August 1 Venus enters Cancer With Venus in Cancer from August 1-27, the emphasis this month is on finding ways to nurture others and ourselves. Many associate the traditional nurturing quality of Cancer with that of the "smother mother," the overbearing, codependent, and disempowering nurturer. This month we have an opportunity to take a deeper look at what nurturing can be. Venus in Cancer asks us to open up to become instruments for Divine Mother to flow through us and into the lives of others. When we are in touch with the Divine Mother — who is compassionate, all-nurturing, and protective — ourselves, then we don't have to work so hard to nurture others. As we open to the grace of Divine Mother flowing through us, there is no sense of being "sucked dry" by the needs of others, because we have established our connection with divine nurturance. Ask yourself this month: Who nurtures the nurturer? If you find that you are better at receiving than giving, take time this month to find out what really nurtures you. As you establish that nurturing connection, you will find that it will be much easier to unconditionally nurture others. August 3 Full moon in Aquarius The full moon occurs in Aquarius on August 3. For this next month, the emphasis is on learning how to detach emotionally in a positive way. The moon in Aquarius calls us to learn how we can be emotionally present to others while maintaining our individuality and our own center. The Aquarius moon will also heighten our desire to find the "tribe" or community that supports and nourishes our vision. August 4-6 Venus conjunct Jupiter Just after Venus moves into Cancer, it will be at the same degree as Jupiter in Cancer. Venus and Jupiter are the most beneficial planets, and together they bring expansion, joy, and abundance. Use this transit to open your heart and to discover how you can put your compassion and unconditional love for others into action. August 13 Mercury enters Virgo Mercury moves through the sign of Virgo from August 13-September 1. Use this period to focus on the details of your life that have not been attended to recently. Even though we may not be consciously aware of it, our energy is continually being drained by incomplete actions. For example, if we have borrowed a book from someone and we have been meaning to return it but haven't, some of our attention and energy is being drained to track that incomplete action. Use this Mercury period to clean up any energy drains in your life so that you will be clearer and have more energy to focus on your highest priorities. You can also use the discriminative and analytic powers of Mercury in Virgo this month to get clear on the ways that you can streamline your life in the areas of health, daily routine, mind/body awareness, and work/service. August 18 New moon in Leo With the new moon in Leo, the focus this month is on nurturing ourselves through bringing out the divine child within. The divine child is the source of our creativity, spontaneity, and enthusiasm. Its qualities are mirrored back to us through the love and appreciation we have for the innocence and directness of the external children we meet in our day-to-day lives. What we love about our external children is the exact qualities inherent in our own divine child. Use this month to tap into your sense of wonder and awe, the joy and aliveness that you receive by being totally present and in the moment. Bring a sense of play into your life by being willing to let go of your seriousness and self-consciousness. And remember: no matter how deep your child may be buried among the rubble of responsibility and duty, if you take some time this month to nurture yourself on this level, you may be pleasantly surprised to find a willing child that wants to come out and play! August 20-25 Mars sextile Uranus Mars in Sagittarius is in positive relationship with Uranus in Aquarius from August 20-25. Mars/Uranus energy tends to speed up the nervous system, so if you feel wired, take some time to do some deep breathing. Mars/Uranus energy is very good when you have to be daring or audacious in your work or home life. It's a time to take risks and push the envelope. Let Mars and Uranus help you to take the next step in your evolution: moving beyond what you once thought was possible. August 22 Sun enters Virgo The sun moves into the sign of Virgo on August 22 at 6:27 p.m. The reaping of the harvest begun in Leo now reaches full harvest in Virgo: a harvest culled using the discriminative faculties with the intent of doing it cleanly, precisely, and with care. The Virgo principle involves analyzing and improving upon the creative output generated in Leo through discernment and efficiency. Our job during the sign of Virgo is to utilize the discriminative faculties of the mind and our discipleship to improve and perfect the physical vehicle so that it becomes a purified vessel for divine spirit. August 26 Venus enters Leo Venus will move through the sign of Leo from August 26-September 21. With Venus in Leo, we have an opportunity to reinvent our values so that they are rooted in our own unique experience. Having clarified our values, the natural inclination is to want to share our values with others; to connect and link up with like-minded souls who support our individuality and creativity. By sharing with and being supported by like-minded souls, we have an opportunity to share our heart with others; to let down our guard so that we can be truly received and appreciated for who we are. This can be a time of major heart opening. The Venus-in-Leo transit brings out our passion and desire to speak from our hearts. Venus in Leo calls us to return to the innocence of the child within; to allow the spontaneous outpouring of love to emanate from the heart chakra. With Venus in Leo, we have an opportunity to liberate our hearts, to break free from inhibitions or beliefs that have kept our hearts from being fully opened in the past. August 26 Chiron goes direct Chiron, which has been retrograde since April 7, goes direct on August 26 at 22 degrees Sagittarius. Pluto also goes direct this month on August 23 at 12 degrees Sagittarius. With both Chiron and Pluto retrograde in Sagittarius since March/April, the focus has definitely been on healing the wounds we have around trusting our inherent wisdom. Now that both planets are going direct, we can focus on this issue more consciously. One of the ways to do this healing is through letting go of the hold of the conscious mind. It is our need to know, to do it right, or to have everything figured out in advance that prevents us from tapping into the collective wisdom represented by the sign of Sagittarius. Many believe that this collective wisdom is now emanating from the galactic center of our galaxy, which is currently situated at 26 degrees, 52 minutes Sagittarius. Astronomers tell us that the galactic center emanates one hundred times the energy of our sun! It is thought that the galactic center is a source, or origin, for universal consciousness beaming down to the earth. The challenge with Pluto and Chiron in Sagittarius is to suspend the rational mind long enough so that we can experience this truth for ourselves. August 31-November 7 Mercury enters Libra With Mercury in Libra from August 31-November 7, the emphasis is on coming into balance through pulling on our mental qualities of objectivity and equality. Although the sign of Libra is often depicted as somewhat wishy-washy, the truth is that Libran energy can be quite strong. Mercury in Libra, in particular, is the champion of justice, and can be quite bold and outspoken when things become unjust. While Mercury is in Libra, we become the adjudicators or arbitrators of justice in our lives, speaking out against any injustice that is pulling us out of balance. This is particularly relevant to personal relationships. Have you gotten out of balance by being overly centered on someone else's needs to the extent that you have lost track of what you need for yourself? Do you find that you are giving to others way more than you are receiving? If so, you can use this time to work on creating more egalitarian and just relationships in your life. With Mercury in Libra, the challenge is to look at our addiction to being nice, to the way we accommodate the needs of others to the point that we lose ourselves. We have an opportunity now to step back and be more objective and detached about what needs to be communicated. The focus now is on communicating what is just, fair, and equitable. With Mercury in Libra, we have the opportunity to speak the truth without fear of what others will think of us. August 31-September 2 Venus opposes Neptune Just after Venus moves into Leo, it will move into a positive configuration with Neptune in Aquarius. Venus in opposition to Neptune asks us to balance our personal desires with our impulse to serve the collective. Use this transit to open your heart and to discover how you can put your compassion and unconditional love for others into action. James Jarvis, M.A., is a master astrologer, professional life coach, and transpersonal counselor. See display ad for information on his August schedule in Portland. For those who want support in discovering, clarifying and manifesting their vision, James is available for astrological consultations and life coaching sessions by phone. For a brochure of his services, or to schedule phone or mail order consultations, call (831) 688-0574, e-mail <jjarvis@lifeqwest.com>, or visit <http://www.lifeqwest.com>. If you would like to receive James' free e-mail newsletter, send your e-mail address to <newsletter@lifeqwest.com>. |
By adding the universal year 2001 (2+0+0+1=3) to the 8th month of August, we come up with the vibration of 11/2. The main themes of "2" month are reflection, cooperation, and harmonization. We can achieve a great deal this month by bringing our lives into greater balance and harmony and through working in cooperation with others. In a "2" month, we learn to harmonize with life so that it becomes a cooperative effort rather than just an individual one. Use this month to reflect on the new life experiences and directions that you initiated last month. Ask yourself: What is the universal feedback that I am being given about the new directions that I have chosen?