Image by Mira Cosic from Pixabay 

This month’s astrology forecasts are by Rick Levine, Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, Kelly Surtees, Pam Gregory, and Acyuta-bhava Dasa.

We are finishing up the third quarter of a year that will be reviewed for years, maybe centuries to come. While the sun in Leo this month brings a bit of a reprieve, August is the break between rounds in the struggle to get through 2020 without getting knocked out. Austin Coppock describes it by saying, “It is a good month, because it is not September or July.” The fourth quarter after this is expected to test our resolve. Hopefully, by Christmas, we will receive the gifts of a happy new year ahead.

Pam Gregory and Rick Levine remind us that we are still dealing with retrograde planets. Pam tells us that retrograde periods are a time for introspection and turning inwards, but Levine points out that there is new territory to cover with the faster moving planets that have turned direct—specifically mercury and Venus.

Everyone is talking still about the pervasive confusion of 2020—with Neptune playing a big role in that, with Pam noting that it is squaring the nodes of the moon—the old beliefs and the new destiny that determine our new eclipse cycle.  With Neptune, we don’t know what is true and what is not, and with mercury retrograde we’ve had breakdowns in communication, while planets, particularly Venus, square to Neptune—made us feel as if it we were good to go back into the world and socialize, until we weren’t.  This month there could be more clarity in communication as Venus and Mercury move quickly in a direct motion, which Accyuta-bhava Dasa notes will bring about a lot of transits. “This is not a crazy month, it is a really busy month,” he says.

Levine points out that with Mercury whizzing forward “the energy of communication, intellectual interaction, the sending and receiving of information and goods is picking up now.”  He tells us August is a mercurial month, and when mercury and the sun move into Virgo by the end of the month we will feel the energy even more, since mercury rules Virgo.

Acyuta-bhava Dasa discusses mercury’s position in Cancer and opposition to Jupiter at the end of July going into August. In Cancer, he tells us, mercury wants to hang out and have fun, but Jupiter, and quickly after that Pluto, in opposition to mercury want “an intense serious conversation about what they think you should believe,” which may be related to different beliefs rising to the surface—and the idea that there is the mistaken feeling we need to fight out these differences.

When mercury is opposite Jupiter through August 1st, it can be about expanding our minds and changing our own beliefs as we are being challenged to change for the better.  “It is a difficult conversation we can’t hide from,” Acyuta-bhava says. But the reason this can drive a wedge is because Mars in Aries comes into a square with Jupiter, bringing in a sense of bravado, where Mercury only started with a conversation. 

Chris Brennan and friends bring up the various connections to Mercury, starting with its difficult oppositions to Pluto and Saturn early in the month, and its move to meet up with the sun, which is happily in Leo, and together they form  a very positive angle to Mars, drawing from its extra energy in Aries.  When the moon reaches mercury’s second home of Gemini, an angle of opportunity to mercury is formed, helping with communication, particularly writing, Kelly Surtees tells us. But mercury will also hit Uranus at a challenging angle, and Saturn at an uncomfortable angle again as it moves forward into its home in Virgo.

“It is a good month, because it is not September or July.”

-Austin Coppock

So we get a lot of conversational and informational hits as Mercury makes these transits. And, for now, Mars in Aries is an asset, Austin reminds us, but Mars will make a few hits (if not punches), as well, before it becomes the key connector in upcoming months. Remember it will be hanging out in its fiery home of Aries until January and until then it makes more than one challenging stance to the trio of planets doing the dirty work in Capricorn, where they are bringing the world to its knees to toss out the dusty old hidden stores in an effort to build a newer, updated version. It is all in preparation of their debut in humanitarian Aquarius over the next few years.  The birthing process will be turbulent, Pam Gregory says, but like refurbishing a kitchen, there is a lot of noise and mess that happens before we arrive at the beautiful new design.

AUGUST 1

Starting off the month of August, we have the sun in Leo (a happy place for the sun and parties and love and strength) in a challenging angle to Uranus in Taurus.  Uranus shakes things up unexpectedly, and Taurus is a fixed sign that does not like change at all.  It likes security and stability and rules financial institutions. Uranus rules technology, digital things and futuristic matters.  Electricity and lighting (the surprise shock) are Uranian.  So, the sun at this challenging angle to Uranus can bring, according to Acyuta-bhava Dasa, illuminating insights, moments of clarity and shifting of paradigms (seeing things in a completely different way than you usually would).  It is very electric and can bring people to a higher state of awareness or liberation (Uranus is about freedom and independence, too, as well as rebellion).  So, there could be ideas that challenge the status quo, lead to defiance, and defy convention.  And this could be troubling.

Chris Brennan of the AstrologyPodcast.com and friends Austin Coppock and Kelly Surtees, present their usual two-hour-plus take on August 2020 on the Astrology Podcast.  Kelly brings up this sun/Uranus transit saying that the last time Uranus was in this part of the sky was 84 years ago, in the 1930s, so for our generation, we are treading new ground. 

Uranus is in a fixed sign (Taurus) and Austin also points out that it affects matters that are usually fixed—tying to change things as if taking a cattle prod to them, being disruptive, and “jostling things which tend to stay the same”.

Acyuta-bhava notes that the square between Uranus and the sun offers a lot of “room for growth in surprising and innovative ways” including emancipation, a desire to break free, and even revolution, but mostly a desire to express ourselves individually. But he warns us not to be reckless because Uranus adds a rebelliousness that may come with a side of hubris.

The sign of Taurus deals with food—and when Uranus is in Taurus, food production can change.  Last time Uranus was in Taurus we not only had the dust bowl we saw the invention of potato chips.  Today, we see people baking bread, going back to gardening as people are stuck at home.

We also have mercury opposing Pluto as it moves on from its opposition to Jupiter. Pluto may lead us to believe we have to push or defend an agenda, and fight about our beliefs. Acyuta-bhava tells us hidden things can be revealed for the first time—possibly sobering, emotionally painful news. Mercury can be the messenger of dynamic or transformative news.

Mercury is still in Cancer, and Acyuta-bhava notes that “Mercury in Cancer is looking for a feeling of unity or emotional security within whatever environment it is in,”  and it makes us think about “dealing with differences in a way that does not create alienation or complete separation from one another’s perspectives.”  Rather  than try to force or avoid something that emotionally triggers us, he says to listen to what is being said, what tensions are coming up, and be willing to receive insight. And as the sun squares Uranus we will have “aha” moments.

Rick Levine also suggest that if we are willing to see the other side of the coin, we can gain an awareness if we allow it. When Pluto confronts us with challenging information, it is important to use mercury’s intellectual qualities and detach our emotional connection to what we believe is true or think is right, and be open to aa new perception that can pay off down the road “when mercury opposes Saturn and the hammer falls.” 

But in cancer, Mercury is not saying everything it knows, Levine says.  And with pluto in opposition, the energy is heavier than we expect.  We are “playing with more power than we had attributed and things are more serious.”  That on top of the sun square Uranus can bring out hidden things (Pluto) and shocking breakthroughs (Uranus).  Something can happen we are not prepared for. 

AUGUST 2

The sun is still square to Uranus, and at a half square to venus—which is halfway between the sun and Uranus.  The Uranus-Sun square brings unexpected releases of energy, electrical sparks and, Levine says, “our vitality can get a wake-up call” from something new or shocking.  With Venus at the halfway point, this surprise may not feel pleasant, but rather feel “pulled in two directions” (Gemini). 

AUGUST 3

Austin notes that as the moon goes into its place opposite the sun for Monday’s (8/3) full moon both the sun and moon will be perpendicular (square) to Uranus. and that, in addition to mercury being opposite Pluto in Capricorn, can bring shock or chaos, and the drama is amplified with the sun/moon square to Uranus.  Chris calls it destabilizing.

Austin adds, however, that it could bring nice surprises.  “Uranus likes to change things up, and it is not a malefic (a bad guy planet),” so it brings in “whatever you were not prepared for” and it can “be a flip toward good fortune or ill. It resets the tone and is an Etch-a-Sketch shake in terms of the story you are projecting.  Then it changes up unexpectedly.”

Pam Gregory notes that the moon being in Aquarius—whose modern ruler is Uranus—adds to the Uranian aspect of this full moon. “It is the planet of awakening, big time,” she says.  As the planet of revolution, it has an eruptive energy, so she suggests the possibility of volcanoes, earthquakes—even political ones—as well as surprises in the economy, banking or currencies.  Aquarius (and Uranus) relate to the future, the maverick the outsider, and this Aquarius full moon is touching on the “move from Capricorn energy to a long-term age of individualism,” she says. Yet she notes that “Aquarius at its best promises a unity consciousness…and we can start to see a global community, a global mind in the most natural positive sense.” And the full moon, she adds, is another stepping stone toward that, as Jupiter and Saturn move into Aquarius later in the year.

Rick Levine also picks up on this perspective, noting this full moon is about community, humanity, the network of humans and social media. While the sun opposing the moon is in Leo (me) the moon is lighting up the larger network, and it is saying, “Here I am, but I am really a part of a greater whole.”

AUGUST 4

Acyuta-bhava notes that Venus is conjunct the North Node as we go from the 3rd to the 4th.  From the ancient perspective, he says, the North Node can be an increase desire or a growth or proliferation of Venus themes of beauty, love, friendship and money.  These can relate to making big purchases, falling in love with something or someone “shiny,” getting a raise, great sex, rekindling a romantic relationship.  “The North Node can be lusty,” he says, “saying ‘Give me that!’” but this strong desire can “entangle us in future karma not easy to get out of,” he warns.  From a worldly perspective, it can be a great time to develop something, market it, or design a strategy to make something attractive. Friends and allies can help.  Rick Levine also notes that Venus going over the North Node connects Venus with the higher purpose of life—the soul’s purpose, and I would add, the higher purpose of our society. 

Mars in Aries steps into the picture more on August 4th making a challenging angle (square) to Jupiter.  The way this plays out, Acyuta-bhava tells us, is that “Mars is at the gym pumping iron like the SNL characters Hans and Frans—‘We are here to pump you up!’”  With this aspect, he adds, if you are on a mission or you are putting your life on the line, Mars brings a sacrificial energy.  It is a time of feeling stronger, however, Jupiter in Capricorn is “in its fall”—the sign that debilitates its strength. So it could end up being a time of toxic masculinity. 

Mercury also moves out of Cancer into Leo on August 4th, but just before it does, Chris Brennan points out that it has to make an opposition to Saturn at the end of Cancer.  But Kelly notes that once it gets past that point—which it does quickly—it is free, and the vibe is better.

Mercury in Leo wants to put on a show, Rick Levine tells us.  “People say things they were not saying before; people had things on their mind but were not ready to express it.”  This represents a beginning of things coming out into the open when we suddenly “begin expressing in writing and [verbally] thing lurking beneath the surface.” 

Chris Brennan points out that Mercury in this position won’t be squaring mars again for a month, which takes it out of the emotionally based, strong arguments. Austin adds that Mercury in Leo is steadier, especially with Venus still in Gemini, a sign ruled by Mercury. So when Venus had challenges, so did Mercury.

Kelly notes that with Mercury out of Cancer, its separation from mars and the building up of Saturn getting closer to Pluto, Mercury as the mind comes out of the “pressure pot.”  Also, by moving out of a water sign, with all its emotions, where Mercury “loses it logic,” and into a fire sign, the dryness “brings clarity or a sense of specificity.”

AUGUST 5

The North Node moves into Gemini relating to the new eclipse cycle which began in June with a full moon in Sagittarius. This is the first time in 18 years that the North Node has been in Gemini, so this can echo some things that happened around 2002, but when the North Node was in Sagittarius 9 years ago, the eclipses fell in these two signs, as well, in 2011 to about 2012-2013.  Think about those years in your life and see what the themes were then, and there could be similarities or continuations along those lines.

AUGUST 7

Today is the day Venus finally leaves Gemini behind, along with its squares to Neptune (Mr. Fantasy) bringing confusion and “something to make us all happy.” Venus has been in Gemini since April and now it heads into Cancer, so, being opposite the triple threat in Capricorn, it is not completely out of the woods. 

Austin say that in Cancer, Venus “feels sad about the way the world is.” 

Rick Levine says “Venus in Cancer can be very tender and sweet, very loving, but there is also a strong defensiveness when it comes to protecting loved ones, family, community and homeland.”  He compares Venus in Gemini, which may have pulled us in two different directions, to Venus in Cancer, which focuses on our values and what is important to us.  It begins a deeper exploration of values, morals, ethics and what we like and what we don’t like. With Mercury in Leo, he says we may be talking about it to others. 

AUGUST 9

Here, Mercury in Leo makes a trine (120˚ angle) to Chiron in Aries.  “We get to talk about things that ail us,” Levine says. “And to teach about what might cure someone else.”  Chiron is also a teacher, and he says that Mercury at this positive angle to Chiron is about “using language, using interaction, conversation, expressing things out in the open, even if it is revealing things that show that we may not have all the answers.”  He notes that Mercury in Leo likes to have all the answer, but what is healing about this connection to Chiron is sensitivity and vulnerability.

AUGUST 10

Mercury moves one degree into a square to Uranus at the same time that the moon meets up with Uranus in Taurus.  Acyuta-bhava Dasa says that “Mercury/Uranus has a trickster energy—unexpected things can disrupt the norm but deliver insights or bursts of inspiration.”  He says this can lead to inventions in art, music, technology—new skills, subjectmatter or a new piece of technology that makes life suddenly easier.  But there is also a danger related to technology related to auto accidents or freak accidents, as well as erratic disruptions in the marketplace.  Work in mercury-related locations or jobs can have disruptions—airports, malls, subways, even the trading floor.

Rick Levine points out that these aspects can bring surprise in communicataion, “whether we say something we had not said for awhile or didn’t mean to say, or whether someone says something to us that is shocking and we say, ‘oh my God!’”  It is a powerful time for things to be brought out into the open. 

The sun is also moving at a 150˚ angle (quincunx) to the Capricorn trio, beginning with Jupiter on the 10th, Neptune on the 12th, Pluto on the 15th and Saturn on the 18th.  Levine points out that quincunxes are irritating and require making adjustments, and mercury will soon follow in making those same transits.  The meaning here, he says, is “there is no easy solution to how we feel and what we are expressing in our hearts regarding the restraints, the restrictions, family or restrictions of traditions or cultures. Something here is not working.” Mercury will begin to make these transits by the 14th.

AUGUST 12-13

This is another of the challenging angles between Mars and the Capricorn trio.  Now it is Mars square (90˚) to Pluto, which is a dangerous and volatile combination. Acyuta-bhava Dasa points out that this combination tends to be explosive and often involves showdowns and confrontations, with an intense, forceful and aggressive environment.  Rick Levine says this is the beginning of Mars building energy—“the angry red planet is getting angrier, redder and hotter.  Mars is about the tools of war—sharp edges, knives, razors, surgical tools, guns and cutting away what is not needed. It is about the instance of conflict at the moment, and Pluto is simmering anger that turns to resentment—not necessarily on the surface.   But as Mars squares Pluto, Levine says we will see intense issues coming to the surface that we already know are there.  “Things come up and things can get nasty.”   With this transit it can be trigger-happy violence or verbal violence but there is no winner.

Acyuta-bhava Dasa also says to be extra careful of the volatility, but he points out that as Mars squares Pluto, the sun is at a trine (helpful) angle which may lend a bit more stability and clarity, bringing an honorable aspect to it.  “It might temper or soften it a bit.” 

Levine adds that mercury will be in a trine to Mars a day later, which means there is a way to compromise.

AUGUST 15-17

Uranus turns retrograde.  Levine says, “We are turning our revolutionary unorthodox rebellious energy inward so it can build to a crescendo rather than just wasting the energy in the moment, which is good news for the Mars squares to the Capricorn points.”  It will help with holding in the anger and the urgency of expressing it so that we can put it to use over the long haul.

Also at this time, Mercury is coming into an exact conjunction of the sun, known as a cazimi, where it disappears into the light of the sun.  Chris Brennan describes it as the planet “is getting roasted in a good way” and it represents the “need to burn stuff off and pay attention to what is going on now, and to begin again rather than get stuck in the momentum of what was occupying my thoughts a month ago.”  The Sun sees pathways and actions and chooses with intention.  This cazimi reminds us that it can be easy to forget the power we have when we think we are not in control.

Acyuta -bhava Dasa notes that the cazimi is trine to Mars, and in this transit, the sun in Leo is empowered.  It relates to an executive order or executive decision.  Strength, but with honor—doing the right thing, and finding the courage to do the hard thing regardless of the difficulties it brings. This is closely aligned to the new moon on the 18-19.

Pam Gregory, in her late August video, sees the 16th to the 19th as being an eruptive time.  Mars meets up with dwarf planet Eris in Aries.  Eris, she reminds us, is the goddess of discord and chaos, when people don’t feel heard and they take to the streets.  People will be awakening –Eris is the awakener as is Uranus, which is stopping (stationary) before going retrograde.  When a planet is stationary, its energy is magnified, and this can be a strong period of awakening and disclosure around secrets, corruption, and information that may make people angry when they discover the truth. 

Pam notes that the moon is at a 90˚ angle (square) to Uranus on the 17th, which also brings up shocking things, shocking truth.   On the same day, Pluto arrives at 22˚ of Capricorn, the same degree point where it was in January at the very important conjunction that happened at the beginning of the pandemic—right after the solar eclipse in Capricorn.  Though it is not exactly at the same point to the minute as it was in January, it will be there on August 30th.  Yet, she says, that even on the 17th, there could be echoes of the developments that happened for us, both individually and collectively, in January.

As for her advice, in general, about this time period—with Uranus shaking things up and Mars being in Aries, at a challenging angle to the Capricorn planets—she tells us that Mars in Aries can cause “quick, trigger responses” that are impulsive, overactive and aggressive.  “When we are in that mode, our energy can be very scattered, and we really are giving away our power to outer circumstances triggering us.”  If you notice that happening, you can use Mars in Aries productively by pulling the energy inward where “it can become your courage, inner power, calm composure and hero energy.” 

AUGUST 18-19
NEW MOON IN LEO

The Leo New Moon can call forth issues around pride, arrogance, ego, and fathers, according to Acyuta-bhava Dasa.   Rick Levine says this new moon in Leo is incredibly potent, and it is at a 150˚ (quincunx) angle to Saturn, which is also about the father, but the authority figure, the taskmaster.  A quincunx angle brings out the need to make adjustments and to be uncomfortable, so Levine says, “Whether we like to follow his rules or not, Saturn is the person in charge, so here we get a little bit of disruption of the enthusiasm” expressed by mercury and the sun.  We are saying things and doing things, but ultimately, Saturn has the final say, and though it is not all that final, “it is enough to ruin the party…definitely a serious disruption and annoyance.” 

Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock seem to find the new moon to be a time to get focused and start something fresh.  It is, Kelly says, “a new moon doing new moon things,” which Austin describes as “time to think of the next phase of action…a perspective clarification.” 

The new moon is at a 120˚ angle (trine) to Mars, and some of the astrologers have something to say about that.  Acyuta-bhava talks about the energy being the “heroic activation of our best selves, honorable and humble—motivated to act and do things and follow a calling,” which he says is helped by Mars being close to squaring (90˚ angle to) Saturn. 

Pam Gregory notes that  the New Moon is trine to Mars (and Eris) in Aries as well as trine to the south node of the moon in Sagittarius, which is very close to the Galactic center—forming a grand trine—an equilateral triangle of positive energy.  This center, she notes, is “raw creator energy for us to use, and Leo is the sign of creativity, so it is an incredibly creative new moon.”  It can be very empowering bringing a sense of optimism that allows us to produce something new.  Besides creativity, she points out the symbolism of Leo as a sign associated with leadership, as is Mars in Aries.  In addition, the new moon is conjunct the fixed star Regulus, the star of kingship and leadership.  “We may be looking at our leaders and asking what is good leadership,” she says.  “We may wonder how we feel about our leaders, and it is a call for us to say can we all be leaders in our lives?”  It is, she adds, not about commanding other people, rather it is about setting “high standards, having courage and morality and feeling that you are always in right action in all that you do.  Integrity.” 

Rick Levine also talks about Regulus as the point that is hit by the moon, and then mercury—both leaving Leo and entering Virgo on the 19th.  Regulus is zero degrees of Virgo, and as a royal star, it is significant, he says because “the inhabitant of the White House has Regulus in his chart, magnified and emphasized. With these planets moving from Leo into Virgo they will cross his Mars and his ascendant. How that plays out, we will just have to see.”

Before those planets move into Virgo, Levine tells us that Venus forms an angle of opportunity (a sextile—60˚) to retrograde Uranus.  “This is a bit of a breakthrough in awareness” and maybe returning to our values.  “We might be confronted with things that we didn’t really even think that we would be attracted to, that all of a sudden have a high level of attraction.” These could be new or different relationships, ideas, things, political perspectives.  This new perspective will intrigue and interest us and we may take the opportunity to explore things that we had not explored before.  “We are going from an irritating energy to ‘Maybe it is not so bad’,” he says.

AUGUST 19

The moon and Mercury leave Leo and enter Virgo, as noted above.  Levine tells us that Virgo brings things down to earth. Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo, and is about communication. The difference, Levine explains, is that in Gemini it is “up in the head, ideas and thinking and fast.”  In Virgo it is more practical and about making good use of our ideas—much more pragmatic.  These planets lead the way for the sun to enter Virgo on the 22nd and a different energy with Uranus and the outer planets in Capricorn. 

AUGUST 22-24

The Sun moves into Virgo on August 22nd and Mars moves into an exact square (90˚) to Saturn on the 23rd or 24th which the astrologers remind us is one foot on the gas pedal and one foot on the brake—trying to move forward and being held back.  Chris Brennan notes it could be lockdowns again—“People want to move around but are stuck inside, and we get a return to peak some of those energies and Saturn [the wall] will have the upper hand over Mars.”

Austin notes, “Having the higher ground, but not necessarily the strongest.  Mars is mad about this,” he says.  It tells us that people will be frustrated wondering why things can’t change, damn it!  Kelly adds that it is urgently wanting something that is taking too long to get, and it is a bigger hurdle to overcome than we would have expected.  While on paper Saturn is “the winner,” she says, “Mars is not in a bad position here.  It is … in its home sign and is a competent contestant in a battle.”  It will mean we are slowed down and delayed especially since this square is ongoing into October. 

Austin describes it as, “Mars will aspect Saturn, then Pluto, then Saturn, then Pluto, then Saturn.  Like Saturn, Pluto has paid off the ref.”  So, the Capricorn combo (Saturn and Pluto) wins the contest.

The key here is that because this is a strong Mars in its own sign of Aries, and it has not yet turned retrograde, “You can get it done,” Austin says, “but it takes twice as much effort. You have to push.” Chris adds that it takes “sustained effort in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.” And with Saturn being the planet of time and durability, it may be best to save our strength, when there is not so much resistance. 

Kelly compares Mars in Aries to a toddler and Saturn in Capricorn as the father figure “saying wait a little bit.  I see something you have not come to understand. It will be easier in a few months’ time.”

Acyuta-bhava Dasa says that Mars tempered by mature Saturn is usually a good thing, but sometimes it is “about militaristic, controlling energy.”  This Mars is willing to do things in a mature way and work within the limitations – to persevere.  The energy with this can be constructive because Saturn tames the Mars energy in the same way a martial arts program can teach a reckless teenager to channel his anger in an honorable way.

But Austin tells us this is the first of three direct hits, and with Saturn and Pluto coming close together in early October we also get a third and final conjunction between Jupiter and Pluto in November.  Though Mars will hit Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto again in 2021, it will be a very different energy in different signs.  But “when a planet has hard aspects from both mars and saturn,” Austin points out, “ it is referred to as besiegement—stuck in your castle where nothing gets in and you can’t get out.” This is what we have to look forward to over the next few months.  What are the defenses and supplies you need to deal with that? 

Pam Gregory points out that by mid-August, a challenging angle between Pluto and the dwarf planet Ceres can mean a disruption of food supply since Ceres represents the goddess of agriculture and harvest and Pluto can bring transformation—but close to Saturn, it can bring intense limitation.

Kelly adds that Mars square Saturn brings pressure, and it may be a good time to minimize that impact by creating more room and not putting yourself under as much pressure.  “We know now what lockdown can be like and what we can do to make things better for us.”

However, with both the sun and mercury in Virgo, Austin says, it is like taking a microsope across the terrain and looking closely to get through the best that we can.  This is what we focus on going into September.

AUGUST 25-26

On the 25th, Rick Levine points out that we have the beginning of a “moving grand trine in water signs,” when Venus in Cancer moves toward a trine to Neptune that becomes exact on the 27th.  But as it heads toward that connection, it opposes Jupiter on the 25th at the same time that Mercury in Virgo makes a trine (120˚ angle—which is positive) to Uranus.  “This is about saying things that were not said before, and it is about change—when new information comes out into the open.” This comes on the tail of the frustration of thinking we could do something, now we can’t, and this is the truth.  “Here is what really happened.”  When Venus opposes Jupiter, it can be overspending or overindulging—too much of a good thing, too much money.

Acyuta-bhava Dasa also makes not of this transit as being too much and too big.  Also things that are related to Venus being “greatly amplified in grandness and beauty”—fashion, style, design, and luxury items.  But Pluto is close by and that could bring something dark.  Something “scandalous beneath the surface could emerge, as well,” he tells us, “as the kind of thing where you end up paying some how for some kind of overindulgence.”  The qualities in the air include pride, arrogance or vanity (Jupiter); art that is grand and beautiful (Venus), and dark subterranean beauty or aesthetics with a Phantom of the Opera or Tim Burton feel (Pluto). 

AUGUST 27

Rick Levine talks about the effects of the grand trine in water formed by the moon in Scorpio trine Neptune and Venus in Cancer trine Neptune.  It can affect the warring conflictual nature of the Mars/Saturn square by bringing a sense of “the emotional power and passionate intensity of the Scorpio moon tied to the value we have been talking about all month with Venus and cancer.”  This can connect with Mars/Saturn into a hot, cold, do it, don’t do it frustration.

AUGUST 30-31

At the end of the month, Venus is opposite Pluto and by early September it will move into opposition with Saturn.  The Venus/Pluto opposition is similar to the Venus/Jupiter opposition  but with Pluto bringing an intensity and dark side to it, which can be heavier and more violent, Acyuta-bhava points out.  There can be “great upheaval of relationships and maybe, with Venus in Cancer (which rules home and family) family could be involved.” 

Rick Levine reminds us that the month opened with Mercury opposing Pluto, which related to intense communication and power struggles, with hidden things coming out into the open and people working on secret agendas.   “Now with Venus there, we end the month with something similar, and oddly enough, Mercury, which opposed Pluto at the beginning of the month is now opposing Neptune at the end of the month.” These transits, he tells us, set up “an ending game for the month, where passions are involved, deep feelings are involved, and yet people are not being straight. What we are saying and what we are hearing might vary from what the actual truth is.”  We can’t figure it out, and we feel as if we have lost control, wait it out, and see what happens.

“The good news,” he tells us (Thank God!), “is that it will settle down, and though, as we get to the end of the month, we need to stay aware of the fact that we are capable of holding opposite points of view.”  He is referring to the fact that we may have to make a judgment on things based on what we think is true and new information we will be confronted with. 

Venus opposed to Pluto can be that “we might rather stay in Venus—it is pretty and pleasant” and not want to go into the ideas of conspiracy theories, negative things people are saying that we may not want to believe.  Or Mercury opposing Neptune, which he says tells us, “I want to stay in my fantasy and not deal with Mercury in Virgo which is telling me the truth.”  We have to temporarily suspend belief in the same way we do at the movies.  WE know it is not our reality, but we lose ourselves in what is playing on the screen.  By the end of the month, he says, we need to open our minds so that we do not deny or suppress one side or the other.  As soon as we put one perspective aside, he tells us, we give it power to become our opponent to whatever our beliefs are. 

As Mercury opposes Neptune, Acyuta-bhava tells us, it is a great time for prayer and meditation. It is great in terms of the spiritual—teachers, messengers and messages.  However, there is the potential for deception or sleight of hand, as well.  It is actually a time when musicians, writers and artists may enter a “flow state” as well as a time when we may connect with others in “an emotional or fluid way.”

LAST WORDS

As usual, Rick Levine sums up so well what the month brings.  He tells us to keep an open mind and “hold onto what those things are that you believe to be true, but when confronted with opposites, don’t necessarily immediately try to go to war to prove that you are correct.”  Though you may win a battle or many battles, Pluto may ultimately wear you out and win the war, anyway.  “We need to choose our battles carefully,” he advises.  “It is more important now to win the war than it is to win each battle day-by-day, week-by-week, and even month-by-month.”  We are dealing with a larger agenda. “The old Chinese curse, ‘May you live in interesting times’, is only half a curse,” he tells us. “It is not easy living in times like these, but it also is a blessing to be alive at a point when humanity is actually being forced to review, reconsider and rebirth itself into something that may be around for millennia to come.”  Be the change you want to see in the world.  The stars are telling us it is time.