Stay Bouncy! It’s a term I come back to again and again, one that I first started using in 2017 as a strategy for navigating the Jupiter/Uranus Opposition happening at that time. Reflecting Uranus, the planet that shakes things up, I even made my very first YouTube video about it, talking about staying bouncy while bouncing on a trampoline.

Stay Bouncy!—maintaining flexibility and adaptability—seems like a good mantra again for this week, one that begins with a square off between messenger Mercury and Uranus, and which features the energetics of the latter quite palpable all week given its stationing retrograde on Saturday.

In addition to staying bouncy, here are more strategies to consider as you navigate the week:

Unexpect the unexpected.
Be open to the out-of-the-blue.
Consider taking an approach other than your usual.
If a detour arises, keep your eyes peeled for new awareness that you would otherwise not have experienced.
See how creativity is born out of chaos.
Own your rebellious side, and see how you can constructively channel it.

Being versatile may be especially helpful given that surprises or shocks may arise as we discover buried treasures, hidden feelings, or shrouded motivations. After all, this week also features a Mars/Pluto Square. Taken together, these two planets—both rulers of Scorpio—may inspire the volatile, volcanic, and explosive. Try to use this invitation constructively by beginning to raze rigid structures that no longer appear to be imbued with integrity and vitality, and to go into the shadows and find wisdom within.

All the while, be aware of the plumes of anger and frustration that may arise, whether from you or those around you. That’s not to say that anger is bad; after all, tapping into the depth of rage we have for something unjust may help to move mountains. It’s just that it’s essential to channel it consciously and responsibly, and as we know, that’s not always the case. The ability to quickly and efficiently pivot—whether mentally, emotionally, or physically—may really work to our advantage and have us feeling more centered and secure.

This Mars/Pluto Square isn’t a one and done; like I shared last week about the Mars/Jupiter Square, owing to Mars’ upcoming retrograde cycle, Mars and Pluto will also have this stand-off-that-hopefully-leads-to-integration alignment two more times, on October 9 and December 23. It seems like we are embarking upon a four-month journey of further understanding how to marry our warrior instincts with our need for transformation, while also learning how to balance our interests in advocating for the moments of the here and now with those of our lasting future.

As if that wasn’t enough for us to navigate, there are also a quorum of quincunxes this week, tense aspects between planets in Leo (Sun and Mercury in Leo) and planets in Capricorn (Jupiter and Pluto) and Pisces (Neptune). They will form what is called a yod, an alignment that can yield stress and requires conscious maneuvering for constructive expression. It seems like the themes of royalty, celebrity, children, and artistry may capture our attention this week; we may see stress and breakdowns in these realms should integrity be lacking, and yet ideally through commitment, maturity and fortitude, challenges may be overcome and rewards granted (fingers crossed). Reflecting these alignments, two other things to look for this week include: not letting your pride get in the way of trying to expand your knowledge base and watching that an inflated sense of self doesn’t have people overstepping their boundaries (and digging in and defending what you truly know to be yours if they do).

Astrological Highlights

August 10

Mercury/Uranus Square

August 11

Sun/Jupiter Quincunx

August 12

Sun/Neptune Quincunx

August 13

Mars/Pluto Square

August 15

Mercury/Neptune Quincunx
Uranus Stations Retrograde

August 16

Mercury/Pluto Quincunx
Sun/Mars Trine
Mercury/Mars Trine

All days reflect Eastern Daylight Time (- 7 hours GMT)

Stellar Insights: August 10 - 16, 2020

Astrological Highlights