Hi Everyone

Hope you had a great July.  After two really active months, astrologically speaking, August looks a little calmer.  Interestingly, the month begins and ends with a full moon.  When there are two full moons in one month, the second one is called a “blue moon.”  Hence the expression “once in a blue moon.”  A full moon occurs when the moon is in the opposite sign that the sun is in; a new moon occurs when they are in the same sign.

Full Moons

The first one, on August 1st, is at 10 degrees Aquarius and occurs at 11:27 p.m.  Attention all those with planets, Ascendent or other important points on your chart at 5-15 degrees Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Libra or Gemini.  The second full moon occurs on August 31st at 9:58 a.m. at 8 degrees Pisces.  Those with planets or other important points at 0-15 degrees Scorpio, Cancer, Virgo, Sagittarius or Gemini may feel the effects of this full moon more than others.

I like to think of the lunation cycle in terms of the relationship between the sun and moon — the male and female principles as they express through the qualities of the sign they are in.  At a new moon, there is the start of a new expression of the attributes of the sign; at the full moon we arrive at the fullest expression of whatever the “idea” was at the new moon.  This influence begins to wane (as the moon does) and we hopefully assimilate the new idea or make the shift indicated by the signs involved.  It is often a question of balancing these two seemingly opposing attributes, and recognizing that they are points on the same continuum.  The first full moon in August began with the new moon in Leo in July.  Leo is about the full expression of the totality of who we are.  It’s “opposing” sign, or where the full moon will occur, is in Aquarius, which is more concerned with the group, tearing down old structures (both individual and societal) that no longer work.  So it’s fully expressing ourselves for our benefit and the benefit of the group — however you want to define it — and dismantling structures that no longer work.  The second full moon began with the new moon in Virgo on August 17th.  Virgo is a sign of harvest and personal integration.  It is also the sign of service.  Pisces is the sign of faith, redemption and the desire to merge into something greater.  Again we have the theme of the individual and the group or that which is larger.

 Mercury: You’ll all be thrilled to know that Mercury goes direct on August 8th at 1:46 a.m.  Yeah!

Enjoy the rest of the summer and have a wonderful August!

Peace and blessings,

Margaret