Aug 24 min read

At the Crossroads of Fear and Hope

July 2024 brought us a meeting of Mars, Uranus, and the infamous fixed star Algol, (right on Trump's Midheaven) which appeared in the news as rapid, dramatic events that we have scarcely had time to fully process. We are indeed living in historic times. That's why the upcoming Mercury retrograde and Jupiter-Saturn square in August will bring a welcome slowdown and an opportunity to process these events. The middle of August will still be busy, but primarily due to confusion, misunderstandings, and intensifying existing relationship complications. The end of the month looks much easier.

New Moon in Leo

August begins with a joyful, positive, confident New Moon in Leo on August 4. Leo symbolizes our life's purpose, creativity, self-esteem, presence, and physically (and spiritually) it governs the heart. Leo encourages us to be proud of ourselves and the things we create. This is a good, optimistic New Moon and a good time to reflect on our self-esteem and what is genuinely meaningful and heartwarming in our lives or our way of living.

Mercury Retrograde

But right the next day, on August 5, Mercury starts retrograding until August 28. This indicates that things, events, people, and ideas we thought we had already moved past will somehow return to our lives. Or things we thought we had already initiated will come to a halt or not proceed as expected. Technical problems and communication mix-ups are possible. Sometimes, though, I have also seen that technical issues that haven't worked well for months suddenly start working as Mercury begins retrograding because it often turns things upside down. Mercury retrograde affects most strongly on the days it starts and ends its retrograde. So, especially on August 3-6 and 28-30, it is not advisable to sign contracts or, for example, switch internet service providers, as communication mix-ups and misunderstandings are almost guaranteed. Preferably, I would wait until the last week of August.

Mid-August Brings Dramatic Turns

Mid-August will not leave anyone cold. Although not as dramatic as mid-July, many things will go very haywire due to misunderstandings and technical problems, and the news and social media will be in full throttle again.

Quick Reactions Won’t Yield Desired Results

In mid-August, many will experience situations where they feel compelled to act one way or another. Mars meets Jupiter, which initially appears as a very confident situation. We want to act and do so almost compulsively. The victory seems initially very justified and entirely certain. The urge to go into battle is almost irresistible. Mars symbolizes energy, action (and even weapons and war), and Jupiter, in turn, justice and balance. However, balance is hard to find when these planets meet. But Mars and Jupiter square Saturn on August 16 and 19. Saturn almost completely slows down or prevents the aggressive victory march of Mars-Jupiter. So quick, aggressive reactions to situations will not yield the desired result in mid-August. Saturn questions our motives and ways of doing things. Only a cool head, strategic planning, and patient waiting will help now.

Full Moon in Aquarius

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 19 only reinforces and dramatizes these scenarios. Additionally, existing relationship problems will only tighten under unexpected events and pressure.

The best advice for August is to try not to react at all or to react as slowly and strategically as possible in mid-month and to act only in the last week of the month when things become clearer and calmer.

"Societal Planets" Struggle Between Fear and Hope

Saturn and Jupiter last met in December 2020, starting a completely new 20-year cycle. That meeting was like a new moon, and now in mid-August, we are arriving at the first quarter of that "moon" between these societal planets. Jupiter symbolizes positivity, Saturn pessimism, and they have now started an intense discussion about which will prevail. A lot is at stake. In personal life, we experience this as dramatic swings between hope and fear, optimism and pessimism. It's good to be aware that almost all of us will be in the midst of extreme emotional fluctuations between positivity and pessimism, especially in mid-August.

Additionally, it is good to be aware that as Saturn approaches Neptune (and they conjunct next year), it will become increasingly difficult for us to distinguish truth from falsehood, and reality from unreality. It is always important to be mindful of the source and motivation of the information, without getting caught up in conspiracy theories. Sometimes things actually are exactly as they seem. It is clear that there are many entities and groups with different motivations to benefit from people's fear and chaos. Large news agencies need advertising revenue, social media influencers, and especially extremist groups, need followers.

For the upcoming wild years of 2025-2026, it is good to remember that "There's nothing to fear except fear itself" (Franklin D. Roosevelt). Perhaps we are not quite as divided as we are led to believe? After all, most people simply want to live safe, peaceful, and happy lives. Many entities and extreme groups want us to live more in fear than in hope because they benefit from it in some way. The next couple of years will show which wins; fear or hope? As almost always, the truth is neither simple nor easy, but it is almost always the lesson of Jupiter and Saturn, namely, the golden mean: hope for the best with strong, optimistic spirits, but still be grounded and be prepared for the worst.