, thought, and reason. But problems arise when fear becomes louder than love.Today gives you an opportunity to let the two work together.Say what you mean. Tell someone how you feel. Write something from your heart. Let yourself be vulnerable enough to be known.Work with it:* Speak from your heart.* Tell someone how you really feel.* Write, create, or share.* Listen as much as you speak.* Let yourself receive love, too.Friday, August 14Moon enters VirgoAfter several days of big cosmic energy, Virgo brings us back into the body.Sometimes when the mind gets overwhelmed, the best medicine is incredibly simple.Drink water. Eat something nourishing. Clean your house. Go outside. Put your bare feet on the earth. Take care of what’s directly in front of you.You don’t have to understand everything that’s happening.Just tend to yourself while it’s happening.Work with it:* Nourish your body.* Clean and organize your space.* Get outside.* Step away from overthinking.* Focus on the next small thing.Saturday, August 15Mercury conjunct Jupiter in LeoOkay, now we’re getting somewhere.Mercury meets Jupiter in Leo, and suddenly the mind remembers possibility.After confronting fears earlier this week, today asks you to imagine what could happen if things actually worked out.We spend so much time rehearsing worst-case scenarios.What about the best-case scenario?What if the relationship works? What if the opportunity arrives? What if you succeed? What if you’re more capable than you’ve allowed yourself to believe?Work with it:* Dream bigger.* Write down your best-case scenario.* Share your ideas.* Speak confidently about what you want.* Celebrate yourself.* Ask: What if this turns out better than I imagined?Sunday, August 16Moon in LibraWe end the week where Venus began it: with love.After traveling through fear, uncertainty, revelations, and possibility, the Libra Moon reminds us to return to what makes life beautiful.Relationships. Art. Friendship. Music. Pleasure. Connection.You don’t have to spend your entire life preparing for something to go wrong.You are allowed to enjoy being here.Work with it:* Spend time with people you love.* Make something beautiful.* Go somewhere that inspires you.* Let yourself receive.* Choose peace where you can.* Do something your heart loves.MESSAGE FOR THE WEEKMaybe life really is one long journey from the head to the heart.There will be moments when you can’t see what’s ahead. Moments when your mind creates every possible worst-case scenario. Moments when you want certainty before you’re willing to move.But your heart doesn’t need to know exactly how the story ends to recognize what feels true.Choose your heart this week.Follow it.Trust it.Nourish it.Appreciate it.Let your light shine through it.love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

This is a pivotal week in your progress towards the choice we talked about last week. Have you tended to the changes you’ve been wanting to make? Or have you gotten lost in the labyrinths of self-doubt or fear? Take a listen to the voice note above for a deep dive into this week ahead and then scroll down to read the daily breakdown. Your body is speaking to you; are you listening? Here is the Chiron post I mention in the recording: Monday, August 3Chiron stations retrograde in TaurusHealing doesn’t always begin with a breakthrough- it begins with paying attention. As Chiron stations retrograde, your body becomes one of your greatest teachers. Notice where tension lingers, where fatigue keeps returning, or where your nervous system asks you to slow down. The root of what needs healing may not be where you think it is. This transit invites you to move inward and listen.Work with it:✨ Slow down and listen to your body.🌿 Journal about recurring physical or emotional patterns.🫖 Nourish yourself with rest, grounding foods, and nature.💚 Ask yourself: What is my body trying to tell me that my mind has been ignoring?Tuesday, August 4Moon in AriesVoid Moon until 8:36 PM MT when it enters TaurusThe day begins with fiery Aries energy but quickly moves into a void period, making this less about charging ahead and more about finishing what you’ve already started. As the Moon settles into Taurus tonight, you’ll naturally begin craving more peace, stability, and grounding.Work with it:✨ Finish loose ends instead of starting something new.🌿 Move your body to release excess energy.🧘 Take breaks and avoid forcing decisions.🌙 Create a peaceful evening routine once the Moon enters Taurus.Wednesday, August 5Moon in TaurusAfter the intensity of the last few days, Taurus reminds us that healing happens through presence. This is a beautiful day to reconnect with your body, your senses, and the simple pleasures that remind you life is meant to be enjoyed- not just managed.Work with it:🌸 Spend time in nature.🥗 Nourish yourself with a delicious meal.💆 Treat yourself to a massage, bath, or restorative movement.✨ Slow down enough to actually savor your life.Thursday, August 6Sun in Leo trine Saturn in AriesVenus enters Libra (yay!)Today’s astrology blends courage with commitment. The Sun and Saturn help you build something lasting by taking confident, intentional action. Then Venus returns home to Libra, softening the collective energy and reminding us of the beauty found in relationships, creativity, harmony, and balance.It’s a wonderful day to invest in yourself and the people you love.Work with it:🦁 Take one courageous step toward a long-term goal.💕 Reach out to someone you care about.🎨 Beautify your space or create something inspiring.⚖️ Ask yourself: Where can I bring more balance into my life?Friday, August 7Moon enters GeminiThe energy becomes lighter, more curious, and more social. Conversations flow more easily, ideas begin connecting, and your mind is hungry for inspiration. Stay open- you never know which conversation could shift your perspective.Work with it:📚 Learn something new.☕ Meet up with a friend.✍️ Brainstorm, write, or journal.🌬 Stay curious instead of assuming you already know the answer.Saturday, August 8Moon in GeminiMoon sextile Sun in LeoMoon conjunct Mars in GeminiThis is a lively, energetic day filled with movement and motivation. Your mind is active, your words carry power, and your curiosity can open unexpected doors. Just be mindful that Mars can make conversations move quickly, so choose your words intentionally.Work with it:✨ Start the creative project you’ve been thinking about.🚶 Get outside and move your body.🎙 Share your ideas with confidence.💛 Pause before reacting—respond with intention instead.Sunday, August 9Mercury enters LeoMercury square Chiron in TaurusMercury in Leo encourages you to speak boldly from your heart, but its square to Chiron reminds us that finding our voice often brings old wounds to the surface first. You may notice fears around being seen, expressing yourself, or believing your ideas matter.The invitation isn’t to stay quiet.It’s to speak anyway.Work with it:🦁 Say the thing you’ve been afraid to say.✍️ Journal about where you silence yourself.💛 Offer yourself compassion if old insecurities arise.🔥 Let your voice become part of your healing.UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, August 20th THE VINTAGE EDIT | A Night of Thrift, Vintage & CocktailsThursday, August 27th WELCOME TO THE TEMPLE OF PISCES / An Evening with the EclipseIf you live in the Denver area, I would LOVE to connect in person! Hope to see you there xo love & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe

The cosmic energy has shifted, and you are ready for a new adventure. It feels like you are at an amusement park and ready to go on some fun rides. Ahead of you are two big roller coasters. One is an old rickety wooden roller coaster that has been around since the dark ages, while the other looks like it came from space, all new and futuristic looking. Both guarantee a good time to be had, with the twists and turns and inevitable butterflies in your stomach. So, you have a choice. Do I go with what has always been, or do I take a chance and try something new and unknown? That is the question for this week ahead as we step into a Full Moon in Aquarius on Wednesday, July 29th, which illuminates the new cycle that has started now that the lunar nodes are in the signs of Leo and Aquarius for the next 18 months. This lunation has the Sun in Leo sitting next to Jupiter in Leo, opposing the Moon in Aquarius sitting next to Pluto in Aquarius. A powerful energy that is bringing into focus old identities or roles you have played which no longer serve your soul’s growth and evolution. (Take a listen to the voice note above for more)I also drew some oracle cards from my animal and plant spirit decks to help ground the guidance for this week, and damn does it validate everything that is playing out. Don’t you just marvel at that when it happens? I do! Spirit is always on point…Zebra: Eccentric, Creative, and Visionary. What a fitting card for all this Aquarius energy we have going on. Its guidance is to go out and make art. Have an epic adventure. And be enthusiastic about life. Stop being so jaded, pouty, and vain. Embrace a more worldly view. Ginkgo: It is the dawn of a new mind, new ideas, visionary thinking, and resilience. You are about to experience a revolutionary change in your consciousness. It asks you to bring the light of dawn to ongoing cycles of darkness within yourself. Stay open and don’t allow negativity to cloud your life. EVERYTHING is saying the same thing! Will you stay in the old comfortable story, or will you embrace the vision that is right in front of you? Let’s dive into the daily energy and how to make the most of it…Monday, July 27th Sun trine Neptune Sun sextile Uranus There is an opportunity to see beyond the veil and open your mind and heart to something that brings joy and expansion. It might not be what you expect. This could also bring a sudden idea or breakthrough in a project or situation. Work with it:* Allow yourself to feel into your intuition and into your heart* Be open to what is new and different* Follow the ideas that light you upTuesday, July 28th Moon in Capricorn - void all day until it enters Aquarius at 7:46pm MTWe are being asked to tie up loose ends and close out the old. Get disciplined. Be productive while also taking moments of rest. Work with it:* Do not launch something new * Finish up what you have already started* Rest without guilt Wednesday, July 29th Full Moon in Aquarius Sun conjunct Jupiter Venus square Mars A BIG DAY! Take the chance and hop on that new ride. Go on an adventure that feels unknown but also calls to your soul. You might feel a bit of emotional resistance to change, but that is your ego or old identity struggling to let go of what is familiar, even if it has hurt you or led you astray in the past. Work with it:* Embrace the new vision * Allow yourself to be fully seen* Connect with others * Make a full moon wish Thursday, July 30th Moon in Aquarius goes void at 3:27pm until it enters Pisces tomorrow morning A day to embody what came up yesterday. To set this new vision in motion. And then take a bit of self-care and rest time this evening. Allow it to settle into your system. Work with it:* Spend time outside * Ground your full moon wish* Give yourself space to integrate Friday, July 31st Moon in Pisces Moon conjunct Hekate and square Uranus This is a day to let your whimsy shine! Get in touch with the magic of life. Embrace your inner goddess and cast a spell on your life to bring in all that aligns with your soul. Get witchy. Pay attention to the signs. Hekate likes to send crows and spiders. Work with it:* Meditate on Hekate (I love this one) * Keep that crystal in your pocket * Play in the dirt or in your garden or go for a nature walkSaturday, August 1st Moon in Pisces This is a very intuitive day, so listen to yours! Work with it:* Get creative * Journal Sunday, August 2nd Moon void from 6:33am to 2:37pm when the Moon moves into Aries The day starts off slow and asks you to ease into the day. Do something that feels good and feeds your soul. By the end of the day, you will feel more inspired and energized. Work with it:* Great day for organizing and decluttering your life * End your week with intention I hope this week brings you the inspiration and courage to let go of the old and step into this new cycle with trust and excitement. You can book an astrology reading with me here: https://ashleytracey.com/readingslove & stardust,Ashley Get full access to Ashley Tracey at thewholisticsoul.substack.com/subscribe