Summer 2024 ~ The Astrological Weather ~

August is filled with exciting astrological drama! Mercury retrograde in two different signs is always a bit jarring. We will have two significant T-squares, a Blue Super Full Moon, and warring gods Jupiter and Saturn make a square and test our collective faith.

We begin with transiting Mars conjuncts Jupiter Gemini and they both square Saturn in Pisces 

• August 14th Transiting Mars and Jupiter at 16 Gemini 40 conjunct
• August 15/16th Transiting Mars at 17 Gemini 42 square transiting Saturn in Pisces 
• August 19th Transiting Jupiter at 17 Gemini 27 square transiting Saturn in Pisces 

The Major Players 

1. Mars in Gemini 

Mars is the planet that helps us defend ourselves. Mars in your chart shows the strategies you choose to keep yourself safe, pursue your desires and ambitions, and how you express your sexuality. How you respond to the transiting Mars will depend on the zodiac sign that Mars is transiting and how that sign affects your Natal, Solar, and progressed charts. During Mars’s transit through Gemini, the god of war uses the power of intellect, words, and persuasion to reach goals. This transit favors intellectual activity, writing, speaking, and educational pursuits. The positive use of this transit is people of like minds coming together to accomplish collective goals, spreading their message, and building momentum. Difficulties arise when people become too attached to their opinions, become argumentative, try to coerce people, or attack others’ beliefs or ideals. 

2. Jupiter in Gemini ~ Last May when Jupiter entered Gemini we chatted about what we could expect. Here’s a quick review.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, represents expansion and growth. A well-positioned Jupiter or favorable aspects with transiting Jupiter can create opportunities for promotions, relocations, travel, educational advancement, and spiritual and cultural exploration. However, Jupiter in Gemini is not considered a great combination, as it may lead to feeling scattered, and restless. This transit favors expanding businesses and commerce, particularly those offering personalized services, socializing, recreational and sporting events, and traveling for educational or religious purposes.    

3. Saturn in Pisces

Saturn: ( In Greek he is Kronus) Saturn is the father of the Olympian gods, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, and the goddesses Ceres, Juno, and Vesta. Saturn is associated with the cyclic passage of time and seasons. His temples and symbols are representative of agriculture, harvesting crops, and the annual pagan Saturnalia festival. Saturn represents our karmic fate in astrology, governs societal structures, provides life-learning lessons, and requires discipline and the humility to accept limitations. When we “do our Saturn” we have the potential to achieve goals through patience and persistence. 

Saturn has been traveling in sensitive and intuitive Pisces since March of 2023. Pisces struggles to manage Saturn’s need for structure, boundaries, accountability, and responsibilities. Pisces prefers to embrace emotions, delve into the creative collective unconscious, and go with the flow of the moment. When faced with challenging aspects, Saturn transiting in Pisces often will choose to escape, retreating from harsh realities into fantasy, escapism, and victimization. People who are experiencing transits with this placement might be struggling with events beyond their control, experience a ‘crisis of faith’, or feel defeated by overwhelming odds. 

The Aspects 

• August 14th Mars in Gemini conjunction with Jupiter at 16 Gemini 40 at 11:21 am EDT/8:21 am PDT  ( Mercury retrogrades back into Leo later in the day)  
• August 15 PDT 10:30 pm ~ August 16th EDT  1:30 am Mars at 17 Gemini 42 Squares Saturn at 17 Pisces 42  
• August 19th: A Mutable T-Square: Jupiter in 17 Gemini 27  Square Saturn 17 Pisces 27 at 5:46 pm EDT / 2:46 pm PDT.  Also, Venus at 17 Virgo ’22 will square Jupiter and opposite Saturn. 
• August 19th A second T-Square involving fixed signs. A Full Super Blue Moon* in Aquarius will be opposite the Sun and Mercury in Leo while they all square the Uranus in Taurus. That’s a whole lotta stubborn! Have fun be safe.

Translation: 

• August 14th: Mars conjunction with Jupiter: If your natal, progressed, or solar chart is forming favorable aspects to this conjunction, you may experience feelings of energy, confidence, and enthusiasm. Now is a great time to start a new sport or take steps to improve your physical health. If you’re already involved in a sport, consider adding new routines or working to increase your stamina. Keep in mind that having Jupiter aspects can lead to excessive confidence. Avoid taking unnecessary risks or pushing your luck too far.
• August 15/16: Mars Square Saturn: this aspect wants you to pause and reconsider carefully before taking action. This is the exact opposite of what the Mars conjunct Jupiter is telling you to do. Listen to Saturn, always, always listen to Saturn. Saturn is the Karma Master of FAFO. Be cautious dealing with authority figures, such as bosses, teachers, parents, or anyone who has power over your life during this transit.  It is best to avoid conflicts and it is very important to respect your own and others’ boundaries. 

• August 19th: Jupiter square Saturn: This is a significant astrological event that often collectively brings about a test of faith. The last time Jupiter/ Saturn formed a square was May 26, 2016. Here we have the usurper son, Jupiter, making a challenging aspect to his traditionalist father, Saturn. There will be two opportunities to experience this aspect with the first square on August 19th, and then again on December 24th. This aspect can be difficult to navigate because Jupiter will bring opportunities, while Saturn will impose limitations and roadblocks. It will be important to examine all of your options before making any critical decisions. Make sure that any opportunities you are considering are grounded in practicality.  If a compromise is possible, this aspect can lead to great results. This square will have an impact on women since Venus in Virgo will square Jupiter in Gemini and oppose Saturn in Pisces. This mutable T square is missing the prophetic firebrand and adventurer, Sagittarius. The goddess of love while transiting in Virgo, feels unseen, unheard, ignored, and insulted. This Venus is willing to get loud, demanding fairness from the judicial system. organized religion, and the publishing/media industry, (Jupiter). She is also willing to challenge the status quo imposed by authority figures, leaders, governments, and their agents (Saturn).  ROEVEMBER IS COMING!    

Also in the Mix: 

• Mercury is retrograde falling backwards from Virgo into Leo. On August 18th Mercury will revisit the square with Uranus that happened on July 21/22. We get the third square once Mercury has gone direct on September 6/7. Any aspects with Uranus indicate the need for caution, more so when Mercury is retrograde. Act accordingly. 
• More Venus events. After leaving the square with Jupiter, Venus in Virgo will square Mars, which is still in Gemini on the 23rd, potentially leading to relationship difficulties. On August 28th and 29th Venus is still in the sign of her fall; Virgo. She will make an opposition to Neptune in Pisces at the fateful Anaretic 29th degree.  While this aspect can be tremendously creative, intuitive, and empathic it can also be completely unrealistic about matters of the heart. Luckily, the harshness of the opposition is softened by two lovely trines to the outer planets Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Aquarius. 
• I leave you on an inspirational note. Saturn in Pisces makes an out-of-sign but in orb sextile with both Neptune in very late Pisces and Pluto in very early Aquarius. Because these outer planets move so slowly these benevolent and inspiring aspects will be part of the collective gestalt throughout Saturn’s stay in Pisces. 

You are invited to join the Wild Mercury Facebook Chat:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1221989338728451

Sources

*Blue Moon: the third or fourth Full Moon in an astronomical season or the second Full Moon in a calendar month.

https://starwalk.space/en/news/full-moon-august

https://starwalk.space/en/news/full-moon-august#what-is-a-blue-moon

*Supermoon: A New or Full Moon at or near the closest approach to the Earth, known as Perigee. A Supermoon appears 7% bigger and 16% brighter than ordinary.