A Jupiter-Saturn square supporting balance, creativity and more highlights the first half of August. Other significant events include the second of three Venus-Jupiter conjunctions, Jupiter entering Virgo and a Leo New Moon. We’ll also discuss Saturn turning direct, two Pluto-Vesta squares and more!
Click astrology graphics to see larger images.
8/1 (Sat)
Some people may experience a sense of confusion and aimlessness from a Sun-Neptune quincunx (9°11′ Leo-Pisces). Urges toward substance abuse and excessive escapism are also possible.
Make better use of this aspect by focusing on spiritual union practices and expressing your inspired creativity into the world. With the Sun in Leo, this can also bring new inspiration to performers!
8/2 (Sun)
Saturn turns direct today at 28°16′ Scorpio. What plans for recognition and accomplishment have you been making since Saturn went retrograde on 3/14? The stage is now set for their strategic implementation.
Stationing planets are at their most powerful. Watch for “reality checks” for the next several weeks in the life areas represented by sensitive points in your chart from 25° fixed to 2° mutable. (The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. The mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.)
In these chart areas, look for physical or energetic structures that need refurbishment or elimination. Also look for opportunities to amp up your maturity, responsibility, time management and “plan the work/work the plan” skills.
How can you provide healing or mentoring with your words – in a way that’s original, new and unique? The opportunity and inspiration are there with Mercury trine Uranus (20°28′ Leo-Aries) and Mercury quincunx Chiron (20°53′ Leo-Pisces).
Thor’s Hammer Peaks: Vesta-Jupiter-Pluto
A Thor’s Hammer featuring Vesta, Jupiter and Pluto peaks today (8/2). This aspect pattern is interwoven with another Thor’s Hammer comprised of Vesta, Jupiter and Saturn. These create their combined pattern: a Vesta-Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto Thor’s Hammer Key that continues through 8/17.
Higher service and sacred sexuality are central themes of this aspect pattern. Significantly increased access to your own divine power, proportional to your surrender of everything not in alignment with your higher calling, is another potential benefit of these energies.
To learn more, read my 7/22 forecast.
8/3 (Mon)
Jupiter Square Saturn
Expand or contract? See the glass as half-full or half-empty? Dance in ecstatic celebration or inventory your emergency supplies? With Jupiter square Saturn (28°17′ Leo-Scorpio), you might be pulled in both directions.
Jupiter and Saturn came into orb (began to influence each other) on 7/3, make an exact square today (8/3), and part company on 9/10. Be flexible during this time. Sometimes Jupiter, the planet of expansion, optimism and celebration, will lead. Jupiter may also direct you into the areas of philosophy, religion and foreign travel and influences.
At other times Saturn, who embodies seriousness, maturity, boundaries and limitation, will be head honcho. He may call for you to focus on your goals, plan your work and work your plan, and keep your nose to the grindstone.
Leonine Jupiter and Scorpionic Saturn can also work as a team, supporting well-structured leadership and disciplined performance (illustrated by the ballet dancer pictured at the top of this forecast). They can create an amplified container for transformation or bring you joy through focused occult practices.
The Square Changes Signs
The flavor of this square changes when Jupiter enters Virgo on 8/11. From then until 9/10, supported combinations include positive transformation of health and assistance in supporting serious personal change.
Jupiter and Saturn will square again February through June of 2016. With Jupiter in Virgo and Saturn newly moved to Sagittarius, the deeper possibilities of their pairing will change once again!
Pallas Athena, retrograde since 4/19, turns direct today (8/3). Now’s the time to start stepping more fully into your feminine assertiveness, using strategic planning and/or juicing up your practical creativity.
8/4 (Tue)
A Venus-Jupiter conjunction (28°35′ Leo) has long been considered one of the luckiest pairings in the sky. But to have them come together three times in four months is a special blessing!
Their first conjunction was on 7/1, the second (with Venus retrograde) is today (8/4) and their final meeting will be on 10/25. The first two conjunctions are in Leo, and the third will be in Virgo.
Venus and Jupiter are the two “benefics” of ancient astrology. In the broadest sense, Venus represents harmony, balance and equilibrium, while Jupiter represents expansion, exuberance and good fortune.
You can use this second Venus-Jupiter conjunction to generate extra income, energize your creativity, or ramp up your social life. With Venus in Leo, this conjunction is tailor-made for getting your creativity out there so others can enjoy it too!
8/5 (Wed)
At first glance, a Venus-Saturn square (28°17′ Leo-Scorpio) might seem like an unwelcome bummer, coming just one day after Venus’ uplifting conjunction to Jupiter. But Jupiter’s expansive nature can make it easy to go overboard. Excessive spending is a common pitfall of Venus-Jupiter connections, and there can be a tendency to spend too much time socializing.
But Saturn is Jupiter’s natural balancing agent, providing some much-needed discipline and boundary setting. He’s the one who can pull you back from making that expensive impulse purchase, and stop you from wasting time with people whose influence you’re better off without. Rather than bemoaning Saturn’s square to Venus, be grateful that he showed up at just the right moment!
You can move to a deeper level of intimacy in your committed partnerships with Pluto trine Juno (13°33′ Capricorn-Virgo). In this context, Pluto can represent sharing at a deep level – whether that means money, sweat equity, heart connection or sexual energy. And the trine that connects Pluto and Juno indicates a smooth, easy connection.
8/6 (Thu)
Making adjustments to facilitate your personal transformation is a great way to use a Sun-Pluto quincunx (13°32′ Leo-Capricorn). With the Sun in Leo, this aspect can also juice up your leadership and performance juju!
You can enjoy enhanced perseverance with Mars trine Saturn (28°17′ Cancer-Scorpio). This aspect can also steady your willpower and help you stay the course as a leader, warrior or pioneer.
Knocking out a bunch of pages on your creative writing project is one way to use today’s Mercury-Venus conjunction (27°51′ Leo) and Mercury-Saturn square (28°17′ Leo-Scorpio). These aspects also support original and disciplined thinking, as well as stepping into the spotlight with your creative gifts.
8/7 (Fri)
It’s okay to get excited about sharing your thinking with Mercury conjunct Jupiter (29°6′ Leo). Just remember that not every thought has to be translated into speech, and that others may want to share their ideas as well!
Reining in excessive verbiage will get a little easier when Mercury enters humble Virgo at 3:15 PM. The winged messenger’s transit through the sign of service and healing will last through 8/27.
8/8 (Sat)
Mars transits Leo today thru 9/24. This can put extra fire in your belly to support you as a leader, performer, warrior and (appropriate) risk taker.
8/9 (Sun)
No major astrology events.
8/10 (Mon)
No major astrology events.
8/11 (Tue)
Jupiter Enters Virgo
Jupiter enters Virgo on 8/11. He will remain for about 13 months, through 9/9/16. This will provide significantly increased energy for all types of healing and service to others. Virgoan Jupiter can also make it easier to focus on editing, details, systems, and polishing projects to perfection.
8/12 (Wed)
Vesta is retrograde today thru 11/13. This is a great time to reflect on how you want to offer your support to a worthy higher cause with your time, effort or money.
Most of Vesta’s backpedaling happening in Aries: she starts at 13°24′ Aries and stations again at 28°34′ Pisces. Her placement in a sign strongly associated with sexuality shows that some will also be reflecting on one of her more subtle themes: sacred sexuality and sexual healing.
For some, a Mercury-Neptune opposition (8°55′ Virgo-Pisces) can lead to fuzzy thinking and mental wandering. Invite Neptune to send a constant stream of intuitive knowing to take up the slack.
Give Neptune, the transmitter of divine wisdom, a chance to make as many decisions as possible, big or small. Then Mercury can take advantage of its powerful placement in analytical Virgo (a sign it rules) to work out the administrative details.
Pluto Square Vesta
A Pluto-Vesta square (13°24′ Capricorn-Aries) is part of the Thor’s Hammer/Thor’s Hammer Key that peaked on 8/2. As a pair, they create these aspect patterns’ core meaning of higher service and sacred sexuality. Even after the Thor’s Hammers end on 8/17, Pluto and Vesta will keep this energy rocking through 9/27.
8/13 (Thu)
You can relax and be your authentic human self more easily today as the Sun trines Uranus (20°22′ Leo-Aries). This aspect also allows intuitive flashes to flow more easily, and can inspire your creativity into fresh expressions.
A Sun-Chiron quincunx (20°30′ Leo-Pisces) can bring up unresolved wounds from the past. (You may find my free healing invocation helpful in clearing them.) This aspect also supports healing and mentoring work. With the Sun in Leo, therapeutic modalities that incorporate creative expression may be especially effective.
Saturn-Pluto Semisquare
Which structures in your life need to be built up, and which ones transformed or taken down? Take stock as Saturn and Pluto create a semisquare (28°23′ Scorpio-13°23′ Capricorn).
While a semisquare is a minor hard aspect, its power is significantly amplified because Saturn and Pluto are in mutual reception (in each other’s signs). This aspect remains active through 9/29.
8/14 (Fri)
Leo New Moon
There’s a New Moon today at 10:53:22 am EDT (21°30′ Leo). Any Leo New Moon supports new beginnings in the areas of leadership, performance, and play. Speculation, children, and rest and relaxation are also included in Leo’s unusually diverse archetypal meanings.
Aspects
A tight Venus conjunction is this New Moon’s strongest aspect. Artistic Venus in flamboyant Leo is a great combination for strutting your stuff onstage! This Venus conjunction also supports new energy in relationships and finances.
A tight Uranus trine makes it easier for you to show the world the real you, and provides intuitive flashes to guide you. A tight Chiron quincunx indicates that old wounds may be triggered — and then healed if you make the proper adjustment.
Two loose aspects – a Jupiter conjunction and a Saturn square — help create a container in which the previously described energies can play out. They also perform a balancing act: Jupiter catalyzes this astrological alchemy with its energy of expansion, while Saturn’s constraint helps keep it under control.
Sabian Symbol
This New Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “A carrier pigeon fulfilling its mission.” A carrier pigeon’s mission, of course, is to deliver an important message. Is there a message you feel called to share, but that has not yet reached its destination?
Is it simply information meant for one other person? Is it a larger message meant for the world? Given this New Moon’s emphasis on creativity and performance, could your message be in the form of a poem, story, artwork, or performance? If so, what needs to happen so that you, like this Sabian pigeon, can experience the satisfaction of fulfilling your mission?
8/15 (Sat)
Creative pursuits, especially those that put you in the spotlight, are strongly supported under a Sun-Venus conjunction at 22°39′ Leo. This aspect can also put the spotlight on love, relationships and finances.
Investigation, detective work and other forms of deep mental probing are smoothly supported with Mercury trine Pluto (13°21′ Virgo-Capricorn). This aspect also supports bringing your keenly focused concentration to bear on the themes of transformation, shared resources, occult practices and sacred sexuality.
Pluto Square Vesta Again!
Didn’t we just have a Pluto-Vesta square on 8/12? Indeed we did, and here we are having another Pluto-Vesta square (13°21′ Capricorn-Aries) just three days later, with the planets only 1/20 of 1° back from their prior positions!
How is this possible? Vesta turned retrograde in the wee hours of 8/12. Then Pluto, also retrograde, made a square as he passed her near the end of that day. As Vesta gains speed, she catches up with Pluto again to form a second square on 8/15. (Vesta will eventually turn direct and square Pluto again on 2/1/16.)
To have two squares so close together can add special power to an aspect. Please see my 8/12 interpretation of the Pluto-Vesta square for what it all means!
Void-of-Course Moons
It’s best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during void-of-course Moons. “Business as usual” is the optimal strategy. Void-of-course Moons occur when the Moon has made her last major Ptolemaic aspect, but has not yet moved into her next sign.
- 8/1, 6:02:19 pm – 6:36:09 pm (Pisces)
- 8/3, 4:35:02 pm – 7:23:54 pm (Aries)
- 8/5, 7:29:15 pm – 9:29:18 pm (Taurus)
- 8/8, 12:45:47 am – 1:39:50 am (Gemini)
- 8/10, 7:44:55 am – 8:08:17 am (Cancer)
- 8/12, 1:43:56 pm – 4:52:06 pm (Leo)
- 8/15, 12:36:09 am – 3:45:27 am (Virgo)
Whatever your Sun Sign, Benjamin’s 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 several days before and after.
Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart.
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