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by Terry Lamb, M.A.

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New to astrology? Read on and ignore the technical bits. There's plenty here for you too! Why don’t I write horoscopes for each sign?

AFTER MONTHS OF PREPARATION, August brings a crescendo in many of our affairs. Since January we have been building up to something, and now it reaches a turning point. In this, we have been dealing with a situation that tries us where we perceive ourselves to be particularly vulnerable or unable to cope. It puts us right in the middle of our greatest dilemma, challenging us to have hope and carry on when we feel like giving up.

The situation looks impossible; nothing has worked. We have sacrificed and struggled with a promise we made to ourselves or someone else, or we have discovered that what we imagined would happen just hasn’t turned out the way we thought.

The roots of our current situation were planted in 1997–98, when Neptune last conjoined Jupiter and went into Aquarius, where it is currently located. We have three more years to fulfill our Aquarian dreams and promises before it makes its final pass into Pisces. Right now we are feeling the angst of what remains unfulfilled and the pain of knowing acutely what we lack. What before was vague and unattainable becomes crystal clear and absolutely necessary in August.

August Is the Pinnacle of the Process.
Right now we all long for fulfillment in a situation we articulated in January. We set a course for a goal whose culmination comes in August, fully unfolding over the next three months. Our effectiveness depends on our ability to surrender and trust that we will be guided.

Every year we experience Neptune’s dance with the Sun. It is often subtle, even imperceptible. However, Neptune has acquired an entourage that gives it more shape and prominence. Chiron has been involved with Neptune over the past two years (with one more year’s contact beyond this one). Where Neptune naturally heals us by replacing emptiness with fulfillment, Chiron underscores this process by calling out our obstacles so they can be released.

Then, this year Neptune took on one more companion — Jupiter (shown in Chart A). With a clash of cymbals, Jupiter brightens and magnifies the situation at hand. It opens the door to magnificent healing, if we can allow ourselves to walk fully into the laboratory of life. Together, these planets require setting aside our greatest fears and our disbelief that there is a way through them.

More than anything, our disbelief — our expectation everything will continue as it always has — sabotages our experience of something new and fantastic. In fact, what we think is normal falls far short of what normal really is once we permit into our lives. We don’t have to understand it or actively participate in its creation — we can’t if it’s too unfamiliar. All we have to do is to suspend disbelief that something totally new and wonderful can come our way. This is not just new-age mumbo-jumbo. If we are taught from an early age to discount certain of our perceptions, they will go away in favor of the ones that are reinforced. This is what occurs routinely in modern society. However, this does not mean that these early perceptions were wrong. It means that what we perceived then actually exists but was pushed away in favor of other perceptions.

Neptune Shows Us the Doorway of the Improbable.
If Uranus presents us with extraordinary means of change, Neptune presents us with the doorway of the improbable. When everything rational tells us that the thing we feel drawn to cannot happen, all we have to do is to suspend disbelief in order to walk through the door. This month the doorway of the improbable becomes available to us.

Right now on the national scene, this doorway has “Healthcare Reform” written over it. Everything points to a bill as weak as water, with big pay-outs to Big Pharma and health insurance corporations alike. But it ain’t over yet! Now as Congress goes into summer recess, it’s down to voices — whose is louder? Will the will of the people (who are overwhelmingly in favor of real change with a public option) prevail? Or will the well-funded lobbyists for the healthcare oligarchs win? With these planets in Aquarius, the voice of the people is required to take us through that doorway.

In our own lives as well we must use the Aquarian energy, in a way that fits our situation. We may look for equality and justice that place everyone involved on equal footing, a team structure more than a hierarchy. We could find safety in numbers, by joining an organization. We may find our actions spurred by a big-picture situation (for instance, healthcare reform). Regardless of the external shape of our circumstances, we certainly need that Aquarian quintessence — the inner independence that comes from objectivity and taking responsibility for ourselves.

If you don’t know for sure what thread(s) of your life is tied to these planets, look at what was occurring for you from the end of January through mid-February; the last half of May; and this time last year. For me, I have tracked a dramatic cleansing of old toxins, emotions, and thoughts as these energies have waxed and waned. As the yearly cycles of Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune reach their peak in mid-month, we’ll see our situations peak as well.

The Sun reaches these planets on August 13 (Jupiter), 16 (Chiron), and 17 (Neptune), but we’ll begin feeling the peak with the Full Moon on August 5, which is also a weak Lunar Eclipse. However, with these planets involved, we will experience it as considerably stronger. Note that this is the day chosen for Ahmadinejad’s inauguration in Iran.

Happy Endings
With all this, there are harmonies to bring positive outcomes. Mars makes soothing trines to Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune even as the Sun oppositions to these bodies are occurring. This suggests that information-gathering and communication can be used to clear whatever issues arise, turning them into opportunities.

Quincunxes Galore . . . Again
Quincunxes are the richest of contacts between planets. They are neither here nor there, indefinite and undefinable. They bring to the surface those situations that are incomplete, vague, confusing, and ambiguous. Because the outer planets are currently clustered in one area (Capricorn–Pisces), the three months of summer are marked by this mysterious energy. August brings us no fewer than nine if we exclude the Moon from our reckonings.

Primary among these are the ones between the slower moving planets: Jupiter to Saturn and Saturn to Chiron. These mark significant passages in the cycles between the planets. Jupiter’s quincunx to Saturn is the second of three and signals that we are nearing the halfway point in a twenty-year economic cycle. This cycle predicts the highs and lows of real estate prices. At the halfway (full) point, prices reach their low point; this point in the cycle occurs next year. It also ties in with broader economic trends in a similar way.

After many years of Saturn and Chiron opposing each other, they finally make it to the waning quincunx of their multi-year cycle. Because Chiron’s cycle varies in speed so dramatically, the Saturn-Chiron cycle lasts 60–80 years; the last two conjunctions were in 1883 and 1966. This cycle has to do with changing the structures in our lives to fit match our ideals more closely. In the mid-60s for instance, we renewed our social commitment to give the disadvantaged a boost so that they have a chance to succeed in the world.

The Saturn-Chiron quincunx is emblematic of the healthcare reform issue in so many ways, from the symbolism of Virgo (Saturn’s position) as the sign of health and community-mindedness to Chiron being the planet of healing. Throw the populist bent of both Aquarius and Virgo into the mix, and we have our current situation in a nutshell. This plays out in our own lives as a need to heal structures related to health, healing, community, employment, etc. This is the third of five quincunxes between these two, occurring on October 8 (2008), February 3, August 31, April 12 (2010), and July 20 (2010), all in Virgo-Aquarius. Our related issues may not be completely resolved until then.

The remaining quincunxes are on a smaller scale, relating to a yearly cycle. Mercury activates Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune from its position in Virgo, interacting with Saturn at the same time. This brings a stronger focus to the Saturn-Chiron contact mentioned above. Venus quincunxes these planets from Cancer, and with Mercury forms a yod in the sky. (See Chart A.) If we think of Venus in Cancer as caring and nurturing, we can see how this energy fits into the healthcare reform theme. Venus in Cancer could symbolize those who provide care, such as nurses and doctors. There will be an alliance amongst such care givers in favor of positive change.

Another quincunx occurs on August 18, adding an awkward note to an already intense time. It means that we won’t find a simple, final solution to what is occurring — that it will take some time to sort out anything that has run amok. This (the Sun-Uranus cycle) will reach its peak on or around September 17. However, this is the stage in the cycle in which mistakes can be corrected in a “no harm, no foul” way. This Leo-Pisces contact challenges us to be creative.

Once Venus enters Leo, it makes its closing quincunx to Capricorn, suggesting a clash of leadership styles. Where Leo wants to use inspiration (and charisma) to motivate others, Capricorn takes an approach based on plans and responsibilities. There could also be a conflict between trying to control a situation using fear versus overly optimistic hopefulness.

Layer Upon Layer Upon Layer . . . Mercury Weaves a Complex Story in Our Lives.
There’s more to the plot than that, however. Mercury’s visit with Chiron and Neptune is the first of three, because Mercury is gearing up for another of its retrograde periods. Mercury retrogrades for about three weeks within a four month period — three retrogrades per year. They flow slowly backward through the signs by element; right now, the retrogrades are giving us a new perspective largely through the Earth signs (although they have been starting in the Air signs). This retrograde promises to be more memorable than many, depending on how it contacts your chart.

Mercury retrogrades back from 6° Libra to 21° Virgo. Mercury enters its retrograde zone on August 17, and the contacts it makes from the 19th will occur three times, weaving a new story into our lives. To see what the story will be about, look at the location of Virgo-Libra in your chart. The story will be about that part of your chart. Then look at which of your birth planets are contacted by Mercury. They will be involved in your story. For instance, Mercury in contact with Pluto (if you were born 1967–1975) could take you another step closer to a dramatic change you have been moving toward for many years.

Mercury’s Real-Time Contacts Provide External Structure.
The third factor is the nature of the planets that Mercury contacts during its retrograde, and they are multiple and complex during this retrograde. They can be used to characterize the events we experience. This time they are tied to Chiron-Neptune (by quincunx, described above), Saturn-Uranus, and Mars-Pluto.

Mercury will conjoin Saturn (the 17th) and oppose Uranus (the 24th), giving us a heads-up for our experiences this fall and a chance to adjust before the climax of this story September 15-17. We will be very busy during this period, but if we pause to observe, we’ll be able to blunt the challenges to come. In the world around us, we will see the health care reform debate play out over this time, with a climactic discussion or vote at the Mercury-Uranus peak. Mars participates in this as well, making for an extremely active month of verbal battle where the stakes are high. This verbal battle will hide the backroom deals being negotiated between lobbyists and legislators. Saturn-Uranus symbolizes the power struggle between the democratic and oligarchic (corporate-run) forces that are attempting to control our healthcare and our government as a whole.

Finally, Mercury will square Pluto three times while in Libra, and this will bring another story or subplot. The first of these challenging contacts occurs on August 26 at the same time that Mercury squares Mars and Mars opposes Pluto. This forms a T-square, which carries a great deal of tension in it. (See Chart B.) Frequently, Mars-Pluto contacts bring out violent behavior in world affairs — from threats to attacks. While we can use the contact personally with more enlightenment, we will still find ourselves wanting to break through obstacles, possibly dealing with frustrating circumstances. Most of the time, waiting out the tension will allow us to find the best solution.

Saturn-Uranus Watch, With a Visit from Mercury and Mars
Mars is in Gemini until the 25th, activating anything in a mutable sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces). This includes Saturn and Uranus, which have been dancing with each other since last summer in a series of five oppositions. Over the past few months, they have been substantially out of range of their contact and the tension has eased. Now however, as Saturn picks up speed they are coming together for their third exact face-off, on September 15. Mars makes an early reconnection that extends from the 10th through 18th. As mentioned above, Mercury is also involved in this interaction, creating a verbal outlet for conflict.

Last year, as Mars made a similar contact, we saw the negotiations of the auto industry bail-out in December. The first contact of Saturn-Uranus occurred on Election Day (November 4), signaling a sea change in US politics, while the second one came as President Obama was inaugurated. As we might expect, this will add to the healthcare reform drama through a media battle, with defamatory as well as informative communication. In our own lives, we will have to sort truth from fiction in personal circumstances as well.

August In Depth

August 1-3
Venus’s opposition to Pluto may make us want to withdraw from others, but if we reach out we will be rewarded. Effective changes in our bonds of friendship, partnership, and family can be made now. Mercury enters Virgo on the 2nd to bring good outcomes in our communications.

August 3-6
The tension builds, then peaks as the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse occurs late on the 5th (Pacific Time). This is the last eclipse in Leo-Aquarius, a series which began in February 2008. The energy of the Sun’s opposition to Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune begins to build.

August 7-10
We feel more tension as Mars’s square to Saturn and Uranus comes in range and continues through the 18th. We can reduce the stress by engaging in thoughtful communication, even though impulsive words will come more easily. Much can be accomplished through humor and taking things less seriously.

August 11-17
Powerful energies occur over these days, an intermingling of the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune process and the Saturn-Uranus process. We’ll feel both goaded and inspired to seek change, to move in a new direction. Contact with others at this time will be fruitful, but it will also be useful to go with the flow.

August 18-19
Mars makes its contact with Uranus, completing the process of growth and change begun on the 10th. We will find our lives filled with activity and a few surprises.

August 19-24
The yod between Mercury, Venus, and the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction increases the feeling of transition, but activity is reduced as we experience the New Moon on the 20th and Mercury begins to slow down in preparation for its retrograde. Mercury opposes Uranus to complete the period of emphasis on Saturn-Uranus — for a couple weeks.

August 25-26
The T-square involving Mercury, Mars, and Pluto forms, and we get our first glimpse of what the next three years will bring as far as economic and political factors. The landscape of politics and international relations will be substantially reshaped by the end of next year, after a T-square forms between Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto.

August 26-31
The tension in the bow of life relaxes as the planets enter a period of lower key interaction. Although matters are not completely resolved, it’s time for a rest.

Looking Ahead
Besides the Mercury retrograde that starts on September 6, we’ll be feeling Pluto’s station to forward motion as we near the end of the month, even though it doesn’t occur until September 11. This adds to the strength of the T-square on August 25-26.

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We will find that many of our circumstances reach a turning point in August. We still have six months to reach a successful conclusion. In the meantime, it helps to be open to new, improbable outcomes on the way to fulfilling our dreams.

Significant Planetary Events

Jupiter, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are retrograde. The Sun is in rulership.

All dates are based on Pacific Time.
Blue = harmonious/Red or orange = challenging/intense/black = neutral
Events in bold are more significant.

© Terry Lamb