THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER is now underway. The Perseids are debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. Every year around this time, the Earth passes near the path taken by the now-distant comet, and its debris fragments show up as meteors in our sky. 

According to SpaceWeather.com, "Forecasters expect the shower to peak on the night of August 11/12, with August 12/13 a possible close second. On both dates, meteor rates could exceed 100 an hour during the dark hours before sunrise."

If you have a tradition of wishing every time you see a "falling star," and you live somewhere with clear skies, you'll need to prepare a good long list of wishes this week!

THE NEXT PLUTO-ERIS SQUARE will perfect on August 27 when the two dwarf planets are at 24°40´ of Capricorn and Aries, respectively. But slow-moving Pluto and Eris are already so close to that degree, we're feeling the square's tension very strongly, even though the exact aspect is still three weeks away. And, this is the fourth of five exact squares in 2020-2021, which means we are also building on the energies of the three previous occurrences in 2020 (on January 26, June 14, and December 10).

One essential theme of this square seems to be about reclaiming one's true power – but this is not power over another, nor an egoic power that cares little for the well-being of others. Those misrepresentations of power are more about control and dominance, and unabashed self-centeredness. They are simply a continuation of where we have been, not where we hopefully are going.

THE POWER we are reclaiming is that of finding a sense of purpose based on a higher vision or value that we hold dear. This power includes with it the ability to offer our gift to the world with humility and gratitude.

The square aspect means that this ultimate prize does not fall into our laps, but requires hard work (Pluto in Capricorn) and courage (Eris in Aries) as we strive to transmute the fears and doubts that have been holding us back. In the personality, these fears and doubts may manifest as a need to feel important, a desire to control or dominate, a feeling of entitlement, and the need to believe that we are somehow "better" than another. 

As mentioned before, we can learn more about the effects of the Pluto-Eris square by watching the other planets in these weeks before the main event. As the faster-moving planets interact with Pluto/Eris, they can "trigger" (activate) manifestations related to the square. Here are days and times to watch this week (based on Pacific Daylight Time):

• Wednesday: Venus in Virgo will quincunx Eris (11:05 a.m.) and trine Pluto (3:45 p.m.)
• Friday: the Libra Moon will oppose Eris (7:59 a.m.) and square Pluto (8:20 a.m.)
• Saturday: Mars in Virgo will sesquiquadrate Eris (12:31 a.m.) and sesquiquadrate Pluto (7:31 a.m.)

​IN ADDITION to these triggering aspects, there is significant planetary activity nearly every day this week, so be sure to get good rest when you can! Here are the highlights, day by day:

Monday
Venus in Virgo opposite Neptune: Romantic visions or a desire to rescue another could obscure our ability to see reality clearly. We may end up feeling disillusioned if a loved one or a purchase doesn't meet our idealistic expectations.

Tuesday
Mercury in Leo sesquiquadrate Chiron and opposite Jupiter: Egos can be easily bruised today. In our eagerness to be heard, we may not take the time to consider the effects of our words on others.

Wednesday
Mars in Virgo square the nodal axis: Instinctive reactions can interfere with our ability to speak clearly and to listen with an open mind. An unconscious need to control can lead to being overly critical and may stir anger. 
Venus in Virgo sesquiquadrate Saturn and trine Pluto: While we may have some difficulty expressing our true feelings early in the day, the desire to have a relationship that works encourages us to bare our souls, with the goal of greater honesty and intimacy.  
Mercury enters Virgo: Mercury will be in Virgo until August 30. This transit helps us pay closer attention to the details, think more practically, and plan with greater efficiency. But we may also be more impatient with stream-of-consciousness conversations that don't seem to ever "get to the point."

Thursday
No major aspects are exact today.

Friday
Mars in Virgo quincunx Saturn: An over-perfectionism and general impatience can interfere with achieving our goals.

Saturday
Mars in Virgo sesquiquadrate Eris and sesquiquadrate Pluto: Mars triggers the Pluto-Eris square throughout the day. This activation will begin earlier in the week, and will already be strong on Friday.
Venus in Virgo quincunx Jupiter: We can tend to be self-indulgent and easily irritated early in the day, if we haven't been doing a good job with self-care this week.
Sun in Leo quincunx Neptune: We may find it hard to know what we really want and need with this aspect. Frustrations and disillusionment arise if we have been basing our well-being on what we hoped would happen, rather than on reality.

Sunday
Venus in Virgo sesquiquadrate Uranus: This aspect represents a struggle between our need for independence and our ideal of what a committed relationship "should" look like.
Mercury in Virgo square the nodal axis: We can overthink or overtalk to the point of weariness with this aspect, which can lead to being overly critical of self or other.
Venus enters Libra: Venus will be in Libra until September 10. During these weeks, the need for harmony and balance becomes central to our relationship satisfaction. Beware of tipping the scales too far in an effort to keep someone happy, since codependency is a potential shadow side of Libra.
 
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: It's easy to dream big this year, Leo, and your optimism and belief in yourself can take you far. But be sure to also keep a practical perspective, since dreams can sometimes be too fantastic. Be flexible enough to adjust your plans based on real-world results. When you combine realism and idealism in the right proportions, your potentials are unlimited. (Solar Return Sun opposite Jupiter, quincunx Neptune)

In peace and with gratitude,

Pam

Aspects of Note This Week:

All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hours.

• MON: Venus opposite Neptune

• TUE: Mercury sesquiquadrate Chiron, Mercury opposite Jupiter

• WED: Mars square nodal axis, Venus sesquiquadrate Saturn, Mercury enters Virgo, Venus trine Pluto

• THU: No major aspects

• FRI: Mars quincunx Saturn

• SAT: Mars sesquiquadrate Eris, Venus quincunx Jupiter, Mars sesquiquadrate Pluto, Sun quincunx Neptune

• SUN: Venus sesquiquadrate Uranus, Mercury square nodal axis, Venus enters Libra

WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT! I'm excited to announce that my next webinar, entitled "The Final Ascent," is set for Wednesday, September 8! The class will cover the rest of 2021, which will truly feel like the last stage of the difficult climb humanity has undertaken this year. During the last four months of the year, we will be working with the last Pluto-Eris square (October), two eclipses in November-December (including a Total Solar Eclipse), Jupiter's re-entry into spiritual Pisces (December), the final Saturn-Uranus square (December), and more!

As always, you'll receive monthly calendars for notetaking before the class airs, and the entire presentation will be recorded for replay, for those who cannot attend live.

I hope you can join us! Please check out the complete description in the right-hand column on this page. Or, just click and register HERE