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Lynn's Skywatch:
Planetary Illuminations for August 2011

/1  Venus trine Uranus
       Sun square Jupiter
8/2 Mercury turns retrograde in Virgo
8/3 Mars enters Cancer
       Mars trine Neptune
       Mars square Ceres
8/4 Mercury sextile Mars
       Neptune Rx enters Aquarius
8/5  Venus square Jupiter
       Sun sextile Saturn
8/7 Venus sextile Saturn
8/8 Mercury Rx enters Leo
       Mercury opposite Neptune
8/9 Mars trine Chiron
       Mars square Uranus
8/10 Ceres Rx enters Pisces
8/11 Mars opposite Pluto
8/13 Full Moon at 15 Aquarius, 2:58 pm
8/16 Sun conjunct Venus
       Mercury conjunct Venus
       Sun conjunct Mercury
8/18 Mars sextile Jupiter
8/21 Venus opposite Neptune
       Venus enters Virgo
8/22 Sun opposite Neptune
8/23 Sun enters Virgo
8/24 Venus opposite Chiron
8/25 Mars square Saturn
       Venus trine Pluto
8/26 Sun opposite Chiron
       Mercury turns direct in Leo
8/28 Sun trine Pluto
       New Moon at 15 Virgo, 11:04 pm
8/30 Venus trine Jupiter
       Jupiter turns retrograde

All dates and times are for the Eastern time zone; please adjust for your own locality.  For daily planetary news, visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Major influences

August begins just after a New Moon in Leo, and the energy of the element of fire is strong with not only the Sun and Moon in Leo, but Venus as well.  With all of this fire energy impelling us towards action, the stationing of Mercury at the beginning of the month as it prepares to turn retrograde on the 4th of August could create more problems than we typically see.  Mercury is in Virgo where it likes to be methodical and detail-oriented, and this isn't always possible when an infusion of fire drives us towards impulsive and reactive behavior, especially when the retrograde turn of Mercury makes it necessary to continually look back over our shoulder.

Just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's impossible, and any planet's job while it is retrograde is to inspire us to deepen our understanding of the domain of that planet.  This is as true of Mercury as for any other planet, but because Mercury turns retrograde four times a year it can be a little more annoying in its effect on our personal life. Mercury will transit within a degree of an opposition to Neptune until that aspect culminates on August 8th, so during this time there is a potential for some confusion and lack of clarity as Neptune blurs the boundaries of Mercury's reason.  Mercury's domain includes short distance travel as well as communication and equipment operation, and all of these areas of life can be affected by Mercury retrograde periods.

Neptune retrogrades back into Aquarius on August 4th for one final passage through that sign before traveling back into its own sign of Pisces.  Aquarius is concerned with global matters and is focused on the collective, as well as technology and science.  Neptune has been in Aquarius since 1998, when the internet was just beginning to take hold, and during this period technology has become virtually universal and the World Wide Web has lived up to its name. Neptune rules music and other entertainment, all of which has become digital during the time Neptune has traveled through Aquarius.

The intense square from Uranus to Pluto that came last week within a degree of exactitude is separating now and will quickly decrease in intensity.  This is the end of the Cardinal Drama which has been at work for the past two years as Uranus, Pluto and Saturn faced off in the cardinal signs of Aries (Uranus), Capricorn (Pluto) and Libra (Saturn).  The square of Uranus and Pluto will perfect next year in a climactic burst of change, but for the next few months we have a bit of a break in the action.

Faster-moving effects

On August 1st relationships will take on a glimmer of excitement as Venus trines Uranus, the planet of innovation and new ways of looking at the world.  A square of the Sun to Jupiter provides a burst of confidence and good fortune that can help to inspire positive action.  There is always a danger here that we will take on more than we can manage, or that we could get into some trouble if we fail to see other viewpoints as Jupiter's mantle of confidence gets overblown.

Mercury turns retrograde on the 4th and will remain so until it turns direct on August 26th. 

Mars leaves the chatty and highly verbal sign of Gemini for Cancer on August 3rd.  Mars is the planet of action, and when Mars is in Cancer our motives become much more emotional in nature.  Our feelings become more important than ever and serve as the inspiration for our actions.  During its first day in Cancer Mars will harmonize in a trine to Neptune (creativity and spiritual connection) and face off in a challenging square against Ceres (self-care and nourishment).  Inspiration is high at this time but we may for a few days neglect ourselves and perhaps our loved ones as we charge off in search of that inspiration.

On August 4th Mercury makes a quick sextile to Mars, an excellent day for writing or completing a difficult negotiation (remember Mercury retrograde periods are excellent for re-doing something that was not accomplished the first time around).  Mars will provide the fuel to facilitate the transmission of ideas or travel plans.  This is also a great day to schedule anything requiring negotiation. The following day (the 5th) is also beneficial as the Sun sextiles Saturn and enhances our focus and ability to create form in our lives, except that a square from Venus to Jupiter could bring about a minor conflict with someone around us.

Mercury, traveling retrograde now, re-enters Leo on the 8th where it will help us to go back over any skipped steps we may have taken in the process of developing our sense of Self. If we are too identified with the ego and less with the Self, Mercury will help to expose areas that are in need for furher work and this is particularly true of the opposition from Mercury to Neptune which culminates that day.

On the 9th we start dealing with a more powerful energy as Mars, the planet that inspires action and self-defense, forms a trine to healing Chiron but squares Uranus, the Radical Rebel. This is quickly followed by an opposition from Mars to Pluto, planet of power and transformation, on the 11th which suggests the potential for powerful acts that help us to create real change in our lives...or alternatively, major power struggles if our lives are out of balance in some way. Mars triggers the square from Uranus to Pluto during this time and reactivates the intensity of that conflict between Uranus rebellion and Pluto power.

Any time Mars is active it becomes more important to engage in vigorous physical activity to help release any extraneous energy that may erupt in unproductive ways.

Ceres, having just had a brief trip through Aries where we are more easily able to take care of our own needs, moves back into Pisces where the urge to nurture becomes more about our spiritual lives. While Ceres is in Pisces (until January of 2012) we are likely to be inspired to participate in "Feed the World" programs or give more of ourselves in some way.

The Aquarius Full Moon takes place on August 13th when the Sun is in Leo. The Full Moon is the culmination of the lunar cycle and the beginning of the waning phase of letting go. In Aquarius, the Full Moon seeks to achieve a pinnacle of social justice and fairness - an observation of the world in which ego, the realm of Leo, is no longer a part of the equation. However, since the Full Moon is an opposition between the Sun and the Moon, and any opposition requires balance and integration, it becomes more important to balance the Leo quality of a healthy sense of Self with the Aquarian quality of transpersonalization.

The love and beauty of Venus is tightly aligned in this Full Moon since she nearly exactly conjoins the Sun and showers her blessings on the event. However, that pesky alignment between Mars and the Uranus/Pluto square suggest that challenges lurk beneath the surface and must be attended to, rather like a party that takes place at the mouth of a dragon's cave. The conjunction between the Sun to Venus tightens over the next few days and the two remain within a few degrees of each other through the last week of August. The Sun represents the development of the individual Self, and just as the light of the Sun can overpower the radiance of Venus in the sky, the focus on Self in a Sun/Venus conjunction can obscure the yearning of Venus for harmony and connection with others. The fact that Venus is in Leo (the sign associated with the Sun) at this time enhances the focus on Self and encourages the heart to open in new and more balanced ways than ever before.

Ideally under this influence we will find balance internally between self-orientation and connection, and this will be facilitated by a conjunction of Mercury to both Sun and Venus that helps to activate the mind and enhance communication. On the 18th Mars forms a harmonious sextile to benevolent Jupiter which helps us to find expansion and good fortune. This is a great aspect to have when Mercury is retrograde, and should help to facilitate all aspects of messaging and transportation between the Full Moon and the 19th or so of August.

On the 21st Venus opposes Neptune at the 29th degree, and shortly thereafter enters Virgo. While Venus/Neptune aspects carry a strong emphasis on creativity and spiritual expression, the challenging aspects of Neptune like the opposition (180 degrees) also suggests a tendency towards delusion. This aspect lasts only a day or two during which it is best to avoid entering into contracts or commitments. This is a beautiful period for the imagination and romance; less advantageous for things like business or life's details.

The Sun follows Venus by opposing Neptune on the 22nd which carries a similar tinge of romanticism and potential illusion, and then moves into Virgo on the 23rd. By the time the Sun enters Virgo, the sign that rules service to others and the mundane details of everyday life, we are ready to take off the rose-colored glasses and settle down to perfecting those details.

During this time, Mercury is slowing down (stationing) in preparation to turn direct on August 26th. At that time matters of communication, transportation, exchange of information of all kinds are more important than ever and need to be handled with care.

On the 24th Venus opposes Chiron, the Soul Healer. For a day or two around this time you may find that relationships may be more painful than usual as Chiron goes about his job as Soul Surgeon, exposing any sensitive places in the heart so that they can become healed. This kind of emotional sensitivity is quickly healed if we permit ourselves to consciously move through these experiences and allow these old thoughts, feelings or memories to emerge and then be released.

Transformation is possible now too with Venus in a trine to Pluto's drive for empowerment on the 25th. However, a square from Mars to Saturn suggests that during this process we may feel stuck, especially if we try to avoid the inner work that must be done. Saturn tends to put the brakes on Mars and make everything a little more difficult for a couple of days. An opposition of the Sun to Chiron will intensify the soul healing process and create a heightened sense of vulnerability and sensitivity. Just do the work and wait, and by the 28th when the Sun trines Pluto at the New Moon you will feel renewed.

The Virgo New Moon on August 28th forms a harmonious trine to Pluto, describing a powerful transformation that is possible at this time. New Moons are the beginning of a new lunar cycle and a time to wash away the past and begin anew. In Virgo there is greater attention to health, diet, personal hygiene, and other details that are necessary in order to live in a body. This New Moon also includes a harmonious trine from Venus to Jupiter: the lesser benefic (Venus) in harmony with the greater benefic (Jupiter). This is an expansive time in which great gifts are available to us.

That opposition from the Sun to Chiron now includes the Moon, however, so the soul work continues during this time. Surgery of the soul isn't easy and it's not always fun, but it does create enormous opportunities for us to grow and find happiness at a far deeper level than is usually experienced. If we allow this soul surgery to take place, the abundant opportunities of this New Moon will help to open up new doorways in our lives that we cannot currently imagine.

Jupiter is highlighted at this time anyway because it turns retrograde on August 30th (it will remain in retrograde motion through December 2011). When Jupiter is retrograde it becomes more important to be aware of the opportunities that are available to us and we are more likely to look backwards at missed opportunities than ahead at what the future holds.

All in all, August holds a great many planetary gifts. Enjoy!