Sacred sexuality is one of the juicier themes brought forward by four cuddle-puddling Grand Trines! Other aspects also reinforce this sultry tantric theme.
Also hot during the second half of August: a mystical Pisces Full Moon, possible testing of committed partnerships as Chiron and Uranus aspect Juno, and hard aspects to Mars from three slower planets. And the Sun enters health-loving, service-oriented Virgo!
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8/16 (Sun)
No major astrology events.
8/17 (Mon)
Grand Trine: Mars-Pallas Athena-Vesta
Assertiveness can be said to have two flavors. Mars represents its masculine expression: direct, forceful and in your face. The asteroid goddess Pallas Athena shows the feminine face of assertiveness: more subtle and indirect, more strategic and cunning, but still accomplishing the goal.
A Grand Trine begins today incorporating both Mars and Pallas Athena. They could be thought of as turning their attention toward the Grand Trine’s third member: Vesta, another asteroid goddess. Vesta primarily represents service to a higher cause, and can also carry the meaning of sacred sexuality.
A Grand Trine is an equilateral triangle representing smooth, easy connection. So this aspect pattern gives you plenty of energy to apply to the worthy causes you support, or to bring divine consciousness into your loveplay. It begins today, peaks on 8/29 and ends on 9/17.
Take extra care with what you do and how you do it: accidents and injuries are one challenging way in which a Mars-Chiron sesquare (5°21′ Leo-20°21′ Pisces) could manifest. (A sesquare is a 135° aspect also know as a sesquiquadrate or sesquisquare.) Put this aspect to better use by engaging in healing or mentoring activities. With Mars in Leo, mentoring in the areas of leadership or performance get extra juice.
Focused, disciplined thinking – with a dash of inspiration! – is available with Mercury quintile Saturn (16°28′ Virgo-28°28′ Scorpio).
8/18 (Tue)
Grand Trine: Venus-Pallas Athena-Uranus
Whether you’re male or female, you can more easily embrace your authentic feminine nature with the help of a Venus-Pallas Athena-Uranus Grand Trine.
Venus represents the softer, more receptive side of femininity. Pallas Athena embodies its more assertive face, characterized by such fictional characters as The Avengers’ Black Widow and Star Wars’ Princess Leia. And Uranus invites you to “let your freak flag fly,” embodying whatever flavor of feminine energy feels truest for you.
This aspect pattern isn’t just for the ladies, either: we men can benefit greatly from getting in touch with our more subtle natures! This Venus-Pallas Athena-Uranus Grand Trine begins today (8/18), has a double peak (8/27 and 9/22) and ends on 10/5.
8/19 (Wed)
Retrograde Venus aspects two slow planets today. First up we have Venus trine Uranus (20°16′ Leo-Pisces). This smoothly supports unconventional approaches to love, creativity and finance. With Venus in Leo, this can be a fertile time for creative ideas.
Seven minutes later (12:50 PM EDT), Venus makes a quincunx to Chiron (20°15′ Leo-Pisces). Emotional wounding is a common effect of Venus-Chiron hard connections such as this one. If that happens to you, you may find my free healing invocation to be a quick and effective way to clear this challenging energy from your field.
More pleasant possibilities that can arise from this Venus-Chiron quincunx include positive changes catalyzed by mentoring and creativity coaching.
Grand Trine: Venus-Pallas Athena-Vesta
A third Grand Trine begins today, incorporating Venus, Pallas Athena and Vesta. All three planets are also members of the two Grand Trines already underway. Because this Grand Trine’s members are already accounted for, so to speak, it includes no new archetypal meanings that aren’t already present in the Grand Trines that started on 8/17 and 8/18.
But the theme that gets particular emphasis in this Grand Trine is sacred sexuality. Vesta, who embodies this meaning, is in the sexually excitable sign of Aries. And Venus is conjunct Mars, who carries the same carnal energy as Aries. In addition, all three planets are in fire signs, the element most associated with sexuality.
In a nutshell, sacred sex can be thought of as making love with your energetic and physical bodies. With both partners aware of and consciously blending their subtle forms, ecstasy and bliss can rise to an intensity unimaginable by those who have only experienced sex with their five physical senses.
This Venus-Pallas Athena-Vesta Grand Trine starts today (8/19), peaks on 9/7 and ends on 9/17.
8/20 (Thu)
Today Mercury aspects the same planets Venus connected with yesterday: Chiron and Uranus. The first pairing is a Mercury-Chiron opposition (20°14′ Virgo-Pisces), an excellent energy under which to examine your childhood wounds and shadow material. Mentoring is also given strong support by this aspect.
A Mercury-Uranus quincunx (20°15′ Virgo-Aries) can stimulate your mind with unexpected intuitive flashes. Making a conscious effort to think outside of your usual patterns can bring wonderful new insights!
8/21 (Fri)
It’s time to get serious as the Sun squares Saturn (28°35′ Leo-Scorpio). If you’re experiencing depression or limitation, try focusing on some of Saturn’s life-affirming aspects: responsibility, maturity, discipline and time management. With the Sun in Leo, any structural weaknesses in your approach to creativity or leadership may show themselves.
8/22 (Sat)
Deluded or fanatical action can be stimulated by a Mars-Neptune quincunx (8°40′ Leo-Pisces). Even if you feel excited and certain about something, think twice before you start proselytizing. On the high side, this aspect can support sacred sexuality and inspired creativity.
Juno Opposite Chiron & Quincunx Uranus
Be alert for challenges in any committed partnership — romantic, platonic or otherwise – as Chiron opposes Juno (20°7′ Pisces-Virgo). This opposition is exact today (8/22) and will be felt through 9/9.
The likelihood that something will get triggered is significantly increased because there’s also a Uranus-Juno quincunx (20°12′ Aries-Virgo) today. This electrifying aspect is much shorter-lived, only lasting through 8/28.
Even in the unlikely event that nothing gets triggered on its own, this is a great energy for proactively healing any unresolved issues in these critical relationships. Do you need to make some paradigm shifts to put the relationship on firmer ground? Even if your partnership is stress-free, can you brainstorm ways to make it even more wonderful by taking it to the next level?
8/23 (Sun)
Sun Enters Virgo
The Sun enters Virgo at 6:37 AM EDT. This radiates the energy of service, health, and attention to detail. How can you be helpful to others in a way that lights you up? What life-affirming changes can you make in your diet, exercise habits and work/life balance? And in what areas of your life would you benefit from organizing, editing and refining?
8/24 (Mon)
No major astrology events.
8/25 (Tue)
No major astrology events.
8/26 (Wed)
Organizing, focused thinking, health-promoting activities and service to others receive smooth, steady support from a Mercury-Saturn sextile (28°45′ Virgo-Scorpio).
A Sun-Jupiter conjunction (3°21′ Virgo) is always a cause for celebration, thanks to Jupiter’s expansive exuberance. With both planets in Virgo, plenty of energy is available for health, service to others and organization.
8/27 (Thu)
Mercury settles in for an extended stay in Libra 8/27 through 11/1. He’s camping out in the Sign of the Scales for so long because he turns retrograde on 9/17, then turns direct on 10/9 — all within Libra. Here Mercury supports creative writing, harmonious communication, socializing, and all forms of creative expression.
The previously interpreted Venus-Pallas Athena-Uranus Grand Trine reaches its first peak today. This aspect pattern started on 8/18, peaks again on 9/22, and wraps up on 10/5.
Grand Trine: Mars-Pallas Athena-Uranus
As if three cuddle-puddling Grand Trines at the same time wasn’t enough, here comes number four! Mars, Pallas Athena and Uranus are already involved in the other Grand Trines. But with the electricity and intensity of a Mars-Uranus combo, this one has the greatest urgency. Here the expression of your feminine is energized by Uranus’ intuitive flashes and Mars’ “just do it” fire.
This Mars-Pallas Athena-Uranus Grand Trine starts today (8/27), peaks on 9/5 and ends on 9/17.
8/28 (Fri)
No major astrology events.
8/29 (Sat)
Sacred sexuality has been a strong theme during the second half of August, and is brought to the fore yet again by a Mars-Pluto quincunx. (13°8′ Leo-Capricorn). The quincunx asks what adjustments you need to make to allow your divine consciousness to be fully and radiantly present during erotic intimacy. This aspect also supports transformative action, empowered assertiveness and cathartic performance.
Pisces Full Moon
A Full Moon (6°6′ Pisces) broadcasts its radiance at 2:35 pm EDT. Any Pisces Full Moon is great for evaluating how you’re doing with your spiritual union practices and how well you’re bringing your creative inspirations into the world. It’s also a time to avoid overdoing mind-altering substances, escapist activities, victim-perpetrator relationship dynamics and aimless drifting.
Aspects
The Moon is tightly conjunct Neptune, the modern ruler of Pisces. This significantly amplifies all the Piscean opportunities and challenges described above. An opposition from Jupiter adds still more fuel to the fire, since Jupiter’s primary effect is to amplify whatever energy it encounters.
If you’ve been hanging out more on the low side of Pisces, the opportunity to paradigm shift your behavior to the high side is available with Uranus semi-square the Moon. Uranus operates like a lightning strike, and can bring change faster than you could have imagined!
Sabian Symbol
This Full Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “Illuminated by a shaft of light, a large cross lies on rocks surrounded by sea and mist.” I can easily see this as a symbol of embodied divine consciousness. The shaft of light represents divine energy, while the cross represents the unconditional love of Christ consciousness. The cross is on rocks – fallen, perhaps, but still solidly on the earth – while its prone position indicates receptivity.
The shaft of divine light is cutting through the confusion and lack of direction suggested by the sea, and especially by the mist. Because surrender has taken place on the physical level – represented by the cross lying passively on the rocks – the divine energy can embody the physical form.
I highly recommend surrendering to the divine – it’s improved my life more than I ever could have imagined! My simple, free invocations have helped many people awaken to and embody their divine essence – often in a matter of minutes!
The Mars-Pallas Athena-Vesta Grand Trine that began on 8/17 peaks today (8/29) and ends on 9/17.
8/30 (Sun)
No major astrology events.
8/31 (Mon)
What’s the potential downside of a Sun-Neptune opposition? Substance abuse, excessive escapism, perpetrator-victim relationship dynamics and aimless drifting. What’s the high side? Blissful divine union and inspired creativity. With the Sun in Virgo, take your higher consciousness and creative gifts, polish them, and use them for the benefit of others.
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.
- 8/17, 1:16:10 pm – 4:22:26 pm (Libra)
- 8/19, 10:56:22 pm – 8/20, 5:24:05 am (Scorpio)
- 8/22, 3:30:58 pm – 4:40:58 pm (Sagittarius)
- 8/24, 6:03:33 pm – 8/25, 12:21:47 am (Capricorn)
- 8/27, 3:19:41 am – 4:03:25 am (Aquarius)
- 8/29, 3:02:34 am – 4:50:55 am (Pisces)
- 8/31, 2:53:19 am – 4:32:51 am (Aries)
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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