Monday, Aug. 17th:

Monday, the Moon remains in protective, introverted Cancer. It will journey there until 1:38am EDT. With this Moon placement, we are more sensitive to what people say and therefore our feelings are more easily hurt -- so be kind to yourself and others. Self-Care is key for the next few hours, if you are awake at that time ;-)

Emotional safety is important to us as well; we like connecting to the familiar and we enjoy nurturing ourselves and others -- home and family call to us, for instance. Make sure though, that your glass is filled before letting others drink from it, otherwise you might start to feel drained and resentful.

Monday very early morning, a harmonious Mercury/Mars aspect becomes exact at 1:29am EDT. We started to feel this aspect from last week, Friday evening (Aug. 14th) on; it will be strong until this Tuesday evening. This aspect helps us clarify our goals. We act from our courageous, passionate thinking, and a place of joy; we love to be generous, and a playful attitude is also supported.

We are quick, perceptive and brave; interestingly, one of the things we easily perceive is the weaknesses of others. Our minds are more optimistic, so it’s important that we stay realistic. We are expressive; we have lively conversations in which we speak our truth without compromise and yet without coming across as too blunt or offensive — on the other hand, our passion might mean we come across as rather impatient.

We seem to “download” great insights (and make superb decisions) at the very last minute — and the good news is, we can easily turn those insights into workable projects.

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or any personal planets) in 21-27 degrees of Leo, Aries, Sagittarius? If so, you may feel more blessed by this aspect. This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Gemini, Virgo or Aries (Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo; Mars rules Aries)

Monday at 1:38am EDT, the Moon moves into fun and attention-loving Leo, where it will journey until Wednesday early morning. We have a chance to appreciate ourselves and our lives -- and to connect to the heart. Hand out as many compliments as possible, they will be deeply appreciated :-)

Fun, games and romance are a big part of this energy. You might also enjoy spending time with little ones. What are you most grateful for today? What would be heaps of fun? What would be so much fun, you squeak just thinking about it? This Moon placement starts the build up towards the New Moon (exact Tuesday late evening).

Monday late morning, a Sun/Mercury alignment in a little over 24 degrees of Leo becomes exact at 11:07am EDT. We started to feel this aspect build from last week, Friday evening (Aug. 14th) on, it will remain strong until this Thursday evening. When the Sun and Mercury come together, we are especially sharp, communicative, and open. This aspect indicates a confident mind and an analytical approach to life. Intelligence and communication abilities are strong at this time; however, we may not listen as well as the other speaks -- we might be too busy thinking about what to say next.

In general, we have a strong need to take an active role in communications -- it is very hard for us to passively listen and absorb information right now. What we say or write now has impact, so as best as you can, choose your words wisely. If people hung on your every word, what would you say then? What would you hold back from saying?

We may be particularly busy/scattered during this time; it may not always be of service to us to take on too much: Choose wisely. Remember that Mercury is still retrograde: Communicate from intuition and make sure that you hear everything that is being said. It could also be that an issue from July 12th is coming up again and needs to be re-addressed…

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 21-27 degrees of Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio, or Taurus? Or do you have an Ascendant or Sun-sign in Leo, Gemini or Virgo? If so, you will feel...

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