Although it’s the solar eclipse on August 21 that is making all the headlines, a more important planetary dynamic is the fact that three planets change direction in August: Uranus, Mercury and Saturn.

Planets of course don’t really change the direction of their orbit, but from our perspective here on earth sometimes the planets appear to move backwards which we call retrograde.  When they reverse course again to move forwards we call that direct.

  • On August 3rd Uranus, planet of radical change and independence, turns retrograde and for the first few weeks of the month we can expect changes and rapid turns of events, shifts in financial markets and political scenarios. If our own chart is affected by Uranus we could see surprising events occur in our own lives as well.
  • Mercury, ruling the mind and communication, turns retrograde on August 12th, and for the next three weeks you can expect some snafus in communication or technology as well as a tendency to look back into the past in order to correct or revise something that needs to be improved.
  • Saturn, planet of discipline and hard work – the Celestial Teacher – has been retrograde since April 6th and turns direct on August 25th.  Now is the time to reap the rewards of your hard work.

With all of these planets shifting the direction of our focus, as well as two eclipses (the Full Moon on August 7th is also an eclipse though it is less powerful than the Solar Eclipse) creating a tidal surge of transformation, this month of August offers a plenitude of opportunities for personal growth and letting go of old patterns that no longer serve us.

Like what you’re reading?  This article is an extract from Lynn’s monthly Planetary Illuminations report.  Sign up for free in the sidebar of her website. 

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