The focus for today is:
I become aware of the feelings I wish to experience.

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The focus for today is:
I choose to focus on my passions and creativity.

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This is the giant Banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui. It shades a city block. It’s been burned but not destroyed in the fire that has leveled Lahaina, the cultural capital of Hawaii for over 300 years. There are untold numbers of dead and burn victims, thousands of homes and businesses have been incinerated … this is a tragedy unparalleled since the 1960 tsunami.

This is much more than a local catastrophe. Maui exists as a special place for millions of people all over the world, from those who revere it as one of the world’s sacred sites to tourists who come to reboot their lives. It’s also personally significant. My wife and I met there in 1993. We were married and lived there for seven years, moved back two years ago, enjoy a wonderful community of loving friends there and our rental home is currently sublet to a friend while we’re here in our cabin in the Oregon woods. We will return in October/November, to a very different island than the one we left.

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The focus for today is:
I am willing to ask for help (and give it as well).

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The focus for today is:
I am learning to love my shadow self, and the shadow self of others.

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Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

Aspects of Note this Week:
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Eastern Time, add 3 hours; For Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), add 7 hours.

Monday: Venus trine Chiron, Saturn semisquare Chiron
Tuesday: Sun square Uranus
Wednesday: New Moon 2:37 a.m. PDT, Mars trine Uranus, Mercury quincunx Chiron
Thursday: No major aspects are exact today
Friday: Sun trine Eris
Saturday: No major aspects are exact today
Sunday: Sun quincunx Neptune

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LEO NEW MOON: Our second (of three) lunations this month is a dramatic New Moon that occurs this Wednesday, August 16. The Sun and Moon will align at 2:37 a.m. PDT on that day, when the two Lights are at 23°27´ Leo.

This New Moon and the new lunar cycle that begins on Wednesday are likely to bring surprising twists and turns, and many sudden changes that test our adaptability. The excitement is due to a tight square between the New Moon and radical Uranus, at the same time that the sideways-spinning planet is strongly activated by a trine to energizing Mars (also exact on Wednesday).

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You've probably heard of catnip in relationship to cats. Some cats really love it. Most cats react to catnip by rolling, flipping, rubbing, and eventually zoning out. On the other hand, bugs hate catnip. I'm talking of mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies or horse flies, and gnats. When they smell it, they usually leave the premises.

In the enchanting woods of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where I spend my summers, black flies, deer flies, and mosquitoes can be unwelcome visitors. While commercial bug repellents may offer protection, they often come with various chemicals that raise concerns for our well-being and the environment. Fortunately, catnip offers a natural alternative.

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While I am definitely keen on visiting sites when I travel, the dimension that I like most is the human one. I just cannot get enough of meeting people from a different background, country or continent: Seeing their traditions. Seeing how they live. Listening to their language. Listening to their views on life. Their view of the future. Trying to discover things we have in common. In short, connecting with people I meet on the way.

Written by Boris Kester an author, fearless adventurer, senior purser, polyglot, avid sportsman, programmer, and political scientist.

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The focus for today (and the weekend) is:
I have what it takes to make my dreams come true.

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The focus for today is:
I choose to live out the best version of who I am.

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