August 2020: The First Harvest
Happy festival of the first harvest, witches! This pagan holiday, known popularly as Lammas / Lughnasadh is celebrated around August 1 (or when the Sun hits 15 Leo). The peak of peak summer, when the earth offers its full bloom bounty, and the people of the land rejoice. The Celtic festival of Lughnasadh was a commemoration of the Sun God, Lugh, leader of the Fey people, the Danaan. Lugh is the bringer of light and protector of light. We feel the full power of the Sun in Leo season like no other time. Life springs forth under the warmth and light, and things quickly come to fruition. Modern witches still celebrate the glory of the Sun at this time as one of the eight days of power.
The Wiccan Wheel of the Year is based on Celtic pagan festivals and rites, but these days were recognized and observed by many cultures. In some places, and within some families, these practices never fell out of observance. They were adapted or conducted in secret, despite repression from the Christian church and colonial forces. Over the past 50 years, as human consciousness evolves, and we seek to heal our wounds with the earth and the divine feminine, pagan spirituality has seen a great revival and resurgence. Many people feel called to attune to the cycles of nature, venerate spirits, and deepen their connection with the more-than-human-world. We change the future by beginning today, and, of course, teaching our children better and different ways of being. If you would like to celebrate and share Lughnasadh with little ones in your life, please check out Pagan Baby: The First Harvest.
August is an action packed month that pulls no punches. We’re in bold and beautiful Leo season, and things are hot. We open with Mercury in Cancer in an opposition with Pluto, on August 1, and Saturn in Capricorn on August 3. This energy will have us speaking some hard truths and facing some looming figures that’ve been in the shadows since early June. We’ve been in a protracted period of review since early April, with the Venus and Mercury retrograde energy, but now we begin a new chapter.
The Sun in Leo makes an electrifying square to Uranus in Taurus on August 2, pushing us in a direction we may previously not have considered possible. The inspiration for this great awakening is seeded at the Aquarius Full Moon on August 3. With the Sun in a trine to Mars in Aries, this lunation is all about how we conceptualize our relationship to fire (purpose) and matter (life). We’re inspired to change the way we live in the material realm with love leading the way. The opposition between Saturn and Mercury brings our awareness into the difficulty we’re facing, but the Moon’s trine with Venus in Gemini indicates creative solutions are available if we’re open to doing things a little differently.
Mars rolls forward as retrograde Jupiter swings backwards and they meet in a square on Tuesday, August 4, spurring us to action in excellent ways. You’ll feel called to take action on projects Jupiter has been percolating in Capricorn, and inspired to expand boldly into your Aries domain. This is a day of great physical restlessness so find a channel for the passion moving through you or it may seek an unproductive outlet. Completing a challenge will feel especially satisfying but be careful not to become overly ambitious.
Mercury finally abandons the wet caves of Cancer for the dry tundra of Leo on August 4, adding enthusiasm and some mental fuel to our communication and thoughts. We begin to shift from what we personally learned during Mercury retrograde, June 18-July 12, to how we can share that message with the world. Leo is the bravehearted lion who shows up courageously for their pride and isn’t afraid to bear some teeth. We’re moving between the personal and public all the time, and this dialectic dance soars to its greatest heights during Leo season. Leo is known for being image conscious because they have an authentic desire to be seen for who they truly understand themselves to be. This question of authenticity is crucial with Uranus in Taurus squaring all planets moving through Leo. Mercury heading towards this encounter will bring up issues of how you project yourself into the world during the first half of the month.
Venus conjoins the lunar North Node at 28 Gemini on August 5, giving us a hope and possibility for what we’re growing towards over the next 18 months. The North Node entered Gemini on May 5, and will slowly make a retrograde journey till January 18, 2022. This is the eclipse axis where the lights will be obscured every 6 months. Rapid growth and change is assured for all Gemini and Sagittarius sun, moon, and rising folks. What we’re leaving behind was highlighted at the Sagittarius Full Moon lunar eclipse on June 5. What we’re growing into has not fully been declared, but the Venus retrograde, May 13-June 25, gave us plenty to consider. The joining with the North Node at the end of Venus’ passage through Gemini is the official merging of these two transits. The deep journey towards what inhibits life and breath, and the public grappling with social justice issues are interrelated. Notice the insight that comes through on the first Wednesday, Mercury’s day, of the month. This is the final note of a four month process that concludes when Venus enters Cancer of August 7.
The second week begins with a manic Monday as Mercury squares Uranus on August 10. This transit can be as inspirational as it is electrifying, and chances are you’ll feel it in your nervous system. We’ve all been living in a state of hyper-vigilance from the stress of the pandemic and the racial justice crisis, so remember to take deep breaths into your diaphragm and ground into Gaia if you start to feel jittery.
Mars squares Pluto on Thursday, August 13, and you’ll feel compelled to take forceful action. These are two power players in their own right, working with intense cardinal energy, so restraint is advised and considering collateral damage necessary before rushing forward. Uranus stations retrograde on Saturday, August 15, at 10 Taurus. This has been a hot spot for Uranus, and those with points and planets in fixed signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo) within three degrees will be feeling a challenge for authenticity and breakthrough. The week closes out with a bright trine between the Sun and Mars on Sunday, August 16, giving us both reason to shine and the power to light up the sky.
The third week of the month provides a mental shift as Mercury trines Mars and makes its superior conjunction to the Sun on Monday, August 17. Mercury in the heart of the Sun with a boost from Mars will bring something crucial to our attention so that we can move forward with purpose and determination. We’re called to think about the skill in which we make our offerings to the world, and consider any refinement necessary to become an open hearted warrior for peace.
This tremendous inception point is seeded at the Leo New Moon on Tuesday, August 18. This fiery moon brings together the wisdom of our hearts and the courage of our souls. Enjoy this last Leo lunation free of Saturn’s heaviness once it enters Aquarius in December. The Lord of Karma coming to town will bring the party down and remind us of responsibility, so live it up now. This dark moon offers a moment of pause and reflection at the end of Leo season. How have you been called to show up in the world over the last month? Summer is a time of growth and our heart is a muscle the size of a fist. Pour your love into this moon and it will continue to give back for the rest of the year.
Mercury enters Virgo, it’s earthy home and place of exaltation on Wednesday, August 19, and the Sun joins on Saturday, August 22. Virgo season begins the final phase of summer. The sign of disbursement, analytics, tallying up, and making adjustments. Virgo is forever seeking improvement and enjoys wrapping things up with a nice bow. A natural healer and diligent archivist, Virgo invites us to appreciate all that has come forth over the last two months. We’re encouraged to make good use of the resources available to us. Mercury’s presence supports us in mentally preparing ourselves for a new season and the initiation into the lunar half of the year at the Autumn Equinox on September 22.
The final week of the month begins on a bit of a bumpy note with Mars in a square with Saturn on Monday, August 24. Saturn is the known limits of things and Mars the force of our willpower that wants to push through. If you’re encountering a painful situation or at an impasse with negotiations, it might be time to pivot rather than continue to struggle. With the Sun and Mercury in brilliant Virgo, try to rearrange the pieces to create a better configuration.
If Monday confronts you with the problem, Tuesday will offer the solution. The trine between Mercury and Uranus on Tuesday, August 25, has you thinking outside the box and moving in unexpected directions. At the same time, the opposition between Venus and Jupiter will support you in staying open and not closing down. This energy adds some sweetness to what has been feeling tough, and encourages you to enjoy yourself in whatever ways are available. The trine between Venus and Neptune on August 27, further supports you in being good to yourself and dreaming up new ways of experiencing luxury that don’t involve uplifting a system based on exploitation. Self care is a radical act for oppressed peoples working to overthrow an unjust system. As black lesbian feminist poet Audre Lorde wrote, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
The conclusion of August is just as profound as the beginning. Venus opposes Pluto while Mercury makes an opposition to Neptune on Sunday, August 30. The riches you seek may be right before you. Make Sinéad O'Connor’s song, I do not want what I have not got, your anthem, and take a moment to appreciate yourself for making it through this Summer so far.