11:38 pm  AHST  8/15/2023
 2:38 am    PDT  8/16/2023 
 5:38  am   EDT  8/16/2023
 9:38  am  GMT 8/16/2023

There are a lot of powerful aspects (angles) in this New Moon chart that provide a signature for the next month of deep healing, new movement, with a dose of inspiration and possibilities for new connections. But the overriding aspect of this New Moon chart is that it’s nearly exactly at a 90˚angle (called a square) to Uranus, the planet of unpredictable, sudden changes that upset the status quo.

Interestingly, Uranus is also forming a challenging square to Mars in Trump’s natal chart. This can create rash, reckless and impulsive behavior (even more so than usual) that can lead to accidents or a sudden illness. For someone with a more fragile ego, it can create considerable and dangerous tension in their nervous system. Uranus is a “higher octave” planet, meaning its influence is always one that serves the greater good, even if to us it seems that it introduces chaos and confusion. Its general influence is to “break free” of restraints, but in Donald’s case those restraints are already well in place and not very movable.

It actually doesn’t look good for him, as Uranus is also moving right close to his Midheaven in his natal chart. The Midheaven represents one’s reputation in the outer world, and this could be signifying a extreme fall from authority and power for anyone, much less one whose ways of operating in the world have been mean and underhanded. Uranus will pass into his 10^th house in June of 2024, and I feel he will be finished in the world’s eyes by then, or some time soon after that.

But enough of whom we’re all so tired of hearing about. As a disruptor, Uranus’s influence can also bring new and innovative energies into our lives where things have gone tired or stagnant. Mars and Mercury are conjoined in Virgo in this chart, bringing new ideas and the urges to act on them, though with caution and forbearance. They are both in an harmonious trine to Uranus and Jupiter, so innovation and creativity, energy and enthusiasm, as well as inventive ways of trying out new pathways, both in our brains and in our lives, are strongly favored.

This New Moon forms a harmonious trine (120˚ angle) to Chiron, and Eris. Look for possibilities of beginning some new path into healing of old wounds. Trines are energies of grace, so take advantage of doorways that may be open this month. And as for Eris, the “troublemaker” feminine is on the warpath, looking to disrupt the corrupt. And since they’re both near to the North Node, our collective destiny is calling; the times are slowly but surely shifting. 

Mars and Mercury also form a harmonious Grand Trine (three or more planets in an equilateral triangle to each other) to the emerging important Uranus/Pluto trine I wrote about in the Cancer New Moon posting. We may become aware of how we can contribute to the seeds of a new culture that has yet to become manifest, one which values healing of the Earth and of our generations-long woundings. When Uranus goes into Gemini and Pluto moves in to Aquarius, this will be our opportunity to truly real-ize (make real) global cooperation and unity. With Mars in opposition to Neptune this month, that vison may seem a bit fuzzy or far-reaching, and yet we must remember, it is through a paradigm shift that our possibility for survival becomes reality.

Venus has just undergone her new beginning of 584 days, as she retrogrades into the Sun and enters the underworld for a few weeks, to emerge in the morning sky. This is a rebirth for her, and for us, a possibility to fully honor the archetypal feminine energies of love, sensitivity, and creativity in our daily lives. It also asks us to re-evaluate our relationships during this retrograde period (until September 3^rd).

And then Mercury will turn retrograde August 23^rd until Sept. 15^th. Often characterized and popularized, this period is a time to withdraw and explore our inner world, not something that our warrior, progress-oriented culture honors very much. And so it’s characterized as a “bad” time for doing business. Ruling communications, thinking, smooth running of mechanical things, this period does ask us to be more observant of our actions and our intentions, rather than hurrying on to the next thing, as so often we are trained to do. Where we are unconscious of our actions, Mercury the trickster will show up.

So it’s a time to introspect, to re-member parts of ourselves, to reconcile with old relationships, old habits, old beliefs. Especially since by the end of August all the planets except Mars and Jupiter will be retrograde, and Jupiter will also go retro September 4^th . This is a time to re-evaluate our lives, as well as to stop and listen deeply to the inner world of our psyche, and also to the music of the Earth herself. With all the outer planets retro until October 10^th, we have before us a time of renovation, the outer planets signifying the larger issues of our time, both personal and global. This is a particularly potent time to access our connection to our higher intelligence, our higher self, our spirit and soul voices. These are the sources of inspiration and vision, so necessary in times of darkness and disorientation. Retrograde planetary cycles are perfect times for getting in touch with these innate, powerful connections to our Source Self. These connections are not from our cognitive, thinking minds, they happen when we set aside who we think we are, and allow for the unexpected to occur. It is good to remember that these connections are the ones that ride on the waves of love.