WEEK OF AUGUST 5th, 2019: OUR PRIDE AND AFFECTIONS

 Artwork by Jasper Goodall 

Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith
-Garth Brooks

The week begins with the Moon in Libra until it enters Scorpio on Tuesday signalling the First Quarter Moon. The Moon enters Sagittarius on Thursday, and remains on the archer’s territory until early Sunday morning when it enters Capricorn. The First Quarter Moon is a time of action and momentum when we are challenged to implement what was seeded at the New Moon and push forward.

SPIRIT
Passion burns hot this week as we move deeper into Leo season and straight into the heart of summer. The Sun in the second decan of Leo is bright indeed and Venus blinded by the rays inches closer and closer to the royal throne. By August 14, Venus will disappear completely into the Sun purifying herself in a baptism of light, rebirthing as an evening ”star”. The Sun and Venus in Leo will set the mood this week with loud and colourful roars and regal displays. Pride and affection for what we have created, what we have become, what we value and love is sure to be a theme. We might be moved to expose the content of our heart’s joys for all to see while other folks might dowse themselves in just-a-little-bit too much perfume.

FAITH
The Sun in Leo is moving towards a trine with Jupiter in Sagittarius (exact on Wednesday) and this should give us the ability to say YES more. This easy going and joyful sky is giving us plenty of reasons to celebrate life and make the difficult things a little bit easier to bare. Jupiter stations direct on August 11 after moving retrograde since April 10, 2019. On the same day, Mercury enters Leo and Uranus stations retrograde in Taurus creating a lot of momentum which culminates on Sunday. The Moon entering Sagittarius on Thursday (Jupiter’s day) gives the signal to launch the fireworks, release the helium balloons, cut the red ribbon, and trust that it will all work out. There is a hopeful quality that permeates the week and it is an excellent time to gain perspective on what remains to be accomplished while elevating your standards. Fill your engine to the brim with the potentiality latent in your dreams and aim higher. This is a time of joy, faith and courage; send your prayers and show gratitude accordingly.

THE SALES PITCH
Mercury re-enters the Lion’s den on Sunday at 15:45 EDT after having turned retrograde here in Leo before moving back into the sign of Cancer for most of July. If there is still a faint tinged of longing permeating our minds this week, it will definitely subside by Sunday. The radio stations which until now played a series of nostalgic and sappy songs will now be showcasing ”The Greatest Hits of all Time”. Mercury can be persuasive in the sign of Leo especially when supported by Jupiter. If you have to sell your salad ( convince someone), now and in the next few weeks is a good time to do so. You can expect however that everyone at the market will also have the best salad to sell; you could find yourself shouting in order to be heard.

The Fixed season of Leo is a time of conviction and this year Jupiter in Sagittarius is boosting the signal. Depending on natal disposition some folks might be totally blinded by their beliefs, their pride, and their ideas. Moderate the enthusiasm with healthy dose of reflection before launching headfirst into a debate or a venture. Measured risk and optimism will be rewarded while hubris and arrogance could alienate others but overall, it’s an excellent week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROW• GLOW• SHIMMER: NEW MOON IN LEO

Bruce Pennington, 1973

 

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The month of July ends with a New Moon in Leo which will be exact at 23:12 EDT on July 31st. A few minutes later, Mercury stations direct in Cancer after being retrograde since the 7th of July. The New Moon in Leo and Mercury direct initiates us into the month of August, on the other side of eclipse season and in the bright light of the Sun who is at home in the sign of Leo.

→ Look to where the New Moon in Leo is taking place in your birth chart to understand where the focus is  for this upcoming lunation. The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 14 will see a culmination in the opposite house to where Leo sits and you can expect the next few weeks to highlight both the Leo and Aquarius house topics in your chart.

After a month of gestation, we enter a period of rationality and brilliance which will allow us to study in clear daylight, the pearls of wisdom that were birthed in the eclipses shadows. The intuitive epiphanies regarding certain roadblocks and detours inherited from the past, and the revelations contained in our personal biographies can now be observed with a certain lucid detachment as a fresh chapter emerges on the horizon. The page is blank, the fruits are ripped, and fresh intentions are being initiated with the conviction that we really do deserve the best of the best.

Honour and pride is on the menu in the first half of August. Leo season is a time of courage and conviction, of stepping up to the plate and having the guts of embodying your role with confidence. Now is a time for recognizing your accomplishments, your worth, and to show up with your best face on, trusting that you know exactly how its done.

Shimmering sparkles arising from the light – hypnotizing with a fiery glow – a magnetizing charisma containing the warmth of love and attraction. Thirsty, the seeker extends a hand towards the object of power –  hoping to catch its radiance and become a God.

Jupiter stations direct in Sagittarius on August 11, after being retrograde since mid-April and this should help boost our confidence level. On the same day, Mercury enters Leo setting the ego ablaze as Uranus turn retrograde in Taurus until next eclipse season in January 2020.

Micheal Heizer

 

The Full Moon in Aquarius takes place on August 14, just as Venus in Leo reaches her superior conjunction moving behind the Sun. This marks the time when Venus transition from the morning to evening sky. Venus will be visible as a bright evening “star” in the sky after sunset in September and October 2019.

The Full Moon in Aquarius brings a culmination in regards to our own needs and desires versus the desires of the whole. Certain people might be accused of selfishness during this time as we try to reconcile our values with the values of others. Venusian matters will certainly be on our mind in mid-August and a division could be felt in regards to the practical versus the superfluous. We might feel more indulgent and deserving and this could create some friction with others who are also trying to get their piece of cake. Brash and dramatic displays of superiority are also possible as egos collide; even if you know best, you might not be heard in the cacophony of roars. 

Mars enters Virgo on August 18, followed by Venus on August 21st, and the Sun on August 23rd. The second half of the month will contain a lot more planets in Earth elements bringing pragmatism to our ambitions, and practical steps to reach our goals. The heated passions being felt in the first weeks of August will find proper outlets by the end of the month as we slowly come back down to Earth with the gifts of Fire. The last week of August sees a Mars/Venus conjunction in Virgo supported by a trine to Uranus; you will know exactly what to do and how to do it.

Love and passion, passion and beauty, beauty and lust, lust and novelty, novelty and pleasure, pleasure and discovery, discovery and freedom, freedom and connection, connection and soul.

The New Moon in Virgo takes place early on August 30th at 6 degrees of Virgo signalling fresh momentum in the part of your chart where Virgo is located. This should be a fantastic lunation to organize and take care of details that were ignored in the last few months. Delineating a schedule or a plan for your goals should help relieve some of the anxiety. It could feel like a lot needs to be done and September promises to be a good month to get on track. Organization will be high on the priority list and a clear action-plan will support your efforts towards reaching your objectives. The New Moon in Virgo trining Uranus, carries the promise of self-sufficiency born out of efforts.

 

 

 

This week in Astrology: Sorting out the essential from your heart

Monday opens with the Moon in the last degrees of Taurus on the Fixed star Algol or the Head of Medusa; don’t lose your mind. We are building towards the Jupiter/Uranus opposition that will be exact on the 27/28 of September. This is a revolutionary aspect which is excellent for visionaries and artists and for people who have the ability to see the silver lining in chaotic  circumstances but also have the guts to do things differently. On a mundane level it can feel destabilizing if you are holding to the status quo at all cost or need predictable outcomes. Small and large shifts are happening in our awareness and in the world at large and intuition is at an all time high. Flashes of insights and new bold ideas are available if you adjust your vision. With Uranus in Aries closing in on its opposition to Jupiter in Libra there is an urge to liberate ourselves while also searching for ”the other” to reflect us. It can feel polarizing to oscillate between our need for freedom and liberation versus our need for feedback, fairness and equilibrium.

The Moon enters Gemini at 15:30 EDT on Monday which will accentuate the current Mercury/Mars conjunction building up in Virgo. The next 2 days are excellent for analyzing, editing, and cutting through the superfluous. The mind can have a tendency to race and anxiety will be higher than usual. Finding the right measure of applied diligence and focus is possible as long as we don’t scatter ourselves. Mindfulness and disconnecting from the media, the internet and the constant chatter is one of the best remedies for this kind of astrological weather. Difficulties with communication, getting our message across, misunderstandings and harsh words are possible with the Mercury/Mars conjunction building up and, so are fried phones and electronics.

With the last quarter Moon in Gemini we can feel stimulated, talkative, and curious but there is also the tendency to get lost in chatter instead of being productive. Basically, don’t fry your brain with coffee and stress and find the right balance of intellectual work and simple manual or physical work. We could have the urge to communicate in many directions at once but essentially we can only do one thing at a time. Give your brain the right intellectual food and remember that words and symbols can be very powerful in shaping our experience of reality; use them wisely.

The last quarter Moon in Gemini supports finalizing the details of a project or idea that began at the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Leo on August 21st.

Venus in Leo trine Saturn in Sagittarius on Tuesday and this is a supportive but also sobering aspect in regards to relationship. We could feel serious and more realistic about our desires. Long-term commitments and maturity could feel more important at the moment and feelings could be reserved and controlled. Venus trine Saturn is beneficial for artist and creators who are looking to structure and give shape to their muse. This can be a productive time for creative work, social engagements, and public relations.

On Wednesday night the Moon enters her own sign of Cancer and this should help ease the mental tension creating a fluid and intuitive rhythm until Friday night.

Even though we are in the darkest of the Moon (before the New Moon in Virgo on September 20th) the weekend will feel quite dynamic with the Moon entering the Fire sign of Leo late on Friday night and Mercury and Mars perfecting their conjunction in Virgo on Saturday, September 16. Conversation around pride, identity, the need for acknowledgement and having  the courage to express oneself truthfully and courageously will all be aroused.

VENUS DAY

It’s Friday, which means it’s VENUS DAY. ✨

Venus is currently in the first decan of Leo and she is pretty much doing her own thing. Which also mean she is harder to access.  Most of the action is happening in the later part of Leo. On Sunday we have a Mercury/Mars conjunction at 28 Leo on the eclipse degree. This will most likely bring heated debates and bold conversations. Watch out for the big egos out there.

Today, the Moon is in the Earth sign of Capricorn and will join Pluto in a few hours and then square Jupiter in Libra. The Sun is in the sign of Virgo which is also an Earth sign.

It’s a great day to roll up our sleeves and attend to the nitty gritty details of our lives. We could feel the pressure of deadlines and all that still needs to be accomplished to get where we want to be. ♌︎

The Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Capricorn (both Earth signs) are looking for tangible results and practicalities. Don’t let status anxiety or the fear of not being good enough override this productive period. Return to basics and be grateful for what you CAN accomplish. Let go of the desire to have everything done immediately and be patient with the process.

Since it’s Venus day and Venus is all about pleasure and beauty, make some time to indulge and have fun today.

Venus loves beauty and ease; she is not interested in getting her hands dirty.

Stop and smell the flowers, create space for harmony, tranquility and peace to enter your sphere. Visit an art gallery, take pictures, listen to music, get a massage, eat delicious foods, and most importantly, indulge in what makes you feel beautiful and content.

Fall Equinox: An unacknowledge feeling of specialness

The Sun just moved into Libra and the Moon is in Aquarius.

Libra and Aquarius are both Air signs which favor intellect and reflection above emotional display. But if we scratch the surface, we can see that the appearances are deceiving at the moment.

The ruler of Libra is Venus. Venus is in the sign of Leo a Fixed Fire sign.
Both the traditional ruler of Aquarius: Saturn and its modern ruler: Uranus are also in Fire signs. Saturn just moved into Sagittarius a Mutable Fire sign and Uranus is in the Cardinal Fire sign of Aries.

We could be maintaining an air of polite detachment while some big internal changes are happening.
We could also feel like we are unjustly being excluded from the action. The desire for warmth exchange, community and friendship might be strong but it doesn’t come easily. Our specialness is left unrecognized. A sense of isolation or frustration around not being seen for who we are.

We are prompt to stay cool-headed and diplomatic to keep the relationships that we have. Wanting real communication while simultaneously not being able to say everything. The want for company and partnership is strong but the wish to have it our way might be stronger.

The amount of egoic desires we bring in our relationships might determine their quality.

We are walking the line between participation and exclusion. And you might be the one excluding yourself or burning bridges.

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The conversation is also happening on a collective scale. Heated debates and words like: ”alien” is use to describe migrants and refugees. There is a need to find creative ways to deal with the global community.

Who belongs where and who was here first? Races and religions are at the forefront. How long can we stay diplomatic? The need to discard some old dogmatic beliefs has come. This is a period of change and the best way to deal with change is by staying flexible. It is important to  remember our role as individuals in affecting those changes whether it is in the choices we make as consumers or in our contribution to society.

Peace

The Feedback Loop

Mercury in Libra – Venus in Leo – Sun in Virgo

Our attention turns toward authentic communications. Wanting to be heard and seen for who we really are. In order to do so, we leave our pride at the door when we enter partnerships. Fair exchanges means coming from a genuine desire to connect with the other. Without arrogance and without guilt we show our true colours. Keeping our ideas flexible while staying connected to our truth.

2015 Burning man sculpture by Alexandr Milov