Monthly Vedic Astrology Forecast

Partial Kala Amrita Yoga July 22 – December 15
Mars Transits Leo August 8 – September 24
Jupiter Direct in Scorpio August 11
Sun and Venus Conjoin in Cancer August 14
Full Moon in Dhanishta/Capricorn August 15
Venus Transits Leo August 16 – September 9
Sun Transits Leo August 17 – September 16
Mercury Transits Leo August 26 – September 10
New Moon in Magha/Leo August 30

Partial Kala Amrita Yoga July 22 – December 15

Kala Sarpa/Kala Amrita Yoga in its pure form sees all of the visible planets hemmed to one side of the nodal axis with none of them conjoining either node. In partial form, one or more planets can join one of the nodes, which also gives that planet or planets the power to break through the tight hold that Kala Sarpa/Kala Amrita Yoga tends to create.

Kala Amrita Yoga forms when Ketu is at the head and all of the planets are moving from Rahu toward Ketu. Kala Sarpa Yoga forms when Rahu is at the head and all planets are moving in that direction.

Because we have Saturn tightly conjoined with Ketu, Saturn will be the planet to watch as far as leveraging its energy to break through situations that we feel trapped within. Out of all the planets, Saturn has the detachment needed to break things that are no longer positive.

Interestingly, it is also Venus which both opens and closes this Kala Amrita door as Venus moves out of Gemini and into Cancer on July 22 and then out of Sagittarius and into Capricorn on December 15, which dissipates fully that partial Kala Amrita Yoga.

Those people that are born under these configurations often have a part of their life in which they feel there is not much choice; that there is karma to experience whether they wish it or not, for good or ill. When there is a planet conjoined the nodes, that planet often becomes the catalyst for liberating the native from the illusion of "having to experience" certain things in life.

Periods of time when this yoga comes into play can be quite memorable going forward because collectively and individually we may experience situations that force us in one direction or another. In the moment, this may cause distress or discomfort, as generally some level of instability is involved. In the long run, we may not relish the distress that was experienced, but we can see with new perspective why the currents were forcing us into new channels.

In the long view, we are looking forward to 2020, when Jupiter and Saturn will be in very strong positions in their own signs of Sagittarius and Capricorn. This period of time prior to that, with this partial Kala Amrita Yoga in effect, may be colored by events both planned and unplanned that drive us toward a new position from which we will be able to leverage the positive effects of Jupiter in Sagittarius and Saturn in Capricorn, which will be in effect from January 23 – November 19, 2020.

Mars Transits Leo August 8 – September 24

The overall planetary directives of July were to allow the dissolution or destruction of the irrelevant or obsolete and patiently wait for the turbulence in the collective waters to settle. There have been several months of activity building up toward this period of time, with the Saturn and Ketu conjunction fully locked in by Saturn's retrograde motion, with eclipses in July and with Jupiter retrograde, as well.

Mars will be completing his transit of Cancer, his sign of debilitation, on August 8 and will move forward into the Sun's sign of Leo, a much more powerful position for Mars. Mars in Cancer can get extremely frustrated by the inability to forge ahead with plans and we may collectively or individually be experiencing some level of impatience at having to endure one delay after another.

Mars will transit Leo from August 8 – September 24, during which time both Jupiter and Saturn will take direct motion and the Sun itself will transit through Leo. This could mark a turning point as we may receive some clarity about how we wish to utilize our energy and resources going forward.

Mars has a good relationship with both the Sun and the Moon as natural friends, but can do his work much more cleanly and efficiently in Leo, ruled by the Sun. Sun and Mars share the qualities of focus and firepower, so in Leo, Mars doesn't have to contend with fighting the ever changing tides as he does in Cancer.

In addition, Mars will be giving an aspect to his own sign of Scorpio, currently the location of Jupiter. This bolsters Scorpio and Jupiter, throwing some courage into the mix for the upcoming transformations through which Jupiter will guide us.

Jupiter Direct in Scorpio August 11

Jupiter has been moving through the last part of Scorpio in retrograde motion since April 10 and will resume direct motion once again on August 11 at 21° Scorpio. Retrograde motion can cause the planet to behave differently, even opposite to what is normally predicted. For Jupiter, we expect positivity and growth when in normal motion. Retrograde motion can cause Jupiter-related significations to shrink or reverse. Growth can become stagnancy or dissolution. After four months, many of us are ready to turn that ship about!

Scorpio is the strangest of water signs, co-ruled by the fiery planets Mars and Ketu. Any time this fire-water energy comes together, we get the tangled challenge of the gandanta, for instance at the three junctures of the zodiac between the water and fire signs. (Gandanta 1 is between Cancer & Leo, Gandanta 2 is between Scorpio & Sagittarius, Gandanta 3 is between Pisces & Aries.)

Scorpio itself has not only this fire-water dichotomy, but also the designation as one of the two signs that is co-lorded by one of the nodes of the Moon. Scorpio is co-lorded by Ketu, the "dragon's tail," and by Mars, ruler of the fire element. Holding the energy of the eclipse, Scorpio is a deep and intricate sign that drives us toward understanding the subconscious mind and the unseen undercurrents that drive our lives.

Jupiter functions well in this complex environment of Scorpio, having good natural relationship with both Mars and Ketu. Direct motion of Jupiter in Scorpio from August 11 – November 4, when Jupiter moves to Sagittarius, could be a very positive influence with regard to learning from mistakes and making deep transformations that open the way toward new growth opportunities.

In striking a harmonic chord between the water and fire energies, we are evolving. The great Jupiter, ruler of the element of space, may be the key to traversing the difficult junctures in life where we are faced with leaping from the fertile, nourishing water element into the powerful, independent expression of fire.

Sun and Venus Conjoin in Cancer August 14

The sign of Cancer is experiencing some turbulence at this time with Sun, Venus, Mars and Mercury all moving about in the waters of the Moon's sign. Mars, the fiery planet of power is frustrated in Cancer. Retrograde Mercury exits Cancer on July 30 and dips quickly back into his own sign of Gemini, resuming direct motion on July 31 and returning to Cancer to join the crowd on August 3.

This is a mixture of fiery and watery planets in Cancer, which further emphasizes the gandanta concept, pushing us all to solve the puzzle of how to express our fire and water simultaneously.

Further increasing the challenge, we have Venus moving quickly toward combustion with the Sun, which becomes an exact conjunction just after midnight on August 14 at 28° Cancer. In the dance of the Sun with Venus, we are exploring the mystery of relationship (Venus) between distinct individuals (Sun.) The story of our lives...

While in Cancer, the Sun gets a bit of softening, perhaps for a moment able to see himself as a reflection, another glimmer of the collective soul. The parallel in individual experience is having the sweet feeling of being recognized as a unique individual while at the same time experiencing unconditional love and acceptance. This is fire of the soul floating peacefully in the nourishing waters of the collective mind.

Venus rushes up on this scene, gaining on the Sun, merging with him and losing herself temporarily on August 14, for a short spell of close conjunction with the Sun as they move through the late degrees of Cancer and dance together through the gandanta that blocks the entrance to Leo a few days later.

On a practical level, this could be the make or break point for some vis a vis current relationship status. Relationship or partnership dynamics may have been turbulent for some time during this current year and this meeting of Venus and Sun may help to reveal the keys to moving past the turbulence. The delicate balance of compromise and firmness can be practiced during this time.

Venus remains in combustion with the Sun through August, pulling away from its orb of influence after mid-September.

Full Moon in Dhanishta/Capricorn August 15

As the Sun rises in Cancer on the morning of August 15, the Moon comes to its point of fullness at 29° Capricorn as it sets in the west. Unlike in July, when the full Moon was eclipsed by the Ketu/Saturn conjunction in Sagittarius, this full Moon escapes all negative planetary aspects, offering a moment of calm perception after some months of turbulence, obstacles and unexpected delays.

We may begin to feel the tides turn at this time, with the threat of eclipse to our two great luminaries, the Sun and Moon, having passed into the rearview mirror for now. The direct motion of Jupiter will also be settling in as we begin to see hope for creating new forms and establishing new roots. The dispositor of the Moon at this time, Saturn, however, remains tightly wed to Ketu in retrograde motion, reminding us that our new foundations require patience to build properly.

Dhanistha nakshatra spans the last part of Capricorn and the first part of Aquarius. Both of these signs have the lordship of Saturn, so the deliberation and detachment of Saturn weaves into the application of power that we expect from Mars, who rules Dhanishta. This nakshatra has as its symbol a drum, which in a very Saturn-Mars way establishes the foundation and deliberate rhythm of music, giving a piece structure and direction. This is a good time to put our ears to the ground, listening closely to the rhythms of the earth and the beating of our own hearts.

Venus Transits Leo August 16 – September 9

Venus, ruler of the water element and currently combust in the brilliant shine of the Sun, moves from the Moon's sign of Cancer to the Sun's sign of Leo on August 16, remaining close to the Sun through the entire transit which then sees Venus moving into her sign of debilitation, Virgo, on September 9.

Venus in Leo and Venus with the Sun give similar results, the theme of which may have something to do with sacrificing the vitality of a union in order to serve the needs of an individual. Or in political analogy, sacrificing compromise and diplomacy in order to serve the sovereignty and power of those who are in a position of leadership.

Mercury will join Venus by late August, but these two energetic planets will be sharing Leo with the Sun and Mars, whose agendas are more likely to prevail at this time. Aggression and executive finality may overpower the diplomatic efforts of Venus and Mercury during this period.

This is much hotter and drier planetary weather than we experienced in the early part of the summer. It may be wise to plan for time to "chillax" as things may become a bit heated, promoting conflict and friction.

Sun Transits Leo August 17 – September 16

While this may not be the optimal time for group ventures, diplomacy or equality within relationship, it will be a great time for self-promotion as the Sun moves into his throne room, Leo, from August 17 – September 16.

With both Mars and the Sun in occupation of Leo, this is quite empowering to those who have significant horoscope placements there or in the sign of Aquarius, which is opposite to Leo. Avenues that may have seemed blocked or absent may seem to open up and become clear during this time.

While the brakes may still be pressed by the Saturn/Ketu conjunction, other factors are giving us the signal to begin to enact plans and move forward. Without hurry or pressure, we can begin to take deliberate steps to lay our new paving stones and put ourselves out there.

Mercury Transits Leo August 26 – September 10

Adding his youthful enthusiasm to the new launches encouraged by the Sun and Mars in Leo, Mercury blasts from Cancer into Leo on August 26, moving through quickly past the Sun and into his own sign of Virgo on September 10.

Following Venus' lead, Mercury races forward into complete combustion with the Sun that is exact on September 3, when Sun, Mercury and Mars will all be at the same degree of Leo.

The indication here, with all Mercury, Venus and Mars lost in the bright orb of the Sun is that we may be focusing all of our energy and power on the agenda of the Sun alone during this time. If our heart is with the cause, this will feel amazing and invigorating. If we are being swept toward a goal that does not align with our purpose, this may be quite disheartening!

Plan time alone to be quiet and still during this period of time. It may be difficult to communicate and connect with such strong solar energy overpowering the environment. Stay focused on goals and put a bit more energy toward clear, patient communication.

New Moon in Magha/Leo August 30

Before sunrise on August 30, the Moon joins the Sun at 12°40' Leo, in the fourth pada of Magha nakshatra. The day leading up to this moment is amavasya, the day of the new Moon, when physical and mental energy can be at a low point. Thursday, August 29 could be a good day to plan for a lighter schedule and some self-care activities.

As the Moon slides into home and re-sets for another cycle of waxing and waning, we can use this time at the end of our calendar month to look ahead to what may be available to us in September, which will begin with a waxing Moon and the prospects of Saturn resuming direct motion on September 18. That will begin the separation of Saturn from Ketu and mark the true dawning of positive growth with firm foundations.

Magha nakshatra is a portion of the zodiac that we associate with our ancestors and the karma of family lineages. While the Sun rules Leo, Magha is ruled by Ketu, showing the roots of the individual potential coming from the ancestral or family karma. This could be a time to face and destroy the deeply sown seeds that may be blocking our progress. Facing family karma, forgiving of debts, releasing of grudges and sacrificing selfish desires may be required in order for us to open the locks that are keeping us from fully blooming.