So, just when you thought it was safe to read the Astroblog…..
Mars comes on the scene! Warrior planet! Planet of action! Sex God planet. Mars….. Just DO it!! Mr Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma’m! That’s Mars.
And just where is Mars? Sitting in Libra, having first been in absolute conjunction with Saturn, then absolute opposition to Uranus the awakener, and now approaching an opposition to Jupiter, planet of expansion and growth; Meanwhile, Pluto, planet of transformation, death & rebirth sits in close square to both of the two pairs!
And all this happening at the Cardinal points, the cusps of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, where the four seasons begin when the Sun crosses them, so marking the summer & winter Solstices, and the spring & autumn Equinoxes. These are the four points of energy focus, the points which mark change of seasons. Out with the old, in with the new, and now in August 2010 we have four of the slow moving outer planets parked on Cardinal points. Eyeballing each other like old heavyweight boxers or politicians, as they each seek to prevail. Then along comes fast moving Mars – like an All American footballer, head down and driving forward, aspecting one after the other with conjunctions, oppositions and squares. The three hard aspects, one after the other, again and again as Mars drives on.
They all dance to-and-fro, making a series of exact aspects as they shuffle. Talk about ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’…..!! The song must have been written for this! Or is it just ‘Demolition Derby’?
Sorry, but we’re back with the Cosmic Cross again! Don’t blame me though.… I only tell it like it is….
This planetary configuration has been brooding to culmination since 2003, and in 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn, the game was really ON! Wotsit hitting the fan……… or what? Tell me now that astrology is nonsense!
Every astrologer on this planet is shouting the story that this time is the focus of major change, of upsetting the big apple-carts. But I read one observation that summed up what’s happening….
The world is a decade into the new Millenium, and we’re still using the same ‘operating system’ that was built for the last one. The Cosmos is making change happen and the planets are marking time.
You may recall I wrote a while ago about the Gaia principle described by James Lovelock, and how the planet was a living entity which would take care of itself despite what we did to it. I observed that the planet would survive, even if its inhabitants did not…… We are presently watching the death and re-birth of the world. Major things have died, and more will follow; institutions, beliefs, cultures. All nations are being forced into changing, no one is exempt. Even the Swiss are changing.
In the 1980s I was involved in the major change within tertiary education, moving from block state funding to self-financing operation. It was sink or swim! Many resisted, some close colleagues fell by the wayside, victims of inertia. Recently I remembered the sign I had by my desk…. “The future is another world, they do things differently there…” We all need to heed that now if we are to survive, certainly in economic terms, and certainly in social terms too.
Mars is the trigger. Remember the Haiti earthquake… all the components in place, then the trigger is pulled? My blog site still has the explanation. The Cosmic Cross is still around, but/ this is the month is when Mars, planet of action plays his part, acting as trigger.
In the next week we see (or not see!) the ‘Dark of the Moon’ which is that period when Moon aligns in the sky between Sun and Earth, and we see her dark side. Only they, after a few days do we begin to see the first light of the New Moon emerging like a tender young seedling pushing its way through the soil into daylight.
Ibiza feels the New Moon in the early hours of the 10th. Both luminaries are in Leo, the Sun’s own sign, and aligned with Naos, a fixed star in the constellation of Puppis. The Moon is semi-square to Saturn at that moment, which according to the ancients suggests drowning is more likely than normal. The Moon opposes the Sun on the 24th and appears in ‘Full light’. The Harvest Moon in early Pisces, with Sun in early Virgo. Normally a good omen – a time for reflection, relaxing with the harvest gathered… This Full Moon makes hard awkward aspects to all the malefics…. Seems there is no rest for anyone this month!
August in detail then…..
The 3rd sees the Moon squaring to Pluto and the Sun, so it may be a difficult, stop-go sort of day. The morning of the 4th and Mars opposes Jupiter while squaring Pluto! Death or Glory time sums that up, and all before breakfast too! The rest of the day, the Moon moves into Gemini, before making niceties with Uranus Saturn and Jupiter…. talk about working the room! At least it should be a calming influence.
Saturday the 7th and Venus moves into her own sign Libra. All things bright and beautiful are what everyone’s asking for these next few weeks. There’s much competition to one-up each other in matters of taste and possessions. That drives prices up, both financially and emotionally, so you may want to think twice before going for that higher bid. Later, and Venus Opposite Uranus. Fickle desires and changing tastes can make it difficult to satisfy yourself or those around you. It’s probably best to wait for a clearer focus before committing to something that could be out of fashion the moment after it’s begun. For the time being, just experiment.
The 8th and Venus conjuncts Saturn, so beauty on a budget takes its lessons from bygone days when folks were less wasteful and more resourceful. Clean lines, conservative colours, and classic sensibility paint the picture of what succeeds best right now. Love grows more intense when it is brought into tight focus.
The 10th and Venus opposes Jupiter. Too much, too little, can’t be satisfied — the story you may be hearing today. Real needs and imagined desires can get mixed up, causing ups and downs that can alternately deprive and then waste. Finding the balance is the trick.
A New Moon in Leo, so the blossom of creativity is intensely in the bud this month. No matter how much pressure may be on to produce, there is always the opportunity to make it all a joyful expression of open possibilities. The key to the month is to throw off limitations and allow natural development to spread wherever it goes, even at the risk of transgressing the rules. It’s one of those things you just have to let happen against your better judgment and discover later it was the right thing to do. That doesn’t mean throw precaution to the winds, just recognize the unexpected fresh breeze and set your sail to take advantage of it.
Venus squares Pluto, and strong-arm tactics rarely achieve inner goals, or fulfil long-term needs and desires. Sadly, that wisdom may be lost on a lot of people right now. Pushing and shoving can be the order of the day, with increasing desperation and diminishing returns. If you see a vicious circle developing, jump out of the spiral ASAP.
The 13th and the Moon is darting around, making assertive, possibly aggressive gestures to some powerful planets – Hopefully there won’t be too much of a reaction.
Uranus reverses or retrogrades into Pisces until mid-March next year. Some unfinished business to sort before it moves forward again, not to be seen in Pisces for another 80 years.
On the 16th Jupiter opposes Saturn. This generational aspect, which happens only once every 20 years, marks a major social and economic struggle between the new and the old, the traditional and the radical, in which both sides spar and harden against each other. It is very much a time to choose one and leave the other behind in relation to the larger part all play in the big picture. Prejudices increase, along with paranoia and general fear of the unknown, leading many to cling to false idols and defend or advance them dangerously. Where you can find movement that leads both to what is right and also profitable.
The 19th sees the Moon trying to throw its weight around again – almost anyone in the room gets a hard time. The Moon signifies emotions – hopefully the little lady won’t get hurt by retaliation.
On the 20th Sun opposes Neptune. Attempts at self-assertion can be met with confusion and uncertainty caused by misinformation, and even disinformation! You’re not the only one making your way through the mists, however, so sound a fog horn if you want to avoid collisions. A good time for introspection and revisiting your dreams. Later, Venus conjuncts Mars so it’s sparkle a-plenty time, when love and desire are born and animal magnetism is instilled into every step you initiate. It’s the perfect time for love, romance, and passion and it’s also got star power written all over. If you want to start something with high profile public appeal, now’s the time, so shake it, Baby shake it!
21st and Mercury stationary Retrograde The next three weeks may well mark a lot of ebbs and swirls in the social fabric you move in, with associates backing and filling and sometimes seeming less than reliable. No blame here, just a general reshuffling until everyone feels comfortable with their positions, including yourself. Try to work on removing obstacles to the flow and diplomatically shift your schedule according to who better fits your evolving agenda. Toward the end, you may have to call into question some aspects of your financial underpinnings in order to effectively make contact and cause others’ goals to come into step with your own.
Later, and Saturn squares Pluto. This period of a year or so marks a somewhat troubled time for society at large, during which political and economic struggles arise and engage in conflicts that don’t actually seem to get anywhere but take up a lot of news time. Unless you’re part of the news, chances are this doesn’t hurt you directly, but it does sow a certain unease all around that makes people more uncertain than usual about committing to long-range agreements. When the wind is shifting, everyone waits until it’s changed before settling down to business. With that in mind, you may find you can make more headway in smaller affairs and short-term commitments, both personal or financial.
The 23rd and Sun enters Virgo You don’t know how abundant your harvest is until you count all the sheaves in your granary, and that kind of attitude abounds in general for the next month or so. Life is grand in all its little details, but only if the details don’t belittle it. Seeing the forest for the trees may be a challenge now, but enjoy each tree as you pass.
Onto the 26th and Sun is trine Pluto. A strong sense of self-assurance can enable everyone to pull together now, based on the faith that it will come out all right in the end, whatever happens. Endeavours begun with that in mind will be virtually bulletproof and a firm foundation is there for you if you choose to take a chance.
Next day, and the Moon is in a strop again…. It could all end in tears again today!
Sooooooooooo……. There’s August! That’s the final turning point – it really does get better now – that’s not a politician talking, – that’s the Cosmos talking!
Until next month, best wishes from
Your Ibiza Astrologer.
