Summary:
August will bring a major development. Mighty good-fortune Jupiter will enter your sixth house of health and fitness for the first time in twelve years. This is grand news, for if you want to lose weight and get fit, Jupiter’s placement in this house ? which will last until September 2004 ? will help you accomplish that goal. Simultaneously, Saturn’s placement in Cancer in a challenging angle to your Sun will also help you lose weight. From now on, there’ll be no more excuses! Your best time to launch a new diet and fitness program would be at the new moon on August 27. Quite simply, this will be the best time of the decade for such efforts. If you have a medical condition, you will now be able to find a specialist who understands your case. Keep searching.

Work will become much more interesting after August 27 too, when an enviable assignment needs your special touch. You’ll be charmed to hear your boss feels only you can bring it to full potential. Do a great job on this and your future at this firm will be assured. This is also a great time (in the days that follow August 27) to add a pet to your home.

Socially, this month will almost be a perfect “10.” The first ten days should be magically romantic. If you can slip away on a vacation in August’s first half, you will have chosen the best time to do so. Single or attached, this will be a fun month. Near the full moon, August 12, you may receive an unexpected invitation to a festive event that will place you among many friends, relatives or colleagues ? you’ll need a classy outfit, as many eyes will be on you!

Life is hard enough, but to have to struggle with your ruling planet Mars retrograde this month could put your nerves to the test. OK, I exaggerate a little. Things aren’t THAT bad, but no matter how you slice or dice it, nothing will move at a snappy pace this month. That doesn’t mean you have to hibernate or, worse, give up. It just means you will have to be a little more patient and allot more time to everything you do.

Here is the scoop. On July 29, Mars went to sleep, and it seemed the rest of the world did, too. Generally, Mars gives you ? and others ? a bouncy get-up-and-go. But with the Red Planet in retrograde from July 29 until September 27, decisions won’t get made, people you need to see with won’t be in, and projects will stall. Budgets will run over, deadlines will run late. As you near the end of the month and move into September, this trend will only intensify.

If it helps, the rest of us are in the same boat. You may feel things a bit more strongly, however, because Mars is your ruling planet. As an Aries, you don’t like being told to wait for better days ? that’s not your style! You are always in a hurry to get things done. Even you, dear Aries, will learn that the world has a timetable of its own, and that timetable doesn’t necessarily conform to yours.

Is that so bad? Sometimes the universe deliberately slows us down so that we can see the flaws in our assumptions. View this month as a golden opportunity to look into each of your projects now and to find ways to make them better or more compelling.

The first two weeks of August will look downright peppy compared to an even greater slowdown to come at month’s end when Mercury will start to retrograde (August 28 until September 20). Mercury will join Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, planets already in retro-mode. With this many planets in retrograde, it is clear that the universe wants you to focus on projects and people you are involved with now, rather than to try to launch anything new. It is never a good idea to venture into new territory while so many key planets are retrograde.

What’s a girl or guy to do? Just know that ON or AFTER September 20 Mercury will go direct again, bringing everything back to a comforting normal speed. It could be worse, right?

Actually, in a twist of astrological events, Pluto will turn direct in your house of higher education and travel on August 28 ? either activity may be on your agenda near that time.

Neptune will not turn direct until late October, and Uranus won’t follow suit until early November. Thankfully, this won’t hold you back much. Neither of these planets have the influence of Mercury and Mars when retrograde, so late September/early October will be your time to see the breakthrough you so dearly desire.

Luckily, not EVERYTHING will be out of whack in August. Your love life, for instance, should still be operating at full throttle. Considering your horoscope picture for August, you might as well dive wholeheartedly into the social scene and let more mundane matters like business and day-to-day duties take care of themselves. (The new moon on August 27 will help you rotate back into those matters, and will give you a big boost. We’ll talk about that later.)

The July 29 new moon in fellow fire sign Leo, filling your fifth house of true love, still has plenty of kick. That’s good news for you! That new moon is powerful enough to flood your fifth house of love with music and the scent of deliciously passionate flowers. This period will be so dreamy, you’ll feel in a trance in early August. All new moons create an aura of two weeks of golden energy, so you will still have the first half of this month to get out and circulate. Find out what life has to offer you. If single and looking, you could meet someone mighty special.

Readers born on March 26 (plus or minus five days) will benefit most from that lovely new moon that fell in the last days of July. Still, all of you will be able to find ways to make this new moon work for you ? don’t give up if you aren’t an early born Aries.

There are FOUR solidly good date nights due during this period.

The first will be right off the bat, Saturday, August 2, when the moon will glide in your partnership sign Libra. This should bring a soft, romantic experience. There is gentleness about this day you may enjoy.

The second date will fall on Thursday, August 7, when the moon is in Sagittarius, due to make harmonious contact with lucky, luxury-loving Jupiter.

Then we come to the full moon on Tuesday, August 12, plus or minus four days, sure to be VERY lively socially. This will be a major moment of the month when the moon will fall in Aquarius, a sign that is just perfect for you. It appears you will be in the among many people or on vacation, which would be ideal. Venus, in your fifth house of leisure, fun and romance, will blow a kiss to Pluto, touring your house of foreign people and places. (Club Med, anyone?) This full moon may bring a wedding, festive party, charity benefit, community block party, political event or may even bring a club event where you are the center of attention.

If you were born on April 8, plus or minus five days, you will benefit most from this upbeat full moon. Watch and see!

Or, you may decide to go to a trade show, a seminar series or a conference, the kind that draws a great many people! Mars will be in a perfect angle to Saturn at the time, suggesting you will be very productive. The ideas you develop with others can be expanded later; do what you can to make the initial contact now. This full moon will be proof that you can masterfully combine business with pleasure and make considerable progress almost effortlessly. You will probably enjoy running into old friends and contacts, as one of the up sides of having so many planets in retrograde is reconnecting with people from the past.

And the best of the best moments of the month will arrive on Thursday, August 21. It will be a five-star day when Venus is due to glide with Jupiter in compatible Leo in your house of true love! Oh, I LOVE this day for you! This configuration will come by but rarely, so take full advantage of this glorious day! (The next time this will happen will be in November 2005!) It has the potential to be quite romantic.

August 21 will be so special, it may also help you financially. Venus and Jupiter are both connected with money. At this time, they both will reside in your creative sector (fifth house), so you may get approval for funding or sell an idea on this day. The aspect will not help you win a contest or lottery but it will help you negotiate a deal especially well and to possibly see an upturn in income. If you have any important presentations, interviews or other financial meetings this month, this is the day to schedule them!

If you were born on or near April 19, April 21 will be YOUR day for sure!

August 22 should, under normal circumstances, be outstanding. There are a few potential sticking points to this day, so I am not sure what to tell you to expect. On one hand, Jupiter will walk arm and arm with the Sun, always a sign of a day that has the potential to be the luckiest day of the year. However, this year, Uranus will act up and try to steal the Sun’s spotlight. Uranus will make a strong and belligerent opposition to the Sun a few hours later, messing up the beauty and lightness of this gorgeous day! August 22 may turn out to be the best of days in one sense, and the worst of days in another. I am referring mostly to activities connected with your fifth house: your love life, creative efforts, children and also to your relationships and social life. (I say that because your eleventh house is involved.) It’s probably going to be a mixed day, with emotions running all over the spectrum!

Speaking of creativity, this month you will be on fire, coming up with some brilliant ideas. If you work in a creative field, or have a hobby you take seriously, please promise me you will make some special efforts to work on your craft. Ideas and radically original concepts will come easily to you now, dear Aries. I’d like you to play to your heart’s content!

Your social phase will end with the new moon in Virgo on August 27, a key event signaling that work will demand more of your time from now on. You don’t seem to mind one bit. What’s coming is quite interesting and could represent a stepping stone to a major career promotion. A plum assignment could suddenly be yours to manage, or you could get a phone call to do a sweet freelance project in addition to your regular job. This would be a clear and positive sign that the entire world has not ground to a halt.

However, as mentioned earlier, Mercury will start to retrograde on August 28, a condition that will not be resolved until September 20. Ask questions ? be sure you to know precisely what your employer or client wants from your involvement. If you are confused, you may need to redo things again later! Ugh! Remember, whatever you uncover or are given at the time of this new moon has enormous potential for future success. Don’t waste this new moon’s energy by not taking it seriously! Move ahead, keeping in mind Mercury retrograde and moving with caution.

Mercury retrograde periods are known to bring confusion, delays, forgetfulness, and lots of mixed messages. It is not a good idea to begin any important endeavor. Don’t sign any contract or get married at that time. Although Mercury begins to retrograde on August 28, you will feel the impending slowdown earlier, from August 15 onward, if not earlier. I am so sorry! All will be right with the world by September 20, but until then it may be a little topsy-turvy.

No matter how you slice or dice it, the true productivity of the year won’t start again until on or just after September 20. However, just because Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are retrograde (five out of ten planets) doesn’t mean you can’t move forward. Do careful homework ? research, plan, consider and look at projects from all angles. Retrograde periods are ideal times during which to backtrack and reconsider of old assumptions. Tinker with your plan so that it’s up-to-date, keeping in mind information that you receive along the way. Conditions will change, and some of what you hear could be a real eye opener. Another possibility at this time: Someone from your past holds the key to the future. Take this retrograde period to think about the various people you know, and whom you’d like to contact again.

The most important news will come at month’s end when Jupiter, the planet of good luck, will leave your fifth house of true love and move into your house of assignments, working conditions, health and fitness. To make sure you notice this change, the universe has timed Jupiter’s move to coincide with the new moon, August 27. This moon, falling in the same sixth house, will kick lots of things into motion. Prior to that date, you will have a last chance to seed an important creative project or to expand your list of friends and contacts. As I keep saying, September will be your month to get out and socialize! The fifth house also rules babies, so if you want a child, you have a golden opportunity to try for a baby. This would be the best time ever to get pregnant.

The first indication you will have that Jupiter has moved into your sixth house on August 27 (for 13 months) is that your services will be in hot demand. Your phone should ring with orders for your goods or talents, if you’re a freelancer. If you are employed, co-workers and managers will want you on their team. Either way, the fuss over you will be flattering. You may have the luck to work in better-looking or more comfortable surroundings, too. If your company doesn’t change location, then you may get your own office, one that is much prettier than your old space, with a window and lots of light. (Psychologically, this change will make a big difference!)

Jupiter’s new position will certainly be excellent for advancing fitness and diet goals. In fact, it’s one of the best possible places for you to begin such a program. Jupiter only comes by this house once very 12 years, but will be in place for a year. Jupiter’s presence in a house is sometimes strong enough to create a big change toward a healthier lifestyle, but often it needs the boost of a new moon to make things stick. Astoundingly, you will have that new moon in the same sixth house on August 27! The only one of the year! This is incredible!

Don’t worry about starting a fitness regime when Mercury is retrograde. If you are going back to a past goal ? which you are encouraged to do during any retrograde period ? you will be protected in your efforts. Any retrograde phase represents a perfect time to get back to basics and to fulfill old goals that are still very dear to your heart. I have a friend who always takes jobs with Mercury retrograde, but she does so with people who know her and who are enthusiastic about working with her again. That’s why she does so well! Working with new people you don’t know or starting a goal you have never had before won’t have the same upbeat effect.

This new moon will unquestionably be the best of the year for losing weight and getting fit. There won’t be another this year ? you’ll have to wait until mid-2004! Begin your plan by first getting more exercise at the end of this month. Then, after two weeks of working out, a few days after the full moon cut back on calories. (September 13 would be a great day to start.) Keep working out to get fit. Try it!

If you have any other medical condition, you are in luck, for Jupiter will see to it that you are able to find the most qualified, most understanding doctors on the planet. Of course, you have to do your homework and look diligently for the right specialist. (Perhaps you might want to go to the library to research doctors in addition to getting references from friends and family.) If you do, you will be rewarded with a doctor who cares and who can help you feel better.

The new moon on August 27 will be one of the year’s best because it will mathematically embrace Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck. That means its message will be enlarged quite a bit, and that you will have a chance to create strong financial abundance.

Falling in early degrees of the sign, however, it will oppose Uranus and your ruler Mars. Again, a positive-negative polarity is at play this month. There may be something about the new opportunity that is off-putting, or things may go a little haywire at the last minute. You can avoid much angst if you are methodical about plans and preparation. Make sure they are well organized. Have one or two contingency plans in place ? with Uranus active at this moon, you won’t know what to expect!

The sixth house is not really a house that represents promotion upward ? for that you need the tenth house of fame. If you are out of a job, there is no doubt that you will be able to find work on this new moon, but it won’t be a step up; rather, it will be a lateral move. For some readers, that’s fine. If you have been out of work for a while, you probably just want to get back in the work force. Who cares if it is a step up or not? Later, near the Christmas holidays, you will be able to find a new job that represents a true promotion. (Indeed, believe it or not, the time near December 23 and in the few days that follow will be ideal for interviewing for a top job.)

One more thing about Jupiter’s arrival in your sixth house along with a friendly new moon on August 27: On that day or in the week that follows would be an ideal time to add a pet to your household. The sixth house rules small, cuddly domestic animals such as a dog or a cat. If you have been thinking of getting one, why not go down to the pet store or animal humane society to have a look? It seems like one pet will call out to you ? in fact, this one seems born for you! How wonderful is that?

  

Posted on August 1st, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Astrology