The Daily Astro for August 7, 2012

The Moon is in Aries today.  Two shifts also occur today through early tomorrow: Venus enters Cancer (9:43 AM EDT) and Mercury goes direct (1:40 AM EDT). The Aries Moon also collides with Saturn in Libra and starts a void of course period, and asteroid Ceres forms a stressful aspect with Mercury. There’s a lot going on today; unfortunately some of it will jangle our nerves. People are vulnerable and needy or feel their needs are not being met; frustration sets in, and quarrels can ensue. Issues around nurturing, food and eating issues, home and family (and family patterns of behavior and relationship that stretch far back in time) can be emotionally charged, while at the same time we just want to disappear and retreat to the inner sanctum for a while.

Venus in Cancer has the feel of the 6 of Cups in tarot; nostalgia, childhood memories, family karma, and an “out of the past” vibe. We may find pleasure in connecting with our past or history–it’s a great time for antique shopping or doing things to beautify your home and surroundings. It might be a good idea to bake some cookies, go through old photos, connect with old friends, and generally stay out of the line of fire today. And with Mercury just going direct and the Moon void of course until 3:28 AM tomorrow, it’s probably a good idea to wait before throwing yourself into new projects or major campaigns that require precise communication.  Otherwise you might end up spending all day trying to get something done only to find that it’s all come to nothing or whatever you’ve done can’t be used. (Some astrologers feel Mercury is in its “Storm” period (note the storm imagery in both the Kozminsky and Sabian Symbols, below). Mercury is still moving very slowly each day; it will be out of this period by August 13th.  We’re not quite out of the Mercury retro woods yet.

Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun: “Sunshine just after a storm”.
Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: A pyramid in the midst of a sand waste, with lowering black clouds above it”.

The Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is “Recovery”.
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is “Vexation.”

The Kozminsky and Sabian keywords say it all. We’re definitely feeling a little “vexed out” (Moon in Aries opposite Saturn in Libra) and may require a little down time in order to deal with things.

The Kozminsky Symbol reminds me of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias”:

“I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said—‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Yes, it’s one of those “What’s it all about, Alfie?” days. We may find ourselves wondering if it’s all worth it, if we’re on the right track, and if things we once thought were so important really matter after all. We need to take another look at what we’re doing and aim higher (Egypt and the pyramids are also symbols of spiritual insight and inspiration gained by past societies or in past incarnations).

The Sabian Symbol presents the oasis that becomes visible as we wander through the Kozminsky Symbol’s shifting sands. It reflects Venus entering Cancer, the idea of finding a place to recover from the storm, to find some comfort and refuel to get ready for our next journey. Love, healing, and renewal are key themes here. It also reminds us that even though others may be in foul moods (Moon/Saturn), we don’t have to be engulfed by their reactions or despair. And even if we’re the ones who are struggling, we need to focus on our ultimate goal rather than temporary setbacks which pass over us like a storm cloud. (Note the storm cloud as a feature of both symbols today!)

Born on August 7:

Flavius Julius Constantius II (Emperor of Egypt/Byzantine/Rome), Elizabeth Bathory (Hungarian countess & reputed killer of young girls), Robert Dudley (writer), James Bowdoin (American Revolutionary War patriot/politician), Nathaniel Greene (American Revolutionary War General), Louis de Freycinet (explorer), John Heathcoat (invented lace-making machines), Carl AE Ahlquist (Finnish poet), Alan Leo (astrologer), Louis Hazeltine (inventor of the neutrodyne circuit), Emilde Nolde (German Expressionist painter), Taylor Caldwell (novelist), Ann Harding (actress), Nicholas Ray (director “Rebel Without a Cause”), Ann Beattie (writer), Rodney Crowell (musician), Richard Joswich (Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods), Kent V. Rominger (US astronaut), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Jacquie O’Sullivan (Banarama), Patrick Kennedy (son of US President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy; died after 3 days from hyaline membrane disease), Kristin Hersch (Throwing Muses), George Van Eps (guitarist), Manitas de Plata (flamenco guitarist), Ruth Carter-Stapleton (sister of US President Jimmy Carter; evangelist), Helen Caldicott (physician and activist), Verna Bloom (actress), Anjanette Comer (actress), B.J. Thomas (singer), David Rasche (actor), John Glover (actor), Kenny Chater (Gary Puckett & the Union Gap), Samantha Ronson (DJ), Alice James (writer), Alain Robert AKA Spider-Man (urban climber), Wayne Knight (actor, “Seinfeld”), Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Tem Tarriktar (astrologer/publisher of “The Mountain Astrologer”, George Bohannon (jazz musician), Jeffrey Mallet (Yahoo!), Giorgetto Giugiano (automobile designer), Caetano Veloso (guitarist/singer), Michael Weiketh (Helloween), Big Mello (rapper), Rahsaan Roland Kirk (jazz musician), Todd Brunson (pro poker player), Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks), Jenny Craig (weight loss maven), Hisaya Ita (actor), Charlize Theron (actress), David Duchovny (actor), Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch from “The Wizard of Oz”), Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer (from “Our Gang”), Garrison Keillor (“Prairie Home Companion”), Francesca Eastwood (daughter of Clint Eastwood and Frances Fisher), Abbie Cornish (actress), Don Larsen (New York Yankees; pitched only perfect game in World Series), The Amazing James Randi (magician), Stan Freberg (comedian), Louis Leakey (paleontologist), Ralph Bunche (1950 Nobel Peace Prize), Mata Hari (Dutch exotic dancer executed as spy in WWI),

Tarot Enhancer/Antidote: 5 of Wands/Emperor

“The Enlightened Leader”.  Here’s our ancient ruler from “Ozymandias”, fighting an internal battle and learning how to access his own power. This combo gives the feeling of being “on fire” as both the 5 of Wands and the Emperor are fire cards (Moon in Aries also brings in the fire energy). This combo also relates to wrestling with inner demons/feelings of doubt and restriction and testing the limits of social restrictions and responsibilities (Moon in Aries opposite Saturn in Libra). Changes occur that require a new use of our power–this is the enlightened leader who is fueled by inspiration from within, someone who has wrestled with their own demons and now understands how to lead wisely and well.

–Valerie Sylvester, August 7, 2012 —