As the editor of the Arizona Society of Astrologers newsletter, I compose an overview of each month. Today we take a look at the primary factors for the month.

This year the month of August features a combination of Fire trines, Cardinal squares, and EIGHT quincunxes in an 8 day span, including two Yods, or “Fingers of God!” Welcome to the approaching Mars hurricane season! This is an exceptionally dynamic period which introduces the first of THREE squares from Mars in its dynamic home sign of Aries to planets in Capricorn, with the second wave between late September and mid-October.

Mars makes a square to Jupiter during the first third of August, a square to Pluto during the second third of the month, and a square to Saturn during the last third of the month. Because Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto are all less than 9 degrees apart, keep in mind that the entire month is a gigantic square across the second half of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn! Those with one or more planet in those zones can expect some serious crosscurrents. The main themes require us to stay on our equilibrium, and be cautious and careful as we navigate the rough waters.

Because Mars goes stationary retrograde at 29 Aries in early September, it will again make squares to the Capricorn stellium between late September and late October. So consider August a dress rehearsal for navigating the Mars retrograde squares just a few weeks later! Just remember that with Mars slowing to retrograde, adapt to the slowed pace, and don’t let impatience disrupt what momentum you have attained.

The first half of the month we continue to enjoy the benefit of Jupiter sextile Neptune, giving us expansive intuition and connectedness within the larger collective field. We also have several exceptionally dynamic evolutionary configurations in play off and on throughout the month involving what I have termed “The Grand Irrationality” and another rare serendipitous aspect between heavyweight spiritual planets Uranus and Pluto!

Because Saturn is biseptile Uranus and septile Neptune, and Uranus is septile Neptune, we have three points of a 7-pointed “Star of Destiny” activated! All the septile-series aspects trigger crucial choices and changes at “forks in the road of destiny.” I have written extensively about “The Grand Irrationality” which has been active for many years at this site and why all of humanity is forging its future destiny at this time.

If things seem irrational and don’t make much sense, there’s always a septile-series aspect in the mix. During this time, if things get crazy, just go slow and be clear about the choices you’re making. While a lot won’t “make sense,” it doesn’t have to; all we must do is be clear about what we’re doing and why, being balanced, moderate, and caring along the way.

The other evolutionary configuration going on involves the rare, powerful, and serendipitous Uranus tredecile Pluto. This is an aspect of extraordinary interactive good fortune and specialization between these spiritual heavyweights, showing that some unexpected or unusual things which show up may have an unexpectedly beneficial evolutionary result by next year, when the aspect is made again.

Remember we’re still dealing with the waves of change set into motion by the recent Lunar Eclipses and Solar Eclipse. These continue to remove old Gemini/Sagittarius AND Cancer/Capricorn detritus from our lives wherever they fell in our chart. As all Eclipses are “cosmic recyclers” removing that which we no longer need in our lives, it seems the wisdom of this year requires us to “let go let god” and accept that in “moments of pause which presage change,” it’s best to be alertly ready to act, and not fall into distress at not knowing what’s ahead.

We’re all changing our allegiances based on what’s leaving, or aligning ourselves with a larger or greater reality. This is the fourth month of the North Node in Gemini era, showing our line of greatest evolutionary development is through seeing the many ways to learn and communicate a given thing, especially with an eye to raising the standard of our understanding or what we’re offering our world.

The entire month features some fairly intense aspects! The first four days of August shows Mercury opposed Pluto and Saturn with Sun square Uranus, followed by Mars square Jupiter and Venus quincunx Saturn. And from August 10 through 18th, we’ve navigating some extremely rough waters!

From August 10-12, we’ll have Mercury square Uranus and the Sun quincunx Jupiter and Neptune, creating the first Yod, or “Finger of God. From August 13-15, we’ll have Mars square Pluto and Mercury quincunx Jupiter and Neptune, creating the second Yod, or “Finger of God,” followed by Sun quincunx Pluto and Uranus going stationary retrograde!

We have the Sun and Mercury in Leo trine Mars in Aries on August 16, and end the run of quincunxes on August 18 with Mercury and Sun both quincunx Saturn. All quincunxes have to do with adjustment, health, and sacrifice. The Yods involve multiple “expansions through sacrifices” which squeeze us wherever the nozzle of the configuration points, in this case to the Sun and Mercury in Leo. Of course, their trines to Mars in Aries should prove favorable for any planets we have around 23-27 degrees of Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

The end of the month begins phase 2 of the friction/harmony combination in the sky, as Mars makes its first square to Saturn while Venus opposes Jupiter and then Pluto while trining Neptune, opening a favorable void in late Virgo. This is filled by Mercury in Virgo trine Jupiter and opposed Neptune, yielding a slightly offset Rectangle evolutionary configuration made by two oppositions, two trines, and two sextiles, in this case involving Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune. As a rectangle shows us how to navigate every opposition productively with harmony and understanding, this will be exceptionally favorable for any planets we have near 18-22 degrees of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces.

This time of transition and intensifying friction will last through January 2022. Adjustments and sacrifices this month will help us focus our creativity and heart strength, with productive lessons involving Gemini and Libra energy. The inspiration and courage we generate in August will serve us well, helping us stay balanced during the retrograde Mars squares between late September and late October. Much that was promised in 2019 will make progress during August, though it may be late September before we’ll have it in the hand.

Since I also include this in the newsletter, I’ll offer it to you here:

PLANETARY MOTIONS IN AUGUST 2020

SUN – 10 Leo through 9 Virgo
MERCURY – 23 Cancer to 21 Virgo 
VENUS – 25 Gemini to 24 Virgo
MARS –19 to 28 Aries
JUPITER – 21 Capricorn back to 18 Capricorn
SATURN –28 Capricorn back to 27 Capricorn
URANUS –11 Taurus (all month)
NEPTUNE –21 Pisces back to 20 Pisces
PLUTO – 24 back to 23 Capricorn
TRUE NORTH NODE – 29 Gemini back to 27 Gemini

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SIGNIFICANT ASTROLOGICAL OCCURRENCES IN AUGUST 2020

FULL MOON – August 3; Sun 12 Leo, Moon 12 Aquarius
MERCURY ENTERS LEO; August 4
VENUS ENTERS CANCER; August 7
URANUS STATIONARY RETROGRADE – August 15 at 12 Taurus
SUPERIOR CONJUNCTION OF MERCURY/SUN – August 17 at 26 Leo
NEW MOON – August 18; Sun and Moon at 27 Leo
MERCURY ENTERS VIRGO – August 19
SUN ENTERS VIRGO – August 22