Here is the Ask the Astrologers Weekly Astrology Forecast for the week of August 19, 2024 – August 25 , 2024:
This week begins on Monday with a retrograde Mercury conjuncting the Sun. This is an inferior conjunction, meaning that it’s passing between the Earth and the Sun. It’s also “combust,” or so close to the Sun that it’s obscured by the Sun’s rays. The exact conjunction is referred to by classical astrologers as “cazimi,” which means in the heart of the Sun.
This is a powerful condition, with the cazimi planet’s influence generally seen as heightened and energized by the Sun. But because Mercury’s retrograde and is essentially “hidden” by the Sun, this aspect can be somewhat problematic. The main thing to watch for is information that is hidden or lacking, which can result in making ill-informed decisions, especially given Mercury’s retrograde status.
We also have a Mutable t-square involving Venus, Jupiter and Saturn that’s been developing for the last several days and becomes exact on Monday. Jupiter is at the apex of this t-square and because Mars is in close conjunction with Jupiter, it’s also part of the mix. The apex planet (or in this case, planets) in any t-square carries the most weight, and so with Mars and Jupiter in that position, the energy is likely to be a combination of confidence, enthusiasm, expansiveness and restlessness (or even recklessness since Mars is involved), at the forefront, especially with respect to communications and social interactions.
Also on Monday, there’s a Full Moon at 27° Aquarius 15′. The August Full Moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon in Native American traditions, as this is the time of year when freshwater fish are most plentiful.
The Aquarius Full Moon emphasizes humanitarian ideals; recognizing that there’s a place in the world for all of us and that we each have something unique to contribute. It emphasizes progress, activism and originality.
As Full Moons are said to shine a spotlight on areas in your chart that are affected (by house position and contacts) you might look to your own natal chart to see where this will play out for you.
The Full Moon each month provides an overview of the progress you’ve made since its New Moon counterpoint back in July. Seeds that were planted then will surely have sprouted; do you need to make adjustments or change your course entirely? Now is the time to think about what you’ve accomplished and where you want to go from here.
The Moon leaves Aquarius behind and moves into Pisces shortly after midnight on Tuesday. It’s isolated from all other bodies, forming no major (or Ptolemaic) aspects for the entire day. It’s still a very gentle, peaceful and visionary lunar placement that can see you less motivated to make things happen, and more interested in things like meditating, daydreaming or just relaxing and listening to music.
Also on Tuesday, the Sun conjuncts the asteroid Vesta at 27° Leo (the “Astrologer’s degree). While the Sun is associated with personal goals, motivations and desires, Vesta is more focused on purity, refinement and service to others. Bring them together in Leo and you may find yourself wanting to set aside your own ego needs in favor of the greater good. This combination can see you taking a more in-depth look at the choices, concessions and sacrifices you’ve made, and finding ways to make sure they count.
On Wednesday, the Sun forms an inconjunct (or 150° aspect) with Neptune, at 29° Leo and Pisces. Both the Sun and Neptune are at home in their own signs, but they’re also at anaretic degrees, which are said to be fated. Additionally, the moon moves up to 29° Pisces, joining Neptune and inconjuncting the Sun.
This is probably not the time to make major decisions or start something of major importance in your life. This is partly because the anaretic degrees are more about endings than new beginnings; they’re more about tying up loose ends than they are about embarking on something new. It’s also partly because the inconjunct aspects require us to make compromises and adjustments, and in this case those are most likely going to be with respect to personal versus universal values.
The Sun moves into Virgo on Thursday, and in mutual reception with Mercury — which has now retrograded back into Leo. This begins the last month of Summer for those in the Northern hemisphere and the last month of winter for those in the Southern hemisphere.
The Sun moving through Virgo shifts the focus from creativity, self-expression and play (Leo) to duty, diligence and hard work (Virgo). It’s a good time to take inventory and think about changes you want to make. Focus on changes to your diet and health, your relationships with colleagues and service to others are all featured during this time.
There’s a Venus / Mars square completing on Friday, with Venus at 22° Virgo and Mars at 22° Gemini. This aspect can indicate conflicts in your relationships, with the love planet (Venus) and the planet associated with action, energy and aggression (Mars) butting heads. Venus is already debilitated in Virgo, the sign where it’s said to be weakest and most ill at ease. And it’s likely to be thrown for a loop by the square to this restless, changeable, and distractible Gemini Mars.
You want to try to keep your passions in check with this transit, remembering that making love is always more fun than making war. And fortunately, the Mercury / Chiron trine that takes place the same day may be just what the doctor ordered. It brings elements like compassion, humility and tolerance to the mix, which makes social interactions so much more pleasant. With both Mercury and Chiron in fire signs, the capacity for compassion and understanding is greatly enhanced by the energy and motivation to get out there and make things happen.
Mars is sitting at the midpoint of that Mercury / Chiron trine, forming sextiles (60° aspects) to both planets, which complete on Saturday. The Mars to Mercury sextile is great for making plans and then following through with them. It’s all about being on the same page with those you are working with and getting things done with little conflict or aggravation.
The Mars / Chiron sextile may make it a little easier to acknowledge other people’s points of view and to see value in where they’re coming from. This aspect is good for honoring and embracing other people’s differences, rather than questioning them or putting up resistance.
On Sunday the Moon is in Taurus, the sign of its exaltation. It only forms two aspects — a sextile to Saturn and a trine to Venus — throughout the day. Both of these aspects are harmonious, and with the Moon in such a comfortable sign, it should bring a pleasant ending to the weekend.
You may feel more like lounging around the house in your PJs rather than getting up and going out. Or if you’re feeling energetic, this would be a good time to do some gardening, tackle a new recipe or redesign your living space. These are all Moon and Taurus activities that can go a long way toward satisfying both your urge to be productive and your desire to enhance the quality of your life.
That’s it for this week. See you next week!
Here’s this week’s Astro Calendar. Click on it to view it full-sized.
Thinking about learning Astrology? I highly recommend Stephen Arroyo’s Chart Interpretation Handbook and Demetra George’s Astrology for Yourself. (#ads)
Steven Forrest’s Inner Sky and Changing Sky books are classics that every serious astrologer has in their library, as is Tracy Marks’ Art of Chart Interpretation.
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Weekly Astrology Forecast
August 19, 2024 – August 25 , 2024
by
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