August 2023 Newsletter
There is a lot happening astrologically at the moment and I have chosen to focus on the nodal shift and the peak moment in the Venus retrograde cycle on August 13.
Blessings
Christine Rothwell
🙏🏼
Email: christinerothwell@outlook.com
Website: www.christine-rothwell.com
Contents
August begins with Venus, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto retrograde and Mercury joining them on August 24 and Uranus on August 29.
Note: All the dates below are for Australian Eastern Time.
RETROGRADE PLANETS
By the end of August, 6 of the 10 major planets plus Chiron will be retrograde. This is quite significant as the Sun and Moon can never appear to move retrograde and just leaves Mars and Jupiter out of the retrograde pack, but Jupiter will be slowing down to join them around September 5.
This heavy retrograde energy may slow things down, but it offers us a gift and a challenge: the opportunity to look at things from a new perspective and develop a more objective viewpoint. It suggests a time of reflection on the past, and a need to refocus before we move forward, personally and collectively.
NODAL SHIFT TO THE ARIES LIBRA POLARITY
The Nodal Cycle is an 18.6 year cycle so the nodes spend about 18 months in each sign as they move backwards – or retrograde – through the zodiac. Since January 2022 they had been travelling through the Taurus Scorpio polarity but on July 18 the North Node moved into Aries – and the South Node into Libra - and will remain in these signs until January 2025.
It is important to note that we are dealing with a polarity or axis and the North Node is always exactly opposite the South Node. The nodal axis speaks of the potential integration of the Solar and Lunar principles and challenges us to work with the polarity in terms of the signs & houses it activates and bring them into relationship.
The sign of the transiting North Node and the house it is transiting in the personal horoscope suggests how [sign of Aries]s and where [house]we are called to grow and become more conscious; where we may be challenged to open ourselves to new experiences. The North Node in Aries is challenging us to claim our Inner Warrior, stand up for ourselves and become more assertive, especially if we have been living more from the Libran polarity and realize that we have given our power away in some relationship[s ] or life situations.
The Aries North Node may also be stimulating a desire for more freedom and adventure. The positive Aries is courageous, active, dynamic and willing to step into the unknown, asking us to be true to the Self [or Higher self]. Many of you may be feeling this now, especially in the house/s where Aries is located in your horoscope.
The sign of the transiting South Node and the house it is transiting in the personal horoscope suggests how and where we may be called to understand and release old patterns, let go the past release our creativity and gifts: this will be the house/s where Libra is found in your horoscope.
If we have fallen into the Libran shadow, we may become aware that we have made too many compromises and sacrifices for the sake of peace and harmony. Libra tends to be the peace maker and diplomat and can be quite assertive on behalf of other people, but may find it more challenging to do this for the Self. A positive integration of this axis would be to draw on these skills with diplomacy to become more assertive for our personal needs. The Aries Libra axis challenges us to find balance between our needs and the needs of others.
VENUS Cazimi …TIME TO THINK WITH OUR HEART AUGUST 13 at 20 Leo.
[ Note: more information on the retrograde cycle of Venus is in my July Newsletter]
Venus entered the retrograde loop on June 20 and began Her retrograde phase just over a month later on July 23 when She reached 28 Leo. She will conjunct the Sun on August 13 – in the middle of Her retrograde phase – heralding the beginning of a new Synodic Cycle of Venus.
The 24 hours either side of the exact conjunction – around 9.15pm on August 13 AEST - is a time referred to as Venus cazimi, the time when Venus is in the heart of the Sun. It is considered a very auspicious time in traditional astrology and is said to indicate the potential for purification and healing. It may mark the beginning of a process of recovery as well as a moment of great empowerment. The imagery is evocative of a New Moon where something can be born out of the darkness of the past cycle.
Venus cazimi is also a very powerful time for meditation and inner work where we are called to listen to the whisperings of our heart and to re-align our core values. Venus, the Goddess of Love, is inviting us to think with our hearts as well as our heads. We could say that the Divine Feminine / Great Goddess is challenging us to consciously re-examine our values and the relationships from a feminine or soul centered perspective. The conjunction evokes the imagery of the Hieros Gamos - or Sacred Marriage of the Divine Feminine and Masculine principles - through the union of the masculine solar principle and the Venusian feminine [Venus] principle. How can we achieve greater balance and harmony between these tow parts of our self?
The Inferior Conjunction / Venus cazimi is taking place at 20 Leo. You may like to reflect on:
The conjunction is also making several powerful aspects that suggest the need for change and perhaps even sacrifice. with Uranus and Jupiter both square to the Venus and the Sun and Black Moon Lilith conjunct the them. The Black Moon may be asking us to let go an attachment of some kind - a relationship, belief, habit etc - that no longer serves our soul growth. Beware acting impulsively and be prepared to sit with any insights until Venus reappears as the Morning Star, around August 20, or perhaps even September 4 when She stations direct.
Blessings
Christine Rothwell
🙏🏼
Email: christinerothwell@outlook.com
Website: www.christine-rothwell.com
Contents
- Brief Update on Retrograde Planets
- Nodal Shift to the Aries Libra Polarity
- Venus Cazimi / Inferior Conjunction
- 2023 Astrology Classes & Consultations
August begins with Venus, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto retrograde and Mercury joining them on August 24 and Uranus on August 29.
Note: All the dates below are for Australian Eastern Time.
- August 2; Full Moon at 9 Aquarius
- August 13: Venus conjunct the Sun / Venus Cazimi
- August 15: New Moon at 23 Leo
- August 23: Sun to Virgo
- August 24: Mercury stations retrograde
- August 27: Mars to Libra
- August 29 Uranus stations retrograde
RETROGRADE PLANETS
By the end of August, 6 of the 10 major planets plus Chiron will be retrograde. This is quite significant as the Sun and Moon can never appear to move retrograde and just leaves Mars and Jupiter out of the retrograde pack, but Jupiter will be slowing down to join them around September 5.
This heavy retrograde energy may slow things down, but it offers us a gift and a challenge: the opportunity to look at things from a new perspective and develop a more objective viewpoint. It suggests a time of reflection on the past, and a need to refocus before we move forward, personally and collectively.
NODAL SHIFT TO THE ARIES LIBRA POLARITY
The Nodal Cycle is an 18.6 year cycle so the nodes spend about 18 months in each sign as they move backwards – or retrograde – through the zodiac. Since January 2022 they had been travelling through the Taurus Scorpio polarity but on July 18 the North Node moved into Aries – and the South Node into Libra - and will remain in these signs until January 2025.
It is important to note that we are dealing with a polarity or axis and the North Node is always exactly opposite the South Node. The nodal axis speaks of the potential integration of the Solar and Lunar principles and challenges us to work with the polarity in terms of the signs & houses it activates and bring them into relationship.
The sign of the transiting North Node and the house it is transiting in the personal horoscope suggests how [sign of Aries]s and where [house]we are called to grow and become more conscious; where we may be challenged to open ourselves to new experiences. The North Node in Aries is challenging us to claim our Inner Warrior, stand up for ourselves and become more assertive, especially if we have been living more from the Libran polarity and realize that we have given our power away in some relationship[s ] or life situations.
The Aries North Node may also be stimulating a desire for more freedom and adventure. The positive Aries is courageous, active, dynamic and willing to step into the unknown, asking us to be true to the Self [or Higher self]. Many of you may be feeling this now, especially in the house/s where Aries is located in your horoscope.
The sign of the transiting South Node and the house it is transiting in the personal horoscope suggests how and where we may be called to understand and release old patterns, let go the past release our creativity and gifts: this will be the house/s where Libra is found in your horoscope.
If we have fallen into the Libran shadow, we may become aware that we have made too many compromises and sacrifices for the sake of peace and harmony. Libra tends to be the peace maker and diplomat and can be quite assertive on behalf of other people, but may find it more challenging to do this for the Self. A positive integration of this axis would be to draw on these skills with diplomacy to become more assertive for our personal needs. The Aries Libra axis challenges us to find balance between our needs and the needs of others.
VENUS Cazimi …TIME TO THINK WITH OUR HEART AUGUST 13 at 20 Leo.
[ Note: more information on the retrograde cycle of Venus is in my July Newsletter]
Venus entered the retrograde loop on June 20 and began Her retrograde phase just over a month later on July 23 when She reached 28 Leo. She will conjunct the Sun on August 13 – in the middle of Her retrograde phase – heralding the beginning of a new Synodic Cycle of Venus.
The 24 hours either side of the exact conjunction – around 9.15pm on August 13 AEST - is a time referred to as Venus cazimi, the time when Venus is in the heart of the Sun. It is considered a very auspicious time in traditional astrology and is said to indicate the potential for purification and healing. It may mark the beginning of a process of recovery as well as a moment of great empowerment. The imagery is evocative of a New Moon where something can be born out of the darkness of the past cycle.
Venus cazimi is also a very powerful time for meditation and inner work where we are called to listen to the whisperings of our heart and to re-align our core values. Venus, the Goddess of Love, is inviting us to think with our hearts as well as our heads. We could say that the Divine Feminine / Great Goddess is challenging us to consciously re-examine our values and the relationships from a feminine or soul centered perspective. The conjunction evokes the imagery of the Hieros Gamos - or Sacred Marriage of the Divine Feminine and Masculine principles - through the union of the masculine solar principle and the Venusian feminine [Venus] principle. How can we achieve greater balance and harmony between these tow parts of our self?
The Inferior Conjunction / Venus cazimi is taking place at 20 Leo. You may like to reflect on:
- where this is in your chart
- any planets of points around 20 degrees of fixed signs: Leo, Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio.
The conjunction is also making several powerful aspects that suggest the need for change and perhaps even sacrifice. with Uranus and Jupiter both square to the Venus and the Sun and Black Moon Lilith conjunct the them. The Black Moon may be asking us to let go an attachment of some kind - a relationship, belief, habit etc - that no longer serves our soul growth. Beware acting impulsively and be prepared to sit with any insights until Venus reappears as the Morning Star, around August 20, or perhaps even September 4 when She stations direct.
