This week tugs once more at August’s rough pattern before gathering its loose ends to spin September’s tales.

A number of important transitions occur this week.  The week begins with Venus’s ingress into Virgo.  Venus is followed by the Sun Tuesday morning, marking our entrance to the last leg of the quarter.  The middle of the week is stormy, as the Moon’s pass through Cancer on Wednesday and Thursday fire up the Cardinal Cross again.  Not particularly pleasant, but it’s the final installment in this Summer’s series of Cardinal Crosses.  Nonetheless, beaming throughout the week is Friday’s direct station of Mercury, which brings an end to the 3 ½ week retrograde, clearing heads, loosening tongues and hatching plans.  Sunday concludes the week with the New Moon in Virgo, bringing a troubled lunar month to a close.

Spotless: Venus enters Virgo

After a burning journey through the hot savannahs of Leo, Venus entered the polite fields of Virgo on Sunday, the 21st.  Here the lady slips the lioness costume and puts on more conservative attire.  Venus’ move into Virgo shifts the passions into a more reflective but somewhat tightly strung place than they were whilst she was in Leo.  There is a critical tendency here which provides an opportunity to work on yourself and rewire the way you express your emotions here.  This is doubly true with Venus so close to the Sun right now, her invisibility to the naked eye and analogue to the introspective journey suggested.  The problem finding/fixing tendency of Venus over coming weeks, however, brings with it a propensity to fall into obsessive criticism of both yourself and others.  Venus will be in Virgo until September 14^th.

Harvest: The Sun enters Virgo

The Sun follows Venus into Virgo, entering the Harvest Fields on Tuesday the 23rd. The Sun’s time in Virgo shines a spotlight on our interface with physical reality, highlighting the habits by which maintain both our bodies and finances.  There is an air of review to the coming month, recognizing and refining what is working and addressing the problems with what isn’t.

Storm System Update:  Cardinal Cross Pt. 4

The Moon’s pass through Cancer on Wednesday and Thursday ignite the Cardinal Cross for the last time this Season.  The Moon’s pass through Cancer on Thursday the 25^th coincides with Mars’ exact Square with Saturn in Libra, a tense moment even without the Moon mid-wifing the stress along.

As with the other Cardinal Crosses in August’s difficult series, a little extra effort to stay out of trouble goes a long way.  Keep clear of ambient shitstorms and unnecessary dramas.  For issues that need to be seen through regardless of prevailing conditions, be prepared to handle a few bumps in the road and remember that all storms pass.   With the Moon and Mars in emotionally volatile Cancer, it’s doubly important to keep an eye on your feelings and to tread carefully around those of others.

As this is the last cross in August’s series, it will no doubt coincide with the final installment in the political/economic/natural messes which have unfolded since the Cross formed up on August 3^rd.

August’s Cardinal Crosses have presided over some pretty gnarly circumstances: the US credit rating getting downgraded, market panic, the UK riots, brutal suppression in Syria, uprisings in China and a slew of similar events.  However, these are not the petty acts of a spiteful god or the mindless effects of planetary weather.  Many of these events are expressions of underlying tensions- in many cases the tension between appearance and reality.  The American government needed a slap in the face for how it handled the debt crisis, the markets were banking on fantasy, the Syrians have good reason to revolt, and so on.  The same can be said of many of the sticky issues raised in people’s personal lives. As above, so below.

The Cardinal Cross tore a swath the worlds big and small, but not without reason.  As we weather the last installment this week, consider not what these circumstances have interfered with, but the truths that they exposed, however unpleasantly.  And, of course, what you’re going to do about it.

Mouthpiece: Mercury Stations Direct

The day after we clear the final Cross lies Mercury’s direct station.  After 3 ½ harrowing weeks retrograde, the messenger stations direct on Friday the 26th at 18 Leo.  This direct station brings the confusion and indeterminacy of the retrograde to a slow end, with answers coagulating out of the noise of past weeks.  Nonetheless, Mercury will l be within the shadow of his retrograde until mid-September.  It will take until that time to settle of all of the issues complicated and obscured by the past several weeks.  Work toward clarity but do not be impatient as to its arrival.

On a personal level, this direct station is particularly important for questions about who we are and how we represent that in our lives.

On a political level, Mercury’s direct station helps concretize issues pertaining to leadership.  In the US, Obama is in dire need of rebranding and the Republicans are  in the midst of sorting just who represents what.  The direct station also sets the wheels in motion for the resolution of less petty questions of leadership, such as those plaguing Libya, Egypt and the nation of Syria.  Look for decisive shifts in questions of leadership as Mercury revisits his retrograde degrees over the next few weeks.

Q3 Harvest:  The New Moon in Virgo

Sunday the 28^th sees this chaotic lunar month come to a close, seeding the next at 5 degrees Virgo.  The next month entails considerably more clarity and less madness.  Of particular interest are the series of Grand Trines we’ll be privy to.

The Sun and Venus’ (and later Mercury’s) move through Virgo will activate a series of Grand Earth Trines with Jupiter in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn that will run throughout the first half of September.    The Grand Trine is the planetary antipode to the difficult Grand Cross- it is an aspect pattern indicating a harmonious, smooth flow of energy in a given direction, as opposed to the Grand Cross’s tendency to pull one in all directions at once.  We’ll begin to smell the shift this week, but it won’t be until next that we click into the groove.

Containing Pluto, these Grand Earth Trines won’t be all honey dripping from the sky and money growing on trees, but they do represent a series of significant opportunities to transform the physical aspects of your life.  They will also oversee rewards for consistent efforts over the Summer, despite the sometimes gale-force winds.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes are not a real chart reading by an experienced astrologer. However, they are fun and can be reasonably accurate. In addition to referring to your Sun sign, read your from Ascendant and Moon if you know them. If you don’t, find out. I’m a long time fan of the free chart generation software at astro.com.

Oh, and if you’re still concerned that your sign has changed, get a little clarity here.

Aries: The Ram

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus increasingly toward your fiscal and physical health.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross are likely to stir up issues connected to your living situation.   Mercury’s direct station on the 26th lends clarity to lingering questions of what, exactly, to commit your energy to.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on 28th consolidates the shift toward the practical, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused squarely on improving your professional and material circumstances.

Taurus: The Bull

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus increasingly toward what you’re doing with your creative energy. Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may stir up issues with communications, especially with siblings and sibling-type relationships.  Mercury’s direct station on Friday 26th brings clarity to problems surrounding your living situation.  The New Moon in Virgo on 28th consolidates these shifts, readying you for a month of lifestyle redesign.

Gemini: The Twins

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus increasingly toward the maintenance work you need to do on your living situation.  Mid-week, Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross is likely to activate ongoing financial troubles.  Mercury’s direct station on the 26th lends clarity to how questions of self-expression, presentation and will also help reduce the chaos that’s crept into your schedule.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused squarely on improving your emotional and spiritual situation.

Cancer: The Crab

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus increasingly toward a number of small tasks that need attention. Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross is likely to make the temporary center of the ongoing chaos.  Turtle up and keep going.  Mercury’s direct station on Friday the 26th brings some clarity to your financial situation and solidifies your growing list of chores.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle with a very social theme.

Leo: The Lion

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus increasingly toward your financial health, asking you to review the resources at your disposal. Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may rouse a confusing set of feelings in response to complicated circumstances.  Breathe, and soon it’ll be Friday, host to Mercury’s direct station.  Merc’s direct station lends some clarity to personal assessment you’ve been engaged this month.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on the 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused squarely on improving your professional and material situation.

Virgo: The Virgin

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shifts the limelight onto you, spotlighting how, exactly, you’re doing.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross are may make for some uncomfortable social situations- you may want to go hermit mid-week.  Mercury’s direct station on Friday the 26th reveals the slowly emerging but so often hidden outlines of your core self, giving you the insight you need to answer the personal questions which have been plaguing you over the last month.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on the 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused on improving your personal life.

Libra: The Scales

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shifts your attention toward the thoughts you usually sweep under the rug, revealing forgotten feelings and covert cognitions.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may mix up a bit of mess in regard to professional affairs.  Sort through what you need to, careful to keep the drama to a minimum.  Mercury’s direct station on the 26th lends clarity to ongoing questions about who to connect with and why.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on the 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused on making improvements to your emotional and spiritual foundations.

Scorpio: The Scorpion

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus to your web of contacts and friends.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may to stir up some confusion about where you’re going, both literally, in terms of trips, and figuratively, in terms of life direction.  Mercury’s direct station on Friday the 26th lends clarity to ongoing questions in your professional life.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on the 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused on the social and romantic side of your life.

Sagittarius: The Archer

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus toward your professional situation.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may stir up issues connected to your business and personal partnerships.  What’s fair is fair, but what’s fair is often difficult to figure out.  Mercury’s direct station on Friday the 26th lends some clarity to questions surrounding your long term goals, making it easier to address pending career issues.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on the 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused on your improving the material layer of your life- professional, financial and physical.

Capricorn: The Goat

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus toward your long term goals.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross is likely to stress your relationships- keep a clear head and do what you can to assist others to do the same.  Mercury’s direct station on the 26th helps clarify questions of what is yours, what’s not and what’s shared, allowing you to fill in a few more details on your master plan.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on the 28th concretizes these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused on making quantifiable improvements to your lifestyle.

Aquarius: The Water Bearer

Venus’ and the Sun’s movement into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift the focus to business partnerships, joint bank accounts, and other resource sharing arrangements in your life.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may stir up ongoing issues with your fiscal and physical health, but will soon subside.  Mercury’s direct station on Friday the 26th brings clarity to August’s nagging focus on relationships and provides an insight into how to properly entangle your resources with others.  The New Moon in Virgo on the 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused on the relationship between the emotional and financial sides of your life.

Pisces: The Fish

Venus’ and the Sun’s movements into Virgo on the 21st and 23rd of August shift your focus toward your significant relationships.  Wednesday and Thursday’s Cardinal Cross may stir up some questions about what to devote your energy to, but the confusion subsides as we approach Mercury’s direct station on the 26th , which lends clarity to physical and fiscal issues.  Finally, the New Moon in Virgo on 28th consolidates these shifts, getting you ready for a lunar cycle focused squarely on improving your social circulation.

Portland and Seattle Lectures and Workshops

On my way to the great Northwest this September! Events in Seattle the 16th-18th and in Portland the 23-25th of September.

Private Consultations

If you find yourself a little confused by the strange waters of the season, or interested in a personalized map of those yet to come, consider a consultation. For details, click here. Send inquiries to ac@austincoppock.com.