Lunar Living Astrology

Now that the Sun has moved into Leo, we have moved into the alleged "Dog Days" or the hottest portion of Summer. While the hottest is not always the case with August, what is true is that the ancient astronomers would see the star Sirius in the early mornings ahead of the Sun, around the beginning of August, thinking that the star had moved ahead of the Sun (when in truth it was the Earth that had moved). They called it the "days of the dog star" which I assume was eventually rephrased to The Dog Days of Summer. Add in the fact that this full moon is a Super Moon, being closer to the Earth, making it appear larger on the horizon. The Farmer's Almanac calls this the Sturgeon Moon, as the Native Americans of the tribe in the Northeast deemed this time to be good for Sturgeon fishing.

The Sun in Leo is opposing the Moon in Aquarius, and both are positioned over critical degrees, which tend to add tension to the day. Add in the fact that both are square to Jupiter in Taurus (T-square) and, yah, more tension. This tension is more about trying to fix things to match up with our own expectations, rather than letting the universe make the final decision. We need to stop forcing issues, for the day. The outcome may not be the one we want, but it may, in truth, be the best option for us, in the long run. Since we can't see what's to come of it, in the future, we are likely to feel hesitant, at least in the moment. Jupiter's transit through Taurus, the sign involving our personal safety and personal possessions, well, it is understandable why we are feeling so uncertain.

Mercury, now in Virgo, is opposing Saturn retrograde in Pisces. This will be another tension inducing transit that we need to think through before assuming anything. Logic is going to be our super power for the day. Remember that Mercury will be stationing retrograde on August 23. Plan ahead and get matters organized or finalized before the retrograde begins.

Remember during the last new moon that Venus in Leo was forming two inconjuncts to Neptune retrograde in Pisces and Pluto retrograde in Capricorn? The same aspects are still there, but this time, Venus is also retrograde. As had been mentioned, three important dates to these Venus inconjuncts were July 20, August 1, and August 5. So here we are, dealing with the lessons, to the best of our ability. Don't forget that our natural talents are being tested. How well we do, is really up to how much effort we want to put into these dates. Venus stationed retrograde on July 23 (GMT) and will continue to retrograde motion unil September 4 (GMT). It has been sad to see so many very talented and gifted individuals dying as Venus retrograde slid into place, but not surprising given that Leo has a tendency to put a spotlight on talents and, unfortunately, the retrograde of Venus is showing us what talents we are losing. While Venus is square to Uranus in Taurus, our sense of stability may also be shaken. We need to tap into our inner well-being so that we don't dwell on the loses.

Mars in Virgo, is gradually pushing through each sign a little faster. That's the nature of Mars until it hits the end of its leash (so to speak). Mars' transit through Virgo tends to feel a big awkward as it tries to balance its sense of vigor with Virgo's methodical pace. The key is to slow down (a little) to enjoy a less hectic process. Mars has the ability to hone our skills involving detail and focus while we re-evaluate some important factors that we may have missed over the past few months. Mars is trine to Jupiter in Taurus, helping us to expand on our work ethics and building better connections with those we work along side.

So this super full moon is the first of two, in August. There will be another super full moon in less than a month. In the meantime, let's focus our skills and abilities, especially while the Sun transits through Leo. Although the majority of the planets are still in the more introverted and internalized signs of the zodiac, we still have the abilities to show our strengths. It's not about changing ourselves, or others, for that matter, but taking the time to recognize the importance of our existence. Not to the detriment of others, but to the contribution of creating a better situation. There is only one planet in an Air sign during this full moon, so we may feel as though we don't have options. We do have options, just not always the ones we want to be contending with. Take the day to re-evaluate in order to openly evaluate our circumstances in a fresh new way.

The Super Blue Moon of August will be here soon enough to focus in on our new responsibilities.