Moon in Gemini squares Sun and Planetary Oppositions Activate Need for Inner Peace and Outer Restraint

Upon Reflection                                                                                                                                                 Catherine Al-Meten

(All times are UT/GMT time; add 8 hours for PDT)

As the week begins, the Sun is at 1/09 Virgo, the moon is in its first day of Aries at 9/34.  Mercury has just entered Virgo, and is at 0/07 Virgo as I begin this column. The week begins with Venus is at 8/41 Libra, and Mars is in its lat few days in Cancer at 27/22. Jupiter is at 12/34 Cancer, Saturn is at 8/33 Scorpio in trine with one another. Uranus is at 12/18 Aries, retrograde, Neptune is at 4/03 Pisces, retrograde, and Pluto is at 9/01 Capricorn, retrograde. 

The North Node is at 11/31 Cancer, retrograde, tending to find us standing at a transition point in our lives, looking back and reflecting on how the changes we’ve made in our lives have turned out. Chiron, the Wounded Healer,  is at 11/57 Pisces, retrograde, also causing us to lick our wounds and ponder how we have dealt with areas of our lives where we have had to grow in some unexpected and challenging ways. 

The Sun’s entry into Virgo finds us more grounded and focused on taking care of business. We put ideas into action, make steps in new directions, and show, through our actions, what our true priorities are. On all levels of our being, we feel ourselves shifting into more earthy, down-to-earth energy. We are affected by the seasonal changes, feeling, sensing, and breathing in the inspiration to put our ideas and dreams into form and substance. We awaken to the reality of our lives where we are, and settle in to welcome the changing seasons and the movement of light in our lives. We begin preparing for the major shifts to come.  We may feel a bit floored by the sudden sense of feeling ourselves more aware of our physicality than we may have been for most of the summer (or winter as the case may be). 

Mercury in Virgo has already made us more aware of the depth, precision, and in some cases, difficulty we have in communicating what we really mean to say. Perhaps some of what we are experiencing has to do with an inner movement that is just beginning to rise up into our awareness. Our perceptiveness and intuitive senses have been  fluid for most of the last few months. The more we feel ourselves affected by the Virgo energy, the less we are likely to seek to escape into the world of fantasy, imagination, or unsubstantiated desire.  We are more than aware of the overwhelming nature of the life beneath our own feet, and our focus is now on arranging and rearranging the practical matters of life to fit the way we live day to day.

This week Mercury in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces. This aspect indicates that our subconscious desires and  any unhealed or unexplored personal issues are to be activated by this opposition.  We may no longer be willing to put up with living out of synch with our true desires, or we may find those areas of communication that have laid dormant, inactive, or silenced for any length of time, are now being energized and awakened. If we are dealing our of our unconsciousness (unhealed, unexplored, unacknowledged), we may run into conflict with others as we attempt to blame them for our own feelings.

While others may be out of synch with us, we are responsible for maintaining our part of relationships, and our own failure to come to healing and wholeness, has to begin within ourselves, not through conflict, surrender to, or merging with another’s wishes, desires, or life choices.  We make the choices that allow us to follow the path that calls us forward toward our soul call, or we force ourselves to move in a direction that we have rationalized as “the only choice we have”.  When we continue putting up with unhealthy or unfulfilling relationships, situations, conditions, or choices we have made, we suffer.  When we begin to awaken to our own suffering, we feel a deep sense of discomfort either in our perceptions of our reality, or in the feelings, thoughts, memories, emotions, and physical responses within ourselves. Our body, mind, and spirit speak to us reminding us that pain is a sign pointing us toward movement to greater health and wholeness. 

The discomfort of the Sun in Virgo’s opposition to Neptune in Pisces, may be  physical, emotional, sensual, mental, or spiritual. It may be a combination thereof. Or for those of us who have been consciously moving closer to harmony in our lives, listening and acting on our desires, soul call, and dreams, we may find greater strength and comfort with the polarities of our lives seeing disruption, discomfort, and dissonance as a normal state in our dynamic journey.  Virgo’s Sun makes us more conscious and physically aware of these challenges, feelings, and natural conflicts. Harmony is a dynamic journey, not a walk to stasis. The movement of life demands a hearty warrior’s stance, adjusting to the shifting movement of the earth, the rising and falling of the tides, and the changing nature of our place on our swiftly tilting planet, as Madeleine L’Engle described in her book of the same name.  

The growing edge of experiencing the Sun’s opposition to Neptune is not allowing ourselves to fall into a sense of false complacency or to drift into illusions, fantasies, escapism, or addictions that cloud our ability to feel, sense, receive, and understand the true nature of how our feelings, intuition, and consciousness can inform, heal, and direct us if we allow ourselves to experience them. 

On Wednesday the third quarter square of the Moon in Gemini, will stir those of us on the West Coast in the early morning hours (2:35 AM). Third quarter squares bring issues to a head, as we move into the lunar stage of the final week of the waning Moon.  Whatever needs to be released, cleared up, completed, or reconsidered, now appears more important to us. Coming as it does, in the middle of a fairly active week, we may find that our emotional state is either discovering how to bring opposites in balance or we are struggling with the ambiguity of situations we have not yet resolved. Those of us who have planets in 26-30 degrees of one of the Fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius, may feel the square of the Sun in Leo to the Moon in Gemini more powerfully than others. Squares can activate and trigger, and if you feel you are not ready to make decisions, take action, or sign agreements, honor our uncertainty. Though we may feel compelled to make choices, nothing worth doing needs to be rushed at this point.

Venus in Libra opposes Uranus in Aries. Venus in Libra, the place of her natural state, receives a jarring and unexpected jolt from Uranus in Aries. Uranus in Aries is like an out-of-control spiraling gyro that hits, bumps, and balances off us rocking our sense of security, knocking us off our sense of center, and surprising us in new and unexpected ways.  Whatever we are holding onto as a means of defining and understanding our ability to both give and receive love, may now change drastically. Surprises come from out of the blue. The Sun in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces  9:43 PM Monday, August 26 (8 hours earlier PDT) though these two bodies are moving into this alignment for a good period of time before this. 

Venus opposing Uranus can also make us more aware of our differences. This may come in the form of an attraction of opposites or in repulsion and conflict over individual differences in taste, style, behavior, and development.  We may feel somewhat restless, and unsettled. The struggles around Venus vs Uranus have to do with our need for individual freedom of expression and our needs and desire for intimacy and deep connection. The struggle that has to be dealt with inside, often manifests in how we treat those we are in relationship with. In fact, for most of us, we try to work things out in relationship that really have to do with what we are struggling with in ourselves. For example, if I need to experience more freedom or individual expression, I may blame my partner for taking away my freedom. This issue may not really be about the partner at all, but when we are not mindful and conscious of our own feelings, needs, and desires, we often miss the opportunity to see that what we experience outside ourselves is often just a reflection of what we are feeling, thinking, or struggling with ourselves. Not always, but quite often. 

Mercury in Virgo  Sextiles Saturn in Scorpio 5:45 Monday (8 hours earlier PDT), and all forms of communication are affected. As Mercury in Virgo makes its sextile to Saturn, the Great Teacher, we become fully grounded and informed by both our feelings and our physical experience. We may feel, under the sextile aspect, as if we are completely connected and in  touch with ourselves and those we care about or those experiences that we value most.  The lessons we have been learning, are now manifesting as healing, harmony, love, and peace. In whatever area of your life this occurs, you will feel most at home and comfortable with this lovely earthy aspect. We feel motivated to get organized, to start in on a new project, or to simply put our whole heart and soul into whatever we are doing.  What we choose, decide, start, or focus on now, will reap the most benefits. Outcomes are good for anything started at this point. 

Venus in Libra square Jupiter in Cancer 5:53 triggers an emotional expression of our joy and happiness. We may go overboard in our desire to express our love. We enjoy the pleasures of life during this kind of aspect, and depending on where it manifests in your life, you might want to exercise a bit of restraint so as not to knock someone or your bank balance off center.  

Mars enters Leo Tuesday at 10:05 PM where it will stay until October 15. Mars enters a fire sign, and a sign of pride and sometimes, arrogance. Grand and explosive types of behavior can be aspects of Mars in Leo. Contrary to much of the Virgo energy building up, Mars in Leo acts without caution and cares little for the details. Mars in Leo wants to make a statement, create a scene, and make a point---a grand point.  Caution and restraint are called for when Mars is in Leo, however it is unlikely. Whatever area of your life you find Mar’s transit through Leo now, you want to observe caution and care in your behavior, actions, and choices. Be aware that everyone has the influence of Mars going through Leo, so there could be some real fireworks when ego-driven decisions are made without consideration for outcomes and options.  Our own sense of self assurance will come into conflict with others who feel just as certain of their own position, so practice discretion, be tactful, and move more slowly in decision making than you might otherwise do.  Mars brashness and energy can leave long-lasting  scars.

Mercury in Virgo Trines Pluto in Capricorn 10:50 A.M. Wednesday sharpens our mental acuity, and allows our ideas to take shape and form. Our ideas, thoughts, feelings, desires, awareness, and understanding all come together in a lovely meeting of our true being. We understand and know our true nature, and how that nature and our destiny meet on this life path. This aspect holds the potential for us to become more aware and mindful of who we are and what we are doing here, now. We see our place in the larger scheme of things, and feel at home with our mission and purpose. Be at peace with what you discover. 

Sun in Virgo sextiles Saturn in Cancer 1:18 AM Friday, and as this sextile takes place, our earlier awareness is now given a glimpse and an opportunity to respond and receive the energetic lessons that our soul is awakening within us. We see the opportunities that our life opens before us, and we are aware of our true north...that direction of the soul that continues to call us forth to live more fully, to love more completely, and to create beauty and healing throughout our lives.

Mercury in Virgo sextile Jupiter in Cancer 11:10 PM Friday offers us some insight and fortunate influences to help us on our journey.  Whatever may have raised questions, brought about conflicts, or caused you to question, can now all be seen and understood as part of the process necessary for you to come to wholeness, with a full awareness that  you are Divinely guided, inspired, and filled with Love.  Live your life fully. 

Full Blue Moon in Aquarius, Sun in Leo: Honoring and Blessing Time

Fruits of the Earth                                                                                              Catherine Al-Meten

“Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone, without a dream in my heart, without a song of my own.”

We’ve been singing about Blue Moons for ages, and we know that moons are called ‘blue’ when two full moons appear in the same lunar month. Blue Moons also occur when we get the fourth full moon in a season. The seasonal Blue Moons can only occur in February, May, August, and November. 

While Blue Moons usually occur once a year (with the exception of 2011, 2014, and 2017 when no Blue Moons occur), once every 19 years two Blue Moons occur in one year. The last time two Blue Moons happened in the same year, was 1999. The next Blue Moon is a seasonal Blue Moon, the fourth Full Moon this Summer/Winter.  Our Blue Moon peaks  this Tuesday/Wednesday, August 20-21, depending on where you are on the Planet Earth.

Most of us are familiar with the expression “once in a Blue Moon.” We use it to refer to something that is rare. However the expression comes from a proverb mentioned in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1528.  The expression began as a way to describe the absurdity of something. It was similar to saying the moon was made of green cheese. By the 19 Century, the expression came to be used to mean, “never”.  Now we use it to refer to something rare, and our understanding of what a Blue Moon is has changed as well.

The Full Blue Moon in Aquarius and the Sun in Leo are hosting a party to honor and pay homage to our Creator, those who have blessed us, and those whose gifts have made it possible for us to live, thrive, heal, and love.  This is a blessing time, a time to gather in what we have created, what has been given to us, and what we have to share and hold for those who we serve, love, and live with in community.  

This Full Moon in  28 degrees of Aquarius is also a Blue Moon. The Full Moon opposes the Sun in Leo at 28 degrees, nearing the  close of the Leo solar cycle. The Sun is in a waning conjunction with Mercury indicating increased communication and involvement with all forms of communication related to whatever area of your life/chart Leo rules. Whatever was begun at the last New Moon, reaches some form of fulfillment with the fullness of the Moon. The Aquarius Moon and the Leo Sun highlight emotional expressions, romance, and passion in relationships .  We may feel and begin to express greater fullness of emotional honesty, bright ideas, and more authentic passion under the light of this Moon.  As the Blue Moon is rare coming in the same sign but at a latter degree, we may now be able to see, understand, express, and come to accept that which we were unwilling or unable to see earlier this summer/winter. 

While the Sun has been transiting Leo, we have have been focused on our own dreams, goals, desires, and the full expression of our being. It has been a time of manifestation, growth, ideas coming to fruition, and relationships growing and deepening.   The Sabian Symbol for 28 degrees of Aquarius is “a tree felled and sawed.” Some interpretations include, “...to ensure having wood for winter.”  Sabian symbols, like other symbols, signs, dream images, or metaphysical messages, are meant to stir our unconsciousness, and to awaken perceptions, awareness, and connections within us as we seek to find our way along our chosen path.  Use the symbol as a metaphor to see how you may be taking something that has been cut down in your life to make into something of beauty that is both life affirming and regenerating. 

Mercury remains in Leo for a few more days, and combined with the energy of the Sun in Leo, continues to spark communication and raise up the level of energy we put into communicating at all levels of our being. Under the light of the Full Moon in Aquarius, we continue to express ourselves, feel energized and invigorated, and seek to release creativity in all directiosn as we also find ourselves stirring within to release creative energy. After the 23rd when Mercury enters Virgo, we will spend more time putting into practical action, ideas we are gleaning, gathering, and contemplating. We will be able to be more practical and clear about what we can use and act upon and what needs to be tabled, cleared, or released.

On Sunday, August 18 the Sun semi-square Jupiter, may find us putting a wet blanket on plans, ideas, or feeling reality hasn’t quite measured up to our expectations. If we notice this, we might want to see if getting more rest, taking a nice long walk, or fixing a healthy meal might go a long way to solving the problem. Overstimulation during the last few days may have us worn out before we’ve even started. Take time to rest, refresh, and relax into life more fully now. What’s the rush? Slow down, and enjoy life more.

On Monday, August 18, the Sun’s seisquadrate Uranus in Aries releases energy that brings up unexpected changes in plans, activities, projects or ideas. Change calls upon us to be more resourceful, less careless, more focused on alternative ways and directions, and an attitude of being more temperate, calm, and accepting given the course the river is taking. In other words, make the best of things and don’t get sidetracked into a tizzy fit, temper tantrum, or other form of reactive behavior over things not going according to plan. Seriously, do things always go according to plans? Not in my life, and yet, we’re still here. Look for gifts in the garbage, or opportunities amid the chaos or confusion of a situation, relationship, or certain direction or activity.  Don’t wait to be old to be wise. Unless you can be okay where you are now, wisdom may never come your way. This aspect coincides with the Full Moon, so it should be fairly easy to spot any areas that may be affected. What you seek to avoid may be in front of you to lead you where you want to go.

Venus just entered Libra (August 16)  and forms a quincunx with Neptune in Pisces on Monday, August 19. This influence tends to act on our unconscious desires, dreams, or illusions.  If we are fairly clear about where we stand in relationships, in our life journey, and in our daily activities, this influence can allow us to trust our instincts, intuition, or personal insight. However, if there is an area of our lives, particularly related to how we love and are loved, how we give and how we receive love, that is under a cloud of illusion, delusion, or plain and simple denial, this influence may deepen our sense inauthentic feeling.   Shadow areas of our lives are often dealt with under Libran influences by failing to see what is best for ourselves as we struggle to be understanding, open-minded, and tolerant of others’ behavior and treatment of us.  When Venus in Libra is poorly aspected by Neptune in Pisces, any shadow areas that have failed to surface, that we have not tended to, or that we still are struggling with, may cause us some inner turmoil. Notice any areas of self worth, (how we value ourselves in relationships and with our personal finances and sense of value) that may be shaky right now, and avoid acting out of insecurity in seeking balance.

Mercury in Leo seisquadrates Pluto in Capricorn just before the Full Moon in Aquarius peaks (within minutes). This aspect deals with mystery and suspicion, and given the right circumstances, can provide you with material to help unravel a mystery, solve a problem, or detect some new information that will be useful in answering questions you have about something or someone.  Notice if you find yourself troubled or you can’t seem to quiet your mind. Think about what you have learned in the past from the disquieting times that your unconscious, your soul, your memories, or the obvious messages your life is unfolding in front of you, have taught you about how change and transformation unfold in your life.  What have you learned so far, with Pluto’s transit through Capricorn? How has change been coming about, and how have you and your inner workings become more attuned, in touch, and sensitized to movement, change, and need? Simply note the mental pressure and pay attention to how it helps or hinders you in your life.

On Wednesday, August 21, Jupiter  at 1 degree of Cancer squares Uranus in Aries at 12 degrees retrograde.  We may be reminded, that avoiding change for the sake of maintaining control, or making change for the sake of making change and feeling free from restraint, are not in our best interests right now.  Jupiter, the harbinger of abundance and good fortune, triggered by the change agent, Uranus,  on the first degree of Jupiter’s transit through Cancer, may remind us of past experiences. If we didn’t learn in the past, we may now be reminded through what seems to be sudden and unexpected events calling us to see what really matters.  If we have been focused on the wrong kinds of changes or of putting up with something (hoping it would change or go away on its own accord), we may now experience the result in a way that brings the message we need to hear home to us.

Jupiter also trines Chiron in Pisces after the Jupiter square with Uranus, and whatever we have to face, deal with, or recognize, we now see has a direct impact on our own healing process. We have the chance to release difficult, restrictive, or negative behavior, attitudes, relationships, or perceptions that have been and will continue to undermine our highest good and best health if we do not let go. Through our relationships with others, we may be able to learn what we need to learn, perhaps by observing what is happening to someone close to us. We may not be able to hear it within, but if we recognize ourselves in what is happening to someone else, it may make the necessary impact on us now that we really need to understand and apply to our own lives. Conversations sharing philosophic and spiritual ideas and ideals, can be helpful to us as long as we are in a safe, loving, and tolerant environment. Pick up something inspirational. Write down your own ideas about healing, loving, and helping, and see how your own inner wisdom speaks to you. Spend time in prayer and meditation, and walk in light, allowing it to fill you up.

Two other aspects seem important to discuss. Venus squares Pluto on Saturday, August 24. Hidden agendas, intense passions, and jealousy and possessiveness can run high under this influences.  Recognize those aspects of relationships, of your own feelings and sense of partnership, or of any area of your life where such passion could be unleashed.  Things that have been brewing beneath the surface can now come to a head.  This is an explosive aspect, and you will want to handle feelings of passion and intense feelings  (either your own or someone else’s) with caution. You won’t want to ignore what you observe, but in fact will want to use what you perceive as a cautionary sign for all future involvement.  

The Sun enters Virgo on Thursday, August 22.  The Sun’s entry into Virgo ushers in the period of time when we move from exploration, expression, and living out of our dreams, desires, and life journeys to a time when we pay closer attention to the details and specific areas of our life that require attention. This period coincides with going back to school for many, and for turning towards the shifting and changing of our lifestyles between the seasons.  Summer is winding down in the North, and Winter is as well in the South. This is a time to move into a new phase of our journey, and to get grounded in the being of our lives.

Mercury conjuncts the Sun so there is apt to be a great deal more communication and conversation going on. Everyone seems energized and ready to get down to business. We might want to avoid overwhelming ourselves and others with too much conversation and too many details. Taking a more relaxed and mindful approach to dealing with one thing at a time and appreciating each moment, experience, or conversation is helpful with earthy energy of both the Sun (activities and expression) and Mercury (communication and communicators).  

On any give day or week, there can be an abundance of  astrological influences. And if we look at our lives in general, we have hundreds and thousands of signs, messages, connections and issues that we could focus on. It is not necessary or important to try to pay attention to everything that could possible influence us. On a good day, if we just try to notice one aspect that seems to be speaking to us more than another, or one situation that needs our attention more than others, we can go a long way to living more mindfully and present.  My daughter wrote me this week that though her week had been stressful and hectic, her perspective became very clear when one of her young student workers learned her brother had died. Let’s not wait until something shocks us into this kind of realization about our lives. Recognize the gift life is and the gifts you have to live fully right where you are right now.  Spend some time this week acknowledging those who have blessed your life. Recognize how much you have been given already, and opportunities that lay before you right now. Take time to show and feel gratitude, and to acknowledge what your strength, compassion, and love have allowed you to receive from others. Recognize the beauty and the elements that nourish and provide for you, and give some attention to those who need it, to those who suffer and to those who are there for you when you need them.

From Mooncircles, an August Full Moon Purification Ritual. http://mooncircles.com/aquarius-full-moon-purification-ritual/

Mercury and Lunar square: Go within, seek peace.

Dancer at Dusk                                                Catherine Al-Meten

First Quarter Square on Wednesday, 6:56 AM EDT/3:56 AM PDT as the Moon in Scorpio squares the Sun in Leo.  Those with planets, the Sun, or the Moon within 11-19 degrees of the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, will feel this most significantly. Notice where the fixed signs are in your chart, and that will give you an indication of what areas of your life are most affected. 

This is the time of the first quarter square of the Moon. It  tends to shine light on the areas that may be causing us some concern in regard to whatever we set into motion at the last New Moon a week ago.  The initial enthusiasm and focus may be flagging a bit. Take some time to balance out the edgy energy that you might be feeling. Shifts are getting ready to take place as we move into the third decan of the Leo cycle. We may also notice how our relationships and interactions reflect back to us. 

Last week we experienced Jupiter’s opposition to Pluto, Mercury entered fiery Leo and then semi-squared Neptune two days later. A day and a half ago, Mercury squared Saturn, so this may have felt like a very heavy, jarring, or unsettling period for you.  Things may not have gone as you planned or expected.   

Mercury has been and will continue to present us with some challenging aspects.  Tomorrow about in the early evening (August 13), Mercury will semi-square Pluto calling our attention to areas that are undergoing long term transformation. Following that, Mercury squares the North Node, so any path you have been planning on taking may run into a few obstacles or be spurred on by a release of energy pushing you to make decisions, take some kind of action, or change your direction and mind about something you have been planning on doing. 

Mercury in Leo will trine Uranus in Aries, bringing about some unexpected, surprising, and positive communication and developments in the areas of your life ruled and fueled by both Leo and Aries. Mercury also forms a semi-square to Chiron, the Wounded Healer, signaling some news or communication about an area of your life that needs healing.  Chiron is transiting Pisces, so look to see what area of your life Pisces reigns, and become more mindful than usual about what is calling you from within to heal, to discover, to respond to (perhaps some deep-seated wound or issue that has festered for too long). 

Venus enters Libra on August 16, grounding our energy about all things related to how we define, understand, and experience love. At the same time, Jupiter will trine the North Node, opening a new gateway in a direction that feels fated. Wherever you have put your intentions, cleared the way for movement, healed from whatever has held you in place, is now an area you should notice a major change and movement that seems to open almost magically.  Magic is all about knowing what you desire, and feeling yourself worthy of receiving it. Magic is simply accepting our Divine good, and appreciating our gifts, talents, opportunities, and blessings right where we are, now.  

Between now and August 16, learn the lessons of Venus in Virgo. Remember last year at this time when we had so many opportunities to explore our deepest desires, and were pushed to the brink in any area of our lives that was holding us back? How we responded then, and what we set into motion over the last year, now will lead us on a new leg of our journey. Nothing is as it was; everything is new and we are precisely where we are meant to be doing what we are meant to be doing. Whatever dissatisfaction you may feel, allow yourself the time to reflect and do an honest appraisal of your true desires. Seek during this period of Venus’ transit through Virgo, to take steps to bring your heart, mind, and soul in alignment with one another, and attune your daily life to the song of your heart. Walk in tune with the music of your soul. 

Mars remains in Cancer until the 27 of August. We continue to seek change, movement and direction in a very private, security-conscious manner, behaving in  a very un-Mars like manner.  Less direct and out front, we may be doing a great deal of soul searching, and making subtle yet solid inroads through greater awareness of our moods and feelings.  Notice how your emotional responses, your unconscious drives, memories, and dreams move to the surface to be examined, processed and assimilated. We are preparing ourselves to move into a more active phase of life. Right now though, we still need time to discern, rest, and seek a deeper sense of peace.

Next week, August 22, the Sun will enter Virgo as will Mercury. Mars and Venus also both change signs as well.  For now, however, we remain in a period of flux. We may not deal well with the passive-aggressive behavior of others or within ourselves. It is best to face up to whatever is stirring within you now.  Notice how the seasonal changes, the movement from summer to autumn (in the North); winter to spring (in the South) bring about major shifts in lifestyle and emotional and physical energy.  Days are growing shorter, and our responsibilities may be increasing. Ready or not, here it comes. Some of the difficult aspects of Mercury and the Moon can work on our emotions and create some challenging energy. We may feel more blocked, tired, challenged, or limited than we actually are. Thinking makes it so my Mother used to say.  The power of our thoughts can overwhelm us and can counter any good that is active in our lives. Get a hold of your emotional  reins, and finds healthy ways to release and express those emotions.  Avoid pushing yourself too hard, physically or in areas that require detail and attention. Take a break, get some rest, and take time to nourish and take better care of yourself.  

You may not be alone in this, as everyone is getting caught up in this same type of energy. Avoid pushing the limits in relationships. Surrender to the Divine nature of things, and allow for unfolding, revelation, and simply letting things be what they will be. Stop going against the flow; stop and take a breather, and slow down. Find stillness, and then listen. Allow yourself to get outside to connect to the elements, to feel the wind in your hair, the sun or rain on your face. Watch the birds, and other animals around you, and just connect to the basic essentials of living. Do everything with intention, and live life in a state of meditative grace. We are, after all, so fortunate to be alive and to have the chance to greet a new day, each day. 

When you have to be active, to interact and take care of business, try to do this on Wednesday when Mercury is making more favorable aspects. Take tomorrow to regenerate, recuperate, heal, rest, and settle into the peace and calm of your inner being.   There are a number of aspects that are making us feel as if we are not sure of some things we thought we were completely certain of. What matters most right now is that we are each paying attention to what is really going on within ourselves. What is motivating us? From where do our intentions derive? Are we acting out of our shadow, our unhealed or undeveloped energy, or are we acting in fear of, for fear that, or out of some other type of emotional confusion or inner chaos?  Spend time slowing your pace, praying and meditating, listening to what your heart, soul, body, and mind ask of you.  Allow yourself to feel what you feel, be honest about those feelings, to yourself, first and foremost, and then decide what it is that is not working, what it is that you can do about it, and what it is that you want to invite into your life. Allow yourself to be equally honest about anything or anyone you wish to show the door.  Now is when you will be more aware than you might have been in quite some time. The worst has happened, and you survived. Now what calls you to action? Now what sings to your soul? Listen, respond, and live in constant awareness and gratitude.

Leo, the Lion Awakes

The New Moon peaks on August 6, 2013 at

5:51 EDT/2:51 PDT

This early August New Moon is in Leo. Other aspects and transits include:

Trine Uranus 12/22 in Aries

Sun and the Moon are both at 14/35 Leo

Jupiter 9/13, , Mars 16/15, and Mercury27/23 remain in Cancer

Venus is at 18/25 Virgo (sitting exactly on my Moon).

Neptune is at 4/30 Pisces (retrograde)

Pluto is at 9/27 Capricorn (retrograde)

Saturn is at 5/32 Scorpio

North Node is at 12/03 Scorpio

Some thoughts by Leos. They do want to speak for themselves. What are some of your favorite Leo quotes?:

“Never forget who you are.” The Lion King

“Hazel, Ogham name Coll, rules 5th August to 1st September. Around Connla's well grew the nine Hazel trees which contained all the knowledge of the world. From those trees dropped nine nuts, which imparted this knowledge to the salmon living in the well who ate them. Fionn cooked the salmon for the chief Druid to eat, but burnt his thumb on the cooking fish and sucked it to ease the pain, gaining the wisdom instead of his master.”

“I spend a lot of time wearing a crown on my head.” Halle Berry

“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” Coco Chanel

“It’s alright to let yourself go as long as you can get yourself back.” Mick Jagger

Chiron, the Wounded Healer, 12/44 Pisces  in exact trine with the North Node in Scorpio.  Chance to activate an area of our lives leading us to greater healing and repair of damaged or broken ties. Also a time to pursue a new direction based on what we have learned, healed from and processed on the spiritual, mental, and emotional levels of our being. The North Node in Scorpio represents that part of your life and spiritual journey that opens before you as the gateway to the next level and stage of your path.  The trine between the North Node in Scorpio and Chiron in Pisces links you to the areas in your life where your healing is leading you to a new beginning. With all beginnings come choices and endings. What you release and leave behind, has served you up to this point, and now your healing signals a major change in your direction. What you carry forward will stay with you; this is a time to discern the healing that has been taking place in the deeper realms of your being, and to accept that what is opening before you is the path that can bring about more intense understanding, healing, and spiritual development.

The Sun remains in Leo until August 22 representing the archetype of the Lion, that part of us that wants to shine and be noticed, appreciated, and not necessarily encouraging teamwork.  Not content to go along with the crowd or take the backseat to anyone else, especially in your chosen field of work, your most valued roles, or your most intimate relationships. Leo time casts its light on areas of our lives where we most shine. We may feel more dramatic or touchy, more inclined to want to perform or act out, and more likely to want to add some flair and color to our lives, to spice things up a bit in order to express ourselves and be noticed.  Any area where we feel we have been slighted, we may feel particularly inclined to call attention to ourselves.  We experience our emotions as a spectrum, ranging from one extreme of polarities to the other (an everything in between). Notice how your emotions vary at this time, and note whether or not we are responding from our shadow sides (those parts of us that are undeveloped, unconscious, or in some way repressed). Our emotions seem as if they are rising to the surface and bubbling out during this period of time.

Mercury remains in Cancer until August 8, and then makes a path into Leo until August 23.  In Cancer, Mercury, the archetype of all forms of communication and local influences, we have been taking in information and learning how to find our inner balance amid while becoming aware of our emotional depths and needs. 

When Mercury moves into the fire energy of Leo, communication takes on an entirely different form of energy. In Leo, we seek to express ourselves in expansive, dramatic, and more forceful ways.  We seek to develop our communication skills and to expand the breadth of how we communicate. Story telling, narrative, dramatic reenactment, psychodrama, oratory skills, and creative expression of all types. Writers, artists, musicians are stimulated by this energy, and those who feel less creative, find themselves drawn to expand their ways of thinking, seeking, and expressing. We are all creative in some way, and when we allow ourselves to explore new ways to express ourselves, we learn to face our fears and to discover hidden talents, skills, and desires. Only those who don’t, can’t. 

Venus in Virgo, from July 22 to August 16, has grounded our experiences of  love in pragmatic and down-to-earth expression.  It’s not what you say or believe about love that matters at this stage; it’s what you do about your feelings of love, and how you express yourself from the heart through actions that can be clearly understood and felt.  We worry less about grand gestures, and more about the details of life for ourselves and those we love. It is a time when we take better care of ourselves as well. The more we take care of ourselves, the better able we are to take care of others. Martyrdom is one expression of this transit, though not necessarily the healthiest one. Often self sacrifice comes out of the shadow expression used to manipulate others or justify an unwillingness to face the real responsibility of dealing with the life you have created for yourself through your choices. This transit, depending upon other aspects and a person’s intention and focus, could lead to  great deal of negative nit-picking, complaining, and critical hedging on the side of poisonous destructive communication and attacks. 

A more constructive way to use the energy or archetypal lessons of Venus in Virgo would be to take care of our health, the business of life, our responsibilities and obligations. Rather than picking apart others, we might make better use of our time to focus on building up our relationships and the roles we have chosen to fulfill our life purpose and goals. Venus in Virgo finds us more likely to be clearing up any messy spots of our lives, and sorting through and clearing out unnecessary aspects of our behavior, actions, involvement. Taking care of ourselves involves tending to hygiene, health and dietary practices, exercise and recreation, and taking care of the business of our homes and work. Getting enough rest, taking walks, hikes, or long-needed vacations, are all ways we can improve our health and relationships.  As Julia Cameron once noted in The Artist’s Way, if all we ever do is keep our nose to the grindstone,  at the end of our life all we will know is our nose and that grindstone.  Look up from the details, and expand your life to include an appreciation of the bounty before and around you. Express your gratitude for the people in your life who sacrifice, care for you, and like you just the way you are. Show your appreciation with concrete expressions of love. Listen to what others truly want from you, and then reach beyond your own limitations to express love in a way that meets their needs, not just yours.

Mars in Cancer from July 13 to August 27 has awakened our desires, and created within us, a felt sense of needing to do something about our desires. The more suppressed our desires have been the more we may feel this energy as defensive and edgy.  One evening in a yoga class, in checking in I said that I was feeling edgy, and another yogini replied, “You mean you feel like you could wring someone’s neck?!”  I had to laugh, but fire energy like mars, repressed or muted in a water sign (with a lot of water in the Grand Water Trine), may have felt anything but calm, cool, and collected. We may be processing a lot of this Mars energy inside us, dealing with our security issues.  We long for a sense of feeling at home or comfortable in our own skin. This might be a good time to pay attention to what is signaling us by Mars’ passage through whatever house it is transiting in our charts, what needs and desires have  been suppressed, and how is that affecting us, those around us, and other areas of our lives?

On August 4, the Sun in Leo formed a trine to Uranus in Aries, another aspect signaling the possibility of beginning a new phase of life. Creative changes, adjustments, and new discoveries are during this transit. We may experience some very unconventional and surprising changes in the way we both what we perceive and how we approach old and new experiences.  This is a very creative period, one that opens up a greater flow of movement, change, and creativity to projects, paths, and relationships that are meaningful and important to us.

The Sun in Leo formed a quincunx to Chiron, the Wounded Healer late yesterday, and may still have an impact on our sense of self confidence. We may slip into a psychological pattern of blaming (ourselves or others), feeling neglected, and generally feeling sorry for ourselves. All this comes from a rising awareness of the areas where we still need to heal and improve the ways we take care of ourselves and the business of living. Guilt, self-imposed or not, joins Worry, Fear and Regret form the four horsemen of self pity and poor self confidence.  We all know we need to eliminate them from taking us over; however, some times this is easier said than done. This semi-square may have triggered some of this energy and now is the time to allow yourself to pay attention to what the real underlying message of this passage is rather than slipping into a negative pit of self doubt.  Look at what needs to be done, and then start setting you direction to slowly but surely take care of what needs to be taken care of.

On Tuesday, August 6, Mercury Sesquiquadrate Chiron, put a harsh angle on communication.  What we express and how we express it may do little to disguise the meaning and intention behind what we say. Likewise, the way we process and understand how  and what others communicate with us, may be equally complex and full of misunderstanding.  Particularly when we have not been honest about our feelings, or others have not been with us, the shadow side of communication comes to the surface.

On Wednesday, August 7, Jupiter in Cancer forms an opposition with Pluto in Capricorn.  This has been forming, and we may have been noticing a great deal of inflated rhetoric, pie-in-the-sky goals, and an overly ambitious sense of optimism that fails to take into account practical considerations.

This aspect also indicates that our plans, dreams, and desires may meet head on with those of others.  We may meet with opposition from those whom we counted on for support or from those whose own plans interfere with ours. It is vital to set our own priorities, based on what we can practically do.  

Time to take account of our resources, energy, and time, and set our goals and the tasks to achieve those goals, accordingly. We may not be able to convince others to support or join us, particularly if we are not clear and focused ourselves. We need more than Jupiter’s exuberance and abundance of ideas to achieve our goals. This is the time to determine what we have learned so far  from Pluto, the Great Transformer’s transit through Capricorn and that area of our life/chart. How do we best set priorities, use our resources, and pace ourselves. How do we discern who and what we need to support and accompany us on the next leg of our journey?  This aspect also focuses our attention not only on long-range planning, but also on the day-to-day details that provide the base for living more fully. 

Venus semi-square Saturn on August 8, finds us betwixt and between, feeling we cannot seem to understand nor be understood by others. This transit requires that we do an assessment of how our attitudes, beliefs, behavior, patterns, and development have been affected by the choices we have made for love and intimacy.  This semi-square stirs up what we need to pay attention to. Venus-Saturn transits support taking a more realistic view of our relationships and intimacy issues. We now find it easier to see the obvious differences and conflicts of values, needs, and mutual attractions and differences.  Time to find the weak links in the relationship and commitment chain. This may be a time when relationships are put to the test, or times when we feel a need to reappraise how we are or are not getting our needs met and giving and receiving love in our relationships. While some relationships may have fallen apart recently, the lessons are still being tested  in all relationships.  

One of the main problems we humans have in relationships has to do with how well we know ourselves.  Often, especially when we are younger, we learn about ourselves through our relationships with others. Only when we come to understand who we are, separate and apart from others, can we begin to recognize how knowing ourselves can have such an impact on the relationships themselves.  If we are only attempting to find out who we are through others, we fail to get to know who we are.  Examining our own beliefs, values, needs, desires, talents, skills, goals and dreams enables us to enter into relationships more mindfully. 

Understanding what we need and desire is not the same as finding someone who meets those needs. We fall in love, are attracted to, or find ourselves in relationship with people who meet our needs and desires at one point in our lives. We tend to see them as we want to see them. We also tend to believe what they tell us about who they are, or in some cases, totally ignore what they have told us in favor of the version (I will change that person or vice versa).  Relationships grow and develop based on what it is that holds together. When relationships begin to fall apart, it is generally because people are growing in different directions or when one person recognizes that who they thought they loved was a figment of their own imagination. Also, in some cases, when trust is broken in a relationship, it may do irreparable damage to that relationship. Knowing one another’s values, beliefs, ideas about commitment, loyalty, and other important issues, are important. 

During this transit of Jupiter and Saturn, these are the issues that stir things up in your life. What applies to our intimate love relationships also applies to any area of our life where Venus  and Saturn rule. This transit has a major influence on our self esteem and sense of our self image.  The conflict or challenge may be between what we feel to be true within as opposed to what seems to be true of our external selves and lives.  Inner growth, sparked especially by Saturn’s journey through Scorpio, Neptune and Chiron’s journey through Pisces, and all the planets and the Sun through Cancer. This is a time of great inner change and development and external reactions and responses to such alterations.  

The New Moon and the Sun in Leo, Uranus in Aries, and Mars’ entry into Leo are setting the stage for the next 6 months of activity, creativity, and self expression. The Nodal axis, Scorpio-Taurus, forming a powerful, fixed t-square  with the other planets, lending an air of fatedness to whatever we are involved in now and in the next 6 months. Look to see where Leo is in your chart, and this will give you some idea of the area of your life that is about to burst wide open with the creative fires lit and the juices flowing to give life to whatever is being born in you at this time.

With so many planets in their retrograde phases, we find ourselves going back over familiar ground. Lessons, changes, new perspectives, and projects and relationships in their infant stages or in the process of releasing or regenerating, mark this period of time. What began to be set into motion last year at this time, is ready for a new stage. By this time, what we need to know, release, learn, and change, has become evident. What is required now is the reassessment, the time to prepare, rest, and ready, and the energy to commit, connect, and begin anew. Look to connect the Divine Feminine and Masculine within, and open and be receptive to how the Divine Feminine is ready to infuse, define, and direct our collective and individual energy for a Divinely inspired transit through the gates of change and transformation.