The Witches Astronomy Digest for Wednesday, August 22
Hekate,
You are the allure of Autumn and the madness of Winter.
You are the smell of damp earth after the passing of storms.
You are the Ravens flight and the Owls call.
You are the soft glow of Sunset and the hoary light of the Moon.
You are the crisp breath of a Midwinter morn and the soft sigh of Spring’s awakening.
You are the silence of Death and the enchantment of Life.
Hekate, My Queen, You are…..
~Vivienne Moss~
Published on Moon Book Blog
Planetary Positions For August 22, 2018
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)
Sun: 29 Leo 27
Moon: 16 Capricorn 59
Mercury: 12 Leo 16
Venus: 15 Libra 15
Mars: 28 Capricorn 47 Rx
Jupiter: 15 Scorpio 58
Saturn: 02 Capricorn 43 Rx
Uranus: 02 Taurus 28 Rx
Neptune: 15 Pisces 31 Rx
Pluto: 19 Capricorn 07 Rx
Your Daily Sun & Moon Almanac for Wednesday, August 22
The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 105.07° ESE
Sun Altitude: 37.49°
Sun Distance: 94.014 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2018 8:54 pm (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 6:16 am↑ 75° East
Sunset Today: 7:36 pm↑ 285° West
Hours of Daylight: 13 hours, 19 minutes
The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 335.19° NNW
Moon Altitude: -72.47°
Moon Distance: 251911 mi
Next Full Moon: Aug 26, 20186:56 am
Next New Moon: Sep 9, 20181:01 pm
Next Moonrise: Today5:25 pm
Current Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 87.0%
Source
About the Waxing Gibbous Moon Phase
The moon is one-half but not fully illuminated, although increasing in illumination, therefore it represents gaining and attaining. So this can be applied to what you wish to gain and develop, such as friends, wealth, skills etc.
Now the buds are preparing to bloom. This is the developmental stage where ideas and plans can be cultivated and fine-tuned before the next stage of manifestation.
Astrology of Today – Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Today’s Moon:
The Moon is in Capricorn.
The Moon is waxing and in its First Quarter phase until 4:48 AM, after which the Moon is in its Waxing Gibbous phase.
We are in between a First Quarter Moon (which happened on the 18th) and a Full Moon (which will occur on the 26th).
Retrogrades/Stations:
Mercury is no longer retrograde and is in its post-retrograde shadow until September 2nd.
Mars is retrograde (Mars is retrograde from June 26th to August 27th)—there is less than one week left of the Mars retrograde cycle.
Also retrograde: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron.
**Times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Daily Overview of Your Stars & Planets for August 22
The Moon spends the day in Capricorn–a practical, goal-oriented influence. Our sense of responsibility is strong, and our desire to be efficient and useful increases. Our view of life, in general, is realistic under this influence, or at least we seek to see things in practical terms. Uncertainty in Venus-ruled areas of life (romance, social life, and finances) can be a theme today, however. A Venus-Neptune quincunx suggests some struggle between wanting to see things realistically and preferring to look the other way or nurture a fantasy. There can be some insecurity or doubts about others or our own feelings and perceptions under this influence.
The sky this week for August 22 to 26
Asteroids and meteors and planets, oh my! There’s a lot to see this week in the night sky.
By Richard Talcott
Wednesday, August 22
Look overhead around 10 p.m. local daylight time and your eyes will fall on the brilliant star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. At magnitude 0.0, Vega is the brightest member of the prominent Summer Triangle asterism. The Triangle’s second-brightest star, magnitude 0.8 Altair in Aquila the Eagle, lies some 35° southeast of Vega. The asterism’s dimmest member, magnitude 1.3 Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, stands about 25° east-northeast of Vega.
Thursday, August 23
The Moon moves about 13° eastward every 24 hours, and tonight it pulls into Mars’ vicinity. As darkness falls, the Red Planet lies some 8° to the Moon’s lower right. Mars remains a beacon, shining at magnitude –2.3, and stands out despite the Moon’s proximity. When viewed through a telescope, the planet’s disk spans 22″ and should show some subtle surface details as the global dust storm continues to abate.
The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point in its orbit around Earth, at 7:23 a.m. EDT. It then lies 252,119 miles (405,746 kilometers) from Earth’s center.
Friday, August 24
The constellations Ursa Major the Great Bear and Cassiopeia the Queen lie on opposite sides of the North Celestial Pole, so they appear to pivot around the North Star (Polaris) throughout the course of the night and the year. In late August and early September, these two constellations appear equally high as darkness falls. You can find Ursa Major and its prominent asterism, the Big Dipper, about 30° above the northwestern horizon. Cassiopeia’s familiar W-shape, which currently lies on its side, appears the same height above the northeastern horizon. As the night progresses, Cassiopeia climbs above Polaris while the Big Dipper swings below.
Mars continues to move westward relative to the background stars, and today it crosses the border from southwestern Capricornus into eastern Sagittarius. But its stay among the Archer’s stars won’t be lengthy. The planet reaches its stationary point on the 28th and will move back into the Sea Goat on September 1.
Saturday, August 25
Full Moon officially arrives at 7:56 a.m. EDT tomorrow morning, but it looks completely illuminated all night. You can find it rising in the east around sunset and then watch it climb high in the south by 1 a.m. local daylight time. It dips low in the west by the time morning twilight starts to paint the sky. The Moon lies against the backdrop of Aquarius the Water-bearer, but its bright glow nearly drowns out the faint stars in this constellation.
Sunday, August 26
Mercury makes an impressive appearance before dawn in late August. It reaches greatest elongation this morning, when it lies 18° west of the Sun and appears 10° high in the east 30 minutes before sunrise. The innermost planet shines at magnitude –0.2 and is the most conspicuous celestial object near the eastern horizon. A telescope reveals the planet’s disk, which spans 7″ and appears 43 percent lit.
Source
In the Sky This Month
The Moon rolls past one bright light after another this month, including the brilliant planets Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. At the same time, two of the signature star patterns of summer, Scorpius and Sagittarius, roll low across the south. Scorpius really does look like a scorpion, while the brightest stars of Sagittarius, which represents a centaur holding a bow and arrow, form a wide teapot.
August 22: Moon and Mars
Mars looks like a bright orange star low in the southeast at nightfall. It is close to the lower left of the Moon tonight, and a similar distance to the lower right of the Moon tomorrow night.
August 23: More Moon and Mars
Look for Mars close to the lower right of the Moon this evening, and staying close to the Moon throughout the night. It looks like a bright orange star. Although Mars has faded over the past month, it’s still one of the brightest lights in the night sky.
August 24: Mercury in the Morning
Mercury, the Sun’s closest planet, is putting on a good show in the morning sky. It is north of due east at dawn and quite low, so you will need a clear horizon to spot it. It’s bright, though, and it will get brighter over the next two weeks.
August 25: Moon in Aquarius
The full Moon is passing through Aquarius tonight. The constellation is home to a planetary system, known as Trappist-1, which contains at least seven planets. All of them are about as big as Earth, and three are in the star’s “habitable zone.”
August 26: Rising Hunter
Orion, the hunter, one of the signature star patterns of winter, is in good view in the early morning sky. Orion clears the eastern horizon a couple of hours before sunrise and is high in the sky at first light.
August 27: Venus and Spica
The “evening star” is sneaking up on Spica, the leading light of Virgo. The star is close to the upper right of brilliant Venus as night falls. They will get even closer by Friday night. After that, Venus will move away from the star, adding separation each night.
August 28: Bootes
The constellation Bootes, the herdsman, stands high in the west in early evening. Its leading light, yellow-orange Arcturus, is one of the brightest stars in the entire sky.
Source
Daily Cosmic Calendar for August 22
With the sun entering Virgo (9:10pm), take a good look back at your accomplishments and difficulties during the past four weeks during the solar transit of Leo. Making the leap from a fixed, fire sign to a mutable, earth sign is not an easy transition. Zeroing in on major professional goals is still important right now with the moon in Capricorn forging a constructive, 60-degree tie to Jupiter in Scorpio (5:22am) and its monthly conjunction with sometimes hard-to-decipher Pluto in Capricorn (11:47am). Research and investigative work are definitely reinforced whenever the lunar orb and Pluto come together in a mutually-respectful exchange. Meanwhile, ward off a rising tide of emotional confusion that can emanate from a quirky, 150-degree connection between Venus and Neptune (2:11pm). Ease up on romantic overtures for the time-being.
[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]
Copyright 2018 Mark Lerner & Great Bear Enterprises, Ltd.
Astrology.com
Your Current Moon Phase for Wednesday, August 22
Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 86%
The Moon today is in a Waxing Gibbous phase. This phase is when the moon is more than 50% illuminated but not yet a Full Moon. The phase lasts round 7 days with the moon becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon. During a Waxing Gibbous the moon will rise in the east in mid-afternoon and will be high in the eastern sky at sunset. The moon is then visible though most of the night sky setting a few hour before sunrise. The word Gibbous first appeared in the 14th century and has its roots in the Latin word “gibbosus” meaning humpbacked.
PHASE DETAILS FOR – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018
Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Illumination: 86%
Moon Age: 11.18 days
Moon Angle: 0.49
Moon Distance: 404,692.65 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 151,289,727.31 km
Source
Moon in Capricorn
The Moon is traveling through Capricorn today. Make a list of goals. Work overtime. Climb higher. Don’t sulk.
We become aware of the need for structure and planning ahead with a Capricorn Moon. We are instinctively aware of the limitations of time and motivated by a desire for success. Achievement and manifestation are more important to us now. We are resourceful and don’t want to waste time, energy, or resources. This can be a somewhat sober influence, but it can also be a productive time when we look reality in the eye.
The Moon in Capricorn generally favors the following activities: Long-term activities that yield slow but steady results, practical undertakings, career issues, making a business plan, practical investments.
Brooms tolerate poor soil and growing conditions, they are known for wasteland reclamation, a way of cleaning up hazardous sites. It is no surprise that this plant is also where the term broom arose as a cleaning tool. Over the centuries the Ngetal, or broom, as been associated with healing, cleaning, and restoring what once was. Drawing this letter shows some aspect in life has been cleaned and healed or is in great need of it.
Earth
Pisces Reversed
Earth Reversed
difficult to find motivation to continue when you are seeing no rewards yet for all the hard work you’ve put in. What does this apply to your life this week? Maybe the creative project you’ve been working on has more facets than you initially expected. Or that paper you’ve been researching for a class assignment seems like it will never amass the required ten pages and earn you that desired A. Maybe that promotion at work just hasn’t come yet despite what you think is a consistent and deserving performance. In light of this month’s theme of the reversed Emperor, you might be treating yourself more harshly and unreasonably than you should be…
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