Rachel Lang is a professionally certified astrologer and consultant with an international client base of individuals, small businesses, and corporations. She hosts a regular video podcast/Internet radio show called Blissen Up about astrology and spirituality. An internationally recognized speaker, her workshops, classes, retreats and meditation groups connect a diverse group of like-minded individuals. Rachel helps her clients access spiritual and astrological insights to live more successful, purposeful lives. She empowers them in decision-making processes by identifying challenging influences or blocks. Then, she maps out astrological trends and forecasts to help clients see a clearer vision of the future. In client sessions, she focuses on event planning and timing, making and timing major decisions, navigating love life challenges, helping achieve career goals, timing of legal issues, planning travel and tours using astrocartography, making financial adjustments, and more.
Weekly Horoscopes for the Week of 8/15/16 – 8/20/16
Aries: Your weekly totem animal? The eagle. You were born to soar, untethered and free. The eagle is a symbol of courage, strength, and vision. It represents your need to have a clear big-picture view of your future. Clarity of vision is the only way you can win in your current pursuit, whether that means securing that new client contract, landing a new job, or wooing a special someone. What clouds your vision and holds you back from your dreams? You might first think of the minutia of everyday life, with the chores and tasks that eat up your time. Perhaps you have another, more subtle influence. The urge to act on impulse and a restless drive for action can also cloud your vision and throw your flight off course. Sometimes, you need to remain still on your perch long enough for the clouds to part to identify your target. Wait for it to show itself to you. If you have been frustrated by a seeming lack of motion in your life, perhaps you are working too hard in pursuit. Maybe you could try a new approach: Trust divine timing.
The Full Moon shines in your 11th house on August 18. The influence of this event highlights your hope for the future and sense of life purpose. You might not have an understanding of your true calling, and that is okay! Your purpose is always in flux, evolving as you are. Therefore, when in reflection this week, go back to the basics. Write down a list of your top priorities. What do you value the most in your life? That top priority also could be the aspect of life that makes you feel limited and restricted. For example, if “family” is at the top of your list, then when you have to choose between an evening with friends or taking your daughter to a concert, you can experience the reward in making that choice. Those aspects of life – job, children, pets, home, relationship, or workout goals – help build character and make life rich and complex.
Taurus: Two urges tug you in different directions this week. Your playful, bighearted side wants to remain on vacation even as the back-to-school sales start. But you are not ready to stop lounging poolside with a delicious book! Feed this impulse – to relax. The past few months may have felt like a whirlwind with social activities and family gatherings. Your heart is full again, and you feel recharged.
The other urge, much more subtle, tugging at you this week is a need for responsibility. Your home, family, and career provide you with stability, emotionally, spiritually, and materially. You have drive and ambition, even though you achieve like a bull, by stubbornly refusing to budge even when the outlook seems bleak. You stay put. Then, sheer determination propels you up the ladder of success. Responsibility could come through the gift of a job promotion, by purchasing a new home, or in organizing your child’s fall school schedule. Let’s face it: there’s part of you that likes to feel purposeful, needed. Indulge this part as well as the part of you that just wants to take a vacay.
Play is a vital ingredient in the recipe for success. It awakens you to a creative process. The balance between play and duty is the same as the balance between flour and butter. Too much of any one ingredient could ruin a batch. No, it is not always practical to take an afternoon off, but once in a while, it allows you to enter a liminal space. In that creative process, you connect with the divine and can hear your call.
Gemini: If you have been obsessed with the Olympics, you might feel inspired to fight for some win in your life. You can almost see yourself on the platform with hand over heart as the anthem plays. Yes! You beat out the competition for the new job! You scored that contract for the new home! You can imagine and see the victories…but there’s one small problem. With Saturn in your opposite sign, your get-up-and-go attitude feels a bit, well, stuck. You might ask yourself, “How can I build momentum and access the energy I need to make a change in my life?” First of all, you cannot wait for the Universe to shake things up for you. All change is motivated by an inner stirring, a soul craving for growth. Even the most tumultuous transitions have this propulsion.
If you want real, lasting, life-affirming change, allow yourself to sit in stillness. Turn off social media, unplug the television, and listen to that inner voice inviting you to a new adventure. You might try journaling. With the Sun in your third house of communication, you have so much to say, insight to share. Writing can be healing for you and anyone reading your work.
So, perhaps this time of stillness is a gift in that it allows you to do some soul-searching. Consider it your training period before the big game.
Finally, I have a few words about relationships. Why do you attract people into your life who push all of your buttons? They are soulmates, helping your soul access valuable lessons. You need a little tension. Just like Olympians need resistance to build their muscles. When you make it over this hurdle, this training period, you can enjoy a time of ease. Don’t run away; run deeper in.
Cancer: Whenever the Moon travels through a new phase of the lunation cycle, you feel it perhaps more than any other sign. On a visceral level, you feel the Moon’s magnetic pull and electromagnetic influence. Physically, the Moon relates to bodily fluids and the lymphatic system. Energetically, it signifies emotional currents and mood shifts. The Full Moon in Leo illuminates the possibility of greater financial and material abundance. However, you will have some tough choices to make and words to say.
First of all, ask yourself, “Am I putting the needs of others before my own?” If the answer is yes or even sometimes, you might want to look at how you can break that cycle. If you find yourself spending energy people-pleasing or sugar-coating your words so others do not have to feel rejection, anger, or pain, you are wasting precious nurturance on people who may not fully appreciate your gifts. Try instead to turn that attention to yourself. If you need a little inspiration about this, watch a clip from Oprah’s Lifeclass in which Iyanla Vanzant claims it is “self-full” and not “selfish” to put yourself first.
How might you nurture yourself this week, Cancer? Here are some ideas. Turn off the phone, unplug from the computer, and give yourself the gift of time. Draw a bath or lie by the pool. Water is so healing for you. Feel the presence of the divine source or your guides and angels around you. If you feel anxious or restless during this time, observe that sensation and wait for it to pass. Take deep breaths. Repeat to yourself over and over: I am love. I am love. I am loved. I am loved. Feel those words in your heart. Give yourself about an hour in this time, and make this your Full Moon Ritual. Fill your cup and allow it to runneth over. Then, you can enjoy the process of sharing your affection, time, attention, and gifts with others.
Leo: When you allow the creative process to unfold for you, gently, lovingly, and gracefully, you might clear any blocks. Receive the inspiration rather than go out and pursue it. Then, the aha moment, when it all comes together. Suddenly, the message you have to deliver to the world must be expressed! Nothing can hold you back.
When self-expression becomes more about the message you give than the stage upon which you stand– this shift in thinking creates the turning point for your success.
As a Leo, you have a deep-seeded need to say something meaningful and reach an audience. Even the shiest among you feels this impulse underneath the negative voices in your head shushing you. When the Full Moon on August 18 illuminates your house of partnership and connection with others, you could receive support from a special person to help you clear the resistance and shine your brilliant light.
Your birthday has passed (except for you late Leos or cuspers), and you might feel the subtle influences if the new solar cycle, your new year. I encourage you to reflect on what success might mean for you and what goals you would like to achieve this year. Clear your throat and any psychic debris that prevents you from speaking from your heart. Then, step up into the center of the stage that has been set for you. You were born under the sun’s very own sign. It is time to shine.
Virgo: Love. Let me repeat that word. Love. Did you hear it in your mind? Did you see it? What does love mean to you? Let us take it out of its romantic context for a moment and see it as a universal energy that enlivens us and moves us to create. What does that even mean? (See, I know how your mind works!) I have a homework assignment for you. Take out a piece of paper and draw eight circles on it. Then, in a fast stream of consciousness, write one word that comes up for you about the word “love.” Were you surprised by what you found? This week takes you on a bit of an emotional ride. Your heart wants to feel connected to another. Your mind wants to share ideas and brainstorm. Your body wants a to feel a closeness with another. However, to allow this delicious unfolding, you have to take a free-fall. You have to trust.
Love, that universal energy that makes your insides feel like goo, does not have to be only expressed in a romantic union. You can feel it in the height of a creative moment, when your song, poem, artistic piece, or scientific formula evokes powerful feeling. The kind that makes you wonder whether or not you are having a heart attack. You feel it viscerally. You connect to God when you relate to that divine creative spark within. If you can allow that sensation to take over your body, only then can you fall in love with someone else.
Relationships get messy. They are never ideal. People push our buttons and drive us crazy. They have little flaws like crooked teeth, and they can sometimes forget to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube. But people also help us see the beauty in ourselves by reflecting on us aspects of ourselves we might not be able to see. You in your very essence are love. So, sure! You have all it takes to do this relationship thing.
Libra: I feel you, Libra. It has been a rather interesting couple of years since Uranus moved into your house of relationships. I mean, really, what is up with your love life? Let’s take the focus away from that for a moment and look at something you might not always see for yourself. I want to talk about your mind. You are smart. You are brilliant, in fact. Give yourself a little credit! You have some perfectionist tendencies that lead you into a cycle of indecision and stuckness. In those times, you forget about your number one resource: your mind. You can use it to change any habit or behavioral pattern.
Let’s try this. We are going on a little mental scavenger hunt. Think of one question about a stuck place in your life. When you have your question, take out a pen and paper. Write down the first three thoughts that come to your mind, fast, without judgment or reflection. Just write the words. You can keep doing this exercise until you access some clarity. Sometimes, it can be challenging to hear your own thoughts amidst the swirl of advice and opinions you have heard from others. Your mind is brilliant (I repeat), and I think you might have an idea of what you need to do.
The Full Moon on August 18 highlights your creative impulse and your yearning to develop innovative ideas. Whatever you dream, you can build. Whether you are writing a novel or hosting a dinner party, you feel most fulfilled when you use your gifts to their fullest.
Scorpio: Pop the champagne and prepare to toast. You have some celebrating to do. Saturn has been prominent in the cosmic conversation. Its recent retrograde motion (from March 25 until August 13) gave us the illusion it was moving backward, but now that is over, and it is moving direct again. Yay! What does this mean for you? Well, this one put some pressure on your finances and made you question yourself. It could have even taken you down a rabbit hole of self-inquiry. Not quite an existential crisis, more of a journey of self-realization. Your job, economic value and self-esteem are deeply connected. So, where do you want to go? How do you want to use your big talents? The time for movement is about to begin.
Take the steps necessary to make new contacts. Reach out to your network of colleagues and friends. Ask lots of questions to find out the hidden opportunities. You might even think of starting something entrepreneurial.
No job will feel rewarding unless you have a sense of connecting to a bigger picture. You have reached a point in your life in which you want to give back, to contribute. Start in simple ways in your life. Find a community garden and do some volunteering. When you connect with nature, you can access nature-inspired information to develop solutions to the problems in your life as well as in the world. A walk outside can be as effective as an oracle spread when you want to receive insight from the divine.
Sagittarius: Sometimes, when I write these horoscopes, I hear song lyrics as messages for a particular sign. This is happening for you this week. As I looked at the chart for Sagittarius, I heard the lyrics:
Climb every mountain
Search high and low
Follow every byway
Every path you know
Climb every mountain
Ford every stream
Follow every rainbow
‘Till you find your dream
I offer this message to you because this week you might feel an energetic shift due to Saturn’s change in motion. It has been giving us the illusion of backward motion since March 25, and now it is finally moving direct again. Oh, and did I mention it happens to be in your sign? Saturn is the planet of discipline, structure, and stability. To be honest, it kind of feels like the “Debbie Downer” planet, for you, especially. Your planetary ruler, Jupiter, has quite a different vibe. It wants limitless possibilities, expansion, higher learning, and freedom to explore.
Here’s how it works. Say you want to take a trip to an exotic island. Jupiter says, “Yes! Let’s go tomorrow. You can do it. Just take the money from savings, and let’s take off. Think of all you will learn and what you will see! And we might want to go zip-lining while we are there if possible! Take your vacation days now…” And on and on. Saturn says, “This vacation is not practical. You only have so many days available per year, and you might want to save them. It is too much trouble to try to take time off with all of the responsibilities you have taken on right now. Come on, now, be sensible. Stay home and finish your work. Look at all you have to do around the house. You do not need to spend the money…” You get the idea, right?
Your job this week is to find ways to bring the two aspects of your chart (and personality) into balance. Climb the mountain (Saturn) and hold onto your dream (Jupiter).
Capricorn: Take your place in the Director’s chair this week, Capricorn. You have elevated yourself and can no longer accept anything but the very best. You are a powerful leader with incredible ideas and an innovative approach to your career. No one else will see your amazingness until you do. So, indulge in a little positive self-talk. Stand in front of the mirror and say, “You are a powerhouse of a person, so smart and good looking. You were born for love, success, and abundance. You were born with a purpose and will make a difference in the world.” Own it and then work from that paradigm.
The Full Moon rises in just the right way to boost your confidence, and from an expanded sense of your worth, you can reach for those golden opportunities you previously saw as unattainable. In fact, on August 17 or 18, you might want to do a little abundance ritual to help open the doors. I recommend connecting with other earth sign friends (Virgo and Taurus) to brainstorm about ways to collaborate. What fun is a success if you cannot share it with someone else?
Finally, I offer you another message. When it comes to dreams, you cannot be too extravagant. Even if your goals feel impractical or out of reach, do not shut them down. Keep reaching up. Your ruling planet, Saturn, can cause you to stifle your enthusiasm, but this is not very fun. The dream memosphere wants no bounds, no limits. Want to win an Academy Award? Hold it in the space of possibility. That is the beginning of a manifestation process. Saturn has been quite vocal over the last few months, and you might have had some seeming setbacks as a result. Now, though, it is moving back in direct motion. Therefore, some of your “no’s” may turn to “yesses.” Open your mind and expand your horizons.
Aquarius: “All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare wrote. Think about that for a moment. Each person in your life plays some role. If you believe in karma and sacred contracts, you might understand conceptually how this plays out for you. The role of the villain may be the bad man from your past. Your best friend may play the role of sidekick. The protagonist, of course, is you. Therefore, you are the central character in each scene. If you find yourself in challenging relationships, see the plot points along the way for guidance on how to change the narrative. If you do not like where the story is headed, recognize your ability to change the script, meaning your internal dialogue.
Lucky you; the Full Moon is in your sign this week. As you look up into the night sky and see it in its fullness, imagine that it is a giant spotlight. You have been known to deflect attention, to work carefully from backstage. Now, though, you have the chance for recognition if you can adjust and play to the light. When someone offers praise for your work, say, “Thank you,” and take the credit. You deserve it.
The Universe has begun to reveal new insights and intuitive hits for you. You might even feel as if you are tapped into the cosmos in new ways. Perhaps your Full Moon ritual might include a set of Oracle cards. One of my favorite decks recently is the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Cards by Kim Krans that was given to me by my BFF. This deck is magical, and that is an understatement. I always receive some poignant message when I draw a card as part of my daily practice. I encourage you to recognize that Spirit works through any means necessary to offer you encouragement and guidance. Whether you take a nature walk and receive guidance from lessons learned through biomimicry or you use a divination tool, pay attention. Spirit wants to lift you up and show you the way.
Pisces: What’s up? Literally. If you look up right at this moment, you might see a ceiling or skylight. You might see a sky with clouds or stars. Above us always, every minute of every day, constellations of symbols and heavenly bodies move organically in perfect rhythm with our planet Earth. We are all a part of a perfectly synchronized movement. A “carousel of time,” as Joni Mitchell might say. Cycles provide us with the lessons necessary to grow and evolve. They also participate in what we might call “divine timing.” If all of this happens without your focus, intention, control, or thought, what could cause you to worry? You cannot control the earth’s rotation, but you can have mastery over each moment. You can empower yourself to move gracefully through transitions. And you can align with nature to receive guidance as you walk your path.
This week, I encourage you to ride the emotional waves, try to find humor and joy in each up and down. Every second offers an opportunity for praise. Even your stressors and challenges play a part in a divine plan. How can you tap into that plan? Make yourself like a child.
Remember in childhood how magical everything felt? If you have forgotten, watch any family holiday movie: Prancer, Elf, or the Miracle on 34th Street. Magic exists within each of us. In each of those movies, you might hear the term, “belief.” All magic begins with belief. When I know I’m going to get a great parking spot right in front, it typically happens. That is magic. The Universe conspires to make it happen. That biblical phrase, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move a mountain” (Matthew 17:20) articulates this better than I can.
I offer you a Full Moon ritual. Write on a piece of paper what magic you need in your life right now. It could be a magical breakthrough in a creative project, a magical connection with the right person, a magical recovery from a health condition, or something else. The night of August 17, light a small white candle and set the paper right by the candle. Say, “Thank you, divine loving spirit, for the gift of magic in my life.” Then, on August 18, the day of the actual Full Moon, burn the paper and watch the smoke rise to the heavens. Look up, feel your connection. Feel your gratitude. And smile.
