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 Skywatch
for August 8/4
Mercury opposition Chiron
August begins with the first of a pair of Leo/Aquarius eclipses, this one a Solar Eclipse with the New Moon in Leo, opening a doorway to self expression and a healthy ego (Leo). (You can read more about this eclipse here.) The Sun, Mercury and Venus are all in Leo now, facilitating and encouraging the development of the Self, but the South Node, pointing to the past and what is comfortable is in the midst of all the Leo energy which suggests that the ego is holding us back at this time. The
North Node, the signpost to the future, is in Aquarius where it
has been locked in a conjunction to Chiron since May or so and
this conjunction will remain in effect for another couple of months
as Chiron (now retrograde) makes a station before turning direct
again and moving on. Aquarius, as the polar opposite of Leo, calls
upon us to surrender our personal goals and dreams for the sake
of the collective. It tends to be rather impersonal and cares
not a whit about the ego. Social justice and individual liberty
for all is the realm of Aquarius, and the tension between these
two dynamics will be in play for quite some time but has been
highlighted by the Leo Eclipse of August 1. On
August 4 an opposition from Mercury (communication) in Leo to
the Chiron/North Node conjunction continues to call our attention
to this dichotomy. Mercury in Leo tends to see things from the
perspective of the ego, and Chiron, in its role as the Wounded
Healer, may put us into situations where the pain of the ego is
revealed. Look for arguments and hurt feelings caused by a lack
of sensitivity. Suppressing the ego is not a useful way to manage
this polarity - instead we must recognize the needs of the ego
but balance them with the needs of our communities. A trine from
Venus (relating to others) to Pluto (transformation) that day
will help to smooth the way by making it easier to recognize the
deep changes that are needed in order to improve communication
in our relationships. On
August 5 Venus enters Virgo which begins to lessen the strong
and fiery Leo influence and turn our attention more towards serving
(Virgo) the people around us. Mars (energy, inspiration) is moving
into position to oppose Uranus (revolutionary thinking) the following
day, and this could create energy imbalance, recklessness and
the potential for accidents caused by carelessness. An opposition
from Mercury (mental function) to Neptune (dreams and illusions)
can confuse the issues and prevent us from seeing clearly. This
can be a volatile combination making this a good day to be as
conscious as possible! By
the 9th Mercury will form a trine to Pluto before entering Virgo
the following day, and this will help us to organize and focus
(Pluto) our thoughts (Mercury) and then with Mercury in Virgo,
to concentrate on the details that help us to be more efficient
and effective. Watch
for the days between the 13th and the 15th to be somewhat difficult
as first Venus and then Mercury conjoin Saturn, the Celestial
Taskmaster. This will not be the best time to plan social engagements
or sensitive negotiations as Saturn can tend to bring out the
more negative qualities of a situation unless a great deal of
care is put into planning and applying the discipline of which
Saturn is so fond. This
will all change on the 16th when Venus (love and beauty) forms
a trine to Jupiter (expansion and opportunity), just in time for
the Full Moon lunar eclipse at 5:16 pm. This eclipse has the Moon
in Aquarius where but it is eclipsed by the Sun in Leo. As you
may already know, eclipses occur when the Sun and Moon align with
the earth, and this is shown by a close relationship to the North
and South Nodes of the Moon, which trace the path of the Sun around
the Earth (from our perspective here on earth). Astrologically
the North and South Nodes point the direction to our destiny,
and this is what gives eclipses their astrological power. Eclipses
tend to act as a course correction. The
chart for the eclipse incorporates not only the Venus/Pluto trine,
but also includes Saturn and Mercury which are tightly aligned
with Venus in a trine to Jupiter. Saturn restricts and Jupiter
expands, so when these two dance together in harmony in the trine
we have a balance between the pressures of Saturn and the possibilities
of Jupiter. Combined with Mercury (thought process) and Venus
(relating to others), this is a beautifully grounded time in which
to experience the energy of the Full Moon and the eclipse. All
is not beauty and light, however, with Mars moving into position
to form a square to Pluto the following day. This is a powerful
aspect that lasts for several days before and after the actual
event on the 17th. Mars is our individual aggression and Pluto
is ultimate power and transformation, and when these two are in
conflict we may find ourselves in experiences that challenge and
overwhelm us. The eclipse may serve to unmask rage within us,
or cause us to react with extreme emotion when our boundaries
(Mars) are violated. The
23rd could bring some difficulties as Mercury and Venus both oppose
Uranus, planet of revolution and change. While these dynamics
can make personal communication more difficult as opinions (Mercury)
tend to clash (Uranus) and relationships (Venus) demand more autonomy
(Uranus), Uranus can open new doorways and pathways to new ideas.
This is a time to let go of personal agendas and fixed ideas! Look
for arguments on the 27th when Mercury forms a square to Pluto
and power struggles begin to take form, but when Mercury enters
Libra on the 28th negotiation will be easier as Libra strives
to make the peace between opposing views. The 29th we see the
same transition with Venus, which squares Pluto that day and then
enters Libra on the 30th in time for the next New Moon. The
New Moon is in Virgo, and it conjoins Saturn, making this an earthy
and grounded event. The New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon
conjoin, fusing the solar conscious principle with the lunar unconscious
principle. This is the beginning of a new cycle, and having completed
the Leo/Aquarius polarity we now move into the Virgo/Pisces balance.
Service to others, focus on health and the mundane details of
life are the domain of Virgo, and this New Moon is the perfect
time to begin a new life plan, diet, or service project. With
Jupiter forming a trine to the New Moon, success of anything begun
during this time is likely, and the presence of Saturn's discipline
will help to facilitate that success. Mars, Mercury and Venus
are all aligned in Libra, suggesting that balance and harmony
are well within our reach! A beautiful end to the month of August. |