This will be an action-packed month, perhaps not at all what you expected for August. It will be a month that will bring change, growth, and communication - a month that will allow you to show off your leadership skills. You\'ll have help, too - you won\'t have to do every little thing alone, which is a change from the past few months. There will be happy moments, but jarring ones too, for this month seems to run the whole spectrum of emotions because it closes with a particularly powerful lunar eclipse in Pisces, August 28. Let\'s start at the top.

Your first sign that things are changing for the better will occur on August 6, when Jupiter, the planet of gifts and luck, turns direct. 2007 had promised to bring you much from partners, both in business and in your personal life (say, from a spouse or steady lover). You may feel that this forecast didn\'t apply to you, but it does, and will, and you will see this to be true from now on.

Your spouse, steady partner, associates, business partner, and experts you hire truly will have your best interests at heart. If you are presented with an array of options, one or more individuals who play this role in your life will help you sort through these options and zero in on the best ones. If you are married, you will see that your partner begins to do well, and you will benefit from his or her good financial fortune, too.

Watch the days that surround August 6 for solid proof that an agent, publicist, business partner (or if you have one of these jobs, the talent you represent), or spouse / partner will prove to be a gem for you. This person\'s work will be excellent - and it\'s possible that more than one person in this category could help you.

For example, your spouse AND your business partner may both prove helpful on different, separate levels, or it could be that your agent and your lawyer will both bring good news to you by working together as a unit. Anyone who represents you, or whom you are committed to in a business or personal way, will prove to be outstanding help in the days surrounding August 6, and may even cause you to see a large chunk of money in time.

Watch very carefully what types of meetings come up on your calendar on August 6 and in the days that precede and follow that date. You can create an exciting breakthrough, but remember - your partner will play a key role as catalyst or helper in helping you see your good fortune.

On top of all this, on the very next day, August 7, Mars, the feisty planet of action and energy, will enter Gemini for the first time in two years. This is also GREAT news, for Mars will place you at the head of the class. People will be inclined to follow your dictates and opinions too, which is a delicious development you\'ve not enjoyed in a long time.

Having Mars in your sign is a real advantage, for it signals the start of a whole new two-year cycle. You can set the direction of that cycle in any direction you please, so think of this phase seriously. If you have a new idea you\'d like to lift off, do it between August 7 and September 27, the period Mars will be in Gemini.

If your health has suffered recently, you\'ll almost instantly feel better and stronger once you have high-octane Mars behind you, too. My mother is a Gemini and was taken to the hospital in April.

As an aside, I had told my sister at that Mom, a Gemini, would be in the hospital or nursing home until August 7, and she thought that sounded like a really long time. (Mom entered the hospital April 14, near the new moon, so I knew Mom\'s illness would take time.) Little Mom is still in the hospital at press time, but doing so well! (See the PS below the summary, about where I talk about miracles!) My sister now thinks I may be right about August 7. We are preparing her apartment now to get it shipshape because she is starting to recover quickly! If you have been under the weather too, just know that having Mars in your sign will be a big plus for getting back to feeling tip top.

On another note, I want you to put a star on August 9, a day when Mercury and Jupiter will be at perfect angles. It\'s a good day to negotiate a contract, make a presentation, buy or sell something important, or take a trip. Actually the whole week is excellent for you - things should go your way!

By the new moon on Sunday, August 12, you will have FIVE planets circulating in your meet-and-greet-communications sector, so you seem to have a very busy late August coming up. The third house, which will be brightly lit, rules short-distance travel, so you may take a number of quick little trips or be ready to sign a major contract. Remember that a new moon opens a portal of two weeks of energy, with the strongest energy most apparent in the first week.

This new moon would be positive for any sort of launch of a new communications project: a new TV or radio show, a new website, or to sign a book contract. You would work very hard on this endeavor, but you\'d have plenty to show for your efforts.

If your birthday falls on June 10, or within five days of this date, you will reap the benefits from this new moon.

If you do plan to sign papers, be careful, because Saturn will be meeting with several planets this month. Specifically, Venus will meet with Saturn on August 13, with your ruling planet Mercury on August 18, and with the Sun on August 21. Any agreements you make are likely to be in place nearly forever, as Saturn is the planet of very long-range planning. I don\'t feel any of these days are going to be your favorites this month.

August 21 could easily turn out to be the lowest point of your month or even of the year, although August 18 is not due to be much fun either. You may make a final break with someone, or an authority figure could be demanding, critical, or cold to you at this time. A relative, such as your sibling or cousin, or a neighbor, could be incorrigible at this time.

I would not choose either day (August 18 or the harder day, August 21) to plan any vital talks. You will be feeling very thoughtful and serious, which in itself could be very positive, but the danger is that you would also lose your confidence and enthusiasm when the other person\'s words take the wind out of your sails. A writing project could turn out to be arduous, and if you have to take a test on either of these days, it would be filled with lots of demanding, obscure, detailed questions, so you\'ll really have to study hard for that test or interview. Your instructor is apt to be a real taskmaster. Oh gee! I am so sorry! See if you can get that date changed!

Romantically, as you and I discussed, if you have been dating someone seriously, this could be an amazing, life-changing month, for an engagement could be near.

December would be a magical month for a wedding too, for in the first half of December you will have many friendly planets stacked up in your commitment and marriage sector. December will be one of the happiest months of the whole year. This month, in contrast, will bring on a serious, thoughtful mood, one that emphasizes realism, practicality, and long range thinking.

With so many planets stacked up in your brainy intellectual sector, you\'ll feel like talking to your partner, but realize that not all things can be analyzed. Emotions are sometimes mysterious - better to be experienced than intellectualized, dear Gemini.

There is a possibility that you may have to face a temporary separation this month from someone you love. If your partner has to leave town for an extended stay in another city, for example, you may want to schedule quality time together early in the month, especially on or near your best day, Thursday, August 2, perhaps for a fun, four-day weekend way (assuming you can get time off from your boss).

If you are single, this month there\'s a strong possibility that you will be attracted to someone who is much older than you. You seem to crave a partner who is dependable over all else, and who will offer you a certain level of sophistication. On that count, who could blame you? Venus\' move into Leo will also help your social life, from August 8 onward.

If you\'ve been dating a while and know for sure this person is the one, as said, a proposal may now come up and an engagement planned. It\'s also a good month to be wed. While any weekend would be fine to wed, I especially like August 11 - 12 for you.

Best romantic days of August include: August 2 - 8 and 11.

The month ends with a lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 28. You may see events happen a week ahead or a full week after this date, or you may not see anything for one month to the day, plus or minus five days. All changes will center on your career and on your reputation.

I won\'t kid you - this is not an easy eclipse by any means. Uranus, planet of surprise, will challenge your ruling planet, Mercury, and Saturn will oppose the moon. This has all the makings of a very emotional point in the year, one where you decide once and for all if a certain job or client you have is worth the trouble. Your source of steady income could suddenly change or you could see lifestyle or home / family / roommate shifts as well.

Overall, no matter what occurs, this eclipse will open up a bigger discussion within you, namely: What is it I really want to achieve in my career? You\'ve been working hard, but as you got closer to an ultimate goal, it may have looked a little less important to you. In that case, you may now want to tear up your blueprints and make a course correction, which is normal, as everyone has to do that from time to time. (It is funny how we always think we are the only ones to feel this way, but it is common.)

You need to feel that you are in a job that is making good use of your talents, and that you are being appreciated for your efforts. Of course, you need to be making the money you feel you deserve too, and if you are not, you need to find a better career opportunity that will do so.

You seem to be interested in rewriting your job description so that you will have greater control over your destiny. You are feeling quite independent because Uranus is making a long eight-year trek through your career sector, a trend that started four years ago. Uranus will encourage you to be a pathfinder in a whole new territory. High technology seems to play a part in your career now too, and you will be challenged to find a way to harness it to your advantage.

The career equation that you need to perfect is one that brings your time, money, ambition, and achievement together to create a satisfying career success. Finding the right balance is never easy. Sometimes we have to subtract one ingredient and add another in a trial-and-error process, but the effort is worthwhile. What you will have in the end is a career, and a life, that really matters to you and that satisfies your soul on the very deepest level.

If anything untoward happens at this eclipse August 28, be philosophical. Are you really sorry about what was lost? I say "lost" because this eclipse seems to bring on a very sudden ending with one individual or situation. Honestly, do you feel relieved? If so, this situation was not for you, and you will find something more suitable for the "you" that you\'ve become.

Always keep in mind that you have to give up the old in order to make way for the new. Unless you create an open cradle for the universe to fill, nothing can happen. While this eclipse will subtract elements from your professional life, the next one, September 11, will bring in new options. Have faith that you will find the right path to take at this crossroad.

Summary

A certain communication you are about to make, or contract that you are currently negotiating, is about to have major ramifications in your life. Take each day as it comes, and don\'t rush the process. You need to think through your chess moves, for with each decision you make there will be several new questions to ponder and new contingency plans to draw up. This doesn\'t mean you shouldn\'t act - you should - but you should do so fully cognizant that your actions will have far reaching effects. If you need to sign a contract, you have the very best day possible on August 9, when Mercury will link to lucky Jupiter in perfect angles.

If you travel this month, with Saturn prominent, you will likely go to complete a serious goal. Still, with Neptune in opposition to Saturn and other planets, you won\'t be able to get access to all the facts you you\'ll need, so you\'ll need to rely on your instincts. Fortunately, your intuition will be a trusty guide now.

Near the full moon lunar eclipse on August 28 in your professional sector, you may get jarring news. If so, it will come out of left field and be triggered by events over which you will have no control. A woman who has been pivotal to your progress - someone who has protected you, cared for you, and whose advice you\'ve always respected - may depart for any number of reasons. The source of your income may change too, either now or in the next two months.

This lunar eclipse, August 28, admittedly, will be difficult. Keep an eye on developments with home and family as well as those related to your career, as you may have news on both fronts at once. Lifestyle changes are almost certain to come into play in the weeks following this eclipse. Fortunately you are a flexible, adaptable Gemini, able to go in any direction when life shifts demand it.

Despite this rather tense professional news from the eclipse, you will have the advantage of having Mars in Gemini from August 7 until September 28 (seven weeks). This is the first time in two years that Mars will visit your sign, ensuring that you\'ll feel assertive and be decisive, and rightly so. While others may freak out and act like Chicken Little - ever so certain that the sky is falling - you\'ll offer the cool, calm voice in the storm that will allow you to point others to a safe haven. You\'ll probably feel tense inside too, but won\'t show it, and your composure will likely be the key to your success.

Like everything else in your life this month, romance might seem weighty and fraught. Your mood is reflective, pensive, careful, and practical - you won\'t stay with anyone just to mark time.

One possibility will be that you will have to face a temporary separation from someone you love. If your partner has to leave town for an extended stay, try to schedule quality time together early in the month, especially on or near your best day, Thursday, August 2, perhaps for a long, fun weekend.

Jupiter will turn direct on August 6, so watch the days surrounding this date - if you\'re dating and serious, you will see developments that will thrill you, possibly when someone (you or your partner) feels ready to pop the question. If you are already committed, then your partner should soon have good news for you. Incidentally, if you are in a business alliance, you will find luck through your partner as well.