Including the Excluded

BitchScopes for the week of August 17-23

This week I can’t help but feel there’s a sense of fate and purpose pulling on us. Mercury is a big player this week, as is Mars. You’ll also notice the inclusion of Eris in my scopes from here forward. (I own the irony that I left her out in the first place since her persona is all about rejection.)  I will be writing more on her later. But she is an important player in 2020 and we should try to understand her within ourselves.

There’s a sense this week of kismet and serendipity as I look at this week’s planets. Our thoughts are focused, we are driven. We are motivated to heal and overcome. The New Moon is a beautiful, creative one. Lean in to its potential for re-creating your life the way you’d like it. Imagine a life that brings you joy. Later in the week there are some portals that could pull you closer to or more in alignment with your calling. So stay open.


Aug 17: Mercury trine Mars - concentration, drive and focus. Straightforward communication. Clarity of purpose and thought

Aug 17: Sun conjunct Mercury - alertness, sharpness, strong communication

Aug 17: Mercury trine Eris - conversation and connection with the brilliant but maligned part of yourself

Aug 17: Mars conjunct Eris - Rebellion. Fixation on your own rejections

Aug 18: Mercury quincunx Saturn - inability to focus on tasks or complete your thoughts

Aug 18: Venus sextile Uranus- social fun and excitement, possibly unexpected money

Aug 18: New Moon Leo 7:41 pm pst - Let your creativity roar, your passion lead, your body move.

Mercury, Saturn and Mars affect this new moon, creating potential frustration at a seeming inability to get something done. Let that shit go for a few days! Set intentions for more joy, more play, more pleasure, more laughter, and anything else you desire. Let your desires drive the bus for a few days. On the flip side, you may feel less confident during this time of the dark moon, allow the uncomfortable feelings to motivate you. Mars is strong and active during this time and can help you find your fire. If you resonate strongly with Mars already, beware of burnout, and follow the moon’s lead to find more joy without feeling like you have to fight for it. If there was ever a moon ceremony that called for dancing, it is this one. Mars will love the movement, Leo loves the expression.

Aug 18: Sun quincunx Saturn- imbalance between self expression and responsibility

Aug 18:: Mercury sextile North Node - boosts mental intellect and offers potential uses within your calling

Aug 19: Sun Sextile North Node - right place, right time

Aug 19: Mercury enters Virgo - mental focus, detail oriented

Aug 22: Sun enters Virgo - back to “work”, easier to stay organized and focus on details. More prone to stress and nervous energy. Beware of Perfectionism

This week's scopes were channeled with a focus on Eris.  Eris is many things, and still not fully understood or defined in astrology.  But let's get in touch with the parts of ourselves that we (or someone else) have rejected or deemed unacceptable, or the parts of our lives where we are something other than independent and strong, and let's take those parts out for a walk.  We don't want these aspects of ourselves to rule or define us.  In fact, we want these cast off portions to help us resist defining ourselves, at least by the standards of others. Your greatest weakness is your greatest strength. 

Heads up

Monday 8/24: Mars square Saturn Mars square Saturn transit brings frustration and inhibition. Your desires are strong, and your responsibilities are stronger. The harder you push, the more you’ll meet resistance. Authority issues may come up around this time.
This happens to be the day that some schools in California begin the school year (some have already started and some start after Labor Day) and the vast majority will be virtual/distance learning. Teachers are already frustrated by so many expectations and pressures. Stay loose, teachers. Don’t white knuckle it. Go with the flow as technology falters and parents flail. The school systems (Saturn) are straining under the pressure on many sides, and the Warriors/Teachers (Mars) feel ill equipped for battle. Mars retrogrades soon as well, which could add to the feeling of not being able to be effective. Soldier on. It will be OK! Next week, Venus has more control, and there’s some Jupiter on your side, as well as some creative juice from Neptune. We’ll tackle life one transit at a time. Hang in there.  

(side note:  a friend had an "oh shit" moment when they read this.  I looked at their chart to discover that this day is actually a really powerful, fateful day for them.  Single aspects and transits don't decide how our days will go.  These are just meant as ways for us to be aware)

ARIES - Don’t be too quick to think you’re crazy when you follow your gut and people look at you funny. You do you, and don’t give too much weight to the opinions of others as you decide what’s right for your life, career, family etc. You may find yourself choosing the path less traveled. Don’t be alarmed or question yourself. And if you choose a well worn path, don’t judge yourself for that either. You’ll still make it right for you.

TAURUS - Persistence, despite any fears, is the definition of Courage (Book of Kelly). It isn’t just fear that can hold us back sometimes. Sometimes sadness, or the anticipation of it, prevents us from living fully. You’ve known plenty of sadness and you dread heart ache and rejection and grief. But you’re also one of the strongest people around. Do the thing. This is your sign.

GEMINI - Imagine you’re going to a stylist and you tell the brilliant people to do whatever they think is best for you. And you come out with hair you never imagined, amazing make up and new skin care, and a new outfit that you look bomb in. That’s what’s trying to happen to your life! Allow the transformation. If you only look at the hair on the ground or focus on the smell of the hair coloring, or the shitty lighting in the dressing room, you’ll likely miss the glorious creature that will emerge.

CANCER - Despite what anyone else says, or any fears you may have, go out there and be 1000% you. Drop your walls, be vulnerable, and embrace yourself fully. Google up Amy Pence Brown (the gal who stood in a farmer’s market in her undies and let strangers write kindnesses on her body). That kind of vulnerability, and the empowerment that it can bring, is what you’re looking at. You don’t have to get all nekkid downtown...its mostly metaphorical

LEO - This is your season, BitchWhiskers. But you’ve probably been feeling pretty funky lately. As counter intuitive as it seems, try to lean in to the discomfort. Shifts are occurring that will set you up for great changes. If you do some self examination, you might find that you’re afraid of your own greatness (and the responsibilities that come with it) so you’re avoiding recognition in some area of your life. Stop doing that. Step in to the spotlight! Change can be good!

VIRGO - Patience is a virtue. Bwahahaha. A What?! VIRtue, VIRgo. You know all about virtues, but patience isn’t one you’ve mastered. You may be feeling impatient about progress, or a seeming lack there of, in certain areas of your life. The glass isn’t half empty. It isn’t half full. It’s just a work in progress. You need to zoom out and look at the big picture...there’s been a lot of progress! (Perfectionism is not a virtue *wink*).

LIBRA - If you were looking for a sign about whether or not to do the thing, here it is: “Love over fear”. If this means choosing yourself over someone else, do that. You aren’t being to picky or demanding. On the other hand, if you’re just afraid to make the move because someone might be upset by it, do it anyway. The rewards outweigh the risks.

SCORPIO - Sometimes in life, change happens TO us, because we weren’t paying attention. Change always happens FOR us, but when we’re caught off guard, it doesn’t feel like that. You have a choice in front of you to change something about your life. Make that choice a yes.

SAGITTARIUS - To have more love in your life, you have to exude more love. If you’re judgmental and defensive, that’s what you’ll get back. I know this sounds harsh, but they are called BitchScopes, and if anyone can handle the blunt truth its you! Love: be it, feel it, say it, do it.

CAPRICORN - Ok, knock it off. Self deprecating humor is only humorous for so long and then everyone knows you’re speaking truth about yourself. Shitty self talk can easily become a habit. This week, pay close attention to how you talk to yourself, what you say, and how hard you are on you. You deserve better from yourself.

AQUARIUS - When life feels shitty, try to think of it as fertilizer. If there’s something you’re avoiding because you’re afraid of something (rejection, judgement, sadness), face that fear and do the thing. Even you are allowed to cry sometimes. In private of course, where no one can see you. And we won’t discuss it further. But you can do this!

PISCES - If you’re judging yourself for being bitchy or selfish or something along those lines, quit it! It is 100% ok to be selfish sometimes, and I think we’re clear on how I feel about bitchy. Bitches get shit done. Don’t apologize for doing what’s right for you, your body, your life!

The Bajiggity Quincunx

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a week with this many quincunxes! The quincunx, also called an inconjunct, is an interesting aspect. It isn’t as frequently discussed as other aspects. I first became interested in them when I was trying to understand the “Yods” in my chart. Yods are fairly complicated, and we’ll get into those another time. As for the quincunx, it is a 150 degree angle between two planets. The 2 planets are 5 signs apart and have nothing in common. Some key words for the quincunx, or the inconjunct are : redirecting, challenging, requiring adjustments, diverting. The 2 points involved are difficult to blend. This oil and water characteristic can lead to overdoing one of the points, and possible dissatisfaction

with both. 

There are 6 quincunxes (That I am aware of, anyway) this week (!), making this a time period where not a lot of progress is likely. We are likely to feel tension, ambivalence, obsession, compulsion, over-doing, under-doing, laziness, over reacting, and just general bajiggityness.

Sounds like a blast. But we can do hard things. And it is entirely possible that with the big full moon we just had in Aquarius (energy of change), and the Lion’s Gate portal that occurred on the 8th, that all these adjustments are necessary to re-align us with our purpose, our soul, our calling. If we can get through the discomfort of the re calibration, we might just find ourselves on a fresh new path toward fulfillment. However, if you fight the forces, butt heads with the conflicts, struggle to keep power, and resist the changes, this is much more likely to be difficult and uncomfortable and you’ll continue to be in a position of resistance, defensiveness, and feeling cornered.

Aug 10 - Mercury square Uranus - excitement and/or nervous tension
Aug 11 – Sun quincunx Jupiter - laziness, unrealistic expectations
Aug 12 – Sun quincunx Neptune - spending energy on unrealistic goals or expectations or projects; finding a balance between ego and self pity
Aug 13 – Mars square Pluto - power struggles and confrontations
Aug 14 – Mercury quincunx Jupiter - potential for laziness, unsure of how to make a decision, ambivalence
Aug 15 – Mercury quincunx Neptune - delusions of grandeur. “Your mouth writing a (figurative) check that your ass can’t cash”
Aug 15 – Sun quincunx Pluto - a potential for power struggle. Something feels like a threat. An opportunity to “let go”
Aug 15 – Uranus Retrograde - encourages internal change that will affect external life changes. Societally, this offers an opportunity for pleasant connections and activities. Fear is everywhere, and Pluto aspects this Uranus retrograde period in a harsh way. But Venus and the moon come into play to create opportunities for love, affection, and creativity.
Aug 16 – Mercury quincunx Pluto - harsh judgment, compulsive behavior, and negative thinking can hold up personal progress
Aug 16 – Sun trine Mars - self confidence boost

The challenge this week is to stay aware, loose, light on your feet, and flexible. To that end, this week’s BitchScopes are written to advise you the best way to stay safe and sane this week while we navigate the waters of inconjunction. 

BtichScopes for the Week of August 10-16

ARIES - This week if the ghosts of failures past come to haunt you, just let them pass through. The path to success is paved with failures all throughout history. Don’t let shame or guilt bog you down. This is not a week for big activities or a grandiose to do list. Do yoga instead of running. Set aside tasks that don’t have to be done right this minute. Engage in gentle activities, sleep, journal and meditate.

TAURUS - Theres’s no such thing as a coincidence. When something comes up this week and it makes you say “whoa” or “hmmmm”, spend some time with it and what it could mean. Maybe this is a sign of things to come, maybe it is a hint about your future path. If it is a negative dejavu experience that comes up, take it as a sign that you are breaking that pattern. And then be open to the adjustements necessary to move away from that energy. Change is hard for you, but whatever is stirring wants the best for you!

GEMINI - Are you afraid that if you stop moving, you’ll drown? Or that If you stop trying, you’ll fail? What are you in pursuit of that takes up most of your (abundant) thought energy? What happens if you stop chasing and hold still? That incudes your mind. How can you quiet your very busy mind? Do that thing which you find soothing and pleasurable, but which has nothing to do with progress or success.

CANCER - You have a solid reputation as an emotional creature. But Cancers are the ultimate survivors! You are a tough competitor and a force to be reckoned with. Don’t talk yourself out of something you want because obstacles rise up, this week or at any time. Be fearless, even if that means standing completely still for right now.

LEO - What you need right now is laughter and a lot of it. My long standing recipe for feeling good is YouTube videos of babies laughing. Babies laughing at dogs is also excellent, or in your case, cats...sorry. Funny movies, stand up comedy, a board game like Cards Against Humanity or something along those lines that can really give you space to laugh...that’s what you need.
Find a way to let the laughter flow out of you like water!

VIRGO - You’ve likely been working too hard. This is just normal for you. So when this week’s energy throws up speed bumps and blockages and general frustration that thwarts your forward movement you could feel pretty pissy. You are transitioning from one phase into another and you can’t just keep grinding forward in a straight line. During birth, there are times when the Doc or nurse will tell you to not push, which is against all your physical urges and instincts. In this instance, the birth progress is halted temporarily because something isn’t ready. This is what’s happening in your life right now. Don’t push...just breathe.

LIBRA - Life may be trying to tell you something by bringing certain things into the light. Perhaps you’d much prefer to look at these things in the flattering light of candles. But in the shadows of the peaceful dimness there are things holding you back, things that need to be corrected, things that can sabotage you if you remain unaware. Be strong and let the illumination of things that might be painful bring you into this new (and better!) phase of your life.

SCORPIO - This week you might feel uncomfortably vulnerable by the stillness. It is possible that a peace will wash over you that makes you question where it came from and why it is yours. It’s so Scorpio of you to question the motives of a pleasant experience. As I used to say to my cat when I picked him up to love on him, “take the wub”. Meaning, don’t resist the love the Universe is giving you by questioning it to death. Just accept it and say thanks.

SAGITTARIUS - In this awkwardness of this week there is an invitation for you to be with yourself and feel your feelings. As deep and philosophical as you are, maybe emotions are not your favorite thing. This week do what you can to let them flow, all of them. If you are angry, express it clearly and healthily. If you are hurt, say so. If you are sad, cry. This is your portal to a new path and life phase, but you have to release some old feelings first.

CAPRICORN - If you find yourself feeling angry this week, try to let it flow. Don’t resist or repress those emotions. There are no “bad” emotions. Your anger or frustration can serve as an anchor for you, or a launch pad. It can motivate you to change, or allow change. Feeling sick and tired of something this week is a great sign that you are about to move on, as long as you don’t try to squash your anger down.

AQUARIUS - You aren’t a mess. You’re a badass. You tackle everything that comes up in your path. Sometimes it might be a messy job, and maybe you screw up a little in your effort to conquer an obstacle. As much as forgiving others is hard for you, forgiving yourself is harder. Letting guilt weigh you down will just pull you backwards. Stand up and walk forward with love and forgiveness for YOU.

PISCES - Metamorphosis is not pretty. It is often painful. Resisting it can be even more painful. So do you have a choice? Of course. But chose to transform anyway. Your life is trying to reconfigure in a way that aligns with your higher calling. The seeming chaos of this process can feel really awful. But you are totally whole. You are totally worthy of joy. You are totally a badass and you can do this. The cocoon is a difficult place full of change we don’t understand. But it is temporary and you will emerge with wings!

Expect the unexpected

Last week I said “This week has the energy of change and unexpected insights and events. Tension is very possible and you’d be wise to be aware of your own energy as you interact with others. You may vascillate between bubbly optimism and desolate pessimism and it's all OK. This Aquarius full moon is a major contributor to this energy, but has a lot of help from Mercury and Uranus. Be fearlessly yourself, or at least imagine what that would look and feel like. Your imagination does give life to things. Journaling this week about who you would be if you had nothing to lose could uncover some delicious and valuable truths for you.”

And I don’t know about you, but it was true for me. A lot of that information pertained to the August 3rd full moon and Mercury/Saturn aspect. So Because we’re overlapping August 3rd this week and last, that whole paragraph still holds true!

This week will be mostly influenced by that Aquarius full moon everyone is talking about.

August 3rd: Mercury opposite Saturn - general bajiggityness, maybe pessimistic thinking

August 3rd 8:59 AM: Full Moon in Aquarius - As if Aquarius didn’t pack enough unexpectedness, this full moon squares Uranus, so changes and “peculiar” events are very possible. Peculiar...what a great word. This whole year is peculiar! Mercury opposite Saturn also lends an uncomfortable energy to this moon. If the moon is full, it is opposite the sun, which is now in Leo. Your right and left brains, creative and logical sides, as well as your inner child and outer adult (um, if you have one?) will be trying to strike a balance. The best way to do that may be to just be loud, bold, uninhibited. Neither of these signs are particularly shy. Both of them are convinced of their rightness. If you were not afraid of anything, or of any backlash, or of losing anything as a result of it, what and who would you be? Imagine that individual during this lunation and give them a voice. 

Changes will be happening whether you do this work or not. The energy of Uranus and Aquarius is “expect the unexpected”, and chances are you won’t be able to analyze the clues into a solid answer. So the best way to harness this is to plug in some coordinates and stay loose and light on your feet.

We should expect to see some social changes or news around this full moon as well. Aquarius is the OG social protester and poster girl for civil unrest. There’s so much currently going on that includes these issues, the news could come from anywhere. I feel it will be positive but somewhat rattling. Of course “positive” depends on which side of things you’re on, I suppose. So let’s think like Spock, the perfect archetypal example of Aquarius...Positive change that will affect the needs (not desires) of the collective as a whole. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Live Long and Prosper.

August 4th: Mars square Jupiter - new project energy

August 4th: Mercury enters Leo - our communications become less feel-y and more emboldended

August 4th: Venus quincunx Saturn - insecure feelings about love and finances

August 7th: Venus enters Cancer - Our values and focus shift toward home again, relationships are more connected

August 8th: Lion's Gate (Exact) - “This gateway is marked by an alignment between the Earth and the star Sirius. As the star Sirius rises in the sky, Orions Belt directly aligns with the Pyramid of Giza, and from our perspective on Earth, it appears that Sirius (the brightest star we can see) comes closer to the Earth. The star Sirius is twice the size of our Sun and 26x brighter! It is a serious source of spiritual light on the inner planes. Sirius represents abundance, harvest, and fertility. This alignment is called the Lions Gate, or Lions Gateway because it occurs when the sun is in the astrological sign of Leo (the Lion). As a Zodiac Sign, Leo is associated with the heart center and represents the individualized expression of the Divine.”1

August 9th: Mercury trines Chiron - a good day for talk therapy

August 10th: Mercury squares Uranus - Be prepared for the unexpected


1 https://www.ask-angels.com/spiritual-guidance/the-888-lions-gate-activation/





ARIES - You may receive or happen upon some information this week that will help you make a decision that you’ve been trying to make for awhile. The information you stumble over may actually have little to do with the decision you’re making, but the dots will magically connect. Tap into your creative side this week to find soothing, healing, and inspiration.

TAURUS - You may finally get the recognition you deserve on something. It may be long over due and it may surprise you. In business this week, don’t show your hand yet. Be strategic, maybe even a little sneaky and manipulative (which isn’t an evil thing as long as you’re not going crazy with it) to see if you can get others to show their hand first. This will give you the upper hand when you make your move.

GEMINI - You may feel a little salty, a little like a bitter bitch this week when someone starts bragging about something. You do deserve the credit for the thing you did, and you will get it, perhaps later than you’d like. So try to ignore the braggart. If someone trips over their words with you this week, and you aren’t sure WTF it means, it might be a feeble attempt at an apology. Do with it what you wish.

CANCER - This week you might be den mother, legal counsel, therapist, and several other hats that have to do with managing people and emotions. While this is not at all unusual for you, it could feel a little overwhelming. Have good boundaries and put your energy where it is most needed.

LEO - Try to live in the present this week, even if old stuff gets dragged out of the emotional closet. There’s a lot of positive potential and manifesting energy for you in particular. Choose to focus on your desires for the future, your gratitude for the present, and let the past be in the past.

VIRGO - You may be bored with a major project or undertaking, or even your own business. Your desire might be to just say screw it and move on to something more fun. Of couse you can do that, but you’ll probably wish you hadn’t. Tie up loose ends and get done what has to be done. Take breaks and treat yourself in between productivity sessions. The other project will still be there when you’re done.

LIBRA - You are very likely growing impatient with the pace of life and the seeming lack of progress, particularly on the career front. It is very understandable that you’d shake your fists at the sky and ask “whyyyyy???”. The delay is to your benefit, and while you don’t have to like it, you’d be best served by using this time to accomplish something meaningful.

SCORPIO - There’s an important development in your life right on the horizon. You probably know what it is. So do you rush towards it? The wise answer is no. If you can go with the flow and allow things to unfold, it will be better in the long run. Patience and forgiveness are being strengthened in you.

SAGITTARIUS - You hate being wrong. You are facing an issue that asks you to accept that you may have been wrong about something or someone. Forgiving others is often easier than forgiving ourselves. Can you do it? To find out, life may bring someone from the past back into your life to see if you’ve learned how to navigate this.

CAPRICORN - You might feel a bit grumpy this week, and not in the mood for doing things or seeing people. None of that is in your plan, and your plan makes you comfortable. Structure is good, rigidity is not. What does not bend will break. So as you move forward on your own evolutionary path, try to be a bit more flexible. Accept an invitation or opportunity that might elevate your mood this week.

AQUARIUS - Fake and phony are some of your major pet peeves. You much prefer people to be authentic and real. There may be a situation, circumstance, or project in your life that doesn’t feel like a good fit for you and you are hanging on to it out of obligation. You can either walk away from it, or you can challenge yourself to be more you as you do it...authenticity.

PISCES - Generally you are very compassionate and empathetic. But there may be someone around you who really chafes you and is generally a bit of an ass. Can you practice compassion with the most difficult of people? Doing this can deepen your gratitude for your own life in a meaningful way.