weekly astrology forecast | August 30 - September 5, 2021 - U.S. chart red alert, diluted actions, lack of motivation, power struggles and slippery slopes, ideas and conversations that stabilize

 

 

This is a red alert week here in the United States. We have transiting Mars opposing a retrograde Neptune (he is repeating what Mercury has already done a few days ago and we can see what happened there!) - and Mars in Virgo is EXACTLY conjunct the United States natal Neptune, in the United States 9th house ruling foreign situations and squaring the U.S. natal Mars with the U.S. natal Mercury (Virgo's ruler) EXACTLY opposing transiting retrograde Pluto (death/transformation). And we have an expansive/retrograde transiting Jupiter conjunct the U.S. Moon (the people). The Afghanistan situation, the virus, the media and Hurricane Ida (making landfall on Hurricane Katrina's anniversary) are all impacted by these transits. 

 

And for all of us as Mars applies to Neptune we have a challenging Third Quarter Moon on tap for MONDAY conjunct Ceres (weather, grief, loss) and Black Moon Lilith (!) with Mercury trining Sedna (Goddess of the Sea/oceans and we've talked about Sedna in connection to the virus and vaccines) at the challenging 29th degree as both the Sun (Virgo) and Moon (Gemini) answer to Mercury! 

 

Let's back up to Sunday, August 29th - the Sun in Virgo is squaring the Nodes of Fate. We had Mercury (ruler of that Node Node) here in the middle of August, so whatever we have going on now can connect back to that time period. A square to the Nodes brings tension/frustration - something must change before we can go any further. Squares to the Nodes are 'skipped steps'. We missed something. With the Sun in Virgo, something is illuminated that requires our focus/fix/practicality/something healthier. What is the problem and what can we do about it? This 'what we can do about it' will be the next step that needs to be taken. Think - practical. Keep in mind the North Node - our best way forward - is in multi-tasking Gemini, so there may be more than one way forward/more than one conversation that needs to happen, more than one solution here.

 

Gemini is about asking questions (and not being so sure we have all the answers), so communicate/talk/write. Keep things light/flexible. Keep in mind also that South Node (where we've been/where we are, what needs to go) in Sagittarius - there could be a 'belief' holding us back. Maybe something has grown too big to be manageable. Maybe we have a yearning for something foreign when what we need is right in our own backyard. Maybe we want to go to 'school' when what we need is a 'class'. Think smaller. More local. Multiple small things instead of one big thing. 

 

After this week, we will have the New Moon and be moving through multiple trines - things will be looking up, but let's unpack this week and see what we have. There are multiple inconjuncts I am not listing (including one on Monday Sun/Saturn indicating blocks/delays, trouble for authority/leadership), so know we will have to be flexible this week. Some of what follows is taken from the monthly HERE. I will update the week to add in the Moons as we move along. Monday's Moon is included.

On MONDAY - we reach this month's Third Quarter Moon as the Moon in Gemini (7 degrees) and conjunct Ceres squares the Virgo Sun. Mercury, ruler of both Virgo and Gemini, has moved into Libra only hours earlier. 

 

The Third Quarter Moon is a frustration/challenge in response to last week's Full Moon result or ending. The Sun is focused in Virgo - wanting to help, heal, fix things, make something better. The Moon in Gemini is determined to lighten things up, ask more questions and offer more choices. She's all over the place - taking us here, there and everywhere - bringing us new ideas/conversations, so if we've become overly attuned to a flaw/problem, here's our chance to come up for some air/be more flexible. Of course, this is a square, so our actions/decisions can feel forced (our back against the wall) and won't be comfortable. With the Moon meeting Ceres - she pulls in our nurturing/mothering, cycle of life situations, Earth/weather issues, probably a need for compromise.

 

Mercury is in Libra now - so we know the way through this square will be our best use of Libran energies. Diplomacy, cooperation, balance. Successful words are more tactful now - more focused on what the other person needs/wants. That splitting hairs and checking for typos Mercury did back in Virgo cedes way to saying it nicely. 
 

Our thinking could become more indecisive. Not because Libra is wishy-washy so much as just able to see both sides of any situation. Libra's polarity sign Aries can make fast decisions because the energy can focus most easily on one point of view - their own. Libra is the natural ruler of our 7th house of other people. Life gets more complicated after the 7th house. Do you have any planets in your 7th house or in Libra - these are the archetypes we usually set up our lives to have played out by other people.

Libra wants everybody to be friends. Diplomacy, both in our personal lives and the larger collective, if actually attempted, can improve tense situations now. The gentle art of persuasion via a lighter touch can work, too.

Words that make people feel loved and appreciated and beautiful will be the right words.

Our natal Libra house gets a visit from multi-tasking, inquisitive Mercury. So things in the area of our life naturally ruled by Libra get busy. Mercury will be in Libra until November 5th.

 

THURSDAY - Mars opposes Neptune (retrograde)

FRIDAY - Mercury trines the North Node

SATURDAY - Mercury trines Saturn (retrograde)

SUNDAY - Venus squares Pluto (retrograde)

THURSDAY - Mars @ 22 Virgo opposes Neptune, retrograde in Pisces. Mercury made this opposition back on August 24th, so this could connect back to information/news/conversations from that time. Oppositions bring culminations/results/endings. Mars in Virgo is precise/focused action. Neptune here fogs things up. This might be a good thing if Neptune loosens our stranglehold on something unfixable, that 'dog with a  bone' thing or if Neptune expands/un-limits (think of not only boundary-removal, but also of something along the lines of a higher calling here) whatever Mars (as us) is doing. 

 

Often though, Neptune dilutes Mars actions/passions. Things get less precise, move in unintended directions, get bigger than we intended. 

 

Maybe we are tired. Maybe we procrastinate (a common problem for perfectionistic Mars in Virgo). Maybe we self-sabotage. Maybe our plans get rained out. It can be hard to get to work/get things done (I am having a terrible time knuckling down and writing this on Sunday afternoon as these energies apply). Neptune's rose-colored glasses and tendency to hide things behind closed door/behind our backs can make it easy to gloss over important details/daily obligations, so this is something to think about. On the other hand, any contact with Neptune opens a portal to a higher realm, our ancestral story-line, past-lives, our dreams - keep this in mind, too. 

 

Let's give ourselves and other people a break now, we are all living through unprecedented times, swimming in uncharted waters. Anger can come out of nowhere and get projected onto the wrong people/situations, so avoid unnecessary disagreements.

 

FRIDAY/SATURDAY - Mercury is going to trine first the North Node (our collective best way forward) and then a sober, retrograde Saturn. Mercury is in Libra here, so this is good news for our relationships/partnerships/contracts/agreements. Heads up for fresh information to come in. Conversations that direct our wagon 'that-a-way'. It's a time of decisions. Then Mercury trines serious Saturn to 'seal the deal'. Keep in mind Saturn is retrograde, so this won't be a totally new deal. 

 

SUNDAY - Venus (in Libra) is going to square Pluto (retrograde) while trining Jupiter (retrograde). Venus is strong in her home sign, but no match for Pluto. The good news - the trine to Jupiter could help lighten this square up, the not-so-good news, the trine to Jupiter can make the whole thing even BIGGER.

 

The Venus/Pluto is tricky/obsessive, speaks of manipulation/power struggles/control/relationship TRIANGLES. Obsessive attractions. Maybe the partner/relationship/whatever we are wanting feels essential for our very survival. Our relationships feel more INTENSE.

 

With Pluto retrograde old, maybe toxic dependencies/needs/relationships can resurface and then the trine to Jupiter just makes that slippery slope even slipperier. One leads to two leads to ten, so be careful.

 

Hopefully the trine to Jupiter (retrograde in intellectual/detached Aquarius) will lighten the intensity and Mars in Virgo will be trining Pluto at the same time taking some of the heat off Pluto if we are taking some kind of practical action. 

 

Once we get to the end of the week and moving into an incredibly fluid Grand Air Trine and New Moon, in incredibly helpful/healthful Virgo, things should start to smooth out. 

xo all

 

Heads up - Mercury will begin walking his/her upcoming retrograde degrees on September 7th, so if you need to get something done and you don't want to be revising it and doing it multiple times (then again maybe three times is the charm) you might want to set yourself a deadline before this date. 

 

artwork by the talented Ascending-Storm

A look at the astrology of September, 2021 | be ready to move forward with projects in the beginning of the month, surprises with love and money, more going backward to go forward and who's up for a mercury retrograde through our relationships?!

 

 

I think a quick-ish look at the upcoming month might be a good idea.

 

The New Moon at the beginning of the month looks good - BIG "go time" and the Full Moon later on looks promising, too. Lots of trines to help things fall into place/move us forward, but not many sextiles (opportunities), actually I'm not sure I see any sextiles that don't involve the Moon until October (!), so we know the "opportunities" - which are always there somewhere, don't worry - will come through the more challenging squares. So, yes, they will be disguised as dragons and stop signs, but might morph into unicorns and Barbie dream houses if we play our hands right. Black Moon Lilith is going to move over the North Node and trine the Libra planets and a retrograde Saturn/Pluto - pulling some uncomfortable fated relationship dynamics, old contracts/old commitments/rules even more firmly into the mix. Mercury will get all the way to 25 degrees Libra and decide he needs another stab at this 'relationship' stuff (not sure why I am including stab and relationship in the same sentence, maybe hubs better not read this) giving us a do-over that lasts until October 18th!

 

Let's unpack the month. 

 

We kick off September fairly quickly with Mars (in Virgo) opposing Neptune (retrograde) on September 2nd. Mercury made this opposition back on August 24th, so this could connect back to information/news/conversations from that time. Oppositions bring culminations/results/endings. Mars in Virgo is precise/focused action. Neptune here kind of fogs things up. This can be a good thing if Neptune loosens our grip, that 'dog with a  bone' thing or if Neptune expands/un-limits (think of not only boundary-removal, but also of something along the lines of a higher calling here) whatever Mars (as us) is doing. Often though, Neptune kind of dilutes Mars actions/passions. Things can move in unintended directions/get bigger than we intended. Or maybe we get tired. Maybe we procrastinate (a common problem for perfectionistic Mars in Virgo). Maybe we self-sabotage. Maybe our plans get rained out. Neptune's rose-colored glasses and tendency to hide things behind closed door/behind our backs can make it easy to gloss over important details/daily obligations, so this is something to think about. On the other hand, any contact with Neptune opens a portal to a higher realm, our ancestral story-line, past-lives, our dreams - keep this in mind, too.

On September 3rd and 4th, Mercury is going to trine first the North Node (our collective best way forward) and then a sober, retrograde Saturn. Mercury is in Libra here, so this is good news for our relationships/partnerships/contracts/agreements. Heads up for fresh information to come in. Conversations that direct our wagon 'that-a-way'. Then he trines serious Saturn to 'seal the deal'. Keep in mind Saturn is retrograde, so this won't be a totally new deal. 

On September 5th, Venus (in Libra) is going to square Pluto (retrograde) while trining Jupiter (retrograde). Venus is strong in her home sign, but no match for Pluto. The good news - the trine to Jupiter is really going to help lighten this square up! 

 

The Venus/Pluto is tricky/obsessive, speaks of manipulation/power struggles/control/relationship TRIANGLES. Maybe something happens and the beloved/relationship/contract feels essential for our very survival. 

If you were born with a Venus/Pluto aspect there is an intense passion to your basic nature. This can eventually become a space of real power, but often starts out something like a kind of bottomless pit. Sometimes a Venus/Pluto person (in childhood) attaches very strongly to a specific family member. Sometimes there is a rejection that follows (maybe another sibling is born and mom/dad's attention turn elsewhere or maybe the attachment is with a sibling who grows away or a grandparent who dies). The rejection - and this doesn't have to be an actual rejection, but this is how it will be felt if we have this aspect within our basic nature -  triggers a kind of power struggle within relationships. This isn't because childhood experiences 'cause' the trigger. We are born with our triggers. Our childhood experiences are what activate them. Anyway, if you have a natal Venus/Pluto aspect or planets near 24 degrees in the cardinal signs, this transit now could trigger intense desires and a tendency to identify love with SURVIVAL. 

Keep in mind that trine to Jupiter (retrograde in intellectual/detached Aquarius) is going to lighten this up and Mars will be trining Pluto at the same time taking some of the heat off Pluto if we are taking some kind of practical action.

**** September 6th, we get our annual New Moon in Virgo (the harvest Moon) at 14 degrees and EXACTLY trine (arguably the best aspect in astrology) a retrograde Uranus, with all kinds of other trines, too!

Moon/Uranus - let's think about this. Uranus has been in Taurus full time since March 2019 and will be here until 2026 - more about this HERE. Uranus isn't a personal planet (like the Moon), but as the modern ruler of the sign of Aquarius reflects a collective urge toward an ideal. In Taurus, Uranus is about new definitions of security and new values which are less bound to the material world. 

 

People born with Uranus in Taurus (and all of us to some degree since we are living through this transit) will likely feel 'forced' to relinquish their material stability. Uranus is the natural enemy of the Moon because in order for the uncomfortable (change) to become the comfortable we have to distance ourselves from our emotions/instincts which is the Moon's bread and butter. 

With the trine - an aspect of EASE - we have the Moon, and this is a very persnickety kind of New Moon, but also a very practical New Moon - willingly lining up with CHANGE (Uranus and again Uranus is retrograde, so something here isn't totally new either). Mercury rules the New Moon and is making those supportive trines to the North Node and Saturn, and Mars will be trining Pluto, so we've got stability and clarity and new roads all coming together! Earth trines make things real/solid. Things that last. They work over time. And the air trines bring in the ideas/communication. We've also got Venus trine Jupiter - is this the best aspect in astrology? It just might be!

 

WE REALLY WANT TO BE TAKING ACTION and moving toward what we want now. Expect a  BIG post.

September 10th - Venus enters Scorpio. Scorpio Suns and Ascendants get more attractive (more beautiful and more able to attract what they want). Your Scorpio house (where is Scorpio hanging out in your natal chart?) gets more attractive, too.

 

Venus dives from Libra, the home-girl sign she rules, into the deep, murky waters of Scorpio.Venus is considered in her 'detriment' in Scorpio. It's dark. It's ruled by Pluto. It's not her favorite place to hang out. We will notice how we use other people's energy and how they use ours. Vampires do not really only come out in the night.Venus in Scorpio doesn't look like the more traditional beauty of Venus in Libra. Her beauty is dark and forbidding now. She doesn't flirt. She seduces. She doesn't want peace at any cost so much as she wants to feel what's really underneath all the phony smiles and superficial niceties. Scorpio rules death and destruction and now this comes through our relationships. Here Venus pushes herself to the edge of life with compulsions, intimacy, jealousy, obsession and a struggle for real power. She goes into the dark corners that hold all our secrets and she coaxes them out into the open. There can be brutal and deep honesty here.  Relationships get intense. More intense.

Venus rules love, money and women. Getting what we want with any of them becomes an act of seduction. We need to entice. We need to risk our flaws and shadows being visible. Venus in Scorpio knows our need for acceptance will make us invisible, so she risks rejection to be seen.

She doesn't want to be friends - she wants to be soul-mates. We will feel more "all or nothing" with our passions now. Things can crash and burn here. And for better or worse she isn't afraid to manipulate things to get what she wants (and yes, this, and her obsession with secrets and power will be her downfall). People will be drawn to what is hidden; to what we don't show them. Keep this in mind if you sell things for a living. Buyers will want to discover things for themselves.

 

Keep in mind since Scorpio is a fixed sign we know, looking ahead, Venus in Scorpio is going to square the Taurus (Uranus) and Aquarius (Saturn, Jupiter) planets as we move through the next few weeks.

 

On September 14th, the Sun, in Virgo, is going to oppose Neptune (retrograde).  Remember we closed out August with Mercury opposing Neptune and began September with Mars opposing Neptune, so this might be connecting up with those transits. Oppositions bring results, culminations, endings. Chapters close out. This might bring a disappointment. A Virgoan answer/fix might be dissolving/falling apart. Neptunian answers are ALWAYS 'let go and let God' - easy to say, not always so easy to do. This isn't about sacrifice though and in fact a sacrifice made now will be more about self-sabotage than anything we are doing for anyone else. Keep in mind, the whole 'no boundaries' thing. This transit is the real vs the ideal. The reality vs the dream. So, Neptune could be dissolving our focus/life force energy/ego or elevating our Virgo work/service/health to a whole new level. Again Neptunian contacts opens a portal to a higher realm, our ancestral story-line, past-lives, our dreams.

 

Mars exits Virgo - having done all the fixing, clean up and detailed work he could possibly do and enters sociable and diplomatic Libra, the sign of the other person, for the first time in two years.

Mars rules Aries, the sign of "me" and is uber uncomfortable and in his fall in the sign of Libra, the sign of "we". Our actions/passions can get mired in indecision. Mars wants to just go, go, go and in Libra is required to 'see/interact with' the other side of things. There is more flirting than commitment (job hunters prepare for a possible extended interview or 'getting to know you' process). More passive-aggressiveness.

Fiery Mars in our collective 7th house of other people means our actions trigger fast reactions. That whole "I'm rubber. You're glue" thing isn't working. Or maybe it's working backward. We need to be honest about our anger, passions, actions without crapping all over other people or being a phoney Mr. Nice Guy. It is a balancing act and Mars' combat boots are not made for tight ropes.
 

The good news for the next few weeks and there is plenty - situations will arise that create opportunities for more fairness. More balanced actions. More social activities. More compromise. More win-wins. More allies - please Lord, yes. Doing it together. Plus our Libra house theme gets a needed kick-in-the-ass.

Two days later on September 16th, the Sun is going to trine (brakes off) a retrograde Pluto - just what Mars did back at the New Moon in the beginning of the month. So we get the Neptunian dissolve/result followed by a smooth/easy flow with our goals/power/our career/authority. Again, the outer planet is retrograde, so this won't be a brand new thing. And it most likely won't be overly dramatic - these are Earth signs, solid stuff built over time. Focused efforts that get results/rewards. Virgo is the sign of the harvest and Pluto is the planet of death - are we carrying around a bag of rotten tomatoes and calling it a pepperoni pizza? What needs to go?

 

On September 17th, Venus squares a retrograde Saturn. Saturn squares bring road blocks, stop signs, reality checks, the pressure of responsibilities/commitments, "no's". Toss Venus into the mix and this might involve our money, relationships, third party situations, our self esteem. Feelings of being inadequate/unloved/just plain old can surface. 

 

People born with Venus/Saturn aspects have some kind of experience of 'love is limited' in early life. Sometimes love is dependent on being right/doing the right thing. Maybe love feels earned. Or we feel what we don't have. Again, this aspect isn't created in childhood - we came in with it in our blueprint, the way an acorn already has everything it needs to become a tree - but it is triggered. This is why siblings with different blueprints can experience totally different things from the same parents/family. Sometimes Venus/Saturn people find their way to unavailable partners to avoid real commitment. Eventually this natal aspect grows into a tenderness for human frailties, a fondness for aging, a deep sense of responsibility within relationships. Big growth potential with this one.

**** September 20th - Mercury trines a retrograde Jupiter (in Aquarius) while Mars trines the North Node (in Gemini), Ceres sextiles Chiron, Vesta enters Scorpio and we have a Full Moon in Pisces (28 degrees). 

 

Conjunct ruler Neptune this Full Moon has an end of the line/sink or swim feel to it. Pisces either elevates or drags us down. We'll be feeling all the feels with this one. I haven't unpacked the chart, but here is ANOTHER Moon with multiple smooth trines which might play out something like old opportunities coming back around. Good news. Taking action and those actions moving us forward easily. Nothing here needs to be forced. Things can just fall right into place. Both Mercury and Mars are in Libra, so the focus here will be on our relationships/contracts/partners.

September 22nd - Mercury in Libra squares a retrograde Pluto. This one is testy/frustrating. Power struggles. Arguments. Manipulations. Obsessive thinking/digging. Third party situations. This can be tension between our relationships and our career. Are we sure we really want to go there? This is the same day the Sun enters Libra, so that will bring more balance and desire to shine through/with other people.

 

September 23rd - Venus opposes Uranus. Surprise! Here is the unexpected with love/money. Keep in mind oppositions bring results, culminations, endings. This could be a sudden attraction/expense/merging/purging. A sudden shift in our values/income/spouse's income. Uranus is retrograde so the surprise won't be a total surprise, we could have seen this one coming, but we probably won't. Sometimes Venus/Uranus aspects are acted out through another person/a partner. 

September 25th - Mars trines Saturn. Here is our actions/passions working well with our responsibilities, authority, groups, partners. Partners/goals are on the same page. Things slide into place.

September 26th - Sun (in Libra) trines the North Node. Our relationships/contracts are moving forward. A relationships aligns us with our future. Our connections expand. Be out and about. Talk to people. Ask questions. Stay open. The right idea can pop right into our head. The right person wind up right in front of us. 

 

September 27th - Mercury stations retrograde at 27 degrees Libra - you didn't think we were going to get out of Libra/relationship season without a Mercury retrograde dragging the whole thing out did you? And this retrograde is just kind of priming the pump for the BIG Venus retrograde at the end of the year when Venus travels THREE times over those 'time runs out' degrees from 2020. Are our relationships up to that?! I guess we are going to find out!

September 29th - Venus trines Neptune and Sun trines Saturn - more trines - which, keep in mind, remove brakes, which can mean obstacles - a good thing, but can also be that slippery slope your mama warned you about. Venus/Neptune can get in over her head pretty quickly. Watch your wallet. Watch your projections - is this really as good as it looks? The Sun/Saturn brings stability/maturity - well maybe it is! These trines plus the Mars/Saturn, Libra/North Node look like we probably want to be moving toward whatever is falling into place now. Keep in mind both Neptune and Saturn are retrograde, so again these are not totally new situations/opportunities that allow us to line up with the future. 

We close out September with Venus (at 22 degrees Scorpio) squaring a retrograde Jupiter (at 22 degrees Aquarius) on September 30th. Note the 22 degrees because we are going to be talking about the number 22 quite a bit in upcoming posts! Something here about 'too much'/exaggerated expectations - probably where all these slippery trines have been leading us! BUT these are still our most benevolent planets so how bad can it be. Just watch for too much of a good thing, too much intimacy, too much power/control. Too much debt. Something might have to be tapped down a bit. In a couple days Venus in Scorpio is going to sextile Pluto (Scorpio's ruler and finally a sextile), so the opportunity approaches, maybe the square here at the end of the month is an alert to not overdo just yet.

xo all

artwork by the talented Gaudi Buendia

Weekly Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of August 23rd - 30th, 2021 - stabilizing our love and money, finding some peace, the facts Jack, powerful words, old hurts, another August crossroad

 

Sunday's Aquarius Full Moon continues to play out this week, bringing the future to our door. Second chances. Groundhog Days. Busted illusions. Painful relationship/financial situations will need to be dealt with. Important conversations/information that brings us to a crossroad. Focus on the details - it's Virgo season now baby. 

 

Let's unpack the week!

 

MONDAY - Venus trines Saturn

TUESDAY - Mercury opposes Neptune

THURSDAY - Venus opposes Chiron, Mercury trines Pluto

SUNDAY - Sun squares the North Node

MONDAY - Venus @ 8 degrees Libra trines a retrograde Saturn in Aquarius

Venus rules love, money, our values, women, beauty, our self-esteem, and in Libra, one of the signs she rules is currently concerned with our relationships, partnerships, attaining/maintaining balance/fairness/peace. Saturn rules structure and things that are real and have weight. Time, goals, hard work, discipline, fathers, older men and responsibility. Retrograde in Aquarius he is currently concerned with re-vising/re-viewing the new rules, our obligations to groups, technology, our innovations, our friendships, our freedoms.

Trines create smooth energy - the brakes are off, obstacles are removed - the vitality will flow and work together naturally. This trine will apply to our natal Libra and Aquarius houses and their themes. People with natal Venus/Saturn aspects will find this week's energy particularly useful.

If Venus and Saturn were people they would be a young, loving, attractive woman and a serious, responsible older man. You can see how these two people could bring out the best in each other (not in a sugar-daddy kind of way - Saturn ain't nobody's free ride). We all carry both these archetypes within us - what can we do now to cement their merger?

We could make a commitment (Saturn) within a relationship (Venus) or improve our relationships by behaving in a mature manner. We could get serious with our money. We could make a commitment to valuing ourselves. We could commit to the hard work of being more beautiful (ie Venusian) or birthing something beautiful. We could beautify (Venus) our career (Saturn). This would be a great time for cosmetic changes within a business. Spruce ups now will pay off over time. Mentors (Saturn) and muses (Venus) can show up. Renewed ties to old friends/relationships are possible. This is also about the Libra/Aquarius energy - partners and friends, balance within groups, fairness with our social obligations. 

 

Take what you want (Venus) seriously (Saturn). 

 

Maybe you will get it.

 

Keep in mind the whole 'brakes off' thing, which is mostly a good thing as obstacles are removed, but there is another side to this, because if we are trying to keep some problem at bay/the lid on something - the restraining force we have been applying can come off, too. Still, this will be a good thing over time - we talked about this in the Full Moon post HERE (remember the next two weeks postings, until the next New Moon, are really the Full Moon post coming to life).

 

TUESDAY - UPDATED - the Moon is moving through the end of Pisces now. Her final aspect a sextile to a retrograde Pluto at 5:29AM EDT. She is void until 2:57PM EDT when she moves into Aries. In Aries, she moves quickly into an uncomfortable inconjunct with the Virgo Sun. The inconjunct is this month's Waning Inconjunct - Aries/Virgo, an adjustment to Sunday's final Full Moon in Aquarius. Signs which inconjunct are as difficult to merge as signs that are right next to each other. Here is mutable earth vs cardinal fire. Virgo wants to work through the nitty gritty, practical details and Aries just wants to get moving and has no patience for that. 

In the meantime Ceres making her way through Gemini now, conjuncts the North Node at 6 degrees. Ceres in Gemini is about smart, mental, light, talkative mothering/nurturing. On the North Node this is our way forward with something. Information. Communication. Details. Or maybe with Gemini's dualistic nature we are dealing with two of something now.

 

Mercury (home in Virgo and ruler of that North Node) moves into his opposition with Neptune (home in Pisces) - it should be easier to separate fantasy from reality. HERE is the thing we haven't been able to see clearly or maybe HERE is the thing we have been avoiding. With Mercury in Virgo this might be about a health information, a work conversation, a situation with a pet/a daily obligation/an employee or something pertaining to the theme of your natal Virgo house.

 

Neptunian themes might be pulled into our day-to-day experiences in uncomfortable ways - endings, hospitals, healing, viruses/illness, things put away, things/people from the past, addictions, medications, meditation, spirituality, imagination, music, art, sleep, rest. 

Mercury is clear headed and strong in Virgo. Practical. Knows which way the wind is blowing/what needs to be fixed. With Neptune retrograde, some old/foggy situations can get cleared up. Oppositions are closing aspects - they brings results/culminations. This can sometimes be a time of disappointment as fantasies dissolve. This can also be a time when we are releasing something that cannot be fixed/perfected. Neptune oppositions sometimes bring 'let go and let God' moments.

It would be the time to speak with a practical kind of caution (am I saying what I really intend to say, what I really feel, what I really KNOW to be true?). Listen the same way. Avoid gossip. Keep a clear head. It can be hard to get solid facts from other people, so turn off the nightly news. At a mundane level this can bring up the contrary themes of work/reality vs escape/illusion. On the flipside, if we have been crunching numbers, over-thinking or too immersed in details, we could be mentally tired now and need some rest and relaxation.

 

THURSDAY - UPDATED - the Moon is finishing up in independent Aries. We are nourished by starting/action, our passions, time spent alone, time spent with men, having someone/something to fight. She squares Pluto at 2:01AM EDT and goes void off an opportunistic sextile with a retrograde Jupiter at 5:14PM EDT. She will be void for the rest of the night before moving into Taurus (the sign of her exaltation) at 12:27AM EDT.

 

Mercury @ 24 degrees Virgo trines a retrograde Pluto in Capricorn while Venus @ 12 degrees Libra opposes Chiron in Aries

 

Venus, fresh off her smooth and stable trine to Saturn earlier in the week moves into an opposition with wounded healer Chiron. This can bring relationship/financial hurts or disappointments. Partners/other people (lack of support/balance/fairness) can trigger some very old wounds. A relationship might end. Sometimes oppositions bring the need for decisions. 

 

Take advantage of today's positive trine between Mercury and Pluto to go deep with your thinking/words. Communication/words can be healing. This trine is in Earth energy so practical, cuts to the chase. Remember Chiron's wounds are hurts we learn to live with. 

 

Venus's next aspect is an awkward inconjunct with Uranus on SATURDAY, so there will be some give and take with change, the future, something outside our comfort zone. This can also pull our money/resources/values into the mix. 

Off his/her foggy opposition to Neptune, Mercury moves quickly into a smooth trine (brakes off) with powerful Pluto. Our words have power. It becomes easier to focus. Sober conversations or communications with authority can go well. 

 

Maybe here is where we are getting serious with whatever became clear to us as Mercury opposed Neptune. 

 

We take what we know and go further with it. Good for research/diving into the details. Just watch we don't analyze something to death now. And speaking of death - this is excellent energy to kill intrusive thoughts/transform our thinking. Also for something to feel like life and death. Keep an eye/ear out for solutions which can be especially effective now and should flow pretty effortlessly. Look for answers. Pluto is retrograde so many will be found within. 

 

FRIDAY - UPDATED -  the Moon is in Taurus now, the comfortable sign of her exaltation. We are nourished/nurtured by touch, good food, money in the bank. She trines the Sun at 9:19AM EDT and squares Saturn (tension/frustration around commitments, limits, responsibilities, authority) at 5:04PM EDT.

Her trine to the Sun is this month's Waning Trine - Virgo/Taurus. Earthy. Practical. Solid. Forward movement with something we can touch/grow/take to the bank. Small steps/fixes. We are confident/shine. The fly in the ointment here is the Virgo Sun's testy square to Black Moon Lilith (in Gemini) - here is challenging news/information/conversations. BML in Gemini is instinctive/perceptive/rebellious and answering to Mercury who is inconjunct (rock and hard place) a retrograde Jupiter. Maybe our beliefs are incompatible with the details, so instead of moving toward the details that support our beliefs (which is what we unconsciously do) we need to stay open to new information. Keep in mind Jupiter is retrograde so we should be questioning our beliefs anyway. With Mercury/Jupiter we don't want to over-promise/exaggerate or skim over the details and miss important information. Mercury in Virgo can have a sharp tongue/focus too much on the flaws, so we want to watch that, think - is this information/conversation helpful? Remember this is an inconjunct - Virgo/Aquarius. Despite Virgo's ability to see the details/be specific, Virgo isn't always right. Despite Aqua's keen intelligence and ability to see/intuit the future, it is fixed air, and isn't always right either. Something needs to be finessed here.

The way through things will be that Waning Trine - small steps, the next thing that is right in front of us. The Moon's next move is that tense square with a retrograde Saturn in the early evening EDT, so that's kind of sobering/there might be a "no"/stop sign here somewhere. The Moon is exalted though and tomorrow's lunar aspects are all good, so work that square and then enjoy the rest of your Friday night!

SUNDAY - the Sun @ 6 degrees Virgo squares the North Node in Gemini

 

As the Sun echoes Mercury's journey from the middle of August, now a light shines on a health/work/daily obligation cross-road (or the theme of your natal Virgo house). Which way are we going? Squares with the nodes require a pivot before we can move forward. 

 

Note with the South Node in Sagittarius it should be our beliefs/hope adjusting TO THE FACTS/DETAILS. The foreign to the local. The forest to the trees. 

 

Don't be afraid to change your mind.

xo all - I will update with the Moons as we move through the week!

artwork by the talented Leah Saulnier

The Second Full Moon in Aquarius | August 22, 2021 - second chances, BIG endings and results, wrapping up loose ends before we move on, faith and optimism for a better future

 

On Sunday, August 22, 2021 at 8:02AM EDT, the Aquarius Moon opposes the Leo Sun at 29 degrees - giving us this year's SECOND full Moon in Aquarius. 

The 29th degree (last degree) of any sign is associated with a 'sense of urgency'. We've reached the end of the line with something. We might feel this pressure to make a move/decision right NOW. Sometimes we make poor decisions or regret decisions made with 29 degree planets because we make kind of 'blind leaps' even with things we have been mulling over for a long time (maybe especially with those things) and once in a while they bring us 'Hail Mary' type last minute saves. 

 

Anyway you slice it the degree itself is rife with tension. 

 

Full Moon bring situations to a result, to an end, to light. 

 

This is the second Full Moon in Aquarius this summer; a rare occurrence. The first one happened at the very beginning of the sign, so this one at the end brings us a second chance with whatever event/situation the Moon is stimulating. 

 

The Moon in Aquarius is answering to modern ruler Uranus - retrograde at 14 degrees Taurus, and ancient ruler Saturn - retrograde at 8 degrees Aquarius. The two planets in some stage of a square with each other for most of this year. Aquarius Full Moons, because this intellectual sign leans toward detachment, sometimes bring us what we NEED to feel.

 

Let's unpack the chart.

The Moon opposes the Sun and is conjunct a retrograde Jupiter. Ruler Uranus (retrograde) is trine Mars EXACT and is also trining Mercury. Ruler Saturn (retrograde) is trining the North Node and sextiling Chiron. The Moon is biquintile Venus, Uranus is biquintile Venus and Saturn is trining Venus.

The conjunction of the Moon with a retrograde Jupiter speaks of the OLD GOLD WE MISSED THE FIRST TIME THROUGH HERE/OLD OPPORTUNITIES. So there is something about this Full Moon's illumination/result/ending that brings a second chance. With this 'second chance' echoing (remember in astrology we are always looking for repeating aspects) the "second Full Moon in Aqua" - something here will bring a SECOND SHOT or be repeating (although differently) something that already happened. Jupiter's opposition to the Sun - which was exact earlier this week - shone a bright light on a RESULT that change or our avoiding change - has brought us. Both Aqua rulers being retrograde is further confirmation this Full Moon event/situation will not be brand new, but will provide, over time, an opening for something NEW.

(the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is a zeitgeist of this Moon, but we all have something like this happening in our lives, especially if this Moon is touching our chart - we are 'forced' to make some move that we have put off (the second 29th degree Moon) - probably the 'putting off' is more the problem than the actual move. The move/ending/whatever this is brings CHAOS - this is Aquarius after all - BIG chaos with Jupiter involved, but still this thing probably needs doing - that Saturn trine to the North Node. Aquarius isn't the best energy for 'good timing', timing is often off because we are overthinking/thinking too far ahead or think we know things we don't know. Uranus trine with Mars will bring smoothness to abrupt/impulsive moves which could just make them more abrupt/impulsive - nothing stops us! The thing we have been delaying almost just kind of HAPPENS.)

 

So, there are a couple 'for sures' here. 

One - there is something reminiscent of Groundhog Day going on - the movie with the repeating storyline not the six more weeks of winter. 

 

(If we go back to the Afghanistan situation - we have the United States having another Vietnam moment, Afghanistan getting something similar to the Soviet withdrawal back in the 1980's and the Taliban getting a second shot at power.) 

Two - there is something liberating/freeing/future focused here. 

And three - even if the Jupiter conjunction expands/exaggerates something we are not so happy about we can see from the other aspects it will be a GOOD THING IN THE END - Saturn trines the North Node, Mars trines Uranus and Venus, strong in her home sign (so strengthening partnerships/resources) trines both Saturn and the North Node (Grand Air Trine) PLUS she has those biquintiles - the gift interacting with another gift - from the Moon and Uranus. And she's Venus, dammit!

Now Mars is in Virgo, so our next move after this BIG ending/result or whatever this is, doesn't have to be some big thing. It will more likely just be the 'next thing' or a kind of 'fix'. BUT it will have to be different, so even though it will be connected to the past, something about it must be NEW. Liberating. Forward-leaning. We didn't get two Full Moons in Aquarius in 2021 - the year when Aqua's rulers battle it out all year, collective responsibility vs personal freedom BOTH needing to be heard - for us to remain seated.

 

If you get a second chance at something now, I think you might want to take it.

xo all