Embracing Our Shadow
August brings cooler tidings than the first six months of 2012. Not that we won’t have bumpy patches with Uranus and Pluto still sparring in the sky, but we do have fairer weather.
We begin the month with a full moon at 10 degrees Aquarius on August 1st. The week of the full moon, Venus returns to the degree of its May retrograde. If you haven’t tackled the breaches you noticed in your relationships, your values (and/or self-worth), or finances during May and June, push comes to shove in August. Setting limits, taking responsibility for your own peace and happiness, and maturing in your approach to relationships remain themes for this entire month.
A trine from Venus to Saturn in Libra, the sign of relationships and balance, only serves to underscore the message. The more clearheaded and detached the approach, the better: communicate and negotiate.
Uranus the awakener supports this full moon, as does Jupiter, planet of growth and expansion. Bring your sense of possibility and confidence to the table. What adjustments need to be made to transform your current situation into one that liberates and enlivens you? Use the illumination of this Leo/Aquarius full moon to clearly see how your sense of play and authenticity can be aligned with the good of your community, be that the tight-knit community of family or that of your global family.
On August 8th, Mercury stations and turns direct in Leo, quieting the miscommunications, mistakes and technical frustrations of the past three and a half weeks.
The days leading up to the new moon, starting August 13th, may prove a bit choppy, as a sensitive Cancer Moon and Venus come into tense relationships with Pluto and Uranus, only to be followed by the Moon squaring Mars and Saturn. Rather than brooding and nursing your turbulent feelings, try sharing your fears and vulnerabilities with someone you trust and with whom you feel safe. The tendency mid-month is to bottle up and obsess over our dark feelings – stewing in anger, hurt, and resentment – and to become progressively less objective and more reactive.
Instead, tend to the more fragile aspects of your psyche and release more volatile emotions. As we bruise easily during this period, support yourself with activities and people you find restorative and nurturing. More importantly, turn inward and examine why you feel as you do. What role do you play in the underlying turbulence?
August 17th brings a new moon at 25 degrees of Leo and the opportunity for greater self-expression and self-confidence, if we accept responsibility for ourselves and don’t get carried away by reckless pride. With Saturn and Mars in Libra making supportive aspect to the new moon, this cycle asks we do the hard work of bringing our relationships and life into balance.
What needs to change so you can truly shine? Themes of this moon include setting limits and taking responsibility for yourself and your destiny.
Nowhere is this truer than in relationships. With Venus in a tight T-square with Pluto and Uranus, we are being called to examine our unconscious patterns, our compulsions, and our power (or lack thereof) in relationships—then hold ourselves accountable for what we find.
We may be tempted to lay the darkest parts of ourselves at the foot of someone else right now, to make the other person evil or wrong, and to act subversively or manipulatively to get our way or put someone in their place.
If you find yourself in a power battle during this moon, put the focus back on yourself. If you find yourself trying to frame a situation in a particular light that makes you look or feel better about a fraught situation, step back. What aspect of your behavior leaves you feeling less than proud?
Love and power can become confused right now and compulsions run high. Trying to bend anyone to your will only boomerangs back on you later, and strategy can easily erode into manipulation, so commit to being direct and ethical. Conversely, if you find yourself on the receiving end of controlling behavior, it’s time to declare your boundaries and refuse to be dominated or play games.
Should you find yourself in an embroiled situation that repeats your past, pay special attention. These circumstances have one common denominator (you!) and present an opportunity to mature as a person. Work on identifying your role in the dynamic: this is where the fruit lies. Obsessing about or blaming the other person(s) only serves to distract you and keep you stuck in the pattern.
In short, difficult relationships reflect our own inner turmoil. Use the mirror and remember the work lies within.
Neptune opposes the new moon, clouding our vision and making it easy for us to see ourselves as hapless victims. Instead of opting for passivity, use Neptune’s grace to surrender entrenched patterns and to find compassion for others and ourselves.
As tempting as it is to demonize someone else, growth lies in taking ownership and holding oneself accountable. Disempowerment comes not from others but disowning the aspects of ourselves of which we’re ashamed. Afraid of your own desire for power? Don’t be surprised if someone tries to impose their will on you. Afraid of being powerless? Don’t be surprised if you find yourself controlling and manipulating those around you.
Ultimately, if we look closely enough, underneath all these dynamics is fear. Fear that perhaps we’re not loveable, worthy, strong enough, deserving or good enough.
With this moon, wholeness comes from facing our shadows and loving ourselves anyway. Follow the path of accountability, self-love and self-acceptance, not pride and domination over others.
If we commit ourselves to this inner work, we’ll find support from Mercury. Honest self-inquiry into our identity opens the way for liberating insights that breaks us from old compulsions and fear-based behaviors.
On August 24th, Mars leaves the sign of Libra, the sign of its detriment, and moves into the sign of its traditional rulership, Scorpio. While in Libra, Mars sought middle ground and bridges, but moving into Scorpio its power comes from choosing one path, one direction. This perceptiveness and incision will help clear the path to move forward.
On August 31st, the month ends as it began, with another full moon, this time in Virgo. Jupiter squares the full moon, increasing our sense of possibility and uplifting our mood. Keep your sense of perspective, though, as expanding too quickly may leave you overextended and less effective.
With Sun in pragmatic, discriminating Virgo and Moon in dreamy Pisces, the challenge is to illuminate a vision for your life which inspires you and is doable, while Chiron’s presence enables us to better see our woundedness. Our choices? We can feel victimized or we can use the Virgo Sun to prompt us to fix what we can and the Pisces moon to surrender what we cannot. Pay particular attention to self-talk that says you’re not enough: yank that weed up by its roots.
Mars’ support should help spur us forward, but with Mercury opposite nebulous Neptune, it may be easier to picture your future than to articulate it. That’s okay. Use this moon for brainstorming and dreaming – journal! – and move forward on your ideas after Mercury moves into Virgo September 2nd.
Lastly, with Venus squaring Saturn, this full moon tells us to set boundaries, work on our self-worth, and examine the ways we give and receive love and pleasure. If we did not find a good balance between self and others during the course of the month, at the end of the month we will be challenged again to make adjustments.
That said, we should note the difference between, on the one hand, dispassionate self-assessment and, on the other, weighing ourselves in the balance and finding ourselves wanting. The first is managed with humility and a healthy dose of self-acceptance: discrimination. The latter stems from rejecting ourselves before someone else beats us to the punch: judgment.
If you find your relationships with others aren’t as loving, respectful, and peaceful as you like, the key resides in being more loving toward others and, most importantly, toward yourself. Not a doormat, not a martyr, but genuinely treating others, including yourself, with generosity and fearless honesty and affection.
Read your sun sign, but if you know your rising and moons signs, read those, too. Want to find your moon sign or rising sign (ascendant)? You can look up your data by visiting this website. As always, a monthly sun sign column is no substitution for a consultation based on your actual birth time.
ARIES: Socializing and collaborating with others can be particularly fruitful this month. Your fifth house of fun, creativity, and romance is activated, so get out of the house already. What kind of partnerships do you want to build? Exchanging ideas and talking with people in your community can open doors to friendship and love this month. Well, what are you waiting for? Bring sexy back. Gemstone: Agatized Coral
TAURUS: Be productive working around the house or tackling some project connected to your family, your roots, or your home. Don’t push too hard, though, as your health can take a hit if you overdo it. Better yet, take a look at your health routines. Now is a great time to completely revamp your diet and exercise programs or to kick one off. With Jupiter and Venus in your second house of income, resist the temptation to overspend. Gemstone: Apophylite
GEMINI: Opportunities abound this year, Twins, and August brings you ample chance to circulate and talk to those in the position to help. You have just the timing to run into the folks who have information you need, the person you should meet, or the connection you should make. Your ideas are particularly creative right now so give them play. Gemstone: Jade
CANCER: This month is about getting your proverbial ducks lined up at home. With Mars and Saturn moving through your fourth house, use this intense energy to restructure your foundation. Clean out closets and donate what you don’t use to the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Make the repairs you’ve been putting off. Move around furniture. Freeing up your closets frees up energy. Then shore up your finances so you’re in the position to make your next move. Gemstone: Celestite
LEO: Happy birthday, Lion! Celebrate with friends and enjoy your moment. You’ve been doing heavy thinking and coming to some decisions about your direction and your desires. Keep at it. By the end of the month, pull back on the festivities and spend some time alone. Tune into the quiet and see if you have unaddressed interpersonal needs that need to weigh in. Gemstone: Blue Lace Agate
VIRGO: This year can be quite good for your career. It will be even better if you pull back a bit and examine the ways you undermine yourself. What unstated values and beliefs do you need to release, especially regarding your own deservedness? What unrealistic expectations regarding others can be shed? Restructure your finances and your values so they can better support you. Doing so pays big dividends. Gemstone: Kambamba Jasper
LIBRA: Friends and associates can bring bounty this month, so focus on your long-range plans and dreams and share them with others. You’ve been restructuring your very identity and the way you move through the world. Don’t stop now. Keep setting boundaries, keep putting yourself first, keep what you want to build for yourself in the forefront. In two months you start a new phase, but for now you need to remain Self-ish. Gemtone: Black Obsidian
SCORPIO: You may feel like you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for something important to happen. Maybe a touch restless and discontented. That’s right on track. When Mars moves into your sign, the decisions you’ve been making will start shifting into action. Once October hits, you may even miss this lull before the mad activity. For now, get creative about your career and how you want it to look. Then ask yourself how you might sabotage those plans and determine what you will need to do differently in the future to ensure you don’t. Gemstone: Labradorite
SAGITTARIUS: You may feel as if friends want to slow you down or put out your fire. Though you enjoy dreaming big and prefer those who share your sense of possibility, right now listen to the cautions you’re receiving. They contain truths which will enable your long-range dreams for the future to become more sustainable. Relationships continue to be a source of opportunity and growth for you through next summer, so let your love light shine. Gemstone: Smoky Quartz
CAPRICORN: Your career and role in the world may feel like a source of frustration right now or just plain hard work. Keep at it. You have two months to go before things really shift, but only if you’ve been doing your work. This month you’ll feel more comfortable in the shadows and exploring your inner dynamics, so honor that. Relationships can become very tricky mid-month. Remember, the less you project outside of yourself, the more likely you are to have a breakthrough. Repeat after me: I am enough. I am loved. Gemstone: Rhodochrosite
AQUARIUS: Keep your eye on the prize this month, Waterbearer. The prize? A creative change in relationships, both contractual and/or interpersonal. Keeping your plans for the future clearly in mind when you deal with others will help greatly. Power dynamics in the workplace can get pretty hairy, so be careful and conscious about how you proceed. A misstep can swing back ugly on you. Skillful negotiation and clear communication – that is, avoiding indirectness and confrontation – can land you somewhere wholly new. Gemstone: Chryscolla
PISCES: The way out is acknowledging where you are your own worst enemy. Take stock this month and be honest about where you feel stuck. The solution is you. Where do you hold yourself back? Especially look at your work habits and day-to-day routines. Where do you play the victim or martyr? Moving forward means rewiring your psyche and restructuring places within yourself that you’ve previously labeled off-limits. Gemstone: Black Kyanite