Monthly Vedic Astrology Forecast

Mercury Transits Cancer August 5 - August 24

August dawns with Mercury in direct motion traversing the last few degrees of his own sign, Gemini. He will speed through Cancer from August 6-24, making a conjunction with Saturn on August 20. With Mercury's assumption of direct motion at the end of July, we have no planets in retrograde motion for the first time since October 2005. This state will last for a few months, until Mercury starts another retrograde cycle in late October. This could signal that we're getting a few good months to move forward in whatever realm of life on which we may be focusing.

Mercury in Cancer can tend toward the emotional rather than the intellectual. Although Mercury is typically an intellectual planet, Cancer's lunar nature can sway our thoughts away from pure reason. Because Mercury and the Moon, ruler of Cancer, are both associated with the realms of business and commerce, this could be a good quarter to revamp or start up projects of this nature. Saturn's current position in Cancer could provide some resistance for flighty moves spurred from spontaneous thoughts, but should provide great structure when deliberation and restraint are shown. Due to the emotional nature of Cancer, this may be a better month to focus on marketing rather than budget planning, for example.

Venus Enters Cancer August 7

Venus will be the last in the procession of planets to move through Cancer, and past Saturn who is moving most slowly, as usual, through the sign of the crab. Venus, like Mercury, isn't completely in her element while in Cancer, but is certainly able to relate to the watery element. By nature, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus are considered to be a group of "friends," while the Sun, Moon, Mars, and Jupiter are considered to a group of "friends." So, by the current arrangement, this month we are getting a group of old friends (Saturn, Mercury and Venus) passing through "enemy" territory. To me that translates as this: This month we have the opportunity to use our faculties of wisdom, caution, intellect, communication, creativity and relating to address emotional, sticky, sensitive areas. It's as if the "dry" parts of us (thoughts, mind) are being introduced into a "wet" situation (emotional attachment, family drama), thereby affording us the ability to inject reason into passion, to remain objective and cool in a sticky situation. I'm not saying it will be comfortable, but it could nonetheless yield favorable results.

Full Moon in Capricorn August 9

This month's full Moon happens early in the morning of August 9 at 22° Capricorn, Saturn's earth sign. The Moon will be exactly opposite the Sun and Saturn at this degree, and will also lightly aspect the other planets in Cancer: Venus and Mercury. This configuration appears to me as "serious" not so much in the sense that something of a serious nature will occur at this time, but more as an overarching quality or mood. Saturn carries practical, serious energy, and may imbue this full Moon with that type of flavor. I see this full Moon as the pinnacle of several months of difficult aspects involving Saturn and Mars. The beauty of the pinnacle is that the uphill climb is complete, and the vista can be seen. However, anyone who has ever hiked up a mountain knows that coming down can be just as challenging. The energy of Capricorn is excellent for picking your trail, just as the mountain goat can fairly skip down sheer mountain faces. Use the light of this full Moon to assess both what lies behind and in front of you so that you can use the wisdom of your past experience to plan your forward route. Fill yourself up with the patience, determination, and fortitude that Saturn and Capricorn channel through the full Moon.

Sun Enters Leo August 17

The Sun does the royal promenade through his own sign from August 17-September 16. For the first half of this transit, Mars will occupy the later degrees of Leo, but will never get close enough to the Sun for an actual conjunction, which is probably for the best, as that type of meeting can sometimes create much heat. The tendency to focus on oneself becomes more ready when our planets travel through the region of the Lion, and Mars' self-centered tendencies may make the second half of August a time to pay attention to yourself. Beware of the tendency to beg, borrow, or steal attention from others while you're at it; Leo provides the setting in which one may tend to make satellites of others, much like the Sun. Let the Leo Sun penetrate into your being, giving you the light you need to see into your own heart and its desires. Allow yourself to perceive how important it is to address what's in your soul, while keeping in mind that every other person is in the same boat. The Sun is both our greatest provider and most ruthless destroyer, especially when his power isn't balanced with other elements.

New Moon in Leo August 23

The new lunar cycle begins August 23 with the Sun and Moon conjunct in the early degrees of Leo. This would be a great time to "officially" start any new projects, especially ones that involved creativity of any sort. The planets are nicely supporting moving forward, slowly and carefully, at this time. The "serious" mood may have passed at this time, but please don't forget about the recent difficulties that may have transpired for you or others. Much wisdom is to be gained from learning from past difficulties and mistakes during this time. For those so inclined, this would be a great time to step into the spotlight, whether it be literally in the entertainment field or figuratively as taking a step to become more prominent (or seen at all!) in your community. It's also a great time to put energy into recreation or other entertaining activities. Start planning your Halloween costume early!

Mars transits Virgo August 30 - October 14

It's been about two years since Mars made his last transit through Mercury's earth sign, Virgo. While Mercury and Mars are not technically friendly with one another, I can think of more uncomfortable places for Mars to be. The dicey part is that when Mars first enters into Virgo, he immediately falls into conjunction with the Moon's south node, Ketu, one of the "shadowy planets." This combination can be intense and explosive. A positive manifestation of this placement would be to harness the power of intense concentration of Mars and channel it through Ketu's gift for identifying insightful ways to evolve and better oneself. A negative manifestation of this combination would see Ketu's inward-turning tendencies perverting the the power and energy that Mars carries, in effect promoting the qualities of aggression, vengeance, and intolerance. Mars and Ketu were conjunct on September 11, 2001, albeit in a more fiery position, Sagittarius. Mars moves out of the direct influence of Ketu by mid-month.

In more mundane and less dramatic words, Mars' transit of Virgo promotes healing work, research, analysis, and planning. Virgo's Lord is Mercury, an energetic planet that enjoys variety and quick movement. With Mars' occupation of that sign, it's good to watch out for overextension of energy. Mars' drive and Virgo's enthusiasm could put one in a position of going too far and ending up exhausted, with the project not quite complete. Don't forget to listen to Saturn's constant advice to slow down and get enough rest as you jet off into energetic projects and life-changing pursuits.

Mars enters Virgo August 30

Mars will take about six weeks to travel through Mercury's earth sign starting at the end of August and exiting mid-October. Although Mercury and Mars aren't technically "friends," the combination of their strengths is what supports much of the information technology that provides us with our various forms of media and communication. This would be a great time to analyze, plan, and design new systems, to de-bug systems currently in place, or to move systems from one task or place to another. Mercury and Mars together also bring us the magic of pharmaceutical as well as natural medicine technology. Another good venture for Mars' transit of Virgo may be to research or begin new health regimens, embark on a path of learning about health and healing systems, or simply to go to your health care practitioner for the check up you've been putting off. Mars could be nicely subdued by the aspect he will receive from Saturn from Cancer. This is a check to Mars' tendency to forge ahead, relying on strength and power alone to get the job done. Forethought and restraint can be worth hours of time and millions of dollars.

Enjoy the Sun during its big month, watch your step, and have fun with new ventures and directions.