Sudden upheavals by Uranus & Pluto sweep away the old

First, it's time to clean out the basement and pull up the weeds in your garden. Sun, Moon and Venus are lined up in Virgo for a practical but very merry-go-round New Moon on Sunday, August 28th, at 8:04 p.m., PDT. They'll throw a great party, but it'll be a lot of work. Why? Transformation is on the menu--this Virgo New Moon is dancing in exact harmony with Pluto so changes go down easy and reforms are easier to swallow.

Astrology doesn't predict the weather, but it does set the stage. Pluto is in a long lasting tense square-off with Uranus, the god of lightening. Key words here are revolution and reform, usually through drastic upheavals. This has been in effect since Uranus entered Aries, March, 2011, and will culminate around June 24th, 2012. Storm surges and lightening strikes have the effect Uranus, the Great Awakener, just loves.

Pluto has been in Capricorn since since November 27, 2008. Capricorn's domain is political and economic power structures. The last time we had this planet of reform in the fair-minded leadership sign of Capricorn was 1762-1777. In 1776 Pluto rang a politically powerful bell. Now the heavens have added hot-blooded Uranus to the mix, and we're set for "ready, fire, aim!"

Have you ever wanted to move or remodel your home so that it's brighter, bigger, filled with more conveniences? But you really didn't want the mess, the noise and expense, and the hassel of moving your stuff? Just to help you out, Pluto has picked a fight with Uranus, and here comes the irritable spouse, the "natural" disaster, the job change--the things you don't really want but actually do need. Suddenly, you're in motion. Without sweeping away the old, the new has no space to grow.

Virgo serves up a dish of perfection

Virgo's feet, always on the ground and carrying buckets of clean-up-your-act tools, are the coming attractions this week.

Venus skips from Leo to Virgo at 3:11 p.m., PDT today. Venus has to work to feel at home in Virgo--the goddess doesn't do housework. But Venus adds some enjoyment to Virgo--an exotic spice added to the whole grain organic rice, scented candles to the Martha Stewart table, silk added to the comforts of just cleaned and pressed sheets.

But for any real fun, Venus in Virgo must be helped out of her shy shell. Loneliness is her lot unless she breaks through her insistance on orderliness--just a cover for insecurity anyway.

Enter Mars in Cancer the crab, stage left. He's been waiting for his wholesome Venus beauty to come down to earth. More than anyone, he can understand her hiding-in-a-shell behavior. He'll quietly draw her a bath while she finishes the how-to book on sensual massage. A very compatible pair. They hold each other like earth holds water. Like the conch shell contains the ocean.

The Sun follows Venus into Virgo on Tuesday at 4:21 a.m. Virgos carry an underlying "knowing" of the perfection inherent in all life. That's why they're always striving for the best, always trying harder.

Mercury has finally finished re-modeling the cave, flies direct to join the Moon in Leo, and gets messages back on track at 2:55 p.m. on Friday. We're cleaned up, re-booted, and ready for new beginnings.

Here comes that lovin' feeling

Mark your calendars. Tuesday, August 16th, holds the promise of many well-received love notes, sweet words of encouragement, and messages about creative new start-ups that are destined to succeed.

Last week's Aquarius/Leo Full Moon stirred up lots of creative fires. I hope you took notes, because this Tuesday is the pop quiz! Why?

We have a harmonious trio of lions and lioness singing us down the yellow brick road to find a new heart-of-the-matter. Sun, Venus and Mercury are exactly in sync in Leo, the sign of child-like wonder and creativity: Solar Power+Love & Art+Winged Messages=the bee hive is buzzing.

What conversations opened-up last week for you? Use this Tuesday's sharp-minded thinking to get your point across, but stay receptive--listen as well as talk. Venus is likely to add something beautiful, and of course she brings us the money to buy it. Then an Aries Moon fires up the end of the day Tuesday, boosting your pioneer spirit.

The warrior Mars is now in Cancer, cooling his heels. And Mercury is still retrograde, so all the activity is really an inside job.

The week ends with the Moon in sensual Taurus getting intensely intimate, and happily so, with powerful Pluto. Feelings deepen. Relationships are enriched by the naked truth--and a Do Not Disturb.

May the Force of this Full Moon be with you

Lightening bolts out of the blue are the speciality of Uranus, who has added Aries fireball tips to his usual Wake-Up! calls. The major call for change that we've recently been experiencing is inflamed by the current tension between Uranus and Pluto, the underworld kingpin of power. Deeply embedded urges for freedom from the past rise in a volcanic surge within us. This rocketing energy for change is sudden and unexpected--two things we'd rather not experience while we're trying to put our lives in order.

Order is the job of Saturn, the ol' devil of structure and restrictions, who is now in fair-minded Libra. This Saturday, August 13th at 11:59 a.m., PDT, the Aquarius Full Moon makes a harmonic (harmony is Libra's favorite word) trine to Saturn, in the house of friendships, partnerships and marriage. Anything out of balance will want to right itself, for this is truly a time for equilibrium (No wait, Libra changed her mind, equilibrium is her favorite word). We can use this quiet to decide. Does an intoxicated dance of power tripping really serve us?

Relief via the marriage of Sun and Venus in generous Leo, peaking on the hour of the Full Moon, offers us a feast of happiness and joy. Raise your expectations, and hunt down a Miracle. Eat your fill, then share it with your tribe. The more you give away, the more there is for you--miraculously.