AUGUST 2011 COSMIC WEATHER REPORT

THE COSMIC WEATHER REPORT AUGUST 2011

The Sun and Venus are in sunny Leo most of this month. Leo is a sign associated with play, creativity, self-expression and leadership. This is the last, fun month of summer, time for us to get our quota of fun and play before fall. Let your inner child come out to play, and don’t forget to take turns.

Mercury will be retrograde* August 2-26. You know what to do by now. If you don’t, see the footnote below.

Jupiter turns retrograde August 30. Jupiter represents expansiveness and optimism. Jupiter retrograde periods are often times when we have less forward momentum and instead consolidate material gains and expansion initiated while Jupiter was direct. It’s a good time to devote some attention to inner growth and preparation. Jupiter will turn direct Christmas Day.

As I complete this forecast on August 6, I am feeling pretty discouraged by the latest wrangle about the debt ceiling and Congress’s failure to step up and deal with the situation until great harm had been done to the economy, national morale, and our standing in the world. I am not politically astute by any reckoning. What I can do is look at our national horoscope, cast for July 4, 1776. There are a couple of speculative birth times widely used by astrologers, and I use the Gemini rising chart. What I see in our nation’s current influences is this. Saturn, planet of limitation, is at 12 degrees of Libra squaring the Sun at 12 degrees of Cancer. The square was exact yesterday, August 5. When I went on line this morning, I read that the U. S. has lost its AAA bond rating. Saturn is the planet of harsh reality and results of our actions.

Pluto, planet of crisis, testing, breakdown and rebirth, is opposite our nation’s Jupiter, which represents abundance, confidence and prosperity. This is a real test. Pluto stays in fairly close opposition to Jupiter through November, as Pluto is currently retrograde, and will turn direct in mid-September, making the last opposition to Jupiter on November 15. Solar Fire © astrological software gives this interpretation for this transit:

“Transiting Pluto Opposition Radix Jupiter During this time you will find it difficult to achieve your goals. It may be that you lack the confidence or energy needed to help you achieve your aims, or perhaps others will stand in your way. You should be wary of anyone appearing in the guise of guru or priest, particularly the established church. You would also be wise to avoid legal battles during this transit, as they could prove very difficult under the influence of this energy.”

Mind Mercury retrograde and be glad that your chart is probably not as beset with difficulties as our collective national chart, which of course affects all of us.

WEEK BY WEEK:

July 31-August 6: The first part of the week, in particular, may be pretty high energy, active. There’s the natural buoyancy of the new lunar cycle that began Saturday. Also, Mars is in the last degrees of mobile, multi-tasking Gemini. And Mercury is about to turn retrograde. As you know, when a planet is at its station, turning retrograde or direct, it’s energy seems to be magnified. Mercury is the planet of communication and mobility, and Mercury stations seem to be times when a lot is happening, even before the frenzy created by astrologically savvy people trying to get things going before the retrograde.

Added to that, Venus is trine Uranus on Sunday, which supports people connecting and being out and about engaging in pleasurable activities. On Sunday and Monday the Sun is square expansive Jupiter, which supports our stepping out into the world in a larger way. So, Sunday through Tuesday may run pretty smoothly, with lots of positive activity and fun.

Mercury turns retrograde at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday evening. However, you can probably get away with doing a few things you didn’t get to before the retrograde, for the next 3-4 days without having those things too much impacted by the retrograde.

Mars enters Cancer way before dawn on Wednesday. Some of the scatteredness of Mars in Gemini dissipates. Mars is on a “cardinal point” one of the quarter-points of the zodiac, a degree with extra power and emphasis, so there may still be a lot of activity, it’s just not so scattered and multi-directional. The cardinal points are associated with happenings in the world at large, so there may be even more conflict and conflagrations in addition to what we’re already seeing lately. Mars in Cancer is conducive to activity associated with preserving and protecting and conserving. Make your home more comfortable and secure, do repairs and work in the garden.

Mars will be in Cancer until mid-September. Mars is the planet of assertiveness. When it is in watery, sensitive, protective Cancer, we may shy away from direct assertion. It’s nice to tone down a bit, but there’s a danger we’ll fail to stand up where we need to, or that we’ll resort to manipulation and roundabout approaches rather than just laying our cards on the table. Also, we can be overly protective, and defensive.

That’s for the whole six weeks Mars is in Cancer, and probably more so as the weeks pass. On Wednesday of this week, however, Mars in Cancer is trine to Neptune, and that is great for kindness, nurturing and empathy. On Thursday Mercury is sextile Mars, which helps us speak up in a positive manner.

Other happenings and aspects for the end of the week are generally positive or neutral. Neptune passes back into Aquarius on Thursday. Venus will be square Jupiter on Thursday and Friday, exact Thursday evening. This is a minor alignment, but it favors love, pleasure and happiness. Also on Thursday and Friday, the Sun is sextile Saturn, an alignment that is grounding and stabilizing.

August 7-13: Mercury retrogrades from Virgo back into Leo very early Monday. Mercury opposite Neptune, exact Monday morning, indicates some confusion, miscommunications, things misplaced. Everyone tends to be a little bit erratic, explosive or impatient the first days of the week, as Mars is squaring Uranus, exact on Tuesday. Accidents and mishaps are a little more likely, especially for males. Here’s a concept. How about driving within the speed limit just for this week. Mars is also opposite Pluto at mid-week, exact on Wednesday, that can bring out even more willfulness and a little propensity to power struggles and battles of the will. This configuration of Mars, Uranus and Pluto in a “T-square” alignment can be pretty explosive. Lots of people will be fed up and ready to break free, regardless of consequences. Choose your revolutions with some forethought. Don’t be surprised if there are fires or explosions in the news.

This is the week leading up to Full Moon on Saturday. Try to maintain balance and perspective. Mercury retrograde will have its input, too, spinning things off course a bit. In addition, the Moon will be void of course** from mid-afternoon (2:34 p.m. MDT) Wednesday until late evening (9:47 p.m.) on Thursday.

Full Moon comes at 12:57 p.m. MDT on Saturday. At Full Moon the Sun will be conjunct Venus in Leo, with Mercury close by. At best, that could bring out an air of magnanimity and generosity, which could do wonders for the political climate. Or, it could lead to more displays of ego. In your own life, this Full Moon could be a good time to embrace magnanimity, do some entertaining, generally be a great person and enjoy the summer.

August 14-20: We’re in the time of coasting just past Full Moon. Energy is still high, and this is a good time to move forward any goals and agenda you have set for the month. Of course this is tempered by the continuing Mercury retrograde. On Monday and Tuesday the Moon is void of course** all of both days, from 2:21 a.m. MDT on Monday until 6:01 MDT on Tuesday. The Sun, Mercury and Venus are all conjunct one another Tuesday morning. That alignment should promote generally harmonious communications and interactions, though the v.o.c., along with Mercury retrograde, may hinder concrete accomplishment.

Mars will be sextile Jupiter on Thursday. That’s fairly minor, but it promotes positive energy and successful actions. This is probably the most favorable day this week as far as initiating or accomplishing tasks goes.

August 21-27: This is the week we complete the current Lunar cycle, winding down to New Moon on Sunday, August 28. It’s also the last few days of the Mercury retrograde. Mercury turns direct Friday afternoon.

There are several little developments to note this week. Venus is opposite Neptune on Sunday morning, good for a laid back Sunday. Venus enters Virgo at 4:11 p.m. MDT. Time to tidy up, get ready for the week, and put things in order. The Sun comes opposite Neptune on Monday, and indication that things may drift a bit, with the possibility of confusions or misunderstandings. The Sun enters Virgo on before dawn on Tuesday. There’s a natural trend to get down to business, as with Venus’s entry into Virgo on Sunday.

Mars is square Saturn, exact early Thursday morning. That’s delays and blocked efforts, and it especially affects males. This whole week, especially Wednesday and Thursday, there is a propensity for frustrations, obstacles, thwarted intentions and conflicts with authority. You might as well hold off on new projects and anything that isn’t moving, until Friday, when Mercury will be turning direct. Better yet, wait until the following Monday, after the Sunday evening New Moon.

August 28-September 3: New Moon comes Sunday evening, 9:04 p.m. MDT. The New Moon chart is rather positive. The Sun and Moon are conjunct Venus in Virgo; the phrase “Whistle while you work” comes to mind. It could be a good time to settle in to create beauty, order and efficiency in your surroundings. Sun, Moon and Venus are trine Pluto, good for clearing out and rebuilding, and remember, the New Moon chart influences us all month. Mars is moving out of the square to Saturn; there may be a sense of moving out of stagnation, picking up momentum.

This is the week Jupiter is stationary, turning retrograde*. Jupiter’s positive, optimistic, expansive energy is at a peak. Use it wisely and for lasting benefit; avoid overextending. The station occurs over night between Monday and Tuesday. Venus is trine Jupiter the night before, bringing positive light to relationship interactions. The Sun will trine Jupiter later in the week, on Friday night. It should be a positive day and evening, characterized by a bit of ease and by ebullience. Savor the week; it is free from complications.

September Preview: The Sun is in Virgo most of the month. September is the natural time of getting back to work after summer fun. School is back in session, and people are gearing up for autumn. Autumnal Equinox is September 23. Pluto turns direct on the 16th. Pluto stations tend to bring issues to the fore, where they can be addressed. September is a great time for us to get our lives in improved order.

*Regular readers of this column and others familiar with astrology know that all the planets occasionally appear to backtrack or “retrograde” in their orbits. A planet will slow down, appear stationary, and then appear to slip backward for a period of a few weeks or months before again appearing to slow down and be stationary before resuming apparent forward motion. Of course the planet is not actually reversing direction but only appears to do so due to its motion relative to Earth’s. Nonetheless, we do feel the effects of these shifts.

When a planet is at its “station” or stationary point, the planet’s energies are emphasized; when retrograde, its energies are more internalized. The cycle looks like this. The planet is going forward, and affairs of the planet are moving forward normally. As the planet slows and turns stationary, those matters related to the planet become emphasized in our lives, and significant developments may take place. Then those matters ebb in our outer lives for a while, as we internally digest those developments and realizations and integrate them into our lives during the retrograde. Later, the planet again goes stationary, coming back to the forefront of our awareness, and then “turns direct,” resuming apparent forward motion as we again move forward with those matters related to the planet.

Mercury takes a little three-week retrograde cycle approximately every four months. Our daily affairs slow down and get complicated. Communications get tangled, computers flake out, automobiles break down and travel arrangements fall into disarray, a comedy of scheduling mishaps occurs, and things pretty much slow to a crawl. It’s really a great time to slow down and regroup, to finish projects and catch up on unfinished business. Just try not to launch your big project, or sign on the dotted line for a new contract, job, car, or whatever unless you really need to. Try to get those things moving before the retrograde, and shepherd things patiently along during the retro cycle, knowing that some things may not completely come together until Mercury turns direct. If you are making significant moves during the Mercury retrograde period, just know that some things will have to be straightened out after the direct.

 **Moon void of course occurs when the Moon has made all the alignments it will make while in the sign it’s in, and is just “marking time” without real momentum. The Moon goes through a sign in 2 to 2 ½ days, so consequently it also goes v.o.c. Every couple of days as well, sometimes for only a few minutes or more likely hours, but sometimes for more than a day. Things initiated during a Moon void of course period tend to meander off and arrive at a destination other than what was planned. Void of course periods are well used in completing tasks or doing routine chores, or in resting, meditating, and planning for future activities. The v.o.c. period ends when the Moon enters the next sign.

I am available for personal consultations and forecasts, either in person or by telephone.

I also offer comprehensive computer chart services, providing charts, transit calendars, and computer interpretations. I invite your feedback on this column and am available to answer simple astrology questions.

Be in touch! Please feel free to share this forecast with your friends. Just be sure to include my name and contact information:

Sandy Bryan, Astrologer (505) 255-5001 E-mail: sstars@thuntek.net

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