We begin August feeling the effects of Mercury having just turned direct on 7/28, in the sign of Cancer - the classic "thinking with your feelings" permutation. On August 1^st, the Sun in Leo squares (appears 90 degrees to) Jupiter in Scorpio. Your state of self-awareness, the Sun, requires you to transmute self-perception that has prompted you to comport yourself in a disingenuous manner. Call it self-transformation, call it a come-uppance, call it an assault on your ego, call it whatever seems to apply. Jupiter always desires more than the current situation seems to offer, so if you feel a kind of "divine discontent", pay close attention and heed your instincts. And Mercury will help you "feel" your way. This is most definitely not a logical process, so avoid any attempt at "logical" explanations. Expect more of yourself, and you just might get it! Perhaps more importantly, you can learn something about yourself under this influence that has far-reaching implications.

The Sun conjoins Saturn in the 15^th degree of Leo on August 7^th. For those of you celebrate the sabbats, this conjunction coincides with Lughnasadh - that time of year equidistant between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. Although modern astrologers assign Saturn symbolism to the Father archetype, the Babylonians saw Saturn as the Mother. (It wasn’t until the Late Greek writer, Manilius, that we see evidence of Moon as Mother.) Our mother obviously gives us shape and form - two classically Saturn words - in the womb, before delivering us to this world. Mother issues of all varieties will be the issue of the day, your own mother as well as your role as mother both literally and figuratively. In Leo, the form you were given needs to express itself in order to come to know and fulfill itself. At this time, seriously ponder the "form" and "substance" of your life, and whether you’re utilizing it to your best advantage. You’ll be confronted with certain realities you shouldn’t ignore.

The following day, the 8^th, Mars will sextile Jupiter in the 11^th degrees of Virgo and Scorpio respectively. The sextile highlights talents and abilities that haven’t fully formed. How very timely that this aspect occurs the day after Sun-Saturn! Mars represents motivation and chutzpa, Jupiter represents opportunity and enthusiasm. Both Virgo and Scorpio connote an unusual ability to get things done, to "make it so" (as Jean Luc Picard would say). Both signs work at a deeply personal level, accepting the task of doing the personal, internal work necessary to make interactions fruitful, both within and without.

On Thursday, August 10^th, Mercury reenters Leo - the sign in which it began its retrograde tenure on 7/4, followed just an hour later by the Sun’s opposition to Neptune in the 19^th degrees of Leo and Aquarius. This is not what I’d call a "high energy" day in the typical sense. Mercury’s entry into Leo will make you very aware of yourself, while Sun-Neptune will at the same time bring about a feeling of alienation from others. The more you express yourself in ways that worked in the past, the more disaffected you’ll feel. Remember, Mercury retrograde (in July) was meant to bring forth truer means to express yourself. A good question to ask, as posed by Lorraine Kisly in the Spring 2006 issue of "Parabola" is, "Under what conditions are the senses free from compulsion and identification?" Leo tends to personally identify with everything and everyone. Don’t make any hard-and-fast decisions or conclusions for a few days. You won’t be clearly "hearing" yourself or others. This time will be better used to allow yourself to feel "empty", without trying to fill that void with meaningless chatter in response to your own fear of being alone with your own impressions. Something quite creative and freeing will arise from that void.

Venus follows Mercury into Leo on the 12^th, where she’ll remain till 9/6. This is a time for fun and entertainment, a time to just enjoy all you can. Self-control won’t be abundant, so you’ll have to careful not to overdo it!

Mars will oppose Uranus the following day, the 13^th, in the 14^th degrees of Virgo and Pisces respectively. This is the classic aspect for an explosive release of tension. On the other hand, it can be a time of sudden release from inhibitions that you simply won’t tolerate anymore, of breaking bonds that have been suffocating you. Just be sure you don’t sever relationships unnecessarily. Knowing this moment is coming will give you the forewarning you need to consider beforehand those aspects of your life that feel constricting. Uranus doesn’t really come as the total surprise it’s purported to be. You already know what’s eating at you, unless you’re unbelievably unconscious. You simply have until this moment to change the situation(s), so you needn’t let this moment catch you by surprise.

The Sun transits into Virgo at 12:23 a.m. MDT, on August 23^rd, closely followed by the New Moon at 1:10 a.m. The next month is a time to get back to yourself - your real Self. Virgo strives to see her/himself clearly, without any embellishment or comfortable illusions. Living life successfully requires that we take into account who and what we are - what we can & can’t do, what we do & don’t feel, what we do & don’t think. This is the reputation for "purity" ascribed to Virgo - the purity of being one’s self, simply and honestly.

Mercury also transits into its own sign of Virgo on the 27^th, lending clear-eyed assessment to the task of accurately sizing-up who and what we are or aren’t. Virgo’s ability for dispassionate, unbiased evaluation will continue until Mercury’s transit into Libra on 9/12. Use this time to "clean up" your thinking and attitudes.

On the 29^th, Jupiter trines Uranus, followed just two hours later by Mars square Saturn. Jupiter-Uranus indicates an ability to take advantage of changes with far-reaching consequences. The (potential) problem lies in knowing exactly how far "far" is, and how far you want it to be! Mars-Saturn underscores the ever-present challenge between doing what you want to do versus what your obligations demand.

August 31^st brings two significant influences. First, Saturn opposes Neptune in the 18^th degrees of Leo and Aquarius. This marks the first of three oppositions between Saturn and Neptune, with the others occurring 2/07 and 6/07. The opposition, when two planets stand 180 degrees opposite each other, is the halfway point of any two planets’ cyclical relationship. The current Saturn-Neptune cycle began with conjunctions in March & June 1989. To really get a perspective on the current opposition, it would be helpful to remember the overriding events of that time period. Specifics aren’t at all necessary to recall, but rather the prevailing theme(s) that began at time. Robert Hand states in Horoscope Symbols, "Neptune can be understood in part by defining what it is not. Even more than Uranus, it is an energy that negates everything Saturn stands for. If Saturn is reality, Neptune is unreality. If Saturn is an aspect of the ego, Neptune is denial of the ego." Saturn represents collective "reality", while Neptune represents ultimate Reality. For a thorough discussion on this topic, I highly recommend Peter Kingsley’s book, Reality. This opposition holds sweeping implications for the entire world, and what you decide about the nature of your own reality/Reality will contribute to the conclusion of this particular Saturn-Neptune cycle in February 2026. Facing and at least attempting to reconcile your own issues may seem too insignificant, but don’t fall for the temptation of thinking you have to do something "for the world" to help it come to its senses! You are a living product and embodiment of that world.

The other significant event of this day is the initiation of the new Sun-Mercury cycle, the so-called superior (because Mercury’s apparent motion is direct, not retrograde) Sun-Mercury conjunction in the 9^th degree of Virgo. In tandem with Saturn-Neptune, this can be extremely helpful in addressing personal reality/Reality issues. Engaging in "dialogue" with your "pure" Self, INcluding - not EXcluding your senses, will inevitably ensure a healthy and well-balanced interchange. Virgo is, after all, an Earth sign; hence the inclusion of the physical senses. As Peter Kinsley says in his Spring 2006 interview in "Parabola", "It all comes back to the senses."