The week of August 18 begins auspiciously with the conjunction of the two classic benefics Jupiter and Venus. Beyond that, it’s a busy hodgepodge that includes the Sun entering Virgo and the perfecting of a multi-year Uranus-Chiron semi-sextile.
Communicate mindfully as Mercury makes dynamic aspects to most of the outer planets, and get ready to capitalize on numerous opportunities presented by five aspect patterns!
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8/18 (Mon)
One of astrology’s luckiest pairings — a Venus-Jupiter conjunction — provides an auspicious opening to the week. In old-style astrology, Venus is the Lesser Benefic, while Jupiter is the Greater Benefic. (A benefic brings good fortune.)
WIth Venus in Leo, this aspect can support sharing your creativity with the public. It can also amplify the state of your key relationships. This focuses a magnifying glass to whatever’s happening, so that you can remedy whatever isn’t working and cultivate more of what’s good!
Editing and analysis receive steady, inspired support with Virgoan Mercury quintile Saturn.
Service to a higher cause receives significant amplification with Jupiter square Vesta. Just don’t go overboard and forget about your own needs!
The opposition of Virgoan Mercury to Neptune can lead to muddled thinking. But it can also open up a flow of intuitive guidance. You may even be inspired to increase your service to others, which can fill you with greater joy than fulfilling any selfish desire.
The Kite that started on 8/6 peaks today and wraps up on 9/4. This flowing aspect pattern includes Juno, Ceres, Vesta, Neptune and Pluto.
8/19 (Tue)
No major astrology events.
8/20 (Wed)
Deeper soul connection is available in your committed partnerships with Neptune trine Juno. This is also an excellent energy under which to do Law of Attraction work together, since Neptune represents visualization and imagination.
Yod: Pallas Athena-Jupiter-Neptune
A five-day window of opportunity opens for creative expression today. All three planets in this Yod, or “Finger of God,” embody creative juju!
Pallas Athena, representing feminine assertiveness and strategic planning, is in artistic Libra. Expansive and lucky Jupiter is in spotlight-loving Leo. And these two planets point to Piscean Neptune, where both the sign and planet represent inspired creativity. Hook up with your Muse and get busy!
8/21 (Thu)
Don’t let a quincunx between Leonine Venus and Pluto devolve into dish-smashing and relationship strife. If you adjust your thinking, this aspect can support positive relationship transformation, as well as empowered and uninhibited creative expression.
Mental transformation and deep-probing research are smoothly supported by Pluto trine Virgoan Mercury.
T-square: Juno-Pallas Athena-Pluto
Does your feminine aspect show itself more like a meek housewife or a take-no-prisoners samurai? You can make any needed adjustments to this balance during the 21-day T-square between yin Juno, yang Pallas Athena and Pluto. This aspect pattern starts today, peaks on 8/31 and ends on 9/14.
8/22 (Fri)
The Pallas Athena-Jupiter-Neptune Yod that started on Wednesday peaks today and wraps up on 8/25.
Yod Begins: Mercury-Mars-Saturn-Uranus
Another Yod, with a completely different planetary lineup, starts today, peaks on 8/24 and ends on 8/25. Here’s one way to use it: strategically implemented service to others (Virgoan Mercury), executed with Energizer Bunny persistence (Mars-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio), leads to a new personal breakthrough (Arian Uranus)!
8/23 (Sat)
The Sun enters Virgo at 12:46 AM, radiating support for health, service, and tending to the little details that can make such a big difference.
Scorpionic Mars does a double today. A Mars-Uranus quincunx can tend toward angry outbursts or impulsive behavior. But your mental focus can transform this fiery combo into inspired action guided by your intuitive flashes.
Mars also trines Chiron, creating an easy-flowing opportunity for transformative healing and passionate mentoring.
Grand Trine: Juno-Vesta-Chiron
A month-long Grand Trine begins today among Juno, Vesta and Chiron. These planets connect smoothly to support the healing of sexuality, a theme common to Juno and Vesta. This Grand Trine also echoes a theme of the Juno-Pallas Athena-Pluto T-square that started on 8/21: finding balance between the assertive and receptive aspects of your feminine nature. This Juno-Vesta-Chiron Grand Trine peaks on 9/8 and ends on 9/21.
8/24 (Sun)
Uranus and Chiron are exactly semi-sextile today. However, they’ve been making this aspect energetically for years, and will continue making it for years to come!
While the opportunity for breakthroughs in healing and understanding is especially strong today, you have plenty of time to enjoy enhanced wellness and wisdom. Because Uranus and Chiron are making a semi-sextile, a minor hard angle associated with irritation, these breakthroughs may include some discomfort.
Virgoan Mercury opposes Chiron and quincunxes Uranus today. Since these aspects occur within six minutes of each other, a composite interpretation seems appropriate.
Challenging possibilities include mental wounding that arrives out of the blue, or the aggravation of mental instability. More harmonious manifestations include compassionate mentoring that leads to mental liberation, and healing modalities that help you receive intuitive flashes more easily.
The Mercury-Mars-Saturn-Uranus Yod that started on 8/22 peaks today and ends tomorrow.
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.
- 8/19, 10:54 pm – 8/20, 4:46 am (Cancer)
- 8/21, 3:35 pm – 8/22, 4:51 pm (Leo)
- 8/24, 4:26 am – 8/25, 5:34 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.
Hi Benjamin, I love your weekly forecasts.
I’m wondering if the picture you chose represents this week some how. Is there some significance with the birds?
The old man is an augur in ancient Rome, whose job is to interpret omens. In this picture, he is seeing the direction of the birds’ flight as a positive omen.
Thanks Benjamin!!!
I’ve tried to make good decisions this week as I certainly wouldn’t want to be disrespectful of the omens!