Today it is 98 degrees with expectations that the temperature will reach over 100 later this week! I have been playing with a variety of astrological configurations to see if I can come up with some astrometerology that makes sense for me, with no luck.

Then I read John Townley’s August forecast:

Summer may have been late in coming for some, with July skies still replete with both earth and water, but as August moves in it all dries up, so anything you need done with your feet on the ground or some semblance of sensitivity should be taken care of by the end of the first week. Within the four days Aug. 4-8, Mercury moves out of watery Cancer into Leo and Mars flees earthy Taurus for some Gemini air, gracelessly squaring Venus backing out of Virgo into Leo, leaving the sky earthless and – except for Uranus – waterless. Hot and thirsty, pedal-to-the-metal summer has arrived. Only the Moon provides the occasional respite, with retro Venus herself in a last uncertain embrace with Saturn as he finally makes his move to Virgo.

Meanwhile, all the planets conspire to flee Mars, who dominantly becomes the bucket handle of action, swinging the rest of the sky for the rest of summer and all the way through the fall, where he turns retro and bogs down after going a bridge too far. Impetuosity rules, then reaps its usual rewards after tripping over two eclipses, one kicking near Saturn at his last lordly Leo degree with Regulus, and the other right opposite explosive Uranus, as August passes into September. Labor Day/Bank Holiday weekend falls right at the heart of the action. Lots of surprises, especially for those who forgot to check their brakes, which could be most of us.

Jupiter, meanwhile, is at the root of both the early recurring grand trines (with Saturn and Pluto) and the T-crosses with Mars and Uranus which expand to a full-blown grand cross at both eclipses. Things are wired tight like that all month, and daily aspects are a frantic hourly dance between the best and worst of possibilities. Definitely a month of extremes, with shrinks as usual on vacation

I had forgotten that we are in a cycle now that is primarily air and fire, with very little earth and virtually no water with the exception of Uranus in Pisces. Because Uranus is so dry by nature, it tends to dry up the water signs it passes through, particularly now that it is retrograde.
Extremes indeed, both outside and in!

When a birthchart lacks the element of water it shows an individual who has difficulty navigating through the emotional realms. It rarely signifies someone who is unemotional; in fact, quite often (depending on the ascendant which defines the exprssion of the personality) an individual who lacks the water element in their birthchart can be quite emotional. One might even say overemotional, particularly with a water sign rising. Without water in their chart they lack a conduit for which emotions to flow through, and they can therefore become overwhelmed by their emotions. Those with air signs on the ascendant who have no water in their chart can be cold and unsympathetic, disconnected from the ebb and flow of the emotional realms; with fire signs the personality is hotter but still dry. Like North Carolina!