Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas - The Week of August 1st, 2022: Mars in Taurus conjoins the North Node and Uranus, then squares Saturn

Episode Date: August 1, 2022

In this podcast, New York Times bestselling author and astrologer Chani Nicholas discusses the astrology of the week and what it might mean for us all. The astrology of the week of August 1st, 2022, is challenging, to say the least. As Mars — the planet of war, aggression, and conflict — conjoins the North Node and Uranus, the planet of disruption, we’re given ample opportunity to de-escalate situations and get to the root of anything that isn’t working. Because it’s all happening in Taurus, issues surrounding the environment, land, food, and/or the state of our ecological crisis will take center stage. Later in the week, Mars squares Saturn, the proverbial stop sign of the solar system — so prep for whiplash and quick-thinking. But there is beauty to be found in the dark. Through two small but mighty aspects, Venus in Cancer reminds us that connection and relationship are our way through challenging times. Hold on to what’s important and let the rest fall as it may. For more, check out your free Weekly Guide on the homepage of the CHANI app. Android users can receive their free Weekly Guide by signing up for our newsletter on chaninicholas.com. The CHANI app is currently only available for the iPhone, but we are working as hard and as fast as we can on an Android app. In the meantime, Android users can access our content by purchasing the Android Workshops on chaninicholas.com. The music featured in the podcast was created by Latashá.

Hello and welcome. This is the astrology of the week ahead podcast, and I'm your host, Channy Nicholas. In this podcast, we look at the astrology of the upcoming week and how it will be landing for all of us collectively. For a more personalized reading that dives into the ways that this week's astrology will play out for you, download the Chani app for iPhone.

in this podcast, we go through what the astrology of yes, the week ahead is going to be. And in this episode, we are looking at the week of August 1st. Dun, dun, dun, this week boasts some very challenging astrology. This is one of the corners of the year that feel edgy and substantial. And look, difficulties definitely have. help us to understand what is and what is not important. It helps us to hone in on the strategy we need to practice in order to get through the hurdles and obstacles of life. And it requires our determination. And that's what this astrology, or at least one of the things that this

astrology is helping us to focus on. What is the problem? What is the obstacle? What are the resources that I have, what can I do with what I've got? How can I be the most creative in my response to whatever it is I'm up against? How might I be in relationship with my life so that I do not feel like life is happening to me or at me, but that I am in partnership. I am co-creating with life. No matter what is going on, no matter what kind of dumpster fire this world is creating, I am in participation with my life. I don't get to choose and control and dictate how life should show up. This is life. How am I going to work with it? That's the medicine that this week has. And, you know, aside from any, astrological jargon, that's really the theme of it. So if you want to take away one lesson from this

podcast, this episode about this week, that's it. How can you be in participation with life, not take what's going on personally as much as possible, and be in a thoughtful place so that you can respond instead of react? And how can you just focus on the most important things and let the rest go. This is a time for deliberate, steady, thoughtful action. So let's talk about the astrology of what I am speaking about. Again, if this part of the podcast gets overwhelming for you, but you're still interested in learning about how all of the mechanics of this works, just take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Sometimes it's way too overwhelming to try to figure out all the things that I'm talking about. But as you keep listening to different

episodes week to week, you'll layer the information and it'll start to add up to something that feels substantive. Okay. What we're talking about this week is Mars. Mars is the planet of war and aggression and violence and making problems for us. It's also the planet that helps us to carve our own path. It is a sword. It is a weapon. It is a tool. It is a tool. It is however we use it. And we know that when Mars gets up to some funny business, we are in for a little bit of a bumpy ride. And conflict is something that we will be challenged to deal with. And quite possibly, it's the most important skill that we could cultivate.

How we deal with conflict says so much about how we. create how we are in relationship with one another and how we can also be really generative because conflict is an important component of life and the more we can de-escalate situations and get to the root of what's going on the better the less time we stay on the surface of the conflict and the quicker we go to the root of it the better obviously we all need to develop skills to work through conflict. And obviously, world leaders do not, for the most part, show us how to do that and navigate it as mature, responsible, reliable adults. So we are charged with that task ourselves. One of the other questions we might start to work on, or maybe we have been working on for the

past especially month is how do I want to show up in conflict? What are the skills I wish I had to work through challenging moments? And could I start to do that now? Who can I learn from? Who can I study? Who can I read? Who can I listen to? That really knows how to address conflict, not back down and not be held captive by fear of not being liked, of creating discord, whatever the thing is. Okay, that's one thing. So Mars is our culprit here. Mars is our instigator.

Mars is the initiator. And right now it's in a sign that it doesn't do well. And it's in Taurus. It has a hard time in Taurus. Taurus is a sign that rules and governs over the last. land over production, over sustenance, over the literal ground that we're on. It's related to, obviously, the bull. So it's related to agriculture.

It's related to food and food production, our relationship to it. Mars has just made that conjunction with the North Node. We are having eclipses in Taurus this year, meaning that everything that Taurus governs is going to be going through a destabilization. Not only that, but the planet of upheaval and change, Uranus, is also in Taurus. And the combination here of the North Node, which increases something and brings eclipses, which always bring about change, and Uranus, the planet of upheaval change and revolution or disruption, and now Mars, zipping through Taurus, because it moves much faster than either the North Node or Uranus,

is going to be activating the issues that we're dealing with that are Torrean in nature. So again, food and food production, the land, the environment, the state of our ecological crisis, all of that could be very impacted by this astrology. Again, this is not new. It's been happening since the beginning of July. And obviously, any of those issues that I just mentioned have long history that probably, that probably all goes back to colonization and its horrendous impact on all life on this planet as the root. So that we're talking at the bare minimum hundreds of years. So Mars on the North Node have just made a conjunction basically like on the 31st of July. And then on the 1st of August, Mars makes an exact conjunction with Uranus.

But again, we've been feeling this for a minute, at least for the last couple weeks, at least for the last couple days, more pronounced. on Monday it's going to perfect that Mars and Uranus. Again, Mars is a planet that has to do with aggression, sometimes war, sometimes a fight, always a conflict, a cutting edge of something, and Uranus has to do with upheaval change and earthquakes and a shocking twist of events sometimes. So when the two of them come together, it's always like, huh, let's pause and prepare for this. And when the North Node is involved, aka the point where eclipses happened and happened, it is like an extra, okay, that feels like a doozy kind of moment. And again, this all started to occur on July 4th when Mars entered Taurus. Now it's colliding with the North Node and Uranus

on Monday, August 1st. And then by Sunday, August 7th, Mars is going to square Saturn. Saturn is the stop sign of our little solar system and Mars is the green light. It is gas and break. It is hurtling headfirst into a brick wall. It is a collision course. It is really hard stuff to get through. Mars and Saturn usually represent some kind of situation that will require us to be vigilant, perhaps, to be incredibly strategic, and to feel like, okay, perhaps this is a kind of situation where we are going into battle and there is something to get through to maneuver through.

Now, I don't usually use words like war and battle and any of that because I'd like to think more creatively than that. But if you take note of Mars, Saturn, moments, they do have that connotation or people with really prominent Mars Saturn placements. They kind of know how to suit up and get what they need. I'm not saying that it always causes harm, although it is Mars, so it's never like fun. It's like cuddling with an axe. It's not the best idea. So you don't expect Mars to be sweet and calm and cuddly. You just don't. It would be

foolish. But you do need an axe or a sword or what have you. for certain things. They are tools that help you to break things down or forge a new path or break open a coconut, whatever your thing is. Like they're important tools for survival. They don't have to be used in the ways that humanity has used them for so long. Okay. Any kind of Mars Saturn moment is going to be a moment that feels a little more burdensome, heavy, and challenging to get through. Now, everything that I'm describing here, you might not feel on a personal level. But collectively, I just want to point out the other time periods within which Mars and Saturn have made these challenging connections to each other while Saturn has been in Aquarius. So Saturn and Aquarius is about how we structure social organizations, how we might collectively come together for.

something that could feel like equality, how we might go about achieving that kind of dream. So we're thinking about big groups of people when we think about Aquarius and Saturn is an Aquarius. So it tells us that this is a time frame that is going to help us understand the masses in some way or be a part of some social movement. And when Mars comes up against Saturn, it does something to tease out the issues around the group, perhaps, especially in this setup. Maybe not always, but this Saturn and Aquarius moment is so much about that. How are we globally impacted by something? Huh, what could that something be?

Well, the first time Saturn and Mars came together while Saturn was in Aquarius was March of 2020 when we went in to lockdown. The next time that Mars and Saturn were up against each other was in. In January, officially, Mars entered Taurus on January 6th of 2021, which in the United States was a very important day because white supremacist stormed the capital. There was an insurrection. So that was aside from COVID, but still, you know, groups of people. And then the next time these two were in a challenging setup, was an opposition, was June of 2021, which is when the dust. Delta variant came about. I thought I was vaccinated and free and happy to go about the world. And then

that came. Then the next time was November of 2021, which was when Omicron started to surface. The next time was March when BA2, another variant, started to make the news. And now we are in the last square between these two while Saturn is still in Aquarius. So obviously the latest iteration of COVID that is incredibly contagious and transmissible is part of this Mars Saturn square. But little did any of us know that there would be a second major health crisis just to double up on the importance of this final Mars Saturn Square in these signs. Monkeypox has just been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. Of course, there are many social issues that are arising around monkeypox and the way that it is

being framed in the media just to complicate things and make them more dangerous as homophobia always does. Monkeypox will, of course, most likely increase in its spread once schools get in session. This is something that we need to take seriously. This is something that our governments need to take seriously and respond quickly to. So those have been additional complications added to the mix of the ongoing environmental catastrophes we are living through. as well as many conversations and a lot of talk about a recession. Because Taurus is an earth sign, anything that happens in it, any major astrology that occurs in Taurus,

will mirror what's happening for us in very physical, tangible ways that often deal with material resources and our physical well-being. That times monkeypox feels like another moment of great challenge for big groups of people. So those are two big main events that are happening this week. And because so much is clustered together, the North Node, Mars, and Uranus, in the sign of Taurus, yes, we can look to everything to do with Taurus, which is generativity, fecundity, the Earth itself, food, food production, nourishment, sustenance, on a global or national kind of level, and on a personal level. This is all impacting the part of your chart that contains tourists.

So it's very important for you to know what house that is in your chart and what that means. And that's exactly what we go into in a very in-depth way in your readings in the workshop section of the Chani app. this week. Also important to know the area of your threat that contains Aquarius, because that's where Saturn is, and Saturn and Mars will be in this very intense tango this week. If your rising sign is either Torres, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius, you will also be one of the people that feels this on a really personal level. I say that because if you do have Torres Rising, Leo Rising, Scorpio, rising or Aquarius rising, it means that this challenging astro is going to be happening in either your first, your fourth, your seventh, or your tenth house. And those houses, those places in our chart are

called angular houses. The first house is where we find the rising sign. The first house is the south. The fourth house is our foundation, our root system, our families, our origin stories. It's where we literally live, and it's also where we metaphorically build a home. The seventh house is our relationships. It's our commitments and contracts to one another. And the 10th house is our public standing, our public reputation, our vocation, our career possibly, and are offering to the world. Those areas of life are pretty high stakes. First house is self, body, we need a body and a self to be alive here. Fourth house is home. We need to know. We have a place in the world, in ourselves.

Seventh house's relationships, we need to know that we can count on each other. And 10th house says who I am to the greater whole. Those are foundational, pivotal parts of the chart. So if you have a fixed rising sign, you're going to feel this astrology in a very sharp kind of way. Because it's personal. It is personally challenging. Now, if you have planets in. in Taurus and Aquarius especially and Scorpio and Leo also around 22 degrees of those signs,

they will be especially impacted. An easy way to know this is if you go to the transit section of the Chani app, you can look at short and long term transits. and if you see Mars, Saturn, Uranus, or the North Node doing anything, transiting any planet in your chart, you'll know that this is landing for you in a very personal way that impacts your actual birth chart, your natal chart. So the planets are moving through space. They are moving through parts of our chart, houses in our chart. It's really important to know the themes of those houses. And if you also so happen to have planets in those signs, the fixed signs, they may also be

receiving an aspect from those transiting planets. And if you have a fixed sign as your rising sign, the planets will be moving through the areas of your chart that are really active and very personal. So those are the different tiers of understanding how this astrology might be landing for you on a personal level. And then again, we are all moving through this collectively. Now, there are some really cute things that happened this week that I didn't mention. I go through them in depth in your reading in the workshop section of the app for this week. But in short, on Tuesday and also on Sunday, Venus and Cancer is making a couple of very lovely, wonderful

aspects to other planets. So Tuesday and Sunday have some good Venusian themes in them, which means we're being asked to remember pleasure, remember connection, remember relationship as part of our way through challenging times. And on Wednesday, Mercury is moving into one of its home signs. It's moving into Virgo, which is excellent. It'll happen Wednesday if your Pacific time, Thursday the fourth, if you're any other time zone. So by the end of the week, Mercury is in good standing. And it's in really good standing for the next week and a half to two weeks. And then we get into some bumpier terrain. So for the next week and a half to two weeks, we've got good mercury energy to work with. This mercury is practical. It is skill-based. It is organizational. It is

clarifying. It is amazing for editing and learning new skills. We'll talk more about that next week as Mercury gets a little further in to Virgo. And for now, I hope that if you are an app subscriber, the reading for your week helps you out. Pay close attention to the themes that are being highlighted in your chart. As always, we have a guided meditation specific for this week. We have journal prompts specific to your chart for this astrology. We also have a ritual for this week to help you hold the week's astrology and alter suggestions if you wanted to go all the way. Remember that sometimes really intense astrology doesn't actually end up impacting us on a personal level all that much. We might notice it ripple out or the ripple effects of it are around us and that it's more of a

collective kind of experience than it is a personal one. So do not fear this astrology. Just be a little bit more prepared than you normally would if you didn't know about it. And the preparation is to give yourself a lot of space, to have a lot of patience, to let things go off the rails if they do, but don't follow them off the rails. Stay centered, stay grounded, stay in your agency and in your power. And always ask yourself, am I feeling? like life is happening to me, or am I engaged with my life and a participant in it? That's where our creativity is. That's where our power is.

And that's where things get really interesting. That's where life is. Thanks again to everyone who has left us a review of the Chani app in the App Store. I know it takes time out of your day and you have to like compose. sentences and all the things that are really hard to do when you don't have to actually do them. So again, thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's a recent review that we wanted to share with you. It is from L.D. Scott.

I just love this app. It's rich in content. It's fun. It looks good. Thank you. But most importantly, it makes astrology accessible and practical. Yay. The way I feel about the Chani app is the same way I feel about a trusted friend.

They know the right thing to say at the right time. Hats off to the whole team who not only clearly pour their hearts into their work, but also fight hard for empowerment and social justice. All right, y'all, sending you so much love, many blessings, lots of deep breaths. Bye for now.