August 2022 Important Dates
AKA my notes from the Astrology Podcast August forecast. To recap, Uranus in Taurus has indeed manifested in food & commodity shortages worldwide, for example the unrest in Sri Lanka. The Scorpio-Taurus eclipses have lined up with drastic market changes, and combined with the Saturn-Uranus square the next set of eclipses will likely indicated more crises of this sort.
Mars’s ingress into Taurus in July continues to overshadow much of August, which puts him in a T-square involving the Sun (♌), Uranus/Rahu (♉), and Saturn/full Moon (♒). In recent years fixed Mars-Saturn has coincided with spikes in different global health crises (ebola, covid, now monkeypox), and Chris points out that plagues were one of the Mars-Saturn significations in ancient texts that he was once quick to dismiss. Austin adds that as time goes on he finds that the oddly specific or seemingly quaint predictions of older texts seem to become more and more relevant if you pay attention.
August 1st - Mars, Uranus, and Rahu conjoin (18♉) (not pictured)
Typical significations include accidents and injuries due to carelessness or recklessness. Guest host Nick Dagan Best says historically this masculine-seeming transit has actually lined up with the political/martial takedown of women in power: Marie Antoinette was beheaded close to a Uranus-Mars conjunction, as did the trials of Madame Mao in China in 1976 (and the Chariman’s death), the defeat of Mary, Queen of Scots, etc. On historic accidents, Austin points out that the explosion in Beirut last year occurred around a Mars-Uranus configuration: a volatile (Uranus) substance was being stored (Taurus) was ignited (Mars). In a natal chart, Frida Kahlo was born under a Mars-Uranus conjunction in the 6th house, opposite her ascendant ruler the Sun (in Cancer in the 12th house), and how a sudden bus accident (which occurred on a Mars-Uranus opposition) & subsequent injuries dramatically shaped the course of her life and work. Anyone with natal Mars-Uranus emphasis or who is accident-prone should especially avoid risk-taking in the beginning of August.
Overall, this configuration means that Saturn (♒), who was in the superior position over Uranus alone, won’t be able to win this 3-on-1 fight. On a more positive note, Robin Williams’ ascendant(♏) ruler Mars was conjunct Uranus (♋) in his natal chart, and he was well-known for his quirky, fast-paced humor. Nick points out he could take a boring talk show interview and make it into total anarchy, which made him such a popular and beloved comedian. In Taurus, we can also see rebels and radicals be the people involved in making food--protesting farmers in South Asia, the uprising of people against the existing social order for their basic needs. Another uprising involved in Mars-Uranus square Saturn is that, once Mars returned to Taurus about 18 months later, we have the congressional hearings about the January 6th events in the US. In broader history, Mars-Uranus square Saturn presided over the fall of Constantinople in the 1400s, considered the final end of Rome.
One thing to note is that Mars hits the exact conjunction to Uranus before squaring Saturn exactly, which may give Saturn a chance to reassert control. Mercury, the Sun, and the Moon will all square/oppose this configuration in a similar order: first Mars & Uranus, then Saturn. First a disruption, then attempts to reassert control. We’re also now on the upslope of a Saturn-Uranus conjunction that will peak in early November (obligatory Archetypal Explorer visualization below):
Overall we can see the disruption/destabilization of things we have taken for granted as basic foundations; perhaps that foundation was as strong as we thought it was. (For example, Roe v. Wade being overturned in the US). However, in individual nativities especially this can also have more positive outcomes. Having a Saturnian wall crumble can free you from a limitation you’ve always thought you had to live with. Whether you’re toppling structures that are no longer working for you or finding yourself newly freed by circumstance, there can also be many opportunities. We may realize that this crumbling has been going on for years--perhaps you first knew it needed to happen on the Taurus eclipse last November--but the final gust of wind knocking it over has given us clarity.
This is a kind of “season finale” for the Saturn-Uranus square that’s been plaguing us since the end of 2020--by March Saturn will be in Pisces, and it’ll be time for the Saturn-Neptune season. However, we do have an eclipse coming up (right on the day of midterm elections in the US!) that will accelerate some more disorder as we head into the end of this transit. Whatever troubles we encounter in the next few months will set the landscape for the next few years.
August 4th - Mercury enters Virgo
Mercury both rules Virgo and exalts in this sign. It’s easily the most unhindered planet during the month of August, which Chris takes advantage of in the electional chart.
August 7th - Mars (22♉) squares Saturn (22♒) (not pictured)
See last paragraph of August 1st.
August 11th - Venus enters Leo, Full Moon in Aquarius
Here is the chart for the lunation, where the Sun is at 19 degrees of Leo and the Moon at 19 Aquarius (see alt text for interpretation of sign and planet symbols. Asc/Dsc = Ascendant/Descendant, and IC/MC = Imum Coeli/Midheaven):
Soon afterwards the Moon will conjoin Saturn at 22 Aquarius, basically forming a “giant silver spotlight” (Austin’s words) on the Saturn-Uranus/Mars/Rahu tensions we’ve been discussing. This is quite similar to the summer of 1999, so look out for parallels in your life if you remember then.
Venus entering Leo puts her back into the danger zone, opposing Saturn and being squared by Uranus/Mars/Rahu (North Node). Venus in Leo normally gives us the vibes of classic summer fun, showing off and enjoying ourselves, and she’ll trine Jupiter around the 17th and 18th, emphasizing this before Uranus shakes up our supplies and Saturn chills us. We may be able to use this to our advantage by having “serious fun”--our hosts suggest going to the ISAR conference in Colorado, but generally think something more reserved yet enjoyable. Mercury in Virgo really is good for learning and speaking.
August 13th - Electional chart for the month
The Saturn-Uranus/Mars square casts a dark shadow over the month, but Mercury will be especially strong in Virgo, where it has both domicile and exaltation. The chart is for around 8:00AM local time, with mid-Virgo rising and a fast, not-afflicted Mercury on the Ascendant. With mutable signs on angular houses, the Taurus-Leo-Aquarius difficulties are pushed into the cadent houses and will be less prevalent. The Moon in Pisces in the 7th house is applying to an opposition with Mercury, and this is a good chart for all things Mercury: writing, communication, detail-oriented and practical tasks. Invention, innovation, and efficiently working through things. During times of unrest, we really need some mental clarity to asses our facts and gaps in knowledge. Additionally, Mercury rules the 10th house of Gemini as well as the 1st, making this chart potentially very powerful.
August 18th - Mars enters Gemini
Due to the October retrograde, Mars will be in Gemini from now until March of next year. By the time Mars leaves Gemini, Saturn will have left Aquarius for several weeks. However, being somewhere other than a fixed sign will release a lot of that tension we feel when Mars and Saturn pull us in different directions. For individuals, pay special attention to the day of Mars’s ingress into Gemini, as the part of the chart activated by this transit can provide some clues as to what you’ll be revisiting during the retrograde.
Generally, Mars speeds things up for us a lot in this quick sign, especially areas of life that have been stagnating. Angular houses and Gemini placements can expect energy and capability to move. However, our attentions and energies can get frayed by trying to split our energy and attention between too many things--when you’re hitting the accelerator all the time, you run out of gas. Mars in Gemini can also indicate lawyers, fighting words, and cyber warfare and generally a competitive edge to Mercury’s games. Tactics and trickery can also come into play here--think trickster heroes or using your wits rather than brute strength to achieve victory. Don’t assume it’s gonna be a straight line; prepare for a lot of twists and turns.
Whatever house Gemini falls in for you is going to receive a lot of heat. How can we hydrate this area and keep it cool? How much competition do you need to be engaged, but not overwhelmed?
August 22nd - Sun enters Virgo
The Sun leaves that fixed sign tensions.
August 24th - Uranus stations Retrograde
The last station of Uranus coincided with, among other things, the US’s messy exit from Afghanistan. In general Chris advises us to pay attention to stations and I agree. I think stations and ingresses precipitate events most obviously (compared to, for example, aspects or lunations).
On the subject of Uranus, Austin wants to point out that Uranus isn’t always a revolutionary we want. The underdog isn’t necessarily the good guy, and the planet’s disruptive energy manifests in both desirable and undesirable shakeups. In the next few years we’ll see the buildup to Uranus in Gemini, which marks the US’s third Uranus return. Previous returns were the Civil War and entering World War II--strong economic positions being taken and unrest over commodity shortages abroad will likely set the stage for the next few years.
August 25th - Mercury enters Libra
Mercury will station retrograde in this sign early in September.
August 27th - New Moon in Virgo
Here is the chart for it:
At 4 degrees of Virgo, this lunation early morning in Denver, or late at night further West. The lights perfectly square Mars in Gemini, and Venus is between exact hard aspects to Uranus and Saturn. Mercury (♎) opposing Jupiter (♈) will gives us some diplomacy in other areas of life. These two planets can show you how to play the devil’s advocate in a charming or well-placed way.
