Guest Astrology Article, By: Marguerite- August 2008

A month abloom with fateful omens has kicked off with a total solar eclipse at 9 degrees Leo. Eclipses occur either during a New Moon (solar) or Full Moon (lunar), and only when one or both luminaries are close by one of the Moon’s Nodes. Due to their relation with eclipses, the Nodes can function as karmic indicators for destiny, whether for a nation or an individual. An eclipse of the Sun represents a darkening of consciousness, therefore allowing the contents of the unconscious and collective gestault to come forward. An eclipse of the Moon symbolizes a darkening of the mind, resulting in changes of form. It’s easy to confuse mind-ego with conscious awareness, however they are two different states of being.

A horoscope chart cast for the eclipse at 10:13 am GMT in Washington , DC . places the fateful phenomenon right on the Ascendant angle, just rising in the nation’s twelfth house of karma and self-undoing. Not an understatement to suggest that past immature or self-serving economic decisions are coming home to roost, with the resultant detriment likely to change the face of the “land of free and home of the brave” for a long time to come. Mercury (media and commerce) and Venus (values, finances) bracket the unlucky South Node in the first house; Venus stands in opposition to Neptune in the house of partners, open enemies and projected problems in the house opposite. The public might be up in arms, but seems prone to misidentifying the roots of their discomfort. For example, somehow the current oil crisis tends to get pinned on the Democrats, intimating that some sort of gol’durned social program must be behind soaring prices at the pumps. Somehow it remains difficult for the average man on the street to connect the dots between unregulated market conditions crafted by Republican fiat over the last years, and grossly inflated corporate oil profits. In fact at last glance, investors were disgruntled because oil profits weren’t even higher.

Saturn (limitations, loss, status quo) stands in the second house of the people’s money, in trine to Jupiter retrograde in the sixth house of workers, definitely cramping funds for personal entertainment and quite in line with the governator of California pink-slipping thousands of state workers due to a bankrupt budget. Mars (aggression, ambition, drive, the military) is also in the second house, approaching an opposition to Uranus located in the house of other people’s money, debt, taxes and power issues; this one reads like big money and bad loans grinding towards a confrontation with the grass roots except again, the enemy may be misidentified. We tend to forget too, that Uranus in a bad mood is not a loose Aquarian hippie, but rather fascist and reactionary in nature; it doesn’t react well to interference with a need to control. Locally, this is an aspect of impulse, violence and psychotic breaks-perhaps triggered over money issues. Do wonder also, if this is the month when people at large discover that the American Lifestyle ain’t necessarily what it was made out to be.

On the personal level, however, the time between these solar and lunar eclipses can be immensely powerful for putting change into motion. If there is any project or self- improvement to push forward, any free-loader to throw out, someone to fall in love with or commit to, what a great time to do just that. It’s not all doom and gloom out there at all; use the momentum to streamline; discard whatever or whomever is in the way; move aggressively to forestall further financial losses, watch the back door.

Venus enters Virgo on August 5, making the lady much more discriminating, perfectionist and critical. She is in her fall in this sign, meaning its time to wear grey, seduce slowly and watch the manners. A caution is sounded for the days around August 6, as Mars reaches exact opposition to Uranus while Mercury is in opposition to Neptune . This combination does not bode well for straight talking or suffering fools gladly. Imagine a smooth-taking con man, whispering lies in your ear while he snags the wallet and then kicks you to the ground. Defer certain crucial decisions if possible, as more valid information should become available at the end of the month.

On Aug 10 Mercury enters Virgo so the rhetoric should get slightly less bombastic and expansive; organization, administration and detail are easier to come by, but communications may obediently follow a hidden line of special interest. Through the 15th, the expansive Leo Sun moves in quincunx to Uranus, then in opposition to the North Node, asteroid Chiron and Neptune, shining a light on the plentiful suffering, starvation and pain out there, just when the Olympics will be at their glossiest height. Hey, instead of letting the poor eat cake, how about issuing sweat pants globally? Venus in conjunction with Saturn can herald a lucrative contract, new job or marriage proposal for some around mid-month.

The Lunar eclipse takes the stage at 23 degrees Aquarius on August 23rd, and the scenery won’t have gotten any calmer. A horoscope chart cast for 9:18 pm GMT in Washington , DC , puts the darkened Moon in the second house of the people’s money, fresh off of passing over Neptune, master of illusion, delusion, victimization and big oil. Add asteroid Chiron and the North Node in Aquarius and we have suffering humanity, standing forlornly in opposition to an aristocratic eighth house loaded with the money and power of the elite. Populating the premises are the South Node and Sun, Saturn, Mercury and Venus, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth. The energies are regal (Leo) and inquisitional (Virgo); shades of the Roman Empire and its social regulatory structures, hoping that electronic virtual reality will keep the masses in check.

With Jupiter retrograde in the first house of the people at large in trine to Venus, plenty of folks likely still believe their masters are going to save them. The really harsh impact is delivered by Mars in the ninth house of the law, ideology and relations with foreign countries, in square to Pluto ominously placed in the twelfth house of karma and self-undoing; an aspect that is brutal, ruthless and violent in connotation. Another reflection of brewing turmoil can be found in disruptive Uranus gracing the third house of communications and lifestyle, still within breathing distance of opposition to militant Mars and pondering about its upcoming square to brutal Pluto in a few years. Still in all, if you need to strong-arm somebody or sell the Brooklyn Bridge to a sucker, progress can be made. This eclipse marks a sea-change in relations between the haves and have-nots, which bodes well for provoking riot and revolution in awhile, out of discontent.

Mars enters Libra on August 19th; while we can hope that this signals a return to aggressively seeking social company instead of gripping, remember that Libran energy is not always gracious and sophisticated-especially when seeking its own relentless version of justice. With asteroid Ceres entering Leo it may be a good time to step up the networking efforts and make preparations for an upcoming harvest.

On August 22 the Sun enters analytical, obedient and cool-minded Virgo, just in time for the Media Kickoff for the Democratic Convention to be held at Elich’s Amusement Park in Denver , Colorado on August 23rd. A horoscope chart cast for this event at 6:00 pm MDT is rather juicy for conspiracy buffs cognizant of the power stars that were aligned with our nation’s capitol at its inception. The main feature is king-maker Regulus, currently holding court at 29 degrees 56 minutes Leo; has anyone wondered if Regulus moving into the zodiac sign of Virgo next year is likely a Big Deal when referring to an alleged New World Order? (Note: The headline banner on the official Olympic website is One World, One Dream.)

Anyway, Regulus will be right close to the Kickoff Vertex of fated events and the Sun (national identity, the leader). The Moon (the people at large) in Gemini resides in the fourth house of home base just a few minutes past a tense waxing square with the Sun, Vertex and Regulus. At the same time, we have Polaris and Etamin, pole stars present and past in exact zodiacal opposition to one another. Etamin of the constellation alpha draco is also conjunct to Pluto (Ancient, Transformative Power); this loaded opposition sits in harmonious aspect to the event Sun, Vertex, Regulus and Part of Fortune, which happens to be the most elevated point in the chart.

Echoing the recent Lunar Eclipse chart, we have Sun, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, and Mars all in the event eighth house of other people’s money and power. Saturn dominates as ruler of the Ascendant and twelfth house of karma and secrets; the lord of status quo is in applying trine to Jupiter rising, ruler of fortune hidden away in the twelfth house. Big deals will have already been quietly brokered before the first firecracker goes off. The hoopla is provided by Mercury and Venus in opposition to Uranus (females will be important to this occasion); however actual media action will be fed through the fogging filter of Mercury in quincunx to deceptive Neptune . H-m-m-m.

Let’s end the tumult with Venus waltzing into Libra at the end of the month. The lady is exalted here and maybe finally, we can get out to have some easy fun without rude surprises or excessive decorum. But hold onto your hats, ladies and gentleman because the big ride for many of us actually departs the station in September.

More Mystic Marguerite at: www.mysticmarguerite.com