Horoscope: July 29 - August 4, 2019

Horoscope: August 5 - 11, 2019

Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

Highlighted Aspects for This Week
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours. For Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hours.
WED: Sun trine Jupiter, Sun quincunx Saturn
THU: Venus trine Jupiter
FRI: Venus quincunx Saturn
SAT: Sun quincunx Neptune
SUN: Jupiter SD 6:37 a.m., Venus quincunx Neptune, Mercury enters Leo, Uranus SR 7:26 p.m.

JUPITER AND URANUS are virtually at a standstill this week, their motion greatly slowed as they prepare to reverse direction next Sunday (August 11). As I wrote last week, we experience an increase in a planet's vibrational effect when it slows and then comes to a halt. But the even bigger reveal is that over the next two weeks, as Jupiter hovers at about 14°30? Sagittarius, it is almost exactly conjunct a galactic anomaly that we know as the Great Attractor (GA).
 
Currently located at 14°02? Sagittarius, the GA gained its nickname because of its enormous magnetic field, which draws toward itself our own Milky Way galaxy, as well all the other thousands of galaxies that are part of our "supercluster." Astronomers tell us that our Milky Way galaxy is catapulting toward the GA at an astonishing rate of 600 km (373 miles) per second--according to my calculator, that's a whopping 1,342,800 miles per hour! But here we sit, with little or no awareness that we are hurtling through space, much less at such a breakneck speed.

ASTROLOGER Philip Sedgwick, who has done a great deal of research on the GA, writes:

"What the Great Attractor is remains a mystery. It clearly reveals relativistic characteristics--those of warping time and space while bending light with its massive gravity. But it lacks the event horizon required for it to be a black hole. All we truly know is that it’s big.


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"The enormous gravity of the GA actually bends light around it. It bends the light so much, that a glimpse of what is behind it can be taken. This quality of gravitational lensing provides clear behind-the-scenes insights, while simultaneously offering other refractive illusions."

THE SYMBOLISM of the Great Attractor is profound. We are physically being drawn toward a great Mystery, equivalent to the magnetic pull of our own spiritual Source and higher purpose. Just as the Milky Way is moving at an incredible speed, humanity's evolution is actually occurring very rapidly, even as we remain mostly unconscious of what is underway--and even if we may at times fear that we are going in reverse.

There is also the capacity of the GA to bend light around it. We can see behind the anomaly, which should be impossible. This represents our ability to receive insights that likewise might seem inaccessible. We just need to be careful that what we perceive is truth, not a "refractive illusion." 
 
JUPITER, as the largest planet in our known solar system, magnifies whatever it touches. As Jupiter aligns with the Great Attractor, the evolutionary pull on humanity is all the more powerful. The question is, how will we handle the pressure? No doubt it depends on our level of consciousness, and whether we're able to stay in center.
 
And what about those "behind-the-scenes insights?" Jupiter conjunct the GA may bring new awareness, or possibly reveal something that has been hidden.
 
Stephanie Azaria writes on her "Cosmic Consciousness" website: "The only way to work with the Great Attractor is to keep our frequencies elevated by focusing on Source, and surrendering to It with an open heart." Good advice to keep in mind over these next two weeks, especially.
 
AND THEN we have Uranus, also coming to a standstill next Sunday. Whenever this planet's influence is heightened, we are cautioned to "expect the unexpected." Life speeds up, we find ourselves more scattered than usual, and our nervous systems can become hyper-stimulated.
 
With Uranus in Taurus, a sign that enjoys simple pleasures and the comfort of the familiar, we can "expect" disruptions in the status quo over the next couple of weeks. The flow of life goes in surprising directions, requiring us to be flexible and adaptable. Since Taurus rules nature and the environment, we could also see an increase in weather events, or seismic and volcanic activity.

AT THE TIME of its station, Uranus is close to Metallah, a problem-solving fixed star that is linked to justice and legal concerns--so perhaps we will see some surprising developments in these areas during the month of August. In his book The Magic of the Stars, Roderick Kidston writes:

"Metallah is one of the stars promoting cleverness; it can drive high levels of achievement when it works without distortion. Metallah gives many gifts beginning with the letter 's': smart, savvy, social, sensible, sometimes sensational, occasionally sassy, and pretty sure of what you need to do."

These traits associated with Metallah work well with the transpersonal qualities of the planet Uranus, which, at an elevated frequency, represents Higher Consciousness. When Uranus is strong, we can be more open to high-level insights, to inspiration, and to the "Eureka" moments of life. Combined with Metallah's confidence and capacity for finding solutions, this can be a very innovative and productive time.

THE SUN AND VENUS continue to travel together down Leo the Lion's yellow brick road this week. Our personal objectives and relationship themes are in the spotlight when these two planets link arms. Optimism looks especially high on Wednesday and Thursday, when they both make harmonious trine aspects with generous Jupiter.
 
But, it also looks like we'll be asked to make some necessary shifts in these areas. Starting midweek and lasting through the weekend, the Sun and Venus are in quincunx aspect to both Saturn and Neptune. This creates a yod configuration, also called "the finger of God."

The Sun and Venus are at the "apex" of this chart pattern--at the tip of God's finger. This gives the two planets special significance. According to Bil Tierney, in his book Dynamics of Aspect Analysis:

* Apex Sun pressures us to make needed alterations in how we demonstrate will, power, authority, and self-pride. Objectives on the horizon require our full attention and inner strength. If mismanaged, apex Sun can release the power to abuse personal will and authority. If used well, apex Sun enables us to mobilize our vital forces and embark on new creative endeavors with much success.

* Apex Venus requires that we adjust facets of our own love nature through careful self-examination. Partnership involvements take on new meaning and can assist us in fulfilling our greater objectives. If mismanaged, apex Venus leaves us feeling out of place and alienated from others. If used well, apex Venus helps us express our feelings with greater clarity, depth, and directness, making our love relationships more real and satisfying.

IT LOOKS LIKE it will be important to schedule some breaks throughout the coming week! The nervous energy is likely to be very high. And, it can be so easy to get caught up in all that we need to do--whether it's household chores, work tasks, or reaching self-improvement goals--that we can forget that rest is equally vital.

I just posted a quote from Matt Kahn on my facebook page that speaks directly to this issue: "The rest we need to nourish Body and Soul can challenge the ego."

The ego always has a need to prove something, to be doing something. It likes to be able to point at things that have been accomplished as a way of validating its existence. And yet, we can end up exhausted if we don't take the rest we need. So, please make it a top priority to take some no-brain, no-action, no-drama breaks during these next two highly energized weeks!

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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Personal relationships are in the spotlight this coming year, Leo. You may be eager for new experiences in this area, and yet also feeling cautious. It is time to explore any ways in which a lack of self-confidence hinders your ability to be fully and uniquely yourself. Realize that honest self-appreciation must come first, and that fulfilling relationships will then follow. When you are purely in the joy of being YOU, your enthusiasm is contagious, and your charisma is undeniable. These are some of the keys to unlocking fulfillment on many levels. (Solar Return Sun conjunct Venus, trine Jupiter, quincunx Saturn, quincunx Pluto, quincunx Neptune)

*****

For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.

About the Author

Pam YounghansPam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or leave a message at 425.445.3775. For more information about NorthPoint Astrology offerings, please visit northpointastrology.com or visit her Facebook page.

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