Life in the Slow Lane
August 2024Look-at-me-Leo rules the month of August. Known for being a sign that roars, Leo is the life of any party, and The Creator, especially fun and frivolity. Where there is life, there is Leo. Master artists, athletes, inventors and designers of all variety often have planets in Leo or Leo’s house, the 5th, somewhere in their astrology chart.
So what gives then this month, August 2024, when we are drawn to slow down, rewind and reset?
August begins under a dark moon phase. Sounds ominous; but it is not. Rather, it offers a highly, deeply creative time. In her own sign of Cancer the Crab as the Moon disappears from the night sky, she is intensely fertile and sets the stage for the rest of the month. Cancer is the Great Mother. And a Cancerian Moon in the darkest phase of the lunar cycle is the womb itself. She invites us into her cozy delicious depths, preparing us for a New Moon in Leo on Sunday, August 4th. Here, the seed is planted.
What seeds are you planting in the womb of life?
Underscoring the significance of the creative opportunities of this New Moon, Messenger Mercury turns retrograde on the very same day in practical Virgo. Here, Mercury stops to take a second, third or maybe even fourth glance at the composition of our lives. It analyzes the tiniest details of our habits, routines and practices, asking: are these working effectively and efficiently? Are these practices healthy?
We may feel caught in the gear shift, the juxtaposition posed by the New Moon inviting us forward while Mercury has us pause to reflect and review. How do we reconcile the two?
Stop. Just stop. Take a moment out of life on Sunday, August 4th and hand write 3-5 intentions or goals, the more specific the better. Set these aside and revisit your writing later in the day; or even better, look over your notes on Monday, the 5th. How do your intentions feel now? Tinker with them and re-write as needed. Then plant in the soft, warm earth or set safely alight.
The very next day, Valuable Venus joins Mercury in Virgo, highlighting practicality in our relationships, including how we spend our time and money. We want to know exactly what we are getting for our efforts with people, our jobs, and our service to others. Our thoughts, words and way of relating now focus on health and well-being: are the people we hang out with healthy for us? Is our daily routine benefiting our body, mind and soul? Is our work or job satisfying and building toward a rewarding future?
If your answer is more no, than yes, Venus and retrograde Mercury prompt a lifestyle revision.
The final month of summer is the perfect time to strategize and plan for the season ahead. Planning and preparation are Virgo’s superpower. Put its energy to work for you. Is your schedule working for you or overwhelming you? If the latter, what do you want your schedule to look like? Sit with your calendar. Is there a flow? Do your days account for down time, you time, exercise time?
Where the Sun in Leo is the creative force, Mercury and Venus in Virgo are the worker bees who follow orders and construct the design. And they won’t hesitate to tell the boss if the creative vision is unrealistic, inefficient or not useful in some regard.
What to watch for between the New Moon on August 4th and mid-month? Overthinking, trying to control all the moving parts, worrying about what is out of your control, perfectionism and/or thinking and trying to make everything perfect, all of which can lead to general anxiety.
Instead of allowing yourself to be swallowed by the above hamster wheel, pause, pivot and redirect. Ask: is this the most effective use of my time? If not, put Virgo’s health-consciousness to work for you. Slow down. Take long, deep breaths. Go for a walk, bike ride, gym, or do some gentle stretches.
Lay low. Quiet, behind the scenes, off the grid time is August’s invitation. If you haven’t taken vacation already, this is your month! The lazy days of mid-August are tailor made for reading on the beach or your back deck, going fishing, camping or health spa depending on your budget and interest.
The majority of August’s days are marked by Messenger Mercury’s retrograde passage so be mindful of some guidelines: watch for missed connections, miscommunications and misunderstandings. Practice Patience with a capital P! Lean on the RE words, Rest, Review, Restore, Refresh, Relax, Revisit, Renovate, etc. August is a terrific month to clean out closets (drawers, basements, attics), hold yard sales and repair items as needed, etc.
Avoid or delay buying any electronic or communications equipment such as cellphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions until August 28th or afterward. The same applies to big ticket purchases such as cars, homes, appliances and travel bookings. Take your own sweet time reviewing significant documents before signing on the dotted line, such as auto loans, mortgages, or other legal contracts.
Back to school deals abound in August but if you can wait til the end of the month, especially for buying connective devices, the better. If necessity dictates a new phone or laptop, make sure you purchase the extra warranty as you may very well need it later on.
The plot thickens around August 15th. Retrograding Mercury re-enters Leo offering a helpful chance to revisit and rework creative pursuits. If a project or endeavor isn’t landing right, this is your opportunity to polish it up, make it shine and re-resubmit at the end of August. This is particularly true of any writing or language-based efforts, including sales, marketing, public relations and advertising, as well as creative and non-fiction writing. Why?
Gemini. Both Generous Jupiter and Motivating Mars meet up in communicative Gemini the middle week of August. The power of persuasion is all yours when you focus. Tune in. Listen to the passive Gemini twin: hearing, thinking, intergrating and composing. What is your message? Who is your audience? What is your goal? Hone and craft your words carefully. Switch gears to the active Gemini twin: talking, sharing, selling, and writing. And….GO!
August 13th-17th can be either wildly insightful to the point of visionary or completely blinding and delusional. Both Jupiter and Mars in Gemini challenge Saturn in Pisces during this stretch. Creatively, our imaginations are off the charts this week. Immense potential abounds for groundbreaking ideas. So put pen to paper, brush to canvas, just dive into the creative wave.
Just make sure you keep head-to-toes grounded along with your message. Because the flip side of this massive creative wave is illusion, disillusionment, mirage and smoke and mirrors; consequentially, it is not the week to take a risk, either romantically or economically. Watch for slick sales maneuvers, buying things you really do not need, falling for bait and switch gimmicks, and more. Read that email twice. Use caller ID to screen potential pranksters. If you do take the call, remember: when something sounds too good to be true, it actually is.
By the following Monday, you will know what is up, whether something/one is the real deal or up to no good. Under the light of the Full Moon in Innovative Aquarius on Monday, August 19th, we see exactly what we are getting into. The bright spotlight of the Moon opposite the Sun conjoined to Messenger Mercury shines on every little detail of our situation. We still have time to make adjustments and corrections to our work before Mercury turns direct motion. Practice makes perfect as the Sun turns into hard-working Virgo on Thursday, August 22nd. Take advantage! As long as you remember to be kind to yourself and practice self-care and well-being in equal measure. Virgo can work itself into a frenzy, believing it is never quite good enough. Know when to say when and when good enough is sufficient.
At long last, Messenger Mercury turns direct motion on Wednesday, August 28th! Book your travel plans, sign major documents, purchase communication devices and any large ticket items now. By the end of week, Valuable Venus turns into her own sign of Libra on Friday, August 30th. Here, the planet of love, money and relationship revels as she designs, harmonizes and balances all aspects of life graciously and gracefully.
Keep this in mind as you juggle back-to-work and school routines. Check your need-to-please other people at the door and remember to take your own agenda into full account before committing to help someone else. There is a lot on our plates now. Guard your plate carefully.
Of Special Note:
If you prefer to listen to audio recordings of my astrology forecasts, these are always available via my podcast, Mystical Messages on Spotify and Apple as well through my website: www.hilaryharley.com.
Join me and a wealth of state of the art wellness practitioners at the Zenathon, Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 9 AM to 4 PM in Sharon, MA. Hear inspirational talks, revel in nature and enjoy yoga in a gorgeous woodland setting. To learn more, www.zenathon.org, or hear Zenathon visionary founder Sonya Masur share all the details on Mystical Messages podcast.