(4 August 2024) Mars is again prominent this week as it squares both Mercury and Venus and approaches its August 14 conjunction with Jupiter. While last week’s Mars alignment with Ketu (South Lunar Node) is now weakening, Mars will nonetheless remain quite strong and could translate into a state of uneasiness and agitation as its negative attributes are more likely to manifest through the tense square aspect. Although the 90-degree square aspect is far from exact this week, the transit of the Moon through sidereal Leo from Monday to Wednesday will highlight the malefic Mars influence.
The exact Mars-Moon square occurs on Tuesday afternoon (EDT) and could highlight a more intense moment of conflict. This harsh influence could also spill over into financial and political matters. All this Mars energy this week suggests that actions will speak louder than words, for better or worse. This emphasis on taking action could be positively harnessed for matters that now demand resolution rather than reflection or contemplation.
Another transit of note this week is that Mercury turns retrograde shortly after midnight (EDT) on Monday. The retrograde cycle of Mercury in the sky is often seen in a negative light as technology, communication and transportation become more vulnerable to breakdown and interruption. While Mercury retrograde sometimes gets over-hyped as a source of problems, the time around its retrograde and direct stations can be more difficult, especially when it is in close alignment with malefics such as Mars and Saturn. That is the case this week as Mercury will turn retrograde while it is subject to the square aspect of Mars. But since the square isn’t that close — almost 7 degrees from exact — we should be careful not to exaggerate its damaging effects. Nonetheless, this is not a great time for scheduling meetings and events.
Retrograde Mercury will conjoin Venus on Wednesday and Thursday. This is typically a much better influence as reflexive rational thought (Mercury Rx) is modulated by the desire for social harmony (Venus). This combination of Mercury and Venus should create a better framework for most social interaction, although the Mars influence may not be completely negated. Hopefully, the Mars influence will merely inject a measure of active energy and vitality into otherwise smooth proceedings.
The midweek time frame may also get a boost from a 60-degree Sun-Jupiter alignment. The combination of the Sun and Jupiter tends to increase confidence which can be constructive for problem-solving and advancing new projects and ideas. Wednesday could be the best day for meetings and appointments of all types, and it could boost collective optimism in financial and political matters.
Looking ahead, the month of August is likely to continue the current state of unease as Jupiter approaches its square aspect with Saturn on August 19. Interestingly, the Jupiter-Saturn square will occur just a few days after the Mars-Jupiter conjunction. This will set up a major T-square alignment involving Venus (23 Leo), Mars (25 Taurus), Jupiter (23 Taurus) and Saturn (23 Aquarius). The influence of both Mars and Saturn here suggests that Jupiter’s normal bias towards wisdom and ‘right action’ may be undermined or subject to corruption. This alignment is likely to have significant financial implications as the stock market could decline further. It may also coincide with political scandals and system uncertainty as long-held assumptions become subject to change. Interestingly, this alignment will occur at the same time as the Democratic National Convention. (August 19-22)
