Important astrological energies for the month of August 2012:

• Mercury makes major aspects throughout the month of August 2012 which echo many of the energies you felt at the end of June 2012 and the month of July 2012.
• Full Moon with Sun in Leo and Moon in Aquarius occurs on August 1, 2012.
• Venus enters the sign of Cancer on August 7, 2012 and starts the energy of a cardinal T-square which occurs on August 15, 2012 when Venus forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde and on August 16, 2012 when Venus forms a square to Uranus retrograde.
• Mercury in Leo, which went retrograde on July 14, 2012, on turns stationary direct on August 8, 2012.
• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Leo occurs on August 17, 2012.
• Moon’s North Node enters Scorpio and Moon’s South Node enters Taurus on August 29, 2012. They will remain in these signs until February 18, 2014. And,
• A second full Moon with Sun in Virgo and Moon in Pisces (a Blue Moon) occurs on August 31, 2014.

It’s More Than Déjà Vu

By Misty Kuceris ©2012

The month of August 2012 is going to remind you of events that occurred at the end of June and throughout the month of July 2012. The reason is that Mercury entered Leo on June 25^th and made many aspects which it repeated in July and will repeat in August 2012. You’ll hear a lot of the same things over again and you’ll feel as if you’re reliving past experiences. At least, however, you’ll be able to sort out all of the information by the end of August when Mercury finally makes a sextile to Saturn on August 29^th and leaves the sign of Leo on August 31^st. You’ll also be able to finally resolve some problems which kept cropping up throughout the month of July 2012.

With the full Moon occurring on August 1^st, you’ll feel a sense of optimism. The Sun is in Leo indicating that you’re important and the world is feeling generous. The Moon is in Aquarius indicating that you care about other people and they care about you. This is a time period to think of ways to let go of old grudges and moving on with your life. At that same time, there is an increased sense of competitiveness. You don’t want to lose even if you feel generous towards your main competitor. With the Olympics in full swing right now, the competitions should be interesting and the rivalries intense. The Olympics started on July 27^th and will end on August 12^th.

Mercury, in retrograde position, makes its first aspect for the month of August 2012. It forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde on August 3^rd. It first formed this quincunx in direct motion on June 28, 2012 just three days after it entered the sign of Leo. It will also make this same aspect again in direct motion on the 11^th of this month.

It’s hard to know what’s going on when Mercury makes an aspect to Neptune, even if that aspect is a trine. Perhaps it’s even more difficult with a trine because trines make things easier to happen. Be very careful of what you hear and read because a lot of it isn’t going to be true. With Mercury retrograde it’s not a good time to negotiate or make any new purchases. This is even more the case with Mercury retrograde forming a trine to Neptune retrograde.

On a spiritual level, Mercury forming a trine to Neptune can represent the need for you to reflect on your life and see if it’s going in the direction you want it to go. You may feel drawn to creative outlets of expression. You may feel the need to discuss spiritual matters with other people. You may even experience more compassion.

Politically you’ll see a lot of posturing now and throughout the month of August as Mercury makes various aspects. One of the biggest areas of posturing will surround the issue of “sequestration.” Perhaps you don’t remember the debt ceiling fiasco that occurred in 2011. But when the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) was signed by President Obama on August 2, 2011, $1.2 trillion mandatory budget cuts were required to start in January 2013 and go through the year 2021. These would be automatic, across the board, cuts if the “Super Committee” failed to reach a budget agreement in 2011. Of course, they failed. Pay attention to what is being said during this month regarding sequestration. Also, pay attention to any laws that Congress passes regarding sequestration. What you hear and see will give you a better understanding of what you can expect economically for the year 2013.

When Venus enters the sign of Cancer on August 7^th, the sense of optimism which was prevalent the last few days seems to start slipping. Part of the reason is that Venus, by entering the sign of Cancer begins the energy of a cardinal T-square. The actual cardinal T-square won’t occur until August 15^th and 16^th when Venus forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde and a square to Uranus retrograde.

When Venus is in Cancer, there is an emphasis on emotional security. In a relationship this means that you need to feel you can trust someone before getting involved, even if that relationship is a business relationship. There is also a need, when Venus is in Cancer, to protect those people in your life who you consider family. As you sense changes are going to happen to power structures in the world, you want to make certain that people who are important to you aren’t hurt. This can cause a feeling of anxiety if you feel you can’t control the situation. Worse, you may decide not to even think about the situation until it’s too late. So, it’s very important to pay attention to what’s going on around you.

Politically there will be difficulties with the leadership of the United States. You want to get that warm and fuzzy feeling from politicians. You’ll feel as if all they care about are themselves. And, it doesn’t matter what party you belong to. This is a bipartisan feeling. Also, watch world events, especially those occurring in the Euro Zone. There is a cry for more money going to the banks in Europe. And, this will have a definite impact on the stock market in the United States.

Mercury which went retrograde on July 14, 2012 turns stationary direct on August 8, 2012. In some ways, this Mercury retrograde was a “gentle” Mercury. The hubris which one normally expects with Mercury in Leo was toned down. But, with it turning direct you’ll once again hear people espousing their beliefs to the point that they are unwilling to listen to your beliefs.

The Moon is void-of-course in this chart indicating that you may not find much emotional satisfaction in listening to what others say. Also, as a member of the public, you can’t believe much of what you hear or read. What you would like to hear, is less partisan fighting and more compromising. However, that won’t happen.

Before Venus forms the cardinal T-square, it forms a trine to Neptune retrograde on August 9^th. Things seem better economically. However, all of that is an illusion. The facts are being distorted. Be very careful if you must make any major purchases because there are hidden costs in the contract. You won’t see them now but you’ll probably see them when the cardinal T-square activates on August 15^th and August 16^th.

Venus forming a trine to Neptune retrograde is very interesting on a personal level. It could bring a soul mate into your life. Or, it could bring a deceitful person into your live. You don’t know until there’s a tension aspect which brings out the truth. That tension aspect will occur on August 15^th and August 16^th.

August 11^th is the third time since Mercury entered Leo that Mercury forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde. The first time it occurred was on June 28^th when Mercury was in direct motion. The second time it occurred was on August 3^rd when Mercury was retrograde. Now Mercury is direct again. Each time you needed to be careful with any information you received because you weren’t being told the full truth. It’s possible that the truth is revealed now, but you still need to be careful. You may not want to hear the truth.

You’ll also hear about another scandal, probably in the sports arena. The Olympics will hold their closing ceremonies on August 12^th. It’s possible there is another doping scandal where an Olympian loses his or her medal. Or, the scandal may not involve the sporting industry but rather involve another major university figure.

Spiritually you could have some moments of deeper understanding. Perhaps you were trying to figure out an important aspect of your life around the end of June 2012. And, it may have been one of those situations where no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t get the answer. Today you receive your answer. Listen closely because it may come from an unexpected source.

The cardinal T-square energy which you felt when Venus entered the sign of Cancer on August 7, 2012, now manifests as Venus forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde on August 15^th. This is going to be a very intense day. Venus, if only for two days, creates a cardinal T-square which emphasizes the greater square between Uranus and Pluto. Mars forms a conjunction to Saturn a few hours later on the same day. The world may be rocking with a serious of difficulties: the stock market, military actions, political bickering, and employment.

Venus and Mars are personal planets, so you may feel stuck. You may feel as if too much negative energy is swirling around you and you don’t have any control. The way to protect yourself from negative energy is to maintain relationships with your family and friends. Try not to take your frustration out on them. Do the best you can not to be too critical of their actions. They are feeling just as frustrated.

The energy continues to intensify on August 16^th as Venus forms a trine to Chiron and later completes the cardinal T-square by forming a square to Uranus retrograde. Normally there’s an opportunity for healing to occur when Venus forms a trine to Chiron. However, you may feel that people aren’t paying attention to what you need as Venus forms that square to Uranus retrograde. You may feel as if they are bringing up old problems that you thought were resolved. You may feel as if people in your life are playing games. If at all possible, let go of those old pains. Try a little forgiveness. Holding on to the past won’t solve problems today.

It may be easier to let go of the past and solve problems on August 17^th as the new Moon occurs in the sign of Leo. This new Moon forms a sextile to the Mars/Saturn conjunction which occurred a few days earlier. This means that you can use your ability to create solutions from understanding the past and letting go of what is no longer important. Look at some of the fears you have and try to see if they are based in reality. If they are, create solutions which can change that reality. If they are not based in reality, understand what the reality really is.

August 18^th is going to be another very intense day. It starts with Mercury forming a quincunx to Pluto retrograde. Later that same day, Mercury forms a quincunx to Chiron retrograde. This creates a yod, or the fickle finger of God as some astrologers like to call it. It means that whatever you have to say needs to be explained. With Pluto you may feel that other people are trying to manipulate you into their belief system. With Chiron you may feel that other people don’t care about your feelings. They would just rather get their own way. Also, be cautious because accidents can happen with these two planets involved. However, what’s important about this yod is that this is the third time this yod has occurred. It first occurred on July 4^th and July 5^th when Mercury formed similar aspects in direct motion. It occurred for the second time between July 24^th and July 25^th when Mercury formed similar aspects in retrograde motion. And during all those three times periods, Mercury also formed a trine to Uranus.

With Mercury forming a trine to Uranus retrograde for the third time on August 18^th, you can finally let people know what you think. You can stand up for your rights. But, take the time to think before you speak because you might say too much and regret it later.

Be careful with any outdoor plans that you have today, August 18^th, because the weather is going to be very erratic. Depending on where you live, you may find either too much rain occurring or drought occurring. It will either be too hot to do things outdoors or too thunderous.

On August 22^nd, the Sun enters the sign of Virgo and Mercury forms its third sextile to Jupiter. There are various ways that this energy can impact your life. The Sun will form an opposition to Neptune retrograde the next day indicating that you feel confused about what direction to take regarding the next steps of your life. Meanwhile, you may feel very optimistic about things with the trine Mercury forms to Jupiter. This is a good day to listen to your intuition. You may have started a new project on June 29^th when Mercury formed its first sextile to Jupiter. Or, you may have decided the new project wasn’t quite right and needed adjustments when Mercury retrograde formed the second sextile to Jupiter on July 24^th. Today you’ll know just what you need to do with that new project to make it successful. The best thing to do is to put it all down in writing so you can see how realistic it is. That will help you know whether your optimism is well placed or needs a little modification.

Mars enters the sign of Scorpio on August 23^rd the day after the Sun enters Virgo. Mars is very comfortable in the sign of Scorpio, its ruler. This is where you feel as if you are able to focus your energy and take the steps you want to succeed in life.

Mars will form a trine to Neptune retrograde on August 26^th indicating that your dreams are very important. In the positive, you can move forward with your dreams and find a way to achieve them. However, Mars forming a trine to Neptune retrograde can also indicate that you aren’t taking everything into consideration. There may be things which you are missing. Be very careful with what other people say. Check out the information before you act on it.

You may also feel a little lethargic with Mars forming the trine to Neptune retrograde. Rather than moving forward with your goals, you may want to pull back and reflect on those goals. If that’s the case, just relax and, if possible, take the day off. Think of things that you can do to improve your health. Perhaps have a spa day. Or, go off on a meditation retreat.

You may even want to take August 28^th off as well. Mercury forms its third sextile to Ceres this day. The first time that Mercury formed a sextile to Ceres was on June 26, 2012. The second time it formed the sextile was on July 22^nd when it was in retrograde motion. Perhaps you may want to call your mother and see how things are going. Or, perhaps you want to help out a friend. This is a good day to talk about your feelings. It’s also a good time to compromise on matters that need resolution. Both you and the other person will actually feel good about the compromise.

On August 29^th, you’ll finally understand all the information that’s been floating around for the past six weeks. This is the day when Mercury forms a sextile to Saturn and finally moves from past events into the future. Unlike the other aspects that Mercury made during the months of June, July, and August, this is the first, and only, time that Mercury is making an aspect to Saturn during this stay in the sign of Leo. All the feelings of déjà vu that you experienced earlier are not occurring at this time. You can actually wrap your head around situations in your life and not feel as if you’re being driven by past events. You’re hearing some new information. You’re getting some new facts. You’re able to sort things out and understand them better.

A few hours after Mercury forms a sextile to Saturn on August 29^th, the Moon’s North Node enters the sign of Scorpio and the Moon’s South Node enters the sign of Taurus. The Moon’s nodal axis will remain in their signs until February 18, 2014. While the nodes are astronomical points and not planets, their cycle is very important. They are the intersecting points of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, and their respective orbits. This is a cycle that occurs approximately every 19 years and lasts for about 1.5 years.

The Moon’s North Node represents what a country strives to achieve during this cycle while the Moon’s South Node represents what it attempts to hold on to. Also, the Moon’s South Node represents the fears that politicians try to use in order to get the public to agree with their legal or policy changes.

When the Moon’s North Node is in Scorpio, it deals with other people’s money and value systems. There may be ways that people are trying to figure out how to use other people’s money. Perhaps investors are trying to figure out how to make money from leveraging. Also, economic problems come to the surface and the results must be resolved to prevent economic collapse. The Moon’s South Node in Taurus relates to people trying to hold on to their own values. Politicians will try to use the fear tactic that if they are not elected, people will either lose what they consider most important to them or fall into economic chaos.

At this time the public wants to have a better life. They want to have their values be the driving force of their society. They are willing to fight for what they believe in. These fights will be very intense. In some countries, these fights will be violent until the old leadership is toppled. However, not all the information needed to increase security is known. More importantly, with the Moon’s North Node in Scorpio, the changes aren’t going to occur quickly. They need to be implemented in a slow, methodical way.

During this next 1.5 years, you need to take back your financial security. You also need to take back your privacy. While social networks will not go away, you may find that you don’t participate as much as you used to. You’ll see laws that try to protect your privacy from data invasion as more people use smart phones as a primary source of sending and retrieving information. While there’s hope that other people may take care of you, you’ll learn that you have to be proactive in your life if you want to protect your privacy. You need to make choices in your life and not let other people do that for you.

As this month ends, the second full Moon for the month of August occurs on the 31^st followed by Mercury entering the sign of Virgo.

The second full Moon is called a Blue Moon and you’ve probably heard the saying, “Once in a blue Moon.” With the Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Pisces, it’s important that you pay attention to details in your life. Emotionally, you may feel that other people aren’t really listening to you as the Moon in Pisces forms a conjunction to Chiron retrograde and Neptune retrograde. But, if they aren’t listening to you, it’s because you aren’t really communicating your needs. Since the Moon also forms a trine to Mars, you need to make the effort. Other people can’t read your mind. On the other hand, you may decide that you need to keep things private right now and make your own decisions. This is a good time to determine what you want to share with others and what you want to keep private.

Normally when Mercury enters the sign of Virgo it is very comfortable in its rulership sign. Usually you are able to think about things clearly. You seem to know what you have to do. However, as Mercury enters the sign of Virgo, it forms an opposition to Neptune retrograde on the following day indicating that your thoughts are not as clear as you think. You may feel inspired to say something, but you don’t have all the facts. You need to be very careful with negotiations for this reason. Other people are either deceiving you or withholding critical information. But even with Mercury forming an opposition to Neptune, you’ll still be able to start sorting things in your life and moving forward with your goals. The sense of déjà vu is finally over, at least for now.