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summer nights and campfires

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Energy Update: August 2025

August is an 8 Universal Month in a 9 Universal Year. 8 is the number of the infinity sign, or ouroborus - what comes up, must go down. We experience the highest highs AND the lowest lows in an 8 month, for within its endless cycling, 8 energy contains everything. This is somewhat in line with the astrology for the month, which has a lot of focus on the transition of the signs through the zodiac wheel. The times are changing, our outer planets can tell us at least that much. Our progress on an individual level is scattered; a deep search may be needed to determine where you fit into the figure 8.

The Set Up

We begin the month with the Sun and retrograde Mercury in Leo, Venus behind the pack in Cancer, Mars in Virgo, retrograde Saturn and Neptune in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, and retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. Notably, this conglomerate of outer planets is all within a degree of each other at the beginning of the fire (Aries) and air signs (Gemini and Aquarius). This puts a lot of weight on action (air and fire are the active signs), but the way forward is unclear (retrograde Mercury).

By the month's end, Mercury will have stationed direct in Leo, the Sun will enter Virgo, Venus joins Mercury in Leo, and Mars enters Libra.

The Nitty Gritty

A lot is going on, astrologically, and Mercury's deep retrograde cycle is muddying the waters, making everything unclear. The outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) are our stars of the month, but it may be hard to see their influence through the fog of the now. As any of the more movable planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars) enter the air and fire signs, they will begin to activate this major outer planetary action. We can, to some degree, track how it might come to us by examining the order in which our planets join this fray. This month we will see activation from Venus, Mars, and the Moon.

Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

This is the real deal, and those with a wider astrological lens can see immediately that this major pileup of planets, which have all recently changed signs and are in close aspect to one another, indicates that a major societal shift is on the horizon. I suspect anyone who is reading this knows this to be true for other reasons that have nothing to do with astrology. As above, so below; the planets are a reflection of our reality every bit as much as we are a reflection of theirs.

The outer planets aren't "personal", so I don't expect everybody to see a significant shift in their personal lives, at least, not right away. Those with early luminaries or personal planets (and likely Saturn) in Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius may see the results of this more immediately. It is what it is. We cannot control the outer planets; all we can do is adapt to the changes they signify to the best of our abilities. Staying aware of what is happening and making informed decisions in your own life can be a great help to you here.

Parts of this outer planetary pileup have been happening for months, but Uranus only joined the fray in Gemini more recently, completing this strange pairing. We are going to begin to see this play out as Mars enters Libra on 8/6 (activating Uranus and Pluto more strongly). Then Venus enters Leo on 8/25 (activating Saturn and Neptune more strongly). These are our two domestic planets, so this could take a domestic turn this month. And, as our two domestic planets move through the skies, they will continue to be widely square to one another (Venus in Cancer is square to Mars in Libra). Things might get extra personal, especially around Mars aspecting with these outer planets while Venus is still in Cancer, which creates an airy grand trine between Mars in Libra, Uranus in Gemini, and retrograde Pluto in Aquarius.

The days between 8/8 and 8/10 may be ones to stay on high alert, but it seems like a High Wind warning, likely with a risk of a nuclear explosion or two. Metaphorically speaking. Avoid high-conflict situations with individuals who tend to escalate conflict during this period. And take yourself out for a walk for your stupid mental health if you're the one who needs to cool off.

The Dates: 8/7 - Moon conjunct retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 8/8 - Mars in Libra trine Uranus in Gemini 8/9 - Mars in Libra opposed retrograde Saturn in Aries, Mars in Libra opposed retrograde Neptune in Aries 8/10 - Mars in Libra trine retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 8/12 - Moon conjunct retrograde Saturn in Aries, Moon conjunct retrograde Neptune in Aries (fire stellium) 8/16 - Moon conjunct Uranus in Gemini 8/26 - Venus trine retrograde Saturn in Aries, Venus in Leo sextile Uranus in Gemini, Venus in Leo trine retrograde Neptune in Aries 8/27 - Venus in Leo opposed retrograde Pluto in Aquarius

Because there is so much energy in play, it's hard to predict how this is all going to come down on us, but it will - one way or another. It's obvious (waves at all of this) that some sort of reconing is coming. The good thing (I...think?) is that it looks like this shit comes back around sooner rather than later. Everything comes around again in an "8" month, and Saturn, our planet of consequences, is sitting in the first degrees of the first sign of the horoscope and moving backward.

I want to reiterate that I still believe this will be happening around us, in the world at large, and then ripple down into our lives. That shit is going to get at least momentarily worse isn't exactly a surprise. None of this is meant to be intentionally triggering, but this isn't the sort of time in history where it serves you well to put your head in the sand. Stay aware of what is happening around you - on a large scale and in your immediate environment. Really, all month long, and throughout the rest of the year.

I don't want to delve into the details about cosmic cycles because this is already long enough, but the outer planets play a bigger part in the wider story, not so much in the one unfolding in our personal lives. We all lived through the height of a global pandemic (the bigger picture); how we did so is our own story.

And this one is ongoing. If you're sensitive to Saturnian activation, stay aware and see to your nervous system all month long, but especially on the days listed above when Saturn is directly activated. This takes top billing for the month FOR A REASON. For some of us, this month is going to feel harsh; middle of the winter, the Sun will never shine again, life is worthless, and so why keep trying hard.

IYKYK

Mercury

Mercury spends all month in fiery, fixed Leo, which means that we get a full month more of overly intense opinions and bravado; so, that's fun.

The reason for Mercury's ungodly long stay is that we start the month partway through Mercury's ongoing retrograde cycle, which runs from 15° to 04°. We will already be really and truly in it by the time August starts.

This is a pure retrograde, meaning that Mercury makes no additional aspects to the planets other than its combustion to our Sun and a sextile with Venus, both of which are expected due to the close proximity with which these bodies travel through our skies. That will relegate Mercury retrograde (for those who are not affected by its degrees or overly Mercurial) to an annoying background noise.

Everything happens more slowly while Mercury is moving backward, and this will be felt strongly in the first six days while Mars is in Mercurial Virgo. Communications gets garbled, that communication which makes it through at all, of course. Technology goes on the fritz, and the exact website you need goes down just when you need it.

Standard retrograde advice applies: do less, say even less than you do, check your work, proofread thrice before you hit send, and make sure you don't send those naughty photos to Michael, your boss, instead of the Michael from the copy room.

I don't mean to malign Mercury's low journey, but it can take a lot of adjustments to come into alignment with this offstep widdershins moment.

Say no to the same boring plans, but yes to an adventure.

Hold yourself accountable, though; Mercury retrograde journeys are the most likely to bite you in the ass when you are lying or deceiving yourself or others.

You might need to go to the seashore with your oldest friend. Great. You are going to end up talking about that traumatic thing that happened to you both when you were twelve.

That's a part of the journey.

Mercury stations direct on 8/11, but most of the rest of the month is spent in its post-retrograde shadow, retracing the steps of the retrograde journey, albeit with less intensity. I personally find this stage to be the least fun because it's often where you need to fess up and make amends if you did too much fucking around.

Somebody's ego is going to come crash down during this time (if not sooner), let's hope it isn't yours. (or mine lol)

This will dominate the vibes all month long, firstly by being dreamy and untenable, and then we'll have to catch up with reality again, which is seldom fun.

The Luminaires: the Sun and the Moon

As the Sun moves through Leo, it will trine Chiron in Aries as its single aspect. As it moves into Virgo, it will square Uranus, who is newly in Gemini, lighting up only that planet of our major outer planetary pileup. This suggests that our luminaries are likely taking a backseat to the developments involving these outer planets, Venus, and Mars, as well as Mercury's retrograde phase, which is likely to blur the lines. That's unusual to begin with and may feel very uncomfortable, especially while the Sun is in its domain in Leo.

Think main character energy, thwarted. Think that one person slowly realizing they aren't, in fact, the center of the universe - not even to their very closest loved ones. There may be some harsh realizations this month; there's no way to avoid them.

Our full moon on 8/7 is at 17° Aquarius. It is a 1/9 full moon.

11 (Aquarius Moon) + 8 (Leo Sun) = 19 = 1+9 = 10 = 1+0 =1. 1 (Aquarius full Moon) + 8 (August 2025) = 9.

1 is the beginning and 9 is the ending; this is a complete story. But it's also part of our ongoing story of Saturn and Neptune, who have just crossed over into sign #1 but have already turned backward towards 29° Pisces all over again (metaphorically the "9" of the astrological wheel). You can't make true steps forward until you have ended and made peace with what came before.

Our new moon on 8/23 is at 00° Virgo. It is a 3/2 new moon.

6 (Virgo Moon) + 6 (Virgo Sun) = 12 = 1+2 = 3. 3 (Virgo new moon) + 8 (August 2025) = 11 = 1+1 = 2.

It is also exactly square to Uranus in Gemini, which is relatively unfortunate. Uranus is the planet of disaster and unexpected change; this is a day to lie low and stay away from major freeways and explosives, if possible. Just as a precaution. We still don't really know how Uranus in Gemini is going to unfold, and this is not the day we want to find out.

Venus

There is a strong interplay between Venus and Saturn all month long. We begin the month on August 1 with Venus, now in Cancer, in a square to retrograde Saturn in Aries, and end the month with Venus, now in Leo, in a trine to Saturn on August 28.  In this way, Venus combined with Saturn are the bookends of our month, and they paint a pretty bleak picture.

Venus, somewhat in combination with the Moon and Mars, determines how we feel at any current time, as she is the planet of comfort and pleasure.  She is decently placed in Cancer, a watery sign, but stymied by her contact with Saturn, the planet of constriction.   Because Saturn is a malefic planet, both our square (traditionally bad) at the beginning of the month and the trine (traditionally good) at the end of the month are considered to be somewhat troublesome aspects.   Venus isn’t being allowed to be her full, expansive, loving self in August, so if we want to be our full, expansive, loving selves, we will need to do it without her help.

It will likely be challenging to get along with others, at least in a general sense. Venus is feeling very blocked off by Saturn in Aries on 8/1, and, to a greater or lesser degree, we will carry this feeling of impingement with us through the rest of the month. Even if we want to, we might find it difficult to connect with even our nearest or dearest. Mercury in retrograde isn't helping here, either; in fact, it's likely hinting that the whole confusion is just a communication error.

We need to watch out for holding on too tight emotionally, a trait most crabs share in common. Let it out so it doesn't turn to sand in your stomach. Sure, on a long enough timeline, you could make a pearl out of that grit - but do you need to? You might not be able to communicate how you feel or what you need in a way that feels effective right now, so write it down and store it somewhere safer for a better day.

Venus will conjunct Jupiter on 8/13, which is the best day of the entire month; I'll discuss this in the Jupiter section.

Mars

Mars enters Libra, the sign of his fall, on 8/6, so we are not getting any help from him this month. This feels like more of the same. He's stressed by an opposition to Saturn, and very energized by an intense airy grand trine with retrograde Pluto in Aquarius and Uranus in Gemini. This isn't a good combo.

The easy way out is a trap waiting to happen all month long, but especially on and around the full moon on 8/9 when Mars will be exactly opposed to Saturn and Neptune. Don't jump the gun here. You feel stuck for a reason. It is better to slow down and examine the discomfort this brings up than rush ahead towards disaster.

Watch out for people pleasing, the less-than-ideal trait of Mars in Libra. Nobody wants to be controlled, emotionally or otherwise, right now.

Don't expect to get ahead. That's not the point of this month.

Jupiter

Jupiter is slowly making its way through Cancer all month long, which is our most auspicious aspect given Jupiter's place of exaltation in the cardinal water sign. That said, nothing else is going in our favor, so luck may look like less bad rather than a big win.

That said, circle 8/13 on your calendar as the day Venus, our Lesser Benefic, meets up with Jupiter, our Greater Benefic. This day is the perfect opportunity to perform magic and bring anything you want or need into your life. The sky is the limit.

Saturn

Hold on to your butts because retrograde Saturn re-enters 00° Aries on 8/17. This degree has been an ongoing pressure point all year, as a total of five planets cross this boundary in 2025, a total of 11 times. Earlier in the year, both Mercury and Venus retrograded across this border (29° Pisces is the last degrees of the horoscope, and 00° Aries is the first), and over the Spring, Saturn and Neptune followed and then also retrograded. Both Saturn and Neptune still need to cross back over this demarcation before the end of this year.

If you feel stuck between an ending and a new beginning, this is why. We are in a reversal phase with all of the weight of Saturn holding us back. You can use this - especially the day when Saturn moves into 00° Aries (8/17), but it is not a day for the fainthearted. Consider yourself forewarned.

Looking Ahead

Saturn enters Pisces from the wrong end (like the back of a Vokeswagon) on 9/1, which sets the stage for our entire month. All month long, Mercury and the Sun will be moving towards their inevitable conjunctions both to each other and to the South Node. Oh yeah, we enter eclipse season on 9/7.

Things will be getting juicy.

The Details

8/1 - Venus in Cancer square retrograde Saturn in Aries, Venus in Cancer square retrograde Neptune in Aries, retrograde Saturn in Aries sextiles Uranus in Gemini 8/6 - Mars enters Libra 8/8 - Mars in Libra trine Uranus in Gemini 8/9 - Full Moon 17° Aquarius, Mars in Libra opposed retrograde Saturn in Aries, Mars in Libra opposed retrograde Neptune in Aries 8/10 - Mars in Libra trine retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 8/11 - Mercury stations direct 04° Leo 8/13 - Venus conjunct Jupiter 14° Cancer 8/15 - Mercury in Leo sextile Mars in Libra 8/16 - Mercury in Cancer trine North Node in Pisces 8/19 - Sun in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 8/22 - Sun enters Virgo 8/23 - New moon 00° Virgo, Venus in Cancer square Chiron in Aries 8/24 - Sun in Virgo square Uranus in Gemini 8/25 - Venus enters Leo, Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 15° Leo 8/26 - Venus in Leo trine retrograde Saturn in Aries, Venus in Leo sextile Uranus in Gemini, Venus in Leo trine retrograde Neptune in Aries 8/27 - Venus in Leo opposed retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 8/29 - Uranus in Gemini sextiles retrograde Neptune in Aries 8/31 - Mercury in Leo trine Chiron in Aries

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Hermes Charidotes

"The Giver of Joy." An epithet for Hermes Kharidóhtis.

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Vinjeboka, the oldest preserved handbook of magic in Norway. Via karl_eikrem

"There are approximately 100 “black books” (“Svarteboker“) in Norway dating between 1650 and 1850, but the paper in Vinjeboka is from 1480 and the text no later than 1520. It was found under the floorboards in Vinje Stave Church in 1796. The Vinje book is also unique in that it documents religiosity and mentality from before the Reformation in Norway. The content includes herbal medicine recipes and medical advice for common aliments of the time such as Jaundice. Also present is “the pentacle of Solomon the King” and numerous prayers and orations in Latin, all of which are heavily Catholic." [x]

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Remember friends,

The spell you write and cast for yourself will always be more relevant and effective than a spell you picked up online, or a spell you asked someone you trust to cast for you.

No one knows your heart like you and your deities do.

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I think a lot of the time the online talk about protection is overdone and fear-mongering. I don’t mean that protection in itself is overrated, it is a good tool to have. But oftentimes online discourse feels as if witches have to build this castle to protect themselves from baneful energies. I’d argue that most of us will never be hexed in our lives. And to argue online that this will 100% happen and protection is the only form of help against that is fear-mongering for new practitioners. I wish we would instead talk about how seldom one gets hexed.

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If someone said to me, "I'm a beginner witch and I want to cover my bases in case I run into magical trouble," I would recommend:

One home ward for general protection, probably as a container spell or as an artificial spirit (perhaps using clove, red pepper, cinnamon, and soil or dust from the corners of the home/property), for the purpose of keeping out ill-fortune, ill-intent, and unwanted guests

One completely separate home ward, probably as a container spell (perhaps using dill, rosemary, and garlic), for the purpose of keeping out uninvited spirits, unwanted spirits, and malefica sent intentionally or unintentionally by other practitioners

One heavy-duty protective amulet, probably made of rusty nails or a piece of hematite or otherwise iron, for the purpose of behaving as a suit of heavy armor in case of spiritual alarm; to be carried about as you solve the problem; the effects of which may be encumbering and too imposing for everyday use

One more mild protective amulet (perhaps made of amethyst jewelry, or an acorn, or an oak twig cross), for the purpose of providing an immediate protection against ill spirits and energies; to be worn when a shield is desired, but a shielding energy-working technique is too draining or time-consuming; should be comfortable to wear as often as desired

Of all of these things, avoid repeating ingredients across charms, unless you are in special allyship with a certain spirit.

Those persons also suffering from nightmares or disturbed dreams may also benefit from:

One bedroom ward, probably a container spell or Witch's Ladder (perhaps containing star anise, amethyst, knotted cord, spiders or the forms of spiders, and rosemary), for the purpose of tangling up ill spirits and ill energies which inspire bad dreams.

Of any ward and amulet, feed it a minimum of once a season; if they're working often to provide assistance, or if the effects run out, increase feeding to once a month; in times of distress, feed weekly or as needed.

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🔮🌙

full moon in aquarius: august 9th

keywords: science, personal freedom, personal & creative expression, intellect, social networking, radicalism, extrasensory abilities, breaking bad habits

new moon in virgo [black moon]: august 23rd

keywords: focus, diplomacy, problem solving, practicality, reevaluation, health & dietary concerns, intellectual matters, partnerships

© 2025 bunny-claws

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Using music in magic is so underrated. Of course I'm using lyrics in my spells and using specific songs to charge specific spells what do you mean

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Whenever I worry about moral egoism, the idea that my duties are done purely for my own gain, I try to remember Amma Sarah of the Desert:

She also said, ‘It is good to give alms for men’s sake. Even if it is only done to please men, through it one can begin to seek to please God

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new moon new room new off the fucking charts altar situation

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The James Webb Space Telescope spotted a chain of 20 galaxies, dubbed the Cosmic Vine, which stretches 13 million light-years across and dates back to just 3 billion years after the Big Bang.

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🌸✨Glamour Magic✨🌸

Lets dive into some ✨glamour magic✨ Glamour magic is the act of enchanting items you commonly wear such as makeup, skincare, hygiene products, accessories, ect. Often its used for illusion magic, protection drawing someone in, bring in abundance, self love and other forms of spell work. The exciting thing with glamour magic is the huge range and its often undetectable. Perfect for any closeted witches. You can enchant your toothpaste, skincare, soap, makeup, perfume, pretty much anything and have it serve you. 🌸✨Ideas for Enchantments + Tips✨🌸 These are just some basic ideas to help you get started. You can truly do anything with glamours so get creative and go wild.

Enchant your glasses, mascara or eye creams to help with clarity.

Use items you physical cleanse with, to spiritually cleanse like toothpaste, makeup remover, soap and facial cleansers.

Draw sigils on your face with moisturizer, foundation or concealer.

Enchant your shoes with a road opener spell

Enchant your mirrors for self-love, confidence and happiness

Match your perfume with herbal correspondences or moods. Or enchant a daily perfume with a certain spell like cleansing, allure or confidence.

Use concealer to invoke invisibility

Say affirmations while you get ready for the day

Ask the element water to cleanse you when you wash your face, shower or take a bath

Use color magic for eyeshadow, nail polish or your outfit

Enchant lipsticks, chapstick or lip gloss for people to be enchanted by your words, unable to forget them, believe them even if you lie, ect.

Spray your bed with spellcrafted sprays or herbal correspondences you want to use. i.e: chamomile spray for more restful sleep/peace

Add Florida water to your washing machine to cleanse clothing/bedding

Wear spellcrafted oils or balms to bring that energy into your day

Enchant sunscreen to help with protection and shielding. Wear ya damn sunscreen.

Put money spell oil in your hair before work or enchant jewelry for abundance (especially if you get tipped at your job)

Assign different spiritual hygiene steps to your skincare routine.

Happy Spellcrafting ⚰️

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just a reminder: science, philosophy, and religion can, and always will, go hand in hand

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I was showing a friend my spell recipe card designs, and she asked me why I didn't do step-by-step instructions for the magic portion of the recipes. I include tips, tricks, and ideas, as well as correspondence information, but I don't provide a one-two-three guide for casting the spells, even in the long-form posts. My reasoning for this is twofold:

First of all, the recipe cards are intended mostly for practitioners who already have a basis for their magical practices. Folks who have paradigms in place and ways of doing their magics. They're friendly enough for newer practitioners, with room to interpret, add, remove, and grow. They're spells in and of themselves, yes, but they're also prompts.

Even in commissions, where I provide extra context, tips, and instructions, I leave it to the practitioner to form the full ritual. I make mention of where I suggest including certain words or actions, and I note when to focus or rest, but... it's up to the reader to interpret that. My way isn't going to be your way, and so instructions written too specifically won't apply anymore. I don't want you to practice my magic, I want to inspire you to practice your magic.

Secondly... I use this magic. I'm a folk practitioner. Many of these recipes are spells I cast and use. I'm not going to give out all of my secrets. I'll share some techniques and ideas of where to include magic, but if I were to provide full, step-by-step instructions, it would end up as a recreation of my own workings. And that's a no-no to me. I leave out additional ingredients, steps, incantations, and techniques on purpose. I add extra tidbits that I don't actually use but that still make sense in context.

No spellwork that you see posted here (or anywhere) is 100% accurate to life. Partly because I want my work to inspire others to create their own paths, but also to protect my own magics. It doesn't make sense to share my most closely-guarded secrets. Why on earth would I give out the keys to undoing all my hard work?

Information, I think, should be shared. Communities can't thrive if we're all siloed completely away from each other. It's good to write guides and recipes and books; it's good to share tidbits and tips and tricks; it's good to provide context and help others understand and build on each others' works. It's important, even.

But at the same time, there are some things that are best kept hidden to yourself. You can't just post whatever on the internet and believe there will be no consequences. Some things should be private, and it's up to each of us to decide where to draw that line.