While the Great American Eclipse next week is garnering much attention, the aspects leading up to it will likely set up the conditions needed for the creative disruption of old patterns the eclipse could trigger. Venus in Cancer segues from an opposition to Pluto in Capricorn on August 15 to a square to Jupiter in Libra on August 16, creating a formidable T-square configuration that could amplify dysfunctional areas in relationships that are stressed to the point they can’t be avoided anymore. Things generally come to a head under tense planetary alignments, which makes it necessary to deal with them. This is actually a gift because in the heat of the moment the behaviors needing adjusting can be clearly seen and feedback about them is timely, direct and specific. The challenge is to remain respectful, not react emotionally and let love be the guiding force.
With Venus in Cancer, the issues coming to the surface may be within a family, or familial type group of individuals with shared values. This archetypal signature can be quite sensitive but when given a safe space to express has the ability to go deep with another. Pluto in Capricorn asks us to face the issues authentically without hiding or evading, and to acknowledge whatever fears are coming up, allowing the points of darkness to come to the light of transformation. With Pluto retrograde, this process can be internalized bringing self-reflection into deeper areas that may not have been previously in our conscious awareness. Jupiter in Libra represents the opportunity at hand to bring balance to relationships with a focus on the belief systems governing them and inquiring into what motivates certain behavior. Not dealing with fears directly and avoiding festering wounds usually leads to escalating negative behavior. For example, as this configuration was developing, a state of emergency was called in Virginia that reveals the extent to which this nation has not yet successfully dealt with the deep-rooted existence of racism and its network of interconnected socio/political/economic issues. Do we allow this dysfunction to continue or do we need even more “in your face” events to bring our collective soul searching to the table? Since real change begins with each individual, perhaps the most compassionate thing we can do is to take on the opportunity/challenge of the Venus/Pluto/Jupiter T-square and honestly address the issues in our own personal relationships. Allow Pluto in Capricorn to intensify what is there so it can be seen and invite its necessary process to destroy the falseness in the structures of our own justifications. Allow Jupiter in Libra to expand our experience of harmony and fairness in relationships. And allow Venus in Cancer to show us the deep comfort of love.
An energetic Mars sextile Jupiter on August 20 picks up the pace of daily life and puts gusto into the pursuit of desires. On the day before the eclipse, this aspect may spur us into making a big move. Rather than using force to get what we want, riding the wave of passion with strong intention as a strategic guide can put us in the sweet spot. Mars in Leo represents a vigorous desire to create. Jupiter in Libra expands the prospect of collaboration by increasing the desire to seek partners in the creative process. The sextile between them is a stimulating aspect that finds areas of affinity to make working together like a dance.
Enhancing the wave of creativity on August 20, the Sun in Leo trines Uranus in Aries. With the Sun symbolizing the core of our will and Uranus representing the movement towards individual freedom, this aspect may correlate to behavior that is just as likely to be off the rails as it is out of the box. Whether we take the high or low road is a personal choice and much depends on our mastery of the foundational psychological and managerial skills of material life. With the Sun in Leo and Uranus in Aries, freedom to create is paramount. With Uranus retrograde, the impulse to be free may be worked with on an internal level. True freedom comes with tremendous responsibility to be true to oneself, which requires being free from all fear-based conditioning. In the words of Krisnamurti: “It is the truth that liberates, not your effort to be free.”
Here’s the data (Pacific Time and rounded to the nearest whole degree unless otherwise noted):
August 15 – Venus opposite Pluto at 17° Cancer/Capricorn at 4:13 a.m.
August 16 – Venus square Jupiter at 18° Cancer/Libra at 11:40 p.m.
August 20 – Mars sextile Jupiter at 19° Leo/Libra at 9:42 a.m.
August 20 – Sun trine Uranus at 28° Leo/Aries at 11:23 p.m.
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