Have you seen how enormous, optimistic and bright Venus looks in the Western sky each night just after sunset? As the largest ‘star’ she seems to be saying ‘Look at me, work out what I represent and use that energy as much as you can’. We’ll be needing the best of Venus throughout August to help get us through the climax of the Cardinal T-square. And Venus in her strength helps bring positive developments on the romance front.
We are now in the climax weeks of the Cardinal T-square. This world-changing alignment is shaking us up and pulling us in three or four directions simultaneously, and often painfully. Over the past months, the pressure has been building to negotiate and make choices about conflicting needs. Over the past week, Mars has come along like a hot spark and fired up the T-square further. August is the month for big crossroads decisions to be made, both personally and globally.
Since Mars’s arrival in the T-square, a new activist take on the global problem of war (a Mars theme) has come to us from Wikileaks, an Internet organisation run by Australian Julian Assange. Under the Full Moon in Aquarius on 26 July, Wikileaks uploaded a database of secret government files revealing staggering detailed records of the War in Afghanistan. Needless to say, these files blew the whistle on many previous hidden aspects of the war and have caused an uproar.
Wikileaks represents the energy of Uranus in the Cardinal T-square. Assange a maverick wildcard (Uranus keywords) has used computer and communications technology (again Uranus words) to disrupt and shock (more Uranus words). This happened under the last of the five Saturn-Uranus exact hits. Saturn represents governments, the military, classified information, rules and systems. In the example of Wikileaks, Uranus certainly got the upper-hand in the last stage of its battle with Saturn that started in 2008 and ended on 27 July 2010.
Saturn and Uranus are two of the key players in the Cardinal T-square, currently each opposite the other like two of the legs on a three-legged table. Pluto, the third leg of the T-square represents secrets, the dark-side, truth and transformation from dark to light. There’s no doubt the Pluto archetype was also activated through Wikileaks, with secrets coming to light and the dark side of power being flashed before our eyes like dirty laundry being aired.
At the time of the Wikileaks activism, Mars was in the last potent degrees of Virgo, the perfect zodiac sign to highlight mass details (Virgo) of war. On 30 July, Mars entered 00 Libra and since then Libran themes of justice have been strong: court threats, finger pointing and so on. If you’d like to read more about the astrology of Wikileaks and Assange, go here: http://planetwaves.net/astrologynews/2021964291.html
Wikileaks is just one example of the Cardinal T-square being more strongly activated. There has also been news of China’s worst known oil spill. As if the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster is not enough, now there is a huge one in China too. This happened on 16 July, a few days after July’s total eclipse, yet the extent of its size and damage is becoming more widely known under Mars’s influence. We’ve also recently had reports of devastating floods in Pakistan, large forest fires in Russia and the re-emergence of Bubonic Plague in Peru. So how big will the T-square effect get? With fiery inflammatory planet Mars now strongly in motion, things could escalate.
The bright message of Venus, however, guides us toward the least escalated outcome possible. In many ways we are blessed that Mars is in Venus’s sign, Libra. There’s no doubt that Mars in Libra fights for justice, compensation and balancing up the wrongs of the past and might get hot-headed and even violent while doing so. Yet Mars in Libra also fights for peace, love and a return to beauty. It’s clear for all to see that fighting violently for peace through acts of war only brings more war. There’s got to be another way to direct the Mars energy so that there’s no more bloodshed and, this month, Venus shows us how.
Venus says to Mars: Make a stand against injustice, defend and protect yourself, say ‘no’ as loudly as you need to; but do all of this with love and peace in mind as an outcome. Venus reminds the Mars part of ourselves that we are all inter-related. The web of connection between one person and the next will not be broken by attacking, running away from or attempting to chop off what we desperately dislike. If we use Mars in these negative ways, the web of connection only strengthens, magnifies and reverberates. We create karmic threads with our ‘enemies’ that boomerang back to us.
To truly free ourselves from the pain of conflict, hurts and injuries from the past, the Mars and Venus energies need to collaborate. There is nothing wrong with the Mars energy itself, with getting angry, with defending, with getting active and making a stand. Yet it’s how we use the Mars energy that matters. If we do it with a good dose of Venus, we’ll remember ‘do harm to none’, including ourselves. If we get angry and hurl abuse at the first person who walks in our path, we’ve not used Mars or Venus to good effect. If we get angry and do fifteen sit-ups to let off steam and work out our next strategy, we have used Mars and Venus to good effect. We’ve kept our bodies in shape (Venus)! We’ve stalled and bought time to calm down (Venus) and we’ve allowed insights to arise on how to go back into conflict (Mars) with new strategies (Venus).
Whenever we react, we go into fight, flight or freeze mode. These are the three normal human trigger reactions. When triggered, do you rush to attack or defend (fight), do you run away (flight) or do you freeze (dig in your heels and try to force the problem to go away)? We can all think of people who run from problems or use all their willpower to ignore them, or who jump in and fight. These Mars survival responses help keep us alive, but they’re meant to be momentary. Yet the human race seems to be developmentally stuck in these modes. And so this month, Venus shows us how to stay connected to what’s going on, present our case, and make innovative moves through conflict toward balance.
I just love thinking about what Venus, Mars and Saturn are up to in the sky this month. Checking them out visually is awe-inspiring. When you see Venus bright in the Western sky as the sun sets, look near her for the yellow ‘star’ Saturn and the red ‘star’ Mars. All three of them are hanging out close to each other. You’ll be able to see Mars and Saturn with the naked eye, but you might need binoculars to see their colours. There’s absolutely no missing Venus. She’s the star of the show. By the 13th, the crescent Moon joins these three planets and is sure to look incredible. Go here for more information on star viewing this month: http://museumvictoria.com.au/planetarium/discoverycentre/skynotes/skynotes-august-2010/
With Venus being a show stopper, our romantic love relationships are also highlighted this month. Of course, Venus is not only concerned with romantic love (she wants all forms of relationship to be functioning well) but there’s definitely something in the air with romance. Venus moves into Libra on 7 August and soon catches up to Saturn and Mars already both in Libra. Being the zodiac sign of relationships, Venus is very happy to be in her own sign and very strong in her own sign.
By 21 August, Venus catches up to Mars at 13 degrees Libra and the two of them travel in sync. This is a hopeful image of teamwork and collaboration. The year started with Venus and Mars quite far apart in the zodiac. Each month Venus has been getting slightly closer to Mars and this month she finally reaches him. For anyone who has felt estranged from a loved one, whether by conflict, distance or even death, the connection of Mars and Venus this month augurs well for reunions. You may not wish to physically reunite with a past loved one, but you might in your heart reach out to them or feel them reach out to you. Under this alignment of Venus and Mars, if you enter a reflective space, you might even feel a deceased loved one in your presence.
Truly it is a month for forgiving, healing and moving on. Every circumstance is different. Sometimes apologies are needed; sometimes compensation is needed; sometimes a conversation is needed; sometimes just sitting with a loved one and talking about the weather is needed. Venus helps us find the right degree of relatedness to suit each situation. Yet as much as Venus wants peace and good relating, she knows this is only sustainable if the wrongs of the past have been dealt with. And so Venus is also associated with justice.
Interestingly, on 22 August, the day after Venus and Mars unite, Mercury shifts Retrograde at 19 degrees Virgo. This is a sobering reminder not to gloss over past grievances or allow painful details to be overlooked. Of course give leeway and don’t harp on about every detail, but be careful not to go to the other extreme and blindly forgive. Both men and women alike need to watch the wily ways of their own Venus’s and be sure not to seduce or charm or allow another to seduce/charm them into moving on from the past without it being duly dealt with. Romancing, wining and dining certainly soothe the soul but important details must be addressed to ensure old patterns don’t repeat.
This is as important in new relationships as in old ones, for if we haven’t dealt with our old baggage, we’ll simply transfer it to a new relationship. We might briefly enjoy the pleasures of Venusian good times but it won’t be long before old patterns emerge. Mercury Retro says take your time, go slowly, don’t sign on the dotted line of any contracts, be they verbal or written, unless you feel sure all layers of an agreement are being attended to (e.g. both conscious and subconscious).
So for the first time all year Venus and Mars get together but it’s under the conditions of Mercury Retro, lasting three weeks. Be careful not to give up at the first miscommunication or confusion because communication mishaps are all too common under Mercury Retro. Mercury Retro challenges us to state our needs, not to just go along with the fun, flow and persuasion of fast words, but to double check we’ve been understood and that we understand others. Essentially Venus and Mars, through Mercury’s Retro phase, are learning to communicate with each other differently: to listen to each other better, to not jump to conclusions, to allow differences and build bridges.
The Mercury Retro phase also shows that although Venus and Mars come together in August they may not reach conclusive agreements this month. It may not be until later in the year when the Sun is in Libra in October, that the August Venus & Mars in Libra agreements come to fruition. In fact, between late August and October, Venus travels slightly ahead of Mars (as if guiding Mars to keep in mind the importance of using the Venus energy). The two reunite again on 4 October. So this month you might get the taste of a new romance or friendship or business contract but not see the full results until October.
Interestingly, there’s another huge alignment on 21 August – Saturn square Pluto. This is the third and final alignment of these two planets in a series of three that started in November 2009. This has the flavour of a power struggle whereby issues of control, respect and honour need to be sorted out. Mars and Venus therefore come together under very tense energies. It’s as if they’ve been at war themselves and need to find a way to create an intention around ‘power together’ rather than ‘power over’.
It’s fascinating to think that the Australian election date is 21 August. On this date we’ll get to witness a woman (Venus) fighting it out (Saturn square Pluto) with a man (Mars) for the top job. The astrology shows it’s likely to be a close call. Venus is strong in her sign Libra, whereas Mars is not happy in Libra, so perhaps things look just that bit better for Julia Gillard than Tony Abbott. But with Mercury going Retro at the time of the election, the voters’ last minute choices and preference votes, over issues of justice (Libra) might influence Julia’s chances. Many are still trying to decide whether Julia Gillard behaved unfairly in ousting Kevin Rudd, so it may not go her way that Venus is in Libra, the zodiac sign of justice. Perhaps the two major parties will be led to collaborate more if the Greens gain more power through protest votes.
Essentially August is a massive crossroads month. Many people will be walking away from difficult pasts and into bright futures. You might make a decision this month and take instant action. Or you might make a decision internally and take actions later in the year. Whatever the case, don’t be surprised if you, a loved one, work colleague or others suddenly say their goodbyes and head off in a different direction whether now or later. We’ll be tempted by Mars to use the old fight, flight or freeze behaviours because goodbyes usually contain some pain. But Venus will be shining brightly in the sky reminding us not to create karma through reactive actions.
The key dates for action from the Cardinal T-square planets (Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn & Pluto) throughout August are:
* 4 August – Jupiter square Pluto
* 14 August – Uranus retrogrades back into Pisces for a bit
* 17 August – Jupiter opposite Saturn
* 21 August – Pluto square Saturn
On these dates the planets throw challenges, so be prepared for curve-balls and remember to keep breathing and moving through them under Venus’s guidance. Another take on the above dates is that they might be key dates for breakthroughs, enabling us to shake off old problems and take quantum leaps into new futures.
The dates the Moon agitates the legs of Cardinal T-square are below. The influence of the Moon can send intensified energy and we are particularly vulnerable to being reactive on Moon days. So if you find yourself not able to keep your emotional equilibrium on the dates below, it’s only natural under the Moon’s influence. Call on Venus’s guidance to give yourself a fair go, have a rest, reach out for support and re-enter the drama of August when you’re feeling a bit better. Far better to rest and recuperate than get caught up in ‘Moon madness’.
Here are the dates when the Moon reaches each leg of the T-square/Cross:
* 31 July & 1 August – the Aries leg (where Uranus and Jupiter are)
* 7 & 8 August – the Cancer blank leg (no planets are here but the Moon itself on these days will turn the T-Square into a stimulating Grand Cross)
* 13 & 14 August – the Libra leg (where Saturn is)
* 20 & 21 August – the Capricorn leg (where Pluto is)
* 27 & 28 August – the Aries leg again
Fortunately the New and Full Moons this month are not in T-square zodiac signs. They bring in the helpful influence of zodiac signs not ‘under siege’ so to speak. Yet they are still Moon energies in a volatile month, so take extra care on these days. However, because Leo and Pisces are creative luck-changing zodiac signs, these are powerful dates to set fresh intentions for your dearest and most passionate dreams.
* 10 August – New Moon in Leo
* 25 August – Full Moon in Pisces
The New Moon in Leo on 10 August is a perfect date for celebrating everything good about life and focussing on joy, abundance and positivity. Leo reminds us to laugh and play, to get out, to dance and party, to shake off any stresses. In celebrating the joys of life we lift our vibrations to attract more joy and celebration.
The Full Moon in Pisces on 25 August offers a chance to join with others who are spiritually minded, to meditate for forgiveness, love and compassion and to tune in more easily to spirit beings. It also offers a chance to channel the creativity of divine inspiration whether through music, art or meditation and especially to connect with nature and send healing to the oceans that are being so traumatised by oil spills of late.
The book title ‘The Way of the Peaceful Warrior’ (published years ago by Dan Millman) keeps coming to mind. Guided by Venus, August truly is a month to practise the Way of the Peaceful Warrior.