Whole Astrology Alert--August 29 to September 5 (really until September 21st)

August 29 brings huge changes to the planet, ready or not. On this day Mercury goes retrograde in Virgo and Saturn now moving direct forms an exact square with Neptune. This exact square begins separation on September 21^st around the Equinox. What this signifies is a time of chaos and confusion. 

Oh, here comes another planetary Dark Night of the Soul...

Tempers run high as ideologies clash with each other, especially since Mars in Sagittarius conjuncts with Saturn, further adding fuel to the Saturn-Neptune Square (10 to 13 degrees). Then if that’s not enough, a SolarEclipse in Virgo (climax of the season of Mutables) launches September. Lazy summer days end and many of us will be practicing a duck and cover exercise.

So all the areas of our lives both individually and globally that we have pushed aside because we engaged with distractions, will stare us down. It’s time to deal with those breakups, divorces, as well as, strife in the political and religious realms. All that noise playing in the background grows deafening. And we are asked to dig deep inside us to forgive and practice compassion. Remember it is easy to practice forgiveness when life goes smoothly and the act is relegated to religious doctrine and not real life experiences. Now real life experiences test our ability to forgive and practice compassion.

And these transits will shatter some hearts and mend others by the end of 2016. I’m not looking forward to these transits anymore than you are. The Saturn-Neptune Square alone is a real bugaboo. It causes religious fundamentalists to blow others up and it causes rifts in families because people choose differing political candidates. We're already witnessed this. And it grows into a spectacle that has some of us shaking our heads and saying, "Well, that's just how it is." Really? What about us becoming more mindful of our role in the bigger picture as the planet shifts into a new age? Mindfulness isn't just a trendy word to bounce around, it is a practice.

I already wrote a post on the Virgo Solar Eclipse for 2016 and I recommend that you read it carefully. Mercury retrograde in Virgo is problematic because Virgo is a communication sign along with Gemini. It is a ruler of technology and food digestion. It represents details, solving problems, and can cause us to become overly critical and ruthlessly judgmental. At its worst, Mercury RX in Virgo is just plain nasty and most of the judgment comes around purity of others and that I know what’s best for you attitude like a mother on steroids. I'm probably falling into this trap with this particular post due to my frustration of this slow global awakening--business as usual mentality that surrounds me.

When Mercury is RX in Virgo we miss important details. We forget to record our expense in the register then bounce checks. We forget to pay bills. We forget to file taxes. We forget to take care of our health which is important when stress levels rise, as they will with the exact Saturn-Neptune Square combined with Mercury RX and a Virgo Solar Eclipse. In fact, the emphasis is on Virgo in late August and September even with Jupiter moving into Libra mid-September. So I recommend reading the post on Virgo Sun and energy too. 

This will help us get a grasp of what is expected of us during these transits. Virgo is not through with us yet. The Universe sees each of us under the guise of an improvement project. So what needs changes in your life? What do you need to return to and clean up? Give it some thought and then act, but don’t re-act since we don’t want to keep repeating the same mistakes.

Now, let’s look at the Mars conjunction with Saturn in Sagittarius which plays mostly in the background. This transit is exact August 21 to the 24. This brings out the idealists hotheads. Everyone thinks they are right and everyone else is wrong. People will bash their beliefs over the heads of others and violence erupts in many cases. This plays out in our own lives then ripples out or is reflected in outer events we see in the news—the more extreme violence. 

But since we’re all connected, we pumped gasoline into those disturbing and traumatic scenarios. Mars and Saturn won’t let us off the hook. We’re all players in this grand tapestry of madness. Again, Neptune in Pisces asks us to practice forgiveness starting with ourselves. Now is the time to lean on religious or spiritual teachings—do onto others as you would do onto yourself. And God hopes you love and respect yourself or you won’t be able to love others. I know, it’s a catch-22, isn’t it? Collectively we can work on healing the belief, "I am not safe." This will go a long way in curbing violence at every level.

Now, we just need to get past the Fall Equinox before we enjoy calm waters again. And that’s going to feel like a long stretch, sorry to say. Saturn separates from Neptune beginning on the 21^st. The Sun moves into Libra on the 22^nd. Jupiter moved into Libra on September 9. Mercury goes direct on the 22, again around the time of the Equinox.   

And then Mars transits into Capricorn on September 28 where the planet is exalted. I also want to mention that Pluto goes direct on September 26 so we will feel that as a bump at the end of the month. This too brings up unfinished business to address.

So how do we get through all this? Attend as little social events as possible. Meditate. Join a spiritual group on or off-line and make sure that it’s not based on ideologies. Join a forgiveness group or take non-violent communication workshops. Stay away from the media (it provides confusing and contradictory news that confuses everyone), stay clear of conspiracy theorists since they’ll run amok, and listen to uplifting music. 

Now is a good time to take care of your brain. Take some quiet time to color or do puzzles. Play a musical instrument or go back to learning a language you studied in the past. Take this time to go backwards and get caught up. This involves completing old tasks, balancing the books, and getting caught up on important (not trivial correspondence). Don’t sign any contracts (wait until October).

Sign up for a reading. Delivery time will be slower because of the Mercury RX and transits that impact my Natal Chart. I'll take a longer time fact-checking and paying attention to details.