We are now in the dog days of summer. Have you ever wondered where that expression came from? It refers to Sirius, a bright star in the constellation Canis Major. This is why Sirius is also known as the Dog Star. In fact, Sirius is one of the brightest stars in sky.
In the later part of the summer, Sirius rises in the East just ahead of the Sun. Ancient people must have thought having two of the sky’s brightest objects rising together in the early morning signaled the start of summer’s hottest time.
The ancient Egyptians also equated the appearance of Sirius in the early morning sky with the flooding of the Nile. But with the destruction, the floods also brought new soil and fertility to the area. So the appearance of Sirius was not an unwelcome event.
There may be some tension in the air when Mercury and Mars form a conjunction mid-month that continues almost through the end of August. Fortunately, both planets are in Virgo, a sign that generally knows how to speak precisely and diplomatically. However, Virgo can be overly critical or a little too straightforward sometimes.
I am guessing that this aspect will be most felt in the classrooms, where many teachers and students are returning to a more normal school environment after having most of the Covid restrictions lifted. Learning how to listen to their teachers again and follow the rules may be challenging at first for some young students.
Fortunately Uranus will be in a nice 120-degree trine aspect to the conjunction of Mercury and Mars through most of August. And towards the end of the month, Pluto will lend its support too. That’s why I think the return to school may be a big adjustment for some, but a welcome adjustment for most.
One of the nicest aspects of the summer comes with the Full Moon on August 22. This is the second Aquarian Full Moon of the year (the first one was last month in July). Having two full moons in the same sign in one year is unusual. Sometimes we see this when there is a Blue Moon, although that is not the case this August. And the August Full Moon will be conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius. This reinforces my sentiment that we fully entered the Aquarian Age on December 20, 2020 when Jupiter and Saturn formed a conjunct aspect at 0 degrees of Aquarius.
The last week of the month may be a little tricky. Mercury will start to pull away from Mars in the last week and as this happens it will form an opposition with Neptune. This may create some cloudy thinking, forgetfulness, or sympathy with conspiracy theories. At the end of the month, Mercury pulls way ahead of Mars and moves into Libra. When that happens, Mars will be in opposition to Neptune. This aspect will continue into the first couple of weeks in September.
Mars in a hard aspect to Neptune is one of my least favorite aspects. The USA has this aspect in its natal chart. It is an aspect of exploitation and abuse, at its worst. But even at its best, this aspect can deplete one’s physical and mental energy. It is kind of like experiencing adrenal burnout on steroids. This aspect, along with five retrograde planets, could really slow us down. Make sure you get plenty of rest and good food around this time. Try to stay home over the Labor Day weekend and simply recharge yourself.