WEBVTT 00:00:49.685 --> 00:00:57.125 Hello, and welcome to episode number 325, the Astrology Alchemy Podcast. 00:00:57.816 --> 00:01:04.445 This is for the week of August 11th, 2025, and I'm your host and guide, Sheila Lange. 00:01:07.281 --> 00:01:19.040 We have some dynamite cycles kicking off the beginning of this week, and overall the whole week gives support for a time of release, renewal, and bold expression. 00:01:20.210 --> 00:01:27.831 Multiple planetary alignments offer breakthroughs in thinking, love, structure, and soul purpose. 00:01:29.825 --> 00:01:49.266 First one we wanna honor is one that most people celebrate, which is the planet Mercury turning forward in Leo on August 11th, mercury, the storyteller communicator, bridge maker archetype has been seemingly retrograde seeming to move backwards in its orbit for the past three weeks. 00:01:50.346 --> 00:01:55.805 And retrograde cycles always invite slowing down, timeout. 00:01:58.536 --> 00:02:01.835 Reconsider things, review things, and this is. 00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:09.110 A bit gnarly for most of us because Mercury is the fastest moving planet other than the moon in our solar system. 00:02:09.110 --> 00:02:13.790 And it's very quick in terms of let's do this, let's do this. 00:02:13.790 --> 00:02:14.631 What about this? 00:02:14.631 --> 00:02:26.270 And so when we slow it down, it kind of like a is a log jam and Mercury, because it's about communication has, when it's retrograde, there's a review of all kinds of communication. 00:02:28.056 --> 00:02:37.776 Interpersonal communication, talking to yourself, texting, emailing, the usual scheduling, and it just means slow down, slow the roll. 00:02:37.836 --> 00:02:40.716 It's hard for all of us to do that, but here we go. 00:02:40.716 --> 00:02:47.586 Celebrate Mercury goes forward on August 11th, and it isn't just the end of a retrograde cycle. 00:02:48.276 --> 00:02:54.920 It's really a kind of cosmic pivot point for your mind, voice, and clarity of purpose. 00:02:56.496 --> 00:03:00.881 Mercury now begins a new phase of forward momentum, but with a twist. 00:03:02.091 --> 00:03:10.431 It re-triggers all the connections it made to the outer planets during the past New Moon in Leah, which is a couple weeks ago. 00:03:11.061 --> 00:03:24.681 So we get a chance to act on what's been revealed, what have we discovered in this past three weeks as we've been recognizing our old narratives or old ways of telling stories and communication needs some upgrading. 00:03:26.241 --> 00:03:30.225 Now, you may find as Mercury goes forward that your mental focus. 00:03:31.086 --> 00:03:37.536 Communication and inner narrative begins to move forward also, but not in the same way as before. 00:03:38.705 --> 00:03:42.906 This station direct, that's what it calls when it looks like the planet stops and then goes forward. 00:03:42.906 --> 00:03:50.256 This station directive, mercury reactivates, its recent contacts with four important outer planets. 00:03:51.216 --> 00:04:00.066 Uranus in Gemini, Uranus is the Maverick Awakener, so it brings this new thought frequencies, unexpected downloads. 00:04:00.786 --> 00:04:02.135 Be open and pay attention. 00:04:04.325 --> 00:04:15.306 Mercury also connects to Saturn, retrograde, Aries, and Saturn is the structure maker, the one that holds the ground, the responsible one. 00:04:15.665 --> 00:04:17.735 It all often represents authority. 00:04:17.735 --> 00:04:24.245 So this Mercury Saturn connection lets you have a confrontation with inner and outer authority as needed. 00:04:25.310 --> 00:04:29.180 That's a very big gift for all of us in the, in the United States right now. 00:04:29.930 --> 00:04:43.401 The third planet Mercury has a connection with, as it goes direct is Neptune, which is retrograde areas also, and it is the planet archetype of the dreamer, the mystic, the visionary, the altered state one. 00:04:43.911 --> 00:04:47.211 So this one, mercury, the nep, mercury, and Neptune together. 00:04:47.706 --> 00:04:51.995 Help you to release illusion and invite deeper, intuitive knowing. 00:04:53.466 --> 00:05:00.036 And then the fourth planet that Mercury is connected with as it goes forward is Pluto, which is retrograde and Aquarius. 00:05:00.605 --> 00:05:05.466 Now Pluto is the great Transformer, the one that says, go do your basement work. 00:05:05.466 --> 00:05:06.216 I talk about that. 00:05:06.216 --> 00:05:11.701 Dig out the old files, the old stories, clean them up, transform them, let them go, let them die. 00:05:12.555 --> 00:05:23.355 So Mercury, Pluto is a very powerful dynamic'cause it's, it can be a laser mind and letting, helping you to shred old, outdated mental control patterns. 00:05:24.290 --> 00:05:26.180 And open to deeper soul truths. 00:05:27.591 --> 00:05:41.571 Now, this rare confluence of five planets, as Mercury goes forward this week, offers you a multidimensional opportunity to recalibrate how you think, speak and share your vision. 00:05:42.380 --> 00:05:48.255 It's a green light, but one that asks you to lead from the heart of your truth, not the mask of performance. 00:05:50.406 --> 00:05:55.536 What that comes from is Mercury is in the sign of Leo in its healthy expression. 00:05:55.536 --> 00:06:02.165 Leos about our creativity and our sovereignty and our ability to be visible in its wounded side. 00:06:02.615 --> 00:06:11.045 It's where we get caught in narcissistic patterns or we perform for others'cause we wanna get outer validation rather than inner validation. 00:06:11.435 --> 00:06:14.286 So this Mercury going forward says. 00:06:14.511 --> 00:06:19.430 You know, lead from the heart of your truth, not the mask of performance. 00:06:20.661 --> 00:06:23.930 And here's a reflection question for Mercury going forward. 00:06:24.831 --> 00:06:30.411 What inner clarity are you now ready to voice with courage and creativity? 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:39.920 Keep in mind, you can check out the show notes for all of these reflection questions if you wanna journal or have more time with them. 00:06:43.355 --> 00:06:47.646 Now Monday, August 11th has two more big cycles happening. 00:06:47.646 --> 00:06:51.935 So this week just starts out juicy and alive and full. 00:06:52.776 --> 00:07:00.815 Second cycle on that day is a very rare cycle between Saturn and Aries, which trines, Uranus and Gemini. 00:07:01.386 --> 00:07:04.115 Remember, Saturn is the responsible one, the structured one. 00:07:04.355 --> 00:07:05.886 Uranus is the maverick. 00:07:06.216 --> 00:07:12.576 The Destructuring one, this rare, harmonious aspect, they're 120 degrees away from each other. 00:07:12.906 --> 00:07:21.906 Between the planet of discipline and the planet of liberation Offers a bridge between old structures and new possibilities. 00:07:23.165 --> 00:07:27.456 It's an invitation to evolve tradition, not just reject it. 00:07:28.446 --> 00:07:32.411 This is a moment to build innovative systems that support true freedom. 00:07:35.180 --> 00:07:46.610 And I wanna say, especially, even though they're exactly trining the two planets on August 11th, the energy of this connection is more, much more than one day. 00:07:47.630 --> 00:08:05.091 As Saturn has gone into Aries new sign, Uranus has just recently gone into Gemini new sign, this is a very potent, archetypal opportunity to bring both structure and radical change together in a good way personally and collect. 00:08:06.065 --> 00:08:16.326 Send prayers for our collective that we can ride the energy of this archetypal cycle to find radical new ways for structure that serves all. 00:08:17.076 --> 00:08:21.096 Here's a reflection question for the Saturn trying Uranus cycle for you. 00:08:22.656 --> 00:08:28.865 How can you become a mature steward of the changes your soul is ready to live? 00:08:36.905 --> 00:08:42.245 And then finally, also on August 11th, Venus is conjunct Jupiter in cancer. 00:08:43.176 --> 00:08:53.135 Venus, the relational archetype, the lover, the magnetic one, the one connected to values and desire and beauty and connection. 00:08:54.186 --> 00:08:54.875 Jupiter. 00:08:55.280 --> 00:09:02.900 The teacher guide wise, one, expanding us, expanding our awareness, sharing our wisdom, conjunct. 00:09:02.900 --> 00:09:05.480 They're together in the heavens, in the sign of cancer. 00:09:06.620 --> 00:09:09.471 A lush, an expansive moment in the heart realms. 00:09:10.280 --> 00:09:11.600 Venus and Jupiter. 00:09:11.990 --> 00:09:17.270 Planets of love and abundance unite in the deeply feeling sign of cancer. 00:09:18.260 --> 00:09:23.541 This opens a portal of nourishment, emotional generosity, and sacred connection. 00:09:24.905 --> 00:09:28.176 A beautiful time to restore your sense of belonging. 00:09:29.706 --> 00:09:35.645 And remember, Venus about relationships is not just with external relationships, external people. 00:09:36.245 --> 00:09:38.436 It's with yourself and all your inner figures. 00:09:39.035 --> 00:09:40.416 Can you nourish them? 00:09:40.475 --> 00:09:42.905 Can you be generous emotionally with yourself? 00:09:43.416 --> 00:09:53.316 It's also about relationship with the more than human, our precious world under so much stress and pain right now, ecologically with climate crisis. 00:09:54.321 --> 00:10:03.770 Can you open your heart and your emotional generosity to the plants and the animals and the elements in the weather in all beings? 00:10:04.910 --> 00:10:08.510 Here's a reflection question for Venus Conjunct Jupiter this week. 00:10:09.321 --> 00:10:15.740 Where can you say yes to love that nourishes your body, heart, and roots? 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:28.400 And then finally, one more present from the universe from the archetypes. 00:10:28.400 --> 00:10:33.711 A really unusual one on both August 14th and August 17th. 00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:38.301 Mercury in Leo is what's called Sextile Mars in Libra. 00:10:39.321 --> 00:10:46.971 Remember, mercury is the communicator, storyteller, and Mars is that action taker, that sacred yang go after what I want. 00:10:46.971 --> 00:10:49.191 Stand up for it advocate. 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:55.010 It also can be in its unhealthy expression, aggression and violence. 00:10:55.191 --> 00:11:00.410 However, it's in the sign of Libra now, which asks for harmony and fairness. 00:11:01.341 --> 00:11:05.666 So Mercury now moving direct forms, a double sex style to Mars. 00:11:06.096 --> 00:11:10.385 F Sextile means they're 60 degrees away from each other in the heavens. 00:11:10.745 --> 00:11:13.115 First, as it mo begins to move. 00:11:13.206 --> 00:11:29.346 And again, once it picks up speed, this gives you momentum to take aligned action on what you've been reflecting on during the retrograde period of Mercury The last three weeks, mercury in Leo gives voice to your creativity. 00:11:30.005 --> 00:11:34.535 Mars in Libra empowers you to act with grace and strategy. 00:11:35.676 --> 00:11:55.206 That has especially sent that prayer out to all beings, and particularly in, uh, countries where there's struggle with authoritarianism and impulses to keep the freedom away from the people, let's find a way to act with grace and strategy and to give our voice forward. 00:11:56.046 --> 00:11:58.145 Here's a reflection for you. 00:11:58.265 --> 00:12:03.816 With Mercury Sextiling Mars, what message or idea are you ready to activate? 00:12:04.505 --> 00:12:06.785 With both heart and harmony. 00:12:12.515 --> 00:12:21.666 So there are some very potent cycles This week I invite you to really be with him in a way that is most congruent for you and to all my audience. 00:12:21.995 --> 00:12:26.135 You listen to this podcast'cause you're deeply sensitive to the archetypal currents. 00:12:26.885 --> 00:12:32.135 So I want to empower you to lean in and surf those waves in a good way. 00:12:33.816 --> 00:12:42.365 The podcast poem is actually a prose poem that just jumped out to say, you must speak me with these cycles. 00:12:42.395 --> 00:12:45.816 Very much so, and it's one that many people find beloved. 00:12:45.816 --> 00:12:49.686 And if you've not heard it before, you are here for a very big blessing. 00:12:49.926 --> 00:12:52.355 And if you know this one, enjoy it once more. 00:12:53.046 --> 00:12:57.395 It's called The Invitation by Uriah Mountain Dreamer. 00:13:00.051 --> 00:13:01.400 It doesn't interesting. 00:13:01.551 --> 00:13:04.280 It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:11.480 I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:15.291 It doesn't interest me how old you are. 00:13:16.640 --> 00:13:25.971 I wanna know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. 00:13:27.605 --> 00:13:29.105 It doesn't interest me. 00:13:29.255 --> 00:13:31.265 What planets are squaring your moon. 00:13:32.586 --> 00:13:36.605 I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow. 00:13:37.865 --> 00:13:55.171 If you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain, I wanna know if you can sit with pain mine or your own without moving to hide it. 00:13:56.466 --> 00:13:58.806 Or fade it or fix it. 00:14:01.416 --> 00:14:20.285 I wanna know if you can be with Joy Mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes with without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. 00:14:21.995 --> 00:14:25.416 It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. 00:14:26.750 --> 00:14:31.250 I wanna know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. 00:14:32.990 --> 00:14:43.041 If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul, if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. 00:14:45.785 --> 00:14:54.260 I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence. 00:14:57.321 --> 00:15:06.860 I wanna know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon. 00:15:07.191 --> 00:15:08.091 Yes. 00:15:10.431 --> 00:15:15.291 It doesn't interest me to know where you live or much money you have. 00:15:16.850 --> 00:15:28.941 I wanna know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruise to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. 00:15:32.030 --> 00:15:36.650 It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. 00:15:37.821 --> 00:15:43.041 I wanna know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. 00:15:46.041 --> 00:15:49.880 It doesn't interest me where or what with whom you have studied. 00:15:51.171 --> 00:15:56.900 I wanna know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. 00:15:58.581 --> 00:16:11.120 I wanna know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments, the invitation. 00:16:12.171 --> 00:16:23.510 From Mariah Mountain Dreamer, so dear ones, may your week truly be a blessed one despite all that is going on. 00:16:24.110 --> 00:16:28.865 Remember that the power of your heart and the beauty of your voice makes a difference. 00:16:31.910 --> 00:16:35.331 And thank you for all the support you continually give me. 00:16:35.571 --> 00:16:36.711 Thank you for listening. 00:16:37.130 --> 00:16:38.750 Thank you for the donations. 00:16:38.990 --> 00:16:41.600 Thank you for telling others about the podcast. 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.630 I love giving this gift to my people. 00:16:44.870 --> 00:16:46.221 Thank you for receiving it. 00:16:47.541 --> 00:16:49.250 I wanna remind you one more gift. 00:16:49.791 --> 00:16:56.600 I have a special free two hour workshop on Saturday, August 6th from nine to 11 Pacific. 00:16:58.926 --> 00:17:12.695 And it's a taster of my transformation journey roadmap, my signature course that is designed to help you liberate from toxic smallness and activate the power of your visionary nature. 00:17:13.655 --> 00:17:15.695 You're welcome to come just to taste it. 00:17:16.385 --> 00:17:17.465 No pressure to sell. 00:17:17.465 --> 00:17:21.395 I'll let you know about the course, but the main thing is it's a offering to you, my people. 00:17:21.891 --> 00:17:27.590 And you can sign up and join us live on August 16th, or you can just sign up and get the replay. 00:17:28.730 --> 00:17:38.240 To get information and register, go to my website on the edges of change.com/homepage and go the homepage. 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:39.800 You'll see it right there midway down. 00:17:40.611 --> 00:17:46.086 It's about transforming toxic smallness and liberating into your visionary nature. 00:17:47.540 --> 00:17:52.040 Again, the website on the edges of change.com/homepage. 00:17:52.580 --> 00:17:52.851 Thank you.