Written in the Stars: Astrological events of the summer

We’ve finally made it: Papers and exams have turned into beach days and road trips. Other than constantly refreshing OASIS grade reports, the spring semester is behind us. Whether you’re soaking up the summer sun in Los Angeles or somewhere else, it’s finally time to destress from the whirlwind of a semester we just had. 

Maybe you’re set to purely relax this summer, or you have your work cut out for you in a summer job, internship or course load of classes. No matter what your plans for the summer are, a set of astrological events are here to (hopefully) help you along the way.

May 16: Jupiter moves into Taurus 

Jupiter only changes signs about once a year, so it’s always one of the most defining transits. Jupiter has not been in the sign of Taurus for more than 10 years, but starting yesterday, it entered the fixed earth sign once again. 

As Jupiter is the planet of luck and fortune, this year is set to be especially lucky for Taurus, as well as other earth signs (Capricorn and Virgo) and fixed signs (Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius). Taurus is the second sign in the astrological calendar, so we are beginning to settle into the new themes that Jupiter in Aries, the first sign of the calendar, brought last spring.

If you decided on a new career path, found a new romantic partner or happened to win the lottery last year, this summer is the perfect time to look for ways to solidify the themes that arose when Jupiter was in Aries. Taurus is a grounding sign, so it’s time to ground your dreams in reality; you’ll see them become more true each day. 

May 21: Gemini season begins

Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, Gemini season makes us better at getting our ideas across and gives us the desire to be more sociable. Mercury is also the planet of knowledge and learning, so you may be drawn to exploring intellectual pursuits. If you’re not taking summer classes, or even if you are, now is the perfect time to start learning for fun: Read books without being quizzed on them, watch documentaries purely for fun and have intellectual conversations with your friends and family. 

Gemini is the perfect season for summer — as a mutable air sign, the season brings a flexible, whimsical energy that is up to you to manipulate as you please. May will be most beneficial for Gemini, its sister sign Sagittarius and other air (Aquarius and Libra) and mutable (Virgo and Pisces) placements. 

June 21: Cancer season begins

The end of June brings Cancer season. While Gemini energy can be chaotic and mentally exhausting, Cancer’s water vibes provide a chance to slow down, be introspective and reflect. Cancer is ruled by the moon, which rules our emotions, so it can be a very turbulent time emotionally.

Be sure to still make an effort to spend time with the people you love, as it can be tempting to isolate during Cancer season. Cancer season is the perfect time to go on a relaxing vacation with friends and family; just don’t do anything too fast-paced. The month will impact Cancers the most, as well as its sister sign Capricorn and other water (Scorpio and Pisces) and cardinal (Aries and Libra) signs. 

July 17: North Node enters Aries and South Node enters Libra 

Nodes are a lesser-known component of astrology. They are not planets, stars or any other physical object in space, but instead are mathematical points in a birth chart. The North Node represents our soul’s purpose in life and the path that we can take to grow into the best version of ourselves. 

For example, if someone has a North Node in Gemini, that might mean they are meant to be a communicator and learner. A career in journalism, academia or public speaking may be a good fit for them. With the North Node in Aries, now is the time to be confident, assertive and determined to achieve our greatest desires. It’s a fire sign, so it brings a bold passion that we should tap into and encourages us to care less about what others think and stand apart from the crowd. 

The South Node is always in the sister sign of the north node since they are across from each other in any birth chart. The South Node is said to represent one’s past life and the lessons they learned that they can apply to reach their current life’s destiny. 

While this energy is not as apparent during the transit, it is there to remind us that we can tap into Libra’s qualities — sociability, open-mindedness and balance — to ground us when we’re caught up in the Aries energy. The nodes will stay in these signs until Jan. 11, 2025. 

July 22: Venus enters retrograde in Leo

Just before Leo season begins the next day, Venus will enter retrograde from July 22 to Sept. 3. Retrogrades encourage us to look backward and often bring past themes to the present, whether or not we want them to be here. 

With Venus representing love, old relationships are likely to come to the surface. It will be tempting to give into these celestial pressures, but you will benefit if you remain strong enough to move forward and create new relationships instead of going back to the ones you left for a reason. Focusing on the present will be extremely important and, come September, you’ll be in a much better place relationship-wise. Look at your Venus placement to see how the retrograde will affect you: Leo, Aquarius, Aries, Sagittarius, Taurus and Scorpio will feel it the most. 

Jenna Peterson is a rising senior writing about anything and everything astrology related in her column “Written in the Stars.” She is also the editor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan.