Astrological Energies August 1 to 7, 2011

NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Written by Pam Younghans
Photo: Crop circle reported July 29, at West Woodhay Down, near Inkpen, Wiltshire, England

WE ARE SHEDDING the skin that once defined us, that has served its purpose and is ready to be discarded. Even the latest crop circle in the UK echoes the theme of transformation, with the image of a snake weaving its way through a maze of planetary alignments. (See photos at http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2011/rivar/rivar2011.html)

It's significant that the snake's tongue is actually the symbol for Neptune, perhaps symbolizing that Neptune's high-vibrational spiritual and creative energy will be our primary guidance as we go forward with our personal and planetary transformation.

The initial comments about this new crop circle (see http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2011/rivar/comments.html) relate it to the Mayan calendar, and reveal that the crop circle pinpoints two events and dates as being important: the Sun/Venus/Mercury alignment on August 16, and the Sun/Neptune opposition on August 22.

AUGUST DOES APPEAR to be a (nother) pivotal month. Mars enters Cancer on Wednesday this week, indicating that over the next seven weeks or so, our actions will be primarily motivated by our emotional needs and we may be more sensitive than usual to real or perceived slights. It will be especially important during this time to remember "it is never personal" -- which just means we need to keep in mind that the other person in any altercation is mostly driven by their own needs and emotional patterns, rather than by a specific desire to ruin our day.

In the positive, Mars in Cancer is very loyal, dedicated to home and family. August should be a good month for putting physical effort into those chores around the house and in the yard -- and these activities will also be a great way to release any stored angers that need to be moved through.

Mars' journey through Cancer begins on a very positive note, through helpful interactions with both Mercury and Neptune on Wednesday and Thursday. These planets, when they play well together, align our personal desires with spiritual inspiration, and our conscious thinking with intuition.

MARS WILL BE A KEY PLAYER throughout the month of August. As the Red Planet interacts with Uranus, Pluto and Saturn in turn, we will again be working with the energies of the Cardinal Grand Cross that was in effect during the Solar Eclipse on July 1.

Mars will first square Uranus on August 9 and then oppose Pluto on August 10. This may be a time when we are tested in our ability to detach from ours and others' emotional reactions (and over-reactions), and to focus on that spiritual guidance represented by Neptune in our crop circle. Then, Mars crosses the degree of July's Solar Eclipse on August 16, making sure that we are staying true to the new beginnings we initiated then. And Mars finishes up the month with a square aspect to Saturn on August 25, revealing where relationships may still be out of balance and where we need to do a better job of balancing the needs of self and other.

MERCURY GOES RETROGRADE this Tuesday (at 8:45pm PDT), and will be in backward motion for most of August (until going direct on August 26).

The usual cautions for Mercury retrograde include being extra careful and patient when dealing with any legal or practical matters. Mercury represents our rational, logical mind, and when retrograde is better at dealing with the inner realms, and not so adept at navigating external reality. So, if you need to move forward with paperwork and agreements in the month of August (and life does have to continue), read everything over very carefully before you sign your name. And, be sure to double check to make sure all your facts are correct.

On spiritual/personal levels, Mercury's retrograde supports us in doing the inner work needed before we can move forward. Mercury will be moving back over territory the planet already covered, so over the next four weeks we'll have the opportunity to review our steps and rethink or renegotiate decisions made since July 15.

STARTING ON FRIDAY, we'll be working specifically with the energies of Saturn, the Sun, Venus and Vesta. If we were to seat these participants at a long dinner table, we would see the Sun and Venus sitting at one end (in Leo), Vesta sitting at the other end (in Aquarius), and Saturn seated along one of the sides (in Libra), at just the right angle and position to moderate the conversation between the planets at the two table ends. (Sun conjunct Venus, both opposite Vesta; Saturn trine Vesta and sextile Sun/Venus)

Saturn in Libra knows how to keep things harmonious and fair, and will help us do the same next weekend, as we navigate the natural discrepancies between our need for relationship and our need for autonomy and freedom. We may also find that we need to deal with a conflict between work needs and play needs, if this has been a theme in our lives.

However this energy manifests for us individually, we should be able to utilize Saturn's discipline, fairmindedness, and integrity to help us find solutions. Resolving these issues now will help us stay in much better balance as we move through the rest of August.

Blessings,

Pam

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