Astrological Forecast for August 10 to August 16, 2006

by Ellen Zucker

The full moon energy lingers as the Sun perfects its opposition to Neptune. The Saturn/Neptune energy is an undercurrent that has three waves. Its first peak occurs at August's end. It recedes, then returns in February and again in June. As I mentioned last week, we are challenged to square our dreams with constraints of the 'real world.' And that can easier be said than done.

In the meantime, the cosmic artist shifts his palette.

When we began last week, 50% of the planets sported the green-blue tones of water. But by the weekend, when the Moon is in impulsive Aries, 60% of our planets will be in lava-hot fire.

Water signs are feeling signs. They heighten our ability to empathize, open our intuition, and connect through compassion. But fire is extraverted, spirited and bombastic.

And on Monday and Tuesday fully 70% of the planets will be in fixed signs including powerhouses Saturn and Pluto. Think of a lava flow that just keeps coming - and burns up everything in its path.

Situations feel stuck now - that same "moving through molasses" feeling we had last November is back as people around you stand their ground at all costs.

The 'stuck-ness' eases up later this month when the Sun, followed a week later by Mercury, advance into flexible Virgo.

Adding volatility to the mix is the approaching opposition of fiery Mars to impulsive Uranus that comes to a head this weekend. Mars rules our desires. It describes how we assert ourselves, how we get things. It also rules anger. And so, Mars is associated with war and warriors.

When Uranus moves into the picture we experience sudden breaks: break-up, breakdown, break through. The planet's energy is iconoclastic, intolerant and explosive.

While great for brainstorming and innovating,Mars and Uranus in any combination is volatile and accident-prone. People with planets and sensitive points at or near 13 degrees of any mutable sign (Pisces, Virgo, Gemini, and Sagittarius) will feel the energy most strongly.

As the week progresses the intensity of the energy increases, peaking over the weekend.

Please, please be careful on the roadwaysand don't allow yourself to get pulled intoother people's craziness.

Countries, political entities, and organizations tend to express planetary energy in its crudest forms. But you can choose to exercise judgment, discretion and restraint in your personal life. And if you can manage to do that - it won't be easy - especially if it's your buttons being pushed -it will be to your advantage.

A useful meditation is to focus on the Tarot card "The Chariot." The driver is a powerful man using his force of will to control two sphinxes headed in opposing directions.

August 10
The day takes on a dreamy quality as the Moon enters Pisces at 4:11 am and the Sun moves to oppose Neptune. It is a good day to give your imagination room to soar and for artists to play, particularly this evening as we feel the buoyancy of the Moon's flowing trine aspect to optimistic Jupiter.

Because everything is not what it seems, hold on to your wallet and don't believe everything you hear.

August 11
Mercury is back in Leo and so are the bombasts. Yesterday's dreamy Neptune energy lingers with the Moon still in Pisces. Yesterday's warnings are still valid today.

August 12
This is an active day as our energy flows easily. The Moon has moved into Aries to be joined by Venus. When this day ends we will have a powerhouse with a full 60% of our planets in fire signs. People are spirited and want to have fun!

Go out, party and enjoy, but do watch for drunk drivers and crazies on the road. Mars is about to stand down Uranus. These two characters in combination of any sort are accident-prone.

August 13
Yesterday's ebullient energy remains with us. So does the Mars/Uranus opposition. It is easy for tempers to flare and for things to get out of hand quickly. Hold on to your hat and be careful on the highway.

August 14
As the Moon moves into stolid Taurus, we mull over the weekend's excitement. With the Moon, emotion, Mercury, words, and Venus, feelings in fixed signs, it behooves us to think before we speak because we are more vulnerable than we might like to think and it is hard to back down.

August 15
A lot is boiling as we lead up to the closing quarter moon. A 3rd or closing quarter moon is like the harvest of the energy planted at the new moon three weeks ago. A great deal of energy has been unleashed. This closing quarter moon ties in Pluto. There is tremendous power available to us. The challenge is to channel it constructively.

August 16
The blocks of the past two days ease as the Moon advances to easy-going Gemini. The Sun makes a trine, a flowing aspect, to powerhouse Pluto. This is an aspect it makes twice a year. With the Moon in mental Gemini, we can, if we choose, to analyze and really come to understand in a profound way vexing situations or personalities - including our own.

© 2006 Ellen M. Zucker