August 2024
This month we are in the now culturally cliche “Mercury Retrograde” period. Ancient astrologers looked at two types of motion happening in the sky for what a retrograde planet signifies. These two types of motion are: primary motion, the daily rise and fall of the stars and planets from east to west, and secondary motion, the motion that carries the planets and all their wandering motions through the backdrop of the zodiac.
Primary motion is ceaseless and associated with the Sun and the divine realm of persistent perfection. Secondary motion is lunar in nature and represents the material world we all live in. A planet that turns retrograde is being symbolically swept away by primary motion. It’s yielding some of its personal power to the greater hand of fate. Or as the Yiddish proverb states, “Man Plans, God Laughs”.
The house listed below your zodiac sign is the house where Mercury starts its retrograde cycle in your chart.
Aries — 6th House
You are probably not in service to who you think you are in service to. Your boss, your job - maybe? But I bet it is something more like caffeine or sugar. A wise woman once told me, “ask yourself what you can’t go without and there you will find what you worship”! Revisions are hard and reversals are even harder but learning to recognize what serves you is the hardest lesson of all. However, it’s the lesson that will serve you the longest.
Taurus — 5th House
Silicon Valley tech giants’ motto “move fast and break things” changed the world. For better or worse, who really knows? But the point is the next time you get a creative spark, let it start a fire. It might be the muse gently guiding you to move in the right direction. The creative force can also be a destructive one but if you keep showing up, that chaos will transform into a creative communion.
Gemini — 4th House
The 4th house is the “subterranean angle”. It is the roots of the chart meaning the people, places, and things that support us. Significations like family, home, and even mystical matters call this house their home. Reimagining the ideal version of yourself may also call for the refiguring of that which supports you. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel but tuning the spokes will only help you have a smoother ride.
Cancer — 3rd House
We all engage in a kind of would’a, should’a, could’a game throughout our daily lives. It is mostly unhelpful and zaps the moment of any potential magic. Try and spend more time just appreciating ‘what is’ rather than ‘what is not’ this month. The minimum that will happen is you will feel a little better - which is actually a lot!
Leo — 2nd House
With the Sun currently resting peacefully in its domicile of the lion’s den, deconstructing how you feel about financial matters is probably the last thing on your mind. However with Mercury, the planet that signifies money, retrograde it wouldn’t be astrological snake oil to suggest that there may be some revisions within the context of your resources. Worried? Don’t be! It could be something as simple as you forgetting the password to your bank account. Funny how these things play out sometimes.
Virgo — 1st House
Have you ever dumped all over someone’s reality only to realize that it made them feel terrible? Consequently, you feel terrible too. Virgo’s fast and witty analysis is a great tool when used for the right task but left unchecked it will find something to deconstruct. Like a dog who really wants to howl at the Moon, locked up inside all day it will just bark and bark and bark.
Libra — 12th House
We all have a metaphorical blind spot. In astrology this is your 12th house. How do you access that blind spot? Your dreams are one possible way. Dreams have many things to teach us. Next time you have one of those unforgettable dreams or nightmares, spend a few waking moments pondering if that was just a glimpse of your blind spot?
Scorpio — 11th House
Remember that telephone game when you were a kid? Everyone stands around in a circle and the teacher whispers a phrase like, “butter and Swiss cheese” into the first student’s ear. By the time it makes its way back to the teacher’s ear it’s, “Bob’s feet stink”! Now it probably doesn’t get that bad between two people but I think we would all be shocked if we could read our partner’s mind and see how they interpret what we say. The point being, communication is super hard but it is also super important. Leave the telephone game to the kids.
Sagittarius — 10th House
If Sagittarius is on the ascendant then all of the angles (houses 1, 4, 7, and 10) are double-bodied (mutable) signs. These signs are the signs right before the equinox and solstice points. Basic meaning, they represent change. At this point you are probably already pretty set in your ways. However, if you feel some alterations are afoot, Just remember, you may be able to change how you look but real change comes from within.
Capricorn — 9th House
In ancient astrology the 9th house was associated with the lofty aspirations of the higher mind. For example, things like higher education but also divination. In today’s world these two things could not be further apart. Whether or not you have any higher education or a spiritual practice doesn’t really matter. But a great question to ponder right now would be: where are my firmly held beliefs actually holding me apart from my life? And what would it feel like if I attempted to integrate even a small part of them?
Aquarius — 8th House
Have you ever had that experience where you are listening to two people having a conversation and you realize that they are both talking about different things yet they think they are talking about the same thing? Yikes! Unfortunately, it happens way more often to all of us than we would like to admit. This gets especially dicey when these conversations are about important relationship aspects or financial matters. Next time you end up deep in the weeds of an important conversation make sure to take the time to get on the same page as the other person. A few clarifying statements never hurt anyone.
Pisces — 7th House
If these horoscopes feel relationship heavy that’s because so much of Mercury’s main mission is the carrier of information across boundaries. What more is communication than simply that? And what is a relationship without communication? And what is the 7th house all about? Relationships! AND Pisces exaltation ruler is Venus, the planet whose natural signification is relationships. Suffice to say relationships will be important for you this month.
Questions, comments, or readings email - adam@solastrology.com