All information contained herein is written by and the property of Lynn Hayes. You may include a portion of this information on your website without permission, but please be sure to include a link back to the article and clearly indicate the writer of the information.

SKYWATCH - AUGUST 2009

8/1 Venus opposes Pluto
8/2 Mercury enters Virgo
8/3 Mercury trine Pluto
Ceres enters Libra
8/5 Full Moon at 13 Aquarius 8:55 pm
8/6 Pluto squares Ceres
8/7 Mercury sextile Venus
8/10 Mars square Saturn
8/13 Mars trine Jupiter
8/14 Sun opposite Jupiter
8/15 Mars trine Chiron
8/16 Sun opposite Chiron
8/17 Sun sextile Mars
Mercury conjunct Saturn
Sun opposite Neptune
Mars trine Neptune
8/18 Mars square Uranus
8/19 Venus sextile Saturn
8/20 New Moon at 27 Leo, 6:02 am
8/21 Mercury opposite Uranus
8/22 Venus trine Uranus
Sun enters Virgo
8/23 Sun trine Pluto
8/25 Mars enters Cancer
Mercury enters Libra
Mercury squares Mars
8/26 Mercury square Pluto
Venus enters Leo
Mars opposite Pluto
8/28 Mercury sextile Venus

All dates and times Eastern Daylight Time; please adjust for your time zone.

The big astrological news in August is the continuing conjunction of Chiron and Neptune. Although the first phase of this cycle peaked at the end of May, these two planets will continue to be locked together within two degrees until they reach the culmination of the second phase in February of 2010. The impact of this planetary cycle will gradually become more comfortable as we become more accustomed to the pressure to go deep into the core of our being and release our attachment to the old wounds (Chiron) that keep us from connecting to our true divine selves (Neptune).

Jupiter was a part of that conjunction in May, June and July but is now beginning to retrograde away from the other two and will be working more independently until it joins the other two in December for one last dance. The addition of Jupiter here has opened doorways to new experiences that assist in the process, but under Jupiter's influence it was also easier to avoid the potential intensity of the experience. Without Jupiter the healing process will be unadulterated and pure; more concentrated and probably more powerful.

Five planets are retrograde now including Uranus, Pluto, Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune, turning our attention back towards the past as we continue to tie up loose ends of our evolutionary journey. Pluto will be the first to turn direct (in early September) and then we will have more of a feeling of moving forward again.

On the first day of August Venus has just entered the emotional and nurturing sign of Cancer and this alters somewhat our perspectives of our relationship to others and to the world in general for the next few weeks. Venus describes the way we connect to our outer world, and in Cancer there is a protective instinct and a sensitivity to the plight of the world around us. This will be particularly powerful on the first of the month when Venus forms a challenging opposition to Pluto. Our awareness of our connections to others is deepened for a day or two, and it is no longer satisfying to relate on a superficial level. This short-lived transit has the potential to uncover problems in our relationships that may have previously been hidden.

On the 2nd, Mercury (communication and learning) enters its own sign of Virgo, and for the next few weeks we have a greater ability to focus on the details and create order in our lives. This is particularly true on the 3rd when Mercury forms a harmonious trine to Pluto and is able to harmonize with Pluto's laserlike focus and intensity.

You may notice that this month I have added Ceres to the pantheon of Skywatch planetary guides. Although I do not usually work with the asteroids in consultations, when Ceres was reclassified along with Pluto I started to incorporate her into client charts to see if she would begin talking to me. I feel I have a better understanding of her now and will begin including her in both the Daily and Monthly Skywatch articles.

Ceres enters Libra on August 3. In my view, Ceres acts as the "higher octave" of the Moon. Where the Moon signifies our personal emotional experience and the nurture of the individual soul, Ceres has to do with our connection to our life on Planet Earth and how well we nurture that experience. It has a more transpersonal flavor and tells us that our family is a global one and not just an individual tribe.

Ceres enters Libra on August 3, where it will bring our attention to a greater need to cooperate and build alliances. Poverty and hunger will become more obvious as our eye is turned to the needs of those outside of our immediate community.

Once Ceres enters Libra it will be within range of a square to Pluto which will intensify this awareness and expose any areas where we are not adequately nurturing ourselves. In the natal chart, Ceres/Pluto aspects are associated with eating disorders and a sense of deprivation. There can be dissociation and a disregard for the physical body.

This aspect is incorporated into the chart of the Full Moon on August 5 at 8:55 pm EDT. The Full Moon is an astronomical eclipse because the lunation will be within the prescribed fifteen degrees of the lunar nodes, but astrologically it is a weak eclipse because the nodes are fourteen degrees from the Moon. Still - this is a Full Moon and therefore powerful in its own right.

A Full Moon occurs with the Sun is opposite the Moon, and the solar principle of Self and consciousness faces off against the lunar principle of Soul and instinct. The Sun illuminates the Moon during a Full Moon event, and that instinctive emotional force gains power and visibility.

This Full Moon is in Aquarius, opposing the Sun in Leo. The Leo/Aquarius polarity asks us to balance the need of the individual ego to fully express itself (Leo) relative to the need for a more transpersonal experience that opens us to new ideas and a sense of justice for all. A trine from Mars during this Full Moon helps to energize and provide inspiration, but the approaching square from Mars to Saturn suggests that this inspiration and excitement will tend to be blocked and forced to ripen before action can be taken.

Still, Mercury is in a harmonious sextile with Venus which will help us to create linkages with others to facilitate and empower the change that the Aquarian Full Moon demands. The focus here is on the needs of the collective, but with that Ceres/Pluto square it will be important to nurture ourselves on the deepest level as well.

That sextile of Mercury to Venus peaks on August 7, and between the 5th and the 7th are excellent times for writing projects or really anything that is creative. These are also good days for financial planning, or for re-visioning other aspects of your life.

These days will not, however, be as favored for taking action until the square from Mars to Saturn has peaked on the 10th. After that time Mars will begin to form a trine to expansive and lucky Jupiter, and this will be the time to make your move. That trine from Mars to Jupiter culminates on the 13th. At that point you will still be feeling lucky, but when the Sun opposes Jupiter on the 14th that sense of luck may turn into overconfidence so be careful and don't take any big risks on that day.

On the 15th and for a few days before, a trine of Mars to Chiron will turn our attention back towards areas where we may be oversensitive. On the 16th an opposition from the Sun to Chiron illuminates those areas and we may feel somewhat exposed. This can be a positive experience if we pay conscious attention to these feelings and allow healing to occur there.

The next few days carry a fair amount of intensity. On the 17th, there is a general sense of inspiration and motivation (Sun sextile Mars) combined with a tendency towards pessimism (Mercury conjunct Saturn) that can be turned around by applying a conscious and disciplined (Saturn) focus on that which is practical. At the same time, we feel a call from the Soul within with a trine of Mars to Neptune which urges us to dive deep into the well of universal compassion and bliss, and transcend the personal with an opposition from Neptune to the Sun.

At the same time we are likely to feel a deep restlessness as Mars approaches a square to rebellious Uranus that culminates on the 18th. These few days will require a balancing act and conscious integration of the Neptunian need for a spiritual experience, Saturn's call to attend to details, and the Uranian urge to kick it all to the curb and start anew.

This square of Mars to Uranus is incorporated into the chart of the Leo New Moon on August 20th which imbibes it with an explosive potential to create exciting new change in our lives. A Leo New Moon is all about "ME"!! What do I want in my life? How am I not expressing myself fully? Where am I feeling hidden or alone? The New Moon opposes the Triple Conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune and therefore becomes a turning point for the deep internal processing that has been occurring over the past few months.

There is a delicate dance that occurs in this New Moon. The Triple Conjunction in Aquarius is teaching that by surrendering the needs of the ego to protect itself, great healing and transcendent transformation can occur. The Leo New Moon demands that we fully actualize the Self and honor the radiance of our individuality. Now it is time to bring the pendulum to the center and create a balance of these two extremes of expression.

The New Moon also incorporates a harmonious sextile from Venus to Saturn which helps to provide stability and the assistance of others in our life, and the approaching trine from Venus to Uranus (culminating on the 22nd) which suggests the arrival of new partners to assist with this Great Work, or new ways of relating to the people that are already in our life. When we activate the balance between the Leo need for individuality and the Aquarian need for the transpersonal, our relationships are forever transformed as well.

Also assisting in the process at the New Moon is an opposition from Mercury (thoughts and ideas) to Uranus, ruler of Aquarius and the instigator of change. This is a challenging aspect because under its influence we are dissatisfied with the status quo, but that very dissatisfaction is what helps to foster and create new ideas for the future. This aspect culminates on the 21st of August, and after that the intensity will subside (for a few days at least).

The Sun enters Virgo on the 22nd, bringing us back down to earth and turning our attention to the details of life. Now it's time to take the lofty ideals and experiences of the New Moon and instill them into our world in a way that has practical meaning for our day-to-day lives. A trine from the Sun to Pluto empowers us to take the changes we have envisioned and manifest them directly into our experience.

Mars enters Cancer and Mercury enters Libra on the 25th and the two immediately face off in a square formation. With Mars and Mercury square to each other there can be challenges to communication and we may experience difficulty concentrating. In Cancer Mars loses some of its fire. It becomes more sensitive and reactive and can only be truly effective when its passion is turned towards protecting loved ones. Mercury in Libra is excellent for negotiation and diplomacy because there is a clear vision of both sides of an issue, but closure can be difficult to achieve.

At the same time, both Mars and Mercury, already square to each other, are lining up to square Pluto in an aspect which perfects on the 26th. This can lead to conflicts of various kinds, both internal and external. As with any challenging Mars event, channeling the Martian energy constructively and vigorously will help to prevent eruptions caused by blockages of that energy.

On the positive side, challenging transits of Pluto provide the opportunity for transformation at the deepest level. Arguments and power conflicts that occur during this time will draw out long-simmering resentments and will result in lasting solutions.

Venus enters Leo on the 26th and for a few weeks our interactions with others will be more enjoyable. There is likely to be more interest at that point in socializing and meeting new people. When Mercury forms a harmonious sextile to Venus on the 28th communication becomes much more pleasant and ideas are exchanged with greater ease. This will be a welcome relief from the intensity of the previous week!

Next month we will discuss the return of the opposition of Saturn to Uranus. You may want to prepare by reading my article from the first phase of the cycle which occurred last November.