All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography. ~Federico Fellini
While the Sun and Mercury are in Leo, all life is art, and all art is autobiographical. It’s up to us to make it good art, to write a healthy epic instead of a tragedy. This week we may feel more power in our authorship than last week, when the winds of fate and vagaries of Mercury retrograde tossed us around. This week Mercury appears to pick up speed and trine Uranus, and so offers us great ideas with more conscious control as well as a chance to live our stories and articulate our ideas.
But art is complex, a co-creative process with our heart, talent, materials, spirit and fate. Notice a contrast this week between people’s lighthearted words and the strong, quiet emotions lurking behind their eyes. Underneath the bountiful fruits of mid-summer our hearts and our fates are churning; we may feel engaged but uncertain about some important next step as Venus, the artistic and emotional planet, now in sensitive and self-protective Cancer, inspires oceanic feelings –deep, enveloping and sometimes stormy– as it opposes powerful Pluto and squares procreative if erratic Uranus.
While these wild aspects can energize the art scene and add power to performance and audience appreciation alike, we may personally experience an unexpected change in our inner landscape, or be at a turning point but cannot see around the corner. Our first reaction to an emotionally touchy situation, particularly with people that we know well and love dearly, is to withdraw or throw up our guards, but it will be much more productive to create more safety between us and keep the lines of communication as open as possible. To reconnect after a rough patch, listen to their story in detail.
We may worry that what we need or want will cost us more, financially or emotionally, than we’d expected, or feel we need to let go of something that once was important to us in order to create room for the next phase.
This adds a special poignancy to families preparing kids to head off to school and a country mourning the victims of recent shooting sprees. Political talk can lean in on what we do not have more than where we need to go next. But we don’t have to get stuck in this dark place, First Venus opposes Pluto and reminds us of whatever is missing in our lives, but then it squares change-agent Uranus and asks us to look for the silver lining, and use this feeling to create a better future. We can feel deeply moved and act to build a more equitable world or just hunker down defensively. How we react to the transits is always up to us, to free will and grace Ask what will make the situation better.
A quiet but powerful alignment between Mars and Saturn in Libra (sign of balance, fairness and true partnership) helps us get stuff done this week. We may never feel brimming over with wild energy, this is a quiet aspect, but it gives us stamina once we get going; we may start out feeling a little tired but can continue longer than usual and put steady efforts into building the connections and the groundwork we need for our next phase. They also encourage us to do some personal art therapy or build something that we find beautiful and know it’s good for our health.
Our love relationships need attention now; we need to remember that they too are an art-form, one that needs tending and practice. The Venus-Uranus-Pluto aspects can trigger insecurity, and the Mars-Saturn aspect can distract us with other work. All sorts of heart-centered connections need us to be the grown-up, be fair and compassionate, practice good basic relationship skills and be curious about the other person’s perspective.
Friday, August 10: Dreams hold on to us this morning, we’ll tend to be moody with distracted hearts, and can be crabby or concerned in response to new information or changes in plans. Conversation picks up mid-day as the Moon enters Gemini; humor helps us make personal adjustments though deeper issues work beneath the surface. Multitasking this afternoon can lead into a funny, easily- honest early evening, but watch for impaired judgment late tonight as the Moon squares Neptune.
Saturday, August 11: Enjoy this versatile day with no concentration, find a good way to use gadfly energy. Visit, talk, cross- pollinate, do errands, and take any opportunity possible to translate to help one friend understand another or one group of people to another as the Gemini Moon sextiles Uranus. We may have trouble holding someone’s attention for more than a few minutes, but it’s more fun to work the crowd. Watch for lost items or missed connections tonight, and watch for water damage or inebriated drivers as Mercury quincunx Neptune. Find a safe appropriate place to enjoy a magical atmosphere.
Sunday, August 12: Pleasant moods, our spirits are willing to cooperate, but our attention and our feet wander this morning. Midday irreverence may also bring a lesson in how to speak up and agree to disagree in a healthy way as Mars challenges Chiron. Compromise is necessary, but should work for both sides. Afternoon is productive; our form follows function as the Moon trines Mars and Saturn, tonight or bed may call earlier than we thought as the energy level drops and business catches up with us. Rest.
Monday, August 13: Don’t push; instead be gentle this touchy, mushy, sentimental, and self-protective Monday morning as the Moon enters Cancer and trines Neptune. Midday, hearts are warmed where we feel safe as the Moon conjunct Venus but are crankily guarded where we feel unsafe. Criticism is not taken well, so save it for essentials. Tonight we may be distracted by the larger waves and deeper uncertainties of our life and so need to process.
Tuesday, August 14: Take it personally today; minor challenges help us define our identity in priorities but are not an insult as the Sun sesqui-squares Pluto and Uranus. Body language and strategic moves tell the story; power dynamics are strange and need subtle but firm handling. We can become unusually permeable later, and may feel other people’s feelings and wonder if they are ours, so if an unfamiliar emotion washes through, let it flow out and don’t identify with it. Don’t leave people hanging; insecurities tonight can trigger reaction tomorrow morning. Reassure.
Wednesday, August 15: Life’s plot twists and turns today; events trigger moods and we need to be careful not to over-react as Venus squares Uranus and opposes Pluto. Stay authentic rather than melodramatic, feel the events as they happen and progress can be made as Mars conjunct Saturn, over-react and the plot thickens. Let primal emotions flow through rather than grab on to them, let the story work itself out before assessing the long term effect. Let go, do not hold too tight, some things will return, and others need to move on to create new room. The heart filled with appreciation for what is working in our lives as the Moon enters Leo.
Thursday, August 16: Enjoy the storyline. Assess the situation but assess ourselves to and notice what is transformed as the Sun sesqui-squares Uranus. Extrovertly intuitive. We may be confronted with ideas situations which challenge our status quo and must work to understand change and unconventional behavior, but know that this change can work in our favor if we continually remember where were going what’s truly important to us use those as a guiding light and let the rest flow by.
Starcodes 
As always… thank you.