A fiery Virgo New Moon, tightly squared by Mars, highlights August’s second half. We also have four aspect patterns, mostly focused on Mercury, including a Grand Trine, Mystic Rectangle, Kite and Thor’s Hammer. And we have Uranus turning retrograde!

This forecast covers this half-month’s most important astrological events. Also check out my award-winning This Week in Astrology audio podcast and YouTube video forecasts!

Click astrology graphics to see larger images. Some resource links may occur more than once. This is because many people link to a specific day’s forecast from social media, and might not see an important resource link elsewhere on this page.

As of August 16 …

• The Moon is waning (there was an Aquarius Full Moon on 8/11).
• Pluto is retrograde thru 10/8.
• Jupiter is retrograde thru 11/23.
• Chiron is retrograde thru 12/23
• There’s a Pallas Athena-Chiron-South Node Yod through 8/20
• There’s a Sun-Saturn-Uranus-Lunar Nodes T-Square through 8/20
• There’s a Mercury-Juno-Uranus-Lunar Nodes Mystic Rectangle through 8/21
• There’s a Mercury-Uranus-Neptune-Pluto Kite through 8/24
• There’s a Saturn-Uranus-Lunar Nodes T-Square thru 12/26

8/16 (Tue)

Two Mercury-focused aspect patterns amplify the winged messenger’s potential today!

Grand Trine

First, your mental abilities are smoothly and powerfully energized by a Grand Trine with Mercury, Mars and Pluto. It starts today (8/16), peaks on 8/25 and ends on 8/31.

Mercury, the focal point of this Grand Trine, represents learning, communication and teaching. (Mars amplifies this theme because of its placement in Gemini.) Mercury is in Virgo, which offers the additional themes of service, health, and precise attention to detail.

Mars lets you act with boldness, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Pluto adds power and the potential for wealth into the mix. Finally, Pluto’s trine with Mercury can help you think more deeply and persistently. It also supports investigation, detective work, and research.

Mystic Rectangle Peaks

A mentally stimulating Mystic Rectangle is our second Mercury-focused aspect pattern. It began on 8/10, peaks today (8/16) and ends on 8/21. It includes Mercury, Juno, Uranus, and the lunar nodes.

Mercury, dignified in Virgo, is lit up to help you learn, think, and teach with an enhanced eye for detail. Uranus (divine mind) trines Mercury (human mind), easing the way for intuitive hits and fresh insights.

Juno invites you to do this mentally focused work in some type of committed partnership. And the lunar nodes would love it if all this aligns with your life purpose!

8/19 (Fri)

Mercury Stimulates This Decade’s Most Important Aspect Pattern

Mercury formed a Kite with Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto on 8/15. This harmonious aspect pattern peaks today (8/19) and ends on 8/24.

(This is the longest interpretation in this post. If you already read it in my August 1-15 forecast, and don’t need a refresher, feel free to skip to August 20.)

Let’s explore what the outer planets are doing. Then we’ll integrate Mercury.

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are just starting to form the decade’s most important aspect pattern. This Mini Grand Trine is just starting to turn on this year, 7/1 through 11/18.

This Mini Grand Trine will help us bring in the Aquarian Age. (Astrology virtuoso Eric Meyers eloquently explains this in my 2022 astrology forecast video. The Mini Grand Trine segment, featuring Eric’s guest appearance, starts at 1:30:33.)

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto will form this aspect pattern for most of 2023, then seriously turn on the juice through the end of the decade. The global opportunities for accelerated awakening, inspired creativity, eco-friendly power breakthroughs, enhanced unity, and much more are off the charts!

As Eric says, it’s encouraging to know that such a world-changing astrological opportunity is coming. It can help us keep the faith during these challenging times!

What About Mercury?

The Kite that Mercury forms with the outer planets can’t hope to operate on such a grand scale. But Mercury gives a bit of stimulation to the Mini Grand Trine. And the outer planets juice up Mercury big time!

Mercury, dignified in Virgo, is energized to help you learn, think, and teach with an enhanced eye for detail. Uranus (divine mind) trines Mercury (human mind), easing the way for intuitive hits and fresh insights.

Instead of a flash, Neptune can give your mind a constant flow of intuition. This can help you operate “in the zone.” You can also receive a lot more inspired creativity.

Pluto can give a big power-up to your thinking. It can also help you think more deeply, and with greater focus.

As lord of the underworld, Pluto can help you focus your thoughts on healing emotional traumas. (My Healing Invocation can help speed up this process. Learn how to do it at Instant Divine Assistance: Your Free Guide to Fast and Easy Awakening and Healing.)

8/20 (Sat)

Venusian Grand Cross Starts

A 13-day Grand Cross starts today, peaks on 8/27 and ends on 9/1. It includes Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and the Lunar Nodes.

This supercharges all Venus themes, including relationship, creativity and finance. Since Venus is in Leo, we can include more themes: leadership, being an entertainer, interacting with kids (including your inner children), and getting enough rest, relaxation, and recreation.

Saturn’s job is to bring up challenges in these areas that need your attention. Adjust or release as appropriate. Where you’re on track, Saturn will help you with your maturity, discipline, planning and time management.

Uranus will throw a lightning bolt to disrupt anything in these areas not aligned with your life purpose (the theme of the lunar nodes). He’ll make things crazy, chaotic or unpredictable enough to get your attention. Then he’ll pop down an intuitive flash to guide you – which you’d be very wise to follow!

Energy flows both ways. So Venus also energizes the Saturn-Uranus-Lunar Nodes T-Square. 

8/22 (Mon)

The Sun enters Virgo at 11:16 pm EDT. For the next month, it will be easier to focus on service, health and the little details! Be careful not to be unreasonably demanding of others, or too hard on yourself.

8/24 (Wed)

Uranus Retrograde

Uranus turns retrograde at 9:54 am EDT at 18°55′ Taurus. The strangest planet will turn direct again on 1/22/23 at 14°56′ Taurus.

Planets are most powerful when they change directions. So this is a great time to reflect on the core themes of Uranus in your life:

• How well are you using your unique genius?
• Are you accepting what’s unusual about you, and showing it to the world as appropriate?
• Are you following your intuitive hits?
• Are you serving others with your special talents that you most love to use?

What sensitive natal planets and points do you have between 16° and 22° in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius)? The themes represented by these planets and points will be strongly affected by Uranus turning retrograde.

If you experience chaos, shock or unpleasant surprises relating to one of these themes, what do you need to change or release? On the other hand, the universe will show its approval in these areas if you feel positively electrified, or get intuitive hits to jump to the next level.

8/25 (Thu)

Grand Trine Peaks

The Mercury-Mars-Pluto Grand Trine that started on 8/16 peaks today (8/25) and ends on 8/31.

8/26 (Fri)

Thor’s Hammer Starts

Mercury has already starred in several aspect patterns this month. Here’s one more: a Thor’s Hammer with Mercury, Saturn and Uranus. It starts today (8/26), peaks on 8/31 and ends on 9/8.

Uranus (divine mind) can inspire Mercury (your human mind) with brilliant breakthrough ideas. Saturn might resist them just because they’re unfamiliar, or could help you cautiously and carefully evaluate them.

What if Saturn gives a thumbs up? He can help you structure the idea, create a system to support it, and discipline yourself to carry it through!

8/27 (Sat)

Virgo New Moon Fired up by Mars

There’s a New Moon at 4:17 am EDT (4°3′ Virgo). Any Virgo New Moon is great for new beginnings or refreshed energy in the areas of service, health and attention to detail.

Aspects

This lunation features a T-Square with the luminaries, Mars and Vesta.

Let’s start with Mars, whose square to the Sun and Moon is nearly exact! Its most obvious effect is to energize this New Moon’s potentials. Mars represents the warrior, pioneer, entrepreneur and sexual being. To whatever degree these archetypes fit what you’re doing, Mars can help you embrace them.

Mars is in Gemini, which fires up learning, teaching and communication.

Vesta’s aspects to the other planets are loose, but she forms the third corner of a T-Square with Mars and the luminaries. What selfless service are you energized to offer to a higher cause?

Sabian Symbol

This New Moon features a mystical Sabian Symbol: “A man becoming aware of nature spirits and normally unseen spiritual energies.”

Lets’ relate this to some Virgo archetypes. Your ability to heal yourself, or others, is amplified the more you tune into spiritual energies. And the effectiveness of any service you offer is increased the more you connect with these unseen energies, since this makes you a better conduit for them.

Venusian Grand Cross Peaks

The Venus-Saturn-Uranus-Lunar Nodes Grand Cross that started on 8/20 peaks today (8/27) and ends on 9/1.

Whatever your Sun Sign, my forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.

All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least a week before and after.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart. Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me.

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