August 2025 Newsletter
(all dates and time ET)
dusty bunker
Hello Star Babies,
Feel the heat?
We’re finishing up the ‘dog days of summer’ (in the Northern Hemisphere) which, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, runs from July 3rd to August 11th. This time of sweltering heat and humidity coincides with the heliacal rise of Sirius, the Dog Star. Now, you know I have to expound on this…so here goes…
Heliacal means the rising or setting of a star or celestial body in conjunction with the Sun. This word comes from the Latin ‘heliacus’, meaning Sun.
The ancient Egyptians prayed to Sirius the Dog Star, the most significant body in the Egyptian sky which became visible just before dawn around mid-July. It was significant because it coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile which was crucial for sustaining life in that dry land.
Some parts of Egypt get no rain at all; some areas may get 8” of rain a year. The people thanked the Dog Star for the flooding of the Nile which provided drinking water, farm irrigation, fishing, the making of bricks and pottery, and allowed the processing of stones, gems, metals, and salts.
Meanwhile…we just lay around and sweat…unless, of course, we have A/C.
To help you cool off, why not relax with my book…
Numerology, Astrology, and Dreams which explains how to interpret those nightly visitors. Information drawn from mythology, history, religious texts, and psychological research integrates three fascinating secret symbolic languages.. “A good, solid introduction to getting in touch with your dream state and seeing that in terms of the symbolism of numerology and astrology. Very accessible and practical.” ~~~Rob Hand.
Okay, enough already…on to “astrologeese”, as one of my children, back in the ‘dark ages’, used to call it.
[A reminder: as the aspects play out in your personal lives, they also play out on the world stage.]
We start the month of August with three of the major planets continuing their Retrograde motion~~~Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto~~~the Retrograde indicating that these three giants are locked in a conclave behind closed doors. To add a feisty spice to the mix, they are being bothered by a pesky Retrograde Mercury in the fiery expressive sign Leo ♌ who insists on being heard.
Which reminds me of the West African proverb: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito.”
Well, that pesky Mercury Retrograde is stirring conversations with Saturn and Neptune and challenging Pluto. One can only imagine what proclamation Mercury will announce to the public when the dust settles and this tiny planet goes Direct on August 11th. We can be sure the message will be trumpeted with flourishing fanfare.
Now…I love the sign Leo. On the plus side, it’s fun-filled, creative, joyful, innocent, childlike, and theatrical. It’s also brave and will step up to the plate to be heard.
On the other hand, Mercury in fiery Leo ♌ can get carried away bragging with childlike self-importance. Therefore, those who over perform from the Mercury pulpit should tone down the braggadocio or it could come back to bite them. That’s not you, of course, but it could be a family member or a friend, a neighbor or a business partner, or anyone who has your ear. Just saying…best to stay cool. (hmmm…“fiery Leo…stay cool”: is this a pun? Or maybe an anti-pun?)
Did you know that with a simple click, The Beginner’s Guide to Astrology, Class Is In Session can be yours. This comprehensive workbook, through clear simple instructions, teaches you how to interpret your chart. And you’ll have fun learning! Bonus: by asking, you will receive your birth chart designed to work with the book.
Mars will end its thirty-one-day trip through your Virgo ♍ house on August 6th. On that day it enters ♎ Libra bringing some relief from the weeks of detailed Virgo work since the middle of June. Mars spends from six weeks to two months in a sign. It will stir things up in your Libra house from August 6th through September 22nd
Libra is always about you and the ‘other’ side of the equation, every one-on-one personal contact. From the time you get up in the morning until you lay your head down at night, you are in contact with the ‘others’ out there in some manner, person to person, by telephone, through the Internet, on Facebook, at the grocery store, over the fence with a neighbor, with your pet. You get the idea.
Warrior Mars in Libra ♎ can be too aggressive, stirring up stormy weather in those one-on-one contacts. Therefore, it’s wise to negotiate the air waves with caution. Libra is the sign of peace but when pushed too far, it becomes unreasonable and then the war drums beat. Again, from August 6th to September 22nd, your relationship skills in your Libra house will become obvious because of the responses from others.
Conversations with those around you can begin to bear fruit after August 11th when Mercury turns Direct and the storm clouds begin to drift away hopefully revealing a clearer view of how to approach the ‘other’. A more reasonable approach to those personal contacts can result in peaceful resolutions.
The Full Moon 🌕 on the 9th at 17° Aquarius ♒ in your Aquarian house reveals how you have managed your need to embrace, recognize, and accept others versus your need to focus on yourself and your need for praise and recognition. The opposition is always pointing out the need for balance.
This Full Moon chart shows an outspoken Mercury in Leo ♌ opposing transformational Pluto in Aquarius ♒. Secrets and hidden information surface under the spotlight from this Full Moon. Plus, a Direct Mercury in Leo is shouting those secrets from a public platform to the crowds.
This Mercury/Pluto opposition does make a plethora (there’s that word again) of helpful aspects so…it’s possible mediation can bring both sides to the table to discuss these weighty subjects.
Still under the influence of this Full Moon in Aquarius, Mars in Libra ♎ pokes at Jupiter in Cancer ♋ who is comfortably tucked into cozy Cancer, perhaps overdoing the comfort food thing, and doesn’t want to be disturbed. At the same time, Mars pokes Venus in Cancer ♋, testing her wrath, igniting the old battle of the sexes. The theme: the nurturing feminine side and the security of the home is under attack. Cancer is the most ferocious of the signs when its security is threatened. Just saying…
This Full Moon reveals the results of personal and global efforts at compromise over the past two weeks.
The Native Americans of the northern United States had multiple names for this August Full Moon: the Full Sturgeon Moon because of the large fish, the sturgeon, caught abundantly in the Great Lakes and surrounding lakes during this month; the Full Red Moon because the Moon appears reddish when rising through the sultry haze of early morn; and the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon. The last two named Full Moons, of course, indicate the abundance of corn and grains available during this season.
As August’s Full Moon wanes, the heavens will be lit up with the Perseid Meteor Showers, so called because they come from the general direction of the constellation Perseus. They occur every year between mid-July to late August. This year, this spectacular show will peak on the night of August 12th with streams of fireballs and streaks of light, averaging fifty to one-hundred meteors per hour.
On these lazy hazy days of August, while Mercury is Retrograde in showy Leo ♌, why not lie back under the night sky and enjoy the celestial fireworks. Reserve your seats now.
As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, because our calendar is fixed, when the stimulating Sun enters a new sign, it lights up that house in your chart at the same time every year. This is your repeating Solar Calendar indicating the house where you need to shine, to be visible, to express who you are, every year at that time.
The Sun enters Virgo ♍ on August 22nd, just as it does every year at this time, shining the light on the Virgo house in your chart. At the end of September, the Sun will move into Libra ♎ for the next thirty days shining the light on your Libra house. This will continue in order through the houses in your chart.
With the Sun entering your Virgo house on the 22nd for the next thirty-one days, pull out the ‘worry beads’. You do know that Virgo is the worrier of the Zodiac due to its search for every little mistake as it strives for perfection. Even if you don’t have planets or angles in that sign, you tend to worry in your Virgo ♍ house.
After finishing with your ‘worry beads’, grab your trusty solar flashlight in one hand and a Swiffer© in the other. Collect the cobwebs and dust bunnies and relegate them to the dust bin. Then you won’t have to worry, and you’ll feel so much better. Cleanliness, order, and perfection will reign in that Virgo world.
You might want to set up your own solar calendar and take notes as we travel around the wheel so you will know ‘where’ you need to show up each month.
As stated above, the Sun enters Virgo ♍ on the 22nd for the next thirty-one days. The klieg lights are on. So, “roll up your sleeves” and get to work on ‘something’.
On my website at dustybunker.com, with a just a click, you can order a copy of Numerology and the Divine Triangle (co-authored with Faith Javane) in soft cover, hardcover or instantly on Kindle.
On the 23rd, the day after the Sun enters Virgo, the New Moon (Sun conjunct Moon) begins its journey at 0° Virgo ♍, emphasizing the need to filter, dissect and clean that Virgo house in your chart.
In this New Moon chart, the Sun and Moon in buttoned-up Virgo, are in a tight square to wild and wooly and unpredictable Uranus. Because the subconscious emotions, the Moon, and the conscious ego, the Sun, are wrapped up in each other, there if no way of knowing how they will react when confronted with a sudden disruption in their meticulously planned schedule.
Certainly, the proper Virgo Sun and Moon aren’t attending the Perseid festivities draped in tie-dye, but they will be challenged to loosen up a bit. Let’s wait and see what rules will be broken. It will be a surprise. After all, Uranus is involved.
Meanwhile, still in this New Moon chart, Venus, which rules beauty, love, and money, in the cautious sign Cancer ♋ opposes controlling Pluto in experimental Aquarius ♒.
Pluto, the comptroller, demands, “Show me the money! I will take care of setting up a financial plan for you during these next two weeks.” Financially cautious Cancer, who isn’t about to part with its personal savings, backs up, hands in the air, and says, “No way! I will take care of planning my own financial future.”
Venus and Pluto have to compromise: Venus in the sign Cancer, as cautious Cancer planets tend to do, moves obliquely toward its goal, the halfway point, while Pluto, on ‘little cat’s paws’ pads silently towards that same point, all the while both planets side-eye each other looking for one misstep.
If they work together in harmony over these next two weeks, they can set up a plan that will transform your life financially. Or the transformation may be through a relationship or by beautifying yourself or your environment, also Venus ruled themes.
Do you see a little bit of yourself in this vignette? If so, you know what to do. The opposition of the Sun/Moon squaring wild Uranus mentioned above will present new ideas which can pop up unexpectedly that can help with this serious meeting of the minds.
Venus enters Leo ♌ on August 25th. Now, Venus and Leo go together like strawberries and whipped cream. Time for a tasting party in your Leo ruled house because Venus trines Saturn/Neptune, sextile Uranus, and opposite Puto!
This suggests that you have an opportunity to come up with unusual ideas (Uranus) around love/beauty/money (Venus) that could change the course of your life (Saturn/Neptune in Aries) and fulfill your dreams (Neptune). However, you need to be aware there are controlling and powerful love and/or money forces at work (Pluto) that can change your relationships and lives.
At the end of the month, Venus is at 7° as it enters the month of September. It continues transiting the sign Leo through September 19th during which time you can continue to play and plan creative adventures in your Leo house.
AQUARIAN NEWS:
WMUR.TV NEWS: July 20, 2025: This day, NASA and India launched a powerful new satellite using advanced systems that will provide high resolution data to better understand landslides and earthquakes, and improve the monitoring of ice sheets, glaciers, forests, and wetlands. It will circle the earth 14 times a day, every 21 days.
SCIENCENEWS.ORG: AI is designing proteins that help treat cancer. “It’s a molecular navigation system that helps the cells lock onto cancer, kind of like Google Maps guiding travelers to a new address.” More information can be found in an article by Meghan Rosen, senior writer for Science News, July 24, 2025.
So, my friends…I leave you with this thought...
“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
~~~Dale Carnegie
That’s it for now, star babies. Cosmic hugs are streaming to you all~~~💖💖
For consultations, please contact me at dustybunker@comcast.net
With just a click, you can order my books from my website: dustybunker.com.
(See the Monthly Calendar below following the list of my books)
Numerology and the Divine Triangle (co-authored with Faith Javane)
The Beginner’s Guide to Astrology: Class is in Session
Astrology’s Hidden Aspects
Numerology and Your Future, 2nd edition
Oldies but Goodies…
Numerology and Your Future (1980)
Dream Cycles (1981)
Numerology, Astrology, and Dreams (1987) ~~~blurb by Robert Hand
Quintiles and Tredeciles; The Geometry of the Goddess (1990)
The Number Mystery Series (2001-2004)
August 2025 Monthly Calendar:
August 1: Saturn, Neptune, Pluto Retrograde
Mercury still Retrograde in Leo
August 6: Mars enters Libra
August 9: Full Moon at 17° Aquarius
Moon opposite the Sun
Mercury opposite Pluto
Mars square Jupiter/Venus
Full Sturgeon Moon +
August 11: Mercury Direct at 4° Leo
August 12: Perseid meteor showers peak
August 22: Sun enters Virgo
August 23: New Moon at 0° Virgo
Moon conjunct Sun
Moon/Sun square Uranus
Venus opposite Pluto
August 25: Venus enters Leo
Venus trine Saturn
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