Weather-wise, it’s been one of those weeks that reminds me why we live where we live. It’s glorious. Cool overnight and still-t-shirt-in-the-sun sort of days. Exactly as I like it. Perfect winter conditions.

Otherwise, it’s been a tad all over the place and very little productive work has been done, but plenty of reflecting and planning – perfect Mercury retrograde energy.

With just five weeks before we head to Europe, I’m already doing the deep clean I do before we go away and hand the house to a sitter. There’s absolutely no reason for it. The friend staying here has been part of our lives for almost thirty years and has looked after the house several times before. She doesn’t care whether the skirting boards are dusty or the laundry cabinets haven’t been decluttered. But I do.

I’ve also had tradesmen in doing the sorts of jobs Grant would have done before he had his stack. Things like hedge trimming and tree lopping. And other trades doing the sorts of things Grant wouldn’t do, even before his injury. Like installing new kitchen and laundry taps and replacing air conditioning diffusers.

Speaking of Grant’s injury, he’s off the crutches and has been back at work for a fortnight. The tendon is healing well and should be fully repaired in about six months, but the hematoma has grown over the past few weeks, so he’s been told to take things a little easier. Exercise walking is off the agenda for now, although he’s fine to travel and to do the sort of incidental walking that comes with sightseeing. We probably just won’t be marching around cities quite the way we usually do. Still, he’s mobile again, and that’s what matters.

In other news, I’ve been thinking seriously about my production schedule for the next twelve months. Even though I have so many story ideas piling up, I’m considering slowing it down and giving my marketing a chance to catch up with my writing.

I don’t intend to write while I’m away, and there are other creative projects that have been quietly gathering dust that I’d like to either bring out into the wild or crossed from the list altogether. One of those is turning the thousands of astrology posts I’ve written over the past twenty years into a series of (for want of a better term) small field guides.

Speaking of which, if you’re in Mooloolaba in a couple of weeks, I’m doing an introductory astrology talk at my favourite Mooloolaba café, CC’s. I’ve told you before about their Welsh cakes, haven’t I? Anyways, there are limited spaces, but if you’re interested, message me for the booking details. As an aside, I’m writing this from there now. Just saying. What can I say? I love their playlist too. There’s nothing like a little Abba to get the creative juices flowing.

Finally, I’m off to Sydney next weekend to see Mum and Dad, so if I’m quieter than usual, that’s why!

Alrighty, to this week in the stars…

We begin the week with the Moon in business-like Capricorn, and the Leo Sun lighting up that basket alignment we’ve been chatting about.

Rather than go through each placement again, here’s the short version:

Sun opposite Pluto = intensity

Sun trine Neptune = creative inspiration

Sun sextile Uranus = creative and inventive change

Just know that they’re still there and the Sun is turning up the brightness of the whole deal. If there’s something in your life that’s been clamouring for your attention, it’ll be much harder to turn away from it. For the rest of us, the Capricorn Moon will help keep our feet on the ground and concentrated on the tasks that need our focus.

The Moon moves into Aquarius in the middle of the week, and that’s when things get really interesting, with several significant aspects landing on Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday (Brisbane time).

The first of these is Venus square Mars at 21° of Virgo and Gemini respectively.

Sometimes getting what you want takes a bit of work. Sometimes it requires you to overcome your fears. Sometimes it requires compassion and compromise. Sometimes it requires you to overlook minor niggles that, in the larger scheme of things, aren’t worth getting bogged down in.

The message? If it matters enough, make the effort.

This aspect can bring frustration – especially where egos are involved, which, with the Sun and Jupiter hooking up (see below), there could be plenty of those about.

With Venus and Mars, we can’t ignore relationships, and if there are underlying issues, they could just come to the surface. Normally this transit passes quickly, but this one lingers through until Friday. Plus, it’s occurring in the background of some BIG stuff. In other words, think twice before burning any bridges.

Having said that, when Venus and Mars come together, there’s always the potential for a sexual relationship, although when the square is involved, anything new started now is likely to be driven more by chemistry than compatibility.

I’ll leave that one with you.

A few hours later, the Sun meets up with Jupiter at 6° Leo.

I mostly like this one. Feels a little like two stars colliding. Jupiter magnifies everything, and in Leo that can mean confidence, creativity and self-expression become larger than life. A meeting of the divas, perhaps?

Sure, it can also inflate egos, emotions and drama, but I’m preferring to see it as the potential for at the very least a good hair day, a good spirits day, a wonderfully over-the-top creative day. Why is the Backstreet Boys singing “Larger Than Life” in my head? No idea.

Just a couple of hours after the Sun-Jupiter conjunction, we have the Aquarius Full Moon at 6 Aquarius.

Now, this means that the Moon too will have activated that “basket” formation before arriving opposite the Sun, adding extra charge to a Full Moon already given extra emotional oomph from Jupiter.

If you’re a subscriber to my astro page, I’ll take a deeper dive into this tomorrow.

Once the Moon moves into Pisces on Friday evening, the energy begins to soften … just in time for the weekend.

That’s your astro weather for the week ahead.

How it plays out down here? That’s the part that’s up to you.

Work with the energy where you can, don’t fight it where you can’t, and above all, be kind to yourself.

And have a great week.

I’m running a tad behind this morning.

I should have written this yesterday, but I was making the most of the Virgo Moon, head down and bum up editing Faultlines. Then I decided to reward myself with a binge of Ride or Die on Prime. So... this post is late.

Hey ho.

I’ve hit the 15,000-word mark of my new novel, Second Chance Kitchen in Mannus Ridge—although whether that title survives is another matter—so I’ve done what I usually do at this stage of a manuscript: stop and read back through everything I’ve written.

Although I write without a plot or detailed plan, getting to know my characters as I go, I always pause for a tidy-up a few times during a first draft. Usually around 10–15,000 words, again at 25–30,000, and then somewhere around 50–60,000.

It means the first draft isn’t really a first draft at all. Each pass lets me refine the story while it’s still taking shape, so by the time it goes to my structural editor, the heavy lifting has largely been done. The Virgo Moon mightn’t be great for creativity, but it’s perfect for that sort of work.

This week in the stars

This week is still dominated by the ongoing dance between Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. If you’d like the deeper version, I wrote about it last week—you’ll find it here.

Jo Tracey Astrology

Power to the People

For the past four years I’ve run a fortnightly writing group at our local library. A fortnight ago, midway through our session, we were unceremoniously kicked out…

Read more

10 days ago · 7 likes · 7 comments · Joanne Tracey

While Uranus, Neptune and Pluto will continue weaving this longer story over the next couple of years, Jupiter remains part of the picture for the rest of this week.

In short:

• Some people will hit frustrating roadblocks; others will stumble across remarkable opportunities for change. Often, the difference comes down to a willingness to adapt.

• Stop keeping your dreams in your imagination. Start finding practical ways to bring them into reality.

• Stay open to unexpected opportunities, fresh thinking and sudden breakthroughs.

Alrighty... here’s what else is happening. As always, I’m working in Brisbane time, but you’ll get the general vibe.

Monday 20 July

Moon in Libra
Mars sextile Saturn

Last night I received an email from one of the councillors I’d written to during our campaign to save the community writing group. He thanked me for what he called my “respectful advocacy.”

It made me smile because today’s astrology feels rather like that.

Sometimes diplomacy is enough to shift an obstacle. Sometimes it isn’t. Today asks you to be firm without becoming combative. Push if you need to—but don’t burn bridges that don’t need burning, or hurt people who don’t deserve it.

With the Moon in Libra, think iron fist, velvet glove.

Thursday 23 July

Moon in Scorpio
Sun enters Leo – 5.13 am

The Sun moves into Leo today. I’ll have a full post up on Wednesday, but here’s the short version.

We all have Leo somewhere in our chart, and it’s the part of life where we wrestle with two opposing fears:

• not being seen

• being seen... and failing.

Leo season asks us to take creative risks, express ourselves honestly and shine anyway.

So where does Leo fall in your chart?

That’s where the Sun is encouraging you to stop hiding and step a little further into the light.

Also keep in mind that, over its first few days in Leo, the Sun will activate the basket pattern we’ve been talking about.

Friday 24 July

Moon in Sagittarius
Mercury stations direct – 16° Cancer

Did I hear a collective sigh of relief?

Mercury is finally moving direct. It’ll still take a little while to gather speed, so don’t expect every delay or misunderstanding to disappear overnight—but things are moving again.

The Sagittarius Moon certainly helps. After Scorpio’s emotional intensity, it feels like opening a window and letting fresh air into the room.

Saturday 25 July

Moon in Sagittarius
Mercury sextile Venus

This is one of those gentle little aspects that’s more of a pleasant interlude than a major event.

It could be the perfect moment for an honest conversation or a heartfelt message. Just remember that Venus is in Virgo, and she’s not in the mood for any faffery. Sincerity rather than grand gestures or unnecessary drama.

Sunday 26 July

Moon in Sagittarius
Saturn stations retrograde

Saturn stations retrograde today at 14° Aries 45′ and will hover around this degree until September.

When Saturn slows like this, it’s less about forging ahead and more about dealing with the things you’ve been avoiding. The jobs you’ve been putting off. The foundations that need strengthening.

If you have planets or chart points between 13° and 15° of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, you’ll probably be feeling this already.

This isn’t the time for speculation. It’s the time to get your ducks in a row.

I’ll write something more detailed about Saturn later in the week.

That’s your astro weather for the week ahead.

How it plays out down here? That’s the part that’s up to you.

Work with the energy where you can, don’t fight it where you can’t, and above all, be kind to yourself.

Jo x

Mind you, I could have written this yesterday, but I’ve spent the last few days rebuilding my website and by yesterday afternoon my brain had well and truly packed up. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

This morning I skipped my walk and thought about going back to bed, but next door are having their roof replaced. Enough said.

My website was last redesigned in about 2018, back when I had six or seven books across two series. There are rather more than that now. I’d patched and added bits over the years until it became messy, unwieldy and no longer reflected what Storycrumbs is becoming.

I’d been quoted a fair amount to rebuild it. While I couldn’t justify the cost, having now done it myself I completely understand why it costs what it does.

What surprised me most was this: I began wanting one of those glossy, polished author websites that all look vaguely the same. Somewhere along the way I realised that simply isn’t me.

I’m a storyteller.

So instead of organising everything by book series, I’ve organised it by destinations and the stories that grow from those places. It feels much more like home.

If you have a minute, duck over for a look and let me know what you think. And if you find any broken links, please tell me before someone else does. By the end my eyes had glazed over just a little. You’ll find it here.

What else?

A couple of weeks ago our Writing Friday group (a Queensland Writers Centre initiative that I’m an ambassador for) was interrupted midway through a session by a very apologetic library staff member.

The Sunshine Coast Council has introduced charges for community groups to use library meeting rooms. Because QWC hadn’t agreed to the new conditions, we were asked to leave immediately.

We tried relocating into the library itself, but it quickly became obvious we couldn’t run a writing session without disturbing everyone else.

To be honest, I was so cross that I retreated to the bowling club next door, ordered the largest glass of wine I could find and wrote a very angry letter to the mayor.

Fortunately, I came home, deleted it and wrote a much more measured version instead. So far, no reply.

The ABC has since interviewed me, along with members of several other community groups who’ve also lost their meeting spaces.

I suspect nothing will change and that our writing group, after more than three years together, has quietly come to an end. That’s incredibly disappointing. Even more so when Queensland Writers Centre runs almost fifty Writing Friday groups across the state each week, and Sunshine Coast Council appears to be the only council charging not-for-profit groups to use library facilities.

Hey ho.

To the stars...

There’s a lot happening overhead this week, so grab yourself a cuppa.

In the background, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are sitting at 4° Gemini, Aries and Aquarius respectively, all linked by supportive sextiles. By the end of the week Jupiter joins the picture.

Astrologers are calling this one of the most harmonious alignments of our lifetimes.

Will it change your life overnight?

Probably not.

Opportunities are exactly that—opportunities. Jupiter opens doors, but you still have to walk through them. It’s a bit like declaring today is the luckiest day ever to win Lotto, then forgetting to buy a ticket.

We’ll dig into this more later in the week, but if you have planets between 3–5° of the Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) or Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), this could be a particularly significant period.

Monday

Moon in Gemini, then Cancer
Sun cazimi Mercury

Today’s Sun-Mercury conjunction is a little special. It’s known as cazimi. But what is cazimi? While it sounds as though it’s something that Harry Potter would say as he waved his wand about a bit, it’s that point when the Sun and Mercury are as close together as they can be.

While Mercury is usually considered weakened when it’s too close to the Sun (called combust), cazimi is the tiny sweet spot where Mercury sits right in the heart of the Sun. Rather than being overwhelmed, Mercury is strengthened.

Think clarity. Insight. Concentration. Those moments when the answer suddenly appears fully formed. A blinding flash of the obvious, if you like.

The exact conjunction occurs later this morning (Brisbane time), but the energy is available either side of that. Even during Mercury retrograde, this is one of those lovely flashes of perspective that remind us exactly what Mercury does best.

Tuesday

New Moon in Cancer
Venus square Uranus

We’re now halfway through Mercury retrograde in Cancer, which gives this New Moon an unusually reflective feel.

Rather than charging ahead with fresh plans, this is a chance to revisit old ones. To reset emotionally. To reconnect with home, family and the things you’re nurturing into being.

Normally I’d suggest journalling your intentions at a New Moon. This time, though, there’s no hurry. Let the ideas simmer.

Venus also squares Uranus today.

This can feel restless. Exciting. Uncomfortable. Liberating. Sometimes all before lunch.

Creatively it encourages fresh thinking. Relationships may crave more freedom, spontaneity or simply something different. If you’ve been clinging tightly to the familiar, this transit can feel unsettling. If there’s already room to grow, it can be invigorating.

You may find yourself wanting something new, something quirky or just something that makes life feel a little less predictable.

Over the next couple of days you’ll be seeking something new, something a little unusual, something a little off-centre – especially if you’ve been feeling constrained.

You might find yourself flirting with something or someone that makes you feel young and interesting and alive again.

You might even find yourself starting arguments just to get a rise out of someone, just for something to do, to prompt a reaction to have something, anything, happen. Absolutely that’s not me. Truly

Shake things up a little if you must, just try not to impulse-buy your way through it.

Wednesday

Moon into Leo

Sunday

Moon in Virgo
Mars sextile Saturn

Mars sextile Saturn is one of those wonderfully practical transits that helps you stop procrastinating and simply get things done.

Mars in Gemini does have the attention span of a toddler in a lolly shop, so the trick is not to overthink it. Start. Finish. Move on.

The Virgo Moon lends a welcome helping hand with organisation and productivity.

I’ll be using it to get my tax return together.

Problem solved. What’s next?

That’s your astro weather for the week ahead.

How it plays out down here? That part’s up to you.

Work with the energy where you can, don’t fight it where you can’t, and be kind to yourself.

Jo x

How was your weekend?

I spent a good chunk of mine in the garden. Normally, at this time of year, the Vegepod is overflowing with salad leaves, tomatoes are in, and I’ve sown zucchini and eggplant. This year, though, we’ll be away for all of September and most of October, and I don’t want our house-sitter juggling both the house and the garden.

So I’ve tucked the veggie patch in for winter. Everything has been mulched with sugarcane to keep the weeds down, and after the great mealybug invasion that left everything in teh Vegepod except my faithful chives coated in sticky white residue, I’ve refreshed the soil and planted a few herbs where the vegetables would normally go.

We’ll see how they cope. The chives, meanwhile, continue to refuse to die. Three winters and counting. I use them in my eggs most mornings, so I’m not upset by that. In other news, all that lifting, carrying and digging is my idea of a strength workout.

A few changes around here

Last week I spent a day with a couple of colleagues doing some serious brand strategy work. We covered everything from audience and voice to vision and long-term goals. It was equal parts exhausting and energising.

The biggest realisation? I’ve been trying to be too many versions of myself.

Between this newsletter, an astrology Substack, my kitchen blog, my travel blog, novel writing and social media, I’ve spread myself so thin that none of it has had the attention it deserves. WordPress isn’t exactly cheap either. I’ve been trying to be someone for everyone, and that isn’t possible.

The funny thing is, travel, food, books, writing, gardening and astrology aren’t separate interests to me. They’re all part of the same life. They’re the little crumbs that eventually find their way into stories.

Which is why Storycrumbs feels like the right home for all of it.

Over the next little while I’ll be retiring and anyways and Brookford Kitchen Diaries, with travel and food posts finding a new home here instead.

You’ll also notice a new Monday feature: Written in the Stars.

It won’t be heavy-duty astrology—just a practical look at the week’s astroweather. If astrology isn’t your thing, you can simply scroll past, or manage your subscription and untick that section. I do hope you’ll give it a chance though.

If you’d like to dive deeper into learning astrology, I’ll still be posting that over at Jo Tracey Astrology.

For now, the rhythm around here will look something like this:

• Monday: Written in the Stars

• Wednesday: Kitchen Diaries, travel rambles or cookbook reviews

• Friday: Writing life, creativity, publishing or podcast chats

• Sunday: Monthly wrap-ups and whatever other story crumbs I’ve collected along the way.

Right then...

This week, written in the stars

The astrology world is getting rather excited.

The outer planets—Uranus, Neptune and Pluto—are all gathering around four degrees, building towards a significant planetary pattern that peaks in a couple of weeks.

These are slow-moving planets, so don’t expect lightning bolts or overnight change. They’re more about gradual shifts: the kind that reshape societies, institutions and generations.

Some astrologers see this as a move towards fairer systems. Others call it a global rebranding or the beginning of entirely new ways of living. Whatever ultimately unfolds, it’s one of the most significant planetary line-ups we’ve seen for quite some time, and I’ll have plenty more to say about it over the coming weeks.

Closer to home, Mercury remains retrograde in Cancer until 23 July.

Jo Tracey Astrology

Surviving and thriving during Mercury retrograde

In our busy lives, we juggle devices, schedules and endless distractions. We move so quickly that we stop noticing the details…

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The usual Mercury retrograde advice still applies—double-check details, back up your computer and allow extra travel time—but because this retrograde is in Cancer, conversations around home, family and the past may resurface. You might even find yourself wondering about the road not taken.

The week begins with the Moon in Pisces and the Sun squaring Saturn.

If Monday feels like you’re wading through mud, don’t take it personally. Saturn has a habit of putting speed bumps where yesterday there was open road. Plans slow. Patience is tested.

Fortunately, it’s a short-lived influence.

Do what needs doing, keep smiling (even if only internally) and remember that tomorrow will feel very different.

By Tuesday, the Moon moves into Aries and the message becomes wonderfully uncomplicated:

Just flipping do it.

That energetic push carries us through until early Thursday, when the Moon settles into Taurus.

Taurus is wonderful finishing energy. It’s an excellent time to wrap up projects, clear your desk and tie off loose ends before next week’s New Moon.

I usually issue a comfort-eating warning whenever the Moon is in Taurus, and with Mercury still retrograde, emotions may have a habit of heading straight for the biscuit tin rather than out through your mouth. Be kind to yourself.

By the weekend, the Moon arrives in Gemini, bringing lighter, more social energy. Great if you’re catching up with friends. Slightly less ideal if you’re hoping to quietly weed the garden without becoming distracted every five minutes.

Planet on the move

On Thursday, Venus slips into Virgo.

Venus is the planet of pleasure, beauty and enjoyment, while Virgo is practical, organised and quietly efficient. At first glance, they don’t seem like natural companions.

Yet Venus in Virgo reminds us that pleasure doesn’t always arrive wrapped in grand gestures. Sometimes it’s found in making soup, tending the garden, crossing something off the to-do list or simply creating a little more order in our everyday lives.

This week, instead of rushing through the ordinary, see if you can find a little joy in it.

Sometimes the simplest rituals are the most satisfying.

That’s your astro weather for the week ahead. How it plays out down here? That part’s up to you.

Work with it where you can, don’t fight it where you can’t, and be kind to yourself.

Jo x