Dear Readers: The Calendar is now available in three formats: (1) as a text-only email direct to you, (2) via password access to a printable web page, and (3) here on this page, Maya will continue to make the Calendar available free of charge, weekly.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1. Moon is VOC in Capricorn for the next two days. Nevertheless August begins in a very dynamic fashion, and we begin today to make major turning points. Work is on our minds, but planning is difficult, and there are apt to be surprises. Best to plan out these days on Monday or Tuesday, begin your projects then if possible, and let go of expectations for today and tomorrow. Venus enters Cancer this morning, to attract security and nurturing to us. Emotions increase in importance. We may begin a new focus on family, clan, and country.

THURSDAY AUGUST 2. Moon continues VOC in Capricorn. At the same time there will be some important news or meeting which clarifies our direction and stimulates our imagination, particularly in regard to nurturing. We now reach the midpoint of a perceptual cycle which began January 13, the day Worldwatch Institute, in their annual State of the World report, announced the precipitous decline of earth’s ecology during 2000. This is a serious and creative day. We feel the excitement building of a strong full moon.

FRIDAY AUGUST 3 and SATURDAY AUGUST 4. These are active, high-powered days. Moon is in lively Aquarius, with many aspects, and is full at 12 degrees Aquarius early Saturday morning, at 1:56 a.m. EDT. Leo is about the individual, and Aquarius refers to the group; thus this moon raises social awareness, particularly in regard to how the individual fits into the group. Social and group issues may be brought up now, particularly in reference to a person or other entity. Leo-Aquarius can be called the axis of humanity. It’s a good party moon.

The degrees of this moon-sun closely aspect the important Saturn-Pluto opposition which occurs on August 5, still in orb of the illumination of this Full Moon. Sun, Moon, Saturn and Pluto are all tied together in a magic rectangle which includes the elements of relationship, awareness, centrality (to our lives), power, structure, and transformation. Major movement occurs now which involves an important restructuring of power. If you’ve something big to do, do it.

Partnership and freedom are both important now. How do we combine them? Imagination and creativity are also encouraged, particularly in regard to working towards our long-range ideals.

This Moon relates to events around the February 5, 2000 Solar Eclipse, as well as to events following the Nov. 4, 2000 First Quarter Moon. What was in your life then?

All planets between 11-14 degrees, in all signs, are strongly stimulated now. The purpose will revolve around nurturing, of self and others.

The Sabian Symbol for 12 Aquarius is:

"ON A VAST STAIRCASE STAND PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT TYPES, GRADUATED UPWARD. The necessity of recognizing different types and levels of development wherever human beings live and work together. The ideal of egalitarianism has to be balanced by a realization that hierarchy of levels is a fact of nature. Each person should be aware of the level at which he (or she) stands, even as she strives to move towards a higher one. He should look up for inspiration and examples, while helping the human beings of the next lower level to reach up. This is the great give-and-take of evolution. Every human being is potentially divine as an individual person, but the NATURAL PROGRESSION OF STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS is an unavoidable reality to accept at the socio-mental level."

The most potent forces at this time are gathered together in Alaska, and in the Great Lakes area. The entire western hemisphere is particularly emphasized. Africa is also an energy center.

Conflicting energy runs through Venezuela, Brazil, eastern Europe, Moscow, Israel, North Africa, and the Far East–Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Washington DC shows surprises and upsets.

SUNDAY AUGUST 5. This whole weekend–and the next ten months as well– is about restructuring. Maybe you’re remodeling your office, moving your home, creating new familial arrangements, landscaping your yard, or refiguring your budget, for example. On other levels we may be feeling earth movements, new political arrangements, or economic changes. We’re talking about major changes–and we have ten months to complete the process.

Today we also begin two new cycles. Venus conjoins Jupiter to begin a ten-month cycle of emotional growth through loving and nurturing. Family and home will be especially important during this next year. We will all be more susceptible to the changing influences of the moon, and thus more sensitive and more in touch with our feelings. We will feel more protective and defensive than usual.

We can see Venus and Jupiter together in their spectacular conjunction in the early morning sky. Try 4 a.m. for a viewing treat.

We also begin a new four-month perceptual cycle, now in the fire sign of Leo. Leo creates the show, directs it, and stars in it. For the next four months we will dramatize ourselves, and live out that drama. Cancer and Leo together make for a very creative period of great personal development.

Now we begin restructuring our lives to make space for that personal growth.

This is a highly visionary time, and yet bottom line practical. We can begin now to build a new vision.

Moon is VOC in Aquarius this morning, an unpredictable and inventive sign. At 2:30 p.m. Moon enters Pisces, and the rest of the afternoon is apt to be very emotional. Being around water would be soothing. Night can be very loving.

MONDAY AUGUST 6. Moon in mystical Pisces runs smack into those harsh taskmasters, Saturn and Pluto. This day could be upsetting and perhaps disappointing, especially after last night’s tenderness. Grounding our imagination, and making our inspirations practical are the keys. Don’t fight fate.

TUESDAY AUGUST 7. Moon is VOC in Pisces. Let your creative imagination loose, and go with the flow. Trust your special intuition.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8 and THURSDAY AUGUST 9. Moon is in militant Aries, and we’re willing to speak up for our beliefs. Energy is high, and we march right along pursuing our vision. Everyone better get out of the way. Success is in the stars.

FRIDAY AUGUST 10. Action is vitalized for the entire day. Moon is VOC in Aries this morning, and during that energetic time we are apt to hear some surprising news. Something is beginning to break free. Moon enters Taurus at 2:23 p.m., and we are highly motivated to accomplish something tangible. We may want to go on working through the night. Sleep will be difficult.

SATURDAY AUGUST 11. Enjoy the comforts of home today. Putter around, stock up on supplies, work in the garden.

SUNDAY AUGUST 12. Last Quarter Moon at 20 Taurus occurs at 3:53 a.m. This is a powerful fixed square, with Mars part of the picture, and it may wake us up. At last quarter we can do some releasing. Release at this time will be part of the big structural reorganization which we are beginning this month. The current Cancer Moon cycle tells us that it relates to home, family, and tribe.

This Moon is on the U.S. Vesta, whose job is to guard and protect her territory. It squares Uranus, and new modes of defense and security will be on the nation’s mind.

Uranus means reform, and for each of us change and reform are on the agenda. Now we can let go of the old baggage which blocks it.

The first half of last November is relevant now. What was happening in your life then? For me it was a very mystical, magical period. It was also hard to focus on my work. I was under Neptune’s thrall. For the U.S. we were going through the election brouhaha, which threw us into a Neptunian administration, the Oiligarchy, and for the world there was much talk and emphasis on the problems of 1) global warming, and 2) Palestine-Israel. Neptune also is associated with global patterns, as well as with denial and illusion.

There will be big adjustment now, and it may be wrenching. This is shown by many quincunx aspects, which force planets which are different in every way to work together. There are no solutions here, only paradoxes and adjustments. The process is one of realignment.

The Sabian Symbol for 20 Taurus is

"WISPS OF WINGLIKE CLOUDS STREAMING ACROSS THE SKY. The awareness of spiritual forces at work."

MONDAY AUGUST 13. Moon is in distractible Gemini, and we may have difficulty staying focused. Gemini likes reason, but today intuition is more effective. Let it take charge. Tonight we have our monthly occultation, i.e., eclipse of Saturn. This occurs for one year, from May 2001-May 2002 each month when Moon is in Gemini. This means enormous structural change during this year–old structures weakening and new ones developing. It adds potency to the strong Saturn-Pluto opposition of the times. Saturn is restricting and limiting.

This Saturnian eclipse occurs at 10:53 p.m. EDT (or 2:53 a.m. GMT tomorrow, AUGUST 14). It can be seen in south and eastern Africa, India, southern China, and Indonesia. Translate the time into your time zone, and watch the Moon cover Saturn.

TUESDAY AUGUST 14. Assertiveness is picking up rapidly. Early this morning Mercury enters Virgo to challenge our great Sagittarius-Gemini opposition for the rest of the month. There will be much movement, information, travel, news, and communication. Restlessness will be in the airwaves. So will actual wind, and hot air as well. Don’t believe everything you hear. Things come together well today. At 3:42 p.m. Moon goes VOC, and you can let the trickster in you play for the rest of the day.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15. Moon is in Cancer, one of the signs of the times. Sensitivity is high, and we may feel vulnerable. Cancer is creative, prophetic, and tuned into spirit–and everything else as well. Nurture yourself.

Uranus shows today. It is an energy of freedom and independence, and is willful–"don’t tell me what to do." Today is the turning point of a one-year Sun-Uranus cycle which began last Feb. 9. Ariel Sharon (the "Butcher") had just been elected prime minister of Israel, Europe was very upset about Bush’s missile defense, the Attorney General’s office was staffed, the U.S. submarine Greeneville destroyed a Japanese fishing boat, and much more.

I was enjoying playing with my family, friends, and clients. Uranus is outgoing and confident. Now it’s infused with Sun in Leo, the royal sign, and will certainly want its way. No compromising today.

Chiron in Sagittarius is part of the picture, and this enhances the insistence on freedom and a sense of adventure.

Working out today’s conflicting combination of urges is a quincunxial job, i.e., we are forced to make adjustments: freedom and recklessness on the one hand, protection and caution on the other. Sounds like Star Wars could fit right into this mold. In fact, any war could.

Uranus is unpredictable. Surprises are likely.

This afternoon we have an occultation, or eclipse, of Jupiter. The crescent moon will cover Jupiter at 3:50 p.m. EDT, and if the sky is clear we can see them in the U.S. except for New York and New England.

Notice issues around expansion, travel, law, philosophy, or government.

THURSDAY AUGUST 16. Breakfast at home today. Moon has a lovely conjunction with Venus early in the morning. Again, try catching Venus and Jupiter rising with crescent moon around 4 a.m.

At 9:03 a.m. moon goes VOC for the rest of the day, but loving vibes linger. Tend your personal garden today.

FRIDAY AUGUST 17. Moon enters Leo early this morning, and we begin the buildup towards tomorrow night’s New Moon in Leo. Daytime energy is lazy daisy, flow with it. We’re at the end of our Cancer Moon cycle, and we can just let it all go. There’s no ambition left. However, by tonight we begin to perk up with bright shining visions of the future. Possibilities invite us to open a new door. This coming weekend is ideal for a relaxing adventure, like camping.

SATURDAY AUGUST 18. New Moon at 27 Leo occurs late, at 10:55 p.m. EDT. We had a Solar Eclipse at this degree in August 1998, and it is reactivated now. It’s an important world degree, and events occurring this coming month will have worldwide impact.

Energetic aspects have been occurring all day, and we’re ready for a new start. During the Leo Moon cycle we work on becoming authentic, more of who we really are. We’re spontaneous, expressive, and willing to take risks and see how it feels. We want to be in charge of ourselves, and we want to shine for others as well. We learn to judge what’s right for us by whether it feels good. It’s a time for us to be creative about our identities, and dramatize our lives. We’re on stage now, and we’re enjoying our show.

Independent Uranus is featured at this new moon, and thus for the next month our urge for freedom is super strong. There will be no holding us back. Neither the Leo-Aquarius polarity nor the reigning Sagittarius-Gemini polarity can be fenced in. Uranus is unpredictable. Its freeing manifestations break through in surprising ways.

Tender, protective Cancer has her work cut out for her to hold the reins on these bucking broncos, and keep house and home together. Firmness, iron discipline, and a clear sense of responsibility are allies. We can call on our Capricorn qualities. One helpful drama can be to pretend we’re the captain of a fishing boat, now tumbling in rough seas but determined to set lines and bring home a good catch. Setting clear goals is the key.

The Sabian Symbol for 27 Leo is:

"THE LUMINESCENCE OF DAWN IN THE EASTERN SKY. The exalting challenge of new opportunities at the threshold of a new cycle. We are aglow with its promise. ILLUMINATION."

If you’ve watched Venus, Jupiter and Moon have their glorious meeting in the early morning sky this month, you can picture this new light.

The West Coast of the United States is the standout now, along with Indonesia, which shows as a center of volatile energy during the entire year. Brazil, Japan, and Australia are also exciting. Eastern Europe and eastern Africa, extending east to Pakistan, including Russia and the Middle East, also run high energy.

SUNDAY AUGUST 19. We just had our New Moon in Leo, but it was in late degrees, and now we awaken with moon in Virgo. It’s helpful to get a dose of Virgo common sense at a moment like this! Virgo is an earth sign, and likes nature and the out-of-doors. The trail may call us. Challenges continue throughout the night, and we may awaken worrying about a problem which needs attention. It may not be resolved, in fact, until late Tuesday.

MONDAY AUGUST 20. We have good work energy today, especially for taking care of things around home. Moon goes VOC at 4:21 p.m. But we can’t relax yet. Mercury squares Pluto tonight, and power is on our minds. We want control, and we may find ourselves in disputes without even knowing the reason. Or we could go to a powerful concert, or powerfully stimulate our imaginations through the arts. Overdoing, especially with alcohol or other drugs, is a big pitfall. Restraint is missing, and intensity is the urge. Pluto is about to turn direct in a few days, and Mercury now in touch with it can give us Pluto’s transformational message for this time. Power is on the prowl.

TUESDAY AUGUST 21. Moon travels through harmony-loving (usually) Libra for the next two days. Love, compassion, and imagination are high on today’s list. We’re willing to walk in others’ shoes, and to trade inspirations. At the same time, we feel a hardheadedness, and we want things real and we want them to work. Don’t unduly limit your options.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22. Moon continues in Libra with harmonious aspects, and cooperation accomplishes much. Tonight Sun enters Virgo. Leo spontaneity is toned down by a bit of humility and practical considerations. The focus now is on specific skills as media for self-expression. Enjoy your partner (might be yourself!) tonight.

THURSDAY AUGUST 23. We awaken to Moon in intense, determined, secretive Scorpio. And to powerful Pluto, associated with Scorpio, turning direct. Release of deep power is in the air today, and during the days around this time. It may be associated with money and technology. This morning is purposeful and energetic. The evening is emotional and dreamy.

FRIDAY AUGUST 24. Moon continues in Scorpio with brilliant aspects. Research is a cinch. Tonight the rebel and the policeman meet. Who wins?

SATURDAY AUGUST 25. First Quarter Moon at 3 Sagittarius occurs at 3:55 p.m. EDT. At first quarter, we go into action. We clear the blocks in our road. Those blocks now are likely to be technological, as we move ahead to develop and refine our skills to better help us take charge of our lives.

Moon now conjoins Pallas Athena, who is concerned about a secure and successful society. Pallas is a good strategist, a good negotiator, and a good protector. In Sagittarius she is prone to use the courts and the press to defend her interests. Religion and morals also take a front seat. Pallas is sure of her ground, and can be quite pushy.

Healing is also on our minds, with active exercise and travel featured. This is a good time for moving into a new home, or undertaking some improvement on the home front. Family reunions now can be expansive, and lead to growth and understanding. Positive shifts in relationships can occur easily now.

Tonight we would enjoy a good film which is mentally and emotionally stimulating.

SUNDAY AUGUST 26. Moon in active Sagittarius arouses us to do some major reorganization of our lives. Finances, communication, and home base are key areas. Chiron turns direct today to throw us into a new space where we are forced to realign our energies, and how we direct them. Healing of all kinds is a focus now. This is a serious Saturnian day as well as an adventurous Sagittarian one, and we are motivated to work on growth.

MONDAY AUGUST 27. There are a lot of changes in the heavens today, along with a VOC Sagittarius Moon. We are apt to feel restless, scattered, and at loose ends. Last night Venus entered extroverted Leo, helping us to appreciate ourselves and motivating our self-expression. We may have awakened early this morning with a need to communicate our personal healing process. Take advantage of the early morning hours, for at 8:50 a.m. EDT Moon goes VOC for the remainder of the day.

At 8:02 p.m. we start to get in sync with the world again, when Moon enters Capricorn. Ceres turns direct then, and there is a focus on mothering in all its forms, food, and labor for the next two days.

TUESDAY AUGUST 28 and WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29. Communication is the desire, and we want to communicate important, useful, significant things. Hard work and careful thinking pay off.

THURSDAY AUGUST 30. Unconditional love is today’s theme, both for humanity in general and for individuals, including ourselves. Focus on your heart center, and let your loving feelings radiate out to the world. Tonight see a movie with an emphasis on love. Visualize a world where love rules, with good will towards all.

FRIDAY AUGUST 31. Moon continues in friendly Aquarius. Share with others. Talk about the changes in your life and in the world. Ideas now can be illuminating; toss them around with a comrade. Mercury enters Libra tonight to help us focus on give and take. We want not only harmony, but fairness and equality. Loving needn’t mean being a sacrificial lamb, or letting others step on us. We begin now a two-month period of emphasis on balance, cooperation, and justice.