The heat is on. The Sun takes center stage in the Northern Hemisphere, but the creative heat is on in the Gulf of Mexico. The seemingly endless oil spill pours from British Petroleum’s apparently endless list of short cuts, deceptions and lies. They couldn’t do it alone: inspectors and employees saw or knew safeguards were dropped for expediency. Workers died in the explosion, and that was only the beginning of death and destruction that pours out of the well. I hope that by the time you read this, the great bleeding well has been stopped. The destruction and those who will give aide will continue. We will watch in awe as scientists and engineers enter the world stage to solve apparently impossible problems and bring hope. Innovation and compassion inspire heroes at every level. This is the stuff that human greatness is born of. It will cost some their careers and open doors for others.

Sometimes the planets tell a story that is so literal it’s easy to miss. In this case, Neptune is the planet that governs gas and some say oil, too. It makes a stressful aspect to Saturn, the planet of order and structure. Neptune is also powerful spiritual or soulful unity.

Jupiter joins Uranus all Summer and into 2011. Saturn faces and anchors them with structure or order. Neptune triggers Saturn for illumination, but could inspire lies. Saturn is now moving forward. After 9 months of labor, there is new life born from commitment and structure. You know when you’re in the midst of a Saturn transit to your chart: It feels heavy and sad. It’s like a cement overcoat you can’t take off. Saturn inspires us to change. Jupiter is the great teacher: The litigator and the politician. Uranus is the liberator: He is also anxiety. Look at your life. What would you like to be free of? Whether it’s fear, food, pain, debt or something else: Take a quick note of what comes to mind. Look for a teacher or mentor to guide you. Choose that person or method not by what it promises, but by how you feel when you hear or read about it. Jupiter and Uranus are in a place in the heavens that is all about the powerful life-force energy that moves through your spinal chord. Be guided by yours. Now: Make a commitment to structure. Saturn is all about tenacity and endurance. Will you commit to your freedom?

Saturn is the wisdom of age and experience. Each of us knows what holds us down or back. We know our addictions and which foods enliven us. Use Saturn to set the pattern: make a simple plan and commit to it. Stretch into it. Jupiter says to learn it. Find a coach, or therapist, or online program. Uranus says freedom is the prize. Set a plan or simple action and move it forward to freedom. No matter what holds you, you can do something to liberate yourself.

Neptune brings the invisible to light. It also brings opportunity for those with the foresight to know what works and what doesn’t. They are out there. This summer biology savvy engineers take the stage. Watch for success. It’s coming, but like life itself: success and great acts of generosity and compassion are often born from great tragedy and loss. This is the time to learn Saturn’s wisdom and carry it to all areas of life. It really is important to value structure and caution even when no one is looking but you. Perhaps the ultimate gift is to value integrity and to open the door to innovation.

July: Happy Birthday USA! Independence Day arrives as Uranus, the restless planet of change, innovation, anxiety, and accidents, appears to stand still in the heavens. Find Uranus in a section of the heavens known for powerful intuition. Jupiter, the great teacher, has just passed Uranus and is moving slowly. In fact, Jupiter will follow Uranus’ lead and appear to go backward, too.

This leads to opportunity that is there for all of us. Pull out that great idea and use the Saturn aspect to lay out a plan. Invest your time and energy to make it happen. If Jupiter is knowledge, and Uranus is freedom, then Saturn might be that degree or certification that opens the door to opportunity. Look around your life. What could you do to prepare yourself for the future? How could you enhance your skills? Are you willing to make a commitment to your career or in your personal life? Uranus resists commitment: take a little time to notice where you feel free. Look carefully: Commitment might free you more than your ego would imagine. With Pluto, the planet of catharsis, ready to meet the others this Fall, a little awareness is actually the beginning of BIG change. Your path to liberation might be a divorce, a job change or just a shift in perspective. What jobs are strong? In addition to those mentioned, counseling is needed in many areas. Many of us need help to find the gift of freedom in a sudden change of plans. Whew!

August: Mars comes to Saturn early this month. Mars and Saturn do not get along. Mars wants to fight and Saturn refuses. Mars wants revolution and Saturn wants resolve. Mars facing Uranus is an accident waiting to happen. Keep your eyes on the road. Be alert. That message you must send now can wait until you’re free. Tempers rise and so does the opportunity to face your fears. If Mars comes to Saturn, his impulse to fight could be a call to war. Caution: folks are easy to anger. Those who are aggressive or even a little unstable could end up on the nightly news. Use your internal antennae to tune into your surroundings. That place in line isn’t worth your life. That volatile lover isn’t either. Don’t throw down the gauntlet unless you intend to fight. Daily drama makes for a weary audience.

The Standoff of the Curmudgeons: Saturn, faces Uranus with both squared to Pluto. Each is a powerful planet. When Saturn lands on us we feel alone, old and as if the clock of our time on Earth is ticking away. When Uranus sends his jolt, he is so innately unpredictable that the most intractable folks are ready to let go. Neptune offers the gift of spiritual surrender, but also the cloud of illusion. As they send the cloud of uncertainyy to Saturn, we are more vulnerable and potentially powerful than ever. The trick is to be flexible like a reed in the wind and let it move around or even through you. How well you bend is obvious by the middle of October. These are anxious times. Stretch your faith and know your brain, but most of all, trust wise friends to guide you.

Retrograde Mercury: Mercury is the planet of communication and commerce. When he appears to stop in the heavens and go backward on August 20th it seems that communication goes awry. Particularly these days when every message can quickly go to a million people, it is essential to slow down and think about the power of your words. Most of all, it is essential to look at what you are signing. Jupiter says to get the new car, but Saturn reminds you that the payments go on much longer than the warranty and this could feel more like bondage than liberation. This is the best time to reflect, review and rest. Yes, all the “re” words you can imagine apply here. Mercury goes direct on September 12th- just in time to remember our national pain and to retool for the future.

September: The summer comes to an end. There is the promise of cooler days and tempers. Mars pulls away from the curmudgeons the first week. Saturn pulls away from Pluto and Uranus, too. The process of change is in place. What did you start this summer? If obstacles stood in your path, take careful notes and prepare to start again. Many of us will find the funds and the faith to get off the couch. The gift of youth is the tenacity to give your body what it needs. Saturn understands the value of commitment. As Saturn pulls away, Jupiter and Uranus might just test the waters and indulge in some way. Don’t worry, you’ve learned from the past and your liberation might be freedom from addictions.

The Governor of Louisiana: Bobby Jindal: Keep an eye on him for innovation and courage. He’s young but already experienced with disaster in the Gulf. In 1998 he oversaw a massive and successful evacuation in Louisiana. This year, his actions and fight for the people of his state, the coastal economy and beyond, will make President Obama appear distant and uninvolved. But Jindal pushed for offshore drilling. Now he is in the midst of the biggest cleanup ever. The summer’s transits are strong for his political power. It’s time to watch and see how he overcomes his legislative past. It will be interesting to see him handle the situation. I hope he and President Obama can work together. It’s not about one party, but about leadership: Whew! Will his actions now free him from the images of oil and economic destruction? Will he be held accountable or will his future actions free him from his past? We can all apply this somewhere. From the office to the dinner table: What you do from this point forward may free you from something in your past.

President Obama: The heavy transits to his birth chart in May will have lasting impact. The President will be haunted by oil spill images throughout his career. In Vedic astrology there are planets who are friends to your chart and those who are not. Mars is not a friend to the President, Saturn is. In fact his own plan or tenacity and commitment serve him well. He was born with Jupiter, the political planet, next to Saturn. Saturn often seems detached or cool because he is cautious and careful. His Jupiter is big ideas and great speeches. He was born with Mars in a very stressful place in the heavens: In the house of life and death. Every President has death threats. Every President has unfathomable responsibility. Every President is literally the Commander and Chief of the most powerful military in the world.

This summer, the President is pushed to take action and to command. I expect that he will be threatened at home and abroad. Nations like North Korea, Iran, and Afghanistan will compel him to make decisions he would rather avoid. I said months ago that the President’s Cabinet will change by next year. Incompetence in the face of this spill is the crowbar that will push them out so strong innovators can come into his administration. To the President: I wish him well, I expect he will meet innovative heroes and roll up his sleeves for the people, the marine life, and the economy of the Gulf. I believe he is in danger, but I also expect that he will seize the moment to liberate himself from political obligation and be the Commander in Chief we saw in the election. Political advisers can’t help him: The Gov. of Louisiana can show him the best of Mars. The President can show us all the gift of Jupiter when disciplined by Saturn.

How the Love Grows: It grows through compassion, but it continues to grow. Venus is the love planet. She moves through action-oriented lunar mansions this summer. Get up and dare to love. Get your hands dirty and help. Develop a plan to embrace others. It is a wise investment. I expect many engagements and marriages this summer. But most of all, I expect commitment and inner growth. We are touched by images of compassion and generosity and we learn that generosity brings great returns.

Where the Money Flows: Literally, it flows from BP to other companies. Watch the Market slowly rebound. Keep an eye out for innovators and new technology. Mostly, keep the faith. A plan or structure set this summer could bring lasting returns.

Cynthia Novak is a professional astrologer. She can be contacted at metro 817-261-2984. Read Cynthia’s daily astrological message at www.HolisticNetworker.com/dailymessage/ or see www.CynthiaNovak.com Come hear Cynthia’s talk at the Wellness Expo in Fort Worth on Sunday, August 15 at 11:30am entitled “Astrology & You”.