PLANET REPORT: Astrologers have circled August on their calendars as the standout month of 2010 because this is when Mars enters the cosmic sparring ring that currently contains four outer planets that are in a highly-excitable angle to each other. Astrologers have put both red flags and bright lights all around August as they hum and ha over how the energy – with the potential to be both hugely optimistic and inspiring and hugely pessimistic and fearful – will manifest. While one end of the see-saw is up, the other will be down and the trick is to grab something from each end and find a perfect balance in the middle! We need to act rather than become paralysed by indecision and doubt but we need to act with wisdom and foresight so that new structures can be built on solid ground. These long talked about (since late 2008) formations between the outer, slower moving planets will certainly be charged up by the quicker moving inner planets – Mars who entered Libra on July 30th (NZT) and smacks straight into Saturn and Uranus then Jupiter and Pluto, and Venus who glides into Libra on the 7th (NZT) again rousing the gang of four. On top of this we have Mercury, while not directly connected to the patterns, turning retrograde in the sign of perfection, Virgo, on the 21st. All these signals suggest that the inner planets will bring everything onto a conscious playing field and though it will be in the lap of the gods exactly how the grand plan will play itself out over time, this will be a period of unpredictable and swiftly changing landscapes where we have the chance to respect the awesome power that is life. And whether it’s from up high, down low or from somewhere in the middle, there will be plenty of drama and karma. Every action will have a reaction that follows on very quickly. The sensitivity of the planetary richter scale is such that so much can be unleashed that can propel us forward - for good or bad - into a new era and so we must act with extreme caution by taking the time to tick off the cosmic checklist as we proceed with life-changing decisions and experiences with greater consciousness. It’s all in how we balance feelings, thoughts, the material world and the spiritual realms and with Saturn now in the sign of Libra, any imbalances will need to be swiftly righted. Managing strong emotions - from outrage to optimism to awe - will also impact on the outcome of events and situations but all of these feelings can be put to good use if we can channel and contain them in the context of the bigger picture. With five planets retrograde by the end of the month we have to pause and take a deep breath before surging forward. Creating plenty of space will help bring about positive consequences and outcomes after November which is when the planets resume direct motion. In the meantime with so many planets are dallying, stomping and sliding around the early degrees of the action signs Aries, Libra and Capricorn, there is little doubt that many areas of our lives, both personally and globally, will give ground and transform into something completely new this year. Occurring in instalments, it will take until March 2011 for this scenario to work itself out so keep an eye on the bigger picture and realise that delays or changes in August are part of a larger story. With Mercury following a zig-zag path as it turns retrograde on the 21st (NZT) until September 12th (NZT) we need to take extreme care with commercial activities by thoroughly checking the small details whilst remaining open to the adventures that have begun. Other dates to watch are when Jupiter, who is now retrograde, squares Pluto on the 3rd and opposes Saturn on the 18th. Saturn and Pluto in turn square each other on the 21st just as Saturn who, as the month begins, separates from one last opposition to Uranus (which moves back into Pisces on the 14th) ending a very long period of financial instability and emotional insecurity that now needs to be rebuilt. August's New Moon occurs on the 10th at 17 degrees of Leo at 3:09pm and the Full Moon occurs on the 25th at 5:06am in Pisces. Virgo's birthday time begins at 5:28pm on the 23rd giving a practical slant that helps to smooth the tension that Pluto is under.
ARIES: Joining the amazing formations that are occurring in the heavens right now, your ruler Mars entered its opposite sign Libra on July 30th. This means that as August opens your whole sense of being will be highly sensitized and receptive to what others are saying or doing on a professional and private level. You are currently in a brand new 12-year cycle that is establishing itself in your sign and because Mars’ active nature will animate your interactions, bringing to life whatever has been under discussion or swirling around in your thoughts, this is a month when everything comes to life. From here on in, you will have to deal with the issues you have in common with other people and even though some of this will be stressful and tense, you will also find that a weight is lifted from your shoulders as they also deal with issues that pave the way for fairness and balance between you in the long run. Professional changes could be part of this process that will take until November and then March to work through.
TAURUS: Your ruler Venus joins Saturn and Mars in Libra on the 7th. This cosmic mixture occurs in your sphere of work, health and everyday routine and will activate any issues, thoughts or feelings with regard to co-workers, people you deal with on a medical level or if you are overseeing a physical project. It will also highlight on the job learning experiences or with the responsibilities that are starting to flow in. Everything needs reformatting and restructuring as this new cycle in your daily life begins and hopefully Venus’ presence will help you gain a balanced perspective. The trouble lies in the distractions that your private life brings at the moment and because what you are doing there is confidential, it is difficult to marry your outer life with the inner without opening a Pandora’s Box of problems within each area. Hopefully, once the Sun moves into sister-sign Virgo on the 23rd joining Mercury who will slow life down as it turns retrograde on the 21st you will find space to come up with creative ideas.
GEMINI: Mercury turns retrograde in its own sign Virgo on the 21st and in your family, home and domestic sector making August a month of strange twists, turns, snarls and delays that will add to the larger cosmic complications. This suggests that the first half of August is a time to pay attention to your to-do list and get super-organized with details. If big projects can’t be wrapped up by the 21st then it’s best to put them on the back burner. After that, things will tend to go awry and commitment hard to come by. The positive side to this is that you will see much more clearly than you do at other times and this can help you avoid mistakes. Keep plans open and have an alternative up your sleeve! There will be a hundred and one details to attend to and a massive amount of information or communications to make sense of. If you are renovating, moving, expecting family or just doing a massive spring clean, you will probably find that even though life does not stick to a tight schedule, you will have heaps of fun trying to achieve what you set out to do. The bigger picture of your finances might involve some unusual changes too this month as friends or group associations as well as the realm of children enters a bizarre period of activity however all will be revealed later in the year..
CANCER: The three other cardinal signs – Libra, Capricorn and Aries – are experiencing massive changes as six planets traverse across the early degrees of all three. And even though there are no planets currently in Cancer, the angle of the planets will still impact across the four most important areas of your life – you, your family and home, your partnerships and relationships, your professional life, parents and public reputation. Unique changes will occur here that, while stressful as they occur, will lead to a bigger view of your life in the long run. Saturn at the lowest point of your chart will be like an anchor that prevents you from breaking free to pursue those visionary goals that haunt your dreams at night, however, events in August will trigger an undercurrent that will help you gain balance and build solid structures for the coming months. This process will take until March 2011 to achieve so take heart and enjoy slowing down.
LEO: Happy birthday Leo! Your personal year has an amazing series of patterns and planetary partnerships that will mark the coming 12 months as totally unique if you can go with the flow of all the exciting turning points that are all around you. Your thinking and communications as well as long distance travel or connections are the areas that will experience the most changes as you come across amazing people, places, facts and figures that inspire you with the realization that there is so much more to life than your everyday environment. Even if you don’t physically travel, you can still learn a terrific amount about the world via people, books or movies that open up new worlds. Financially, this is a month to pay attention to the facts, figures and details of important transactions, but if you are thinking of buying a big ticket item, just make sure everything is as it seems and that you truly have a need for whatever it is. The practical nature of Mercury in Virgo this month can make even the most extravagant Lion think again!
VIRGO: Oops, your ruler Mercury turns retrograde on the 21st - just before your birthday year begins! This is a signal to sit up and pay extra-special attention to whatever is happening on a personal level because events and people now will have a direct impact on your life in the coming months. As if the bigger stuff is not enough! If you can, try to have negotiations, agreements and plans stitched up by mid-August to avoid changes or hassles further down the line. Financially, this is a big month where you need to move very slowly and thoroughly, avoiding the temptation to take pot luck or gloss over the more difficult details. A major financial restructure is at hand and this requires a delicate touch so that everything is balanced correctly. Exciting ventures are on the brink of manifestation and while this requires an entrepreneur’s vision, you also need to see with the precision of an accountant. Intense is one way to describe a child who has a black and white view of the world, or perhaps a love interest or hobby that you are pursuing has an all or nothing feel to it.
LIBRA: It’s complicated! August is such a big month for you Librans that it’s difficult knowing where to begin! Not only has a fresh 29-year cycle started (look back to 1979 to 1982 for clues) with Saturn now firmly entrenched in your sign but Mars (July 31st) and then your ruler Venus (7th) decide to spice up the party! Well, it’s more like a formal dinner party than a full-on rage, but whichever way you look at it, you are the host and there is so much to be gained from considering how you interact with others. Conscious of the image you are trying to project (responsible, reliable) the wildly exciting Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in your relationships sphere are like the unruly gatecrashers who promise to turn up the volume and get everything humming. The only thing is that with both planets retrograde until November and December you are likely to turn the exciting people away until you are sure that their presence will have something positive to contribute to your life or image. Unless you look at the bigger picture and longer term, you are likely to miss the fact that no matter what creed, colour, race or belief system they have, everyone has a role to play in your life this year. And don’t forget to check the cellar where the family members or living companions are hiding out – there are some interesting dynamics at play and these are sure to surface now. Be conscious and careful as the month begins!
SCORPIO: As August begins, your ruler Mars has finally caught up with sensible Saturn who has just moved into the very private area of your chart that governs health, wellbeing, big institutions and people and places that are tucked out of public view. With Mars and Venus activating this area, this could mean taking a very serious approach and applying the brakes to take time out to truly survey the landscape of your private life. By attending to things like health or people who are behind the scenes, you will get this fresh 29-year cycle clear of the flotsam and jetsam that is sure to float to the surface. You have been focused on friends, acquaintances and the groups of people you have mixed with for the last 2-3 years and now that this difficult energy is on the wane, it could be time to regroup your energy and connect with the inner you. August is tricky as so many planets, including Mercury on the 21st, are moving against the tide so this means waiting for the backwash to settle before moving ahead. Keep your eye on the bigger picture that will unfold between now and next March.
SAGITTARIUS: Your social and love life have truly stepped up a notch or two with radical Uranus and expansive Jupiter bringing this area to life over the past few weeks. And even though it’s highly enjoyable after the seriousness of the past 2-3 years, Saturn, who is on the far side of town, calls for a more balanced approach to the way you juggle friends, acquaintances and your social network. Events now are a reminder to keep sight of your long term aspirations that are distinct to your career as you have a wonderful chance to carve out a special niche for yourself. Creatively you have a ton of energy but during August you need to regroup and take a step back. Uranus moves back into your domestic sphere on the 14th with one final chapter needing to be written as far as family and home is concerned. This could result in making a clean break further down the track where radical changes can be implemented but for now you need to see what motivates you and why. You are currently undergoing a personal revolution that involves children, romance and creativity and this will take until March 2011 to work through.
CAPRICORN: Life can be so exciting this year with all the planetary formations influencing your sign however August is the month when we can all benefit from stepping back and surveying the lie of the land. With so many planets – including Mercury on the 21st - moving in a backward direction, and action planet Mars activating the bigger patterns, this is a time of being aware of the undercurrents. For Goats this will be especially true as far as your professional life is concerned because serious decisions need to be made now that will affect the coming years. Sudden changes in your home and family life will have a big impact on what direction you ultimately follow and it will be this month where you can get a better idea of how these domestic issues will shape up. Your intense desire to truly make yourself over can somehow cloud the real issues so pull back and let events and people show their true colours. Take heart that despite the seeming difficulties this month there is a bigger process at hand that will take until March 2011 to work through and that the best is yet to come!
AQUARIUS: Your mind is working at full speed this year and it is so easy for you to dream up new ideas or communicate them to other people. Now that you are half-way through your birthday year, August is the month to take stock and restructure your thoughts. By talking to teachers, gurus and guides before going any further on this bigger journey of self-discovery, you will gain useful advice that will help you in the months leading to up March 2011 when this cycle will be firmly established. Saturn puts the brakes on our ability to act with precision in the opening weeks of August but if we can look past the frustration that this causes and see that this gives us time to rethink and restructure, we can avoid expending energy needlessly. Mercury also throws a spanner in the works in the second half of August when a financial matter that involves shared resources needs to be dealt with. This could be anything from taxes to settlements and the most important thing is dealing with the details and being clear and precise. The New Moon of the 10th falls in your other people sector so work with this date to clear the decks.
PISCES: Uranus dips back into your sign on the 14th followed by a Full Moon in Pisces on the 25th. Affecting only late-born Pisces, there is one final chapter in a long-running saga to tidy up. After March 2011 you won’t have Uranus back in your sign in this lifetime. If you have avoided a financial issue that you have been dreading or putting off, August is the month to tackle it head on. And even if you have the tidiest books in the zodiac, you can still benefit from reviewing your insurance policies, wills, retirement plans or whatever issues you have that involve second and third parties. Venus, Mars and Saturn are all very active in this area of your chart and there is a natural inclination now to attend to this sort of housekeeping. On another level, work and health are very important areas to be aware of. Mercury turning retrograde on the 21st signals a review of routines and practices.
