Whew! The dramatic Summer Eclipse Season is almost over, and we have survived it. In Mundane Astrology, or the astrology related to larger world events, the impact of this season may be felt for about 6 months, or until the next eclipse season starting in January of 2019. Also, in larger world events, we may not feel the full impact of the Lunar Eclipse of July 27, 2018 for another 8.5 years. On the level of our day to day lives, however, things are already beginning to clear up. Astrologically, August looks rather nice, especially in comparison to the tumultuous summer we have just had.
There are astrologers that say that periods of tense transits are times of opportunity. In a sense, there is some merit to that notion. This is because tense transits are periods of stress and crisis. The opportunity comes not in the time of crisis, however, but in what you do when the crisis has passed. Do you brood over what happened, or do you learn what you can from it and move forward? The immediate aftermath of the storm is the time of the greatest opportunity, and the transits of August can help us make the most of this time.
August 12, 2018 to August 25, 2018 – A Release of Tension
Each New and Full Moon is known as a lunation, and each lunation has influence until the next one, or for approximately two weeks. The most recent Solar Eclipse was also the first lunation of August 2018.
I analyzed this chart in detail in my previous article, but some of the important highlights are the predominance of Fire and Air and the emergence of Venus as a strong player in her own sign of Libra. The pressure upon the early degrees of Fixed Signs has lessened, with the impact spreading to the middle degrees of the Fixed Signs. So most people with planets or important chart points in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius will have felt and will feel the effects of the hard transits most strongly.
At the time of the New Moon/Solar Eclipse, Venus had already battled repressive Saturn in Capricorn and had emerged victorious. It is now possible to resolve any conflicts that may have occurred during the tense eclipse season. People with planets in the very early degree of Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) were impacted by the Venus/Saturn square and may have felt frustration in trying to get things done. This blockage has cleared, and things should get easier as the month progresses.
August 13
On August 13, Mars will move back into Capricorn. While Mars is still retrograde, or moving backwards, she is exalted in Capricorn and in her own terms in the very late degrees of this sign. She had no dignity at all in the early degrees of Aquarius. This means that even though Mars is still frustrated by going backwards, at least she will be in a place where she can operate freely. Those people with planets in early fixed signs will begin to feel some relief from the pressure of a grumpy Mars.
August 14
Eclipse season will be over on August 14, and on the same day, the Moon will come and join Libra. On August 16, the Moon will irritate the early degrees of Fixed Signs again from Scorpio, so there may be an echo of the turbulence of recent events, but it will be a very temporary one and will pass quickly.
August 17
There is another transit in the lunation chart that I have not talked about in this or previous articles as of yet. This is Jupiter trine Neptune in the Water Signs of Scorpio and Pisces. This is a tricky transit. Neptune is not one of the Traditional planets, and I believe it can have influence, but this influence is usually negative. Usually, Neptune pulls us away from our roots and our traditions. Unlike the transits of Uranus and Pluto, Neptune transits can feel pleasant, but usually this feeling is empty and illusory. Indeed, I think that the harmonious aspects of Neptune can be more dangerous than the hard ones. During harmonious aspects we tend to fall for illusions, while we tend to become disillusioned during hard ones.
The Moon will activate the Jupiter/Neptune trine on August 17 from Scorpio. In most cases, I would be suspicious of this aspect, because it may make us all prone to falling for illusions. Given all of the recent stress and difficulty, however, a little fantasy might be just what we all need. Just be careful not to take the fantasy too seriously. For the places that have been devastated by all of the recent fires, this might bring some much needed rain.
August 18
On August 18, we will go into the First Quarter Moon Phase, and Mercury will turn around and go direct! This will mark the end of recent chaos, and we can all resume our normal activities.
August 23
The Sun enters Virgo. While the Sun will no longer have the dignity she had in Leo, the transition from Leo to Virgo will cool things down. For some this will be a relief. For others, especially those who thrive on activity and excitement, this may feel like a let down. When she enters Virgo, she will trine Saturn in Capricorn. This will be a good time to settle down and get back to work. The Sun will also trine Uranus, forming a grand trine in Earth. People may feel a bit of rebelliousness because of this, but this can be either ignored or channeled into creative ways to solve practical problems.
These are good transits for going back to school, but be careful of annoyance with teachers. It is best to settle down to learn as much as possible, rather than railing against what seem like silly or overly strict demands of one’s teachers.
The Full Moon of August 26, 2018 – A Lovely Lunation
This brings us to the Full Moon of August 26, which is the first nice lunation that we have had since June.
This lunation is much cooler than the ones we have had recently, and by this point most of the recent disruption will have settled down. The Sun is still in aspect with the grand trine in Earth, with Saturn and Uranus, but she is just beyond it. Any feelings of resentment and rebelliousness will start to subside, and there will be a lot of energy for getting down to business.
The Moon is conjunct the royal fixed star Fomalhaut, the Watcher of the South. Fomalhaut has a magical quality to it, but there is a danger of falling into delusions. The abundance of Earth in this lunation should help to ameliorate this danger. This is a good time to begin studies of a philosophical or metaphysical nature.
Jupiter is still trine Neptune, which will increase the danger of delusion. This aspect is separating, however. The pleasant illusions may still be there, but we will also be able to be better able to separate truth from fantasy.
No chart is perfect, including this one. Mercury is moving into another square with Jupiter, which may open up the conflicts that occurred during eclipse season. Because Mercury will be direct, however, any such conflicts will be able to be resolved.
The other potential problem is that Venus is moving into a square with Pluto. Pluto is the most problematic and explosive of the Outer Planets. On the other hand, it is the easiest to avoid. The way to avoid Pluto is to stay out of forbidden territory. As Venus is involved, try to avoid taboo areas with respect to relationships and matters of the heart. If you are able to manage that, you will render this transit toothless.
August 27
The square between Venus and Pluto will become exact. Avoid forbidden areas in your love life or relationships on this day. The Moon will join Neptune this day, which may tempt you to delude yourself, but do keep your wits about you and remember your ideals and your values.
August 28
The square between Mercury and Jupiter becomes exact. Old arguments from the eclipse season may come up again on this day. If this happens, do not worry about it. These arguments will subside quickly, and you will be able to move on.
Mars will also turn around and go direct today. This will have a slingshot effect, as all of the pent up energy from the retrograde period will rebound, giving a great opportunity to get back to work on neglected projects. The Moon will also activate Mars by sextile, further emphasizing the renewed energy.
August 31
What would be a lovely Moon in Taurus moving into a grand trine with the Sun and Saturn is marred by contact with Uranus. By avoiding the temptation of rebelliousness, though, one should be able to mitigate negative effects from Uranus. If one stays grounded and focused, this is a great day to address practical and earthy concerns.
Summary
After the tumult of the recent eclipse season, August looks to be a breath of fresh air. From today onward, the tensions will be released one by one, and the end of the month will be mostly harmonious and productive.
The Stars Within Their Courses 
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