Star Weather Astrological Report: 8/27–9/4
© 2023 Ronnie Pontiac
Friends, we have 3 planetary stations this week. Venus will be stationary direct, making it and Mars the only planets not retrograde until Mercury turns direct 9/15. All these retrogrades, with Pluto retrograde in Capricorn and Mercury still retrograde, make this a week where staying centered and grounded will be important. It makes sense that we look back and go over old ground as Pluto in Capricorn slowly draws to an end. A good time to keep in mind Rumi’s quote: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Sun 8/27 sun opposition Saturn is exact less than 2 hours after midnight. This can indicate a critical and taciturn mood, exhaustion and depression. Some might be inspired to take care of chores and other responsibilities but we might be better off getting some extra rest. Meditation is always a plus when Saturn is strong. Contemplate weaknesses and ways that study and practice, or a mentor, might turn them into strengths. Mars enters Libra at 6:20 AM. Mars in Virgo can be effective but fussy as Mars and perfectionism are usually not a great combination. Mars in Libra is creative, romantic, and flourishes in partnerships, but all three could suffer if we become too aggressive. For musicians this placement can be especially productive.
Mon 8/28 Uranus stationary retrograde at 7:39 PM may indicate a sense of urgency and for some anxiety. Since Uranus will rule the next twenty years here’s an opportunity to see where we might need to update or otherwise allow changes to liberate us from stuck old patterns. This can feel like Mercury retrograde, and with Mercury retrograde, as well as Saturn and Neptune, forward progress may be frustrated. On the other hand liberating surprises can help us resolve long standing problems that have made us feel trapped by Saturnian responsibilities. What would it be like to have a little more freedom in your life?
Tue 8/29 only lunar aspects are exact.
Wed 8/30 Mercury inconjunct Chiron is exact in the late afternoon with the full moon in early Pisces at 6:36 PM. It’s likely we’ll get some news about the variant, a leap forward in mutation that doesn’t appear to be more harmful. Each of us must find our own level of comfort according to our own understanding of the situation.
Thu 8/31 only lunar aspects are exact. Emily Dickinson wrote: “The Brain — is wider than the Sky — ”
Fri 9/1 Mars inconjunct Saturn is exact in the early afternoon. Frustrated anger, ambition, desire can lead to exhaustion, depression, and problems with authority figures. Pluto in Capricorn began with the economic crisis of 2008 and it’s ending with so many dire situations in the news 2008 looks like the good old days. Pluto in Capricorn will return from 9/3/2024 to 11/20/2024 just in time for what might be the most important election in American history. It could indicate a conservative victory, that the 2024 election belongs to the cycle that began in 2008, not in 2024. But Obama was elected in 2008 so whose cycle will it be? As Arthur Miller wrote: “An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted.”
CEOs whose strategy is stall until workers can’t pay the rent and other versions of autocracy will not fare well during Pluto in Aquarius. The American and French revolutions happened with Pluto in Aquarius. Pluto in Aquarius is technocrat, not autocrat. The way Elon Musk is courted by America and Russia, because his understanding of the tech unrolling into industry and war is necessary for them to plan ahead, is a sign of things to come. But technocrats too may fall before the will of the masses during Pluto in Aquarius. The strikes we are seeing as workers demand better pay and benefits will not go away, they will become a driving force with Pluto in Aquarius. Society will be redesigned for better or worse by technology, statistics, AI, and new definitions of equality.
We have less than five months until 20 years of Pluto in Aquarius begins 1/22/2024. We’ve also got Saturn in Aries beginning a new cycle in 2025/26, Uranus entering Gemini in 2025, and Neptune in Aries beginning a new cycle in 2025. This means our world will be quite different by the end of this decade, as different as 1963 was from 1969 but quantum leaps of technology will make this transition even more dramatic. For many this can be overwhelming and intimidating, but it’s the beginning of a great adventure. Bell Hooks gave us this quote that could be the motto of Pluto in Aquarius: “I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance.”
Sat 9/2 only lunar aspects are exact. Another good motto for Pluto in Aquarius, given to us by Virginia Woolf: “No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.”
Sun 9/3 Venus is stationary direct at 6:20 PM and with Jupiter stationary retrograde Mon 9/4 this could be a weekend and week to remember. Look for fun. Feel lucky. Find reasons to appreciate life. With both Venus and Jupiter stationary this can be what might be called a karmic moment in matters of love and art. A good opportunity to encourage the Venus in your life. Look to women and other representatives of Venus for guidance. With only Venus and Mars direct a good time for focusing on romance and creativity.
Three planetary stations in one week for some may feel hectic and ominous, a sense of extra gravity or pressure in the air, but these turnings of celestial clocks are harbingers of new experiences and new opportunities. What would you like to give up along with Pluto in Capricorn? Who would you like to be in 2026? As Alan Watts said: “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
