Four Moons Astrology- Donna Woodwell, Austin, Texas

A pause. A deep breath. The world turns again.

August was one of the most intense astrological months in decades. Now the pendulum has reached its zenith. For an instant we hang, suspended in mid air. Like the space between breaths, it is a moment full of potential and possibility.

September begins slowly as Mercury continues its retrograde until September 12. A lifestyle that is always go-go-go is a major source of stress and dis-ease; Mercury retrogrades are Nature’s antidote. Quietly sip a cup of herbal tea and focus on the present moment. From that place of stillness, ready yourself for what’s next.

Look out for a flash of insight on September 18 when Jupiter conjuncts Uranus for the second time this year. Jupiter’s realm is hope and optimism, Uranus’ the unexpected and the innovative. Open the windows and let the fresh air blow in: you may be inspired and find the answers you seek.

Balance is restored on September 22, the annual fall equinox. Day and night are equal in length around the time of the equinox; after the equinox, nights grow longer until the winter solstice. Curl up with a good book that uplifts your heart: the season to nourish our spirits is beginning.

• “All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail.” Dorthea Brande #
• Moon conjunct Uranus in Pisces. “The ingenious are always fanciful.” Edgar Allan Poe #
• Full Moon in Pisces. “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods.” C.S. Lewis #
• Sun enters Virgo. “Some flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks.” Goethe #

• Moon in Aquarius, sextile Jupiter, trine Saturn. “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” Jonathan Swift #
• Saturn square Pluto. “We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.” Ayn Rand #
• Mercury retrograde begins. “Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” Barbara Johnson #
• Venus conjunct Mars in Libra. “You call it madness, but I call it love.” Don Byas #

• Mars-Jupiter-Pluto T-square. “The universe is transformation; our life is what our thoughts make it.” Marcus Aurelius #
• It’s time for August’s astro-weather forecast… http://fb.me/DCGZ7U9Y #
• “When you are sorrowful look in your heart; you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” Kahlil Gibran #

There’s no escaping it: August has some of the most challenging astrological weather in decades.

In the first weeks of the month, six of our solar system neighbors – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto – arrive for a tense stand-off in early degrees of the cardinal signs Aries, Libra and Capricorn.  Like a Western film before the shooting starts, nerves are jangling, suspicions run high and the question “what next?” hangs in the air.

The feeling is magnified since these aspects occur on the World Axis – the degrees of the solstices and equinoxes. Old system and structures are dying, but the new ones have not yet been born. There’s no place to hide: no comfort in the past and no certainty for the future.

In moments like these, the world is created by the choices made next. Says writer S. N. Goenka: “The reality keeps changing from moment to moment and we are aware of ‘what is.’…. ‘What is’ is not static – it keeps changing from moment to moment. … This is the path and we keep walking on the path. It is not a beaten track. The changing reality makes it the ‘pathless path.’”

We are all walking this Pathless Path.  Be especially gentle and compassionate with yourself and others during this time. Being rooted in the present moment provides the most stable platform for acting constructively instead of reacting out of fear and insecurity. Cultivate the practice of mindfulness; walking and other moving meditations are especially valuable when the cosmic waters are unsettled.

Mercury’s retrograde on August 20 it may be a relief to some. The astro weather this month provokes a sense of urgency even when no urgency is required. Mercury retrograde’s gift is to put the brakes on our plans and give us time to pause, take a deep breath, and think.  Accept it with gratitude.

• Moon in Aries. “Without haste, but without rest.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe #
• Mars conjunct Saturn. “All the so-called ’secrets of success’ will not work unless you do.” Unknown #
• Mars opposite Uranus. “A breakdown can be the beginning of a breakthrough, a trauma preparing you for radical transformation.”Cherrie Moraga #
• Mars enters Libra. “The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people half way.” Henry Boyle #
• Saturn in Libra opposite Uranus in Aries. “The risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin #

• Full Moon in Aquarius. “Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.” Moshe Dayan #
• Sun enters Leo, sextiles Saturn in Libra. “A total commitment is paramount to reaching the ultimate in performance.” Tom Flores #
• Moon in Scorpio. “Never build your emotional life on the weaknesses of others.” George Santayana #
• Moon in Scorpio sextile Pluto. “Life is the sacred mystery singing to itself.” Unknown #

• Moon in Libra sextile Mercury in Leo. “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato #
• Moon in Libra opposite Jupiter and Uranus. “Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.” George Santayana #
• Moon conjunct Mars in Virgo. “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson #

• Come to “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Aquarian Age” Today from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm http://fb.me/xIp14mit #
• Total Solar Eclipse in Cancer.”They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” Confucius #
• Mercury trine Uranus. “Ignorance has always been the weapon of tyrants; enlightenment the salvation of the free.” Bill Richardson #
• Venus opposite Neptune. “Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.” Mark Twain #
• Moon in Taurus. “Good habits, once established are just as hard to break as are bad habits.” Robert Puller #
• Moon in Aries trine Venus in Leo. “Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal.” Unknown #

Distressed and overwhelmed by current events? Struggling to find balance in your daily life? Have a deep urge to do something different but don’t know what it is? Don’t Panic! Welcome to the Aquarian Age!

“We’re at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius” the song goes. But what does this transition to the Aquarian Age really mean for all of us? Take a tour of the history and astronomy of the astrological ages, as well as what the future holds for us collectively and individually. You’ll receive a timeline of key dates to watch out for between 2010-2012, as well as take-home tools to help you flow with the coming changes and manifest personal and professional abundance.

Event: Astrological Society of North Texas (ASNT) July Monthly Meeting
Date: Sunday, July 11, 2010
Time: 1-4 pm
Location: Stacy Home Furnishings Center Meeting Room, 1900 South Main St., Grapevine, Texas
Cost: Free (ASNT membership encouraged)