August is traditionally a month when vacations are at their peak. Commerce slows and many people stream out of the cities for the beaches and the countryside. It’s the height of Summer and re-creational time.
This August begins in a similar vein. We’re looking for good times even if that means suspending rational judgment and embracing irrational exuberance. It doesn’t matter. We want to have fun, affirm our hope and assume that things are straightening out and getting ever better after a period of tumult and turmoil.
And certainly the first half of August allows us to accept the notion that ‘happy days are here again’. Even if unsettling news jolts us now and then, we are unlikely to buy into the hand-wringing that so many people were doing at the end of 2008 and early in 2009. We’ll have none of it as our optimism and confidence seem high during the early part of August.
August begins with three planets in Fire Signs, two planets in Earth Signs, three planets in Air Signs and two planets in Water Signs. Two planets are in Cardinal Signs, four planets are in Fixed Signs and four planets are in Mutable Signs. Six planets are in Positive Signs and four planets are in Receptive Signs.
We begin the month with a Grand Cross by Sign in the Mutable Signs with Mars in Gemini, Saturn in Virgo, the Moon in Sagittarius and Uranus in Pisces.
Our focus on stretching our wings, being involved with any number of things and going from one place to another can be a large part of our beginning August. Like a kid in a candy shop, we might feel as though we need to try everything that is available to us. We want to have fun and we’re not overly concerned to budget or rein in our enthusiasm. Needless to say, such an attitude is fraught with possible excess and indulgence. Our reasoning ability might take a back seat to satiating our appetites. And in avoidance or in denial, we could easily embrace the lyrics to the Peggy Lee song “Is That All There Is?”
“If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball if that’s all there is.”
Not everyone may be on the same page as we start the month. The Plutonian energies that are prodding the shapeshifting, the metamorphosis and transformation that we as individuals and as a society are going through are strong this month.
On the 1st, Venus opposes Pluto and we might experience a difference of opinion in our interactions with other people. People may draw lines in the sand, wanting what they want without full consideration of the other person’s interests. Some of it may be due to a sense of vulnerability, a sense of insecurity during these volatile times of dramatic and rapid changes. We might also hear that issues with real estate, housing and the whole housing bubble that provided a catalyst for our economic downturn into recession may not be fully over. There could be suggestions of further residential foreclosures and even questions as to whether commercial real estate is holding up or moving into a downtrend.
Anxiety could be prevalent and we would have to be careful not to vent our frustrations on the safe harbor of our loved ones.
[N.B. In mid-Autumn, Saturn moves out of Virgo and enters Libra. The Saturn Uranus opposition begun in the Fall of 2008 continues but with Pluto added to the mix as Saturn in Libra squares Pluto in Capricorn. Sorry, sports fans, the worst is NOT behind us. What we may have experienced is but the tip of the iceberg. One possible manifestation of the Saturn Libra could be increased friction in personal relationships and a ratcheting up of domestic violence. But that is then and this is now.]
If we do not give into knee-jerk reactions but take a cool-headed response to things going on around us, then we could also truly see the substance of the situation, cut to the core of any matter and focus on both the specifics and the bigger picture to devise a best practices approach of extricating ourselves from any possible problems. Mercury enters into own Sign of Virgo on the 2nd and Mercury trines Pluto on the 3rd. We can be insightful and could concentrate on what we need to do in order to resolve problem areas.
Although we are still interested in some downtime and recreational pursuits, moving more into August we may discover that we are getting more serious, looking at things with a more critical eye rather than just wish fulfillment.
Let’s keep in mind two major characteristics to successfully negotiate these times: AWARENESS and MINDFULNESS.
By being aware and by being mindful of the parameters, conditions and possible ramifications, we can deal with whatever comes our way.
It is always important to affirm the wise saying that we never get more than we can handle. And to handle things effectively, we need to move from a total control pattern to one of being co-creator, of working with the energies as they are unfolding.
The 5th-6th gives us our third eclipse of the past six weeks, this one a Lunar Eclipse with a Stellium of three or more planets in Aquarius. We are asked to find a balance between our own personal will and the greater good. Although we are all going through a sifting of old patterns and old issues, inventory taking, and considering what we want to be rid of and what new pursuits we might want to engage; the process is tempered by the shifting paradigm of these times, moving away from sequential, linear reality whereby things occur in a sequential progression and moving into asequential reality, synchronicity and serendipity whereby things occur by just happening and life can turn on a dime. It is the time of the magical, mystery tour of which I have written before.
Breaking old patterns, letting go of old expectations, releasing the need for a defined sense of identity may not be easy for many of us. Some of us may struggle against it. Some may try to reinforce the past, the traditional, the old structures. But holding on could only aggravate any sense of suffering.
As they say in the twelve step programs: ‘let go, let god’.
The 7th has Mercury sextile Venus. Family gatherings can be great fun, and certainly communications can be pleasant diversions with walks down Memory Lane, recounting wonderful past experiences, or gentle verbal meanderings into addressing the concerns of and comforting our loved ones. Projects around our homes can have our attention as we look to make our homes a sanctuary and a nurturing space.
Mars transiting Gemini, and then entering Cancer later this month, does give cause for some blips on the screen and possibly one huge blowout. Around the 8th through the 10th, things could ratchet up with possible actions that are not well-considered and even impetuous actions that could create an episode of havoc. This is a time when we could easily gloss over details, not take into account important factors, and rush forward without checking the conditions. Mars squares Saturn on the 10th, followed shortly thereafter with Mars trine Jupiter on the 13th and the Sun opposed Jupiter on the 14th.
While we might get tripped up around the 8th through the 10th, it would also be important for us to slow down, take care of the particulars and complete outstanding matters. Our vitality and energy might not be the strongest at this time. Delay could frustrate us. If we see it as a tempering process, putting on the brakes in order that we not rush headlong into the unknown, then we could save ourselves some grief.
Whatever might be a restraining factor during that time could soon be forgotten as we come to the 13th and 14th when Mars trines Jupiter and the Sun opposes Jupiter. Our temperance could be replaced with wild optimism. Yes, we’re back with the volatilities, the roller-coaster of ups and downs and the metronome-like swings between lethargy and depression on one side, and manic energy and exuberance on the other side. Mid-August could seem like a manic-depressive period.
The 17th has the Sun sextile Mars, Mercury conjunct Saturn, the Sun opposed Neptune and Mars trine Neptune. On the 18th, Mars squares Uranus. At this time, we have to be certain that we’re dealing with a full deck. We could get carried away with possibilities and well-staged presentations. We might want to move ahead but without considering the direction, the itinerary or the ramifications. This is a time when appearances may be enticing but might have little connection with reality. We could be accident prone now. Things can change dramatically and the sense of sure-footedness could be fleeting.
From mid-August through the rest of the month, with the energies ratcheting up significantly from the 17th on, we could feel ourselves in a whirlwind of activity. Storm systems could prove severe, and this is the beginning of the times that have raised significant concern for me. From this latter part of August through October, we seem to be in a time of turmoil, a time when things can change dramatically and rapidly, times when we may not know whether things are up or down or turned all around.
Confusion can be the order of the day and it would be wise for us not to get caught up in the whirlwind of emotion or action. Breathe! Let’s take time to breathe deeply and slowly in order to center ourselves and not be prey to the vagaries of the unexpected occurring around us.
On the 19th, Venus sextiles Saturn. Perhaps not circling the wagons but we might seek refuge in our homes and in our family. The use of our homes as sanctuary, living environment and even work environment, could become more pronounced in the days ahead. Now is a time for preparation, for sorting the ingredients of our present and for our future. Now is a time to streamline our operations so that we can keep up with the ever-changing landscape of our lives.
While we may assume that better days are ahead of us, and in deed they are, we also have some stuff to get through, garbage to clear away and dross that needs to be eliminated in order for us to move successfully ahead into a future that could prove far different than the patterns of the past.
Regularly, it will be important for us to take reality checks, even when reality seems far different from what we are used to or what we might have envisioned. Reality check. There will be times when we want to buy into the illusions, the appearances, the hype. We do so at our own risk. Despite an emphasis upon the community, upon the collective, upon the village; we are entering a time of individual accountability and responsibility. Yet the sense of our individuality, of our personality, of our identity, may be an amorphous quality, changing, shifting, at times making us feel vulnerable with a sense of things passing away and not clear regarding things that are coming forward.
The New Moon on the 20th accentuates the concept of possibilities, of prospects, of potentialities. It also demands that we not get lost in space but rather evaluate and consider the true realities of those abstracts and concepts.
The 21st has Mercury opposed Uranus. While we can receive some startling insights, we might also experience miscommunications, delays regarding travel plans and computer glitches and electrical blackouts. Things could be said off the top of our head that in greater reflection we might never have mentioned. If we do in deed put our foot, or our feet, into our mouth, Saturday the 22nd allows an opportunity of doing the tai chi moves and rectifying the situation.
The 22nd has Venus trine Uranus and the Sun moving into Virgo. The Venus Uranus trine aspect can have us reworking our relationships, energizing them and finding ourselves infatuated. If we did stumble and fall onto our sword by means of words the day before, we can now remove our feet from our mouth, make amends, even if it means eating some crow.
With the Sun’s entry into Virgo, we are getting back into our normal routine mode. Even if we’re still off on holiday, thoughts of our usual patterns can filter in.
The Sun trine Pluto on the 23rd reinforces our sense of transformation. Whether we decide to go clothes shopping or not, we might find ourselves attending to our image and our presentation. We may fine tune our structure and focus on our best practices approach.
The 25th has Mars exiting Gemini to enter Cancer and Mercury leaving Virgo to enter Libra. Mars and Mercury square each other on the 25th, followed on the 26th with one intense day, although these energies are likely to seep into the days before and the days after.
The month ends with a crescendo, or is it a bang?
The 26th has Mercury square Pluto and Mars opposed Pluto. Conversations can turn belligerent with everyone wanting to win their point. While discussions can become heated, there is also the liability to physical confrontations. These energies are incredibly intense but could also provide a good heads-up regarding some of the energies and some of the areas that could be reaching a boiling point in 2010.
August is a month for us to enjoy our re-creational times, get off the track and en joy ourselves. While we need to catch a breather from the volatility of recent times, we may also need to condition and prepare ourselves for an intense Autumn ahead. For further information regarding my concerns for this Autumn, I have posted an Autumn Alert on my website.
August… building to a crescendo, or a bang…
