The lunar eclipse at 13°43′ Aquarius on August 5 (August 6 in the Eastern Hemisphere) is the last in the Aquarius-Leo series, which began in February 2008. This eclipse promises to bring resolution to matters related to the areas in our charts these eclipses have activated, and one way or another, pleasant or not, this is the final hurrah.

The main feature in this chart is the Full Moon, with the Sun in Leo and the Moon in Aquarius. The only aspect to the luminaries is a benign waning aspect from Mars in Gemini. Because the luminaries are not tied in to the rest of the eclipse chart in a major way, all of the energy of the eclipse is contained and tightly focused for maximum effect. My sense is if either the Sun or Moon conjoins a planet or angle in your chart, you will know it.

Moving outward from the Sun, we find Mercury happily in analytical Virgo, one of the two signs he rules, conjunct Pallas. This combination offers clarity and precision. Pallas is the quintessential organizer, and Virgo is a very comfortable place for this cerebral asteroid. If you need help tackling some long overdue project requiring patience and clarity of thought, these two are there to help, since Virgo is happiest when being of service to others.

Venus in Cancer is recovering from her opposition to Pluto in Capricorn, and a sextile from the Mercury-Pallas conjunction is supporting that recovery. The first thing that popped into my head was that this is a perfect time to get down and seriously reorganize closets and junk drawers! Digging into paperwork related to your home and family also is favored.

The opposition from Venus to Pluto could have pried loose old memories from childhood that need to be released to the higher good. Plus, we are all still reeling from the two eclipses in Cancer and Capricorn and could use the nurturance offered by Venus in Cancer right now.

A note of frustration is brought to the table by Mars in a waxing square to Saturn in Virgo. The upside is that Mars is moves quickly, and this will not be a long-lasting event. The downside is that disagreements could quickly degenerate into slanging matches with the square in mutable Gemini and Virgo, both of whom prefer words as weapons.

Ceres has just found her way into Libra and is exactly square Pluto in Capricorn. Since Ceres is the goddess who forced Pluto to deal with her as an equal, this is an interesting exchange and a prelude to what we can anticipate when Saturn enters Libra in late October. Ceres in Libra is focused on helping us develop a cooperative attitude and a willingness to share in an equitable manner, while Pluto in Capricorn is more interested in the bottom line. I definitely get a sense we will be seeing power struggles along those lines emerging within the collective over the next month or so.

This lunation marks the gradual end of the influence of the stellium of Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter in Aquarius and the reemergence of the next Saturn-Uranus opposition, which will take place on September 15 at 24° Virgo-Pisces. As Jupiter pulls away from Neptune, I am inclined to believe we will start waking up and realizing the extent to which we were basing our decisions on wishful thinking rather than hard facts. Naturally, this will be a painful period for many as reasons returns and the need to make serious adjustments in priorities emerges.

As for Saturn and Uranus, Mars in Gemini will square both of those between now and the New Moon in Leo on August 20. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take note of what issues are front and center during this time.

The Sabian symbols for this lunation offer hope for an opportunity to make a leap forward now. The symbol for the Sun at 14 Leo is, “a human soul seeking opportunities for outward manifestation,” with the keyword INGENUOUSNESS. For the Moon at 14 Aquarius, the symbol is “a train entering a tunnel,” with the keyword COURTESY. Staying present and focusing on behaving with kindness and consideration toward others as well as ourselves appears to be the best option.

We need to take time to live consciously more than ever now and to avoid acrimonious exchanges where there are no winners. Ralfee Finn offers this advice, and I concur: The antidote is simple – refuse to engage in any mean-spirited, harsh, or brutal behavior. Period. But applying this remedy will take a deep commitment to conscious living.

posted by Neith . . .

**Please read Pat’s weekly forecast for this week, August 3, for her thoughts this week’s lunar eclipse.

Image:  I felt this dramatic photo suited this Full Moon on the Leo-Aquarius axis.