August is the bridge between the weird, unsteerable stasis and discomfort of the past two months and the paradox of stabilizing and reboot coming this fall. It’s a wobbly bridge, to be sure, swaying and shifting like a trick floor in a funhouse. Still, the movement is ultimately productive, instead of just getting in the way, or annoying.
Hearts and minds are assimilating, adjusting and adapting, working over so much that’s surfaced and striving to process the developments into something that makes sense. The exercise largely succeeds. Just as a sensation of balance descends, though, our attention flies back over territory we thought we’d covered.
No worries. The exercise, like the rest of the month, is valuable prep for what lies ahead.
The first half of the month delivers the oomph to send us on our way. The journey begins with Mars, ruler of our drive and actions, entering boisterous Sagittarius and energizing the Leo New Moon on the 2nd.
He’s been trawling the murky depths of Scorpio since spring, dredging up weighty, uncomfortable and unpleasant business that’s refused to go back in the closet. His entry into Sagittarius has us making like colts breaking out of a corral in search of movement, maneuverability, adventure and free-range contact with the outdoors.
Bemoaning and tending to wounds and nasty situations are out. Putting philosophies into action (or fighting for/over them), cracking jokes and generally having a good time are in. Moods improve; motivation returns; optimism mounts.
Marching orders come from the heart as well. It zips through three distinct styles of desires and relating. For the first four days, they’re maximum Leo, vibrant, extravagant and attention-seeking. Sober sensibility takes over from the 5th through the 29th, when Venus cools down in pragmatic, improvement-oriented, boundary-focused Virgo.
The appeal of thinking and talking things over has a shelf-life, though, and then movement and follow through are in order. It’s through this clear-headed lens that she demands action from Mars on the 6th. (Minds are screaming, “Move it!” too.) By the 17th, itches will be scratched and appetites will be pursued, when the goddess of earthly desire and money collaborates with her primal, feral, force-of-nature counterpart Pluto.
Objective assessment hits immediately, with the Aquarius Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on the 18th. A firm reality check follows. Mars has a law and order meeting on the 24th with Saturn, enforcer of rules. The ramifications of recent high-energy actions crystalize. Questions arise (and likely resolve) about responsibility and wisdom. Don’t be surprised if Venus’ orders have sent Mars down the path to structure and commitment. Don’t be surprised, either, if he trots back into the corral and shuts the gate after himself.
The aftermath kicks up cosmic fog and glitter, with equal potential for confusion, illusion and romance, when Mars squares Neptune on the 26th. Who cares about reality, for the moment? Venus joins boundless Jupiter in a super-conjunction (by degree and declination) on the 27th. Hearts are viewing the glass not only as half full, but also fillable, and requesting more, please. Lots.
A meeting of hearts and minds leads to sighs of relief all around, as Venus meets Mercury and goes home to Libra, aka Relationship Central, on the 29th (bringing the heart’s third mode of expression). She’s still glowing from her date two days earlier with Jupiter, who’s heading over in September for his first visit in 12 years. In advance of her house guest (and the emphasis and expansion he promises), social interactions relax into niceties, prettily crafted sentiments, and an awareness of the game of give and take.
On Jupiter’s end, there’s tidying up to be done before he leaves Virgo. Mercury stations retrograde in that sign on the 30th and will not go direct until September 22, after Jupiter has left for Libra. The messenger god’s backtracking provides the opportunity to go over not merely his recent weeks in Virgo, but also the months and developments since last October, when Jupiter began traveling the degrees of this retrograde.
Snafus, breakdowns and garbling that occur now point to areas that have room for improvement and would benefit from attention before Jupiter completes his clean-up tour of Virgo. Look at this time as a chance to pick up dropped threads, learn missed information and address confusion and misunderstandings that have spun off Jupiter’s hard aspects to Neptune and his cosmic fog machine. What comes in September and beyond will be ever so much more solid, if you do.
For pointers, read my guide How to Survive the 2016 Mercury Retrogrades.
Readers call Astro-Insight: “Ridiculously accurate.” “On the nose.” “The best in the business bar none.” Agree? Help keep it going! Please contribute a glass of iced coffee, or maybe some chocolate? Make a donation via PayPal to kbiehlATempowermentunlimited.net (and replace “AT” with @). Thank you!Thank you!
© Kathy Biehl 2016. All Rights Reserved. You may forward this article as long as the copyright notice is intact. No part may be used or reprinted without my prior written permission. Karma, ya know.
About Astro-Insight and Kathy Biehl
Use this form to contact me:
Astro-Insight 