In the Stars August 9-16, 2020...shining light on the astrology of the week

A bold, tense, edgy Mars-Pluto square colors the week ahead. Go carefully and cautiously in the face of explosive energy. The aspect perfects at midnight Wednesday PDT, making Wednesday and Thursday particularly volatile. The Sun shines in its ruling sign Leo where it is strong, courageous, and playful. The summer solar energy is constrained. Uranus joins the retrograde brigade on Saturday to bring the number of planets moving backwards to eight, making it even more difficult to move forward. Below this post, I have shared an article by Neil Grossman on the Moderna vaccine from the National Council of Geocosmic Research (NCGR) eNewsletter. ***** Sunday is a day of challenge and restraint. The Aries Moon conjuncts Mars and squares Pluto and Saturn. These aspects are powerful, dynamic, and explosive. The Moon is void of course from 12:50 to 6:28 p.m. PDT. Focus on routine tasks such as gardening or cooking, activities likely to be free of conflict. A benefic Moon-Venus sextile in the evening will loosen the tension, and the Taurus Moon invites us to relax and be nourished by simple pleasures. Monday is blessed by the exalted Taurus Moon, grounding us in work in a slow and steady manner. However, Uranus aspects both the Moon and Mercury, shaking things up, and also helping us solve problems in new ways. Tuesday holds great strength and determination for attending to practical matters, mostly with ease. The Moon’s benefic aspects to Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto give optimism, vision, and empowerment. Make the most of this excellent day, and enjoy good food and other sensual pleasures. The Moon moves into Gemini on Wednesday, making no aspects, encouraging reading, learning, and curiosity. It would be an easy day, but we are in the grips of the high-pressure Mars-Pluto square which will perfect just after midnight PDT, so lean into your challenges with determination, and keep your cool if you get overheated. We are still under the influence of the intense Mars-Pluto square on Thursday, so again lean into your demands with resolve. We are in an overheated planetary pattern, so be careful and cautious. Get strong exercise to employ the challenging energy. The evening invites engagement and conversation. The Moon is void of course all day Friday in Gemini, offering a time to take care of insignificant tasks, or to take time out. This is not a day for meetings or decisions. At 4:35 p.m. PDT the Moon moves into Cancer, framing the weekend for home and family. Uranus stations retrograde on Saturday, starting its backward motion for the next five months on Saturday. When a planet stations, its energy is amplified. Uranus symbolizes change, reversals, and surprises, so expect the unexpected. The Moon aspects Chiron, drawing attention to our wounds, but a Moon-Venus conjunction and a Moon-Ceres trine serve as balms for any discomfort. An early Sunday morning Moon-Neptune trine eases us into the day. And then—get ready to rumble. Sunday is packed with dynamic, powerful, edgy aspects. Get vigorous exercise to meet the challenging energy with resolve. Be on your toes, and tackle a demanding project. Thankfully, Monday is more playful and fun with the Moon in Leo, and having passed its many challenging aspects on Sunday. Be creative and courageous, and allow yourself to shine. * * * * * * * * The Week in Short: Sunday: Powerful energies are challenging. Moon VoC 12:50-6:28 p.m. Monday: In pursuing our work, we may be pulled off track by unusual events. Tuesday: Optimistic, powerful, pleasurable day. Please your senses. Wednesday: Powerful demanding day. Curiosity and interest invite us to engage and learn. Thursday: Another powerful, demanding day. Engagement in conversation in the evening is desired. Friday: Moon VoC all day; focus on routine tasks. Friday evening and throughout the weekend, the focus is on home and family. Saturday: Expect the unexpected as you focus on family matters and weekend comforts. Sunday: Dynamic, powerful challenging day. Tackle a demanding project. Monday: Playful, creative, energetic day.

*****

NCGR eNews August 4, 2020

The Moderna Vaccine by Neil Grossman

I saw in today's newspaper (the July 28, 2020 edition of the New York Times) that the first large study of a vaccine designed to subdue Covid-19 has at last gotten underway. The vaccine in question, which will be tested on 30,000 volunteers, was created by a company called Moderna. The study commenced at 6:45 a.m. on July 27, 2020 in Savannah, Georgia with the first volunteer's receipt of the vaccine via injection. Alas, the aspects attending that injection suggest that the Moderna vaccine will not be the silver bullet for which all of us have been praying. At the moment the injection was given, the Sun at 4 degrees Leo was in close conjunction with the Ascendant at 5 degrees Leo. A promising beginning, reflecting the confidence and self-assurance of the testers! But the Sun is about to be squared by the Moon, which lies at 3 degrees of Scorpio, and that fixed square is the only Ptolemaic aspect the Sun receives. While a fixed square may be managed, it is not likely to be finally resolved. This square in itself argues against any kind of decisive breakthrough. I took the sixth house to signify the disease. The sixth house cusp lies in early Capricorn in both the Placidus and Koch house systems. The sixth house itself contains Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn, all lying between 20 degrees and 28 degrees of Capricorn, and all retrograde. So these three planets represent the virus. I took the twelfth house--the seventh of the sixth, representing the "open enemy" of the disease--to signify the vaccine. The vaccine's significators are therefore Mercury, which lies at 15 degrees of Cancer in the twelfth house, and the Moon, which rules the twelfth house's Cancer cusp. Both of these significators are about to be squared, the Moon by the Sun, and Mercury by Mars at 16 degrees Aries. So the vaccine's significators are both afflicted, suggesting obstacles to the vaccine's success. The fourth house in a mundane chart represents the end of the matter. The cusp of the fourth house in the injection's chart lies at 27 degrees Libra, and is thus ruled by and signified by Venus. Venus is found at 20 degrees Gemini. It is about to be squared by retrograde Neptune, which lies at 20 degrees of Pisces. The end of the matter (Venus) will therefore be confusing, unclear, and unreliable (Neptune). Neptune also portends deception, and it may be that there will be those who feel that the study results as reported are not to be trusted. Further, Venus is closely quincunx Jupiter, one of the disease's significators. As a quincunx suggests recurring difficulties, these planetary placements portend ongoing problems with the vaccine rather than the much hoped-for final victory over the virus. And to end where we began, the end-of-the-matter fourth house contains the Scorpio Moon that is about to square the chart's Leo Sun. That fixed square, like the Venus/Jupiter quincunx, suggests long term conflict rather than swift victory. Neil Grossman is a long-time member of NCGR's North New Jersey Chapter and a longer-time student of astrology. By way of day job, he practices law in New York and New Jersey. **** Ten Things to Do with Venus in Cancer (August 7 – September 6)

1. Take a journey through old family photo albums.

2. Schedule a family Zoom call.

3. Attend to home maintenance projects.

4. Make your home more comfortable.

5. Pull out your family recipes and make some of your favorite family foods.

6. Read a historical novel.

7. Save money and be conservative with spending.

8. Honor your feelings.

9. Express care through a card, call, or gift of food.

10. Gaze at the Moon in the night sky.

***** Moon Void-of-Course: This is the time when the Moon makes its last major angular aspect with a planet before it moves into the next zodiacal sign tropically. This void time, when the Moon is not aspecting a planet, but rather floating on its own, is a time when things don’t come together and it is difficult to make good decisions. Purchases made during void Moons often turn out to be unsatisfactory and not work out. Appointments often don’t come together, and meetings don’t result in progress or sound, lasting decisions. We more easily get lost or meander in trying to get somewhere. The VoC Moon times for the next month are listed below so that you can plan meetings, decisions, and purchases at times when the Moon is not VoC; and use the void times for gardening, reading, and routine task work. Void-of-Course Moon times for the month ahead (one lunar cycle): Pacific Standard Time: August 9: 12:50 p.m. – 6:28 p.m. (Moon into Taurus) August 12: 0:55 a.m. – 6:46 a.m. (Moon into Gemini) August 14: 4:19 a.m. – 4:35 p.m. (Moon into Cancer) August 16: 4:59 p.m. – 10:39 p.m. (Moon into Leo) August 18 at 10:39 p.m. through August 19 at 1:20 a.m. (Moon into Virgo) August 20 at 8:37 p.m. through August 21 at 2:16 a.m. (Moon into Libra) August 22 at 9:19 p.m. through August 23 at 3:16 a.m. (Moon into Scorpio) August 24 at 11:27 p.m. through August 25 at 5:49 a.m. (Moon into Sagittarius) August 27: 5:00 a.m. – 10:37 a.m. (Moon into Capricorn) August 29: 12:30 p.m. – 5:36 p.m. (Moon into Aquarius) August 31 at 9:56 p.m. through September 1 at 2:34 a.m. (Moon into Pisces) September 3: 7:34 a.m. – 1:22 p.m. (Moon into Aries) September 5 at 9:44 p.m. through September 6 at 1:43 a.m. (Moon into Taurus) GMT (Greenwich Mean Time): August 9 at 20:50 through August 10 at 14:28 (Moon into Taurus) August 12: 8:55 – 14:46 (Moon into Gemini) August 14 at 12:19 through August 15 at 0:35 (Moon into Cancer) August 17: 0:59 – 6:39 (Moon into Leo) August 19: 6:39 – 9:20 (Moon into Virgo) August 21: 4:37 - 10:16 (Moon into Libra) August 23: 5:19 - 11:16 (Moon into Scorpio) August 25: 7:27 - 13:49 (Moon into Sagittarius) August 27: 13:00 – 18:37 (Moon into Capricorn) August 29 at 20:30 through August 30 at 1:36 (Moon into Aquarius) September 1: 5:56 - 10:34 (Moon into Pisces) September 3: 15:34 – 21:22 (Moon into Aries) September 6: 5:44 - 8:43 (Moon into Taurus)