AstroCurrents for August: Focus on Communication, Innate Talent, Joy, Relationships, and a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse & Perseids Meteor Shower

The Astrological events listed below will affect us all, regardless of your sign.

August 4 Mercury enters Leo until 8/19 While Mercury is in Leo we are wanting to express ourselves-sometimes with a roar! And since Mercury has been in Cancer for such a long time (since 5/28) you may well have lots to say. (While Mercury is in Cancer, many find that while they have an abundance of feelings and emotions going on, it is not always easy to express them.) Now that Mercury, the planet most responsible for our communications, is in the sign of the Lion, we find our desire to speak out is stronger. This can be a good thing, for sure, as self-expression is generally considered a good thing. The only warning here is to be certain not to bite someone’s head off while roaring. Use this energy to express your self in creative and dynamic ways. Speaking what is true for you is most important now…just do avoid getting overly dramatic or over bearing while doing so. Overall, many will enjoy this shift, as it also inclines us to be more playful and can help to lighten up all our conversations-at least to some degree.

August 6 Saturn trines Pluto at 26°34′ Leo/Sagittarius. This can be a very helpful aspect as you seek to find substance and meaning in the most fundamental areas of your life. Saturn is the planet that represents the foundation of your life. Anything that supports you and adds elements of security is influenced by Saturn. Pluto rules the ability and capacity to go deep, to look beneath the surface and see what is hidden or not previously seen or known. As these two planetary energies blend in this most positive way we have an opening to better understand how Life really does support our quest for greater awareness, purpose and meaning. By focusing on what is most fundamental, but often overlooked, you will find that you are exactly where you must be, and in fact, have exactly what you must, in order to fulfill your “destiny”.

Saturn invites us to use the tools and resources that are already in our life, as opposed to reaching out to what is not actually within our grasp. Pluto asks us to look in places you had perhaps not thought to look at before. Through its lens, we can pierce the illusion that we are not enough or do not have what we need to create the foundation that offers us a sense of security. By using these two energies consciously we have now an opportunity to see with greater clarity the gifts, talents and resources we need, and already have, to more forward.

Some keys are to look in places you don’t ordinarily and take stock of your assets from the viewpoint that you already have all you need to accomplish the task(s) at hand. And be sure to count those things that we all often take for granted, such as food and shelter and our own minds and wit. The influence of this aspect will be until the end of this month, and will be more strongly felt by those whose charts are being directly aspected by it (a reading will determine this).

One other thing, this is also a great time for evaluating boundaries and defining guidelines that will add to you feeling more secure and supported. This would apply to all areas of your life.

August 6 Jupiter stations direct at 9°56′ Sagittarius until 5/9/08. While Venus During a Jupiter station we are inclined towards slowing down a bit as we answer our bodies calls to relax and regenerate. The basic nature of this aspect is one of openness and gratefulness, hence spending time now in appreciation will only bring in more of the same.

Some will be drawn to travel now, if not to another place then within their imagination. And in fact, either can expand your mind and open up your vision in ways that will only increase optimism and hopefulness. It is most beneficial now to see the cup as half full and your lives as an adventure, as such shifts in attitude are again, only likely to position you in a place of these things actually manifesting in your life.

A couple things to watch out for during the time of this station (8/1 to 8/15):

• Strive not to “over-do” anything. Examples are not to over spend, over indulge or over extend your self in any way. During this influence it’s easy to be inclined towards such things, only to regret these actions down the road.
• Also, you may feel unmotivated or even just plain lazy. Know that this will pass soon. Perhaps you just need to rest and take a break.

August 6 (late) Mars enters Gemini until 9/28 While Mars is in Gemini, communications can take on an urgent quality. People talk faster and can be impatient hence we are all reminded to slow down and listen better. Mars here also energizes the mental as lots of thoughts and ideas are flowing through our minds. The challenge now is to harness all this dynamic energy, and to try to focus it towards those tasks that require mental agility and great communication skills. This can be an excellent help for all written and verbal assignments.

There are some things to watch out for during Mars stay in Gemini, such as:

1. avoid being gossipy, as the inclination can increase while Mars is in Gemini
2. it is only too easy to take multi-tasking to a new level under this influence. However, it may end up that you actually accomplish nothing. Try to stay focused and not go off on tangents during this time.
3. the mind can race now, so such things as nervous energy or insomnia are more likely. Avoiding sitting in front of your computer or TV late at night as it will help to avoid this..
4. also be careful with your words as saying things either in the heat of a disagreement or as a reaction without really thinking is only too easy now. Further, your tone may be mean or spiteful when you don’t really intend it to be. Slowing down and taking a deep breathe before speaking is especially good advice now.

Some things that will help to get the most out of this placement now are:

• doing some deep breathing exercises
• to consciously choose to stay focused and do one thing at a time
• journaling will help give all those additional thoughts and ideas a place to land, and get out of your mind!
• relaxing things such as meditation, yoga or walking will help to calm you and your mind down, especially from over thinking or over-working

August 7 Venus (while retrograde) squares Mars at 0°28′ Virgo/Gemini. This is a tricky little aspect that may bring to the surface underlying tensions, especially in your relationships. Saying things you later wish you hadn’t is something to watch out for here. A good motto now, in all our relationships, is to choose your battles carefully. Is it really worth it to bring that thing up that you know will spark a showdown? Mindfulness is advised.

The other possible impact at this time is to feel frustrated or irritated for no real reason. Nervous energy is in the air, so others will be feeling this, too. The good news is that it is a short-lived influence (about 3 days total), so hang in there and don’t make rash moves if you don’t have to.

August 8 Venus re-enters Leo until 10/7. (Venus was in Leo from 6/5 until 7/14 and due to it going retrograde it will be there again as of 8/8). While Venus is in Leo, we want to express ourselves in creative and artistic ways. Things that we feel most passionate about come forward. This may be art, fashion, music, dance, theater, gardening or anything that brings out our creative and fun sides. We are now drawn to the beauty and openness of the outdoors. Our inner child is beckoning us to come out and play! Under this influence we are invited to lighten up and enjoy life, and to find joy in just being our self.

From July 27 until September 8, Venus is retrograde in Leo. While Venus is retrograde you may find yourself re-evaluating your relationships and/or love interests. Some questions that may arise are:

• does your partner really “get” you…does he or she see your uniqueness and offerings?
• do you still know how to just have fun and enjoy each other?
• where has the passion gone?

Now would be a good time to both evaluate these things, as well as discuss them.

If you are not in a relationship, you may be asking what can I do to spark my life in general? Also, Venus in the dynamic and exciting sign of Leo can increase the attraction factor. You may find you are feeling like flirting and engaging others in a more playful way. Our hearts and passions are activated by this placement of Venus.

August 12-13 Perseids Meteor Shower (50 per hour-should be very viewable.

August 12 is a New Moon 19°51′ Leo at 4:02 pm PDT. I love that the annual Perseids Meteor shower is occurring on the New Moon in Leo this year. Not only will it make for great viewing, this combo will bring with it lots of potential and vitality. As you look at the night sky, you may feel a sense of wonder and awe. Allow yourself to feel the renewing and inspiring energies pouring down from the Heavens now. Pay careful attention to what comes your way in the next few days. Especially those things that move you in a special way, as it may be that whatever it is will play an important role in bringing more passion and creativity into your life as the days and weeks go on.

August 13 Sun opposite Neptune at 20°37′ Leo/Aquarius.

August 13 Venus conjunct Saturn at 27°29′ Leo. This is an interesting combo to be happening on the same day. While the Sun/Neptune influence increases feelings of dreaminess and perhaps feeling spacey, the Venus/Saturn combo asks us to “get real” in some area of our life. These energies together may incline you towards a genuine kind of forgiveness and tolerance. Seeking to exemplify these qualities in our interactions can make this a most special day (or even two). “Be the change you want to see” is a good motto now.

Another possibility at this time is that you may be pulled towards making a commitment of the heart that is not based entirely on reality. While forgiving and forgetting has its place, now may not be the best time to go there. I suggest waiting a day or two to enter into any agreement that is long-lasting, after the rose-colored glasses have come off.

August 19 Mercury enters Virgo until 9/5 Every year about this time Mercury spends 3 weeks or so in the sign of Virgo (as it does in every sign at some point during the year), and while it is here is an excellent time to reconsider your daily regimes and habits as it specifically relates to two areas of your life:

• time management and how you schedule your day, and
• *health practices and programs.

Mercury can now help us to reevaluate these things and then to get new plans of action into place that will not only ultimately help with these areas, but also to simplify and streamline them. Thinking in terms of “back-to-basics” and doing those things that are “tried-but-true” are keys to best utilizing this energy.

A couple warnings: this placement of Mercury can incline us towards worry and anxiety. Using the Venus in Leo energies available now of being more playful and creative (read above) can help to mitigate this.

Mercury in Virgo can also lean us towards being critical and nit-picky. By redirecting these inclinations towards reevaluation and analysis will help you to avoid these negative tendencies during this time.

August 23 Sun enters Virgo at 5:07 am PDT. (to learn more about how Virgo’s influences will effect your chart, read Virgo Transit Talk.

NOTE: From now until the middle of September there is a particularly strong influence affecting us all from the mutable signs, (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces). This places a strong focus on the mental, including our thoughts, ideas, conversations and the written and verbal word. It is not uncommon to experience feeling nervous or anxious, and to worry or fret about things under such energies. Much of this is a result to being “overly mental” or of the mind working overtime. If you are experiencing these things, it would help to avoid anything that is over-stimulating (i.e. too much tv or computer time, too much conversation, etc.).Also helpful would be doing simple basic things with mindfulness, such as deep breathing, walking, yoga and prayer. It may well also be helpful to get a reading that focuses on your chart and how this emphasis on the mutable signs impacts your chart directly.

August 23 Mars opposite Jupiter 10°21′ Gemini/Sagittarius. This event occurs once every two years or so, and because it is occurring in the mental signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, it will be easy to get over stimulated and perhaps even confused. Though you may feel called to action in some way, you could also feel as though the exact right answer or way isn’t clear. Meaning, in some way or another you may feel as though you simply cannot sit on the fence any longer and that you must do something, yet what to do may not be clear. This gets further complicated in that indecision at this time may result in conflict. And conflict and confrontations is exactly what to avoid now as it is quite easy for tempers to flare and arguments to quickly turn into all out war under these influences.

Sound confusing? Well, these energies do generate a lot of options and ideas and conversations and dialog and more discussions and more options and well, get the gist? While this is a time to act, it is also true that the best actions now are those that you have given some thought to and now feel ready to move on. If you find yourself fretting about what to do, then try curbing your instinct to make a careless, hurried decision and give it all some more thought.

Overall, this is a great time to open discussion, but only if you can avoid confrontation. A good approach is to engage conversation with an open mind.

[On another note, I would not be surprised if there were some serious fires during this time. Also in the media may be some form of open sparring and confrontation happening. This is a most fiery and dynamic energy, and since it is occurring near the (upcoming) Lunar Eclipse, there is a feeling of intensity and even destiny afoot.]

August 24 & 25 Mercury squares Jupiter and then Mars. This adds some extra challenges to all areas of communications, and it makes extra important what we say and how we say it. This combo increases our need to communicate but also increases the chance that we will say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It is well advised to stop and take a deep breath prior to opening our mouth for these few days (of course always good advise but especially important now).

Also, you may find your mind is racing ahead of your body, that you are having trouble concentrating on the task at hand and that you have way too much to do. Some advice for handling this aspect of these energies is to make a list, get done those things that will only take a few minutes, then move onto doing one thing at a time. And it may be best to put aside for another day those things that require real concentration and focus if you can.

August 28 Venus opposite Neptune. Time to get real about affairs of the heart. Don’t believe everything you feel as much is unknown and up for grabs now. And don’t force yourself, or others, to make key decisions at this time. Waiting a couple weeks may help more than you know, or can see from where you are now. This is a good energy for relaxing and floating down stream. Surrender more and push less is a good motto.

August 28 is a Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse at 4°46 Leo/Aquarius at 5:48pm PDT.

August 28 Mercury opposite Uranus.

The energies of this FM/Lunar Eclipse accents opposites and dualities, as there are four strong oppositions in the sky at this time. Oppositions can bring with them conflicts, yet also choices. Do you see love or fear? Joy or sadness? Abundance or lack? A key to working with these most unusual and powerful forces is to better understand the power of choice.

“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong.

The amount of energy is the same. The trick is in what one emphasizes.”
~Don Juan to Carlos Castaneda

Some keys to tuning into and accessing these most potent and magical energies are:

• ask Spirit, however you name it, to show you how to raise your frequencies so that you can better understand the power of choice.
• practice discernment in some specific way. The act of doing has its own power.
• increasing your faith through prayer or conscious surrender. Allow yourself to be inspired.
• there is magic in the air. To see and feel this, pay attention and listen carefully to what goes on around you, being very attentive to your environment.
• open your heart to your Soul. This is the fastest way to usher in the healing frequencies now present.

Do avoid any form of criticism, as it will close you off to the positive side of these energies.

Looking ahead to September, here are some of the events I will discuss in next month’s AstroCurrents

• September 2 Saturn enters Virgo until 10/29/09
• September 3 Mars square Uranus (retrograde) at 16°57′ Gemini/Pisces
• September 5 Mercury enters Libra until 9/27
• September 7 Pluto stations direct at 26°18′ Sagittarius until 4/2/08
• September 8 Venus stations direct at 16°36′ Leo until 3/6/09
• September 11 New Moon/Solar Eclipse at 18°25′ Virgo at 5:44 am PDT
• September 21 Mars opposite Pluto 26°21′ Gemini/Sagittarius
• September 23 Sun enters Libra at 2:52 am PDT (Fall Equinox)
• September 26 Full/Harvest Moon at 3°20′ Aries at 12:45 pm PDT
• September 27 Mercury enters Scorpio until 10/23
• September 28 Mars enters Cancer until 12/31

*If you would like to receive an email notifying you when the latest AstroCurrents has been put up, usually in the first week of each month, please email me. [-please link]

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For more information about Mt. Shasta, California, astrologer Elizabeth Jones, visit her web site at www.starpathways.com, or you can easily reach her at ejones@starpathways.com. Her phone number is 530-926-1999.