August 2023 : Opportunity
Where do we go from here?
July certainly followed through on its promise to deliver some bitter-loss. Maybe you literally lost someone in your life (as I did) or possibly there was the loss of a part of your life (a job, an idea, a routine, etc.). Either way, we were reminded of the impermanence of life, the fragility embedded within every moment. The past couple of weeks has also reminded us of the pain and suffering that walks beside us. The burdensome shadow that each of us carries with us, and how sometimes the shadow “wins” so that we can be released from the overwhelming weight.
So.. where do we go from here? Unfortunately cosmic storylines aren’t as linear as we would like. They dip and roll, go in and out and all around. There is a seemingly continuous chaos to the cosmic patterns that we live within. We need to always remind ourselves that we are only able to perceive an itty, bitty, mini piece of the much, much larger picture that we exist within. Our conscious and subconscious minds can only take in blips and bleeps in regards to the immense wisdom that holds us. Perhaps this unknowing is part of the weight that we carry - and also what makes it all worth it… in a strange way.
Astrology is an age-old language that was developed in order to understand this cosmic tapestry - and how we are woven into it. Astrology is not as “accurate” as we would like - there are gaps, holes, strange timing and misleading symbolism. Yet, astrology is absolutely perfect, and our “misunderstandings” could be more on us then on astrology itself. Yet… we ploddingly continue to decipher the patterns and cycles of the universe - because the glimpses are miraculous!
Aquarius Full Moon
August kicks off with a pretty nice Aquarius Full Moon! We could find ourselves looking for reprieve, a release and a bit of optimistic fun! While we are likely to find what we are needing, it might take a bit of effort. But whatever work we put into our needed joy will pay off in the end.
Saturn in Pisces ruling the Moon in Aquarius provides us the opportunity to yield a path through our visions and dreams. The big picture is emphasized here, how do we maneuver the broad landscapes of our dreams?
Looking at yet another layer, the Sun in Leo is the final dispositor of the Full Moon Chart, urging us to step boldly into our souls purpose. If not now… when?!? Each of us deserves to shine. Even if there are hang ups or distractions that try to dampen our light - the shine must go on!
I hope that you tap into your unique and brilliant glow… and share it with others.
Jupiter and Uranus : Grand Breakthroughs
Uranus has been the bringer of jolting and mostly unwelcomed change for some time now. The destabilization and abrupt detours have been a mainstay for the past couple of years. With Jupiter in range of Uranus, and Uranus in a wide but welcomed trine to Pluto - we can start to experience some reprieve. We can look to the rubble strewn across our personal and collective landscapes and begin to see opportunity. What was once harmful to our nervous system and our overall stability within this world, will now be our ally and will help to put the pieces back together in new and surprising ways.
This isn’t to say that all will be smooth sailing from here-on-out - but we will begin to see some flow in the crunch. We may find new ways to operate our lives that are filled with out-of-the-box opportunity.
This month is highlighted by a series of both hard and flowing aspects from personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars) to Jupiter and Uranus. Together, Jupiter and Uranus are often known as “good-luck” combination (especially when they are aspecting one another favorably). Jupiter-Uranus is the sign of the genius, the mad scientist, the one who breaks through the known reality of the time.
Although Jupiter and Uranus are not going to perfect their conjunction until April 2024, they are close enough to be working together as the faster planets meet with one and then the other - blending their influences together. We have been and will be experiencing this combination for some time, but there is more emphasis this month, as the personal planets move further away from the sign of Taurus and can make more impactful aspects (like squares and trines).
The Leo New Moon on August 16th pulls in the Uranus revolutionary spirit in a strong and potentially very useful way. We may be encouraged to integrate goals that seem way outside of our wheel-house around this time. If you are offered this opportunity, give it a try!
Because this is an energetic that will be happening for some time, don’t expect it all to occur at once and don’t expect it all to be easy. Remember that we are all human, which means that we are inherently not-so-great at change. At the same time, take note that new opportunities could be jumping into your world! What is waiting to open up and blossom in your life? Will you be present enough to take notice of its gifts? I hope so.
Virgo Season
The mood changes drastically as Virgo Season begins (August 23). The rocking and rolling vibe of the earlier part of the month adjusts to a deeper, more contemplative vibe. The day before Virgo Season (August 22nd) features an intense Mars Opposition to Neptune. If you’ll remember, we experienced a series of Mars Square Neptune aspects from October 2022 - March 2023 - which made us feel like we were trying to move through incredibly dense, sticky mud. It was a time when getting things done was very complicated and frustrating. The up-side of this one-time pass of Mars and Neptune is that it is so much quicker. You may find that some of the challenges that you were having around that time re-surfaces, or you may encounter some new muddy terrain!
Mars-Neptune is certainly one of the more challenging planetary combinations. All of the nit-picky perfectionism that Mars in Virgo has been up to recently could be washed out for a bit around this time. Expect to feel this transit most intensely from around August 18th - August 26th. This could be a really frustrating way to begin Virgo Season. In fact, Virgo Season has quite a few bogged down elements to it (so so sorry my dear Virgo’s!).
To make Virgo matters worse, Virgo Season begins with Mercury (the planet who rules Virgo) Stationing Retrograde within hours of the Sun entering Virgo. Ugh… Meaning, that Mercury will join up with Venus in Retrogradation. These are personal planets, so they affect us much more personally then the Social (Jupiter and Saturn) and Outer (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) Planets.
Luckily, Virgo is very effective at reviewing and rewinding life in order to make it the best that it can be. So the Virgo vibe meshes quite well with the Retrograde themes happening at this time - particularly with Mercury and Venus. Expect to do some deep-diving into the editing process. I expect that no stone will be left unturned around this time. With Mercury located next to Mars as it Stations Retrograde, this should be a very motivated Mercury Retrograde (although, remember that Mars is taking action within mud, aka Neptune) .
It could be that the Jupiter-Uranus energy earlier in the month exposes us to new ideas and possibilities. Virgo Season could be a great time to see how practical and realistic these ideas and possibilities are. This could be a great time to throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks - but in a much more rational and pragmatic way…. of course
Pisces Full Moon
The Pisces Full Moon follows along the same theme as outlined above for Virgo Season. The Moon is situated very close to Saturn in Pisces. This indicates that the chaos within us that leads to creativity and vision will encounter some restraint, Hopefully you find that the boundaries are useful. Remember that life is a balance between freedom and discipline - too much of either is a recipe for disaster. This Full moon is an opportunity to hone in on the discipline within our sometimes chaotic vision.
Closing
If you find yourself entering August wondering where to go from this place of loss and release… look for the opportunity this month. I suspect that there will be bits and pieces hidden in the nooks and crannies of your world - or maybe the opportunity will fall right into your lap. Some of the opportunities will flow effortlessly into your life and some will require you to work for them. Don’t be afraid to work for the opportunities, what you are aiming for may not materialize, but there is possibility that you may be surprised by what does.
Towards the end of the month, be prepared to turn more inward and inspect these prospects and / or other parts of your life. With Venus still Retrograde, relationships are still being worked on and recalibrated. Mercury joining the Retrograde club adds to more insight and detailed analysis of our lives.
I hope that you find welcomed surprises this month and that you take the time to reflect on your life in a productive way.
All the Love, Lisa
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