On August 4, Jupiter in Libra forms a square aspect with Pluto in Capricorn. A square is a position of challenge or resistance that ultimately leads to greater personal stability, once the difficulties have played out and you’ve found your way through them! This square is represented by the tarot cards X – The Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter) and XIII – Death, indicating that its effect will have to do with a “fortunate change” or a propitious transformation, something being left behind forever in favour of a total change of state. This Jupiter-Pluto square occurs at 17’32, a numerological 13 also, further reinforcing that this aspect’s transit will involve a major transition leading feeling a sense of completion.

The following reading is an example of what’s included with the $35 Planetary Transit Readings reward tier on my Patreon page, which also includes a one-card Monthly Kick-Off Reading, a 5-card reading when the Sun sign changes, and 3-card readings at the New and Full Moons! For this reading, I drew from the Druid Plant Oracle, the Kuan Yin Oracle, and the Feng Shui Tarot, for their smooth combination of healing energy and powerful fortune-related guidance. I laid out a crystal grid of iolite for connected communication, snow quartz for Higher Self connection, pink opal for creativity that comes from the heart, serpentine for heart protection and flexibility, red jasper for grounding, and petrified wood for even deeper grounding and connection with ancestor spirits. This Jupiter-Pluto square could be a tough one, so surround yourself and ground yourself!

Shadow Cards: Primrose reversed + 44. Weave the Future Golden + Queen of Swords

If only you knew how “right” the direction in which your thoughts are taking you now is — you’re right not to take the course of being “sweet,” because this square will be a time for cool, collected thinking, and decisive action in favour of the advancement of yourself and your loved ones. You are creating great things, right now, and you are building your vision for the future! Keep your focus on that work, and pour out the need to keep simmering any old grievances at this time — the last thing you need is anger and resentment getting in the way of the amazing things that are in progress. Sure, you still have some tangles and snarls to work through before you really feel on top of things, but in the meantime know that your personal light is shining bright and true, and you are being noticed in a way that can only help things along in a way that’s truly beautiful.

Clover reversed + 33. Ten Sisters of Light + 7 of Swords

This square may find you feeling like the water is closing over your head, like your luck has run out, like you’re trying to swim up a waterfall!!…stop. Calm yourself, recollect, and know that the luck coming to you hasn’t even started — you’re in the “shower” stage of the day, but on the grand scale, and now is the time when you need to focus on cleansing your insides: your mind, your body, your perspective on what you have. And who you have! Any time you need a reality check for how well things are going, just reach out: you are surrounded by support, and for the moment at least, you really don’t have to look far to find it. Use this loving energy to your advantage, and keep creating, keep coming up with ideas for how to “make this work,” and don’t let yourself get in your own way. Right now, what matters is being honest with yourself and trusting yourself to find a way “back to earth,” once you’ve taken the time to think through your current position and figure out how to connect all the dots to your best advantage. Things may feel harder before they feel easier, but you’re on the right track, so keep your wits about you and listen to the thoughts you can’t let go of — they are telling you something, and listening (then sharing!) will help you on your way.

Higher Self Cards: Bramble + 32. Tai Chi Rising + XVIII – The Moon

Yes, no matter how challenging this Jupiter/Pluto square is, know that you should “stick with it” and that any seeming depletions of your energy are only temporary. You are on your way up in your endeavours, and right now, you are simply adjusting your eyes and learning to see in a new light. As the saying goes, it’s always darkest before the dawn, and your personal Dawn is coming indeed: with that kind of achievement comes many tests beforehand, making you work for the benefits you will absolutely receive, challenging you to tough through the stings and scratches to get to the potent healing that is underway.

Things may feel tougher before they feel better during this transit, but as I wrote down while meditating on this spread, this Jupiter/Pluto square will represent “THE CHALLENGE BEFORE THE RESULT.” Your results are coming, so hang in there, and trust that anything that falls away during this period was no longer serving you, holding you back, and standing in the way of you harvesting the bountiful fruits of your long and dedicated labour. This storm shouldn’t last long and is a pure test of your mettle when it comes to what you’ve been putting in motion — don’t let this stop you!

Feng Shui Tarot. Eileen Connolly and Peter Paul Connolly. Published by U.S. Game Systems. Scans via Tarot.com, August 27, 2015. Illustrations from Feng Shui Tarot used with permission of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902. c. 2001 by U.S. Games Systems.  All rights reserved.

Kuan Yin Oracle. Alana Fairchild. Artwork by Zeng Hao. Victoria, Australia: Blue Angel Publishing, 2012.

The Druid Plant Oracle. Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. Illustrated by Will Worthington. London: Connections Book Publishing, 2007.