August 2024: Full On and Fiery
On 4 August, a warm New Moon in Leo makes the month’s first weekend a memorable one. A Pluto opposition injects a sharp edge into this fiery lunation as it unfolds over the first half of August.
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
On 4 August, a warm New Moon in Leo makes the month’s first weekend a memorable one. A Pluto opposition injects a sharp edge into this fiery lunation as it unfolds over the first half of August. It is a time to implement last Summer’s lessons on love and desire as learned during Venus’ reversal in Leo from late July to early September 2023.
Mars and Jupiter lend an intense, erratic vitality to the New Moon from Gemini. As Jupiter presses an advantage on Saturn, the fruits of the seeds sown during this lunar cycle are given scope to last the distance. As a fixed sign, Leo also signifies endurance. Venus square Uranus in fixed signs on 2 August signals upcoming turbulence.
As Mercury turns around on 5 August, something which has not been working as effectively as it ought to comes undone in order to be set right and then celebrated.
The strong Virgo energy of 5 August signals the need to clean up and to prioritise service. When Mercury retrogrades first in Virgo and then Leo, thoughts and feelings arise to be gently probed. Virgo supports measured judgement whereas Leo champions heartfelt emotion. How best to integrate their functioning is a live theme throughout Mercury’s retrograde phase until 28 August.
While Mercury reverses in Virgo, reflect on the extent to which you are crafting useful order versus just nit-picking. As Mercury moves through Leo, check whether it is your heart or your conceit which is driving your decision-making.
Sun sextile Jupiter on 7 August provides an abundant confidence boost and a welcome break from mercurial interrogation. The following day’s Mercury-Venus conjunction in Virgo allows your message to land perfectly. A client of mine happens to be giving his fifth best man speech that day, and this time for his very best friend. He will be on top form and his audience will relish his stories.
On 14 August, when Mars meets Jupiter, the risk of acting rashly, mindlessly and with excessive force is heightened. On the plus side, more than seems humanly possible can get done at this time. Interactions with others might also proliferate.
The next day, as Mercury enters Leo on 15 August, the temptation to say too much can be hard to resist. Alternatively, you can find the confidence to finally share whatever is on your mind. With Mercury still retrograde, ideas need a little while longer to marinade before they are expressed out loud.
When Mars squares Saturn on 16 August, the consequences of whatever happened under Mars conjunct Jupiter start to manifest and there’s a risk that things can get difficult and messy. By 18 August, Mercury square Uranus can lead to disruption. Or, more usefully, inspired if somewhat unconventional solutions.
The Leo New Moon culminates on 19 August in a Full Moon in Aquarius. Aquarian cool detachment is temperamentally a world away from Leonine grand passion. Yet the configuration of this particular lunation is brimming with Shakespearean drama. It is intense, full on and ruled by hard-hitting, discipline-minded Saturn.
The Aquarius Full Moon incorporates a Jupiter-Saturn square. This is the first of three cosmic tests on how our world has evolved since the planetary pair last renewed their 20-year cycle in December 2020. Two more tests will follow on Christmas Eve 2024 and in mid-June 2025. These squares can also act as windows on individual growth and maturity since that exceptionally challenging year.
A few days later, when the Sun enters Virgo on 22 August, the theatrics begin to subside. Venus square Mars, Mercury sextile Mars and Venus trine Uranus on the ensuing days prevent life from getting too dull.
As Mercury ends his latest retrograde turn in Leo on 28 August, things start to feel a bit more right and stable again, now informed by the astrology of what August has revealed to us. As Venus enters Libra, getting along with each other becomes easier and more enjoyable again.
Astro Tips
Friday 2 August
An unnerving surprise
Venus in Leo square Uranus in Taurus
Sunday 4 August
Dazzle your audience
New Moon in Leo
Monday 5 August
Smart and sensible is hot
Venus enters Virgo
Mercury stations retrograde in Virgo
Wednesday 7 August
Multiple reasons to smile
Sun in Leo sextile Jupiter in Gemini
Thursday 8 August
Technical, beautiful brilliance
Mercury conjunct Venus in Virgo
Wednesday 14 August
Overkill
Mars conjunct Jupiter in Gemini
Thursday 15 August
Tell everyone all about it
Mercury enters Leo
Friday 16 August
Muddled, unclear outcomes
Mars in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces
Sunday 18 August
Firm, erratic views
Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus
Monday 19 August
Full-on drama
Sun conjunct Mercury in Leo
Venus in Virgo square Jupiter in Gemini
Venus in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces
Sun in Leo square Uranus in Taurus
Full Moon in Aquarius
Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces
Thursday 22 August
Be pragmatic
Sun enters Virgo
Friday 23 August
Effective, dynamic interactions
Venus in Virgo square Mars in Gemini
Saturday 24 August
Lively debate
Mercury in Leo sextile Mars in Gemini
Tuesday 27 August
Caution creates space
Venus in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus
Wednesday 28 August
Clarity of vision moves you
Venus in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces
Mercury stations direct in Leo
Thursday 29 August
Socialise with ease and purpose
Venus enters Libra
Venus in Libra trine Pluto in Aquarius
Astro Request
How can you draw on the Leo New Moon between 5-19 August to favour love and generosity?
Your personal experience is shaped by how this general forecast connects to your own birth chart, and how you respond to the planetary influences. For astrological guidance tailored to you, email leena@leenachauhan.com.
May 2024: Active, Calm and Curious
While Mars in Aries urges risk-taking and pushing forward fast, Venus in Taurus invites you to be still and attract good things to you. She reminds you that you’re worth it so what’s the rush? Patience is its own reward.
Photo by Tolga Ulkan on Unsplash
May 2024
Mars channels maximum momentum all month-long in ‘now or never’ Aries, and makes the experience a thrilling one. He makes it easier for you to go after and get what you want. At his best, Mars in Aries exemplifies acting nobly and honourably in service of a just cause, and often on behalf of those who cannot act for themselves.
As Mercury gets back on track after last month’s retrograde spell, your desired aims can be fine-tuned during the first week. But keep moving. Don’t overthink things. There’s plenty to accomplish. Just do it.
While Mars in Aries urges risk-taking and pushing forward fast, Venus in Taurus invites you to be still and attract good things to you. She reminds you that you’re worth it so what’s the rush? Patience is its own reward.
Mercury aids with heeding Mars and Venus’ contrasting signals by spending the first half of May in Aries and the second half in Taurus. Pluto’s retrograde station at the start of May momentarily intensifies the message of each planet in the classic duo.
Still, this month is essentially a Taurean one with the Sun and Jupiter also in Taurus. The cosmos is reminding us to revel in simple pleasures. Hear the birds. Smell the flowers. Feel the grass. See the trees. Taste the water.
Nature is the ultimate soother and provides some calm after a highly volatile April. The 8 May Taurean new Moon creates space to honour and seed whatever makes you and your senses feel wonderful.
18 May is an especially blessed day as the Sun conjoins Jupiter. 23 May is another fortunate day as Venus meets Jupiter. All three planets aspect Neptune which adds a dreamy (if totally made up) streak.
The air starts to circulate again at the end of the month as Jupiter enters super curious Gemini for a year, following the Sun’s entry into the same sign. It’s a call to ask lots of questions, to embark on a learning adventure.
Jupiter in Gemini encourages not lingering or getting bogged down in any one spot for too long. Staying light, social and mobile is the path to opportunity, prosperity and understanding.
April’s once-every-14-years liberating Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Taurus remains live throughout May. Like last month’s total solar eclipse, which is also still unfolding, it triggers an overwhelming urgency to seriously and definitively change things up. Ultimately in a good way. Both configurations offer huge healing potential within immense disruption and pain. It’s part of the healing crisis.
Astro Tips
Wednesday 1 May
Insist on pleasure
Venus in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius
Thursday 2 May
Pause and reflect on your preoccupations
Pluto stations retrograde in Aquarius
Friday 3 May
Act with full force
Mars in Aries sextile Pluto in Aquarius
Tuesday 7 May
Build steadily and gently
Sun in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
Wednesday 8 May
Sow seeds to nurture the good things in life
New Moon in Taurus
Monday 13 May
Discover new ways to sustain pleasure long term
Sun conjunct Uranus in Taurus
Venus in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
Wednesday 15 May
Pay attention with all your senses
Mercury enters Taurus
Friday 17 May
Hear what is not being said
Mercury in Taurus square Pluto in Aquarius
Saturday 18 May
Welcome good fortune and fresh fun
Venus conjunct Uranus in Taurus
Sun conjunct Jupiter in Taurus
Sunday 19 May
Dream big and imaginatively
Sun in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces
Monday 20 May
Get curious on multiple fronts
Sun enters Gemini
Wednesday 22 May
Lead with deep conviction
Sun in Gemini trine Pluto in Aquarius
Thursday 23 May
Enjoy good fortune and good times
Venus conjunct Jupiter in Taurus
Venus in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces
Full Moon in Sagittarius
Venus enters Gemini
Jupiter in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces
Saturday 25 May
Make high impact connections
Venus in Gemini trine Pluto in Aquarius
Jupiter enters Gemini
Tuesday 28 May
Be gentle yet firm
Mercury in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces
Friday 31 May
Think practically and outside the box
Mercury conjunct Uranus in Taurus
Astro Request
What seeds can you sow under this month’s new Moon in Taurus on 8 May to invite more serenity into your life?
Your personal experience is shaped by how this general forecast connects to your own birth chart, and how you respond to the planetary influences. For astrological guidance tailored to you, email leena@leenachauhan.com.
Lunar Eclipse: Baltimore Bridge Collapses
Under the darkness of the lunar eclipse, a Singapore-flagged Dali cargo ship veered off course and collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA at 01.28 EDT on 26 March 2024.
Image by BBC News
Under the darkness of the current lunar eclipse, the cargo ship Dali veered off course and collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA at 01.28 EDT on 26 March 2024 [1].
During an eclipse, the lights go out and power is symbolically lost. This BBC News video clip (1 min) shows the lights on the ship literally going out and power being lost [2] only minutes before the ship struck the bridge and caused its collapse.
As a full on full Moon, a lunar eclipse is a dramatic ending to a lunar cycle. The bridge, a “cathedral of American infrastructure”[3] has met a spectacular end. In the collapse chart below, the elevated Moon signifies death. Time is definitely up for this structure.
The construction crew who fell into the water are shown by Venus. Her conjunction to grim Saturn flags the enduring perils of life on the water.
The ship is shown by the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. The Dali is a huge vessel. Jupiter is in steady Taurus, the sign of tangible, moveable possessions. Taurus’ exalted ruler is the Moon, the planet of containment. This slow-moving container ship was carrying numerous containers en route to Columbo, Sri Lanka [4].
Jupiter is approaching shock-inducing Uranus. That’s the key astrological signature for the bridge dramatically falling down, as triggered by the lunar eclipse. The bridge giving way is affirmed by the Moon at the South Node. It’s a symbolic crossroads signalling downwards movement. Here, the bridge literally fell into the Patapsco River.
While the Moon-South Node conjunction symbolises descent, every other planet is under the horizon. The collapse chart clearly depicts the bridge as fully submerged underwater.
This event echoes the toppling of the statue of Francis Scott Key in San Francisco during demonstrations against racial injustice on 19 June 2020. Juneteenth, observed annually on 19 June, commemorates the end of slavery in America [5] and became a federal holiday in 2021 [6].
As the author of the US national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, Francis Scott Key’s lyrics include “land of the free”. As a slave-owning lawyer, he defended in court slaveholders' rights to own humans [7]. The pronounced Uranian theme highlights contradictory human nature.
With Pluto finally settling into Aquarius in 2024, and as the US Pluto return reverberates, the architecture upholding US society continues to be interrogated. This year’s eclipses bring that process into sharp focus once again, as did 2020’s seismic planetary activity the world over [8].
When the Francis Scott Key bridge first opened on 23 March 1977 [9], Mars at 2° of wishy-washy Pisces was the opening chart’s most prominent planet, as shown below. Mars’ return to this exact same spot at the time of the bridge’s collapse reveals its inherent wobbliness. This is restated by Mars’ rulership of a weak, sick house in the opening chart, coupled with an unstable Moon-Uranus opposition and unreliable Neptune descending.
In the collapse chart, Jupiter 16° Taurus meets the opening chart’s Moon 15° Taurus. This Moon shows abundant assets in the house of concealed, unscrupulous dealings. Questions might be raised as to the backstory of how the bridge was funded and built. Concerns as to what really caused the ship to collide with the bridge might also be prompted. Was it really just an accident?
The Moon was occluded when the bridge was built and then eclipsed when the bridge collapsed. The truth may never be fully revealed. The illuminating, eclipsing Sun is also hidden at the bottom of the collapse chart.
On a brighter note, the collapse Moon’s next and only aspect is an opposition to Mercury in loud, shouty Aries. Here, Mercury rules significant others with expertise. Maybe some people want to investigate and make a noise about this incident. With the collapse chart’s afflicted Mars activating the ‘tell all’ cusp, and a gossipy, elevated Moon, falsehoods are liable to spread.
Mercury is set to retrograde in Aries on 1 April and will return to its collapse chart spot of 24° Aries on 9 April. That’s only one day after 2024’s star total solar eclipse. This signals the yet to be fully disclosed significance of this tragedy and a revised take on the current perception of the situation. Direct Mercury then reaches 24° Aries for one more time on 10 May, which may further extend the public timeline of this story.
The collapse chart’s Uranus is at 20° Taurus. The cargo ship is called Dali. Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali was born with the Sun at 20° Taurus [10]. Maybe this whole episode is just a co-incidence after all. Uranus also acts as a reminder of the sheer randomness of life.
References
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-68667813
[4] https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/9697428
[5] https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth
[8] Several major planetary cycles renewed in 2020: Saturn joined Pluto at 24° Capricorn on 12 January; Mars joined Pluto at 24° Capricorn on 23 March; Jupiter joined Pluto at 24° Capricorn on 5 April 2020, and Jupiter joined Saturn at 0° Aquarius on 21 December.
[9] https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-key-bridge-opens-at-10/144152310/
[10] Born on 11 May 1904 at 8.45am in Figueras, Spain https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Dali,_Salvador