Hi, friends!

July was a wild one. Flashback to last month’s newsletter predicting commotion, excitement, anxiety and unpredictability from July 11-21. That time frame brought peak commotion, did it not? I hope you dealt with any unexpected situations or restlessness in your life better having known those themes for July.
 
Today we stand on the brink of another powerful month. I highlighted August at the beginning of this year when I summarized the year in just four paragraphs. The gist of my message was this:
 
The first half of 2024 was ripe with opportunity. We would make bold moves, embrace new ideas, and enjoy the payoffs of past hard work. I likewise warned – whatever steps you want to take, take them soon. Later this year you’ll reach a point where you can’t bite more off the apple. August was the point I was talking about. And here we are.
 
Let’s look at this month’s timeline…

The Emergence of Venus & New Moon in Leo

After months of invisibility, Venus reemerges as evening star in late July / early August. Venus being hidden these last few months suggests that something developed behind the scenes, in quiet. Areas of life indicated include love, sexuality, money, beauty, style, and creative jobs/projects. Venus also relates to everything female – feminine health, wisdom, power, the ability to create harmony and foster cooperation between people.

Think back to April. What feelings, ideas or situations have been brewing on the DL? Did something happen behind the scenes concerning a topic listed above? Now is the time when secret developments become revealed / embodied / exposed. Expect changes in appearance, relationships, money matters, creative and feminine breakthroughs all around. (There’s zero coincidence that the US suddenly has a female presidential candidate. The astrology suggests this was brewing longer than we think.)

Venus’ presence in Leo tells us more. It emphasizes our need for personal recognition. It highlights our desire for only those jobs, relationships and situations that enhance our lives and align with our truths. This Leo New Moon (August 4) invites you to be more transparent about something you’re wanting. Go out on that limb, reach for authenticity, embrace the unorthodox the first week of August.

Mercury Retrograde: A Host of Surprises

On August 5, Mercury turns retrograde. Mercury’s back-and-forth travels are interesting, as they’ll ultimately create three squares to Uranus – the planet of illumination and surprise. The first of these happened last month and marked one of the biggest IT meltdowns in history. Since Mercury-Uranus signifies shocking news, there’s no telling what wild information will come to light in the weeks ahead. 

For you, this month could provide a sudden stroke of genius. Uranus boosts originality, helps us think outside the box and imagine a different way of doing things. On the other hand, there’s a chance you’ll need to revise plans, edit past work or renegotiate something you thought was settled. Prepare to be patient, fix things, or change your strategy as needed. Double check who you’re sending texts and emails to before hitting “send” all month long. 

Increased Confidence & Conviction

Our convictions are stronger than ever this month with Mars conjoined Jupiter. There’s a great impulse to fight for one’s beliefs this month and a sense that doing so serves a greater cause. This energy can serve you in positive ways by bolstering your confidence and enthusiasm. If you’ve been needing extra confidence to tackle something, August could help (or force) you to rise to the occasion.

The shadow side of Mars-Jupiter includes: (1) the potential for going too far, (2) making decisions too quickly, and (3) a persistent impulse to assert one’s opinion. Our convictions become problematic this month if we’re not mindful of what we’re saying and to whom. I deal with this all the time. In everyday situations I must constantly assess whether a discussion of astrology will be constructive or waste my energy. With the “opinion meter” on EXTREME, assume everyone is equally dogmatic in their beliefs right now. Use your voice wisely.

In areas of life where you’re already strong and assertive, Mars-Jupiter can render you EXTRA and HASTY. You’ll see plenty of overly-confident people land themselves in hot water this month. In the days surrounding August 14, avoid overextending yourself. Slow down and think twice before promising more than you can or should deliver.

Mid-August: A Time of Reckoning

The tone turns serious mid-month, building up to a tense Full Moon August 19. From August 11-22, the sky signals strong potential for:

• Perceived threats to progress
• Something new conflicting with established pieces of life
• Feeling held back / limited by responsibilities 
• Competing demands between two areas of life
• Conflict or distance between yourself and another
• A struggle to integrate change to an existing structure or system
• The need to pull back / restrict your exposure to social and political forums

While private life will be implicated for some of us, all of us will watch this play out on public, political and organizational levels.

My first words of advice are that it would be normal to encounter some future-facing fears this month. Perhaps the most common experience with this alignment is the perception that what’s happening will take us back, overwhelm progress or undermine our future. That’s really not true. We’re just at the point in the timeline where progress must pause or slow down for a while.

In fact, this period of “growing pains” is a valuable step in each of our journeys. A new cycle of direction and purpose began for you in late 2020. You’ve had four years of evolution since then. And now, from mid-August through next July (one full year), you are tasked to regroup and stabilize before going much further. 

DO NOT PRESSURE YOURSELF TO FIND PERFECT SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUES ARISING IN AUGUST. The goal this month is just honoring the conundrums that come up. If facing an imminent decision, narrow your focus to “the next right step” and avoid projecting outcomes far into the future. This is not the time to know how things will pan out. There will be lots of time (an entire year!) in which the solutions will reveal themselves. TRUST and ALLOW the answers to unfold over the long-term.

Personal Request

Last month a friend shared my website (www.TheCosmicGem.com) on her Facebook page and said: “If you are interested in astrology, sign up for my friend Julie’s amazing monthly newsletter. She’s so knowledge and insightful. Promise, just do it!”

I’m shocked and inspired by the impact that post had. I recently hired someone to help expand my reach and am humbly asking for your help too. If you feel comfortable recommending this newsletter or my work in any way, please do. I am eternally grateful to every person who helps me share the light of astrology with others.

That’s all for now. Sending you peace and confidence for your journey through August.

xo

Jules