Astrology for August

August begins with the Sun seeding its messenger, Mercury, in expressive Leo.

Here is the message. The playfulness of this time (Leo) is held in check as the Sun and Mercury oppose Saturn in Aquarius during the first part of August. And soon, on the 3rd through the 6th, the Sun and Mercury will square radical Uranus. This is a time to find your grounding and inner stability as sudden shifts and uncertainty open us to the swirl of Uranus’s disruption and higher potential. We are within the tensional stress between the two very different energies of Saturn and Uranus.

With the square between Saturn and Uranus highlighted, we are once again fully immersed in the theme for the year. We experience the boundaries and differences between people.  Saturn in Aquarius wants definition and clarity in the community, among our friendships and within ourselves. Where do we stand as far as what shapes our common ground? How conscious and present can we be in our relationships? What new Aquarius vision can we together stabilize?

On a higher level of consciousness, with a non-emotional matter of fact-ness, Saturn’s task is to give a form to our forward looking vision (Aquarius). This is the time when we can witness where transformation is most needed. Saturn can give us the steady perseverance to reach our goal.

Uranus is the archetypal change agent. It is a transpersonal planet that calls us into engaging with our lives in radically transformed ways. Uranus disrupts, often with sudden and unexpected situations. On a broader and higher level of consciousness its greater thrust is to bring about breakthrough and awakening to the many creative possibilities in which we live. It wants to shake loose all our assumptions, and projections, all our conditioning and burst into new levels of creative living.

Uranus is a lightning bolt electrifying the Earth to shake us up, wake us up. Uranus is the Fool of the Tarot, where the only way to exist and walk through the world is with presence in each unfolding moment, curious and open to the possibilities, especially now through our challenges. Uranus is the call to experience greater dimensions of reality, our interconnectedness to each other, to the Earth and Sky, and to Spirit. This is quite a tall order for us, so we might hold the affirmation,

“May I stretch into new possibilities and find a stability within these unknowns.”

With Saturn’s predominance, we are called to slow down and deepen into the core values that shape our realities. This can be a soul searching time, for it is the soul that is being called upon. Often, as is Saturn’s way, we are shown that which is old, which is negating and/or judgmental. Saturn pushes us downward. We pass through a territory that vibrates with challenging emotions. We are shown the old patterning, old assumptions, disappointments, fears, triggering reactions to old traumas. But Saturn also wields a sickle to cut away that which causes suffering, so we can let go. Saturn says “What level of consciousness do you want to participate in, as humanity goes through these challenging passages, laboring to birth a new way of being?” Uranus says, “Stretch into new possibilities. Be the Fool, where uncertainty and not knowing become creative ground for transformation. Go beyond what you have known yourself to be.”

As we move through the spirited, expressive time of Leo we are being asked to become more masterful (Saturn) in how we create our realities, our relationships, and how we envision the world together.

Chiron

With Chiron trining the Sun on the 4th and the New Moon in Leo on the 8th, the theme of the wounded healer is upon us. Chiron is all about our inner and outer polarities. Chiron is both animal and human, spirit and body. Chiron carries the trauma of our histories and family lineages that now seek healing. It’s an important month for becoming more conscious. Certainly the pandemic has had the Uranian tendency to disrupt with sudden crisis, laying us bare to our extremes and the shadow material of the systems and belief systems within which we have been shaped. We experience the foundations of both ourselves and our country being revealed. Chiron in Aries sets up the opportunity for healing.

Mars into Virgo

As Mars has just entered Virgo on the 29th, we have more clarity in how to proceed. Virgo wants to simplify, purify and create realignments. Mars in Virgo, as it moves out of dramatic Leo, promotes grounded, practical and discerning actions. It’s of service to something greater and works well with Saturn’s message to slow down and to seek deeper insight.

Celestial events for August

July 28 – Jupiter retrogrades back into Aquarius – its gift of tolerance, compassion, and optimism comes under the shadow of Saturn. Jupiter emphasizes how we grow and learn within the community, how we share our creative visioning. As it retrogrades we can review what has been unfolding since the beginning of the year, and take stock of how we will participate, what we might contribute to the well being of the community, how we want to share our creative expressions.

July 29 – Mars enters Virgo – Practical and discerning actions benefit us, clearing, defining and carefully analyzing

Aug 1 – Sun and Mercury oppose Saturn – (see above)

Aug 3-6 – Sun, Mercury square Uranus – (see above)

Aug 8 – New Moon in Leo –  Leo is the sign of the heart. It may be a wounded heart but beneath the wound is the noble heart each of us carry, the heart of creative expressive, which is our birthright. This is also the heart of the universe.

Intention for the Leo New Moon

“May I stretch into new possibilities and find a stability within these unknowns. May I find the place of lovingkindness within myself, as my foundation for living, relating, and creating.”

Aug 11 – Mercury enters Virgo – Our minds become more discerning, and practical tasks are accomplished. Be on the watch for moving into nonproductive critical states.

Aug 15 – Venus enters Libra – Venus is strong in its sign of Libra. It seeks harmony and reconciliation, and is more available to tuning into others.

Aug 18 – Mercury conjuncts Mars in Virgo – perfect time to be clear and succinct

Aug 19 – Uranus goes retrograde at 14 Taurus – Uranus characteristics of disruption, sudden changes, being unpredictable, along with breakdown to breakthrough are a dominant theme for August.

Aug 20-21 – Mercury and Mars trine Uranus – the theme of breaking through in practical ways, and original creativity is present.

Aug 22 – Full Moon in Aquarius – This is the second full Moon in Aquarius, offering again, a cooling to the drama of fiery Leo, before the Sun shifts into practical Virgo in the afternoon. This pairing of signs, Aquarius and Leo, highlight individuality and community. Under the light of the Aquarius Moon we can practice the gift of Aquarius and cultivate calmness while touching into our deepest heart’s desire (Leo), holding a vision for the future (Aquarius). The generous and playful heart of Leo seeks something greater than its own concerns under the Aquarius Moon.

Aug 22 – Sun enters practical earthy Virgo – time to get work accomplished. Time to begin the harvest.

Aug 29 – Mercury enters Libra – communications become more measured and diplomatic. Poetry and the creative voice are highlighted.

Look for the 12 signs next month in September when I resume my regular column/newsletter.

Susan Heinz is a professional astrologer in Santa Cruz for 38 years, bringing together traditional & esoteric astrology, Tarot and Qabalah. For info on her Friday monthly astrology groups, her Qabalah, astrology and or, painting classes, and for personal consultations, call (831) 479-3751, or go to www.susanheinz.com