Your Daily Horoscopes for Tuesday, August 23rd

Aries

Shortcuts taken early today can cost you more time later on, dear Aries. As the day moves forward, however, you’re certainly more inclined to deal with problem areas head-on. Mars is moving to an alignment with Saturn, and this influence has been pending for some time. Now, you’re facing an important reality and putting a responsibility behind you. This is a time for getting over a major hump in your life. Do your best to focus on a game plan or strategy rather than dwelling on the frustration of the moment’s obstacles. You’re putting your life into better order now, and this will ultimately be a relief. Work hard today, if possible, as much as you’d prefer to pursue your interests in a freeform manner. Tune out the distractions and put in the effort so that you can put difficult situations behind you.

Taurus

There may be a reality to face or hurdle to clear this week, dear Taurus, as Mars moves towards its alignment with Saturn. This can be a time for pushing yourself harder than usual to make money and to get some work done, possibly to make up for past procrastination! Do aim to focus your energies on problems that can be solved with a step-by-step approach. Traditional methods are likely to work best. Drama in your personal life is possible, but avoid getting caught up in a tug of war when your energy could be better utilized elsewhere. Work on sorting things out, debugging plans, tending to details, and reviewing recent life issues with maturity and realism. You may not feel like putting in the work in a relationship right now, but consider doing it for the long-term benefits.

Gemini

This is a strong time for putting real effort into a major practical pursuit, dear Gemini. However, it may not be entirely enjoyable. It’s important to focus on the end goal rather than the frustration of the tasks at hand. Putting extra effort into a relationship can be in focus for many of you. Others may seem to be blocking you or adding hurdles to your path. Responsibilities to others can feel weighty. The reality of a relationship or person in your life can hit hard. Be patient, mature, and responsible now for best results – these are traits that will be rewarded with Saturn a strong influence on your chart. If a relationship withstands pressure, this can be a time for coming up with a new and improved plan to go forward.

Cancer

You are increasingly more practical in your mindset today, dear Cancer. In fact, this can be a powerful time for solving problems, getting work done, and getting over emotional hurdles. You could be working particularly hard at improving your living or working conditions. Look for signs of what you need to eliminate in order to move forward in the best possible way. Putting in extra effort, following the rules, and facing realities are all important now and will lead to good things, even if you’d rather be doing something else! Facing up to facts with work and health matters can be in focus now, and this allows you to make solid, realistic plans of action.

Leo

While there may be some hurdles to clear now, dear Leo, it can be easier to meet goals with a stronger sense of purpose motivating you. In your romantic or creative life, there may be a reality that you need to face.
Some level of seriousness is present, or necessary, in your interactions. Use self-discipline now. Concern yourself less with whether you’ve made the right choices in the past and more on your current path. New and perhaps uncomfortable information about a friend or lover, or complicated logistics of a relationship or creative project, could emerge now. Take the time to digest things rather than reacting too quickly. This is a time for drawing up solid plans and taking things one step at a time based on new, more realistic information.

Virgo

Mars meeting with Saturn in your sector of heart, home, and family today and tomorrow can play out in a number of ways, dear Virgo. Serious energy may surround household matters now, or there can be hard work involved with getting a problem area handled, perhaps due to some neglect of this area in the past. Those close to you can be very touchy and sensitive now, and may be acting from a place of fear or jealous feelings. You may need to face a reality surrounding debts, shared finances, or a housing issue. On the other hand, while there can be some heavy hours put in, you may be actively working on improving your living conditions or home life now, and this can point to long-term benefits. Focus should be on strengthening and rebuilding.

Libra

Tension with others is possible now, dear Libra, but it can also be highly motivating to make improvements. You have added power for actualizing your dreams, but you are faced with the need to take responsibility for past mistakes, follow the rules, and put in hard work. News can arrive that prompts you to get serious about a matter, or conversations occur about serious issues. You are likely to recognize that there are plenty of details that need attention. Approach problems one at a time and step by step, even if you’d rather skip through things more quickly. Computers, phones, and vehicles may need repair now. Difficulties getting your ideas across can lead to better or improved channels for communication. Aim to liberate yourself from unrealistic dreams by facing facts.

Scorpio

With Mars and Saturn meeting up in your resources sector, dear Scorpio, it’s a strong time for facing financial realities and for examining what you’re capable of doing to overcome obstacles. Consider that your life will improve as you see reality and stop living in fear of what might or might not happen. Activities that enhance your feeling of being on top of things and in charge of your life can be in focus now. Hard work may be involved. Following the rules makes the most sense for the time being. You might need to concentrate in order to handle a financial matter. It’s about taking more control over your money and decreasing debt. As well, you may be recognizing that you can do just fine on your own. Aim to expect more, but not too much, from yourself now.

Sagittarius

Mars and Saturn align in your sign, dear Sagittarius, and this can serve as a reminder to take better care of yourself, follow the rules, be thorough, and take matters step by step so that you get things right. You may need to get serious about a personal matter. You might feel as if you are left to your own resources, but should also discover that you can hold your own. Try to tune out drama as much as possible and focus on the practical. Be conservative in your approach for best results now. Get to a state where you have a strong sense of what you can and cannot do. Bringing more realism into the picture is the key to feeling empowered now. Aim for self-discipline and consider the long-term benefits of a slow and steady approach.

Capricorn

With Mars and Saturn coming into alignment in the sign just behind yours, dear Capricorn, you may face owning up to an issue that you swept under the carpet or otherwise neglected or overlooked in the past. You might need to make a personal sacrifice in order to help out someone else. You might feel overlooked or overruled now, but you can also build quite a bit of strength from either realization, as it can motivate you to make significant changes. The need to be patient can emerge today and tomorrow. In fact, this is a time that favors long-term plans and strategies rather than giving in to the sensations of the moment. Focus on building strength and devising long-term strategies for reaching real goals, as you see these more clearly now.

Aquarius

Considering your limits is important now as Mars and Saturn meet, dear Aquarius. This aspect can come as a potent reminder of a rule or responsibility, or possibly an obligation to a group or friend. You may need to face the fact that one of your dreams or an ideal needs some refinement due to practical considerations. Some of you may need to get tough with a friend, or to face a sobering reality about a friendship. Avoid wasting time navigating the tricky waters of power dynamics, and instead, adopt a step-by-step approach to solving a practical problem. The need to be mature can emerge now, and is your very best bet for facing difficulties or obstacles right now.

Pisces

Watch for pushing yourself too hard now, dear Pisces, but do put in some real effort now with Mars and Saturn joining at the top of your solar chart, dear Pisces. A conservative, step by step, law-abiding approach in business is necessary now. You may need to lay down the law if you’re in a position of authority. The practical side of your endeavors is what you’re taking particular interest in, and you can come up with some very workable long-term strategies. The key is to be patient and focus on the goal. It might be necessary to make some personal sacrifices in order to get over a hurdle. Eliminating waste in your professional life can be especially helpful now, and you may need to face the reality or viability of a project/goal to know your next step.

The Balance of the Signs & the Elements for August 23rd

TAURUS STRONG
Stable and enduring, strong values, unyielding, earthy, acquisitive, strong desires. Can be stuck, stubborn, overly possessive, self-indulgent.
VIRGO STRONG
Meticulous, discriminating, pure, practical, health conscious, hard working. Can be hyper-critical, petty and perfectionistic.
SAGITTARIUS STRONG
Inspiring, broad vision, enthusiastic, goal seeking, truthful, adventurous. Can be reckless, unrestrained, tactless.

BALANCE OF ELEMENTS

EARTH STRONG
We are especially in touch with the physical world. We consider what we’ve learned and experienced in the past in order to make the most of the present. We can be cautious, practical, and possibly unimaginative. We are deliberate and can pace ourselves well. We need hands-on experience and are not impressed with theory as much as we are with results. Routines are tolerable and comforting.
AIR WEAK
We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative.
WATER WEAK
There may be some insensitivity or lack of empathy now. We may be out of touch with what we’re feeling or with our emotional needs. We may be tougher than usual now, and more inclined to follow mental or practical considerations than we are to listen to our intuition.

BALANCE OF MODES

CARDINAL WEAK
This is not a time that we tend to naturally initiate actions. We may be stronger at following up than starting anew. Survival mechanisms may be weaker now.
MUTABLE STRONG
We are flexible, adaptable, willing, open to change, and possibly flighty or nervous.

Astrology of Today – August 23, 2016

• The Moon is in Taurus all day (until Wednesday, August 24th, at 7:39 PM).
• The Moon is waning and in its Waning Gibbous phase.
• A Full Moon occurred on the 18th, and a Last Quarter Moon will occur tomorrow.
• Mercury is in its pre-retrograde shadow (Mercury will be retrograde from August 30-September 22).
• The Sun spends its first full day in Virgo (the Sun transits Virgo August 22-September 22).

11th August 2015 – 9th September 2016: Jupiter in Virgo

a message from Sarah Varcas

To view more of Sarah’s insight, please visit her website, Awakenings, Intuitive Astrology for Heart and Soul

The Web of Life

After the buoyant confidence of Jupiter in Leo since July 2014, its arrival in Virgo heralds a time of quiet activity which will build firm foundations for the future. Jupiter in Virgo resonates deeply with Mother Earth, reminding us her future is integral to our own. We simply cannot separate the two. During its stay in Virgo, Jupiter connects with the Moon’s North Node at a powerful Blue Moon in June 2016. Between now and then we have a precious opportunity to realign with the needs of our beautiful planet, just as she has met ours for millennia.

Jupiter speaks now of the inherent creativity we often overlook. Many consider themselves uncreative when in fact they may simply lack ‘artistic talent’. In fact we are creative in every moment, giving life to thoughts and feelings, words and deeds. We may not have a specific objet d’art to show for it come nightfall, but each day we are artists working on the canvas of our lives. Jupiter in Virgo reminds us that every moment is a brushstroke, every decision moulds the clay of who we are. It knows how vital each one of these is. No longer seduced by size and stature as it was in Leo, it resonates with the tiny moments and apparently inconsequential actions that create the life we live today.

In the coming months the development of mindfulness will support us considerably. The more present we can be to the moment, not losing ourselves in fantasy or fear, the more we can shape the fruits of our creativity in alignment with the flow of conscious becoming. Jupiter in Virgo honours the power of gentleness, the healing potential of quietude, the blessings of knowing intimately the tiniest lives on this planet, the smallest parts of a whole. It knows that within the microcosm we find the macrocosm, within the mundane we find the divine and within our lives we have absolutely everything we need to awaken, right here, right now. It knows that the answers we seek may not be written boldly across the heavens but in the light of a distant star which has already met its fiery end before we perceive its light. Our destiny may not impress others and thrust us into the limelight, but be instead a quiet repose which knows that all things come to those who wait.

As human beings we are blessed with great potential and so much hope. As a race we have squandered such riches in pursuit of power – over life, other people, even over Mother Nature herself. Jupiter in Virgo turns our attention to how life begins, how we create from nothing and manifest form. It asks us to pay close attention to the elements we combine to create our desired life and the feedback we receive from nature herself as we do so. She speaks to us clearly if we will but listen, and her messages will be evermore important as Jupiter journeys through Virgo. In a busy world where there’s barely time to breathe, it’s vital we shift the focus from striving to collaboration, from control to alignment. As Jupiter now crosses the fixed star Regulus, whose shift into Virgo in 2011heralded another step forward in the birth of the Aquarian Age, we’re reminded that without Mother Earth we are nothing. It is she who should be the centre of our world, not ourselves, for in her we find everything we need and all that is vital to our physical and spiritual survival.

The time has come to honour our planetary mother every single day. For each step upon her to be placed with love, for each breath to be taken with gratitude. It is time to reflect on how our creations align with the ecosystem into which we have been born. What is the price of our becoming? Of fulfilling our hopes and dreams? How can we further peace on this planet, mutual respect and sustainability whilst fulfilling our own individual potential and weaving a meaningful life?

No matter who we are or what we dream, we carry the life of our descendants in our hearts, of future generations to be blessed with this beautiful planet as we have been. We hold in our hands the destiny of the birds and the bees, the seas and oceans, air and soil. Our every thought, word and deed act as nourishment or poison to the world around us. As we pursue our own fulfilment we can facilitate collective awakening or hinder its advance. It was never an ‘either/or’ but a ‘both/and’. Both you and me at peace in our own lives as Mother Nature flourishes around us.

There is much to be done now, plans to implement, dreams to realise, awakening to be embraced. Jupiter in Virgo bids us join hands with all of life to act in alignment with becoming, not in competition with it. If we meet barriers and obstacles along the way stop… look… listen….the cosmos is speaking, our Mother is offering guidance as to timing or temperament, the viability of our hopes and dreams. She is forever watching, waiting, blessing and supporting us. All she asks is that we do the same, honouring her as partner in the shaping and formation of our lives.

Sarah Varcas

Totally Useless & Random Facts for a Tuesday!

Here are some random facts for you . . .

1. All the alien drool in the movie “Aliens” is KY Jelly.

2. The original design for the Space Needle in Seattle looked like a big balloon floating up from the ground. Eventually it evolved into the final design, and the balloon became a flying saucer.

3. It’s illegal in Indiana to catch fish using dynamite, guns, a crossbow, or your bare hands.

4. It’s bad etiquette to eat a hot dog in more than five bites. At least according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.

5. Judge Judy was a real judge in New York criminal and family court from 1982 to 1996 . . . and she had the same personality and style she does on TV. She got her show after “60 Minutes” did a feature on her in 1993.

Source

95.7 The Hog

August 23rd

Vocanalia

Vulcan was the ancient Roman God of fire and smithcraft. He had his own Flamen, the Flamen Vocanalis.
Very little is known about his festival and worship, but he did have a temple on the Campus Martius. Mythologically, Vulcan was the father of the fire-breathing monster Cacus, and his two consorts were Maia and Hora—also worshiped during his festival.

Tuesday Is Ruled By Mars

Tuesday is a Mars day, and just like the god of war, this is the time to tap into magicks to call for strength and courage. This day of the week is for rebels and warriors. If you are facing a challenge of any kind, need a boost to your courage, or want to enhance your passions, Tuesday is the day of the week for you.

Some suggestions for Tuesday enchantments would include:

*Wearing the fiery colors associated with this day: scarlet, red, black, and orange. Don some of the more daring and bewitching colors of your wardrobe on Tuesdays and turn a few heads

*Carrying a bloodstone in your pocket or wearing garnet-studded jewelry to reinforce your convictions

*Working with protective and fire-associated plants such as the snapdragon, thistle, and holly to boost your shields and bravery

*Burning spicy-scented energy-enhancing candles to add a little magical aromatherapy to your home

*Cooking up a hearty meal featuring carrots, peppers, and garlic (all Mars foods and spices) to empower yourself for victory and success

The Witches Correspondences for Tuesday, August 23rd

Tuesday (Tiw’s-day)

Planet: Mars

Colors: Red and Autumn Shades

Crystals: Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet, Flint, Rhodonite, Iron and Steel

Aroma: Basil, Ginger, Black Pepper, Mars Oil, Dragon’s blood and patchouli

Herb: Basil

The day of Mars. This day could only ever symbolize the sheer power of the god of war! The ideal spells to be cast on this day are that of force, power war and protection.

Dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified as Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, and Tyr.

Magical aspects: controlled power, energy, and endurance, passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

This is the proper day of the week to perform spells and rituals involving courage, physical strength, revenge, military honors, surgery, the breaking of negative spells, dynamic energy, matrimony, war, enemies, prison, hunting, politics, contests, protection, victory, and athletics.

The Witches Almanac for Tuesday, August 23rd

Tuesday (Mars): Passion, sex, courage, aggression, and protection.

National Day (Romanian)

Waning Moon
The Waning Moon (from the Full Moon to the New) is a time for study, meditation, and little magical work (except magic designed to banish harmful energies).

Moon Phase: Third Quarter

Moon Sign: Taurus
Taurus: Things begun now last the longest, tend to increase in value, and become hard to alter. Brings out appreciation for beauty and sensory experience.

Incense: Bayberry

Color: Red

Tuesday’s Witchery

Tuesday is the day to work any magick that falls in the category of increasing strength, courage, bravery, and passion. All of these intense emotions are linked to this day’s energies, and spells designed around these themes will have extra punch when performed on this magickal day.

So, let’s add a little passion and conviction into your life! Break out the daring red pieces of your wardrobe, and put a little pizzazz into your day. Work with Lilith, and see what she has to teach you about personal power and sexuality. Meditate on Tiw/Tyr and Mars, and see what those ancient warrior gods will show you about new tactics, strategies, and claiming personal victories in your life. Practice conjuring up that astral weapon from the meditation and use it wisely for protection and for courage.

Create a philter for courage and protection or handcraft your own Witch’s jar to remove negativity from your home. See what other Witch crafts you can conjure up with Tuesday’s magick. Create some kitchen magick on this Tuesday by whipping up a spicy stew-add in a few Mars-associated ingredients such as carrots, peppers, and garlic. Empower the stew for success, and then treat yourself and your family to a good, hearty meal. Try working with a little aromatherapy and burn some spicy or coffee-scented candles to increase your energy level.

Check the sky at night, and see if you can find the reddish planet Mars up in the heavens. Not sure where to look? Check an astronomy magazine or search the Web for more information. Become a magickal warrior and move forward in your life with strength, courage, and compassion. Embrace the side of yourself that loves a good challenge and that is passionate and daring! Banish fear, and face your future with strength and conviction. Believe in yourself and in your dreams, work hard, and you will win every time.

Source

—-Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

The Witches Tuesday

Tuesday is the day of the week between Monday and Wednesday. The name comes from Middle English Twisday, from Old English Tiwes dæg, named after the Nordic god Tyr, who was the equivalent of the Roman war god Mars.

In Latin, it is called Martis dies which means “Mars Day”. In Romance languages except Portuguese, the word for “Tuesday” is similar to the Latin name: mardi in French, martes in Spanish, martedì in Italian, dimarts in Catalan, and marÅ£i in Romanian.

Portuguese uses numbers instead of pagan names and so their word for “Tuesday” is terça-feira.
The English and Scandinavian names are derived from the Nordic god Týr:

Old English: Tiw, Tew, or Tiu
Swedish: Tisdag
Danish: Tirsdag
Norwegian: Tirsdag or Tysdag
Icelandic: Týsdagur
Finnish: Tiistai (borrowed)

The German word Dienstag and the Dutch word Dinsdag seems to be derived from the god referred to by the Romans as Mars Thingsus, the god of the thing, which might also be Týr, or possibly some other Germanic god.

The Russian word for “Tuesday” is vtórnik, meaning “second”; that is, counting Tuesday as the second day of the week.

Quakers traditionally referred to Tuesday as “Third Day” eschewing the pagan origin of the English name “Tuesday”. This has also been the custom in Iceland since about the 11th century when Jón Ögmundsson changed it to Þriðjudagur, meaning “Third Day”

In the Greek world, Tuesday (the day of the week of the Fall of Constantinople) is considered an unlucky day. The same is true in the Spanish-speaking world, where a proverb runs En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques (On Tuesday, neither get married nor begin a journey). For both Greeks and Spanish-speakers, the 13th of the month is considered unlucky if it falls on Tuesday, instead of Friday.

The Hindi/Bengali/Nepali/Gujarati/Punjabi/Marathi/Urdu word for Tuesday is Mangalwar, with Mangal being the Sanskrit name for the planet Mars.

In the Thai solar calendar, the day is named for the Pali word for the planet Mars, which also means “Ashes of the Dead”; the color associated with Tuesday is Pink.

Tuesday is the usual day for elections in the United States. Federal elections take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November; this date was established by a law of 1845 for presidential elections (specifically for the selection of the Electoral College), and was extended to elections for the House of Representatives in 1875 and for the Senate in 1914. Tuesday was the earliest day of the week which was practical for polling in the early nineteenth century: citizens might have to travel for a whole day to cast their vote, and would not wish to leave on Sunday which was a day of worship for the great majority of them.

In business, particularly office work, studies have shown that Tuesday is usually the most productive day of the week. Some of these people consider Tuesday to be their least favorite day, because they are not as relaxed as Monday (due to the weekend preceding it), yet they still have most of the work week ahead of them.

In French, Tuesday is “Mardi”, associating it with the planet Mars. Tuesday is also associated with the dwarf planet Pluto. This marries Tuesday with ideas of strife, battles to be won and pressing issues and jobs to get sorted. It is not a day to relax. This same meaning can be seen in the Spanish “Martes” and the English “Tuesday” (“Tyr’s day.”) In India, Tuesday is called “Mangalvar”, for the Vedic planet Mangala or Mars.

Source

Pagan Calendar

A Little Do You Know for Your Tuesday, August 23rd

According to the Heathen Calender Today Freyfaxi is Celebrated

Summary Freyfaxi

Calendar Heathen

Date Aug 23 Every year

Description
Freyfaxi: Freyfaxi marked the time of the harvest in ancient Iceland. Today the Asatru observe this date as a celebration of their harvest with blot to Freyr and a grand Feast from the gardens and the fields.

References

http://odin.org/faq.html
Pagan Calendar

On Tuesday, August 23rd, We Celebrate….

Vulcanalia (Rome)
JUTURNA

Themes: Fire; Water; Fate; Divination; Protection; Balance

Symbols: Fire; Water; Fountains

About Juturna: During the festival of Vulcan (the god of fire and the forge), Romans wisely invoked Juturna, a fountain goddess, to keep fire from damaging the land or homes. On another level, we can call upon her to put out emotional fires that have gotten out of control.

To Do Today: Historically, Vulcanalia was a time to divine using the smoke from incense (then put out the fire with Juturna’s water). Choose your incense so it matches your question: rose or jasmine for love, mint for money-related matters, vanilla for health. The smoke may respond by creating a symbolic image or by moving in a particular direction. Movement toward your left is negative, to the right is positive, and smoke circling the incense stick reflects mingled fortunes or uncertain fates. When you’re done scrying the smoke and have put the incense out, keep the mixture of ash and water. This symbolizes the balance between fire and water. Carry this with you in a sealed container, breaking it open amid aggravating situations. Releasing the contents invites Juturna’s coolheadedness to keep anger reigned in.

To internalize Juturna’s protective, balancing energies, simply stop at any water fountain today for a refreshing drink of her water. Whisper her name just before the water meets your lips to invoke her presence.

Source

365 Goddess: A Daily Guide To the Magic and Inspiration of the goddess
Patricia Telesco

The Goddess Book of Days for August 23rd

Festival of Nemesis, Greek Goddess of Fate. She is also Moira, Fortuna, the Three Fates (Lachesis, Clotho, Atropos), the Morrigan (Ana, Badb, Macha), the Three Mothers (Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Parvati), the Furies or Eumenides, the Erinyes, Befana, Old Woman, Hecate, and the Noms.

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

The Pagan Book of Days for Tuesday, August 23

Odin’s Ordeal(7)/Nemesea/Vertumnalia/Vulcan and the Nymphs

Day of the Nemesea, the celebration of the Greek Goddess Nemesis, defender of the relics and memory of the dead from insult and injury. Day of the Vertumnalia, held in celebration of Vertumnus, Roman God of the change of the seasons and the transformation of flowers into fruits. It is also the festival of Vulcan and the Nymphs.

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

Tuesday, August 23

Tuesday is dedicated to the powers of the planet Mars, personified in Ares, Tiwaz, Tiw, Tuisco and Tyr. Tuesday rules controlled power, energy and endurance.

Deity: Tiwaz

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Planet: Mars

Tree: Holly

Herb: Plantain

Stone: Agate

Animal: Crab

Element: Fire

Color: White

Number: 2

Rune: Tyr (T)

Celtic Tree Month of Coll (Hazel) – August 4 – September 1

The Runic Half Month of As (August 13 – August 28)

Goddess of the Month of Hesperis – August 9 – September 5

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick