Certified Professional Astrologer Richard Nolle's AUGUST 1998 FORECAST Please click here to visit this astropro sponsor's website!

If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget it. This is real astrology. See the section above. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT). Current UT date and time are at the end of this paragraph. (To update display, click on your browser's reload/refresh button.)     

  

August is bound to be momentous. In one month we have two eclipses (one a new blue moon) and three planetary stations. One of these stations (Saturn's retrograde) looks like the signal of a significant top in major world equity markets – and the beginning of the strong correction I've been warning about in my monthly forecasts. And that's just for starters.

Speaking of starters, the sun opposition to Uranus on the 3rd (11 Leo-Aquarius) is the first notable aspect of the month. It signals surprising, fast-moving developments in the area of conflict and conflict resolution, within a few days before to a few days after this alignment. The status quo can't hold at times like this. Something has to give, and it will – all of a sudden. Forget the safe and sure now, because all such bets are off. Scientific and technological breakthroughs and breakdowns are par for the course under such an alignment. (The latter make headlines for sure.) Hackers have a field day with supposedly secure computer systems. Labor conflicts either get resolved or escalate beyond immediate resolution. Among national leaders, charts strongly aspected by the sun-Uranus opposition include those of Tony Blair, Fidel Castro, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Boris Yeltsin (a very strong aspect in his case), and Pope John Paul II.

Of course, we're still under a Mercury retrograde as August opens. It remains in effect until the 23rd. So look for the usual during this period: Murphy's Law reigns supreme, everything that can go wrong will. Transportation and communication disruptions, power outages and the like are par for the course. Take no chances, double-check everything! What's a Mercury retrograde good for? Finding out when went awry, what went wrong; tracking down lost or missing items and information; reestablishing contact with people who have been out of touch; and just generally fixing up whatever's wrong. Heaven knows, we'll all have plenty of opportunities for that through the 23rd. (See my 3,000-year table of Mercury retrogrades for a complete listing of these cycles from 600 BCE to 2400 CE.)

Mercury's retrograde in Leo just adds to the heavy emphasis on that sign this month – and its zodiacal opposite, Aquarius. Between these two signs, they account for the lion's share of all the celestial activation in August. The Venus-Mars conjunction on the 4th is one of only two notable exceptions. It occurs at 20 Cancer, a fraction of a degree from Pluto in the natal charts of Helmut Kohl and Boris Yeltsin: watch the blood pressure, gentlemen! Plenty of people could have blood pressure problems within a few days of this very passionate alignment: lots of excitement, strong feelings are stirred, very sexy. This same alignment sets off a T-square configuration in Benjamin Netanyahu's natal horoscope: a guy should watch his back and steer clear of the courts at times like this. Ideological nut cases and patriotic psychopaths could get stirred up before this is over. Wiser heads will find a more intimate and hedonistic outlet for their energies when Venus aligns with Mars.

The full moon (lunar eclipse) on the 8th at 15 Aquarius is an intense alignment, with the moon conjunct Uranus earlier in the day. It suggests not only the usual upsurge in flooding and moderate to severe seismic activity (including volcanic eruptions and Richter 5 or greater earthquakes); but also some exceptionally strong storms around this time. (From the 5th through the 11th, to be more specific.) Freaky winds, scary electrical storms, power outages and the like are apt to be much in the news during this period. You'll know from the headlines that geophysical havoc is rearing its head more than a little during this period. Psychological havoc too: people are edgy, restless, confrontational. This is a planetary phenomenon, so its manifestations will be much in evidence worldwide. Still, it seems to zero in on the western coast of North America to a large extent, from Mexico north to Washington; but it also points into the Four Corners area of the Southwestern US (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada). The Middle East, East Africa and much of Europe also come in for special attention from this eclipse. And there's a potent looking Mars line running from western Australia up through the south Pacific. (Click here for an Astro*Carto*Graphy-style map of this lunar eclipse, then return with a click of your browser's back button.)

Mid-month gets rather exciting. It starts around the 13th, when Venus enters Leo and then quickly opposes Neptune – even as Mercury aligns in conjunction with the sun. This happens in the shadow of Saturn's retrograde station on the 15th, and Pluto's direct station the following day. Major world equity markets should be peaking around this time, with a substantial correction to follow. Actually, since Saturn is within a degree of its station point from late July through mid-September, the correction could begin at any time during this period. (See my online tables for all retrogrades of these two planets, and all the other major planets as well, from 600 BCE to 2400 CE.) As I've said before – see my June forecast – this correction looks bigger than last year's. The 1997 correction was in the neighborhood of 10% on the Dow. The '98 correction shapes up to be at least as bad, and quite possibly much worse. American markets are apt to fare a little better than many other national markets, due to the 'safe haven' factor. But even the major US markets are prime to take a hit. (Don't expect this to be an overnight thing: the correction will continue off and on until about year's end.) Financial fraud, power outages and communication disruptions are likely to be much in the news around the middle of August.

The solar eclipse (new moon) at 29 Leo on the 22nd is a rare zodiacal new blue moon – that is, the second of two consecutive new moons to occur in the same sign. It's the 36th and last one this century, at that. (For more on this subject, see my table of 20th Century New Blue Moons.) This particular alignment happens within a day or two of Mars' Leo ingress and opposition to Neptune, Venus' Uranus opposition, Neptune's Aquarius re-entry, and Mercury's direct station. A potent mix, in effect from the 19th through the 25th, and it presages the usual increase in storms, flooding and moderate to severe seismic action (Richter 5 or greater earthquakes and/or volcanic eruptions). Mars being within a degree or two of its August 26 square to Saturn throughout most of this period, there's a fiery side to this eclipse. Whether this points to volcanic activity, lightning-spawned fire or other weather-related mishaps – or some combination of the three – remains to be seen. Although it will be felt planet-wide, this particular alignment largely focuses on western North America, East Africa and the Middle East, and Europe. (To these areas must also be added Indonesia and New Guinea.) For an Astro*Carto*Graphy-style map of the solar eclipse, click here - and then use your browser's back button to return.

President Clinton's natal Leo quartet is very strongly aspected by just about every major celestial alignment this month, so August should be quite eventful for him. And not at all quiet. Also celestially singled out, as it were, are Pope John Paul II, Hillary Clinton and Fidel Castro, and to a lesser extent British PM Tony Blair. All of them newsworthy in any month – but especially in August for one reason or another.

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