Astrological Forecast for August 24 to August 30, 2006

by Ellen Zucker

When life presents you with sticky machinery it is time to get out the ol' toolbox. You try one tool, then another,until you get the job done.

This week begins with a big change in energy. On Wednesday, both the Sun and Moon slipped into Virgo.

The new moon in Virgo marks the start of a new lunarcycle when people are much more practical and less self-indulgent.

As a result, we begin the week with a pattern where half of the planets are now in mutable signs. The effect is like pouring lubricant on a stuck joint.

We start to get movement.

New possibilities begin to present themselves and we are able to tap into our resourcefulness.

In fact, on Monday and Tuesday, Jupiter, the planet of optimism and large perspectives makes a trine - a nice flowing aspect - to Uranus, the planet of innovation and the unexpected. An unconventional solution can present itself to an intractable problem.

Nonetheless, the other 50% of our planets remain in fixed signs. Particularly during the Moon's sojourn through fixed Scorpio in the first three days of next week's workweek, we still experience substantial resistance to change.

We have great solutions, but we have to sell them to people who have a stake in the status quo ...

One of the benefits of astrology is to tell us when we have the green light. This weekend, Mercury enters its home sign of Virgo for a two-and-half week stay. Mercury is moving rapidly now. The planet rules our mental processes and communications of all kinds. Just as the planet is moving quickly so doour minds.

From now until September 12th, when Mercury exits Virgo, is unusually favorable for writing, public speaking, communication and organizing of any sort. Be sure to take full advantage of the opportunity.

On Saturday, Venus, the female principle, meets Saturn, something it does every year. Women demand to be taken seriously. It is also an opportunity to examine our values and our interpersonal relationships to see what counts.

Also we use the day to acknowledge our debt to our foremothers. Saturday is also Women's Equality Day, the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that extends the right to vote to women. The struggle for women's suffrage was fraught with difficulty and hardship and lasted over 70 years.

It is a useful reminder to 'stay the course' when we get discouraged.

August 24
With Moon still in Virgo, our powers of observation are very high. Pay attention and you will learn a great deal.

In addition, Mercury, the planet of our mental processes and communication, makes a flowing trine to Pluto today. Pluto's role is to strip away the superfluous and reveal what is hidden. So, have that difficult conversation. People are ready to get down to the core issues.

August 25
We want to get a jump on things this morning to tidy up before the weekend. Some of the issues that came to the fore yesterday will need to be dealt with today. You are better off knowing what we are dealing with even if the truth is not pretty.

August 26
Venus meets Saturn today. We look at our values to decide what really counts. We look at our partners to see how they measure up, and our partners do the same to us.

August 27
Venus opposes dreamy Neptune. Yesterday we looked at realities; today we look at dreams. We need both: reality and dreams, grounding and vision in our interpersonal relationships and our goals. It's a great day for creative people to create and even non-artists to take out their paints.

August 28
This is a tale of two days. It begins with a void moon in Libra through most of the workday. Co-workers are pleasant - it is a good day to tackle routine items.

Later in the day (3:56 pm EDT), the Moon slides into Scorpio and the mood intensifies. As the day wears on, we also feel the uplifting energy of Jupiter's trine to Uranus, an easy flow of energy between two forward-looking planets. We've learned much in the past several months. We can apply our new insights to old problems.

August 29
We begin the day with lots of new ideas and lots of enthusiasm. But Mars makes a harsh square aspect to Pluto today. This aspect is an indicator of power struggles - tread lightly around landmines. But if you can harness the energy, you accomplish a great deal.

August 30
Yesterday's intensity lingers. The Moon remains in Scorpio and we still feel the effects Mars/Pluto square aspect from yesterday. This is excellent energy for digging. Dig into your psyche, dig into your work. You won't be satisfied until you get to the bottom.

© 2006 Ellen M. Zucker