Current Transits for August 1999 Current Transits for August 1999Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mercury Direct Station at 28Cn35, 8-5
New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse at 18Le21, 8-11 -- yep, that eclipse!
Pallas enters Cancer, 8-18
Pluto Direct Station at 7Sa44, 8-18
Jupiter Retrograde Station at 4Ta59, 8-24
Full Moon at 3Pi17, 8-26
Vesta enters Libra, 8-27
Saturn Retrograde Station at 17Ta11, 8-29
Juno enters Sagittarius, 8-31
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Here's the show everyone's been talking about for so long. In a sense, the whole story this month is the solar eclipse on the 11th and the planetary storm that goes with it. Everything else in August is pretty much background noise. Expect a flurry of activity from the 6th to the 17th during the storm and keep your expectations low for the rest of the time, since there's so little planetary energy to support us during these other periods. The going may feel rather rough and challenging here and there, but no worse than what we've been experiencing in July already. Just be extra aware of any changes entering your life this month, since the eclipses are triggering some long-term (6-12 months) shifts for us. Take things slowly and keep your cool -- don't believe all the "doom and gloom" interpretations of this solar eclipse that you may have been reading. Your situation may actually turn out better than you can imagine presently.
Did I say there's a total solar eclipse on the 11th, part of a bigger planetary storm of considerable power? I'll be talking about this a lot later on. There's other news this month, of course. Such as 4 planets reaching their stations and 3 asteroids changing signs. Needless to say, there's plenty going on in August -- we should be quite busy!
Shout hurray! Mercury goes direct again on the 5th at 28Cn35, ending a murderous retrograde cycle. General consensus among those I've talked to is this has been one of the most difficult cycles in a long time. People's brains have really been mush and computers have been affected frequently, too. We're personally suffering from DMS (dead modem syndrome) and it looks like we're going to wait the entire retrograde cycle before it's replaced. Mercury completely exits this retrograde zone on the 20th. Take heart -- we will get our brain cells back soon.
OK, the eclipse. This event has gotten more press in the astrology magazines than any phenomenon I've seen, some articles going back 10 years or more. Lately, it's spilled over into the mainstream press as well -- even TIME magazine had a reference to it recently. It's bad enough that the eclipse chart is a difficult looking chart (one author went so far as to call it "the scariest chart I've ever seen!") and that eclipses have such a rotten reputation. The hoopla is intensified by two non-astrological factors: the "end of the millenium" fever that has gripped the mass psyche (especially now that it's taken tangible form as "the Y2K problem") and a curious prediction from Nostradamus that suggests some kind of trouble at this time. It should be remembered that Nostradamus' quatrains are extremely ambiguous and can be interpreted (if at all) in many ways -- his track record at prediction is probably much worse than the true believers will see. It's funny watching most astrologers who normally back away from "doom and gloom" predictions get sucked in by this one. The tales of impeding global disasters they're foretelling are a bit embarassing. Yes, it may be a troubling time ahead and yes, there may be some major catastrophe in the near future (when isn't there?) that people will blame on the eclipse, but I think all the negative hype is probably exaggerated. So let's back up a few steps, take a deep breath and look at what's actually happening around the 11th.
This is the final total solar eclipse (meaning the Moon completely covers up the Sun at some places on the earth's surface for a few minutes) of the century; the path of the Moon's shadow (which points to trouble spots on earth in the future) covers some known "hot-spots" in Europe, the Mid-East and Southern Asia. Plus, the eclipse point is just the start -- it's part of a bigger group of planets (known as a "Grand Cross") that are known to cause their share of troubles. Grand Crosses (regardless of the planets involved) have a reputation for stress and tension, often outright conflict. So far, it sounds like the "doom and gloom" people may be right. However, this is a very superficial reading of this chart, in my opinion. Worst case outcomes are common on the scale of countries and cultures (which operate as one large, unconscious "being"), but are anything but inevitable for an aware individual. Notice that the Sun and Moon are opposite Uranus, the Higher Mind -- the normal ego consciousness we operate from is face to face with the Intelligence of the Higher Self. This involves a radical break from our usual modes of behavior, since the same-old-games just aren't suited for living at this higher spiritual level. Something needs to shift and change, which is what eclipses are all about. The eclipse-Uranus arm of the Grand Cross is 90 degrees away from the Mars-Saturn axis. It's this second arm of the cross that really gives astrologers weak knees. These two planets are traditionally known as "Malefics" , meaning they "cause" all sorts of havoc and disaster for people. When operating in the outer world, they can mean things like war and famine. But when you encounter these energies within yourself, Mars is ego/willpower, anger and physical drive, while Saturn is fears, limitations and the tyranny of conformity. When a person is acting in a non-reflective manner, Mars and Saturn can reinforce this lower consciousness by locking us up with our own fears and passions. You can't break free until you master these lower drives. Looking at the Grand Cross now, we see Higher Intelligence breaking through to the personal self, cutting through the bonds of fear and passion. That's quite a different picture!
It's a law of the psyche/spirit that those experiences you don't encounter within yourself voluntarily (understanding them as being created within your own psyche) will have to be encountered in the outer world instead (in projected form) as fate and karma. Surely, if enough people act in a stupid fashion that's completely cut off from our spiritual roots, we can bring about suffering on a monumental scale. This century is littered with wars and destruction -- and our playtoys of war are more potent than ever. But just as surely, if enough people tackle the challenge of this eclipse in a conscious manner, facing all the conflicts within us that poison the world we create about us, it will unleash a powerful transformative force that can change us and the world for the better in the long run. Not that the short-term path won't have it's speedbumps -- that's par for the course when you're growing. But this eclipse isn't a prediction of unavoidable doom. If anything, the universe is throwing down the gauntlet before us, challenging us to do our best. We don't have to face this time as just "bad karma." The choice is ours to make.
Bear in mind that all this energy is not simply blasted at us only at the moment of the eclipse on the 11th. The planets in the Grand Cross (not to mention other patterns) are already exchanging contacts, starting with the Saturn-Uranus square (90 degrees apart) on July 17th (the weekend of the Kennedy plane crash). August 7th is a crucial buildup of energy, as the Sun, Mars and Uranus all aspect each other -- that's a recipe for fireworks! According to my A5 Spectrum graphs, the Grand Cross peaks in energy around midnight on the morning of the 9th (a 512 unit Koz Alert), so this could be a very powerful time as well. The eclipse itself, of course, is a potent moment, since it triggers everything into action; this is followed closely by Mars opposite Saturn. Watch how the energies ebb and flow (with a 2-3 day rhythm) during the 11 day storm, and how the ripples carry forward into the future.
The asteroid Pallas moves into Cancer on the 18th for a two month stay. The planning part of the mind, the ability to grasp an entire situation intuitively and chart a course of action, comes under the sway of the feelings and emotions. This may be in way of compensating for two months of Pallas in Gemini, when the thinking mind took off on an unchecked rampage. The rational mind (so-called) is prone to extreme positions because it has no gut level experiences to rein it in. The Cancer placement is a kind of reality check for the Pallas mind, forcing it to feel right instead of just sound good. The emotions are wise, even though our culture doesn't trust the feelings. Let them support you with their council.
Also on the 18th, Pluto is standing still at 7Sa44. Actually, as slow as Pluto is moving, it's practically standing still all month. Even though the Dark Lord is not part of the important planetary patterns now, the fact that it's stationary makes it this constant, unseen presence moving quietly in the shadows. I consider Pluto's direct station time to be the most critical of its entire cycle. This is when "the **** hits the fan" in all those situations that have been strained to the breaking point the last 5 months. It's generally a good idea to be willing to let go and move on when circumstances leave you no choice. That's Pluto's way of telling you those things have nothing to do with who you really are at your core. This is a time to lighten your load and refocus your attention on the things that really matter. You'll feel the difference in a few months when Pluto picks up steam again.
Jupiter is standing still on the 24th at 4Ta59, about to go into reverse gear. Jupiter is the part of us that reaches out to the world, expands our boundaries, brings us into contact with resources that enrich our lives. When Jupiter backs up like this, we spend a few months drawing away from the world into ourselves. It may feel like there's a lack of support for us or that material resources (Taurus) tend to dry up for a time. We're faced with making it on our own, without a shoulder to lean on when we "need" one. The fact of the matter is, we're strong enough to make it without help, but we don't often realize that until we're forced to actually do it. This is a time to consolidate your efforts and focus your energies on what's really important to you. You'll be able to thrive easily later on, when you reconnect with the outer world. Jupiter goes direct again at 25Ar00, on 12-20.
It's just a full moon -- no eclipse this time (or for 5 more months). The energy in the waveform is picking up just a little and getting more organized, concentrating especially at about 3 degrees of each sign. We're getting a breather to catch our bearings.
This feels like a time to pull back from all this activity in August -- relax some and reflect on the new paths that have been opening up. There's a quiet, receptive mood about this chart (coming through a soft Pisces Moon), as though we need to stop and feel in our bones the changes that are taking place in us. We need to ground this rather frenetic energy that's been taking over into our lives, literally binding it into our bodies and emotions. Of course, any time you take in new energies like this, you will also change. Try a more open, down to earth approach with others, relaxing into daily life without obsessing about it. There's a lot of wisdom and sanity in the body and feelings that the arrogant thinking mind usually overlooks and discounts. But it's easier to connect to your soul via these avenues than through the noisy chatter of the rational monkey-mind. Alot has happened to us in recent weeks -- we need time to sit back and mull it over. Slow and easy now -- there's a long path ahead of us.
Vesta slips into Libra on the 27th for two months. Vesta is normally retiring, drawing away from the world in order to reconnect with her own core self. Checking into Libra goes against this basic drive, because it forces Vesta to come to terms with others through relationships, to come out of her shell. This can be a time to understand how important partnerships are for you, and whether you're approaching them in a healthy or needy fashion. A person that's secure within herself is able to step in and out of relations without playing emotional games. It's time to promote harmony and respect with others, in order to create harmony within.
Saturn is at his retrograde station, 17Ta11, on the 29th. Sitting in Taurus, this adds a further emphasis on learning the lessons of dealing with the material world. Saturn normally deals with limitation and privations anyway, making the upcoming retrograde cycle a time to understand more deeply where these restrictions are coming from. Yes, you need to learn how to live within your means, but it's also important to figure out how to put your life on a sounder and more abundant foundation. Saturn goes direct at 10Ta17 on January 11, 2000.
Note that Jupiter and Saturn are ending their current 20 year cycle, starting a new one next spring when they're conjunct (at 22Ta43) on May 28. Do the cleanup work you need to relating to social rewards and obligations during the next 9 months so you can start the new cycle on a positive footing.
Juno reenters Sagittarius on the 31st until December 10. Here's yet another symbol of the need to get past your personal emotional storms so you can approach partners in a warm, inclusive manner. Relationships have become an important arena for personal growth in recent years, a stage where we act out and discover our truer spiritual identity. Every encounter with another person has the potential to expand our horizons, but only if you can relate to that person in the highest manner possible. It's time to get past the emotional garbage that prevents us from loving freely.