Summer's Winding Down, But the Planets are Winding Up!
By Judi Vitale

Ahh...Summertime...Yikes! It's almost over! And kids aren't the only ones who have to wake up from their summer dreams and face responsibilities. Who wouldn't prefer lazing on the beach to facing a growing 'to do' list jam-packed with all the things the boss wants done... yesterday. Personally, I think going back to school would be a lot less stressful.

Getting our heads "back in the game" for work or school can be difficult, but this year we're getting a lot of extra encouragement from the planets. Here are some helpful tips that will give you an edge over the less informed -- if you're the type that isn't afraid to take the bull by the horns!

Mercury came into Virgo on August 6th. Around that time, you might have noticed that work became more of a focus for you than it had been for the first part of the summer. The Sun will amplify this shift, helping you to work more productively, when it moves into Virgo on the 22nd. Mars will give you an extra burst of physical stamina on the 29th, and soon you'll be firing on all cylinders. Time to put the pedal to the metal!

All this productive energy is great, but it's even more effective when you know where to direct it. For that, let's look at the Full Moon in Aquarius, which also occurs on August 22nd. This date could mark the culmination of a project you may have started about two weeks previously. It could have been almost anything (and maybe even more than one thing). But no matter what 'it' was, the benefits will be directed toward your friends, your company, and maybe even the local community.

It's a good time to start a fund raising drive or launch any project that's geared toward bringing a large group of people together. There's an energy surge with every Full Moon, and this one is all about joining together for a common goal. With so many people joining hands to do good work, the beginning of Fall could be a rejuvenating time for one and all.

The other big astro-news comes from Pluto -- the Powerhouse Planet. Pluto will be moving forward again (from the retrograde period it's been in since March). When this happens, I think we'll see a noticeable turnaround in world events. The drastic changes and painful hardship so many of us endured last year happened while Pluto was opposing Saturn. These two forces, locked in a tug-of-war, pulled everyone in opposing directions. All that energy was bottled up with nowhere to go, and we all know what happened next. Saturn has moved along now, so the energy feels less confined. But when Pluto turns direct on the 26th of August, we need to brace ourselves for BIG CHANGES.

In terms of the global community, expect things that have been simmering to reach a boiling point. This could be good news for the stock market or the economy, but maybe not so good for potentially escalating violence in hot spots like the Middle East. Depending on how our world leaders act (or react), we might see new waves of violence (sorry, but that's a real possibility now). Pluto wants transformation, and if we're lucky, some of these shifts in power will change things for the better.

My advice? It's very important now to focus on what you want to do with all the productive and transformative energy that will be available to you. Take a tip from all those little ones getting ready for the new school year. Put on some bright new clothes, shine your shoes and sharpen your pencils. Better yet, take a minute to put some gratitude in your attitude. We can choose to use this special time as a celebration of strength, and a chance for us all to do all kinds of great things together! (And no, your boss did NOT pay me to say that...)

Coming SOON: Sign your contracts, check your car and back up your computer... MERCURY'S GOING RETROGRADE!!!!!