Important astrological energies for the month of August 2018:

• Uranus in Taurus turns retrograde on August 7, 2018. It will re-enter the sign of Aries on November 6, 2018.
• Partial Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon in Leo occurs on August 11, 2018. This is the last eclipse of the year.
• Mercury in Leo turns direct on August 19, 2018. It went retrograde on July 26, 2018.
• Jupiter forms a trine to Neptune retrograde on August 19, 2018. This is the last time this trine occurs in this triad sequence. The first time it occurred was on December 2, 2017 when both planets were direct. The second time it occurred was on May 25, 2018 when Jupiter was retrograde and Neptune was direct.
• Full Moon with Sun in Virgo and Moon in Pisces occurs on August 26, 2018.
• Mars in Capricorn turns direct on August 27, 2018. Mars turned retrograde on June 26, 2018 when it was in the sign of Aquarius. It re-entered the sign of Capricorn in retrograde motion on August 12, 2018.

August 2018 – Re-Evaluation Time

By Misty Kuceris ©2018

The month of August 2018 is one where you find yourself returning to situations which have occurred in the past in order to either correct any errors or gain a deeper understanding of what occurred. Both Mars and Mercury are retrograde when the month starts and Mercury forms a series of triad sequences which bring you back to the month of July 2018 when these series first began. Jupiter forms the last of its aspects in a triad series that forces you to re-evaluate what occurred in December 2017. Uranus in Taurus turns retrograde and by November 2018 brings you smack back into the energy of Uranus in Aries which you’ve been dealing with for the past seven years. Throw in the last eclipse of the year and your subconscious mind has a party which forces you to consider the reality of your current situation.

As the month begins, Mercury retrograde forms a quincunx to Pluto retrograde on August 5^th. This is the first of the triad sequences that you’ll experience this month. Triad sequences are important to pay attention to. They occur when a faster moving planet starts in direct motion and turns retrograde. During the initial direct motion, the planet makes one or more aspects. When it turns retrograde, it makes the same aspect again but in retrograde motion. When it turns direct, the planet makes a third aspect. The first time that the aspect occurs there is something regarding the energy that comes to your conscious mind. You may not do anything with this knowledge the first time. The second time it occurs is when the planet is in retrograde motion. Once again you are “hit” with this energy and given a hint that you need to use this energy for some sort of lesson or forward progress in your life. By the time this aspect occurs for a third time, the planet is forcing you to pay attention so you can take a step with your personal growth.

The first time that Mercury formed a quincunx to Pluto retrograde it was in direct motion and the aspect occurred on July 16, 2018. At that time you needed to think about how you used personal power in your life. Did you communicate your needs to other people? Did other people try to manipulate you? Did you let other people manipulate you into situations which made you feel uncomfortable? When this aspect occurs for the third time on August 29, 2018 and Mercury is in direct motion, you’ll have the answer to many of those questions.

The key is to remember that a quincunx means you need to make adjustments in your life. You think that you know the direction you want to take but something gets in the way. You are forced to take a detour. When this quincunx occurs between Mercury and Pluto, you need to be careful with your communication style, especially with Mercury in Leo. You may say too much and later regret it because your words could be used against you. Or, you may find that other people are trying to control your life by using their words against you.

This desire to keep you from the truth is exacerbated because Ceres also forms an opposition to Neptune retrograde a few hours after Mercury retrograde forms the quincunx to Pluto retrograde. Usually you’re willing to compromise when Ceres is involved. And, with Ceres in Virgo, you want to keep it simple. But with Ceres forming the opposition to Neptune retrograde you’re not getting the truth from others. Either they are using passive-aggressive techniques, or they are just lying. Whatever you do, don’t sign any legal contracts right now.

Venus enters the sign of Libra on August 6^th and moves into a trine with Mars retrograde as well as an opposition to Chiron retrograde. Venus rules the sign of Libra and is normally very comfortable here. You want to work with others. You see relationships as important. You are willing to negotiate. But, you need to be careful with the opposition it’s forming to Chiron retrograde. You may be taking on the problems of others instead of putting your needs first.

The good news is that Venus is applying to a trine to Mars retrograde. This will help you find ways to work with others. There is a desire to work for the common good. You may even get involved with civic organizations that support your goals.

Normally when Uranus turns retrograde it isn’t that important. But today, August 7^th, that’s different. Uranus entered the sign of Taurus on May 15, 2018. It has only gone up to 02º33” of Taurus. Basically, when Uranus first enters a new sign, it only goes a few degrees into that new sign before it retrogrades and returns to the old sign for one last time. This initial short period of time for Uranus in a new sign means that you are getting an introduction to the paradigm shifts which will occur over the next seven years. It’s a hint, not the final outcome – yet.

Some of the hints that you may have received could be found in economic changes and increased use of cyber currency, such as bitcoins. Another area involves how strongly people believe in their value systems that they are willing to separate themselves from those whose values they don’t support.

With Uranus turning retrograde, it’s moving back to the sign of Aries and giving you the final opportunity for the next 84 years to clear up any problems which arose when Uranus was in the sign of Aries. Start reviewing your life for the last seven years to see where you need to go back and clear up any problems. If possible, do this before Uranus re-enters the sign of Aries on November 6, 2018.

When Venus forms an opposition to Chiron retrograde on August 8^th, you want to take care of your own needs as well as the needs of others since Venus is in Libra. You want to get over any pain that you’ve experienced or are experiencing. You don’t want to hold on to any negativity. This can actually be a great day for healing.

On August 9^th, Mercury retrograde forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde while Venus forms a quincunx to Uranus retrograde as well as a square to Saturn retrograde.

When Mercury retrograde forms the quincunx to Neptune retrograde this will be the second time this quincunx occurs in this triad sequence. The first time this occurred was on July 12, 2018 when Mercury was direct. The last time this occurs is on August 26, 2018 when Mercury is direct.

Because a quincunx represents adjustment, you may have needed to make adjustments with your dreams and aspirations in July, the first time this quincunx occurred. Perhaps you weren’t honest with yourself. Or, perhaps your dreams were too unrealistic. Or worse, perhaps you listened to other people who had their interests at heart but didn’t really care about your needs.

With Mercury retrograde forming the quincunx to Neptune retrograde you may feel confused when you’re listening to other people. You may find it difficult to get your thoughts in order. What you need to do during this time period is write down your dreams and realize they will change. Don’t spend a lot of time getting advice from other people. Instead, do your own research. Be as flexible as possible and don’t get locked into any decision right now.

Later in the day Venus forms a quincunx to Uranus retrograde. You’ll find that some of your dreams don’t match your ethical standards. You’ll also get an influx of new information which makes you question what you value. You may even feel under attack from the very people you love. Just keep your own counsel and continue waiting before making any major decisions.

This feeling that you’re being criticized continues as Venus forms a square to Saturn retrograde. You feel as if other people want you to play by their rules, not your rules. You’re trying to communicate with them, but they aren’t willing to listen.

Mercury retrograde forms a square to Jupiter on August 11^th a little more than two hours before the partial solar eclipse occurs. Once again Mercury is forming a triad sequence. The first time this occurred was on July 9, 2018 when Mercury was direct and Jupiter was retrograde. The last time it occurs is on August 28, 2018 when both Mercury and Jupiter are direct.

When Mercury formed the first square to Jupiter in July 2018, you may have made too many quick decisions and too many commitments. The reason is that your mind operates very quickly when Mercury forms a square to Jupiter and you either grasp concepts very well or you become too unfocused because you can’t keep up with your own thoughts.

Now with Mercury retrograde forming the square to Jupiter you need to re-evaluate some of your commitments. Perhaps you need to pull back and do less with your life. Or, you may want to use this energy to start developing some future plans and set some goals that you can implement around August 28, 2018 when both of these planets are direct.

As the final eclipse of the year occurs, you’ll feel the energy of Mercury retrograde forming a square to Jupiter, especially since this partial solar eclipse forms a conjunction to Mercury retrograde. It also forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde and Pluto retrograde forming the energy of a yod.

Be very careful with your relationships during this eclipse. You may find there is difficulty in communicating your needs. In addition, information which you receive may not be accurate because the eclipse is forming a quincunx to Neptune retrograde and Pluto retrograde and creating a yod. This is where you feel as if you are getting the truth only to find out later that people were using information, not accurately, to try to control and manipulate you. You need to stay true to your belief systems. If people tell you something that doesn’t support your belief system, research their information. Perhaps they are telling the truth and you need to re-evaluate your own beliefs. Or, perhaps they are just distorting the information so you can’t get at the truth.

On August 12^th, Mars re-enters the sign of Capricorn in retrograde motion. It went retrograde when it was in the sign of Aquarius on June 26, 2018.

Mars goes retrograde about every two years for about eight weeks. When it was retrograde in the sign of Aquarius, you needed to review your associations, especially those with social organizations. You also needed to check out what was on social media regarding your information. Now that Mars is re-entering the sign of Capricorn, you want to determine if this social information is impacting your work place or work abilities.

In addition, you may want to re-evaluate your job situation. You may decide that you’re in the wrong profession and want to start thinking about a new career. This is not the time to start job hunting, but it is the time to update your resume.

It’s also important to note that Ceres is forming a trine to Pluto retrograde on August 13^th. As you review your current job position, you may want to determine if it’s the environment of your workplace that you don’t like. You may like what you do, not just the people you do it with.

When Ceres does form the trine to Pluto retrograde, you feel pretty good about the choices you make in life. Ceres and Pluto have a symbiotic relationship. Ceres represents the need to compromise. Pluto retrograde indicates that sometimes you just want to take things without asking for permission. When Ceres forms the trine to Pluto retrograde you understand the importance of asking for permission. You realize that to get ahead you need the help of others. You can’t do everything alone.

Mercury in Leo turns stationary direct on August 19^th. It went retrograde on July 26, 2018. When Mercury was retrograde, you may have decided that it was better to stay in the background. Perhaps you felt that you were on stage too often. Or, perhaps an experience occurred that humbled you. Now with Mercury turning stationary direct, you are feeling that you can communicate with others and be on stage again. Any shyness you experienced is gone.

When Jupiter forms the trine to Neptune retrograde on August 19^th, this is the final time this trine is formed in this triad sequence. The first time the trine was formed was on December 2, 2017 when both planets were direct. The second time it formed was on May 25, 2018 when Jupiter was retrograde and Neptune was direct.

During the initial time period Jupiter formed the trine to Neptune in December 2017, you needed to realize that not all boundaries operate in your favor. You may have felt the need to move beyond those boundaries, especially those imposed by someone else. You also needed to understand your dreams so you could move forward towards your goals.

When Jupiter was retrograde, it formed the second trine to Neptune in May 2018. At that time it was important to re-evaluate your goals and see how they matched your dreams and aspirations.

If you used the previous time periods to do this, you are now ready to find realistic ways to implements your goals. This is a great time period to review or develop a long-term strategy with dated milestones. By placing a date on your milestones, you’ll make it easier to achieve your goals.

You may feel confused on August 22^nd when Venus forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde. When Venus and Neptune make an aspect, you have a desire to find the aspiration of your dreams, whether that aspiration is a person or a situation. But when the aspect is a quincunx, you can easily get confused with your value system. Or, you can get drawn into someone else’s dream state and find that what you want isn’t real. This is not a day to do anything which requires commitments. Remember that what you see may not be what is really there. You may only be seeing what you want and not the reality of the situation.

The Sun enters the sign of Virgo on August 23^rd. When the Sun is in Virgo you want to pay attention to your daily routine. You don’t want the unexpected to interfere. You want to know what is going on in your life.

This will be an interesting time period. The Sun will be forming a trine to Uranus retrograde and Saturn retrograde creating the energy of an earth grand trine. While unexpected circumstances may occur, you’ll be able to find a way to incorporate these situations into your life. They really won’t throw you off. At the same time, the Sun will also form an opposition to Chiron retrograde indicating that you need to be careful as you incorporate the unexpected into your life. You don’t want to cause any injuries by acting too quickly. If you are cautious, you’ll be all right.

On August 26^th a full Moon with Sun in Virgo and Moon in Pisces occurs. Later in the day, Venus forms a square to Pluto retrograde while Mercury forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde.

With the full Moon you want to understand how to incorporate new situations into your life, especially since the Moon is forming a sextile to Uranus retrograde while the Sun is forming a trine to Uranus retrograde. It’s important that you feel as if you have the right boundaries established. This will help you adapt to new situations in life.

When Venus forms the square to Pluto retrograde, you are able to evaluate your subconscious motivations for any actions you want to take. This can also help you adapt to new situations in your life. At the same time, be very careful with other people. Don’t let them manipulate you into doing something you don’t want to do.

As Mercury forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde you may want to please other people to the point of not taking your own needs into consideration. This is the third and last time that Mercury will form a quincunx to Neptune retrograde in this triad sequence. The first time that it occurred was on July 12, 2018 when Mercury was direct. The second time it occurred was on August 9, 2018 when Mercury was retrograde.

It’s difficult to see things clearly when Mercury forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde. You don’t have all the information you need. Other people are either withholding information from you or they are deceiving you. Whatever happens, proceed with caution. Don’t sign any contracts. Don’t make any commitments.

Mars in Capricorn turns stationary direct on August 27^th. It turned retrograde on June 26, 2018 when it was in the sign of Aquarius. It re-entered the sign of Capricorn in retrograde motion on August 12, 2018.

During the last few weeks you may have been re-evaluating how social information is impacting you, especially in the workplace. You may have also thought that perhaps you want to either find a new job or change your career. If you were updating your resume during the retrograde time period now is a great time to send out your resume and make appointments to find that new job.

When Mercury forms a square to Jupiter on August 28^th you feel as if you can do anything. At the same time, you need to be cautious. This is the third time this square occurs in this triad sequence. The first time that it occurred was on July 9, 2018 when Mercury was direct and Jupiter was retrograde. The second time it occurred was on August 11, 2018 when Mercury was retrograde and Jupiter was direct.

When Mercury formed the first square to Jupiter in July 2018, you may have been so excited about situations in your life that you made too many commitments. By the beginning of August when the second trine occurred with Mercury in retrograde motion, you may have realized just how much these commitments stood in the way of your own well-being. Now with Mercury again in direct motion it’s time to release any commitments which don’t support your life style or prevent you from enjoying life. But since there’s a tendency to say too much, don’t justify your behavior. You need to do what’s important in your life and you don’t need to explain why.

As the month of August ends, Mercury forms its third triad sequence on August 29^th. It forms a quincunx to Pluto retrograde. The first time that it formed a quincunx to Pluto retrograde was on July 16, 2018 when Mercury was in direct motion. The second time this quincunx occurred was when Mercury was in retrograde motion on August 5, 2018.

You want to move forward in life but you feel stifled. You feel as if other people are telling you what to do and you just can’t move forward with your life. It’s important that you don’t let other people manipulate you. You need to find a way to get on with your life and find your sense of personal power. By focusing on your personal power, you’ll know what you need to do for your personal growth.

For more information on Misty Kuceris, her classes and seminars, as well as other articles, just go to www.mistykuceris.com.

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