Planetary Illuminations now posted

Oh my, I had a moment of fright this morning when Word Press informed me that my work over the past two days on the August report had disappeared!  Fortunately my trusty Chrome browser had saved all of the text and I was able to retrieve it.  So I am more pleased than ever to present to you:  Your August Planetary Illuminations report!!

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MAJOR EVENTS

Venus retrograde.  Venus turned retrograde on July 25th and will remain in retrograde motion until September 6th, so it will be traveling retrograde throughout the month of August.  Venus presides over relationships and friendships of all kinds, and only retrogrades every couple of years unlike the outer planets which are retrograde about half the year, and Mercury which retrogrades four times a year.  Retrograde periods are important because they encourage us to go back and reinvestigate matters of the past which have not been adequately resolved,  or which have the potential to offer us greater understanding about our current condition.

During Venus retrograde periods you will likely find yourself revisiting and re-evaluating both love relationships and friendships, reconnecting with old friends and perhaps letting some relationships go.  Despite what you will hear in the popular press, Venus retrograde does not cause your relationships to fail and you are not doomed to a barren love life if you were born with Venus retrograde.  Like darkness and light, retrogradation is a normal part of the ebb and flow of human existence.

Saturn square Jupiter. Saturn is stationary now as it prepares to turn direct after a period in retrograde motion that began in March.  This begins the challenging square between Jupiter and Saturn  that will be in effect between now and June of 2016.  I will be writing more about this cycle but you can expect to see a contraction in the global economy as Saturn creates additional restrictions while Jupiter attempts to continue expansion.  There is a “double whammy” in effect right now since Saturn is in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, and squaring Jupiter – a double down of Saturn’s contraction pitted against Jupiter’s natural urge to expand.

Jupiter in Virgo.  Jupiter moves into Virgo on August 11 and will remain in Virgo for a year, until September of 2016.  I will be writing much more about Jupiter’s passage through Virgo, but you can expect greater focus on expressing one’s higher self (Jupiter) through service to others (Virgo) but also a diminishment of the kind of confidence and positivity that we experienced under Jupiter in Leo.  Jupiter is said to be in its detriment in Virgo because the expansiveness of Jupiter is impaired by Virgo’s need to create order out of minute details.  The next year will be a time when managing of those small details in our lives becomes critical.  This dynamic will echo somewhat the restrictive force of Saturn against Jupiter, making this a better time for responsible attention to the mundane than walking around with our heads in the clouds.