August - take some time out

Well, July certainly played out as anticipated, especially the last few days with the momentum finally picking up and several of my friends making great strides and having breakthroughs.  But for all the excitement of the last few days it has been a tough month for many of us as we've dealt with Mercury in the retrograde phase along with any number of conjunctions and oppositions and eclipes... and that's without the heatwave, the monsoons and the changing political landscape!

I'm going to give a quick overview and no more for August.  To be honest it's a bit soul-destroying pouring heart and soul into these monthly updates when I get next to no feedback from anyone.  And I've double-checked to make sure the comments section here is working, and it is!

We start the month with another Sabbat, the first of the three harvest festivals- Lamas.  This one is all about the grain harvest and occurs on the 1st and is also associated with hand-fasting, so happy celebrations to anyone who might be plighting their troth 😊.  It's also marked by making corn dollies ... today out cycling through the corn fields I stopped and gathered a small handful of still standing wheat ...

Mercury goes direct on the 1st as well, yippee, but be prepared for him making his way back through all the throat gates ... communication is still very much the theme.

And on this day we also have the New Moon at 03:14 GMT in 33 line 2

"One cries out for a just resolution.  This can only come if we quietly observe proper principles.  Avoid placing demands on the universe, and success will come."  BBW

Saturn moves to 38, the gate of the fighter on the 9th, so we finally lose the emphasis on the 54 although we still of course have the south node there but hopefully with Saturn's gaze moving on we have a respite from constantly reviewing our upgrading process.  Be aware though Saturn will now be reviewing the battles you fight, are they just, are they purposeful, or are you just wasting your energy.

All the other slower moving planets remain in the gates they've been in for some considerable time so no great change of energy.

There will be a focus on gate 7 through the month which is interesting along side Saturn making that move.  7 is about leadership, the democratic type.  In the I Ching the 7th hexagram is named the Army and the energy is about understanding who your true allies are, moving with one ideal, with an emphasis on proper conduct, caution and humanity.  In divination this hexagram heralds a time of challenging circumstances and advises one to be very sure of those around them, treating them fairly and being rewarded by loyalty.

1 - 5 - Sun in 33, listening retreat, Earth in 19, sensitivity.  With Venus in 31 another leadership-style gate a good week for sensitive and intuitive communications.  New Moon kicks off this week as Mercury turns direct.

6 - 11 - Sun in that gate 7 mentioned above and the Earth in 13 the other listening gate.  Venus has taken the baton from the Sun and continues the listening retreat energy and Mercury is feeling very articulate still.  Mars has been travelling through the gate of 'out of the box thinking' so an interesting week provided you are able to sit back and take in what's on offer.

12 - 17 - Sun now 'thinking out of the box', and the Earth feeling the revolution with Mercury leading in 31 and with Venus conjunct the sun we have some potential here for shake-ups in relationships especially with Mars travelling through 29 ... this could herald a very emotional week where you need to trust the flow even if it doesn't appear to be going where you thought you were heading (or wanted to go)!  Saturn may well play out here highlighting whether you are truly following the correct path for you, or are you fighting against yourself.  Full Moon may well shine an uncomfortable light bringing focus to the revolution in progress ...

49.4 "Great changes are only possible if your inner attitude is blameless.  That which is not just will not last" BBW ... that seems very appropriate with the energies in play this month.  We are really being urged to walk the talk.

18 - 23 - This IS the fiery week heralding Leo of course!  Sun in 29 the deluge and the Earth in 30 the clinging fire and Venus still tracking the Sun's position so again I think we are looking at relationships, and emotions and Mars is bringing the energy of 59, this is all about a seeking masculine energy, often associated with procreation and of war.  At the end of the week we have Mars and Venus conjunct just as the Sun moves there too ... sexual tension at its peak I'd say.

24 - 28 - The sun with that 59 energy and the Earth feeling abundant!  Mercury is now moving into new territory following the retrograde and communications may well benefit from a pause, find time to be alone with your thoughts, mediate, take a walk, whatever works for you.  Mars will be conjunct Mercury so you may well discover you can find the solution to work issues etc by taking a time-out.

29 - into September, a time out for all of us with the Sun now in 40 and the Earth in 37.  This forms  a channel which is all about community ... light the BBQ but be aware with Mercury and Mars sitting in 40 make sure there are plenty of quiet corners to escape to as well.

And so to the runes and I think my Guides may be having a little fun with us, or perhaps they are predicting another heatwave 😂 because the rune to step forward was Isa, which means Ice.

Perhaps they are thinking about long cool drinks, or maybe they are noticing the potential for fiery emotions that will need some retreat time and cooling down.  We do have 33 in play through much of the month and this is about retreating in order to realign.  Isa is about the time when we are still, we've come through the hailstorms, surveyed the wreckage and now need to turn inward in order to reconfigure ourselves to rebirth.

In Norse mythology the creation of all things comes when Ice meets fire so we have the power of the Sun and a Summer month and harvest-time with Isa ... a good month perhaps to prepare for a new way in the Autumn.

Enjoy some downtime.