August 2020 |

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Use the month of August to really sink into planning your new schedule for the autumn. Try to get as much of the planning & structure in place by mid-September for the most success! With the various changes for school and work looming ahead, pay attention to thoughts that may take you back to planning from the previous “normal” instead of from the adjustments you’ve had to make. Center change, space, and adaptability as the new normal and continue cutting out distractions. Pruning promotes growth. Practice makes progress. One thing of important note is the journeys of Mercury, Mars, and Venus in August. This month they make important aspects to the outer planets, giving us a chance to see how our personal development has been going since their cycles began. I recommend circling back to the dates given in the forecast below to see how what is occurring for you now relates to the larger cycles for them.

Below you will find a list of the month’s astrological aspects. Use this information to track what houses these particular transits are occurring in to see where it will affect you specifically (i.e., the house in the natal chart). Here’s an online resource you can use for a quick reference on what the houses mean: https://astrostyle.com/learn-astrology/the-12-zodiac-houses/

MOON DATES

Full Moon: Aquarius (11°) on August 3rd at 8:59am PT.
Waning Moon: Taurus (19°) on August 11th at 9:45am PT.
New Moon: Leo (26°) on August 18th at 7:42pm PT.
Waxing Moon: Sagittarius (2°) on August 25th at 10:58am PT.

TRANSITS

August 1 – Mercury in Cancer (22°) opposes Pluto retrograde in Capricorn (22°).
August 2 – Sun in Leo (10°) square Uranus in Taurus (10°).
August 3 – FULL MOON in Aquarius (11°) at 8:59am PT. Mercury in Cancer (27°) opposes Saturn retrograde in Capricorn (27°).
August 4 – Mars in Aries (19°) square Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn (19°). Mercury moves into Leo.
August 7 – Venus moves into Cancer. ▪ August 11 – WANING MOON Taurus (19°) at 9:45am PT.
August 13 – Mars in Aries (23°) square Pluto retrograde in Capricorn (23°).
August 15 – Uranus retrogrades in Taurus at (10°).
August 16 – Sun & Mercury conjunct in Leo (23°) trine Mars in Aries (23°).
August 18 – NEW MOON Leo (26°) at 7:42pm PT. Venus in Cancer (10°) trine Uranus retrograde in Taurus (10°).
August 19 – Mercury moves into Virgo.
August 22 – Sun moves into Virgo.
August 24 – Mars in Aries (26°) square Saturn retrograde in Capricorn (26°).
August 25 – WAXING MOON Sagittarius (2°) at 10:58am PT. Mercury in Virgo (10°) trine Uranus retrograde in Taurus (10°). Venus in Cancer (17°) opposes Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn (17°).
August 27 – Venus in Cancer (19°) trine Neptune retrograde in Pisces (19°).
August 29 – Mercury in Virgo (10°) trine Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn (10°).
August 30 – Venus in Cancer (22°) opposes Pluto retrograde in Capricorn (22°). Mercury in Virgo (19°) opposes Neptune retrograde in Pisces (19°).

AUGUST 2020 COSMIC WEATHER

August 1st & 3rd Mercury opposes Pluto and Saturn, respectively. This is the halfway point (the “full moon”) of the cycle that began during the powerful Full Moon eclipse in January at 22 degrees Capricorn. As the “personal planet” which rules thinking, perception, learning, skills, communication, writing, and more, I think it’s safe to say that major transformation has occurred at all levels for everyone. Since Mercury is now in Cancer, we can do this from a place that is deeply committed to our inner “why” and with a more clear emotional intelligence. From here forward we may find that we are much better equipped at tackling the hard problems, dissecting any obstacles into manageable pieces, and crafting a new world view.

August 2nd the Sun squares Uranus. This transit can bring a breakthrough or important development around opportunities or aspects of life that were highlighted in the days surrounding April 26th, the date of their conjunction at 6 degrees Taurus. Be on the lookout for more information, comprehension, higher perspectives, and courage to arise!

August 3rd we have the Full Moon, which marks the halfway point of our 2nd Cancer lunar cycle. This extended time in the emotional waters of Cancer through the summer is helping us to process our emotions, create greater emotional resiliency and steadfastness, and hold better boundaries between our hearts and the outside world.

On August 4th, 13th, and 24th, Mars makes its three squares with the outer planets of Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn, respectively. These transits are similar to the 1st quarter square or the ‘waxing phase’ of the moon cycle. Therefore, in order to start understanding how growth, motivation, and progressive action may be amplified by each of these squares, we must look back to remember what these cycles are about. The Mars-Jupiter cycle began on March 20th at 22 degrees Capricorn. This journey has been about delineating the basis for your actions: Are you taking action based on spiritual laws and principles OR from ego? If you’re receiving coaching or mentorship from another, then are they emulating these higher principles? From here on out with this square, I encourage you to solidify your spiritual foundation and step up and out in humanity-centered action. The Mars-Pluto cycle began on March 22nd at 24 degrees Capricorn. This journey has been about delineating what position of power you hold along various strata from the personal to the national as well as how you’ve been using your power. From here on out with this square, I invite you to more actively engage with exercising the power you have in service to healing, wholeness, and justice for all. The Mars-Saturn cycle began on March 31st at 0 degrees Aquarius. This journey has been about solidifying the foundation you laid over the past 2.5 years as you prepare to stretch/grow during 2021-2023. From here on out with this square, I invite you to cultivate courage and passion for bringing the vision you have into fruition. Also, on August 4th, Mercury moves into Leo and remains there through August 18th. This transit clears the way for refining perspectives, approaches, and strategies that are emerging from the first two Mars squares. This will make it significantly easier to make the most of the third Mars square with Saturn.

August 7th Venus moves into Cancer and remains there through September 6th. This transit is truly about reveling in love, both of self and shared with another (in the personal context), and mutually beneficial partnerships (in the professional context). Venus in Cancer reminds us that relationships have a natural flow that should be easy and pleasurable (yes, even in business). This transit is even more intimate–more close–than Venus’ journey through Gemini, which was centered more on small groups. The focus shifts to the quality of the relationship with “one” and if there is a healthy interdependence, the flow will increase; if not, then there is an opportunity to find common ground–but only IF the fundamental values are the same between both parties.

The waning moon on August 11th provides opportunities to enjoy the “harvest” of the lunar month, finish up the to-do list and administrative tasks, and begin to prepare planning for the upcoming lunar month. Let this be as productive a time as possible, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.

On August 15th, Uranus turns retrograde and remains retrograde throughout the end of the year. This will give us added time to continue working on more of the new territory that has opened up for us from the second half of April. And this is definitely new territory for most of us. As an outer planet, Uranus has a long 84-year orbit. Therefore, unless we were alive in the late 1930s/early 1940s, we haven’t experienced this planet in Taurus. Retrogrades are a gift which provide us the chance to see what we may have missed and make any course corrections before things pick back up again. Take your time with whatever this is–there’s no rush. (Look at your natal chart for where 6 degrees thru 10 degrees Taurus is in order to determine what specific areas of life this is related to.)

On August 16th/17th, the Sun and Mercury form a conjunction to one another, which also activates a trine to Mars to bring blessings and beneficial masculine energy that supports the healthier uses of power, mature conflict resolution, grounded self-expression, divinely-shaped individualism, and informed stewardship. See which of these is needing a bit more attention and also where you are already thriving. Ambition will serve you well here; however, don’t go overboard. This transit is to renew your faith by showing you that you’re on the best path for you.

A New Moon cycle kicks off on August 18th in proud, creative, and charismatic Leo. If all the watery vibes of back-to-back lunar transits in the sign of Cancer were too much, then this provides a much needed respite. Look to stronger self-esteem and possibly a desire for more creative expression/exploration to be the opportunity provided here. This can be a good lunar cycle to use for generating new inspiration for personal or professional projects.

August 19th Mercury enters its 2nd home sign of Virgo and remains thru September 5th. Mercury transiting through Virgo brings unfettered access to the mind of our inner Crone/Elder, which holds wisdom, patience, and a keen discernment during the decision-making process. Use this exacting energy to flesh out a lot of the gritty details around those subjects or topics that may still be tripping you up; also use this to develop a better objective view of your circumstances so that you are making decisions from a holistic place.

On August 22nd, the Sun joins Mercury and moves into Virgo. The time of the wise crone/elder is here to prepare us for fully receiving what the Autumn season and Spiritual New Year have for us. This zodiac month is a great time to do a body cleanse or detox in advance of Nature’s shedding (or budding for those in the Southern Hemisphere with Spring). You could also feel compelled to do a deep clean of your home, throw out old files, or deal with projects that you still haven’t taken action on (at this point, it’s most likely an obstacle and not an opportunity, so let it go!). You may also find that your body’s vitality begins to shift to wanting a bit more rest. It is naturally in tune with the coming changes in Nature as the light of the Sun is steadily decreasing. Start making adjustments now: Can you strategize ways to set up your work/life balance in such a way that lines up with this natural cycle?

On August 25th, we have a busy day of three transits: the Waxing Moon, Mercury trines Uranus, and Venus opposes Jupiter. The Waxing Moon builds upon the heightened self-esteem and courage of the Leo lunar cycle while Mercury and Uranus bless us with breakthroughs/insights to things we may have struggled to comprehend or figure out while Uranus was direct. Like Mars, Venus has a trifecta of oppositions to the outer planets in Capricorn. The first is today while the others involving Pluto and Saturn occur next week. The Venus-Jupiter cycle began at the conjunction on Nov. 24, 2019, at 28 degrees Sagittarius. This was a powerful starting point because it was in alignment with the Galactic Center (the center of the Milky Way Galaxy). This is a deeply spiritual cycle in particular, and the conjunction would have catalyzed a radical shift in the foundation of our beliefs at a subconscious level. We’ve only recently become aware of what our new inner compass is like over the past few months. We must prioritize following the guidance of our intuitive nature and listening even more deeply moving forward.

August 27th sees another important Venus transit: a trine with Neptune. This kind of aspect is always a beneficial transit and supports the journey that began at the start of their cycle: a conjunction in January on the 27th at 16 degrees Pisces. Enjoy the blessing or possible emotional healing that this transit can bring.

On August 29th, Mercury trines Jupiter, giving us an added boost in breakthroughs or inspiration in the areas that Jupiter has been providing support during its retrograde. Whatever is made clear here will help you implement practical solutions and strategies moving forward.

We end the month with two transits on August 30th: Venus opposes Pluto, and Mercury opposes Neptune. This marks the second opposition in a row for Venus (the third will be with Saturn in September). The Venus-Pluto cycle began on December 13, 2019, at 21 degrees Capricorn. If you remember, December was a month of big changes both personally – especially with home and family – as well as professionally, the beginning of a shift to stepping up and stepping out into your places of distinction and minimizing distraction through “busy-ness.” This opposition shows us how well we’ve done and if we’ve remained in integrity with our commitment. The Mercury-Neptune cycle began on April 3rd at 19 degrees Pisces. With today’s opposition we should see greater comprehension about what the foundation is for our emotional health, what tools we have at our disposal for maintaining well-being, and where our focus needs to be for creating strong emotional resiliency.

Once you’ve read this month’s Cosmic Weather Update, be sure to comment in the Facebook thread with any questions and aha moments you have!