The astrology for this week of August 2nd through the 8th of 2021, the first full week of August, might remind us of the words of Thomas Paine: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
This week has the Saturn Uranus square that dogs us the entire year engaged in a Fixed Sign T-Square by the Sun’s transit through Leo with the Leo Sun opposed the Aquarius Saturn on Monday and the Sun square the Taurus Uranus on Friday. The Fixed Sign T-Square began to be engaged this past Sunday with Mercury transiting Leo and opposing Saturn to be completed by Mercury squaring Uranus on this Tuesday. The week culminates with the Leo New Moon, a signature for the next two weeks, and the Fixed Sign T-Square further highlighted.
With us coming into August and our being besieged by stories of an upsurge in the virus or a variant on the same theme with a return to required masking and suggested reimposed lockdowns and the possibility of enforced severe restrictions to those who do not comply, it would be wise to re-read the words of Paine in The Crisis I:
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.”
Despite the fear mongering and any concern that we are headed towards a dystopian future, there are glimmers of hope this week if we do not fall prey to the narrative being pronounced, but instead reinforce our own creative outlets, both the re-creational activities of summer and our own personal interests and projects that give voice to our passions and our talents.
Throughout my life, I have been often reminded, mantram-like, of the sage advice that ‘we never get more than we can handle’.
While I have often disputed this true saying while going through the troughs of my life events, I have also found that often from my most significant crises I have not only survived the moment but also thrived from the experience.
This is a week when we might feel as though our lives are repetitive bungy-cord jumping with us being thrown out into space of unfamiliar terrain only to be snapped back into our familiar patterns. Even the metronome-feel of this week does not impede our forward movement. It’s only a dizzying, and sometimes anxiety-provoking, momentum to get from here to there, wherever and whatever ‘there’ might be.
Monday, August 2nd – Wiped Out – Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Saturn. The early morning hours of this Monday has the Taurus Moon square Jupiter. The Moon then moves into Gemini where today the Moon squares Mars. The Sun opposes Saturn as the first part of the Sun’s trigger of the Saturn Uranus square in a Fixed Sign T-Square with the Sun square Uranus on Friday. We may feel as though we have a lot on our plate, things to do with a sense that everything is somewhat Sisyphus-like with us trying to roll our boulders up the mountain only to have them roll back on us. Our frustrations can be huge as we start the week, and our reserves limited. And is it any surprise when we are being bombarded by all the negativity and anxiety-provoking information? No matter what we try to do today, we have to be wary of trying to do too much and doing things in a haphazard, slipshod manner. We might be running on empty so it would be wise for us to adjust our expectations. If we could use this day as a ‘time out’ to catch our breath and address only the pressing issues, it would be far wiser than our plowing ahead trying to accomplish and achieve. We could be wiped out today, exhausted, and certainly not at the top of our game.
Tuesday, August 3rd – Smarter with Levity – Saturn, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Uranus. Tuesday continues with the Gemini Moon with the Moon today trine Saturn, the Moon sextile both the Sun and Mercury both in Leo, and the Moon square Venus. Venus trines Uranus, and Mercury squares Uranus completing the Fixed Sign T-Square of the Leo Mercury triggering the Saturn Uranus square with Mercury opposed Saturn this past Sunday and today the Mercury square Uranus. This is a day for us to work smarter rather than harder with an attitude of bemusement at human foibles and the universe’s sense of humor. As the saying goes: ‘if you want to make god laugh, tell god your plans’, and so it could be on this Tuesday when we might be gung-ho to advance our plans in a most stream-lined and well-considered manner only to have some curveballs thrown at us out of left field. The Mercury Uranus square is my least favorite for air travel, and times when I try to avoid flying. There can be disruptions with travel, Internet issues, and problems with communications. Let’s do what we can today with contingency plans in mind if we have to switch and alter our schedule. It would be best if we would go through this day without attachment to our expectations but rather a smile on our face and amusement at all the crazies running the world with their flip-flops, contradictions, and various reminiscences of the Keystone Kops.
Wednesday, August 4th – Pyrite or Gold – Neptune, Jupiter. Wednesday has the Gemini Moon square Neptune and the Moon trine Jupiter. Later in the day the Moon exits Gemini to enter Cancer. This day demands that we use due diligence and not jump to conclusions. If we get off track, we could wind up in a huge heap of trouble. Various ideas and possibilities and a cornucopia of things in which we might participate may seem like a smorgasbord of delightful treats, but similar to food photography the image may be far more enticing than the actual result. This day offers us the opportunity to mine for gold or go for the pyrite, often referred to as fool’s gold. If we would slow ourselves down, no small task under today’s energy influence, we might not trip ourselves up by going for the appearance rather than considering the substance. Even if we go off on a bender into la-la-land, we can get back on track later in the day. Whatever we conceive for today, it would be suggested we take into account both the factors involved and the likely implications of our actions. It might also be wise to draw upon a trusted confidante regarding our plans to avoid us launching forward in some quixotic journey. Today is a day for us to restrain our enthusiasm and to go for the gold rather than being seduced by the pyrite. After three days of frenetic activity, we might seek the comforts of home at the end of this day.
Thursday, August 5th – Regrouping, Recharging – Mars, Uranus. Thursday has the Cancer Moon sextile Mars in Virgo, and the Moon sextile Uranus in Taurus. This would be a good day for us to attend to our well-being by taking some time to catch our breath, focus on our health regimen, and shifting things around in order for us to be more effective with less expenditure of energy. Although we often think of the weekend and especially Sunday as a time of rest, the new paradigm throws out a lot of the traditional mannerisms. This Thursday could prove to be our ‘rest’ day of this week. We may be less pressured and able to take things in whatever order we choose to proceed. This day provides a respite from the craziness of these times. We might seek solace in our home and with that special person or with the significant people in our life. Not that we are necessarily combat weary, but each of us, all of us, could feel as if we have been through the wars, repelling the blue meanies of the crazies, or the minions gone bad. Today would be a day to regroup, recharge, take care of business in an orderly, easy way, and especially take care of ourselves.
Friday, August 6th – Light Before the Night – Venus, Neptune, Pluto, Moon Void-of-Course, Sun, Uranus. Friday has the Cancer Moon sextile Venus, the Moon trine Neptune, and the Moon opposed Pluto. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for over nine hours with the Moon making no further connections to the planets as the Moon finishes its transit of Cancer and before the Moon enters Leo early on Saturday morning. The Sun squares Uranus completing the Sun’s Fixed Sign T-Square that began with the Leo Sun opposed Saturn to begin the week on Monday and now finishing the T-Square with the Sun square Uranus today. We’ll have more of the Saturn Uranus square T-Squared with the Moon entering Leo tomorrow and the Leo New Moon on Sunday with its two-week influence. Oh joy! Not likely! This is a day when we might prefer attending to personal matters rather than our usual obligations. It’s Friday in the summer, and many of us typically take Friday as a dress down, casual Friday in the summertime with a tendency to leave our responsibilities early or leave them behind all together. If we need to get things done, the earlier in the day is likely to be more effective. We may leave some things hanging today, but better to do that than grouse about what we have to do, feeling victimized by demands placed upon us, and with the consequent of emotional exhaustion. If we become reactive to situations and negative in our attitude, we could be excessive in our expenditures just to show that we have some control over our life. Too much is more than enough, and we might wind up hurting ourselves either physically or financially.
Saturday, August 7th – Play Time – Saturn. The Moon enters Leo early on this Saturday morning. There is not a great deal of energy until late in the day when the Leo Moon triggers a Fixed Sign T-Square with the Moon today opposed Saturn to be followed by the Moon square Uranus tomorrow and the Leo New Moon influence extending over the next two weeks. Saturday has us on the ‘dark side’ of the Moon prior to tomorrow’s New Moon. This day is a time for us to enjoy ourselves, whether we participate in re-creational activities or engage our own creative talents. We are looking for good times and to stand out in playful events. As the day proceeds, we might hear the powers-that-be barking suggested, soon to be imposed, protections to keep us safe, if not secure. A dampening of our enjoyment can occur in the evening hours. Let’s enjoy ourselves early in the day, find those outlets that bring us pleasure and not be discouraged by any craziness that surfaces late in the day. Much of society is divided, but can that division reflect some of the internal confusion each of us is going through during this paradigm shift when things are topsy-turvy and we have yet to get our sea legs or figure out where we are going and what we shall be doing?
Sunday, August 8th – And So It Continues – Uranus, Leo New Moon, Sun. Sunday continues with the Leo Moon with the Moon square Uranus and the Moon conjunct the Sun at the Leo New Moon [9:50 AM EDT]. This Sunday and the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 22nd feel the intensity of the Fixed Sign T-Square that we have been dealing with since the end of June and with the forced awareness of the two key components of the Saturn Uranus square that dogs us through this entire year of 2021. Talk about taking the fun out of our summertime and with the trace memories that August used to be the main summer month of escape to the shore, the lake, the mountains, out of town for a summer vacation! Whether under the ‘new’ regulations, restrictions or schedules, we could experience various ‘party poopers’. For some people, their children may be heading off to school or into the home school room earlier than the traditional start. Some employees may be asked to come back into the office after a year of working from home. Certainly, the topsy-turvy quality of life during these disruptive, turbulent and tumultuous times is likely to be heightened. While we might have to ‘grin and bear’ some of the edicts handed down, let’s be certain that we include some escapes of fun and re-creational activities to keep us aware that life is in deed good. Taking a philosophical approach and being flexible and adaptable to changing conditions will help us get through the night and into the light.
