Inner Space for August 2013

by Eric Francis

The Leo New Moon is Tuesday, August 6 at 5:50pm. This event is synchronous with the midsummer festival Lunesa, also known as First Harvest or Second Planting. The New Moon is conjunct the asteroid Vesta, which is about hearth, home, personal boundaries and sense of mission. The Aquarius Full Moon is Tuesday, August 20. The Full Moon is conjunct the centaur Nessus and opposite the asteroid Ceres. This is a study in mother-daughter relationships, control dramas, and resolving emotional codependency. This event could come with some message to mom that in some form states, "It's my life." There may seem to be a question about what to do with a legacy on this theme from the past. Here's the question to ask: "For how many generations has this gone on?"

Aries (March 20-April 19)

What do you offer in your sexual relationships and what do you get back? There may seem to be a situation wherein you do all the giving, and where someone else benefits. Have you found yourself in this situation before? You seem to be in the role of sexual healer. That's someone who engages in erotic experiences primarily for the benefit of others. Your role is to hold space for them, which is a high-consciousness experience. At the same time there's part of you that craves the experiences you want—yet you will learn more and deepen your relationships by offering rare experiences to others, or to someone in particular. Reach for a deep understanding of what your partner or someone you care about needs and offer that to them as a conscious act of generosity and healing.

Taurus (April 19-May 20)

When a house is designed with the kitchen at the center, it has a point of focus and feels more like home. This is an old tradition from when the hearth had to be at the center of a structure. The hearth provided warmth, energy for cooking, a gathering point, and was a kind of utilitarian spiritual center of the home (a lot more interesting than most stoves). There is some experience that may benefit from using this as a metaphor. Something, someone or some experience needs to be kept at the center of your life, and everything else organized around it. This is likely to involve your physical home, who is welcome there, and whether they feel comfortable—beginning with you. The message of the stars this month is to fully occupy your space and keep your home fires burning bright.

Gemini (May 20-June 21)

You have been through an interesting tour of your feelings about yourself. You seem to have considered this from every possible point of view, and I think that's a beautiful (and necessary) thing for a conscious person. You're now at the point where it would be good to ask yourself what you've learned, because you will need to make decisions based on that mix of information and experience. You may encounter something that seems like a test of your self-worth. But once you get there, remember all that you've learned so recently. Remember that confidence comes from the heart and not the head; don't try to convince yourself of anything—be courageous and look whoever in the eye and know that you can do not just what you need to do, but what you want to do.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Be conscious of when you're trying to enhance how you feel about yourself by altering externals—your appearance, for example, or making sure that people know your accomplishments. There's a place and time for those things, but at the moment, your astrology is about orienting from the inside out. Consider this: If you emphasize your appearance in some way, that's taking consciousness from your interior reality. Experiment with this to see it in action. You're not valued by others because your appearance is so good, or so acceptable, or because your flaws are hidden. You are accepted because you are who you are, the more so the bolder you are about it. Consider that focus on externals, no matter how shiny, dulls something about your interior, while focus on your inner fire is how you can shine.

Leo (July 22-August 23)

You cannot be totally committed part of the time—such is a bit of wisdom from A Course in Miracles. Obviously you cannot do everything all of the time, but commitment is, above all, a state of mind. It's a relationship to existence. It's where the concepts “devotion to yourself,” “devotion to others,” and “devotion to a cause” merge into one idea—because they are the same idea. Your inner alignment is the focal point of your relationship to existence. Your astrology is describing you as centered in that relationship, and if you observe yourself and focus your attention there, you can answer many of your own questions about who you are, what you want to be doing and why. It's not even possible to pretend—knowing that will make your life much simpler.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Is there a secret that you're hiding from yourself? I don't mean something you're denying; I mean something you're concealing from your awareness. Rather than looking for that thing, I suggest you look for the motive you might have. For example, if you fully consider something, what decisions might that lead you to make? If you admit something to yourself, what would you have to say to others about it? There may be some tension between your inner reality and the outer effects if you allow that to come fully into your consciousness. I would propose that the result of allowing your inner reality to the surface would be a form of strength and power that you're not accustomed to, and that you might consider scary. But is it really? You will never know unless you allow it to happen.

Libra (September 22-October 23)

You still may not be fully in harmony with the extent to which you're perceived as a leader. I don't mean a boss, though that may be true. I mean someone in a position of moral authority, someone who is a reference point for right and wrong. As such, it's essential that you question yourself, and that those questions lead somewhat directly to useful information. It's clear that you're doubting something about yourself; indeed, it's likely that you're obsessed with your doubts. But that's not a direct path to knowledge—it seems more like a diversion. If something doesn't have an answer, it may not be a valid question. This one doubt may be covering your deeper faith in yourself. Set it aside for a few days and look at yourself from another point of view.

Scorpio (October 23-November 22)

I suggest you make a list of every mistake you've made more than three times. Stick to the big ones—the ones involving your career, your family, your sense of purpose; mistakes involving authority figures, the government, and how you think of your place in society. My question for you is: can you spot any pattern that they all share? Is there some underlying energy, idea or belief that you're allowing to misguide you? Here's a more challenging question: what would you have to give up if you start making better decisions? Your chart says that you're being called to service in a big way. True, you might consider helping people match their shoes to their dress a form of service, but I would submit that may be better suited for your list of mistakes. You have a purpose, it is significant, and it's beautiful—all you need to do is get out of your own way.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 22)

There is an I Ching hexagram (number 41) called Decreasing. Really, it means concentrating. I think of the energy of this hexagram as being about cutting back on what is not necessary, trimming back your energy field and focusing on what is important—with a view toward the long run. That is what your charts are about now. Tidy up any fires that are burning out of control; keep your flame concentrated and contained. Use your heat and energy consciously. While you're at it, organize the kitchen, clean out one cupboard, scrub the teakettle, and toss out anything that doesn't belong in your refrigerator. Focus on doing what is necessary using less energy than you usually do, but using it more meaningfully. Your confidence will grow and in the process you will discover some unexpected form of success.

Capricorn (December 22-January 20)

There seem to be two parallel worlds in your relationships. One looks like passion and chaos, complete with mixed signals flying in all directions, bright light, dark shadows, passion and repulsion. In a parallel world there is focus, devotion, purpose and clarity. There is the honoring of what is vital and what is real. There is a conscious relationship to tradition, with everyone doing their part to uphold something that's older than everyone involved. I would propose that your life would be easier if you were to choose one of these worlds rather than trying to live in both at the same time. I can understand wanting elements of both, but not making up your mind is denying you either of them. Here is a clue: they have a lot in common; but in one, the passion is in a more accessible, available form.

Aquarius (January 20-February 19)

There are times when your calling is undeniable. If you're not one of those people who feels this every day, get ready to experience it over the next five or six weeks. That said, if you're unaccustomed to the idea of a calling, you may need to get used to the challenge involved. I know there's plenty of modern mythology around “do what you want and everything will work out,” and I am aware that some people report that happening. More people say something like: “Had I known what would be involved, I might not have attempted it, but in retrospect I'm very glad that I did.” That more or less sums up your moment. You are being guided, if not by ease, then by meaning; you are being invited not into the familiar, tried and true, but into the authentic unknown.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

If there's one pitfall to the otherwise brilliant astrology that's blessing you right now, it involves making the choice to send clear signals. You have both Neptune and Chiron in your sign; you can express yourself as either of them or as a blend of both. Neptune is dreamy and is not exactly the deacon of firm commitment. Chiron is on mission, focused and alert, but can come off as having rough edges or something to prove. Healthy Neptune serves to cultivate a vision. Healthy Chiron focuses on healing, which is then conveyed into creativity and a sense of commitment that you want to express in real ways. I suggest you borrow the best elements of both planets, which work beautifully together. Use Chiron to focus your vision. Use Neptune to help you dream a little—in truth so much is possible.

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