The big picture

You can do it

In August 2006, Saturn opposes Neptune for the first time since 1972. This powerful contact has several layers of meaning. On a personal level, it’s about integrating your ideals ( Neptune) into your physical reality ( Saturn). If there’s a discrepancy, some place where the two aren’t matching up (for example if you’re in a job you don’t believe in), then you may find yourself in the middle of a struggle between your higher and lower nature. This generates a lot of energy that could ultimately land you in an ideal situation, if you consider making some changes. But Saturn demands that you approach your dreams and creative longings realistically—don’t just jump right in; have a plan.

I hold onto hope that the system is not too far gone to rein in rogue politicians who have not been honest with the people they are supposed to serve. In 1971 and 1972, the last time Saturn opposed Neptune, the Watergate scandal began. For those who are too young to remember or slept through history class, the New York times published papers that linked President Nixon to an illegal break-in at the Democratic offices at the Watergate hotel. Nixon was subsequently re-elected, but later resigned after being impeached. Those papers were published under the last Saturn-Neptune opposition in Gemini and Sag, the signs governing journalists, informants and publishers.

Nixon resigns

This year’s contact happens in Leo and Aquarius. Leo governs presidents and other leaders. Aquarius is a group sign, and may represent Congress. Leo’s involvement also suggests that figures in the entertainment industry may play a part. Aquarius is the technology sign and points to the power of the internet. Will bloggers make history?

August 1-5

Tuesday and Wednesday, everything in moderation. The Leonine Sun squares off with optimistic yet Scorpionic Jupiter, and as much as this lifts our spirits and promotes healing changes, we’re all a little more likely to overdo it, or bite off more than we can chew. Jupiter rules over salesman-like people. Don’t let yourself get talked into something you don’t really need. Thursday the 3rd, we feel drifty the Moon is void of course all day. Don’t force a decision or expect yourself to have all the answers when the Moon is V/C. Stick to routine, and all will be well. Friday and Saturday, the Moon is in upbeat Sag, which favors adventure and exploration.

August 6-10

Sunday, the Moon pulls into serious Capricorn, and the Sun meets up with Cap’s ruler, Saturn. Many of us will find ourselves in the mood to get things done. It’s a good thing too, as Mars and Jupiter meet up in a sextile, a marker of opportunity, exact Tuesday afternoon. In traditional astrology, there is no luckier combination than Mars and Jupiter. Doors are open—take the lead, put your ideas out there, ask that cutie to lunch.

The rest of the week starts getting weirder, artsy-fartsier, and less logical as the Sun carries Saturn’s energy over to Neptune, uniting these two forces: the practical and solid with the intangible and ethereal.

August 11-12

Mars opposes Uranus on Sunday morning. This combination can be highly creative or explosive—high energy and speed meet inspiration and sudden change. Be careful what fuses you light between Thursday and Sunday, especially with the Moon in impulsive Aries.

You may feel an additional burst of fiery energy as Mercury and Venus enter Leo on Friday and Saturday. Mercury is associated with the weather, and Leo is the hottest sign of them all. The dog days of Summer (or maybe we should call them the cat days) are upon us1. (Except in the Southern hemisphere, where the cat days of Winter are underway.) Venus in Leo shifts the love vibe from nourishing, feed-me Cancer to generous, adore-me Leo, sign of grandiose romantic gestures. At this point, five of the ten major planets are in fire signs (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Pluto)—that’s a lot. Fire is idealistic, energetic, inspiring, explosive. Although fire signs are typically dry in nature, all of this heat may stir up some powerful ocean storms, or some crazy wildfires. Be sure to drink plenty of water.

August 13-27

Sunday’s fiery Aries Moon gives way to a more settled Taurus Moon that takes us through Monday and Tuesday. Rigid attitudes may rule the day as the Moon sets off other planets in fixed signs. But don’t let that distract you from this week’s big interplanetary kiss: the Sun trines healing Pluto through Wednesday night, setting the backdrop for finding solutions to vexing problems, building bridges with others, visiting helpers and healers, transcending the petty stuff and getting to the heart of the matter.

Mercury squares optimistic Jupiter on Thursday. Don’t rush to a decision or succumb to pressure. Mercury is making his way through a confusing and dangerous T-square that begins to form this month and will be exact in September. As he squares Jupiter, he begins the process. It’s a time when we need to power through obstacles, but carefully. Keep your head on, don’t succumb to fear. Stay above-board and practical in your decisions and actions at this time.

You want to know what I think about this time? I’ll tell you. I think there’s a lot of energy percolating under the surface. It’s subconscious on many levels. Individually, politically, spiritually, there’s a new vibe, a new idea, a new flow that needs to emerge. We respond to this on many levels. As individuals, as nations, as a species, as spiritual beings. All of us will respond to it in different ways. Some with fear, some with denial. And hopefully many of us will rise to the challenge, and respond to others with compassion as we figure out how best to support our own process.

August and September bring the first occurrence, the first pass of three of the Saturn-Neptune opposition. It marks the appearance of the energy. The second pass will happen in February when Saturn is retrograde. This is often the most difficult, because retrogrades signal the energy affecting us all on a deep, internal level. It really gets us in the gut, in other words. The third pass represents completion, culmination. We begin to see how it’s going to pan out. That will be next June.

Anyway, August 17-21, Mercury touches all three points of the forming t-square, representing complications in communications, transportation, weather and commerce. August 22-26, Venus does the same, signaling complications in relationships and finances. Thursday is the best day of the week for your most important work, as Mercury lines up in a trine with healing Pluto.

I hope you won’t let this get to you in a scarey way—fear and anxiety are the problem now, not the solution. Plus, being fearful is really bad for your health. Instead, be realistic, be compassionate toward yourself and others, and keep things in perspective.

blessed be shirt from corrieweb.nl

Just knowing what’s happening with the planets gives you a head start. Having this cosmic perspective, being able to put a name to it, knowing what it is and how long it lasts, is incredibly helpful. I consider myself immeasurably blessed to have found this path, and I hope you do too.

August 14-28

How interesting that while there is so much stress in the skies issuing from this forming T-square, there is also a Jupiter-Uranus trine forming in the heavens. Trines signal disappearance or removal of obstacles, and usually signal positive conditions which create a favorable environment. Jupiter represents travel, education, sales, and abundance. Uranus represents new ideas, innovation, technology, astrology, unusual, unique, and progressive ideas and people. In the midst of all the complicated things happening this month, this trine brings positive conditions for trying things a new way, especially if you feel stuck in that same old rut. With all that swirling around us, you can break through to a solution, or find an application for a new idea that has been percolating for the past six months or so. This is the third of three passes of the Jupiter Uranus trine, the one that heralds the end result, the tangible expression of the ideas and opportunities that you found and worked through during the first two passes.

August 23-31

The energy begins to settle on Wednesday the 23rd, and continues on Sunday the 27th, as the Sun and Mercury move from idealistic and party-hardy Leo to hardworking, detail-oriented Virgo. This lowers the “fire count” in the sky to a dull roar. But the sparks will continue to fly between Sunday and Tuesday as Mars squares Pluto. This is a high energy contact that can be dangerous if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stay out of the line of fire, and give volatile people a wide berth during these few days. Regenerate yourself; recharge your batteries instead.

Mark your calendar!

The best days for your highest priority plans are August 6-8, 16, 24-27.
Take it easy on August 1, 5, 10-13, 17-22, 28-31.

1 Definition and origin of the dog days of Summer. It comes from the Sun’s proximity to Sirius, the dog star, this time of year. I don’t actually think it’s more correct to refer to the cat days, I’m just amused by the idea. Leo! Cat days! Get it?