Today's Astrology Forecast | August 20, 2019 - if at first we don't succeed ....

Our Aries Moon squares powerful Pluto early this morning EDT

(anger, power plays, tension or frustration with authority, focused tunnel-vision type efforting)

then moves into her monthly Waxing Trine with the Sun - this month Aries/Leo - a few hours later. This one will be more to our liking - our actions/passions maybe involving a creative project/children/romance/recreation move along more smoothly.

It looks like those early struggles/focus pays off later in the day!

The Moon goes Void shortly after midnight EDT off a lovely trine to Venus and then moves into Venus-ruled Taurus (the sign of the Moon's exaltation) at 12:37AM EDT where we will find ourselves seeking nourishment through mother nature, our money and resources, the human touch that feels like love and connecting with what is around us for the next couple days.

The Moon is in "let's get moving" Aries. The Sun and Venus are about to pull up stakes and exit big-hearted and fun-loving Leo. Mercury is moving toward her inconjunct with Saturn and trine to Jupiter - lots of choices, but one giant sticking point, too. Venus is moving toward Mars (note they won't join forces in fiery and passionate Leo, but in more earthy and practical Virgo - that says alot).

Big picture - we are shedding the stuff that no longer serves us living a truly authentic life. Jupiter is in Sag testing our faith and Saturn is in Capricorn holding our feet to the fire. The karmic chickens are coming home to roost. Slightly smaller picture - we are heading into Virgo season, a time for "check ups" - our health, habits, work, service, pets, to-do lists. When Saturn moves forward next month, the stuff we are doing now - not cutting any corners, being responsible, taking care of what we missed - is going to pay off for us.

Today's motto - keep trying. Move this thing forward. And have some fun - Leo season (sniffle) is nearly over ....

xo all

photo by the amazing oprisco

Today's Astrology Forecast | August 19, 2019 - showy displays of connection, two hands are better than one, nourished by action, beginner's luck, that brick wall, seeing the way forward

The Moon moved into fiery Aries last night, so now we are emotionally nurtured through what we are starting, our actions, physical movement, our passion, our courage, our initiatives, through the company of men - for the next couple days.

She will trine Mercury at 11:41AM EDT (this is new understandings, a light on new information, be brave/say what is on your mind) and square Saturn - the brick wall - at 5:55PM EDT (frustration./tension between the old and the new, the rules and what we want to start, probably not a totally new situation) and finally just three minutes later she trines Jupiter (expansion/optimism gets us past the frustration, focus on something new, we are pushing through that resistance). We could be very persuasive. Have some beginner's luck.

We (or other people) could anger easily or get frustrated easily or give up easily with the Aries Moon squaring Saturn. Saturn wants his say and will have it. But Jupiter is direct and Saturn is still retrograde. There is something new here when we get past this block. The blue skies are up THERE.

Now the Moon is in her 3rd quarter (waning) so for best results we are finishing something up, releasing, letting go of things in preparation for next week's New Moon.

Venus (finishing up in Leo) is going to trine Pallas (finishing up in Libra) and then hook up with partnership-focused Juno. This is VERY GOOD relationship energy. In fiery Leo, she brings the fire/enthusiasm/passion to Pallas's balanced and diplomatic strategies - then meets Juno for a solid agreement. We can do more TOGETHER now. Alliances/contracts are made public.

For BIG PICTURE stuff - there is also a semi-square (building challenge) between Jupiter and Saturn, both strong in their home signs, but only one, Jupiter, is direct. This is the last aspect they will make before they meet in Capricorn at the end of 2020.

This is us, looking toward that bigger/bolder story (Jupiter), but Saturn is still holding our feet to the fire with this old commitment/old rules/maybe something we don't have that is limiting our future/maybe the thing that needs to end.

I see this as the necessary energy that keeps us from going too far-too fast, prevents us from jumping from the frying pan into the fire. From getting the opportunity and then blowing it because we don't know what we are doing or don't have enough resources to keep it going. We have to trust a greater power's divine timing with this situation. We need time to get our ducks in a row.

While Saturn is still retrograde (one more month) we have to do what needs to be done. Don't let dad get home and find the house trashed and the dog starving in the backyard. We have to keep things above-board - walking a straight line/playing by the rules. We have to live up to our commitments/responsibilities. We don't have to kill ourselves with this. Some commitments need to go. We have done enough. Which is which? Follow your heart. Find your way home.

What do we need for this bigger/bolder life? More money? How are we spending our money? More knowledge/credentials? How do you get that? Figure out what you need to do. Then get on with doing it. That is your job.

xo all

photo by the talented bittersweetvenom

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | week of August 19, 2019 - VIRGO!, coming back to Earth, get to work, get healthy, get organized, it doesn't have to be perfect but it does have to be done well, no corner cutting, one step at a time

SUNDAY - Mars into Virgo
WEDNESDAY - Venus into Virgo, Mercury trine Jupiter, Mercury inconjunct Saturn
FRIDAY -Sun into Virgo
SATURDAY - Venus conjunct Mars, both inconjunct Chiron

On SUNDAY, Mars exits fiery Leo for grounded and practical Virgo. Our movement forward is best done in a Virgo manner. This means practical, precise steps focused on what is right in front of us.

Mars in Virgo can be excellent for productivity (by the time of the Pisces Full Moon on September 14th we are not going to believe how much we have accomplished and THEN  we can rest!) and it can also run entirely off course with perfectionism.

The good things about Mars in Virgo is our ability to organize, to be productive, to focus on the details and what needs doing right now; the next step. Since Virgo is a service sign, the actions we take that help us will most naturally help other people. Mars in Virgo can really clean up the mess and improve the situation. The wheat is separated from the chaff - yes maybe rather ruthlessly, this is Mars we are talking about. But in the end we are left with the wheat or whatever it is we need to grow the wheat. Either way the superfluous sh*t is gone.

On the other hand if we let fiery Mars get out of control in pious Virgo territory we could have a bigger mess on our hands even though everything looks all clean and sparkly. Mars can get very pissed off here if everything doesn't meet his exacting standards of perfection. So let's not go there. We could find ourselves taking action toward some quite impossible something or other. If everything has to fall precisely into place for something to work out - well, Mars in Virgo is the man for the job - on the other hand he doesn't see the big picture - just the details right in front of him - and can toil rather tirelessly with not much to show

(of course this 'not much to show' thing isn't taking into account the muscles we are building and experience for next time, let's not discount it, sometimes without the things that don't work out we would never get to the things that do).

If we find ourselves, or someone else, demanding an impossible to meet goal or impossibly high standards of perfection we will know we have veered off course here. Mars has run amok.

Mostly Mars in Virgo is an excellent transit for reality based progress and with Virgo trining that Cappy pile-up - things should really move forward.

The stuff we have been sitting on and didn't know which way to go with will become clearer day by day as we move through the rest of this month and into mid-September.

On TUESDAY, Venus follows her man Mars into Virgo (they meet on Saturday, so we are really starting to move toward a time when what we want and what we do to get what we want are working together BIG time).

Our Virgo house get a visit from the lovely Venus. Virgo Suns and Ascendants get more attractive - both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want. Our natal Virgo houses get more attractive, too.

Venus rules our love, money, self-esteem, values, relationships, women, beauty, our resources, attracting what we want - all areas are subjected to Virgo's keen focus and attention to detail now.

We will be analyzing what we want and what we have. We will be analyzing our relationships. Venus in Virgo works.

The problems will stand out. We won't be able to miss them. And since what we focus on grows, sometimes things get worse before they get better during this transit. But this is excellent energy to fix what needs fixing and accept (or eliminate) what just isn't fixable. Venus in Virgo is about loving the details of something, enjoying the work, appreciating the craftsmanship and complexity of something or someone or some situation - Virgo can't miss those, and choosing not to dwell on them.

Relationships are challenging right now anyway. Mega. The male/female dynamics playing out and re-balancing themselves in the collective are playing out in our own homes/lives, too. This isn't a man/woman thing, it's impacting ALL our relationships.

Also on Tuesday, Mercury trines lucky Jupiter. This is good news. Optimistic conversations and expansive ideas and thinking. At the same time she/he is inconjuncting Saturn, so we need to stay realistic (Virgo will help) the rules/limits/responsibilities/or thing that is ending is STILL part of the conversation - and that's OK.

There is something better out there and we KNOW it.

On FRIDAY, the Sun moves into Virgo - now we have three of the four inner planets in Virgo. We are all burning Virgo fuel. Virgos and Virgo risings are on fire. Stuff is getting done. Virgo rules our daily activities, our work, our health, our pets - we are focused on our routine/on cleaning up the mess/on getting our lives organized. Any space in our life where we get to decide what stays and what goes is a good space to be working in now. Think closets and inboxes. And then use that trine to Jupiter  (remember Mercury RULES Virgo) and think EVEN BIGGER.

On SATURDAY, Venus meets Mars - what we want and what we have to do to get it are working together now. This is good news - a new Mars/Venus cycle in grounded "let's build this thing" Virgo - where stuff actually gets done! Here is where putting one foot in front of the other and doing the RIGHT thing will move us on a new path toward what we want!

Since they are both inconjunct (rock and hard place) to hurting/healing Chiron - maybe something isn't quite fixable/do-able exactly as we want it. Let's not get so focused on getting it perfect we never get it off the ground or finished.

This is an excellent week to get healthy. To get organized. To get alot done. Next week's stellium in Virgo during a New Moon is really going to help us take practical action and it's going to support and be supported by all the Capricorn stuff the next couple years is circling around.

Make a list. Take things one at a time. Don't get distracted by overwhelm or perfectionism. Just let one step follow another. Get up early. Get it done.

Mars, Venus and the Sun will all trine (brakes off) the Galactic Center (seat of creation/center of our Milky Way Galaxy) at the end of last week/beginning of this week as they exit Leo. These are "lightbulb" moments/breakthroughs (after all the wth are we going to do - we get it!) that put us on our path to our highest good/our natural spotlight/what our heart wants.

Before Saturn moves direct in the middle of September we want to have our ducks in a row! This week and especially after the New Moon next week are primo duck-lining-up times.

Back with the dailies where we look at the Moon and some big-picture stuff.

xo all

photo by the talented quadratiges

Today's Astrology Forecast | August 16, 2019 - shocking words, disruptive information, a silver lining, dissolving tension, just shrugging the whole thing off, talk to new people, read new information, write down your ideas for later

The Moon moved into Pisces at 11:49PM EDT last night making us especially imaginative, intuitive and sensitive for the next couple days. She sextiles change-maker Uranus at 1:11PM EDT (sounds wonderfully kismet, right?) - sextiles create opportunities that are more 'situation-oriented'. They don't push us into a corner to get our attention the way squares do - the coax us. The degree to which we are willing to participate with the energies will determine the extent of its benefit.

Sudden (Uranus) intuition (Pisces Moon). Comfort (Moon) with chaos (Uranus).

There are as many ways this energy can play out as people on our planet - think of it as your Pisces house (what's the theme?) receiving change from your Taurus house (what's the theme). In my chart this is a partner/partnership situation (7th house) creating change/disruption in my 5th house (creative projects, children, recreation). Moon transits are FAST though and today's other aspect is a bit more nerve-jangling.

We also have Mercury (still in loud and proud Leo) squaring (tension/frustration) that same change-making Uranus (in Taurus - our money, resources, values, self-esteem). Mercury is coming off that supportive trine to Chiron (healing/triggering language).

Mercury squares Uranus at 1:06PM EDT and then we have the lunar sextile to Uranus just five minutes later - so if this is impacting our chart, maybe we get the shocking/frustrating news/information and then see/feel the opportunity! Or maybe that "go with the flow" Pisces Moon just shrugs the whole thing off!

This is a wild card mental energy. Good for thinking outside the box, but our thinking could be all over the place, too. It might be challenging (that square) to know (Mercury) what we value (Uranus in Taurus). Uranus is retrograde, so this won't be a totally new situation. Surprising information could come in now. Something could even be made public (that Mercury in Leo).

Fresh information could suddenly pop things into place.

For some people Mercury aspects often bring up sibling situations, issues involving their local community or transportation/tech issues.

We (and other people) will want to be heard - Mercury in Leo, in this chaotic/disruptive interaction - and this will somehow clash with whatever is changing. Let's try not to make a crazy scene we will regret later, but it can be hard to tell where the crazy ends and the genius begins now, so this might be easier said than done.

Maybe a better day for contemplation (absorbing those genius/cray cray, future-leaning downloads) than a day for action which could quickly turn into re-action. 

The Moon should keep the square from becoming too much, but any square to Mercury amps up the potential for an argument.

Talk to different people. Expose yourself to new ideas. Write down your thoughts.

xo all

Note - times are unlikely to be exact as we feel things as energies are ramping up and unwinding sometimes more acutely - I would still use that 1:11PM EDT portal to clear our heads and see what comes in!

photo by the talented Pati Makowska