Turn Up The Lights

Wednesday, August 12, 17:37 UTC, 20°02’ Leo

Sabian Symbol: chickens intoxicated

The key phrase for the New lunar phase is (usually) “set a new intention for the month” - nothing drastic, just a good habit you think you can successfully establish in one month’s time.

However.

This is also a solar eclipse, in a degree with a cautionary-sounding Sabian Symbol, followed immediately by another one of those long void of course Moons (17:37 UTC Wednesday the 12th, until 10:18 UTC on Thursday the 13th). I’m definitely going to sit this one out, myself.

And then what’s really irritating is that after the Moon enters Virgo (10:18 UTC on Thursday, August 13th), we have a mere 7 hours and 8 minutes before the Moon goes void again (Thursday, August 13th, 17:24 UTC) - and remains void until Saturday, August 15, 14:20 UTC. That’s 44 hours, 56 minutes.

🖕🏻🤬

So yeah, this sucks. Majorly. Tend to routine tasks, and don’t be surprised by any snafus and disruptions; ground and center, hydrate, and take your vitamins.

Monday, August 3 - Friday, September 18, 2026

Sabian Symbol: a clear mountain stream

Caveat: this may not have much of a personal impact on you unless

Chiron is prominent in your birth chart (closely in aspect to your Sun, Moon, &/or an angle)

Transiting Chiron is making a major aspect (conjunction, sextile, square, trine, opposition) to your Sun, Moon, &/or an angle

I think I know where this one will eventually go: as soon as I started to think about this retrograde station, with an eye to writing this post, my brain (both sides!) screamed out, “Taylor Farms!” 🤢

In case you don’t live in the US, or do live in the US but haven’t been paying attention - not for the first time, this particular agribusiness is in trouble for (1) selling tainted produce; (2) inhumane treatment of its workers (they aren’t allowed bathroom breaks, which is where the “taint” begins); (3) inadequate and filthy “processing” operations; and (4) hefty political donations to the current administration to keep things the way they are. (Because Cosmos forbid we spend corporate profits on health/safety, instead of on the latest yachts.)

(I’m not sure we’ll make any progress on the issue until April 14, 2027, when Chiron returns to Taurus for just over six years. It’s going to backtrack into Aries for one last time on September 18; it stations direct on January 6, 2027, at 26°15’ Aries.)

Chiron won’t make any major aspects to the slower-moving planets during this time. It’s up to us to determine how to navigate, depending on what (if anything) transiting Chiron is up to in our birth charts.

Bumping into the Sun, the Moon, &/or an angle - you have a major role to play

Bumping into Mercury, Venus, Mars, &/or a Lady Asteroid (Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta) - you can make a personal impact, or for some of us transiting Chiron makes the personal impact

Thursday, August 6 - Saturday, August 15, 2026

(Please note that although Venus doesn’t officially enter her pre-retrograde shadow until Monday, August 31, she has her “greatest eastern elongation” on Saturday, August 15; that event is part of the whole retrograde process.)

This stretch of time is, what, nine days? It will have its moments, of course, but I think on the whole it’s just going to be pleasant. And we all can use a little “pleasant,” right? Especially since Venus will be doing her retrograde thing for the rest of 2026. (She may not even get any forward traction until January 3, 2027, when she has her greatest western elongation.)