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Elul 5782

Aug. 27-Sept. 25, 2022

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In the cycle of sacred time that is the Jewish year, we’ve arrived again at Elul, the month of conscious teshuvah (repentance). The tikkun (repairing power) of Elul is action. There is no teshuvah without action!

Rosh Chodesh Elul’s new moon in Virgo/Betulah Aug. 27 is accompanied by the sun square to Mars/Ma’adim and Venus/Noga square to Uranus/Oron. A powerfully personal way to start the month whose Hebrew acrostic is “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li — I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3). Make things right in relationships by taking personal responsibility when Venus opposes Saturn/Shabbtai Aug. 28.

Retrograde Jupiter/Tzedek in Aries/Taleh is sextiled by Mars and opposed by Mercury/Kochav Sept. 1-2. Objects in the rearview mirror are much bigger than they appear! Mercury stations retrograde Sept. 9 and makes another conjunction to Jupiter Sept. 18. As the prophet Jeremiah said, “saying ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace” offers only superficial distraction. How to discern righteously when distortion, deception and deliberate obfuscation swirl all around? The arrow of pointed truth released at the first quarter moon in Sagittarius/Keshet Sept. 3 hits the heart of the matter at the full Pisces/Dagim moon Sept. 10.

Tekufah Tishrei, the Autumnal Equinox, comes Sept. 22 with the sun’s conjunction to Mercury retrograde and Venus opposite Neptune/Rahav, right before the new moon in Libra/Moznayim on Erev Rosh Hashanah Sept. 25. Some will do teshuvah because the light of the truth finally illuminates their minds. Others whose egos are built upon lies will see the truth and harden their hearts, passing on the opportunity to make a tikkun via action this month, with tragic consequences. Be your own action hero during Elul and don’t miss your chance to put things right!

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Aries / Taleh

Action in the realm of your mind-body connection and your physical health is your Elul tikkun. Sun in Virgo/Betulah squares planetary ruler Mars/Ma’adim in Gemini/T’omim on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Anxiety over data and details may feel overwhelming; cultivate a specific daily mindfulness practice to regulate your feelings and be especially careful treating allergies. Mars sextiles Jupiter/Tzedek in Aries Sept. 1, boosting your energy level considerably and inspiring optimism. The square of Venus/Noga in Virgo to Mars Sept. 16 rewards your willingness to be flexible with a new way around an old problem.

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Taurus / Shor

Planetary ruler Venus/Noga in Leo/Aryeh squares Uranus/Oron in Taurus/Shor on Rosh Chodesh Elul, activating the tikkun of action in the realm of romantic love. The opposition of Venus in Leo to Saturn/Shabbtai in Aquarius/D’li on Aug. 28 squares your sun, sparking a struggle between your values and your deepest desires. Venus enters Virgo/Betulah Sept. 5, squaring Mars/Ma’adim Sept. 16 and trining to Uranus Sept. 20. Resist pressure to make decisions you’re not ready for! The opposition of Venus to Neptune/Rahav on Sept. 24 is a good time to consider your choices, and either confirm them or dismiss them.

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Gemini / T’omim

Home and family are the realms where action, the tikkun of Elul accomplishes the most. Family of origin and family of choice both need your applied attention. Planetary ruler Mercury/Kohav in Libra/Moznayim brings the drama when he opposes retrograde Jupiter/Tzedek in Aries/Taleh Sept. 2. Mercury stations retrograde Sept. 9, and then revisits the opposition again on Sept. 18. In this case, two negatives make a positive; between those conjunctions, the last quarter moon in Gemini on Sept. 17 illuminates your root responsibilities in an entirely new way. Don’t withhold ancestral wisdom from your descendants.

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Cancer / Sartan

The new moon in Virgo/Betulah on Rosh Chodesh Elul triggers the tikkun of action in your communications. Telling the truth — to yourself and others — is top of the list at the first quarter moon in Sagittarius/Keshet on Sept. 3. Though some of it may sting, all that truth opens the heart and supersizes your capacity for empathy at the full moon in Pisces/Dagim on Sept. 10. Are you confusing empathy with romantic love? Consider the implications of your choices and what kind of follow-through you’re committing to at the last quarter moon in Gemini/T’omim on Sept. 17. Be honest about your limitations.

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Leo / Aryeh

Taking action in the realm of your material world — those things that you value and that are valuable to you —  sparks creative, unique tikkun solutions when the sun trines Uranus/Oron on Sept. 11. The sun’s opposition to Neptune/Rahav on Sept. 16 reveals important details of your long-term dream; the sun-Pluto trine on Sept. 18 provides courage and power to put your money where your heart is. Partnership takes precedence at Tekufah Tishrei, the Autumnal Equinox on Sept. 22, when the sun enters harmonious Libra/Moznayim. The sun conjuncts Mercury/Kochav retrograde on Sept. 23; don’t buy back what you’ve already sold!

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Virgo / Betulah

The new moon in Virgo Aug. 27 kicks off Elul, and the tikkun of action manifests in your individual identity. Self-perception through embodiment leads to huge breakthroughs. Elul is bookended by two oppositions of Mercury/Kochav in Libra/Moznayim to Jupiter/Tzedek in Aries/Taleh. On Sept. 2 Jupiter is retrograde; at the second opposition on Sept. 18, Mercury is also retrograde. You’re in the valley of decision! Use the energy from full moon in Pisces/Dagim on Sept. 10 to reinstate positive, life-affirming habits you’ve let slip over the months or years. You know what’s good for you and what isn’t.

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Libra / Moznayim

The tikkun of action manifests in preparing for new beginnings by facilitating appropriate endings on Rosh Chodesh Elul when Venus/Noga in Leo/Aryeh squares Uranus/Oron in Taurus/Shor. Purge toxic ancestral trauma at the opposition of Venus to Saturn/Shabbtai on Aug. 28; everything gets purified when Venus enters Virgo/Betulah Sept. 5. Avoid smooth talkers when Venus squares Mars/Ma’adim  Sept. 16; originality counts Sept. 20 at the Venus-Uranus trine. The sun enters Libra at Tekufah Tishrei, the Autumnal Equinox. New moon in Libra Sept. 25, hours before the start of Rosh Hashanah, brings personal renewal.

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Scorpio / Akrav

“A friend’s love is for all times,” says the Proverb. The sun squares Mars/Ma’dim on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the month whose tikkun is action. Be that action hero for your friends! Mars sextiles Jupiter/Tzedek Sept. 1, enlarging your already huge sensitivity field to include the neglected and overlooked. Venus/Noga squares Mars Sept. 16; fine details and deeply researched, verified facts are your weapons against unrighteousness. Your power erupts Sept. 18 at the trine of the sun to Pluto, a controlled eruption channeling all that energy into righting wrongs on behalf of loved ones.

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Sagittarius / Keshet

Humility is your best look during Elul. The action you take as your tikkun this month should speak for itself. Let the words of others praise you before you speak for yourself! Mars/Ma’adim sextiles Jupiter/Tzedek Sept. 1; work becomes play when you’re in the flow. Immaculate truth-telling and proofs in writing are essential during the bookended Mercury/Kochav-Jupiter oppositions Sept. 2 (with Jupiter retrograde) and Sept. 18 (with both planets retrograde). First quarter moon in Sagittarius on Sept. 3 points you tor the big picture, truth beyond mere facts.

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Capricorn / Gidi

Actions speak louder than words, and action is the tikkun of Elul. It’s time for you to get real with your beliefs in a very hands-on way. Do your actions match your beliefs? If there’s a gap between the two, the opposition of Venus/Noga to Saturn/Shabbtai on Aug. 28 will reveal how wide. Take Sept. 4-9 while the moon transits Saturn-ruled Capricorn and Aquarius/D’li to do the inner work of coming to terms with that gap. What do you keep close to while maintaining your authenticity? Genius loves company.

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Aquarius / D’li

Elul’s tikkun of action is taken in the realm of shared values, resources and intimacies. Venus/Noga in solar opposite Leo/Aryeh squares planetary ruler Uranus/Oron in Taurus/Shor, squaring your sun, on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Sometimes you play the humanitarian card for selfish reasons. You know full well that sharing is caring, but there are also times when you want only for yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that. The sun’s trine to Uranus Sept. 11 provides creative solutions unique to your situation. By the time Venus in Virgo/Betulah trines Uranus Sept. 20, harmony is restorable.

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Pisces / Dagim

For you, this month’s tikkun of action holds sway in the realm of partnerships. The dreamy, idealistic, ultra-romantic full moon in Pisces Sept. 10 dissolves boundaries and unites souls in ineffable oneness. Which is fantastic until it’s time to walk the dog or pay the bills. Undifferentiated oneness works best with boundaries around individual sovereignty and space for each partner. Can you enlarge your dream to accept this configuration when the sun opposes Neptune/Rahav Sept. 16? Can the same question be posed in a less threatening way at the opposition of Venus/Noga to Neptune Sept. 24?