Dear friends,
The past few weeks have been pretty wild, what with basket formations, power struggles under Jupiter and Pluto, pain points activated by Chiron, and last week’s total eclipse at the South Node of reckoning with the past. It also doesn’t help that Saturn, planet of hardship and endurance, has been stationary since June, demanding accountability. There is a magical quality in the minor grand trine of outer planets which has been in effect for much of the year, and hopefully this alliance of the transformational planets will encourage a positive outcome to short-term stressors like the August eclipse season.
In the astrological community a firestorm of controversy is raging around my old friend Steven Forrest. Steven is one of the most, or possibly THE most, well-known teacher in the astrological world. He recently came under attack, with Mars in hyper-sensitive Cancer and the eclipse window opening, for a podcast in which he used the N-word in a context that could easily be misunderstood. The podcast was broadcast when Jupiter was opposite Pluto, and in my forecast for that week I wrote:
“Under Jupiter’s influence we all want to be gods, especially since Jupiter is opposite Pluto (“who do you think you are??”) in fixed signs where no one wants to yield. Already there is, and will be, lots of chest-thumping and jockeying for position …”
As eclipses will do, this unmasked a generational divide between older astrologers (mostly white) shocked that anyone would question their motives, and younger astrologers who were unimpressed with Steven’s attempt to apologize while defending himself in a manner described in my quote above.
This controversy is representative of a generational battle that is unfolding in all areas of human life right now between Pluto in Leo Boomers and Pluto in Scorpio Millennials. Other generations are involved too, but it is primarily these two generations that are most at war. (If you’re interested here is a piece written by astrologer Sam Reynolds who I feel is best placed to comment since he is both Black and a longtime friend of Steven.)
A similar incident played out in Washington when Anthony Fauci, a lion (Pluto in Leo) in his field like Forrest, refused to testify in front of a Congress that questioned his actions.
I’m not here to stake out an opinion on either controversy, although I do have some, but it does seem obvious to me that my Pluto in Leo generation is struggling to remain relevant, and sometimes at the expense of the younger generations. These younger folks want a seat at the table and have a very different world view than those of us who grew up a half century ago. We see this in politics too, with an average age of 59 in the U.S. Congress and younger people, who will inherit this world we are creating, deserve a seat at the table as well as an opportunity to have a good job, and buy a home. I don’t know what the solution is, but I feel that we need to be respectful to these young people and not dismiss their concerns as the “woke mob” mentality.
Anyway: The intensity of these alignments is beginning to fade and will be less of a factor as we head towards August’s second eclipse next week. This week the Sun enters Virgo, the sign that seeks to create order in the midst of chaos. This kicks off Virgo season, and Mercury will join in next week. Just before the Virgo influence comes into play, the Sun will align with the South Node of past karma at the 29th degree of Leo. Remember the South Node has just backtracked its way into Leo, so these issues of who has the power dominates the energies right now. This week this hyper-sensitivity under a Cancerian Mars is confused and obfuscated by Neptune (Mars square Neptune), so it would be a good idea to try not to react until the truth becomes evident.
And now … on to the forecast for this week.
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Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, here is a time zone converter to adjust for your locality.) You can download the transit details with the degrees here.
Monday August 17. We have some strong Mars influences today so even though the Libra Moon encourages us to seek the middle path, that may be a bit difficult - especially in the morning when the Mars/Neptune influence is still strong. Two harmonious influences help us to find solutions more easily, and support our interactions with others for much of the day.
Once the Moon enters Scorpio later in the day the velvet gloves come off the iron fist (classic Libra quote). Under the Scorpio Moon passions are high anyway, but with Chiron and Pluto getting involved into the wee hours of the morning there could be some hurt feelings. (Mars square Neptune 5:52 am, Moon sextile Sun 7:30 am, Mercury trine Saturn 11:27 am, Venus sextile Jupiter 12:15 pm, Moon enters Scorpio 5:46 pm, opposite Chiron 7:15 pm, trine Ceres 9:34 pm.)
Tuesday August 18. The intensity will linger into Tuesday, but the Scorpio Moon always inspires passion and an intense drive for accountability. Ruled by Mars, Scorpio teaches us to harness and direct the Will which after all is what Magick is all about. We can best use these energies by divine head first into a project or a plan that excites us. (Moon square Pluto 1:01 am, trine Mars 2:29 am, square Jupiter 2:43 pm.)
Wednesday August 19. The opening square after a New Moon is always a time of adjustment, and that is especially true after an eclipse. Once the unmasking of the eclipse is complete, there must be a realignment of values and principles, and that is what happens on Wednesday and Thursday. This restructuring process changes the trajectory of fate so it must be handled with delicacy and clear intention. (Moon square Mercury 4:06 am, square Sun 10:46 pm. Also Moon square the lunar nodes at 4:09 am Thursday.)
Thursday August 20. The Moon will enter Sagittarius early in the morning EDT and lift the spirits, cooling the intensity somewhat. Sagittarius is a fire sign, but it is less of an action sign and more of a philosophical sign. Under the influence of Sagittarius we dream of the future and are endowed with the confidence to make it happen. On Thursday the Moon harmonizes with Pluto for greater empowerment, and with Neptune for divine inspiration - later in the day Uranus adds a wake-up call that could knock us off track temporarily. It could also, alternatively, provide the missing piece of a plan. (Moon square lunar nodes 4:09 am, Moon enters Sagittarius 4:30 am, sextile Pluto 11:58 am, trine Neptune 12:21 pm, opposite Uranus 3:32 pm.)
Friday August 21. On Friday the lunar aspects are benevolent and encourage an open mind and a broadening of our interests. Under the Sagittarius Moon we often resist being bogged down by obligations, but a Venus/Saturn aspect today will demand attention to situations that may be challenging. These are competing influences that may be difficult to balance, but they are not long lasting so we will just need to do our best. (Moon trine Jupiter 3:26 am, Venus opposite Saturn 8:43 am, Moon trine Saturn 9:02 am, sextile Venus 9:04 am.)
Saturday August 22. Any stress points from Friday will have dissolved by Saturday which is full of sweet lunar aspects, especially while the Moon is in Sagittarius. Once the Moon enters Capricorn in the afternoon EDT, the wanderlust of Sagittarius will give way to the diligence and practicality of Capricorn. The next few days are a time to Get Things Done, so get your calendars and notepads handy.
This is also the day that the Sun meets up with the South Node for a final reckoning before we enter Virgo season later in the evening on Saturday. You may not have any karmic debts that have come due, but we might want to pay attention to see what comes up so that we can, with care and intention, resolve these debts and move forward into freedom. (Moon trine Mercury 4:21 am, trine Sun 4:30 pm, Moon enters Capricorn 4:59 pm, Sun conjunct South Node 6:03 pm, Moon trine Chiron 6:24 pm, Sun enters Virgo 10:18 pm.)
Sunday August 23. While we’re getting organized under the Capricorn Moon, the Virgo Sun forms an alliance with Chiron to be sure that any emotional land mines are cleared and put aside. Because we tend to be more sensitive to disturbances in our ability to pursue our intentions when the Moon is in Capricorn, the disruptions that pop up on Sunday could distract us more than usual. We needn’t get bogged down by this - we can just observe, and get back to work.
On Monday the planetary influences are quiet and we will be able to continue our plans for another day or two.
I hope you have powerful week of intention and power! Thank you for subscribing. 💖
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