The big news in August is Jupiter trine Neptune. Trines bring periods of harmony that support your plans and forward movement. A relatively peaceful month of respite in a turbulent 2005. Don’t you think we deserve it? Haven’t we earned it?

This major kiss is in peak power while Mercury is still retrograde. Mercury retrograde still signals a condition of dealing with mechanical errors, delays, scheduling snafus, and inaccuracies. Mercury retrograde began in July and lasts until August 15. But on top of it, we have the planet of abundance and good luck, Jupiter, who expands whatever he touches, lining up in harmony and cooperation with Neptune. Neptune governs mystics, artists, visionaries, liars, hypocrites and drunks. All of the above will be having a heyday when Jupiter trines Neptune. Neptune rules over theater, decorating, fantasizing, movies, music, and dreams. It’s a great time to be dealing with any of these things. It’s also a good month to have a psychic reading, visit the ocean, or take a spiritual journey. Just beware the dangers of excess and say no to that second martini, because Jupiter does not know when to say when.

August 1, you may need some extra time to recover from the weekend. It’s one of those spacey, sleepy days. Intuition is strong today, but practical thinking is not. Tuesday through Thursday are the balsamic phase of the Moon, a time when we are clearing the decks and preparing for a new start, marked by the New Moon on Thursday evening. Friday you may feel like blowing off and having fun, but try to get at least a few hours of work in, as the skies are very supportive of you moving forward and getting things done.

Monday the 8th is another spacey Monday. This one’s even worse because the Sun opposes Neptune AND the Moon is void of course (v/c). The Moon goes v/c every few days for as little as a few minutes or as long as a day or two. It’s the time in between the Moon’s making connections to other planets in the sky, and entering a new sign. So she’s disconnected and drifty and likewise, we feel disconnected and drifty during these times. A lot of the plans you make and deals you sign during Moon v/c periods wind up taking you in unexpected directions or just fizzling out. Tuesday the 9th, Venus square Pluto brings intensity, jealousy around love affairs, and major financial deals. Wednesday the 10th is the best day of the week for your important business. Thursday is okay. Friday and Saturday, folks are in a hurry and quick to argue. Talk less and listen more on these days.

The 14-20th, Mercury retrograde winds down, and things open up for the week. You’ll feel the mood lift as the love goddess, Venus, moves from critical, detail-oriented Virgo to her home sign Libra on Tuesday evening. People feel more sociable and willing to compromise when Venus is in Libra. Throughout the week, Venus closes in on a friendly aspect with Saturn, the planet of taking care of business. This is a great week to be making decisions about finances and long-term goals, long-term partnerships. Just take some time for yourself if you can, while the Moon is v/c on the 17th and the 21st (all day).

The week of the 22nd is tricky. The Moon is v/c all day on Tuesday and Thursday, and Mercury makes two stressful aspects on Thursday and Friday. Since Mercury governs commerce, there may be some interruptions or problems that disrupt plans and schedules at the end of the week. Or something that happened at the beginning of the month comes back to haunt you. Over the weekend, we may see irritability, misdirected anger, poisonings. Play it safe these few days as uppity Mars tangles with confused Neptune.

The week of the 29th, ahhhh… things are back on track. You find solutions to the problems that gave you hell last week. The Moon is v/c all day again on Tuesday the 30th, but a couple of good aspects in the sky might just keep you on track anyway. Be ready for a surprise on Wednesday the 31st, as the Sun opposes Uranus.

Mark your calendar!

The best days in August for your top priority plans are August 5, 13-16, 19, 20, 28-30.
Days to take it easy are August 1, 8-12, 25-27.