The Closing Concerto

Our hypothetical summer evening with the Cosmic Philharmonic comes to a close. We witnessed how the virtuosi tuned their instruments as Uranus, Neptune and Pluto tightened their Minor Grand Trine while exerting personal influence on us through Mercury and Venus. Sun and Moon had what we called a pseudo-feral new moon in Gemini that encouraged us to let go of all the extra baggage we have been carrying; its Sabian symbol talked about the pruning of a palm tree. And yet, Sun and Moon were able to lend a “helping hand” to Chiron which was initiating a short but important trek through Taurus. After the summer solstice—which almost coincided with the First Quarter in Libra—the concert hall became eerily silent as the conductor walked in and took the stage.

The opening piece, a whimsical bagatelle, began with the full moon in Capricorn encouraging us to use our intuition when deciding how to lighten our load. Jupiter entered Leo and Mars joined Uranus in Gemini; multiple themes crisscrossing and echoing the ups and downs of fear and uncertainty heard throughout the world. The wars being fought became clearly nonsensical as the Last Quarter in Aries saw Uranus move into the fifth degree of Gemini and complete the exact Minor Grand Trine of the transpersonal planets.

The Current Symphony

This month, we are being treated to a masterful symphony where all planets play one theme in unison: changes are here, there is no more energy available for the old paradigms and no way of turning back. In the first movement, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto foretold of a massive technological, ideological and spiritual upgrade to be done in the next few years, well before 2032. The second movement brought a delightful new moon in Cancer just as Jupiter moved into the fifth degree of Leo and completed a configuration called “Barbault’s Basket”: a Trapeze which, according to André Barbault, marks moments when civilizations reorganize themselves by “breaking the old order and establishing a new cultural, altruistic and technological rebirth”.

After Sun mimicked Jupiter and formed its own exact “basket” with the Minor Grand Trine—on the same day that the nodal axis was changing signs—the normally dance-like third movement embodied one of the most powerful full moons I have ever seen. It featured a Jupiter cazimi in Leo opposing a tight Moon–Pluto conjunction in Aquarius; an opposition that spoke of a humanity needing to accept the challenge presented by the planets—the Sabian symbols were “the constellations in the sky” and “a child born on an eggshell”. On a personal note, an exact square between Venus and Mars might have brought insights to our relationships, especially since each planet formed an exact semi-square with the Sun–Jupiter cazimi and a sesquiquadrate with Moon.

I began writing this article awaiting the fourth movement: the Last Quarter phase, which will hopefully help us understand what the full moon revealed to us. When I wrote about that phase, I said it would be a needed “dose of reality” to the lofty upgrade heralded. I also spoke about our relationships and acknowledged that there may still be some unresolved friction. However, the energies encourage us not to overthink and instead rely on our intuition while we live one moment at a time.

An Eclipses Concerto

Unlike a symphony, where the entire orchestra plays as a collective unit, a concerto features a prominent solo instrument, such as a piano or a violin, showcased in front of an accompanying orchestra. A concerto typically consists of only three movements (fast, slow, fast) and often features at least one cadenza: a span when the orchestra drops out completely, leaving the soloist to dazzle the audience with a set of flourishes, often completely original, right before a movement ends. Just as there are concertos for two instruments, like Mozart’s Concerto No. 10 for Two Pianos, we will have a concerto for “two lights” (Sun and Moon) that will dazzle us with two wonderful eclipses: their own cadenzas.

It is worth noting that these will be the first eclipses since the nodal axis shifted to Aquarius and Leo on July 27, as we briefly mentioned in the last article. The North Node in Aquarius will facilitate life experiences related to the expression of society and community values, while the South Node in Leo will make available our individual expression as a resource to face such experiences.

Act I: Purely-individual Expression

One of my favorite concertos is Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Its first movement features a legendary grand introduction before shifting into a lively interplay between the piano and the orchestra. Just as the orchestra outlines the theme before the piano takes over, later today (August 10) we will have an opposition between Venus and Neptune at 4°07′ of Libra and Aries, respectively. Such an opposition will be forming a Kite configuration because, as we have seen, Neptune is driving the Minor Grand Trine of the transpersonal planets. Once again, relationship issues may rock our boat as we try to understand what the full moon revealed, due to a lingering square between Venus and Mars.

The total solar eclipse will occur roughly 36 hours later, on August 12, at 10:37 a.m. in California, 11:37 a.m. in Mexico City, or at 7:37 p.m. in Central Europe. Sun and Moon will be at Leo 20°02′ as shown in the following chart:

We can immediately see how the concerto unfolds. The “soloists” (Sun and Moon) are not quite pseudo-feral as they were two months ago but they are only connected with the “orchestra” through a wide trine with Saturn (Aries 14°30′)—itself having a wide trine with Jupiter (Leo 9°33′) that will be exact later in the lunation. With the “orchestra” silent, Sun and Moon present us with an internal, highly personal blank canvas and demand to know: Who are you when the external noise—the applause—stops?

Most of the other planets will be involved in the aforementioned Kite led by Venus (Libra 5°53′), driven by Neptune (Aries 4°05′), and supported by Uranus (Gemini 5°21′) and Pluto (Aquarius 3°54′). Although wide, the square between Venus and Mars (Cancer 0°55′) will be a component of the lunation seed. Taken together, there will be plenty of energy to wrap up any issues related to either relationships or finances, particularly with Mars acting from Cancer, which brings out a caring and protective side to our desires.

There will be another exact Minor Grand Trine at the time of the eclipse. It will be built from the trine of Venus and Uranus and the sextiles they form with Mercury (Leo 5°07′); all three in the sixth degree of their signs. Earlier in the day, Mercury and Pluto will have been in an exact opposition at 3°35′ of Leo and Aquarius, respectively, for another Kite configuration with Pluto as leader. After spending over two months in Cancer, Mercury will be literally rushing through Leo in 16 days: from August 9 to 25. The Mercury–Venus sextile will be helpful in expressing any relationship friction, although the Mercury–Pluto opposition could introduce issues of control. That said, the trine of Venus and Uranus, common to both Kites, is encouraging us to rely on our intuition as we explore novel ways of relating.

Sabian Symbol

The symbol of Leo 21, where Sun and Moon will be located at the eclipse, has the seemingly frivolous image: “Chickens intoxicated”, which Rudhyar reworded as “Intoxicated chickens dizzily flap their wings trying to fly”, and expanded to the often-negative and at times ludicrous first experience with spiritual teachings.

Diana Roche talks about the dangers of using anything alien or unnatural for stimulation or excitement but Dane Rudhyar points out that, in Near Eastern symbolism, “wine, intoxication, and vineyards always refer to ecstatic experiences and to the contact with mystical or occult schools”. Both see the image as a warning towards attempting to raise the level of consciousness or achieving spiritual results either prematurely or through artificial means, provoking a reaction of “dizziness”. The symbol addresses the danger of a Premature Expansion of Consciousness.

In the context of the Venusian and Mercurial Kites, and following the euphoric challenge in last month’s “symphony” (“the constellations in the sky” and “a child born on an eggshell”), this symbol is a call for patience. With Uranus as the sole transpersonal planet not moving retrograde, our mind and our values system will be attracted to new and perhaps rebellious behaviors. We may feel that we have integrated the transpersonal shifts of 2025 and 2026 but this solar eclipse asks us to be a bit cautious, especially when considering the trine of Sun and Moon with Saturn. Saturn will serve as the antidote for drunken chickens, for we must learn to walk firmly on the earth before we can fly.

Interlude in Scorpio Minor

Such a message seems to be reinforced by the First Quarter in Scorpio: the crisis of action that arises when trying to actualize the potentialities of the new-moon seed. In this case, they include an overeager attempt to achieve a higher level of consciousness resulting in an intoxicated high that must be moderated with a dose of Saturn’s temperance:

The Fairy Motif

The symbol for Scorpio 28, where we will find Moon at the First Quarter, has the image “The king of the fairies approaching his domain”. Such an image seems to herald the one of Virgo 5, where Sun will be at the lunar eclipse, which is “A man dreaming of fairies”. To Rudhyar, the “domain” of the fairies represents the unseen, vital, and spiritual forces of nature and evolution; the kind of energy we have attributed to the Minor Grand Trine of the transpersonal planets.

The king of the fairies approaching his domain represents a return to an inner, sovereign spiritual power that, at this level, is still hidden, occult, operating in the subconscious underworld (Scorpio). A week later, at the lunar eclipse, a Sun–Mercury cazimi will act with an enormous Virgoan logic, as we will see shortly. The man dreaming of fairies is the conscious, wakeful mind finally catching a glimpse of that hidden domain, and trying to map it out.

Furthermore, the First Quarter chart shows a square between Mars (Cancer 5°45′) and Neptune (Aries 3°56′), which will have been exact two days earlier. A Mars–Neptune square will create a foggy atmosphere and is likely to energize confusion or idealized behavior. The “fairies” can easily distort into escapist illusions or spiritual bypassing. It would be easy to mistake an emotional projection (Mars in Cancer) for a divine mandate (Neptune in Aries).

Saturn Rights the Ship

In the First Quarter chart, we find Mercury at Leo 19°16′, having advanced twelve degrees in one week by moving at 145–165% of its average speed. It is shown making a trine with Saturn (Aries 14°15′) that will have been exact two days earlier; the same day when the Mars–Neptune fog will roll in. At the same time, Venus (Libra 12°54′) is shown forming an opposition with Saturn; thus both of the personal planets who were involved in their own consciousness-elevating Kites at the solar eclipse are asked to look into Saturn eyes and take a deep breath. Saturn acts like the heavy, grounding anchor that says: “Listen to the music of the fairy domain, but do not lose your footing in the swamp of emotional confusion.”

The Mercury–Saturn trine will allow us to think and communicate with sober reality, while the Venus–Saturn opposition will draw firm, realistic boundaries in our relationships and our needs. The First-Quarter Moon calls upon the “king of the fairies,” signaling that a massive, authentic spiritual empowerment is taking place within us. However, the path to his domain is treacherous, guarded by a foggy Mars–Neptune square that tempts us with illusion and emotional distortion. The universe tests our maturity. It is only by leaning into the sobering discipline of Saturn—the patience we were promised at the solar eclipse—that we can cut through the mirage and carry this spiritual power forward to the Full Moon phase.

Act II: The Mind Surrenders

It will all culminate at a near-total lunar eclipse (96.2% totality) on August 27 at 9:18 p.m. in California, 10:18 p.m. in Mexico City, or on August 28 at 6:18 a.m. in Central Europe. Sun will be at Virgo 4°54′ and Moon at Pisces 4°54′ as shown in the following chart:

As you can see, this time the “soloists” will be much more involved with the rest of the “orchestra”. There are three configurations involving Sun and Moon with other planets. More importantly, Sun and Mercury (Virgo 5°22′) are only separated by 0°28′, so we will essentially have a Mercury cazimi—their conjunction will have been exact twelve hours earlier. You may recall that we had a Jupiter cazimi at the powerful full moon of July 29. At that time, we described a cazimi as a special type of conjunction with Sun in which the energies of the planet are radiated in their purest form. Mercury is the ruler of Virgo so this cazimi will permeate the chart with the mental exactness and critical thinking, as well as the emphasis on service and work, that is characteristic of the sign.

With that in mind, let’s look at the three configurations mentioned earlier. First, Uranus (Gemini 5°37′) forms a tight T-square with the opposition between Sun/Mercury (the cazimi) and Moon. In a T-square, the planet with the two squares feels “compelled” to release energy onto the opposition. Uranus is bound to make the eclipse’s revelations sudden and unexpected while stimulating our intuition. At the same time, Mars (Cancer 10°58′) forms a wide Mystic Triangle with the eclipse’s opposition, a configuration that offers an alternate path to the polarity. We can see a role-reversal where Mars plays a supporting role and energizes the Virgoan logic of Mercury as it tries to understand what we are feeling: that we are living a generational consciousness upgrade.

The Boomerang of Surrender

The exact sextile of Neptune (Aries 3°45′) and Pluto (Aquarius 3°35′) and the cazimi–Moon opposition form a configuration we have never seen earlier, called a Boomerang. It is typically formed by four planets arranged in a tall and skinny cross: a “vertical” axis formed by an opposition intersected by a “horizontal” axis formed by a sextile. The four vertices are joined by semi-sextiles at the top and quincunxes at the bottom. If you locate Neptune in the chart (on the left, just below 9 o’clock), move 30° counterclockwise to find Moon and another 30° to find Pluto. Those three form the “head” of the cross and they all make aspects with Sun (near 4 o’clock).

The best way to understand the Boomerang is to analyze its components. In the past, we have talked about the Yod, sometimes called the Finger of God or the Arrow of Fate, a triangular configuration in which two planets are joined by a sextile and form quincunxes (150°) with a third planet, called the apex. Such is the case with Neptune, Pluto and the Sun/Mercury cazimi. Even though quincunxes are considered “minor” aspects, they connect signs that have nothing in common—opposing polarities and dissimilar elements and modalities—so they represent a persistent and nagging creative energy. In a Yod, the apex planet is constantly pushed by the jointly-productive energies of the sextile. In this case, the Virgoan cazimi will try to figure out the energies of Neptune and Pluto.

As an aside, the Neptune–Pluto sextile has been with us since the ending of World War II and was a fixture through the entire Cold War. It combines deception and power and could be a reflection of angst. The two planets drifted apart in the 2010s, still making an operational sextile, but will be forming several exact sextiles between now and 2039. The current chaos, mostly caused by the collapse of the old paradigms, has undoubtedly renewed a global anxiety mirrored by the Neptune–Pluto sextile. Thus, the Yod with a powerful Mercury cazimi in Virgo as apex is a fierce, yet feeble, attempt to understand rationally what is going on. However, it is like trying to use a spreadsheet to handle the massive shifts of the outer planets.

In a Boomerang, the tension felt by the planet at the Yod’s apex snaps across the opposition, which is the aspect that joins two complementary signs—in this case, it will snap to the Pisces Moon. The small triangle formed at the “head” of the cross, in this case Neptune, Moon and Pluto, helps release the tension. Therefore, at the lunar eclipse, when the analytical mind surrenders, a wave of raw emotion, catharsis, and even spiritual insight will take over. The energies are there for us to stop thinking our way through the evolutionary loop and begin feeling our way through it.

Sabian Symbols

All this becomes even more poignant when looking at the Sabian symbols. As we saw earlier, the image for Virgo 5 (Sun) is “A man dreaming of fairies”. Consistent with Rudhyar’s view of the fairies domain, he rephrased the image to “A man becoming aware of nature spirits and normally unseen spiritual agencies”, expanded as the opening of new levels of consciousness. He points out that the analytical mind is constantly giving “name and form” (in Sanskrit: nama and rupa) as an “image”, for which he proposes Imagination as the degree’s keyword. In the context of the lunar eclipse, the cazimi is trying to use Virgoan precision to map out, categorize and intellectually grasp the magical, subtle realms. It symbolizes the brilliant but strained effort of the mind trying to structure the divine.

The image for the Pisces 5 (Moon) symbol is, simply, “A church bazaar”, further explained as the value of giving a spiritual or transcendent sanction to even the most commonplace interchanges between social persons and individual minds. The symbol touches on a Ritualized Beneficence which stresses the possibility of the “Presence of God” in the most material human activities. In this case, the Pisces Moon is the reaction point that breaks the tension of the Virgo apex. If Virgo 5 is the solitary individual trying to parse out and map higher consciousness alone in his mind, Pisces 5 is the communal expression of that spirit.

Overall, when the Virgo mental system overloads from trying to “figure out the fairies,” the Boomerang snaps energy across the sky into the Pisces Moon. The resolution to the mental pressure is to bring our spirituality into common human connection. It is not possible to integrate the Minor Grand Trine energies by isolating ourselves with a complex map; we must go to the “bazaar”—by sharing, interacting, exchanging kindness, and grounding transpersonal love into simple, daily human community.

Act III: The Bazaar Blueprint

In the lunation cycle, the Disseminating phase begins about three days after the full moon, when Sun and Moon form a waning sesquiquadrate aspect (135°). Symbolically, it is when we feel a desire to understand what the full moon revealed and we can either try to satisfy such desire or give up altogether. During the next lunation, such a phase will occur on August 31 at 8:31 p.m. (GMT) with Sun at Virgo 8°27′ and Moon at Aries 23°27′.

Less than two hours later, Jupiter and Saturn will form an exact opening trine as shown in the following chart:

Astrologically speaking, Mars (Cancer 13°21′) will be providing support, for it forms exact aspects with both planets: a semi-sextile with Jupiter and a square with Saturn, for which it is the dispositor by ruling Aries. What is more, it will also form a sesquiquadrate with the North Node (Aquarius 29°48′), perhaps triggering “external events” related to the desire for understanding the eclipse’s revelations. Finally, Mercury (Virgo 12°34′) will be forming a sextile with Mars, adding a mental element to such a desire. Of course, this means that Mercury will make another semi-sextile with Jupiter and a quincunx with Saturn, as seen in the chart. Incidentally, just as it happened with Leo, Mercury will travel through Virgo in 16 days: from August 25 to September 10.

The Chronocrators at Work

I mentioned in the preview for 2026 that this will be the first of three trines with Jupiter and Saturn in the signs of Leo and Aries since the 2020 Grand Mutation and the only one in 2026. In their role as chronocrators—planetary timekeepers of the collective social fabric—their Grand Air Conjunction of December 2020 planted the mental seed for roughly 200 years of a non-extractive, collaborative world. Their fire trines (Leo–Aries) will provide the kinetic, creative willpower to actually build it.

In the context of the Disseminating phase, this is the literal blueprint for the “church bazaar” of Pisces 5. If the lunar eclipse is viewed as the raw, emotional shock that will force us to value spiritual human connection, the subsequent Jupiter–Saturn trine will provide the societal structures, rules, and mutual support needed to run that marketplace daily. It will take the mystical experience and turn it into practical, everyday community reality.

Mars in Cancer normally acts as the emotional defender, but it is presently occupying the territory of Saturn’s detriment—and of its own fall—while acting as Saturn’s dispositor. Such a square creates an intense, friction-filled push to defend and secure our emotional baseline. It forces us to stop hiding behind passive feelings and build concrete structures that protect human vulnerability. Its aspects to the North Node and Mercury are a sign of constructive restlessness. It will prevent us from slipping back into comfortable, old habits after the eclipse and will demand that we use our analytical minds to fiercely pursue and digest the revelations.

Coda: Liquidating the Old Script

In spite of having the strongest desire to understand what happened at the lunar eclipse and trying to analyze the times we are living, only to surrender to the realization that our real need is a community of mutual beneficence, we are bound to stop and wonder: “Will we ever actually figure out what that eclipse was about? Can we really live this new paradigm?”

This is the energy reflected every lunation at the Last Quarter phase, this time in Gemini, as shown in the following chart:

Most of the aspects shown in the chart of the Jupiter–Saturn trine will still be operational, so I will concentrate on Moon (Gemini 11°49′). However, it is worth pointing out that the same hyper-focused Mercury found in a cazimi at the lunar eclipse in its own sign of Virgo is also the ruler of Gemini. However, we are no longer trying to analyze the fairies but figure out how to talk to them. Regarding the crisis of consciousness of every Last Quarter phase, I want to call your attention to Venus (Libra 25°45′), which makes a trine with the North Node (Aquarius 29°46′) that will probably bring a softer set of “life experiences”.

The symbol for Gemini 12 has gone through several iterations, probably because the initial wording was later considered racist. The original image was: “A Topsy sassily asserting herself”, where the word Topsy is a remnant of early 20th-century lingo, when the symbols were created. Topsy was a fictional character, a black slave child, in the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In his book about the symbols, Rudhyar modified to image to: “A Negro girl fights for her independence in the city”, further explained as liberation from the ghosts of the past and, in fact, wrote about the symbol’s meaning: “What is needed is a total Liquidation of the past: virgin minds for virgin fields.”

Faith in the Cosmic Timing

In a true musical coda, the composer brings back the opening theme of the piece, but plays it in a new key to show how the journey has transformed the listener. The Leo solar eclipse (Act I) warns us against a premature expansion of consciousness (the “intoxicated chickens”). It commands us to be patient and build steady, Saturnian endurance. Finding it hard to do so (Interlude), we are asked to trust the unseen spiritual forces of nature and evolution: the “fairies”. The Boomerang at the lunar eclipse (Act II) explodes with raw, psychic, transpersonal revelations; it practically blows our minds wide open. But a door opens: the availability of a bazaar (Act III) where a community can experience ritualized beneficence. However, as we were told from the very beginning, the effort requires patience and something else just as important: a willingness to liquidate the old paradigms we have used thus far and thus let go of the old script.

The Gala Ends

As the house lights finally come up and the theater empties, we are left standing in a profoundly altered landscape. The extraordinary cosmic gala of this summer—which began with the meticulous Tuning Ritual of June’s new moon, shifted into the crisp Opening Bagatelle, during the full moon in Capricorn and reached an epic crescendo in July’s Masterful Symphony—has found its definitive resolution in this Closing Concerto.

These past summer months have not merely been a passing season of interesting transits; they have been a sacred, historic crossroads for humanity. The rhythmic chords struck by the planets this summer will resonate within our collective consciousness for years to come. As we step out of the theater and into the open air of the future, let us carry the music with us, trust the cosmic timing, and boldly write our new script.

Wrapping Up…

Not much else to say; please, declare your intentions before August 12.

Always Love. 🌹🙏💖