Receive the full month's Daily Success Guide—before the month begins!
Become a
Premium Subscriber.

Additional bonus: Maya's 2004 Retrograde Guide—all major retrogrades for the entire year on a single easy-to-read page. Subscribe now!

If you'd like to know what's happening next, become a Premium Subscriber! You'll receive: (1) Maya's full month of daily guidance before the 1st of each month, (2) the month's complete General Astological Influences, AND (3) you'll also receive Maya's free Premium bonus astrological Travel Advisory to help you plan fast, fun and successful jouneys, wherever you're going! Plus, we're adding one more bonus: Maya's 2004 Retrograde Guide, a handy one-page reference showing all retrograde planets for the year, and how to focus energetically during each retrograde period. Subscribe now!

SUNDAY AUGUST 1. The party continues. Following on the heels of yesterday’s Full Moon in Aquarius, today we have today an aspect of truth and enlightenment, Mercury opposed to Uranus. Because of retrogradation, this truth-exposing aspect will be repeated twice more—August 18 and September 15. Most likely the review process of Mercury retrograde will center on a subject which comes up today. Pay attention to the news (but don’t forget your grain of salt). Also notice new things which come into your life today. Harmony and friendship prevail.

MONDAY AUGUST 2. Moon is in sensitive Pisces for the next two days, and we are receptive to the world and its people, and to nature as well. Our need to be alone, with our own muse, is heightened. The arts flow during Pisces’ moontime. We are still reverberating from yesterday’s revelations, and today our feelings may simply absorb its meaning. This afternoon we may prefer to daydream.

TUESDAY AUGUST 3. We may awaken feeling irritable, and find ourselves in a conflicting or challenging situation early this morning. But it’s resolved in an hour. With Moon in Pisces, our imaginations are stimulated, and we can think out of the box. Some kind of entertainment is featured tonight—perhaps music or movies. Love can flow.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 4. Moon is in martial Aries, and the firebrand in us comes alive. Aggression is a major subject today, and it may be in the context of changing its form, perhaps re-charging it. A new cycle of action begins, illuminated by Leo’s light. Somebody energetic takes charge of the show.

THURSDAY AUGUST 5. That "somebody" may be mysterious and hard to pin down, for Sun opposes Neptune, the great befogger, today. The mandate is to take time out from our busy lives to tune into higher guidance, which tends to come through visualizations and intuitions. And then act on that intuition. With Neptune traveling through Aquarius, and Uranus through Pisces, we are experiencing several years of heightening our intuitive faculties, and this week, and today, are some of its peak moments.

At more mundane levels, Aries moon encourages us to take the initiative to move ahead with our goals. Outer planet aspects help us to draw on our intuitive faculties. We may work hard today on grounding those goals. Aries thrives on challenges, and the challenge now is to integrate heaven and earth. Money, communication, and territory are both apt to figure largely in today’s efforts.

Aries Moon is moving across GW’s midheaven, and the usual chip on his shoulder goes into increased action.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6. Moon is VOC in Aries from 9:59 a.m. EDT until 11:26 a.m., when it enters earthy and possessive Taurus. Today’s big event in the heavens (and thus on earth) is Jupiter squaring Pluto. Pluto represents deep and ruthless transformative power, and Jupiter is associated with expansion. There can be an ambitious drive for power, most likely overambitious. There can be an explosion of power, there can be magic, there can be great losses and there can be great gains. GW is in line for loss, for we see his South Node and progressed IC being affected. Action is apt to be sudden, for Bush’s Uranus is also part of the picture.

Events now preview the coming Lunar Eclipse changes of the Total Lunar Eclipse of October 28, which will be seen over the United States. This is our pre-election Moon, which sets the stage for the Election.

For each of us, the challenge is to channel our power in positive and constructive ways.

SATURDAY AUGUST 7. Last Quarter Moon at 16 Taurus occurs at 6:01 p.m. EDT. Both Leo and Taurus are stubborn signs. Now they are at odds with one another, and this is perhaps the most difficult last quarter moon of the year. In addition, this is the moon phase when we begin to release, and that is very hard for Taurus. In other words, there will be a great deal of inner turmoil now. Often release is forced on us, regardless of our desires.

This Moon relates to the Scorpio Total Lunar Eclipse of May 4, which opened up to the public the torture at Abu Ghraib. This time, then, is midway between two eclipses, that of last May 4, and the coming eclipse of October 28. This midpoint is the most common time of eclipse manifestation. The events of early August are very significant, especially in regard to how we apply our power to resource use. The Leo release is about getting excess pride and arrogance out of the way.

Juno, often connected with fear and with victims, is rising in Washington.

Neptune is the featured energy here, and again, whether we like it or not, Neptune is very good at dissolving things, in this case the Leo problem of excess ego, and the Taurus problem of excess acquisitiveness.

The Sabian Symbol for 16 Taurus is:

"AN OLD TEACHER FAILS TO INTEREST HIS PUPILS IN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE. The inadequacy of past knowledge in times of crisis. Traditional concepts are not adequate to confirm the new conditions of existence. CREATIVE FRUSTRATION."

SUNDAY AUGUST 8. Moon continues in sensual Taurus, with active and practical aspects. Taurus is a food and garden sign, and Venus has just entered the sign of Cancer to support those interests. This can be a sensual day, filled with pleasure, beauty, and good food.

MONDAY AUGUST 9. Moon is in Gemini, which ordinarily makes for a lively, fast-moving day, with lots of connections. Mercury is associated with Gemini, and Mercury is the messenger. However, the messenger will be slowed down today, for Mercury is turning retrograde at 9 Virgo. Virgo is Mercury’s other sign. What do all these connections mean? As usual, this is a new planetary circumstance, but I’ll guess that it means a more difficult Mercury retrograde than usual, with more glitches. I say this because neither Gemini nor Virgo can be very happy with a retrograde Mercury. Moon, in fact, squares a reluctant Mercury, pushing it into unwanted action. It will be noticeable with GW, because Mercury now conjoins his Mars and his progressed Sun. He probably wants to move ahead on something, but feels constrained.

Mercury is strong today, and indeed we do connect and communicate. However, it is probably about past situations. It may also be about the food supply, and the labor which gets it to the table.

Mercury is also filled with Uranian rebellion. It just opposed Uranus in the sky on August 1, and today it almost exactly squares the U.S. Uranus (see General Influences). It does not want to review; it wants to act. But the retrograde holds it back. (If we do act, an undisclosed problem will show up in the future.) On station days, such as today, a change or shift is always set in motion. It provides the focus for the retrograde period, which for Mercury is three weeks. Mercury turns direct again on September 2, at 26 Leo, a degree featured this month on August 3-4.

So we start off the retrograde today with information and analysis which brings us down to earth, and we end it on an inspirational Leo note in September.

TUESDAY AUGUST 10. Mars enters Virgo to give our new analysis and review project more energy and depth. In the meantime, Moon continues in communicative Gemini, and our minds may be racing. Take some time out. Moon goes VOC at 3:59 p.m. EDT.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11. Moon is VOC this morning, and Gemini has calmed down. At 11:20 a.m. Moon enters Cancer, and we open to our sensitive side. We can bring home to our emotions all the facts that have been running through our heads these last few days. How do we FEEL about what is happening now? Sun trines Pluto to bring power and transformation to the fore. It may be that a powerful healing process is now in motion.

THURSDAY AUGUST 12. This is an intimate day, which is also excellent for grounding. Common sense and practicality prevail. Work moves well.

FRIDAY AUGUST 13. Moon VOC in Cancer encourages a quiet, inward day. At the same time, the love vibrations are strong. Do what draws you to do.

SATURDAY AUGUST 14. Moon is in Leo, and the show’s the thing. We radiate love and light and good fellowship. At the same time we are in the dark of the moon period. These are the few days around the new moon when we can let all striving fall away, and when we often have a clear vision of the future. Energy is especially good today for clear visualizing.

SUNDAY AUGUST 15. New Moon at 24 Leo occurs tonight, at 9:24 p.m. EDT. New Moon in Leo is about taking charge of ourselves, doing our thing. This Moon has really excellent energy to begin important new projects. The caveat is that, with Mercury retrograde, those projects should be repair or redo projects. The other thing is that they should come from a place of compassion, and serve the wider world. With Mercury retrograde, best to plan and prepare now, and move into action after Mercury turns direct.

The asteroid Hygeia exactly conjoins Sun and Moon now. She relates to health and healing, and particularly to public health. The healing energy of this new moon is much supported by Chiron opposing Saturn, upsetting the establishment and long-standing structures (yes, a visit to the chiropractor may be necessary), but bringing a healing in the long term.

The Moon’s Nodes are involved, showing that this is a destined time. Here we also repeat the theme of change, for Uranus closely aspects the Nodes. Some of the many changes of the month can now be incorporated into our long-term direction.

Creative thinking is our greatest need now, and the fact is that this is the main feature of this chart. Can we move out of old non-functional paradigms?

This New Moon incorporates the energies and changes of the last two weeks. The next two weeks will be quite different. Healing and consolidation will occupy us.

The Sabian Symbol for 24 Leo is:

"TOTALLY CONCENTRATED UPON INNER SPIRITUAL ATTAINMENT, A MAN IS SITTING IN A STATE OF COMPLETE NEGLECT OF BODILY APPEARANCE AND CLEANLINESS. An interior focalization of energy and consciousness at the expense of all forms of outward activity and care. The traditional image of the Hindu holy man in the Western mind may well hide the fact that without proper training and intense concentration, what we usually consider spiritual attainment, self-realization and the "God experience" is not possible. This suggests a certain kind of technique, or at least an adequate means to reach an envisioned goal. TOTAL CONCENTRATION."

MONDAY AUGUST 16. We start an ambitious Monday with Moon in conscientious Virgo, and picking up energy from the other planets in Virgo. Even with Mercury retrograde, this is an exciting day. It’s also tops for problem-solving. We can figure out answers now to things that have long been puzzling us. Interpersonal conflicts which may come up today can be resolved tonight.

TUESDAY AUGUST 17. Moon continues in analytical Virgo, with excellent energy for fixing not only our own problems, but society’s problems as well.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 18. Moon is VOC in Virgo until 6:09 p.m. EDT, when it enters Libra. However, this is not a restful VOC time. In the first place, Virgo Moon never rests, VOC or not. In the second place, we have a plethora of other planetary aspects to keep us on course. What kind of course? we ask. This is a day of awarenesses, turning points, and seed planting.

The core energy is a conjunction of Mars and our retrograde Mercury at 6 Virgo. Mars is assertion, going for goals, fighting if necessary. Mercury is the consciousness that guides and directs those goals. They meet every two years to begin a new cycle of collaboration. Now the character of that cycle is Virgoan, energy harnessed to service and problem-solving. And it is retrograde, which means repairing problems from the past. Certainly a worthy cause.

Over the course of the day, Uranus, at 6 Pisces, opposes both Mars and Mercury. Enter new awareness. Unpredictable events will open minds to new solutions to those old problems. We are still working with destiny, for degrees here connect with the Moon’s Nodes. Ceres can lead us into new ways of caring for others.

Other awarenesses today concern healing, and abuse, particularly abuse of women and children. This includes our own personal roles in such processes.
And other new starts include shifting our egos into new, more compassionate modes.

Mid-September will show us a new chapter of today’s stories. By then, both Mercury and Pluto will be traveling direct.

In summary, today there are unparalleled opportunities for incorporating healing energies, and moving on them. Moon is still new, so we have most of a month before us to get the ball moving in a new and better direction. Moon’s travels today include the social signs of Virgo and Libra, both of which encourage us to work with others.

Tonight will be lively.

THURSDAY AUGUST 19. Justice is a very big issue today. Moon in Libra has a strong sense of fairness, and today we get emotional about abuse and mistreatment, perhaps in our own families. Compassion is strong.

FRIDAY AUGUST 20. Moon continues in Libra, and we have a need to connect with others. Ambition and hard work dominate the day, and by evening we may have completed or consolidated a project.

SATURDAY AUGUST 21. Moon is in the intense sign of Scorpio, and we may want to probe the deepest, darkest secrets of life and death. The macabre appeals to us. Maybe we have a conflict or struggle in which to engage, or a change to resist. This morning we can waken early and work hard. Tonight is playtime, perhaps music, a movie, and fulfilling sex.

SUNDAY AUGUST 22. Moon continues in Scorpio, with pleasant, productive aspects. In the meantime, Sun enters Virgo to enliven the Virgo energy field of service and improvement. Virgo and Scorpio are both serious, tend to business energies, and they are quite compatible. Moon goes VOC at 4:53 p.m. EDT.

MONDAY AUGUST 23. First Quarter Moon at 1 Sagittarius occurs at 6:12 a.m. EDT. Here we are at First Quarter of the Leo Moon cycle, and we have Sun in Virgo and Moon in Sagittarius. In fact, there is very little now traveling through Leo; Leo has not gotten much of a play during its special month. Cancer and Virgo are dominating the summer's energies. They can both be very involved with security issues. Neither one takes the risks that Leo does. It has been and is a time to get our houses in order.

We plunge into this first quarter of initiating rather cautiously and carefully, and with practical goals in mind. Retrograde Mercury is featured now, and it conjoins Sun to get its new instructions for the next 90 days. But for the next week, Mercury continues to operate behind the scenes.

The services will dominate the news—military services, contractors’ services, and all kinds of services and service. Uranus, who opens us to all kinds of new information, is still on the scene. Neptune is there to inspire (and fool) us. Labor and labor issues are important.

This Moon is the First Quarter of the Total Solar Eclipse of November 23, 2003. The Iraqi insurgency stepped up then, and the U.S. established secret tribunals in Iraq. We’ll see what the retrograde Mercury offers to that situation.

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon at 1 Sagittarius is:

"RETIRED ARMY VETERANS GATHER TO REAWAKEN OLD MEMORIES. The will to reaffirm the struggles upon which civilization and group-achievements are founded. This is an effort to rekindle the old fire of well-fought battles, but Sagittarius implies a special kind of fire. It is a fire that burns the now of natural living in order to build a greater tomorrow. It is future-oriented. It aspires to produce a greater, wider civilization, even though it finds its roots in the harvest of mankind’s past. The togetherness is one of fighting spirits. This refers to the very power implied in the process of civilization, as opposed to culture—thus to the PERPETUATION of the struggle for power."

TUESDAY AUGUST 24. Moon continues traveling in the philosophical sign of Sagittarius. Insight can be strong, and perhaps a bit of magic is possible. Tonight Mercury backs up in Leo, needing to create a new story. Leo and Sag together can do just that. Pay attention to your dreams tonight.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25 and THURSDAY AUGUST 26. Moon travels in business-oriented Capricorn, and our demeanor becomes more professional. We feel we need to be in control of things now. We are ambitious, and willing to work for our goals. On Thursday we may find obstacles in our way, but after 9:30 p.m. EDT they will resolve. This is Women’s Equality Day.

FRIDAY AUGUST 27. Moon is in Aquarius, promising a friendly weekend. And there are plenty of oppositions in the sky, promising us an aware one. Topping the agenda is Aquarius’ planet, Uranus, is in our faces again, stirring things up. Undoubtedly, much of this is public discussion and on-site preparation for the Republican Convention, which starts in a couple of days.

All of the outer planets are featured, which means that public consciousness is moved at a deep level. The public arena will occupy our attention during these closing days of August. Specifically, we have rebellious Uranus opposing Sun, the center of our current energy field. This is the midpoint of the cycle which began with the great worldwide peace marches of mid-February 2003.

At the time of this opposition, mid-afternoon, Pluto is rising on the
East Coast, lending force and drive to the action. Pluto suggests a massive gathering of police power. Pluto is about to turn direct, and is extra strong now, looking for conflict. And oppositions themselves often motivate conflict. In an opposition, there are two opposing sides.

All four of the major asteroids, plus Venus and Moon, are dynamically involved at this time. I can picture the Goddesses, meeting on Mt. Olympus, agreeing to inspire women, and to work together for their cause of a better, more civilized society. They talk to Mother Moon, now in the independent sign of Aquarius, to get her help in beginning to change the old paradigms which lead to competition, war, and deterioration of the quality of life for everyone.

Moon represents the people, and she moves us all. She is very much into a big change process at this moment, one which will reverberate throughout the world, and permanently change it.

Chiron, too, is active, still involved in his Capricorn job of disrupting old structures.

It will be an exciting day!

SATURDAY AUGUST 28. Yesterday’s energy continues and builds up, for we are approaching Full Moon on Sunday night. Emotions peak at full moons, as hospital, mental health, and police workers can attest. Uranus, in the meantime, dominates the skies, producing unexpected events, eruptions, and disruptions. People like to gather and talk during Aquarius moon times, and this is a fine weekend for that. There will be plenty to talk about.

SUNDAY AUGUST 29. Full Moon at 8 Pisces occurs at 10:22 p.m. EDT. This is the season when the full moons rise low and huge and golden. Check this one out. If you have both horizons visible, tomorrow morning you can watch the Sun rise and the Moon set. This is awesome, and it reflects the displays of two sides which are now in public consciousness.

Virgo is reason, and Pisces is intuition. Virgo tends to its earthly business, and Pisces listens to the spirit behind it. Now the two merge to create a knowing whole. (The August-September 2004 issue of The Mountain Astrologer features the Virgo-Pisces polarity. Read it for more understanding of its dynamic.)

Virgo also refers to the common people, the workers of the world.

Reflect on events during this entire month of August, for that polarity is the soup in which we’ve been living and breathing. As I discussed in General Influences, Uranus in Pisces has dominated the heavens, orchestrating a parade of planets in Virgo as they marched in front of its scope. Now we have the rulers of the heavens, Sun and Moon, immersed in this energy. With such a thorough buildup, there will be quite a performance.

Uranus is the planet of the day, and it promises unexpected events which help us break free of old paradigms. During the next two weeks, Sun and Moon will harness the driving energy of Mars and Pluto to put into action the awarenesses gained now.

The Sabian Symbol for 8 Pisces is startling:

"A GIRL BLOWING A BUGLE. A call to participation in the service of the race, as an evolutionary crisis approaches. This picture presents another aspect of the emotional relationship between the individual and the collectivity of human beings. It can also be related to the old feminist movement or the present women’s liberation. In the traditional symbolism, the woman refers to the biological and psychic aspect of human life. A new race of human beings may well be unfolding some of its potential of consciousness and fulfillment. The individual who envisions this evolutionary development "sounds the call." He or she is both seer-herald and mutant. In that sense such a human being is an individual true to both his/her original nature, and a dedicated person—dedicated to the future. Tomorrow acts today; it SUMMONS humans to rebirth."

MONDAY AUGUST 30. Will there be a letdown from yesterday’s Full Moon excitement? Not likely, for Moon in Pisces keeps the pot stirred, and powerful Pluto turns direct today, unleashing its transformative energy.

At this turn, Pluto has just risen on the East Coast. Pluto is conjunct Black Hole Ereshkigal, keeper of the Underworld to which the great Goddess Inanna descended, and divested herself of all her worldly accoutrements. This story shows that the conscious mind is ultimately at the mercy of the unconscious, and with Ereshkigal we bring up old hurts and pains which have seemed long buried.

The Galactic Center is actually rising on the East Coast. This is the heart of our galaxy, and has been shown to be a Black Hole. It emits massive amounts of infrared radiation, and again activates our past. It also helps us to align with cosmic consciousness, and put together past and future. Pluto will be traveling direct for several months, and carrying this energy.

TUESDAY AUGUST 31. And we in turn will have a chance to begin to consolidate it today. Venus conjoins Saturn at 24 Cancer, during a VOC Moon (outcome unknown) in Pisces. Now we begin a new one-year cycle in taking responsibility for our values. Evaluating is emotional, deep, and very transformative. This conjunction conjoins the U.S. Mercury, giving it great impact throughout the United States. It’s vital to have our priorities straight now. I haven’t said much about Neptune, but it has also been prominent. Neptune plays many roles, but in Aquarius, as it is now, it can be very inspiring and idealistic.