Will you offer problems or solutions? It is a simple query with powerful potential. As we look at the planets with all their potential for both problems and solutions, look into your own eyes in the mirror and ask which you will offer. At first glance you might see all the solutions you have to the problems and dramas of the world and others. If you are human, it may be a stretch to find the solutions to your own dramas. As the days and weeks roll by, you may notice that your thoughts often turn to problems. This intensifies as the months pass. That is why it is so important to start this exercise now. Take a deep breath, look into the mirror repeatedly, and ask for solutions. Whining is allowed for a finite period of time. How long? You may whine for as long as you are willing to listen to it from others. The challenge is on to fill that space with a solution of any size. This is a daring summer and I dare us all to consciously look for solutions and invest in them for personal, as well as public, problems. The bigger the problem seems, the smaller the initial solution. It’s got to be something we can wrap ourselves around and it can and will grow. An example: If the world seems a violent and fiercely polarized place, reach out to someone who really gets on your nerves. The solution: begin the process of world peace at your personal peace talks.

July may be a sultry month, but the planets promise clear thoughts and direct action. This is great for any new project and strong for the economy. Drive is the hallmark of capitalism. This is good for all activities and it’s up to us to invest it wisely. If you want to start a business, then this is a great time to dive in and get all the details done. It is particularly strong after the 9th when Mercury goes direct. Use this combination to its best: Take the first 9 days of the month to review and reevaluate the project, learning from the past. Then charge ahead on the 10th. Again, this is good for all projects, from your family reunion to a corporate merger. It is as good for war as it is for peace. Our challenge is to direct our thoughts and actions for peace, while we move forward with each rich hour and full day. There is no better month to become aware of your investment in problems and dare yourself and those around you to act on solutions. If you want to exercise, then find a way to get up early and beat the heat. If you want to meet a new love, then do something you love or maybe try speed dating.

Saturn Leaves Cancer on July 15th: If you felt there was a big bull’s eye on your back for the last year or two, and you have a planet in Cancer in your Vedic chart, then you will be glad to hear that the weight is lifting. Folks with planets in early Leo will feel responsibility on their shoulders. The best way to maneuver a Saturn transit is with structure and simplicity. Get some exercise, know that you are truly not the only person who can carry the world, it only seems that way, and clean out your closets in every way. That sounds like a simple solution to the realization that you are mortal, but it does work. I can’t tell you how many folks are liberated by a clean closet or the satisfaction of clearing the past out and allowing the peace of simplicity in. Saturn brings an appreciation of things that last and people who share. Cultivate both and move the “stuff” along to someone who will use it.

August: Crabby folks attract all the attention! That’s true if we give them ours. Politics in all arenas of life get nasty this month. Isn’t it supposed to be the month they take off? The strategists and spin misters won’t take any time off. As August moves along we’ll all be challenged to remain graceful in challenging social situations. Is it really necessary to tell the folks at the next table what you think about their politics? Do you have to remind your mother of everything she did wrong? Could you possibly be so self-absorbed that your perceptions are off? Maybe it’s just prickly heat or a great abscess of old pain coming to the surface. One thing is certain, you are not alone and if you insist on poking the folks around you, then you can expect someone to erupt and get you dirty. This will not last forever, however, it will likely seem big. In the last days of July and through August, Mars makes one stressful aspect after another. That elevates the potential for problems. Still Mars is a daring planet and we can dare to work toward solutions no matter how bleak the picture we’re shown.

Mars Square Saturn: My President, boss or parents don’t run things right and I’ll do what I can to stop them. This transit begins on July 31st and is pushed by a Mars Pluto aspect on the 1st of August. August gives the opportunity to be most reactive or proactive. The choice begins with our commitment to solutions or our fixation on problems. I like to think of it this way: If we only see the problems with “them” and “they” seem to have power, then it’s easy to lose our hope for the future. On the other hand, if we see ourselves as creators of the future and of our image of today, then “they” lose power. “They” become temporary irritants in the big picture. So, if that obnoxious person cuts you off, or says just the worst thing at the wrong time, then your response to it is the solution. This is true at the dinner table or at the peace table. Although it is true that there are real threats that must be addressed, our reaction to find a solution or list the problems is indeed up to us. There is no point in trashing our politicians for what we do in our own families and workplaces. I dare us all to find solutions.

Total Lunar Eclipse August 28th: Emotions are erratic. Before you react, notice if you are responding from reason or emotion. It is very important to sensitize yourself to the difference. Here’s an example. I may “fear” that someone at my workplace is out to get me because I haven’t done everything perfectly. This “fear” comes with a litany of mental thoughts or chatter. Contrast that to the “fear” that is deep and knowing: That sense that something is out of sorts, but may not seem “rational”; you just know it. Learn to feel the difference between anxiety (the first example) and deep fear (the 2nd). Take the appropriate action. The more calm and attuned you are, the wiser your responses will be. Fear is a survival gift; anxiety gets in its way. Learn the difference between them.

September: Voted the month most likely to have disruptions and delays in travel and inner peace. There is a partial Solar Eclipse on the 11th. Travel will be slow on the days just before and after; but, on no day will international flights move more slowly than on the 11th. Al Qaeda aside (and I do expect word of threats to surface in the weeks just before the 11th), every nut-job with the desire to disrupt travel or get on the news will be agitated. Work to remain conscious. If you are tempted to “act up” on a plane or bus, then expect to be pulled aside. Everyone will be vigilant and on heightened alert within, as well as turning to security forces around you. This is no time to take chances or to taunt authority.
Sun square Mars and Pluto the 2nd half of September: How did you do? Take a quick survey of your solutions or compulsion to see problems. In late September we see ourselves more clearly, but it rests upon us to look honestly. Pluto appears to stop in the heavens on the 7th of September. This time is often associated with uprisings in hot spots around the world. Pluto is making his final pass over 2 degrees of Sagittarius in your Vedic chart. If you have a planet there, the transformation is complete and you carry the wisdom out to the world.

Feeling Lucky? Jupiter is the planet of abundance. In fact, when he slows to an apparent stop in the heavens, he lingers in one place for a long time. Some folks get lucky; others feel lucky. One thing is certain if he stops on a personal planet in your chart; this will be a summer of optimism and maybe a little too much indulgence. Pull out your Vedic chart. If you have a personal planet (one of those visible by your own eyes in the sky), then this is a great summer to try new ideas, travel or enjoy the sights, sounds and people in your corner of the universe. Are you ready? Jupiter spends all 3 months between 17 and 20 degrees of Scorpio. If you have a planet within 15 and 23 of Scorpio, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini or Cancer this summer, then you could change your attitude and your life. If you have a planet between 15 and 23 it’s strongest and if you have one in Scorpio it’s strongest of all. So take a risk, but don’t bet the farm.

The Middle East: Unfortunately this area will continue to be violent. We are fortunate that steps are already underway to bring opposing factions in Iraq together. It is time to focus on solutions and do our best to set aside cynicism and doubt.
The President of Iran continues to make explosive statements, while his chart continues to be triggered by volatile and erratic transits. Uranus to his natal Mars is a transit of accidents, but also of aggression. He grows increasingly restless and unpredictable as the months go by. The Solar Eclipse in September triggers his Jupiter: religious self-righteousness is part of this transit, but also is foolhardy daring. He may leave his position in some manner by spring of 2008. In late August through September there is a classic planetary combination for the fall of kings or leaders. Ketu is the soul’s contract or fate. It joins the Sun in the heavens. The Sun is associated with leaders, and while this is a short transit, most notably for late August and early September, it suggests a shift in power. It may not be him alone. This has been a year of change and it will not stop. We may see evidence of internal opposition to him in Iran this year. September begins with Mars, the war planet, square Uranus. This aspect triggers the charts of the Iranian President, VP Cheney, Sec. of Defense Gates and many other world leaders. There is a solution to these matters. Uranus is innovative. Let’s turn our attention to innovative solutions. It may take a fierce confrontation to begin the process. Hopefully, it will evolve as creative world peace and mutual cooperation.

Pluto, the planet of transformation and death, dances with the Sun and Mars during the 2nd half of September. Perhaps a threat motivates world leaders to find a solution. I pray this is true. On September 7th Pluto appears to stop in the heavens and move forward. The month of September may find armies massed on a border as the world demands action and prays that reaction will be wise. This is not only in the Middle East, but in all volatile zones, including Darfur; and for some of us, emotionally armed camps of the local political parties. How can we expect them to heal centuries of pain and separation when we cannot reach beyond party lines?

How the Love Grows: On July 27th, Venus, the love planet, slows to a stop and begins to move backward. This will last until September 8th. The summer may find you looking back at loves lost; some may track you down. Keep an eye on caller ID for ghosts of the past. Venus turns direct and we move forward. The summer is rich for introspection. As Venus slows to a stop in September, she faces Neptune and gets a tweak by the trickster Uranus all at once. We can see the essence of our lover’s soul. The trick is to ask yourself: “Are you seeing him or her today or the essence of some past union? Is it real or are your hopes projected onto a warm body?” Rose colored glasses are available online with your personal ad or at your favorite pub on any night. Our challenge is to look at our lovers with clear eyes and give ourselves time to see before we invest our hearts in a fantasy.

Where the Money Flows: This is a tough one. The emotional volatility of late August and September could slow the Market. It’s fear that comes with a run on the Market. There will be plenty of fear then. I am not a financial adviser; look carefully and honestly at your investments and make your decisions. It is possible that the “correction” analysts expect will arrive late this summer.

The 2008 Election: The most interesting charts for the Republicans are Newt Gingrich and Fred Thompson: Neither is running as I write this. Both will come forward and run. The Democrats have Obama mania going on and it will continue. I don’t see much future for Edwards, but I expect him to make it to the first primaries. Hilary Clinton will remain strong. Although the press continues to place her and Obama as adversaries, I don’t expect open conflict between them, just different positions. This may end after the first primaries. The Uranus aspects this summer offer a rich field for independents and candidates who venture outside the limitations of either party as usual. As this unfolds expect new and fresh political advisers. Gingrich is taking his “solutions” to the people. That sets the stage for the others to follow. Thompson, the actor, is playing a believable part. The challenge of the Democrats push each to offer something unique and the people win. It will be exciting to see what each candidate offers. We-the-People can only benefit. Expect each serious candidate to address the crises in the Middle East.

Tags: Astrology