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Your weekly dose of practical astrology for real life
Brew #75
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If I wanted people to be afraid of astrology, I'd tell them to watch out for retrograde periods.
If I wanted to discredit the cosmic system into just some girlish oversimplification of fantasy, I'd tell people to blame their mistakes on astronomical bodies we've named after fickle gods that've long been forgotten.
I'd tell people that retrogrades are when the gremlins come out, to sabotage our lives and shoot twisted arrows at our broken, yearning hearts.
I'd tell people:
Don't launch during a retrograde!
Don't text your ex!
Keep your foot out of your mouth!
Be careful signing contracts!
Because this is what we all know of retrogrades, right? This is the advice doled out?
We’re given a constant string of reminders to keep yourself buttoned up against a sky full of angry gods, voyeuring into your life for the chance to see you f*ck it up.
Mercury is petty and will send you passive aggressive bullshit to deal with. Little issues that snowball into actual problems.
Venus is particularly vindictive and loves to see you suffer.
And Mars practically marches around with her armor on, just jonesing for another fight -- with others, with yourself, with the world.
Let me be very clear: I am not about that shit.
I deeply believe in the reflective power of retrogrades, as an invitation to audit their respective spheres of influence and call our power back to ourselves.
I'm here to put to bed the boogeyman we all seem to have about retrograde periods. Let's get into it...
Practical Astrology Tip |
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The only gremlins that come out during these times are our own.
It's easier to believe there are forces out to get you. That there are things beyond your control. When the reality is… the only force out to get you is your own shadow.
Your hubris, your ego, your fractured parts and unhealed wounds – call it whatever you want, but make no mistake, the gremlins are internal.
And retrogrades are periods when they get to run free.
Actually, no, scratch that: retrogrades are when the Universe hits pause on everything and puts a mirror in our face. So, if shit is going down in your life, take a look in the mirror.
Retrogrades offer space to REview, REflect, and REalign.
Does the Universe/God/Source hit pause just to poke at us? Maybe. Or maybe the poking is just a means for us to finally look up into our own reflection and answer the question: do you like what you see? Is this who you actually want to be?
It stirs chaos just enough to undo our conditioning, to give us an opportunity to consider an alternative.
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We have TWO retrogrades happening right now: Mercury Retrograde and Venus Retrograde.
To make sense of them, we have to understand their sphere of influence.
(BTW – I cover this in my free reference guide, Zodiac Glossary. 👈This is a really handy tool to keep on your phone or in your bookmarks bar for quick look-ups and reminders.)
Mercury, as messenger to the gods, represents how you communicate and process information.
Venus, as goddess of love, beauty & pleasure, is our attachment style, role in relationships, and how we go about enjoying the felt experience of life.
When Mercury is in retrograde, we’re encouraged to reconsider our message and how we get it across. What is worth our energy to even talk about?
When Venus is in retrograde, we’re encouraged to reconsider how we show up in our relationships, who deserves continued access to us, and how we allow ourselves to experience pleasure.
It gets juicier when we understand the sign that each planet is retrograding in. For example, both planets we’ve been discussing are retrograding through Aries, the sign of The Warrior. So this is a time to reconsider and then take charge with those ideas and action plans.
Looking at the House you have Aries in is going to further color how this specific retrograde period will affect you.
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🔥 Mercury + Venus Retrograde in Aries: House-By-House Breakdown
1st House – Identity, Self-Expression, Appearance
👁 Are you communicating the truth of who you are, or just the version that’s been safest?
Retrogrades here challenge you to reclaim your voice, your image, and your presence. Rewrite the way you introduce yourself to the world—verbally and visually. Is your “aesthetic” aligned with who you’ve become?
2nd House – Values, Money, Worthiness
💸 Are you spending, speaking, or showing up like someone who knows their worth?
This retrograde duo is pressing on your money mindset, your self-talk, and your standard of treatment. You may feel old patterns rise around scarcity, undervaluing, or overgiving. It’s time to renegotiate your value—starting with how you talk to yourself.
3rd House – Communication, Thinking, Siblings/Peers
🗣 Does your voice match your truth?
Expect a loud internal audit of how you express yourself, especially in casual convos, posts, or day-to-day chatter. Your mental patterns are under review—are they truly yours, or just noise you’ve absorbed from others?
4th House – Home, Emotional Security, Roots
🏡 Are you at war with your past or healing through it?
Retrogrades here invite a deep clean of old stories, inherited beliefs, or patterns of emotional avoidance. Conversations with family (or inner child work) might resurface. This is a confrontation with what “safety” really means for you now.
5th House – Creativity, Romance, Visibility
🎭 Are you diluting your joy to be more palatable?
These retrogrades ask you to reclaim your creative fire—not for likes, but for liberation. Are you hiding your light behind perfectionism or self-consciousness? Your pleasure, your art, your romantic confidence—it’s all up for realignment.
6th House – Work, Habits, Health
⚙️ Who’s calling the shots in your daily life—you, or your programming?
Retrogrades here want you to review how your time, energy, and effort are spent. How much of your day is powered by genuine desire versus obligation or guilt? You may feel disillusioned with your routine, and that’s the point.
7th House – Relationships, Commitments, Mirrors
🤝 Are your connections honoring the fire in you—or putting it out?
These retrogrades surface tension in close partnerships, encouraging you to re-evaluate who has access to your most tender parts. Speak your truth, even if it trembles. You’re redefining what balanced partnership really means to you.
8th House – Power, Intimacy, Transformation
🦂 Are you mistaking attachment for intimacy?
Mercury + Venus here stir up deep internal confrontations—power struggles, old wounds, financial entanglements, and sexual truths. The Universe is asking: where have you abandoned yourself to stay bonded? Time to cut cords and rise.
9th House – Beliefs, Expansion, Higher Learning
🌍 Is your worldview still yours—or hand-me-downs you never questioned?
These retrogrades push you to revisit old ideas, spiritual frameworks, or ambitions. Are you speaking boldly about what you believe, or staying silent to keep the peace? You’re being called to speak your truth out loud—unapologetically.
10th House – Career, Legacy, Public Image
🏆 Are you chasing the version of success you truly want—or the one you were told to want?
This retrograde season cracks open your career path and long-term vision. Do your ambitions actually light you up? Are you showing up as the leader you know you are, or are you still asking for permission?
11th House – Community, Vision, Social Belonging
🌐 Do your people reflect your passion—or mute it?
Time to reconsider your circles: friend groups, communities, followers. Venus + Mercury here challenge you to speak up, stand out, and reevaluate where you belong. It’s also a powerful time to reconnect with a vision you shelved too soon.
12th House – Subconscious, Rest, Hidden Selves
🕯 Are you escaping… or evolving?
Retrogrades in this house are deep, subtle, and spiritual. Dreams may be vivid. Old wounds may resurface. The Universe is offering you silence not as punishment—but as a portal. Don’t ignore what stirs in the quiet. That’s where your next chapter lives.
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From Ash's Corner
I’m learning to make friends with my inner critic and, lemme tell you—it’s SO nice to be friends with a mean girl.
Because now, instead of fearing what she’ll say to me, I’m eager to hear her savage opinions crack down on anyone (or anything) trying to dull our shine.
My inner critic—now my mean girl bestie—is always the one to pipe up with:
Why?
Why would I do that?
Why would I live like that?
Why would I subscribe to that belief??
She makes me stop and ask: When has that reality ever served me? Does it now?
She reminds me that all thoughts are negotiable—even the beliefs I’ve been carrying around for years. And if a belief isn’t serving me… what would it be like to consider a different one now?
Wildly enough, this Mercury retrograde has helped us bond. I’ve realized that, at the end of the day, we’re on the same team. And instead of turning all that fire inward (epiphany: self-loathing is never productive! You can’t shame yourself into being better) —
I’m sharpening my language, my arguments, my clarity.
✨ I’m LIVING for these retrogrades. ✨
While the collective is wiggin’ out about the sky doing sky things (Neptune slides into Aries this weekend for the first time since 1875, another eclipse is on the horizon, and Pluto goes retrograde in early April), I’m over here like:
Let’s. Roll. 😎
Hope this email helped you find some equal footing, too. 😘
In cosmic camaraderie,
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One Last Sip
for May 1-14, 2025
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WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW 🪐
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WHAT’S COMING NEXT 🌛
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The Sun enters Taurus on Saturday, April 19th, sending us into the Season of the Bull. Fear not, if you're needing rest after the cleansing burn and fiery breakthroughs of Aries season —Taurus season promises steady (sustainable!) growth that leaves plenty of time to rest and smell the flowers, too. Prepare for more grounded, stabilizing energy this next season!
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Pluto will be going retrograde in Aquarius starting May 4th, 2025 and lasting until October 13th. We’ll have an entire issue of The Stir coming out regarding this however, be prepared to review, revisit, and reflect on themes of power and transformation – both on a personal and collective level over this period of time. Additionally, we have a Full Moon in Scorpio happening Monday, May 12th that will be a review, release, and harvesting of whatever has been growing (or festering) since November.
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WHAT I’M WORKING ON 🤓
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK 📚
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If you’ve ever wondered what your sun, moon, and rising signs actually mean (or what the heck a “Big 3” even is), I've got the perfect starting line for you. No fluff, no overwhelm — just a super clear, down-to-earth walkthrough of your Big 3 so you can start understanding your natural strengths, emotional needs, and identity through the lens of astrology. Because knowing thyself is the root of all wisdom.
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If it’s your calling, it will keep calling.
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