Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for August 2019

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You’re still wrestling with your insecurity rather than burning it as fuel. The root of your hesitation is that you think if you speak up or express yourself, you would really shake things up. Well, if true, that would be fortunate, because a shakeup means that people care. The ultimate purpose of this astrology, in any event, is not to shake up anything but yourself. Any concern you may have about how someone else might respond is secondary. Challenge yourself to say what you need to say, for the sake of saying it: to overcome that phobia or inner resistance. Here is a clue: the way you know you’re really touching on “empowerment” — you experience fear, and you confront it. That particular word is overused to the point of verging on meaningless, but it’s worth one last thought before it’s relegated to the dustbin. Power is not about swagger or brashness or bravado. It’s not what you see at campaign rallies or on television commercials. You’re touching on your power when you have some sense of dread, or the sensation of standing at the edge of a cliff, wondering if you can fly. It’s really not all that bad, though you might be wondering. Anyway, in this situation, the risk is less than you may think, though it’s just enough to put you in a conscious relationship with your own aversion. Which will be just enough to teach you about thinking and speaking more freely.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — To be vulnerable, or not to be vulnerable? That is the question. The opportunity you have to open up to someone may feel like a life-or-death situation. Really, you are faced with the choice to be asleep, or to be awake. The whole world is teetering on this brink, though there are many reasons — and many ways — to stay asleep. One prevailing sensation of our time is a little like sitting at your desk feeling drowsy, wondering whether you want to lie down and take a nap, but not wanting to, but not quite able to be fully alert and present. Yet sitting there is torturous. You have to go one way or another. Another theme that may teeter in the balance is “to be partnered, or not to be partnered.” This may come up if you get into that zone where you think it may be time to take the relationship to another level, i.e., to move in together. That’s actually a good time to consider the scenario, before the moving in actually happens, though don’t let it already having happened stop you from thinking about it. It’s never too late to think about something; and it’s never too early. The more you provoke yourself into any form of original thought, the more you will contribute to your process of casting off orthodoxy, purism or any form of pretentious holiness. You are indeed holy, in the real sense, which means your desires, your needs and your confusion are all evidence of the fact that you belong on Earth and in the universe, right here and right now.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — To some extent, everyone assesses their personal value in terms of what others think of them. Then, in the end, we have to come around to our own evaluation, which will be more or less honest, and more or less based in actual events. Or, looked at another way, more or less based in the desire to be social. Or better said, the need to be social; humans are gregarious and we tend to need one another, though we are not always real with ourselves about this. And, at other times, we put this necessity above all else, to the detriment of integrity, independence and honor. That said, events early in the month will leave you with few options other than to say exactly what you mean, or what you feel, and you might not be so diplomatic or sensitive about it. You might push some buttons, and risk the social status you have. If you dare, you will discover what it means to express some fundamental truth of who you are, which you might otherwise have concealed; in fact, which you are entirely likely to have concealed. Yet the discovery you are making is not something you can conceal, least not from your self, and not from the people close to you, the ones you care about. And in this process, you will find out who your friends are. They are the ones who stick with you when you are in your truth. Be not afraid of alienating anyone else.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You need to shake things up where your professional aspirations are concerned. By that, I don’t mean take an exciting trip through the pages of Monster.com or Zip Recruiter. You are having an idea, or about to have one. This is signified by Mercury stationing direct in your birth sign, square Eris in your professional angle (Aries). This is, actually, more than an idea; it’s akin to a mental revolution, and it may grab you passionately, or seek to dismantle some aspect of your world, or seem to upset the known order of your thoughts. Note that, depending on your relationship to your own awareness, this might be annoying, disruptive or downright freaky. That part is subjective; there is something genuine at the core, at your core. Connect with that experience for as long as you can, and learn as much as you can while the aspect is hot, which is approximately through the first week of August; the peak is Aug. 3. From there, you will need to persist every day, under your own power, and develop whatever it is that showed up for you, or burst forth from you, or tweaked you. There will be days when that goes well, days when it’s boring, days when you don’t seem productive, but show up each day and allow. Take the approach of one great writer: write at least one word a day; or of a great artist: draw a circle, if nothing else. Just keep coming back to yourself, and gently, steadily, persist.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Keeping secrets from yourself is known as denial, and there is one particular matter for which this will no longer work. While you don’t have to put your inner life on display for the world, you must be real with yourself, and sooner rather than later, with people you’re the most intimate with. By all outer indications, you are a tower of strength at the moment. There is a New Moon in your sign on July 31, accompanied by both Venus and Mars. Jupiter is offering support from fire sign Sagittarius. Yet it is your inner life that is calling for your attention, and calling loudly. Be aware that in our time of history, though, the “inner life” is a concept that is, for most people, nonexistent, of little interest, or something they have never made contact with. Even older people, from the pre-internet era, may have difficulty dialing in their inner reality, which digital consciousness has turned inside-out to the degree where you cannot call it internal. Still, you must find your way in, and make contact with the thing you’re thinking, feeling and discovering. It may frighten you; it may irritate you; you may be exuberant once you make contact with it. Your response matters less than your need to actually probe, meditate, and notice your thoughts, and in particular, how you respond to them. There is plenty going on in the outer world that may distract you, and there are many opportunities on offer. Yet without sustained contact with your inner being, they will be of little use.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — It’s vital that you remain loyal to those who have helped you, and who consider you a friend. There is an aspect to your personality that can exclude people or turn them off like a switch. In the past, you’ve given yourself permission to do this on the pretext of self-preservation, though those days are gone. Anyway, that was never really true. What you were, and still are, confronted with are your feelings about yourself, which have a way of being divided. There is no way to turn on someone else without turning on yourself, and this is what I suggest you question. Pause and consider any rebellious feelings you may direct at friends or your community. Honor the fact that you may change your mind or make a new decision, and that you can do this in a direct and honest way. You can also mitigate any fallout that may cascade onto others, if you want to. The thing to be most wary of is feeling right and righteous, no matter who it’s directed to: whether friend or ‘enemy’ or someone about whom you may have seemingly neutral feelings. There is an opportunity here, which is about connecting elements of your psyche that may be alienated, cast off or veiled in shadows. Be cautious of any notion of revenge or comeuppance. Be helpful and keep your promises, or at least gently bow out of them. It’s true that you’re learning to be generous with yourself, though for that to work, it does not imply a lack or loss for anyone else.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Proceed with care where your professional activities are concerned, especially when handing confidential or sensitive information. I am rarely one to encourage distrust, though I will say that you must pay attention to the agendas of people you’re working with, and to whom you give your confidence. For the foreseeable future, treat the whole world on a need to know basis. Keep your plans to yourself, and maintain boundaries around your personal and professional business. Your thought process is still in motion on many important issues, and you’re still involved in a renovation/rebuilding on the deepest level of your security, both emotional and financial. The most helpful thing you can do for yourself is spend time among people, and listen to them. Get them talking and evaluate where they’re coming from. Notice what people say unprompted. Notice how they answer simple questions. Pay attention to who and what they advocate for; you’re likely to hear quite a bit of this going on, and you want to know who is taking what position. This may not be easy to discern in the days surrounding Mercury direct, with the shifting and changing effect going well into the first week of the month. This pattern is associated with a “truth revealed” kind of effect, so I suggest you not only listen to others, but read carefully, and connect the dots. Part of this is a conscious act; part of it will require you to take in the world within and without in a relaxed, neutral stance. Then make the connections.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Be cautious when advocating for your own cause. You must be subtle about it, and let partners, friends and allies take up that role when possible. Be impeccable about following public relations guidelines: stay within the four corners of the truth at all times. Ensure statements that will be read by others, whether going out to Instagram, Twitter or over the AP international wire, are impeccable and understated. You are visible now, which means you’re under scrutiny whether you realize it or not. The Sun and several other planets are passing through Leo, your solar 10th house. The late Debbi Kempton-Smith said of this condition that life is good as long as you don’t mind the feeling of being followed around by a television crew. That is how you must live: as if you are seen, and your words are being recorded and evaluated. To some extent this is true for nearly everyone, and many people live like it’s not true at all; like we haven’t all been thrust into the town square. One theme that may not be obvious though may surely be relevant is to be sensitive where spiritual matters are concerned: your own and those of others, including religion. Whatever your faith or beliefs, avoid proselytizing or evangelizing in any form. Be modest about what is most important to you, and respectful of what others feel. Please, don’t claim any special powers (being a shaman, the ability to heal others, and anything related). Rather, carefully, quietly, do what you can, when you can.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Your ruling planet Jupiter stations direct in your sign on the 11th, which may come with the feeling of some relief from pressure you didn’t know you were under. Yet it won’t be until the equinox that you get a sense of what you did not know you did not know. That is when Jupiter completes its last of three squares to Neptune. Any aspect square Neptune is slippery, and comes wrapped in fog and haze. There is an X-factor involved on several different levels, and you will have to be patient enough to see what that is. For now, I suggest you proceed with the awareness that there is missing information, potentially about something of significant importance to you. The current movement will offer you some hints as to what that might be about; Mercury changing directions on July 31 may come with a partner or adversary revealing facts or making an admission they may not be aware they’re making. Jupiter’s change of direction on Aug. 11 will help you tune in to your own self-awareness in a deeper way, though the relevant information will be easy to dismiss or overlook unless you are alert to its possible existence. It’s the interval between Aug. 11 and the equinox on Sept. 23 when you must proceed with special care, because your own impatience may get the best of you. Remind yourself you want to make all decisions with full information available, or with an understanding of what might not be currently visible to you, even though it may be right nearby.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Be aware that you are under considerable pressure due to the imminent Saturn-Pluto conjunction in your sign. While both planets will remain retrograde through August, beginning in late September, Saturn begins approaching Pluto for the final approach to their meeting on Jan. 12. This will be one of the most formative times in your life. Yes, it may be stressful, and you may feel like you are under some highly unusual form of pressure you’ve never felt before. Yet it’s essential that you not squander this opportunity with any kind of palliative self-care. Do not place feeling better over getting your inner work done. Americans in particular and Westerners in general are all about trying to smooth things over in the present. That is often at the expense of changes they know they need to make, and have needed for a long time. I suggest that as the next four months develop, you go directly into confronting all that you need to re-evaluate in your life, and make the decisions you know you have to make. The alternative will be the feeling, or the reality, of having them made for you. Your sign is famous for its attachments to the past, though you cannot say “those days are gone” until you’ve done your part to resolve the karma and actually part ways with what you are finished with. Therefore, use this very rare opportunity — better said, this once in a lifetime opportunity — to assess, to resolve and to conclude as consciously and as willingly as you possibly can.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — This is no ordinary time in your life. You may feel like you’re dealing with forces out of your control, yet ultimately, what you’re feeling are movements deep within you. Since you contain them, it’s not quite correct to say that you don’t control them, though the ‘power’ issue comes down to one of awareness, and in particular, self-awareness. This is not easy at the moment, as so much seems to be going on inside of a blind spot (known in astrology as the 12th house). If you want to take the message of this transit, the thing to do is get your home, and your mind, in order. That means clean closets and drawers. It means tackle the storage unit or the basement. And it means focus on the subject matter (sometimes called ‘issues’) that trouble you the most with someone who you both trust and consider wise. Do not take that particular assessment for granted. People claim to have all kinds of powers they don’t possess. Most of all, you want someone who can handle sexual subject matter with humor, grace and depth. The 12th, at its essence, contains our most intimate sexual secrets. They are the ones that seem to arise from the fire and disappear like smoke; the ones that get masked over the next morning; the ones you may not like to think about, or have avoided for years. There is no proof of anything in this house; yet the closest you will come is the sensation of stifling pressure coming off you, working through pain instead of being bogged down in it, and the gradual release of passion. The question is, in today’s world, do you feel safe being vulnerable and alive?

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — There is an art to not caring what others think, or think about you. And though you may excel at several other arts, this one is not your strong suit. Yet I suggest you go beneath surface appearances, opinions and perceptions, and figure out where you are in time, in space and in your understanding of your existence. True, there is always more ice cream. There is always another margarita. Makeovers are cheap and most people are well practiced in putting on a mask and hiding behind it. And it is rare for anyone to investigate the nature of their life, which always involves confronting the unknown. Even when you do this well, which means gently, and with a sense of honoring the mystery of your existence, you will not pin down the ‘meaning’ on a definitive or factual level. What you can do is enter a relationship with your doubts. You can be aware of what you know, what you don’t know, and what you believe. Leave yourself room for correction; room to be ‘wrong’ and happy to be corrected. Over the next two months, beginning in mid-August, you will encounter a series of turning points that help you gradually shift the direction of your life from what may feel like you’re suspended in midair to actually being carried forward. Most of that will not come from your internal propulsion, though some will. Rather, as it happens, you will feel at times like you’re being carried by air, or by an ocean current. Those are alien elements to earthbound humans. Remember that.