REMINDER

New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.

New Moon at 15° of Leo
Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 2:51 p.m. PDT
Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 5:51 p.m. EST
Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 9:51 p.m. GMT

In the Pacific Time Zone, the New Moon will occur at 2:51 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6. This New Moon finds the Moon and Sun in conjunction (0°) at 15° of Leo. To further clarify how this New Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 15° of Leo in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with that house are going to be most influenced by this New Moon’s presence.

New Moons are always a time of new beginnings in the sign in which they occur. This time, the New Moon is in the sign of Leo. Leo is a fixed fire sign, which means that it is determined (and even stubborn) in its efforts to initiate new things. The sign of Leo brings attention to what we love and what we want to create. Each of us is a star in our own play. As we evolve, our essence and our unique Divine spark needs to shine brightly on the stage of our life.

The energy of a New Moon in Leo works best when our creativity and self-expression are not stifled in any way. This is a good time to give ourselves “free reign” to imagine our world as we’d like it to be. This encourages bold thinking, which is one of the hallmarks of Leo. The lower expression of Leo’s energy would be to puff ourselves up with self-importance, act arrogantly, or to dramatize our feelings. But Leo really does have the heart of a child. When this sweet energy is combined with an adult mind, then we have the capacity for creating amazing things. But to successfully do this, it is important to let go of any felt need for recognition and to not focus on any rewards that could be gained. The joy of creating and the freedom of self-expression are their own rewards now.

At the time of the New Moon, Uranus in Aries is trine (120°) the Sun and Moon. This powerful combination of reminds us that we can either (a) be the agents of desirable change or (b) we can be the recipients of unpleasant and unexpected transformation, particularly when it comes to areas of creativity and self-expression. A key phrase for Uranus is “change or be changed.” It takes courage and confidence to tap into this fiery energy, but the rewards will be worth the effort!

In addition to last month’s water Grand Trine and last week’s Grand Sextile, many additional astrological events are making this summer a very powerful time to be a human being on Mother Earth:

A few days before the New Moon (Sunday, August 4), a brilliant Sun-Uranus trine (120°) occurs. We can use this energy to gain new insights into old limitations, which may clear the way for fresh forms of creativity, love, and play. Pleasant changes are likely, but we have to remain flexible in order to successfully navigate them. Now is a good time to think outside the box and look at new ways to approach old problems. Unusual or unconventional approaches may reap rewards. Regardless, the New Moon’s pairing with Uranus will bring fresh and lively energy into your life for several days.
Jupiter, the planet of expansion, plays a very important role in this New Moon in Leo; and it continues to do so through the first half of 2014. On Wednesday, August 7, Jupiter makes the first of three exact oppositions (180°) to Pluto. It then forms the first of three exact squares (90°) to Uranus on Wednesday, August 21. This forms a cardinal T-square (right triangle) configuration with Uranus squaring both Pluto and Jupiter. Because of the slower moving nature of these planets, the effects of this configuration will be felt for weeks before and weeks after the exact aspects form. Therefore, this T-square is likely to influence us throughout August. It is very powerful! Jupiter in Cancer expands our understanding of how we relate to our feelings, family, and food. However, its opposition to Pluto in Capricorn exposes the beliefs and structures that need to be transformed or eliminated. It can also exaggerate the need to be right, and we may find that our beliefs or judgments can be extreme. A better use of this opposition is to shed light on the so-called “truth” and examine it to see if our beliefs may actually be hindering our movement forward on our evolutionary path. This examination can lead to positive transformations and increased tolerance for differences, both individually and collectively. And Jupiter’s square to Uranus in Aries catalyzes revolutionary approaches and heightens drives to autonomy, innovation, and reform. Due to Uranus undergoing 7 squares (90°) to Pluto between 2012 and 2015, the presence of jovial Jupiter in caring Cancer for the next few months may help provide some compassion to the forces of change inherent in these Uranus-Pluto squares.
Also, around this same time, Jupiter in Cancer forms a water Grand Trine (equilateral triangle) with Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. This free flowing emotional and spiritual energy will increase our capacity for empathy, accountability, and altruism.
On Thursday, August 8, Mercury leaves cautious Cancer and moves into Leo, where it will remain until August 24. This will give voice and intellectual form to emerging ideas. Our thinking becomes bolder, and our ideas are expressed with more fervor. We will find ourselves wanting to be focused on a goal . . . and the grander the goal the better! Although Mercury in Leo is prone to story-telling and speech-giving, we are also more convincing and persuasive at this time.
On Sunday, August 11, a square (90°) between Mercury and Saturn demands accountability in our communication. We may need to set new boundaries or explore new ways to structure our communication so we are better understood. We may also find that our communication pathways are blocked or delayed, and we could get stuck in some negative thinking. Just be patient . . . the energy will shift in a few short days (see next bullet!).
On Wednesday, August 14, a beautiful trine (120°) between Mercury and Uranus occurs. This will bring inspiration and insight that helps remove any emotional or intellectual limits. This is a good time for meetings or organized group activities. Communicating online or anything involving computers should go smoothly. Also, our intuitive abilities are heightened.
On Thursday, August 15, a fleeting fire Grand Trine (equilateral triangle) is formed between the Moon, Uranus, and Mercury. It is important now to speak carefully because the presence of Uranus may cause our emotions (Moon) and words (Mercury) to come out spontaneously, if we aren’t careful. Given the fiery energy involved, we could come across as blunt or insensitive right now. But this wonderful flow of energy could see insightful conversations, changes in how we communicate our emotions, or even brilliant insights that “come out of the blue.” Our intuition may allow us to see new possibilities.
On Friday, August 16, Venus moves into her home sign of Libra for a delightful month-long visit. Yes, Venus in Libra can cause people to feel a need to “put on a happy face” in order to “keep the peace.” However, covering our problems with a layer of “I’m fine, really, I’m fine!” messages isn’t the best use of this energy. Instead, use the charming energy of Venus in Libra to be willing to open your ears and meet others halfway. It can bring a sense of harmony that supports social activities, artistic endeavors, and partnerships of all kinds.

Overall, this New Moon in Leo is showing us that it is important to live from our essence rather than our ego. The happier we are, the better the world becomes. We need to shine our creative light upon the world. It may be a good time to ask yourself: What brings me joy? What breaks my heart? If I could change one thing in the world, what would that be? This New Moon, and the powerful aspects occurring around the time of the New Moon, are asking us to remember, “What is being asked here is for us to embody our own star consciousness. That is to say the star of your own being is rising. This is a unique and auspicious time to be seen in the world and to emerge as a conscious teacher of something that this life has taught you. You have wonderful things to share. Do not hold back.” (Christopher Stewart)

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM

The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
Various online sources
Anne’s interpretations

Just a quick email about a very special and extremely rare event occurring on Monday, July 29. It will actually start on Sunday, July 28, at about 10:00 p.m. (PST) and continue until approximately 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30. Although the actual Grand Sextile formation is rather fleeting, many believe that you may have started to feel the influence of this event up to a month ago, and it’s effect will likely continue through much of August.

What is occurring is called a Grand Sextile. This is a very rare astrological configuration that last occurred in 1945. It is formed when two equilateral triangles (trines of 120°) line up so perfectly that they form a hexagram, with each point on the 6-sided star about 60° apart (sextiles, with an orb of 5°). The planets involved are the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. It is the ultimate symmetrical configuration. The hexagon is a very powerful symbol in sacred geometry, where it is referred to as a “Star Tetrahedron” or “Merkaba.” This specific Grand Sextile is being referred to in some articles as the Star of David Celestial Alignment.

All Grand Sextiles open portals of energy, but this energy is accessible to those who consciously choose to tune in to it. It represents the ultimate in balance and harmony. The corners of one of the equilateral triangles are in water signs, and water is associated with emotions and spirituality. The corners of the other equilateral triangle are all in Earth signs. This summer’s Grand Sextile is, therefore, helping all of us to manifest our Divine purpose here on the Earth plane. There are tremendous opportunities available now, but we need to consciously choose to take advantage of them.

Although very positive, the energy of a Grand Sextile can cause us to feel pulled in 6 different directions at once. This can cause us to feel scattered and not take advantage of this opportunity. The presence of squares (90°) and oppositions (180°) at the time of a Grand Sextile will help us focus and take action.

Luckily, there are two T-squares occurring at the same time as the Grand Sextile. T-squares always involve at least one opposition (180°) and at least two squares (90°), forming a right triangle. Having these challenging configurations present is particularly helpful because all 6 corners of this Grand Sextile occur in feminine signs, which can cause us to feel more passive than usual. These two T-squares will keep us from floating away in a cloud of bliss.

In fact, events may be occurring now that feel almost soap-opera-ish in their magnitude and intensity. We may need to face the death of something in order to rise up and pursue our destiny. Face up to your inner truth by taking a serious look at what should be let go of and where you will need to focus your attention. This letting go process will lead to self-renewal.

The Grand Sextile gives you the opportunity to see things more clearly. As stated by Robert Wilkinson, benefiting from this configuration “may involve a certain type of specialized genius or unique self-expression, anchored in the core teaching of learning how to get beyond fear.” At this time, it may be helpful to focus on the image of a phoenix rising from the ashes.

In the metaphysical community, many channeled messages have portended this to be a time when a window of immense opportunity will open allowing the potential of accelerated evolution for individuals and humanity. It is a time when we can choose peace and prosperity, for ourselves and for everyone. Some people believe that the energy doorways opened on December 21, 2012, will now be manifested in physical form.

So during this special time, take a moment (or two) out of your busy life to go inward to your sacred self. Get clear about what you truly want. Then make a wish on this sacred star. And in the coming weeks, use the supportive energy that will be available to us in the form of many trines (120°) and sextiles (60°) to make those wishes come true through concrete actions. And remember, “We are all born with a divine fire in us. Our efforts should be to give wings to this fire and fill the world with the glow of its goodness.” (Abdul Kalam)

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM

The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
Various online sources
Anne’s interpretations

REMINDER

New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.

Full Moon at 1° of Aquarius
Monday, July 22, 2013, at 11:17 a.m. PDT
Monday, July 22, 2013, at 2:17 p.m. EST
Monday, July 22, 2013, at 6:17 p.m. GMT

Written by Anne Reith, Ph.D. on 19 July 2013

In the Pacific Time Zone (PST), the Moon will be full at 11:17 a.m. on Monday, July 22. With this Full Moon, the Sun in Leo will be in opposition (180°) to the Moon in Aquarius. To further clarify how this Full Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 1° of Leo and 1° of Aquarius in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with those two houses are going to be most impacted by this Full Moon’s presence.

Just hours before this Full Moon, the Sun moved out of Virgo and into the sign of Leo. This Full Moon is located at the very beginning of Leo (1°), which means that we are likely feeling ready to express our personal power and creativity. However, the Moon is also located at the very beginning of Aquarius (1°), which means we are also feeling ready to create new alliances and collaborations.

All Full Moons require balancing two seemingly dissimilar aspects of life. This time, we need to find a way to address the needs of Leo, which wants to be the star of the show, and the needs of Aquarius, which wants to remain in the shadows, working behind the scenes to help create a show that serves the greatest good. So this Full Moon in Aquarius is about finding a balance between our individual hopes (Leo) and our shared dreams (Aquarius). Good questions to ask yourself now include: What do I love? What do I want to change? What fears do I need to face?

However, this Full Moon is supercharged in several ways:

This Full Moon in Aquarius is the final of three consecutive SuperMoons, when the orbital path of the Moon is closest to the Earth (perigee) and is in greatest alignment with the Sun (syzygy). By increasing the gravitational pulls on both Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants, this SuperMoon intensifies the power of an already incredibly powerful Full Moon!
Two days before the Full Moon (Saturday, July 20), Mercury ends its retrograde phase and begins moving direct again. Over the next few days, it is likely we will all see a gradual increase in both the quantity and quality of communication. We will begin to feel ready to take action (or at least talk about) those issues we’ve been rethinking, revising, revamping, and reconsidering during the past three or so weeks. And because Mars trines (120°) both Saturn and Neptune on the same day that Mercury turns direct, our thoughts, words, and actions are likely to be elegant, efficient, and a major signal to start taking action to turn our big plans and dreams into reality.
At the time of the Full Moon, Saturn squares (90°) the Sun and Moon. Squares are tough energetically. They point to what needs to be changed in order to continue on our path. With Saturn squaring both the Sun and Moon, we are being encouraged (dare I even say forced?) to redefine our priorities. We may face delays in our creative projects while obstacles are removed or resources are found to make progress possible. We are being held fully accountable for our decisions and our actions, and we will each need to make some tough choices. If our true responsibilities are ignored, the results can be disastrous later on, which is why this astrological configuration between the Sun, Moon, and Saturn is best reframed as an “opportunity” for change.
As was mentioned in the last Moon Update, a rare water grand trine (equilateral triangle) between Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune has been influencing us for the last few weeks and will continue to impact us through at least the end of this month and into the first part of August. This configuration is powerful!
Then on Saturday, July 20, the power of the water grand trine heightens when one planet in the equilateral triangle (i.e., Jupiter) conjoins (0°) Mars. The blending of Mars and Jupiter is like adding a power pack to the grand trine. It will provide energy, courage, and enthusiasm. We are very likely going to feel an increased sense of confidence and a readiness to take action. When combined with Saturn’s practical focus and Neptune’s ideals, this Mars-Jupiter pairing offers a wonderful jumpstart for linking up with like-minded others and sharing ideas, talents, and resources for social change. It is an excellent reminder that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Together we are exponentially more powerful when we work together.
And finally, on the same day as the Full Moon, Venus leaves insecure Cancer and moves into picky Virgo. If we allow it, fussiness and excessive worry can get in the way of fun. However, one of the positive attributes of this placement is that our ability to pay attention to what we value can help us clean up any monetary or relationship issues. We are also more able to now express our love through practical means (e.g., running errands). We also will want our relationships and recreation to make sense.

Later in the month, several checkpoints along our spiritual path are provided to make sure that our dreams are based in reality, which is done to help us actually see our dreams manifest and come to fruition:

· On Saturday, July 27, the Sun will form an exact square (90°) to Saturn. As mentioned above, squares can be challenging. They mark turning points and times when change is needed in order to move forward. This specific square can be a productive influence if we can flow with the need for restraint and preparation. It can help us to see how we can shine our personal light and express our life’s purpose in responsible ways.

· From July 27-31, Mars will square (90°) both Uranus and Pluto, forming a potent t-square configuration (right triangle). This will very likely bring long-standing issues to a head. At this time, it is very important that we curb any tendency to jump to conclusions, act aggressively, or engage in unnecessary power struggles. Instead, we need to pick our battles carefully and use the influence of this t-square to identify any of our needs that aren’t being met. We need to think outside the box and look for win-win solutions. For those who become easily frustrated or distracted, this can be a frustrating time. But for those who are fully committed to their projects and willing to work hard, this t-square can provide you with the strength to narrow your focus even further so success is more likely.

Overall, this very powerful Full Moon in Aquarius is asking us to find a balance between self-interest and collective concerns. Due to the square (90°) to Saturn at the time of this Full Moon, we need to rein in any excess and use patience to determine the best ways to utilize our resources. But the rare water grand trine occurring this month is going to provide us all with wonderful resources, such as creativity, intuition, and empathy. It is important to see the benefits of the “reality checks” that occur later in the month . . . they are provided as a way to help us separate fantasy from fiction. And remember: “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid” (Audre Lorde).

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM

The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
Various online sources
Anne’s interpretations