As if sewn together with rays of light and warm hums of brightness, the lessons of the Sun, ruler of Leo, bring a sense of core majesty and a heartfelt radiance to us this month. Thank you, SUN for your life-giving light, you are the star of the show on Earth this month, in your own sign of Leo, maybe we can see the plan of our own uniqueness clearer. As you thread your own needle, it may seem only the effulgent essence of what best resonates with you passes through the eye of your heart.
August roars in reminding you of the literal universe within yourself, a nudge that you are the creatrix of your own reality. Within the astrology translation of the supportive energies of this month, highlights may look like just being present through a tough conversation, or a loving reminder that there are no victims and no need to be a martyr.
Like any awesome girl gang, August brings support in times of hot and dry uncertainty, if you know where to look.
HEART Venus in Leo inspires you to nurture your relationships,
MIND Strategizing how to handle time and stress in the Virgo area of your chart is the best Mercury retrograde prep,
INTUITION Jupiter almost conjoining Uranus in Taurus is a major foreshadowing that will inform 2024.
I recently visited a friend who has been spending a lot of time in her garden drawing and then making beautiful artwork using flowers as inspiration. She shared with me, almost impishly, that flowers are completely outrageous in their unapologetic and audacious brilliance. They are shouting without making a sound. Vibrating as high and wide as they can. Just giving their absolute all in being as beautiful as they can.
This notion feels authentically LEO to me.
AUGUST MOONS
1 Aug 2:31 pm et Full Moon at 9°Aquarius
16 Aug 5:37 am et New Moon at 23°Leo
30 Aug 9:35 pm et Full Moon at 7°Pisces
INGRESSES
22 July, the Sun bounds into Leo
28 July, Mercury flys into Virgo
23 Aug, the Sun starts to organize Virgo
STATIONS
23 Aug, Mercury in Virgo stations retrograde
28 Aug, Uranus in Taurus stations retrograde
VENUS RX
The gift of these 6 weeks while Venus is retrograde in LEO is the natural inclination to gently review and realign relationship values, and/or reconsider your personal style, preferred taste, and expression of your outward appearance. A nutrient-rich time to tend to your grief and address any disinclinations you may entertain of actually, physically being IN your body.
Astrologer Demitra George on Venus retrograde: “As evening star, Venus emerges in the western twilit sky as the Goddess of Love. Rising higher in the night, she unites in a sacred marriage. She then turns retrograde and descends into the underworld, entering a lying hidden phase, where she makes her inferior conjunction.”
In the allegorical tale, The Descent of Inanna, the Queen of Heaven is not welcomed in the underworld by her sister and is killed and her body hung on a hook. Inanna had prepared her near and dear on what to do if she did not reappear. In 3 days’ time, two divinely sent hermaphrodites save the day by reviving the goddess, bringing her back to the heavens. Having died and then been reborn, she re-emerges as the morning star in the eastern sky.
Demitra George continues, “Angered upon discovering that her beloved did not notice her absence or search for her, she reaches her highest elevation in the morning sky, raging as Goddess of War. She banishes him and has him sent to take her place in the underworld. Venus then enters her second and longer phase of invisibility, during which it makes the superior conjunction with the Sun. Increasingly the goddess is despondent, lonely, and unable to fulfill her role as a giver of agricultural productivity. Midway through this passage, the other gods intervene and arrange for mediation, whereby her husband is released to her for half of the year. Their reunion is celebrated when she once again displays her beauty as the evening star.”
THE LADIES STICK TOGETHER
Venus radiates magnetic desirability, but in a time of retrograde, it can feel to some that true north is no longer registering in your internal compass. The asteroids offer nuggets of feminine wisdom and sometimes transformation through goddess mythology and femininity lore. How are they supporting us in this time when Venus needs some space?
Lilith reminds us that consensus is preferable to compromise. Like any communication art form, this takes more patience. If consensus can not be reached, you are surely working with power abuse - red flag.
Vesta is complete within herself, she reminds you that you too are complete as you are. Inner revitalization can be found through focusing your energy in committed, almost devoted work. She encourages an objective exploration of you handle your own sexual energy - free expression, sublimation or repression.
Ceres - encourages you to find the right balance in your relationships through interpersonal sensitivity and a harmonious immediate environment. She also guards against being too outward-focused in your 1:1 relationships, it’s a balancing act.
Pallas Athene - Armor-clad and majestic, she brings a reminder to trust your internal feminine wisdom and use your still quiet inner voice of prophecy to transcend the axis of courage and fear.
Juno - In the Sacred union of feminine and masculine nature, there is sometimes a separation and return. A reminder that primal and simple rituals, like sharing food can anchor needs for emotional closeness.
Thank you for subscribing to Temperance, I am so grateful to you for the gift of your attention. Please consider sharing this newsletter <3
Know Your Big Three
At some point on your astrology journey, having a good understanding of your natal astrology chart - your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs may be helpful. You can get that info at astro-charts.com.