In the Major Arcana of the Tarot The Fool represents the beginning of the journey, the naive innocent in search of experience in the world.  The risk inherent in the energies of the current Mars/Neptune opposition, which will be strong for the next 48 hours, is that we be may be too naive now. Circumstance will certainly play a stronger than usual role in our life now.  The odd and the unusual will appear before us and can distract and even divert us from our path.  There is nothing wrong with stopping to smell the roses and in fact that slowing down to consider and explore is likely the best use of these energies. However do be careful what or whom you invite into your life now.  Perception is foggy and perspective off with this planetary opposition. Take care to not be seduced by overly charming pretenders now.  Do not allow yourself to be taken advantage of in any way. Take great care in what commitments you make or what contacts you sign.  Better yet, don't make or sign any now. Turn your focus inward. Apply a spiritual filter and consider the nature of your journey in this life.  Ask yourself if there is something more authentic out there for you.

​Duncan de la Montagne

A wonderful creative portal opens with the ingress of Mercury into Libra today.  When blended with the current dialed-in Virgo Sun/Mars energies these Cardinal Air energies facilitate focused and inspired self-expression. This is the perfect time to tell your story in the medium of your choice or to write your thesis, or your pandemic cookbook for that matter.  Monday and Tuesday's Gemini Moon energies add an extra Air boost to kick things off.  Diplomatic and innovative solutions to particularly challenging situations or problems in our life can be found now.  Mercury will be in Libra until November 5 due to a coming retrograde cycle beginning September 27. Try to get as much done as you can while the Sun is still in the sign of Virgo (until September 22) Mercury energies will become murky and diffused in late September and will incline us toward mental laziness, indecisiveness and procrastination.

Duncan de la Montagne 
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The most influential astrology aspect in the sky now is the Mercury/Pluto trine.  This aspect can bring deeply buried truth to light, revealing important insights into complexities within our self, into complex situations in our life and even answers to old mysteries in our past.  We are drawn to deep analysis and deep conversations now.  Just be sure that all the truths you feel compelled to share 
should actually be shared and that they are shared with people who can handle them.  Stay spiritual, do no conscious harm.  Problems that have hindered our progress can be solved now.  We are able to devise strategies that will help us realize our objectives and goals, both in the short and long term. The energies attached to this aspect extend through Thursday into Friday night (August 27).  They take a more practical bent when the Moon moves into Taurus on Friday at 12:27 AM EDT.

Duncan de la Montagne
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A star died so you could be born.  All of the base elements needed to form us, animate us and sustain us were forged in the molten core of an exploding star out in the dark distant reaches space millions of years ago.  This second Full Moon in Aquarius of August 2021 (August 22 8:01 AM EDT) takes us even deeper within our self.  Aquarius is about authenticity above all other things, freedom would be next on the list.  This Full Moon affords us the opportunity to know our self better, more truly,  and to develop awareness of fresh purpose in life.  This, along with spiritual principles
of acceptance, compassion, patience, tolerance, humility and gratitude can manifest a warm and beautiful sense of well-being inside of us that can be our predominant state of being. Greater emotional strength can form within us under these energies that can help us on paths of creativity, humane activism and innovative solutions to real world problems that are the essence of the Aquarian mode of being.  Explore and celebrate your individuality, you are more than just a label or a meme.  Then take this new awareness of self and contribute in what ways you can toward building a better community, a better town or city, a better world.  A star died so you could be born.  Be worthy.

​Duncan de la Montagne 

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Venus has entered into Libra, one of the signs it rules.  Venus will transit Libra until September 10.
Venus is elegant, graceful and gracious in Libra.  This transit is about art, beauty, harmony, idealism, balance, fairness and, yes, love. The presence of Venus in Libra will boost the Libra charm factor for Libra Sun and Rising folk in particular, attracting opportunity in all areas of life.  This is a good vibes transit, just be sure you don't waste all of its potential sitting in the park chilling with your friends. A lot of inspired art can be created, a lot of important and effective advocacy can be put out into the greater community and a lot of beautiful love can be made over the course of the transit of Venus through Libra.

Duncan de la Montagne

The planet that influences thought, conceptual creativity and communication is now in the Mutable Earth sign of Virgo, a sign it rules.  Mercury will transit Virgo until August 30.  Mercury is practical, analytical, organized and detail oriented in Virgo.  Our thoughts become clear and focused during this transit.  With Mars, the planet that influences the outward expression of physical energy,
also in Virgo, much can be accomplished now.  This transit favors execution of projects, renovations and complete overhauls.  Virgo wants to be useful and aspires to a certain level of purity, making the next 20 days ideal for cleanses and detoxes.  Caution against obsessive over-thinking for those predisposed to anxiety.  Detach from fear-based thoughts. Ground yourself in the peace of the present moment though meditation, arts or crafts.  Don't get so lost in the minutiae that you lose sight of the purpose of the initiative or project.  Be sure to incorporate patience, tolerance and compassion in your thoughts and in your communications.  Stay spiritual. Less judging, more building.

​Duncan de la Montagne


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A New Moon comes into being in the sign of Leo at 9:50 AM EDT today.  A Leo New Moon is a time to consider how we wish to express our self out in the world and in our relationships.  The Moon in Leo compels us to take pride in our self, to practice healthy self care. This is a time to ask the big questions. Who do I want to be as a human being?  What kind of a partner do I want to be?  What do I want to leave behind?  What do I want to accomplish and experience over the course of my lifetime?  What would I like to create, experience and achieve over the next six months?  New Moons are times for seed planting and spell casting.  What we are planting now are our dreams and visions for our future, both in the short and long term. Sirius, the fixed Star of good fortune, is rising now, boosting the magickal properties of this New Moon and its ability to help us bring what we plant now to fruition.  Allow yourself to dream a little as the Moon wanes to dark and then awakens again in the sign of Leo.

Duncan de la Montagne. 


 

The Moon is in Cancer today and information-giving Mercury forms a semi-sextile with Venus, the planet of love and relationships, among other things.  The Moon is not so comfortable in the sign of Cancer when the Sun transits Leo.  However the Mercury/Venus semi-sextile creates a conduit of emotional vulnerability now which can facilitate honest and open communication in relationships.  As it is Leo Season the potential for over-sharing always exists so do consider whether whoever you are speaking with can handle what you are about to share before you actually express it.  Inroads can be made now where things have gotten difficult in relationships, friendships and family dynamics, and personal peace can be found in situations where there has been no closure.

​Duncan de la Montagne

The Sun trines Chiron retrograde today, and the Moon spends the first 17 hours of the day in the Mutable Air sign of Gemini, before transiting into Cancer.  The melding of these energies can open us to new paths of healing.  They can also stimulate fresh, even innovative, methods of problem solving in our life. If we have been struggling for a considerable time Chiron in its retrograde mode can help us to see where our responsibility lies in it all.  The Sun/Chiron trine disarms the ego to a certain degree, clearing the way for honest self-assessment.  Much growth is possible now, but first we must see our way to it.

​Duncan de la Montagne