You have the power

Solar eclipses are often regarded as omens of change since they are powerfully charged new moons. This makes them ideal times to focus on new beginnings and to make positive changes. The general feeling with eclipses, and especially solar eclipses, is one of doors opening and shutting, and that the doors which shut, tend to remain that way so there’s no going back. Bear this in mind on the 1st of August as a solar eclipse in Leo activates the heavens. The planet of lucid communication – Mercury – is joining this eclipse so what we have is the potential to see with much clearer eyes. This eclipse will perform the function of wiping slates clean, clearing out confusion and generating fresh new starts. Mercury is blessed with the ability to see beyond the veil so it could well be that during this eclipse certain truths come to light; watch for this in your own life and in the world at large.

Leo is the sign associated with royalty, leaders and celebrities so there could be some news or interesting truths that emerge surrounding these people who live in the limelight. And because the veil will be thinner at this time, we all have the chance to catch glimpses of life in other dimensions and to download valuable insights from the heavens. So this is good for anyone who receives information from the other side, or channels inspiration or creative works from the universe – artists, musicians, writers, psychics, astrologers, mediums and channels. Leo is very much a sign of creation, so this solar eclipse will be an opportune moment to consider what you would like to manifest in your world. There is no harm in having big ideas at this time. In fact, the more ambitious and creative you can be the better. But whether you wish to manifest small or large developments, take some time on the 1st to contemplate your desires and add power to them by writing them down, expressing them in a visual form or performing a candle magic ritual.

It goes without saying that this is a hugely important time for Leos, many of whom will feel that their lives are at a turning point, but for all of us, creative changes can be brought in and this is what I have focussed on for the first week of your forecasts. Also in this first week is a fiery clash between Mars and Uranus. I refer to this as the dynamite aspect. It is great for making sweeping changes, but the danger is that we act unconsciously resulting in sudden rash actions which can be quite destructive. This is especially relevant for Ariens and Aquarians who need to catch themselves before reacting to provocative situations. But we all need to be aware of feeling trapped, pressured or restricted as these feelings may give rise to sudden explosions.

Sometimes, it isn’t us that makes the changes, but fate. This is more likely to happen to people who cling to the status quo and who are afraid of making necessary changes. Under a Mars-Uranus aspect, this kind of reluctance to change can invite a bolt from the blue, and life can suddenly be turned upside down. So the best advice for the first few days of the month is to neither cling to what is safe and familiar nor to be wantonly destructive with careless or impulsive actions that leave you worse of than before. Instead, find the middle way, and be open to making changes in a calm clear constructive manner to those areas of your life which have become stagnant and which are calling for change.

No sooner have we navigated the choppy waters of an eclipse and the Mars –Uranus energies, then we sail straight in the treacherous tides of Mars and Pluto. (Mars seems to be in a provocative and aggressive mood this month, so Ariens watch out!) If Mars and Uranus equals dynamite, then Mars coupled with Pluto equates with a volcano! Here the temperature reaches boiling point and power struggles become the new danger zone. The signs that need to be particularly vigilant around the second week in August are Aries, Scorpio, Virgo and Sagittarius. Think carefully before you lock horns with another but don’t allow yourself to be a victim either. The highest potential of Mars and Pluto is powerful transformation, courage and healing, so try and aim for these in any area of your life which you feel could do with greater empowerment.

There is a strong Neptune influence at work this month which could manifest as indecision, and not being able to see the wood for the trees. The solar eclipse at the beginning of the month will do much to generate clarity, but by the time we get to the Aquarian lunar eclipse on the 16th which is joined by Neptune, we may have become confused again as to where exactly we need to be going and what we should do for the best. So the challenge is to see beyond the illusions. Perhaps there is an area in your life where you’ve allowed yourself to be less than clear sighted, resulting in others taking advantage, or kidding yourself that things will change. Sometimes we lie to ourselves about our habits, relationships, jobs and situations, or we allow ourselves to get caught in the role of the victim.

All this needs to be looked at this month, and the lunar eclipse could be very healing in this sense, bringing truth to light and enabling us to access the courage needed to change unsatisfying situations. Part of breaking through the illusions that we create for ourselves involves realising that we are far more powerful than we know and that we create our realities by the thoughts that we think and the beliefs that we hold. And in that realisation we suddenly come to see that we don’t have to carry on enduring things as they have been. We all have the power to change our lives and this is a good month to start as you mean to go on.

Also around the 16th we are blessed with an array of benevolent aspects – a sprinkling of fairy dust from the Gods, as Jupiter aligns favourably with Venus, Mercury and Saturn. This is a good time to count your blessings and feel the gratitude for all that you have. Relationships may be blessed at this time, and ideas could expand into worthwhile projects. People aiming for success, achievement and greater prosperity should find their paths lined with gold, and the signs most likely to benefit from these heavenly blessings include Virgo, Libra, Taurus, Capricorn, Sagittarius and the Geminis, whilst the 22nd looks especially good for Cancerians.

At the end of the month we are asked to do something different. It's all too easy to become a creature of habit and this can result in deadening creativity and inspiration and a feeling that life never changes. So under a Mercury-Uranus aspect this is an ideal time to look at where you have become entrenched and to break some of your habits. Try a new experience, accept invitations to which you might normally say no, contemplate a new look – either for yourself or your home. Learn a new subject, try eating something different for breakfast, get up at a different time; in short, break your routines and see how it changes your perceptions. In many therapies, people are urged to change the way they think which will then change their actions and patterns. But it can work the other way too, and by simply breaking a habit, changing a routine, or trying something new, our mindset alters and we can gain a whole new way of looking at the world.

So don’t be afraid to shake things up a bit. August is a month for thinking outside the box, daring to be different, having the courage of your convictions and being willing to close old doors and walk through new ones. It is a month of sweeping changes when the old must give way to the new. As White Eagle says; Many people waste too much time in introspection; they wonder if this is right or that is right, if this or that is wrong, so eager are they to progress. But this is a weakness which must be overcome. A few mistakes do not matter.

For your starsign forecasts over the August period, continue reading the article at Spirit Library.

© 2007 Donna Taylor - donna@creative-astrology.co.uk

www.holisticfeathers.co.uk