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Written and Narrated by Pam Younghans.
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Astrological Overview: August 28-September 3, 2023
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.
Aspects of Note this Week:
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours; For Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), add 7 hours.
Monday: Mars sesquiquadrate Jupiter, Uranus stations retrograde
Tuesday: Uranus quincunx Ceres
Wednesday: Mercury quincunx Chiron, Full Moon 6:35 p.m. PDT
Thursday: No major aspects are exact today
Friday: Mars quincunx Saturn
Saturday: Sun sesquiquadrate Eris
Sunday: Venus stations direct
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FINDING BALANCE: Three significant planetary events occur this week: sideways-spinning Uranus stations retrograde on Monday, August 28; this month's second Full Moon/Supermoon shines its brightest on Wednesday, August 30; and affectionate Venus completes its six-week retrograde phase as it stations direct next Sunday, September 3.
Staying in balance may be a challenge in these final days of August, with erratic Uranus' influence strong and the emotionally and psychically sensitive Pisces Full Moon dominating the night sky. And, hidden from view in this week's calendar but also a major factor in the days ahead, is giant planet Jupiter, which will station retrograde next Monday, September 4.
URANUS STATIONS RETROGRADE: Whenever a planet comes to a standstill, whether preparing to go retrograde or direct, its impact in our lives is heightened for at least a week on either side of the station date. Nervous energy can be particularly high as Uranus comes to its station and "life as usual" could be disrupted, testing our flexibility. However, we may also find that intuition is stronger and the potential for consciousness expansion is increased, since transpersonal Uranus is associated with Higher Consciousness/Divine Mind.
Uranus will be at 23°04´ Taurus when it stations. If you have planets or points in your natal chart between 21 and 25 degrees of one of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius), you are likely to feel the impact of Uranus' station most profoundly, since the planet is in a challenging aspect (square or opposition) to your chart. Also feeling it strongly — but perhaps more gently since your Uranus transit is either a harmonious sextile or a trine — are those with planets or points between those same degrees of Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, or Pisces.
For everyone, Uranus represents an opportunity to try a new or alternate approach. It challenges us to be open to insights and to break free from old routines, structures, and self-limiting patterns.
FULL MOON/SUPERMOON: The Full Moon perfects at 6:35 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, when Luna is at 07°25´Pisces and the Sun is at the same degree of Virgo. By nature, Pisces is compassionate, mystical, imaginative, and adaptable; in contrast, Virgo is practical, analytical, discriminating, and focused on tangible results. Our task when we have a Full Moon in Pisces is to find equilibrium between these two polarities. We are challenged to know when to take control of a situation and when to surrender to the flow, and to understand that our human view of reality must be balanced with a trust and faith in the unseen.
Saturn's influence is strongly woven into the energies of the lunation, since the Ringed Planet is at 03°33´ Pisces and less than four degrees away from the Moon. There may be important choices to be made as we work with the Full Moon energies, that require us to focus on the practical details but also to use intuitive insights when making decisions. Since Saturn is the Lesson Bringer and is in metaphysical Pisces, we could view this as a spiritual test or teaching.
Luna is also conjunct Quasar 3C446 at the time of the Full Moon. In keeping with the themes of the lunation, this galactic point emphasizes the need to balance intuition with reason and to utilize both trust and discernment.
VENUS DIRECT: Venus has been moving backward through Leo since going retrograde on July 22. Over these past six weeks, the goddess of Love and Beauty has invited us to go on an inner journey to review our relationships, creative projects, values, and financial investments. We may have felt like we were taking a trip down memory lane; night dreams might have brought relationship themes from the past into our awareness for processing.
As Venus begins to slowly move forward, picking up speed over the next few weeks, it offers more support for making decisions and commitments in the areas listed above. If we have successfully done the work of introspection, we are ready now to be guided by a new understanding of what we truly value.
JUPITER AT A STANDSTILL: Since Jupiter will station retrograde next Monday, I will talk more about the event in next week's Journal — but I want to mention that the planet will be activating what is called the "Taurus Point of Avatar" when it comes to a standstill. We've actually been working with this energy for a few weeks already, but the effects and potentials of this alignment are heightened in the coming days, and will be a major factor in our lives throughout Jupiter's retrograde phase (until December 30).
Jupiter's activation of the Taurus Avatar Gateway is also a central subject of my upcoming webinar (on September 13), when I will share more of my research and insights on the event. Please see the class description for details and some clues as to the meanings of this profound alignment.
DAILY ASPECTS: Here are my brief interpretations of this week's most important planetary aspects:
Monday
Mars sesquiquadrate Jupiter: This aspect encourages us to take risks, but we will need to be careful of overextending ourselves. Take the time to reflect on how much you can comfortably commit to without burning out or being overwhelmed.
Uranus stations retrograde: Uranus stations at 23°04´ Taurus on Monday, initiating breakthroughs or breakdowns as needed to bring necessary change into our lives.
Tuesday
Uranus quincunx Ceres: We may experience a strong conflict between the need for freedom and the wishes of loved ones, especially those we call "family." This influence could also manifest through an uncertainty about whether to trust our own intuition. While this is technically a minor aspect, it is of greater impact due to Uranus being stationary when it occurs.
Wednesday
Mercury quincunx Chiron: We may have difficulty trusting our own knowing with this aspect. It will be important to take the time to go within, so that we might soften the fears or insecurities that get in the way of knowing our truth.
Full Moon/Supermoon: The Sun and Moon will oppose each other at 6:35 p.m. PDT.
Thursday
No major aspects are exact today.
Friday
Mars quincunx Saturn: There may be some frustrations today, a feeling that our actions and independence are in some way limited. It may be helpful to remember that Saturn is Father Time, and thus delays may be a sign that it is not yet "proper timing."
Saturday
Sun sesquiquadrate Eris: We may feel easily irritated today, and it can be tempting to be overly critical of self or others.
Sunday
Venus stations direct: Venus went retrograde on July 22 at 28°36´ Leo, and will station direct today, September 3, at 12°12´ Leo.
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IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: You have many opportunities for expansion this year but are likely to experience some delays along the way. A clear knowing of what brings meaning into your life, and what you truly believe in, will guide you as to the right risks to take. If you run into obstacles, do your best not to become deflated, but to understand that patience and attention to proper timing are two of your lessons this year. In essence, you are learning to access both idealism and realism in equal measure as you move forward in your life. (Solar Return Sun trine Jupiter, opposite Saturn)
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CLASS OFFERINGS IN SEPTEMBER:
Webinar: "A Cosmic Initiation" will air live on September 13! Please join us to learn about the exciting energies we'll be working with during the last four months of 2023. There are tremendous possibilities in store with Jupiter conjunct the Taurus Point of Avatar, two eclipses, and other major planetary events! See the right-hand column on this page for more information, or visit: pam-sept-dec2023.eventbrite.com
September Solar Month Class: Our next Solar Month Class, covering the Month of Libra, will be on Wednesday, September 20, at 1 p.m. PDT. I hope you can join us! To read more about the Zoom class and to register, please visit: https://events.humanitix.com/solar-month-class-libra-2023
INSTAGRAM POSTS: If you frequent Instagram, please check out my daily astrological updates:
?https://www.instagram.com/pamyounghans/
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TRANSLATION and AUDIO/VIDEO VERSION: This weekly Journal is now recorded (in English) AND the text is transcribed into 30 languages! You'll see a row of flags under "Available Languages" in the upper right. And, there are options to listen to the audio (in English) or watch a video directly beneath the photo (see top of page).
The Journal entry is usually updated by Sunday evening, with the recordings appearing late Sunday or by Monday depending on your time zone. Please share this information with those who might benefit.
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For previous weeks of the Astrological Journal, click here.
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About the Author
Pam 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
For more information about NorthPoint Astrology offerings, please visit northpointastrology.com or visit her Facebook page.
