This Week in Astrology – 19th – 25th August 2013

Pic111Sometimes my Mother used to say “It’s a funny ol’ day today” – for no particular reason than perhaps a grey sky or a blustery wind – just a feeling in the air. It’s how this week feels, a funny ol’ week that seems to pull and push, tugging at your heart one minute, your head the next and all the while, messing up your hair!

On the 19th August, the Sun in Leo is sesquiquadrate Uranus in Aries and honestly these guys will say black is white just to try to win the point. Its stubborn and defiant, no one is really giving an inch. It’s an ego circus but this time the lion is refusing to perform and the ringmaster is cracking his whip louder and louder. If you are trying to whip yourself into shape so to speak, most likely the wild part of you is going to come out all teeth blazing. Better to try to win the lions heart with kindness instead. Here kitty, kitty…

Venus makes a quincunx to Neptune on the 20th August which is like being drunk and wearing overly strong glasses all at the same time. Whether you take the glasses off or leave them on, you’re still seeing double. Perception today is distorted and it’s easy to be taken in by a sad story and find yourself donating to a non-existent animal shelter in Timbuktu.

Venus quincunx Neptune often talks of unnecessary suffering. Suffering comes from not allowing yourself to see the truth even when it’s staring you in the face. The trick with this aspect is to look with your heart. There may be a need to check in with yourself to see if your personal values are in line with your spiritual beliefs.

The Full Moon on the 21st August lands on the Sabian symbol A butterfly emerging from a Chrysalis which shows just how fragile and tender everything is right now. But it’s about being strong, breaking the ties that bind and pushing yourself out of confined corners in order to experience a new horizon. At some point, you will need to test your new wings and fly.

On the same day, Jupiter and Uranus perfect to a square, tightening the big planetary tee-square which has now turned into a Grand Cross with the addition of Venus. Jupiter and Uranus are freedom fighting humanitarians and there is an urge towards action. Find your faith. Jupiter and Uranus are in wild card mode suggesting anything is possible right now. The square is tense but it’s an air of anticipation. These two together bring a vision of the butterfly launching itself into the air to be carried wherever by the wind. Be ready.

And if that wasn’t enough for Wednesday’s action, Jupiter is also trine to Chiron which brings a lovely healing vibe to the whole thing. It’s almost as if Jupiter is saying; don’t be afraid of the unknown. Don’t let your fear of being hurt stop you from spreading your wings. Keep going.

A more grounded energy comes to the latter part of the week with the Sun moving into Virgo on the 22nd August and Mercury following suit on the 23rd August. Now the focus is being of service. With the big background action going on with Jupiter, a little of Virgo’s humility doesn’t go amiss. Time to organise your thoughts, your plans, your dreams – make them real and tangible. Give yourself a to-do list. Jupiter and Uranus in the background are great at the big stuff but there are some details to be thrashed out as well. Use these couple of days to mind-map, organise your closet, clear out the garage, darn your socks …Does anyone darn socks these days?

The week ends with a bang as the Moon triggers the Cardinal Grand Cross by uniting with Uranus on the 24th August, just as the Sun meets Mercury and Venus squares Pluto – yes, it’s intense!  Love, power, money, freedom, happiness, mind and purpose are all flagged issues. The difficulty with the Venus square to Pluto is that fear can get the better of you unless you remain vigilant.

Mercury opposite Neptune on the 25th August is back to my mother’s feeling that it’s a funny ol’ day. Something is amiss and maybe you can’t even put your finger on it. With the Virgo-Pisces emphasis, things can get lost – keys, small but important objects, the telephone number you were keeping on a scrap of paper. If you put it away, make sure you remember where you put it!

Scrutinize the ‘facts’ because things aren’t as they seem with this aspect. Someone may be trying to divert your attention away from the point. Worse than someone deceiving you, is deceiving yourself – especially with the overhang from the Venus square Pluto yesterday. Stay aware.